Books for beginners

I propose this thread to tell people about books that can help them learn about paganism if they're just starting or curious.

There were two books that really helped me get on my path. The first is The Complete Idiot's Guide to Paganism. Silly as it sounds this book is actually extremely helpful. It clearly and plainly explains paganism without being preachy. It lays out the basics and then tells the read about the multiple paths that are possible.

The second was FUTHARK by Edred Thorrson. Thorrson is the founder of the Modern Rune Guild and I believe he also helped found the Asastru Free Assembly. His book teaches the basics of rune reading and magic, its kind of dry and written more like an instruction manual but the language is plain and the book if very informative.

A few other books I've found helpful on my own personal journey

Being a Pagan Man by Issac Bonewits
Taking up the Runes by Diana Paxton
Northern Magic by Edred Thorrson
Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft
Complete Idiots Guide to Spellcraft

Here's what's in my library (the ones in bold text are my favorites):

Beginner books:

Wicca: A Year and a Day by Timothy Roderick
The Craft: A Witch's Book of Shadows by Dorothy Morrison
Witch: A Magical Journey by Fiona Horne

Spell books:

Spells For The Witch In You by Marina Baker
Hedge Witch by Silver Ravenwolf

Divination books:

The Faerie's Oracle by Brian Froud and Jessica Macbeth
Animal Speak by Ted Andrews
Medicine Cards by Jamie Sams and David Carson
Idiot's Guide to Tarot by Arlene Tognetti and Lisa Lenard
Nordic Runes by Paul Rhys Mountfort

Faerie books:

Idiot's Guide to Elves and Faeries by Sirona Knight
Good Faeries, Bad Faeries by Brian Froud
The Faerie Garden by Beatrice Phillpotts

Everything else:

The Ultimate Dictionary of Dreams by Eili Goldberg
The Witch's Familiar by Raven Grimassi
The Book of Goddesses by Kris Waldherr
Handfasting and Wedding Rituals by Raven Kaldera and Tannin Schwartzstein

Granted this should probably at the top of the list but every one should keep in mind that not all the information in any book will be pertinent to every one that reads it, so take each book you read with a grain of salt.

With that being said I only believe that there are only two books every practitioner should keep in their libraries, The Witches Almanac, and Buckland's Big blue book of Witchcraft.

The Witches Almanac, is a yearly periodical and can be found at several locations such as your local apothecary.

Buckland has written several different books on several different topics, however the 'Blue' book is goods for basics and fundamentals.

Every one should also keep in mind that a good library grows with it's owner with out the advent of external forces. So here is hoping that you have to expand your tomes of knowledge often.

Be well in your travels.
-Twig

Just a small edit to twigs post, the Big blue books real name is "buckland's complete book of witchcraft"

My Bookshelf...
Half Price Books is so fun.

Basics
Celtic Myth and Magic - McCoy
Mystic Foundation - Penzeck
Sons of the Goddess - Penzeck
Green Witchcraft - Moura
Beginners guide to Wicca - Cunningham
A Witches Notebook - Ravenwolf
Totem Magic - Galenorn

Spellbook/Reference
Instant Magick - Penzeck
Cunninghams Encyclopedia of Magickal Herbs - Cunningham
Witches Almanac 2009, 2010
Cottage Witchery - Dugan
Tarot Companion - Porter

Pagan other
Spiral Dance - Starhawk
Generation Hex - Jason Louv, not the Christian OMG WITCHES book.
Triumph of the Moon - Hutton

This is not all the books I have access to, as my roomate has a small library of her own with not too much overlap.

A Beginners Guide by Cunningham was the first book I ever got my paws on when I started getting curious about Paganism/Wicca/Witchcraft. I remember carrying that book around everywhere, reading every word very carefully, jotting down notes from it into my own little BOS. ^_^ I have since then, of course, read many others and applied what resonated for me to my own beliefs, but that was the one that started me with the basics. :3

Luthien_Nightwolf wrote:

A Beginners Guide by Cunningham was the first book I ever got my paws on when I started getting curious about Paganism/Wicca/Witchcraft. I remember carrying that book around everywhere, reading every word very carefully, jotting down notes from it into my own little BOS. ^_^ I have since then, of course, read many others and applied what resonated for me to my own beliefs, but that was the one that started me with the basics. :3

A friend has given me his copy, and I've only just gotten around to reading it. Cunningham's work is the first really "accessible" book on The Craft ever written (I think the first edition was back in 1988, when most of us didn't know what Wicca was), and is extremely helpful for someone who's just getting into all this and doesn't know where to start.

So far I'm impressed with what it's covering, a lot of it is things I knew already but it's filling in the blanks too, while still leaving room for inspiration and original ideas.