Books for Wizards

[TeslaJr]

If you could only have access to two books outside of core, which would be the best for wizards?

[hymer]

Spell Compendium is an obvious choice. The other would depend on what you want to do. You could go for Frostburn for some really nice cold theme spells (and feats), or Complete Mage if you're looking to become Master Specialist and/or get some reserve feats.
So what do you want to do?

[Pilo]

I would say pick 2 from Complete Mage, Frostburn, Player handbook 2 and Spell Compendium.

[Inevitability]

Depends. If I'm high level, Frostburn hands down. Ice Assassins are that good.

[~xFellWardenx~]

Well, for me, personally? Complete Divine and Book of Five Nations. But that's not influenced by counsel from the towers of high optimization. My choosing those books is motivated purely by their ability to help me make a divinely flavored wizard, and even then BoFS is only because I tend to play blasters and can thus make good use of Silver Pyromancer.

From an optimization standpoint (and I'm not great at it, so you may want to ignore me) the books you want are Complete Mage and Magic of Faerun. Free Persistent Spell is probably better than the variety gained from the SpC, and Complete Mage is just straight-up necessary to achieve higher (what's that word? Echelons?) of power from what I've seen.

[KorbeltheReader]

If your GM will approve shivering touch and ice assassin (hint: he shouldn't) then Frostburn all the way. Otherwise probably pass on it. Spell Compendium definitely in any case.

[KoboldMasteRace]

Frostburn and either Book of Vile Darkness or Book of Exalted Deeds. Depends on if you prefer your Ice Assassins being made of your own Aleaxes, or if you prefer being able to Mindrape them.

(I'm actually totally kidding, planning your entire books on account of 9ths is stupid)

[Osiris]

This is a tricky one. I would go with
1) Spell Compendium
2) Complete Mage

I might swap out #2, but Spell Compendium is a must-have, hands down.

[TeslaJr]

Spell Compendium does seem like an obvious choice. Between Complete Arcane and Complete Mage, which would be the better choice? I'm leaning towards Complete Arcane because it has a bunch of nice Metamagics and PrCs, but Complete Mage does have a few good MM too, as well as the Master Specialist and Metamagic Storms.

[Yawgmoth]

Spell Compendium for obvious reasons, and then I would go for either Dragon Magic or Complete Mage. Most of my favorite arcane magic stuff is in one of those two books.

[Sith_Happens]

Spell Compendium and whichever book has the PrC I want.