Listmania!
13 books for writers (and wannabes)
By an Amazon.com customer
The Elements of Style [VHS]The Elements of Style [VHS]
Buy used from: $22.48
Well, duh. You have to start at the beginning.
Deep Writing: 7 Principles That Bring Ideas to LifeDeep Writing: 7 Principles That Bring Ideas to Life by Eric Maisel
Buy used from: $7.59
A superb guide to the process of getting what's inside you outside.
One Way to Write Your NovelOne Way to Write Your Novel by Dick Perry
Buy used from: $0.01
This one got me through my first novel and imbued me with advice that remains valid nearly 30 years on. Excellent and practical.
Living by FictionLiving by Fiction by Annie Dillard
Buy new: $12.55 / Used from: $0.01
Brilliant and helpful in seeing the macro of what one is about.
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and LifeBird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
Buy new: $10.20 / Used from: $2.60
Anne Lamott makes even the tough parts of writing seem amusing and doable.
Eats, Shoots  &  Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to PunctuationEats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation by Lynne Truss
Buy new: $8.64 / Used from: $2.45
Superb guidebook to the intricacies of grammar. And fun.
The Gutenberg Elegies: The Fate of Reading in an Electronic AgeThe Gutenberg Elegies: The Fate of Reading in an Electronic Age by Sven Birkerts
Buy new: $10.20 / Used from: $3.48
Every reader and every writer needs to read this one.
The Writing LifeThe Writing Life by Annie Dillard
Buy new: $8.63 / Used from: $0.82
Shiver my timbers, Annie Dillard rocks.
Lapsing Into a Comma : A Curmudgeon's Guide to the Many Things That Can Go Wrong in Print--and How to Avoid ThemLapsing Into a Comma : A Curmudgeon's Guide to the Many Things That Can Go Wrong in Print--and How to Avoid Them by Bill Walsh
Buy new: $11.53 / Used from: $2.77
I probably need to reread this one on a regular basis. Everything that can go wrong, will.
Serendipities: Language and LunacySerendipities: Language and Lunacy by Umberto Eco
Buy new: $11.92 / Used from: $0.01
Like THE STRUCTURE OF SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTIONS, a helpful look at how we know what we know. You know?
Zen in the Art of Writing: Releasing the Creative Genius Within YouZen in the Art of Writing: Releasing the Creative Genius Within You by Ray Bradbury
Buy new: $7.99 / Used from: $1.97
This book offers amazing insight into the life of a very troubled and very successful writer. If he could pull it off, so can you.
The Structure of Scientific RevolutionsThe Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas S. Kuhn
Buy new: $9.23 / Used from: $2.99
If you propose to offer your thoughts to the world, it is helpful to understand how thoughts propagate in the world. A classic.
Sell Your Book on Amazon: The Book Marketing COACH Reveals Top-Secret "How-to" Tips Guaranteed to Increase Sales for Print-on-Demand and Self-Publishing WritersSell Your Book on Amazon: The Book Marketing COACH Reveals Top-Secret "How-to" Tips Guaranteed to Increase Sales for Print-on-Demand and Self-Publishing Writers by Brent Sampson
Buy new: $13.45 / Used from: $11.87
The advice in this book seems sound, but I've only begun to apply the ideas. Check back with me later.