Name Change Welcome to BookDNA.com (formerly Shepherd.com)
  • Fiction
  • Nonfiction
  • Kids
  • YA
  • 🥇 Best Books 2025
  • My Book DNA
  • Profile
  • Refer friends
  • 🐇 🕳️ ✨
  • Logout
Browse
  • Fiction
  • Nonfiction
  • Kids
  • YA
  • Best Books 2025
  • My Book DNA
  • Home
  • For Authors
  • Our Story
  • Membership
English language All Time Best All Time Best Trending New By Book DNA List by Experts

English language

  • All Time Best
  • Trending
  • New
  • By Book DNA
  • List by Experts

The best English language books of all time

The books our community loved the most.

All Books

Filter books

  • All Books
By Decade
  • 2010s
  • 2000s
  • 1990s
    • All Books
  • By Decade
    • 2010s
    • 2000s
    • 1990s
  • Related shelves
    • History
    • American history
    • European history
    • Modern history
    • Asian history
    • Black history
    • Native American history
    • Rhetoric
On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction
Loved by 7 people

On Writing Well

By William Zinsser ,

Book cover of On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
The Elements of Style
Loved by 7 people

The Elements of Style

By William Strunk , E.B. White ,

Book cover of The Elements of Style
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
The Emotion Thesaurus
Loved by 6 people

The Emotion Thesaurus

By Angela Ackerman , Becca Puglisi ,

Book cover of The Emotion Thesaurus
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
The Gashlycrumb Tinies
Loved by 4 people

The Gashlycrumb Tinies

By Edward Gorey ,

Book cover of The Gashlycrumb Tinies
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary
Loved by 3 people

The Professor and the Madman

By Simon Winchester ,

Book cover of The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
Lincoln's Sword: The Presidency and the Power of Words
Loved by 2 people

Lincoln's Sword

By Douglas Wilson ,

Book cover of Lincoln's Sword: The Presidency and the Power of Words
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language
Loved by 2 people

Wordslut

By Amanda Montell ,

Book cover of Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
Language in Thought and Action
Loved by 2 people

Language in Thought and Action

By S.I. Hayakawa , Alan R. Hayakawa ,

Book cover of Language in Thought and Action
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
The Abolition of Man
Loved by 2 people

The Abolition of Man

By C S Lewis ,

Book cover of The Abolition of Man
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
Consolations: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words
Loved by 2 people

Consolations

By David Whyte ,

Book cover of Consolations: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
Author Unknown: On the Trail of Anonymous
Loved by 2 people

Author Unknown

By Don Foster ,

Book cover of Author Unknown: On the Trail of Anonymous
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
Pardon my Spanish!
Loved by 1 person

Pardon my Spanish!

By Harrap ,

Book cover of Pardon my Spanish!
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing
Loved by 1 person

Holy Sh*t

By Melissa Mohr ,

Book cover of Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
Odd Job Man: Some Confessions of a Slang Lexicographer
Loved by 1 person

Odd Job Man

By Jonathon Green ,

Book cover of Odd Job Man: Some Confessions of a Slang Lexicographer
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
Plain Words: A Guide to the Use of English
Loved by 1 person

Plain Words

By Ernest Gowers ,

Book cover of Plain Words: A Guide to the Use of English
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
The Liar's Dictionary
Loved by 1 person

The Liar's Dictionary

By Eley Williams ,

Book cover of The Liar's Dictionary
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
Learn to Write Badly
Loved by 1 person

Learn to Write Badly

By Michael Billig ,

Book cover of Learn to Write Badly
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
Writing the Natural Way: Turn the Task of Writing Into the Joy of Writing
Loved by 1 person

Writing the Natural Way

By Gabriele Lusser Rico ,

Book cover of Writing the Natural Way: Turn the Task of Writing Into the Joy of Writing
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
The Elements of Eloquence: Secrets of the Perfect Turn of Phrase
Loved by 1 person

The Elements of Eloquence

By Mark Forsyth ,

Book cover of The Elements of Eloquence: Secrets of the Perfect Turn of Phrase
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
The Reign of Truth and Faith: Epistemic Expressions in 16th and 17th Century English
Loved by 1 person

The Reign of Truth and Faith

By Helen Bromhead ,

Book cover of The Reign of Truth and Faith: Epistemic Expressions in 16th and 17th Century English
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
Pronoun Envy: Literary Uses of Linguistic Gender
Loved by 1 person

Pronoun Envy

By Anna Livia ,

Book cover of Pronoun Envy: Literary Uses of Linguistic Gender
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
Draft No. 4: On the Writing Process
Loved by 1 person

Draft No. 4

By John McPhee ,

Book cover of Draft No. 4: On the Writing Process
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
P Is for Pterodactyl: The Worst Alphabet Book Ever
Loved by 1 person

P Is for Pterodactyl

By Raj Haldar , Chris Carpenter , Maria Beddia (illustrator)

Book cover of P Is for Pterodactyl: The Worst Alphabet Book Ever
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing
Loved by 1 person

Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing

By Mignon Fogarty ,

Book cover of Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms
Loved by 1 person

A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms

By Richard A. Lanham ,

Book cover of A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
The Story of English
Loved by 1 person

