Oxford has acted as a muse for many writers. Consider Alice in Wonderland, much of Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited and Dorothy Sayer's Gaudy Night.

Here JEREMY SMITH and STUART GODMAN of Waterstones reflect on some of the city's other notable inspirations Lyra's Oxford by Philip Pullman (£4.99): Pint-sized, but a must for any serious Pullman fan.

Cloth-bound and adorned by numerous illustrations by John Lawrence, it's a jewel of a tome. Lyra's Oxford packages together a short story set in the same universe as his famous trilogy, a fold-out map of the alternate-reality city of Oxford which Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon inhabit, a brochure for a cruise aboard the SS Zenobia and a postcard from the inventor of the amber spyglass, Mary Malone. Brilliant.

Isolarion by James Attlee (£11.50): A thoughtful, streetwise, and personal account of Attlee's pilgrimage to a place he thought he already knew - Cowley Road in Oxford, right outside his door.

It takes its title from a type of 15th-century map that isolates an area in order to present it in detail. The former site of a leper hospital, a workhouse, and a medieval well said to have miraculous healing powers, Cowley Road has little to do with the dreaming spires.

Newes From The Dead by Mary Hooper (£8.99): An incredible true story of courage and deliverance...

In 1650 Anne Green, a young servant girl, gives birth prematurely to an illegitimate child. Sadly the baby dies and poor Anne is falsely accused of infanticide. In front of a large crowd, she is hanged and then carried off to be dissected.

But as Anne's corpse lies on the table, a strange rattle is heard in her throat. Can she still be alive?

Oxford Murders by Guillermo Martinez (£7.99): A young Argentinean mathematics specialist studying in Oxford finds lodging with an old woman who worked on the Enigma Code during the Second World War.

The lodger returns home one afternoon to find two surprises: his hero, a mathematics don who has written an acclaimed book on logical series, is on the doorstep, and, when they enter, they find the old woman murdered in her wheelchair. Edge of the seat stuff!

This Secret Garden by Justin Cartwright (£9.99): Oxford is many things. But it has a symbolic meaning well beyond its buildings, gardens, rituals and teaching. Cartwright depicts the beauty of this historic city, the landscape of enclosed quads and gardens, and the astonishing collection of buildings and concludes that the Oxford myth, while outstripping the reality, is as powerful as ever. An enchanting and highly original look.

Radcliffe Infirmary by Andrew Moss (£12.99): The Radcliffe Infirmary holds a special place in the history of medicine.

It was here that penicillin was first used to treat infections, the first accident service was set up, and a flying squad to go to the aid of mothers in crisis in childbirth was created.

The Sixpenny Debt by Mary Cavanagh - and others (£7.99): From 13 talented Oxford writers, stories that sweep across town, gown and countryside.

Featuring everything from love, lust, loss and death to tortoises and Tchaikovsky, this collection of stories will delight and enthral all those who have a passion for Oxford.

Oxford by Jan Morris (£9.99): A celebration of one of the most extraordinary city's in the world, and written with such verve and style by Ms Morris. A worthwhile companion for anyone who knows how lucky they are to live here.

Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy (£6.99): A book that created storms of scandal and protest for the author upon its publication.

Today, the material is far less shocking. Jude Fawley, a poor stone carver who dreams of an academic career, is thwarted at every turn. He is tricked into an unwise marriage, and when his wife deserts him, he begins a relationship with a free-spirited cousin.

Dead of Jericho by Colin Dexter (£6.99): Who else to end on? And who knows how many tourists he has brought to our city?

Anne Scott's address is scribbled on a note in the pocket of Morse's smartest suit. He turns the corner of Canal Street, Jericho, on a Wednesday afternoon. He's in charge of a suicide investigation ...