Looking to add some holiday cheer to your bookshelf? Check out these recent offerings:

♦Susan Matheson and Lauren Chattman's “The Gingerbread Architect”

This is not for the amateur baker, but you still will be inspired to break out your baking equipment. The book (Clarkson Potter, $22.50) offers detailed instructions and templates for creating a dozen gorgeous gingerbread houses based on classic American home designs.

♦Charles Dickens' “A Christmas Dinner”

This is a reprint of a short story written in 1835 by a young Charles Dickens. In it, he recounts a charming family Christmas dinner. This new and nicely illustrated version (Red Rock Press, $24.95) includes recipes from the period (and modern updates of them).

Finding deals at the store is one way to save on grocery bills. Learning how to cook on a budget is another.

Thankfully, there are plenty of discount-priced books out there that help. All prices are based on deals available from search engine www.bookfinder.com:

♦“How to Cook Everything: Simple recipes for Great Food,” by Mark Bittman ($7)

♦“The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook,” by Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker ($19 )

♦“Microwave Gourmet,” by Barbara Kafka ($3.50)

♦“The Starving Students' Cookbook,” by Dede Hall ($3.50)