When you plan to entertain there are a myriad of little details to think about.  Fortunately there are some great books on the market that will help you with menu planning, selecting a theme, calculating your budget, and knowing the proper etiquette to follow. I tend to think of these books as falling into two main categories.

Entertaining Advice Books
These books help more with the organizational aspects of entertaining. They give suggestions for selecting a unifying theme for your gathering, advice on invitations, estimates for budget purposes, and timelines for planning. And don't forget the ever important etiquette aspect of entertaining that involves topics such as table setting and more personal issues involving your guests.

• Top 7 Books for Entertaining Advice

Cookbooks for Entertaining
These are cookbooks that offer more interesting recipes than the chicken casserole you would cook for the kids after work. When you entertain you want cookbooks that give recipes that will leave your guests feeling pampered. They don't have to be difficult recipes. But they do have to go beyond the ordinary.

• Top 9 Cookbooks for Entertaining