book recommendations?

[dream_labyrinth]

I've decided to treat myself to some books on writing this year.

So, what should I get?
I've heard of Strunk & White, and I also want to get a larger English-German dictionary as well as a thesaurus - I grope for synonyms so often, that's definitely necessary.

What would you suggest, which titles would you recommend, what would you avoid?

Does anyone have a good suggestion about British and American dialects and slang?
I know that's tricky, as colloquial language changes so fast, but it'd still be much appreciated.

Comments

[quietselkie.livejournal.com]

Roget's Thesaurus is my favorite of all the ones I have. There are four of them in this house, but only two I use--Roget's, and something called "Word Menu" that is associative in a different way. (http://www.amazon.com/Random-House-Websters-Newer-Faster/dp/0375700838/ ) I use "Word Menu" when I know the term has to do with sailing ships, but I'm not sure what aspect, for example.

Strunk and White's "Elements of Style" is available free on-line at http://www.bartleby.com/ along with other references. (So is the Roget's, but I prefer to have the physical book for leafing through.)

As far as books written by authors about writing, I'd suggest Stephen King's "On Writing." Part memoir, part how-to, part oh-dear-god-why-did-I-ever-do-this. The one how-to book I've read more than once.

When I get to the shop, I'll see if we've got any dialects and slang books hanging around. Most of the ones I remember seeing had etymologies more than contrasts. For example, I don't know of a book, offhand, that compares "Cookie versus Biscuit" or "tyre versus tire".

[dream-labyrinth.livejournal.com]

I've seen the Strunk and White online, but I prefer reading actual books. I dunno, there's something about reading the printed word on paper that is much more appealing to me than reading on the screen.

I have King's On Writing - and have started reading ages ago, but so far haven't made it past the first chapter, even though I do remember liking it.
Need to get back to it.

Amazon lists many books that discuss dialects from the scientific viewpoint, but what I'm looking for would be rather like a dictionary, something giving a word on Oxford English and then the different words used in the English speaking world (or at least part of it), or at least something discussing the different pronounciations of syllables used in different areas (and hopefully giving me a general idea of how to spell it). It's really annoying to not be able to let your characters speak anything but whatever passes as Oxford English in German schools, sprinkled with the New England touches I might have picked up.

[jonthedull.livejournal.com]

I'm the last person one would want to ask about the english language.

[dream-labyrinth.livejournal.com]

Oh, come on, I'm sure you get some basic recommendations in school. And basic isn't always bad, especially for second-language learners.

[jonthedull.livejournal.com]

I really don't remember any english books or have any suggestions. I never was good in the subject so I did'nt pay much attention. I just was never able to grasp the various parts of speech and all the obscure and in my eyes silly gramar. Bad teachers on top of that and I was totally turned of to the subject way back in elementary school.