I have always thought that books make a really nice gift, especially if it’s either something you’ve, um, hinted that you’d really like — or a book that’s on a topic that you really enjoy.

As a home-and-design writer who also covers antiques, collectibles and shopping (of course), I get a nice mix of books that come across my desk.

Happy to pass along details on those that seem like they’d make good gifts.

(And for more on books in general, be sure to stop by my friend and colleague Barbara Livingston Nackman’s blog, Book by Book ).

Here’s just a sampling of what you might consider when out holiday shopping.

Want a peek into the Westchester home of a fashion icon? If so, check out “Architectural Digest: Private Views, Inside the World’s Greatest Homes,” edited by Paige Rense (Abrams, $50). There’s a chapter devoted to “Ralph Lauren’s Bedford Beauty” — and that’s exactly what it seems to be. The piece, written by Stephen Drucker and photographed by Durston Saylor, explores of one Lauren’s five homes, found right here in our midst. It’s described, by Lauren, as a “combination hunting lodge and stately home.” Take the armchair tour, and you’ll surely agree. The book, billed as a follow-up to “Hollywood at Home,” is an international tour of homes featured in the magazine over the last 30 years. There are 30 properties, from David Bowie’s escape on Mustique to an artist’s castle in Uruguay to a Moorish fantasy in… Norway. The book is sure to delight those with an eye for architecture, as well as an appreciation for the high life:

Collectors of everything from Tiffany lamps to pocket watches to baby carriages can see what their treasures might command in the 40th anniversary edition of “Kovels’ Antiques & Collectibles Price List 2008” by Ralph and Terry Kovel (Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers, $27.95):

A few years ago, I spent a fun afternoon on a shopping expedition of sorts. Pamela Banker, a veteran interior designer and her daughter, Leslie Banker, a writer and decorator, came up from the city to shop at The Yellow Monkey in Cross River. They were promoting their new book, “The Pocket Decorator,” and we spoke about the book and what to look for when decorating a home. The book has turned out to be an invaluable tool, which has a place on my desk here and is used every time I want to be sure I use the right reference, be it a cartouche or quatrefoil. I recently heard from Leslie Banker, when she sent me a copy of the duo’s latest effort. “The Pocket Renovator” (Universe, $19.95). This time, the Bankers offer up information designed to help those going through home improvement and renovation. Think this is another that will be on my desk for the duration:

Those looking to pare down might find inspiration in “Sell, Keep or Toss? How to Downsize a Home, Settle and Estate and Appraise Personal Property” by Harry L. Rinker (House of Collectibles, $16.95):

Have a desire to simplify the season? That’s the focus of “Home for the Holidays” from Hallmark (Gold St. Press, $25). There’s nothing groundbreaking here (think we’ve all read something like this before: “With good food, good conversation and good times on the menu, an evening party with your closest friends sets a warm mood for the holidays”…) but it might make for a sweet hostess gift or coffee-table accent. I did, I admit, just LOVE the idea of a bouquet combining winter-white roses with seasonal berries and want to try the recipe for artichoke and sun-dried tomato frittata. And there’s a pull-out holiday planner inserted in the book that helps you track the season’s tasks:

I’ve never been to the event (I grew up going to the Orange County Fair) but after reading “The Dutchess County Fair: Portrait of an American Tradition” by Molly Ahearn (Black Dome Press, $15.95), I might have to take a trip there next summer. The fair, a Hudson Valley tradition dating back to 1842, is held in Rhinebeck. Ahearn, who for many years lived in Millbrook, presents a captivating look at the fair further brought to life through fantastic vintage photographs:

For the serious-minded home enthusiast, consider “Furniture Restoration: Step-by-Step Tips and Techniques for Professional Results” by Ina Brosseau Marx & Allen Marx (Watson-Guptill Publications, $50):

Forget East Coast snobbery when looking through “Amy Butler’s Midwest Modern: A Fresh Design Spirit for the Modern Lifestyle” (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, $35). With an emphasis on simplicity and respect for the craft tradition, Butler’s approach proves to be a fresh one. It’s nice, too, to have a book that encompasses everything from room designs to sewing projects to gardening:

“Classic Country” by Kathryn M. Ireland (Gibbs Smith, $39.95) is a tour through the various spaces of a home, offering colorful interpretations of designs of many styles:

Needed someone to help me lift the next book — “Vogue Living: Houses, Gardens, People” with a foreword by Calvin Klein and introduction by Hamish Bowles (Alfred A. Knopf, Publisher, $75). It’s a heady tour of homes and gardens around the world as featured in the fashion magazine. There’s a gorgeously retro shot of Babe Paley in Jamaica from 1956; a view of a glorious rose pergola from a South of France estate; a glimpse into Julian and Olatz Schnabel’s New York home (circa 1995); and a visit with model Stella Tennant at home in the Scottish glens (I’ve always found her interesting as her family’s ancestral home is Chatsworth, a British estate in Derbyshire that I’ve been lucky enough to visit). Readers will also meet Isabella Rossellini, Madonna, Manolo Blahnik, Karl Lagerfeld, Sofia Coppola … it just goes on and on:

“Lyn Peterson’s Real Life Kitchens” (Clarkson/Potter Publishers, $40) is the latest from the Scarsdale designer and decorator, filled with solid advice and inspiring (including local) examples:

After I wrote about the new book on Christopher Radko ornaments, the publisher sent me another of their titles. “TV Guide: The Official Collectors Guide” (Bangzoom Publishers, $29.95) is filled with more than 50 years of TV Guide covers (through 2005). It’s great fun to look back through the years, from Lassie (1958) to David Cassidy (1971) to a headband-wearing Valerie Bertinelli from 1984 (“How I Grew Up One Day at a Time”) to “The Year’s Hottest Sensation” from 1999 – Ricky Martin.

And since you know antiques and collectibles hold a ‘special place’ in my heart, here are two more to wrap things up.

There’s the “Collectibles Price Guide 2008” by Judith Miller and Mark Hill (DK Publishing, $25):

and “Antiques Price Guide 2008” by Judith Miller (DK Publishing, $40), which is filled with more than 8,000 antiques. Should keep you (or whoever you give this to) pretty busy:

So, any sound good to you? Let me know if you like to give books as presents… or receive them.