Best Words, Language & Grammar Reference Books of 2025

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition is a must-have for writers, researchers, editors, students, and educators in various fields. It offers guidance on scholarly writing and citation, and helps users navigate the writing process from ethics of authorship to publication. The new edition includes updates on best practices in scholarly writing and publishing, and a dedicated chapter on bias-free language guidelines. The book is available in spiral and tabbed, paperback, and hardcover formats, all in full color. Overall, it is an indispensable resource for achieving excellence in writing and making an impact with one's work.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (A Memoir of the Craft (Reissue)) is a special edition of Stephen King's critically acclaimed bestseller, celebrating its twentieth anniversary. This book is a combination of memoir and master class, where King shares his experiences, habits, and convictions that have shaped him and his work. Grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, King's advice on the writer's craft is practical, revealing, and inspiring. The book is a must-read for aspiring writers, fans, and anyone who loves a great story well told.

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life is a modern classic that has been inspiring writers of all ages and abilities for the past 25 years. Anne Lamott’s warm, generous, and hilarious guide through the writer’s world, filled with treacherous swamps, is an essential volume for anyone who wants to put their thoughts on paper. The book offers superb writing advice that is both helpful and provocative. It is a great read that reminds readers of the energizing books of writer Natalie Goldberg. Overall, Bird by Bird is a witty take on the reality of a writer's life, highlighting the challenges of dealing with writer's block, jealousy, and the peculiar letdown of publication.

Learn the basics of the Spanish language with this easy-to-use guide featuring original illustrations by Andy Warhol—from one of America's most prominent language teachers. Read, write, and speak Spanish in only a few short weeks! Even the most reluctant learner will be astonished at the ease and effeciveness of Margarita Madrigal’s unique method of teaching a foreign language. Completely eliminating rote memorization and painfully boring drills, Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish is guaranteed to help you:• Learn to speak, read, and write Spanish quickly and easily• Convert English into Spanish in an instant• Start forming sentences after the very first lesson• Identify thousands of Spanish words within a few weeks of study• Travel to Spanish-speaking countries with confidence and comfort• Develop perfect pronunciation, thanks to a handy pronunciation keyWith original black and white illustration by Andy Warhol, Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish will provide readers with a solid foundation upon with to build their language skills.

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders is a literary master class that explores what makes great stories work and what they can tell us about ourselves and our world today. The book is a collection of seven essays, paired with iconic short stories by Chekhov, Turgenev, Tolstoy, and Gogol, and is intended for anyone interested in how fiction works. Saunders approaches the stories technically yet accessibly, explaining how narrative functions and the bedrock virtues a writer must foster. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the art of storytelling and the human experience.

The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition is a must-have reference book for anyone who works with words. With updated guidelines on electronic workflows, web accessibility standards, and effective use of metadata, abstracts, and keywords, this edition recognizes the needs of those who are self-publishing or following open access or Creative Commons publishing models. The citation chapters reflect the ever-expanding universe of electronic sources, including social media posts and comments, private messages, and app content. The book also includes an expanded glossary of problematic words and phrases and a new section on syntax. This edition continues to reflect expert insights gathered from Chicago’s own staff and from an advisory board of publishing experts from across the profession.

The Well-Spoken Thesaurus by Tom Heehler is a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their writing and speaking communication skills. This unconventional thesaurus includes over 200 words arranged in easy-to-use categories, providing synonyms, antonyms, and usage examples. It helps writers avoid repetition and cliches while encouraging them to use language that is more vivid, specific, and memorable. The book is particularly useful for those who want to improve the precision and impact of their language. Overall, this book is a must-read for anyone looking to enhance their communication skills.

The Associated Press Stylebook: 2022-2024 is an essential guide for writers, editors, and students who want to master the style guidelines of news writing, editing, and common usage. It covers everything from grammar, spelling, and punctuation to capitalization, abbreviation, and numeral usage. The book is fully revised and updated to keep pace with world events, common usage, and AP procedures. With over 300 new and revised entries, including a new chapter on inclusive storytelling, this edition is a must-have reference for anyone seeking to write with clarity and professionalism.

American Sign Language for Beginners is a comprehensive guide that provides 30 days of lessons to help readers learn the basics of ASL. With easy-to-understand instructions, clear photographs, and daily practice activities, this book is perfect for those who want to develop a solid foundation for signing with members of the deaf community. The author also provides insight into deaf culture, making this book a well-rounded resource for beginners. Overall, this book is an excellent choice for anyone interested in learning ASL and is highly recommended.

The Emotion Thesaurus (Second Edition) is an essential reference guide for writers seeking to create more personalized and evocative character expressions. This book is packed with body language cues, thoughts, and visceral responses for 130 emotions, providing limitless options for individualizing a character's reactions. The authors, Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi, also offer advice on overcoming the biggest emotion-related writing problems, and how to show hidden feelings and emotional subtext through dialogue and nonverbal cues. This book is a must-have for writers seeking to improve their craft and create more emotionally engaging stories.