Library coordinator's books for the holidays

Sure, you've got presents to buy, holiday parties to arrange and those cards you vow to sign and seal - and actually mail.

But if you want to put a little peace into the whirlwind of this month, consider reading a book.

Find a quiet spot you can call your own and turn out the hubbub. Kathleen Sullivan, the Phoenix Public Library's collection development coordinator, has a few recommendations for you. It's her annual "top holiday reads" that you can read or consider giving as a gift.

"Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito have written a book many consider 'the' cookbook for the season," Sullivan said. The title Baked: New Frontiers in Baking offers excellent modern recipes for everything from granola to fancy cakes, she suggested.

If you know someone who wants to write a story, autobiography or journal, a great resource and user-friendly guide is SARK's (Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy) Juicy Pens, Thirsty Paper: Gifting the World with Your Words and Stories, and Creating the Time and Energy to Actually Do It, she said.

Then there's Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health, which offers 175 recipes for making teas, tonics, oils, salves and tinctures to support family health.

If you're worried about how much the holidays will take from your pocketbook, consider, The Smart Cookies' Guide to Making More Dough by The Smart Cookies. Sullivan said the subtitle says it all: How Five Young Women Got Smart, Formed a Money Group, and Took Control of their Finances.

And The Little Book of Thrifty Fixes for the Home by Bridget Bodoano is the perfect gift for the do-it-yourself person. It offers practical advice on how to prioritize projects and choose those that offer the most "bang for the buck," Sullivan said.

Phoenix Public Library is a system of 14 branch libraries and the Burton Barr Central Library.

Check the library's Web site to see if these books are available at Phoenixpubliclibrary.org or call 602-262-4636.