 | Mother Tongue: The English Language by Bill Bryson
Buy used from: £1.00 Whether or not school put you off, the English Language truly is intensely interesting. If you don't agree, this great introduction should change your mind while simultaneously amusing you.
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 | The Adventure of English by Melvyn Bragg
Buy new: £6.69 / Used from: £0.13 If you enjoyed the above book, this should be next on your list to more fully explore the history of the English language. Informative and easy to read.
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 | The Stories of English by David Crystal
Buy new: £6.49 / Used from: £3.75 Similar in scope to the above book and a worthy alternative or supplementary reading depending on your level of interest.
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 | Troublesome Words by Bill Bryson
Buy used from: £2.00 More Bryson but if you want to understand the subtleties of English and avoid making mistakes this is really worthwhile. Plus it's witty and illustrated with great examples.
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![Shorter Oxford English Dictionary [With CDROM]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51WDtnf9vWL._SL75_.jpg) | Shorter Oxford English Dictionary [With CDROM] by William R. Trumble
Buy new: £78.51 / Used from: £82.73 Pricey but if you can afford it this is indubitably the best 1-2 volume dictionary out there.
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 | The RSC Shakespeare: The Complete Works by William Shakespeare
Buy new: £25.20 / Used from: £18.84 The best Complete Works of Shakespeare. All difficult words and phrases are explained on the same page; it doesn't shy away from the raciness; good introductions. Easy and delightful to read.
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 | Rediscover Grammar by Prof David Crystal
Buy new: £12.99 / Used from: £9.52 This looks like the best of the bunch of grammar books and it is well worth honing your skills. I got all the basics off the internet but should probably invest in this myself.
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