Can anyone recommend any recent books about language?

[MardyBra]

Nothing too heavy - I wanted something to download to read on my hols.

I like a bit of David Crystal but have read most of his stuff. And I'm dipping in and out of Gaston Dorren's Lingo Lingo Lingo.

Any other suggestions?

[DoctorDoctor]

Have you read any of Geoff Nunberg's stuff? Going Nucular and The Year of Talking Dangerously are available for Kindle. He's an American prof who writes a language column for a newspaper too - he's very readable.

[BrianButterfield]

Through the Language Glass is good: www.amazon.co.uk/Through-Language-Glass-Different-Languages/dp/0099505576/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1437385698&sr=1-1&keywords=through%20the%20language%20glass&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21

[MardyBra]

I've read Through the Language Glass and enjoyed it a lot. Also The Unfolding of Language.

But I'm not familiar with Geoff Nunberg, so will look that up.

Thanks both of you for the suggestions.

[partialderivative]

I'm not entirely sure what you are looking for, but have you seen Bill Bryson's 'Mother Tongue'

It is a really entertaining and informative book about the history of English as we know it. I bought it 10 years ago and I till dip into it on a regular basis.

[HmmAnOxfordComma]

This was from a couple of years ago but I have a really interesting book on how translation works (and connections and differences between different languages) called Is That A Fish In Your Ear by David Bellos (I think).