Leaves of Yggdrasil by Freya Aswynn
When I began to study the runes, this is the book I started with, and I'm so glad I did. Aswynn's approach to the runes is a well balanced blend of experience, intuition, and impeccable scholarship. She does much more than give divinatory meanings of the runes: She also describes their uses in practical magick and as keys to the Mysteries. One of the most intriguing aspects of this book is Aswynn's discussion of the intimate relationship between the runes and Northern Germanic mythology. Refreshingly, Aswynn also pays a good deal of attention to female archetypes in the runes and the mythology, and she does this on a basis of sound research and reasoning. Further highlights are her analysis of the Nine Worlds of Nordic mythology and her original rune layouts for divination.