As a weekly columnist, I rely on many astronomy books for fact checking and inspiration. Oddly, many are very old. But Chet Raymo's book 365 Starry Nights is a good one no matter what your age. For simple charts of contellations with a detailed description of the celestial wonders, Ian Ridpath's Astronomy (American Nature Guides) is a good one. The Cambridge Illustrated History of Astronomy is excellent. I consult with my original 1958 editio of James Pickering's 1001 Questions Answered About Astronomy. Richard Hinckley Allen's 1963 Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning is an piece of work with star name derivitives. Michael Kitt's The Moon observing guide offered by Astronomy Magazine is a real treasure--the best moon Bible is Antonin Rukl's incredible Atlas of the Moon. But my favorite of all time..the one that started it all--Herbert Zim's (and Robert Baker) STARS, and I have a 1956 hardback verson!