Holidays, Gift | featured news

Take a look at today's top book and publishing news... Find a beautiful coffee-table book for anyone on your list with USA TODAY's Jocelyn McClurg's guide, from Monumental Venice to Rolling Stones 50. And for the aspiring cooks in your life, check out Carol Memmott's cookbook suggestions and read a recipe from each of the books. And cozy up with Bob Minzesheimer's holiday picture book picks for young readers.

USA TODAY reporters offers a few suggestions.

Valentine's Day is by far one of the most stressful holidays of the year for couples. Whether you're trying to pick out the perfect present, the perfect restaurant or the perfect bouquet of flowers, it's certainly not easy. To make things even more complicated, companies rake in tons of cash marketing "romantic" and "sexy" products to the masses, trying to convince you to buy tacky, confusing or borderline offensive gifts. We mean come on: who's REALLY buying edible undies for Valentine's Day -- much less ones made out of meat?

There are only 96 more shopping days until Christmas. This year, experts say, you should be shopping early for more than just gifts. "Airline fares are 20 to 30 percent above last year's rates, and they vary day to day," said Tom Parsons of Bestfares.com.

Searching for a gift for the exercise enthusiast on your list? Whatever the sport or activity, we have ideas that are fun, functional and in a range of prices to help keep you fiscally fit.

All the surveys agree; one of the top consumer electronic gift categories is digital cameras. Surprised? Me neither.