‘Tis the season to stuff our faces, so I’m not surprised to spy cookbooks in the top 25 of the big best sellers lists (the New York Times, Amazon, and, of course, Library Journal). As of today (for LJ’s, I’m drawing on the December 15th list), all three feature Irma Rombauer and others’ Joy of Cooking: 75th Anniversary Edition and Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa at Home.

Holding the No. 1 slot of the NYT’s Hardcover Advice list, however, is an even more enticing entry (at least for this editor): Mehmet Oz and Michael Roizen’s You: On a Diet: The Owner’s Manual for Waist Management. At least some portion of the population, it seems, is already thinking about how to rid themselves of the gingerbreadmen and -women ringing their middles. LJ’s got just the thing for those forward thinkers. For the last few years, we’ve reviewed the slews of diet/fitness books that publish in January and February, just in time for those “I’m going to lay off the Oreos” resolutions.

From 2005 and 2006, respectively, there’s “Starting on a Lighter Note” and “Diet and Fitness Roundup,” both by the very ambitious Susan Hagloch (I don’t know who else could, er, stomach reviewing a dozen diet books in four weeks). Susan has my respect because she can suss out commerical appeal and sound nutritional advice. Her 2007 roundup will publish early next month and would make for an excellent starting point for those sorry Janes and Joes who ate their way through a Paula Deen butter-and-lard fest.