by Allison Arieff, Sunset editor-at-large

Most women are addicted to shoes, right? Well, books are my weakness. Not a week goes by when I don’t buy one (or four). One could have worse vices to be sure but I was excited to discover discovered Better World Books. Because now I can buy books and have the money go to support literacy programs! And every order is shipped carbon neutral with offsets from Carbonfund.org. Founded in 2002, the organization has raised over $6 million for global literacy to date.

Better World may not have the inventory of Amazon but their offerings are substantial. There’s a broad range of books on green homes and interior design (and many are $25 or less). As my vegetable garden is on the verge of exploding so I was excited to find Ball's Complete Book of Home Preserving. For my cupcake-obsessed daughter, there’s Hello, Cupcake!

Forgive the library pun but why not "check it out?" You're bound to find the perfect beach read for this holiday weekend. Happy 4th!