The clock is ticking down and you still don't have your Christmas shopping done? Well, I've been there, done that, too. Then I realized that books make the best Christmas presents of all—you don't have to worry about size, color, style, etc., and books are meant to be passed on or shared. When it comes to books, "re-gifting" is perfectly acceptable etiquette.

Here are some suggestions to help ease the stress associated with holiday shopping—and we'll wrap them for you as well.

The Daring Book for Girls (HarperCollins) by Andrea Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz is "the manual for everything that girls need to know—and that doesn't mean sewing buttonholes." The authors have compiled some great information that is fun, informative and applies to tomboys and girly-girls alike. This is the feminine response to the popular The Dangerous Book for Boys, which is also still a good purchase for boys of any age.

A past poet laureate of the U.S. once said that if you ever don't know what to write, just write about a dog. In Good Dog. Stay. (Random House) Anna Quindlen has written a valentine to her beloved black lab Beau. As always, she combines wisdom and humor, and produces a sweet, lovely book that everyone who was ever owned by a dog will appreciate.

A completely different dog story is Dean Koontz's The Darkest Evening of the Year (Bantam Books). Publisher's Weekly calls this a "top notch thriller." It involves an extraordinary, even magical, golden retriever, a fervent dog rescuer in peril, and some villains from both the human and dog species.

In Boom! (Random House), Tom Brokaw takes a long hard look at the turbulent decade of the 1960's, in all its excess, excitement, and long-lasting impact. That was the decade when everything happened—Woodstock, the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, development and widespread use of the birth control pill, and the glorification of drug use. Brokaw has a charming, warm and intimate style, and anyone who lived through that decade will respond to this book.

For corporate gifts, books can't be beat. We have a business-to-business program that lets you purchase 25 or more copies of any book at a 25% discount and have the books drop shipped directly to you from the publisher with no shipping charge. A few of this season's favorites are Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson, The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, The Next Level by Scott Eblin, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make A Big Difference and Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell, and The Power of Kindness: The Unexpected Benefits of Leading a Compassionate Life by Piero Ferrucci.

For cooks with kids—or even those who don't have children or grandchildren but who refuse to eat their vegetables—Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food (HarperCollins) by Jessica Seinfeld makes a great gift. I want one myself! Imagine getting your kids to eat carrots and spinach by baking them in brownies! Just finding alternatives to all the packaged foods kids love is a terrific idea. You'll find more than just recipes in this book however, as Seinfeld tackles the power struggle over food with practical advice and an arsenal of good information.

Clapton (Broadway Books) is Eric Clapton's autobiography, and he spares nothing, certainly not himself, as he tells his compelling and heartwrenching story. As he writes: "I found a pattern in my behavior that had been repeating itself for years, decades even. Bad choices were my specialty, and if something honest and decent came along, I would shun it or run the other way." This is a courageous book.

Rhett Butler's People (St. Martin's Press) is not fluff—it is a novel that was fully authorized by the Margaret Mitchell estate, and author Donald McCaig is an award-winning writer (Jacob's Ladder) who takes us into Rhett Butler's world and makes it come alive.

It's been out for a while, but John Grisham's Playing for Pizza (Doubleday) is a great book for football fans and fanatics, or just those who want to be entertained. It's the story of a third-string quarterback so bad that the only place he can play football is with the Parma Panthers—in Italy.

For Harry Potter devotees, we offer one last, spectacular item: the Harry Potter Hardcover Boxed Set (Books 1-7). The books come in a handsome treasure chest—complete with sturdy handles and a privacy lock. This would also make a great gift for a child who is just reaching the age to begin reading these books.

We also have some wonderful editions of Shel Silverstein's master works, The Giving Tree 40th Anniversary Edition, Runny Babbit, A Light in the Attic (all published by HarperCollins). And don't miss Olivia Helps with Christmas (Simon & Schuster) by Ian Falconer. This Caldecott Honor-winning piglet heroine is busy getting ready for Christmas, and she does a fine job of it, too.

Here are a few other suggestions for children: Jan Brett's The Three Snow Bears (Penguin Young Readers Group) is a lovely delight; Fancy Nancy and Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy (HarperCollins) by Jane O'Connor with illustrations by Robin Preiss Glasser is perfect for children 5 to 8; anything by Laura Joffe Numeroff (Merry Christmas, Mouse, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, If You Give a Pig a Pancake, all HarperCollins) or Eric Carle (The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and From Head to Toe, to name only a few).

Our shelves are groaning under the weight of so many wonderful books. Come by any time and we'll help you find just the right thing.