The holiday season is imminent and that means gift giving for most of us. I love to give books or magazine subscriptions as gifts. We’ll be thought of every time a new issue arrives in the mail whether electronic or physical. I love sharing childhood favorites with a child ready for new adventures. But I also love to share new titles that I’ve just discovered or that make me think of the person for whom I’m buying.

Here are new titles to consider for those on your gift list this year. Do you have someone who wants to know about the latest archaeological find? Then “Lives in Ruins” by Marilyn Johnson is perfect with its subtitle ‘archaeologists and the seductive lure of human rubble.’

Movie fans as well as mothers and daughters will enjoy “There Was a Little Girl: the real story of mother and me” by Brooke Shields. Discover the forces that shaped her life and the impact that her mother had on her.

Richard Ford, author of “Independence Day” and “The Lay of the Land” has a third book about Frank Bascombe just released. It is called “Let Me Be Frank with You.” This title explores the world after Hurricane Sandy and the impact it had on much of the Northeastern coast of the United States.

Teens might be interested in “Atlantia” by Ally Condie. This novel imagines the underwater city and its occupants who are now dependent on Rio and her ability to listen to the voices of the past and speak long-hidden truths.

Kids who love animals will enjoy reading about the bighorn sheep Tuk in “Blue Mountain” by Martine Leavitt. Tuk has been told he will save the herd, but he is more interested in playing with his bandmates than saving the herd.

For the kids wanting to know more about how cars work, try this new graphic novel, “Low Riders in Space” by Cathy Camper. Lupe Impala, El Chavo Flapjack, and Elirio Malaria love working with cars. You name it, they can fix it. But the team’s favorite cars of all are lowriders. The stars align when a contest for the best car around offers a prize of a trunkful of cash — just what the team needs to open their own shop! What will it take to transform a junker into the best car in the universe?

“Blizzard” by John Rocco is a wonderful title to share with young children this winter.

Project Bookshelf is our annual holiday tradition in which we ask you to purchase a new book for a preschool child to be given to the Head Start children in our county, helping them build their own book collections at home. If you would like to participate, please purchase and wrap a book appropriate for a young child and bring to the library by Wednesday, Dec. 3. We need almost 70 books to provide each Head Start and early Head Start child in the county with a book.

The Great Recession is over, but its effects are still being felt. One of those effects saw layaway plans reintroduced into the marketplace. With many shoppers still minding budgets and searching for more affordable methods of paying for big-ticket items, layaway plans are worth exploring. Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota is offering advice on how to use this payment plan in lieu of credit cards.

Once considered a dated, old-fashioned method of payment, layaway services are back, with many retailers dusting offering payment plans for today’s more frugal consumers. Buying items on layaway is different from putting them on a credit card because the buyer isn’t charged interest on the purchase and can’t take the item home until it is paid off.

When purchasing items on layaway, the buyer must typically make a down payment of 10 to 20 percent and pay any service or plan fees for the store to hold the item for them. The customer then typically has 30 to 90 days to make periodic payments to pay off the balance. Once it is paid off, the customer can take the item home.

“For many people, layaway plans are a preferable alternative to taking on more debt via their credit cards,” said Dana Badgerow, president and CEO of BBB of Minnesota and North Dakota.

As a complement to in-store layaway, some stores provide online layaway services for purchasing items through the retailer’s website. Additionally, third-party businesses have sprung up for the purpose of setting up layaway plans online between customers and retailers that don’t already have a layaway program. Customers make periodic payments to the third-party layaway service provider. Once the item is fully paid for, the business then buys the item from the retailer and ships it to the customer.

When buying items on layaway, the BBB advises consumers to get everything in writing and offers the following checklist of questions to ask:

• How much time do I have to pay off the item?
• When are the payments due?
• How much do I have to put down?
• Are there any storage or service plan fees?
• What happens if I miss a payment? Are there penalties? Does the item return to inventory?
• Can I get a refund or store credit if I no longer want the item after making a few payments?
• What happens if the item goes on sale after I’ve put it on layaway?
• Does the retailer or third-party layaway service have a good BBB rating? Research them for free at www.bbb.org.

For more advice on how to be a savvy consumer this holiday season, visit bbb.org.

The mission of Better Business Bureau is to be the leader in building marketplace trust by promoting, through self-regulation, the highest standards of business ethics and conduct, and to instill confidence in responsible businesses through programs of education and action that inform, assist and protect the general public. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Contact BBB at bbb.org or6 51-699-1111, toll-free at 1-800-646-6222.

Hey all! My name is “Chilly.” I was given that name because I was found shivering under a truck in a parking lot. I am so thankful the nice people rescued me. I was so cold that I didn’t stop shaking even when I was being held and pet. That was a happy moment for me, getting rescued, that is when I knew everything would be OK and I would be going to a happy place. I was right! I get a lot of love here and I love to share my love with all the wonderful people I have been meeting. I purr a lot, and loudly, because I am so happy. What is unique about me you ask, I have a very long body and when I gain some weight, I will look like a lion again. — Sincerely, Chilly

For more information, visit the website at www.borderlandhumanesociety.org or call 218-324-2313 or 283-9276.