The Story of English

By Robert McCrum , Robert Macneil , William Cran

Book cover of The Story of English
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
The Synonym Finder
Loved by 1 person

The Synonym Finder

By J.I. Rodale ,

Book cover of The Synonym Finder
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
West Coast Wild: A Nature Alphabet
Loved by 1 person

West Coast Wild

By Deborah Hodge , Karen Reczuch (illustrator) ,

Book cover of West Coast Wild: A Nature Alphabet
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
On Austrian Soil: Teaching Those I Was Taught to Hate
Loved by 1 person

On Austrian Soil

By Sondra Perl ,

Book cover of On Austrian Soil: Teaching Those I Was Taught to Hate
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
The Craft of Revision
Loved by 1 person

The Craft of Revision

By Donald Murray ,

Book cover of The Craft of Revision
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
The Elements of Style (Illustrated)
Loved by 1 person

The Elements of Style (Illustrated)

By William Strunk , E. B. White , Maira Kalman (illustrator)

Book cover of The Elements of Style (Illustrated)
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
Writing Metrical Poetry: Contemporary Lessons for Mastering Traditional Forms
Loved by 1 person

Writing Metrical Poetry

By William Baer ,

Book cover of Writing Metrical Poetry: Contemporary Lessons for Mastering Traditional Forms
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
Cambridge Grammar of English
Loved by 1 person

Cambridge Grammar of English

By Ronald Carter , Michael McCarthy ,

Book cover of Cambridge Grammar of English
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
Line by Line: How to Edit Your Own Writing
Loved by 1 person

Line by Line

By Claire Kehrwald Cook ,

Book cover of Line by Line: How to Edit Your Own Writing
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
Studying Diversity in Teacher Education
Loved by 1 person

Studying Diversity in Teacher Education

By Arnetha F. Ball (editor) , Cynthia A. Tyson (editor) ,

Book cover of Studying Diversity in Teacher Education
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
Semicolon: The Past, Present, and Future of a Misunderstood Mark
Loved by 1 person

Semicolon

By Cecelia Watson ,

Book cover of Semicolon: The Past, Present, and Future of a Misunderstood Mark
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
The Translator's Invisibility: A History of Translation
Loved by 1 person

The Translator's Invisibility

By Lawrence Venuti ,

Book cover of The Translator's Invisibility: A History of Translation
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
B is for Bison: A National Parks Alphabet
Loved by 1 person

B is for Bison

By Greg Paprocki ,

Book cover of B is for Bison: A National Parks Alphabet
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
Roget's Thesaurus of Words for Writers: Over 2,300 Emotive, Evocative, Descriptive Synonyms, Antonyms, and Related Terms Every Writer Should Know
Loved by 1 person

Roget's Thesaurus of Words for Writers

By David Olsen , Michelle Bevilacqua , Justin Cord Hayes , Robert W Bly

Book cover of Roget's Thesaurus of Words for Writers: Over 2,300 Emotive, Evocative, Descriptive Synonyms, Antonyms, and Related Terms Every Writer Should Know
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way
Loved by 1 person

The Mother Tongue

By Bill Bryson ,

Book cover of The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language
Loved by 1 person

Because Internet

By Gretchen McCulloch ,

Book cover of Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Loved by 1 person

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary

By Merriam-Webster ,

Book cover of The Merriam-Webster Dictionary
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word
Loved by 1 person

Nigger

By Randall Kennedy ,

Book cover of Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
Says Who?: A Kinder, Funner Usage Guide for Everyone Who Cares about Words
Loved by 1 person

Says Who?

By Anne Curzan ,

Book cover of Says Who?: A Kinder, Funner Usage Guide for Everyone Who Cares about Words
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
Language Myths
Loved by 1 person

Language Myths

By Laurie Bauer (editor) , Peter Trudgill (editor) ,

Book cover of Language Myths
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
How to Write a Lot
Loved by 1 person

How to Write a Lot

By Paul J. Silvia ,

Book cover of How to Write a Lot
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
"They Say / I Say"
Loved by 1 person

"They Say / I Say"

By Russel Durst , Cathy Birkenstein , Gerald Graff

Book cover of "They Say / I Say"
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
Tell It Slant
Loved by 1 person

Tell It Slant

By Suzanne Paola , Brenda Miller ,

Book cover of Tell It Slant
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
Loved by 1 person

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language

By Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries ,

Book cover of The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...
History in English Words
Loved by 1 person

History in English Words

By Owen Barfield ,

Book cover of History in English Words
  • Read a chapter
  • Amazon
    • Bookshop.org
Loading book...

Loading book loading book...
Loading book...

Copyright © 2026 - Bookdna.com

NLP Powered By Wikifier.org

Shepherd is a participant in the Bookshop.org and Amazon Associate Affiliate Programs. As a participant, we may earn from qualifying purchases made on those sites.

Discover
  • Discover The Best Books
  • Follow Our Development
About
  • Our Story
  • For Authors
  • Media Inquiries
  • Contact Us
  • Become Founding Member
  • Donate
Legal
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Website Disclosure

Login

Create Account

Continue with Google

or

Forgot Password?
Continue with Google

or