1. “Serious Barbecue,” by Adam Perry Lang (Hyperion, $35). Wowza, yes, this is serious. And deserves to be – Lang is one of New York’s best barbecue chefs, at his restaurant Daisy May’s BBQ USA. Lang originally was an haute cuisine chef before he gave his heart to brisket and butts. His book covers all kinds of meats, methods and cookers (including the Big Green Egg). He gets into issues like brining and foil-wrapping that aren’t often addressed, and he even addresses grilling vs. barbecue (“Southern Vs. Yankee Barbecue.”) Brave man. This is for the person who is ready to step it up a notch.

2. and 3. “25 Essentials: Techniques for Smoking” and “25 Essentials: Techniques for Grilling,” both by Ardie Davis (Harvard Common Press, $12.95 each). In barbecue circles, Davis is a respected authority who is known for his alter ego, Remus Powers, Ph B (doctor of barbecue philosophy). Both are small books with useful formats (wipe-off covers, ring bindings) and tight recipe selections. “Smoking” is the better of the two, with some innovative ideas and fresh approaches. It’s a good book to inspire Saturday night cooks.

4. “Cook’s Country Best Grilling Recipes,” from the editors of Cook’s Country magazine (America’s Test Kitchen, $29.95). Another book that pays attention to the needs of outdoor cooks, with wipe-off cover and ring binding. It has all the simple photos and illustrated steps you’d expect from Cook’s Country, an offshoot of Cook’s Illustrated. Recipes are straightforward – pork, ribs, chicken, burgers – with a wide selection of side dishes.

5. “America’s Best BBQ: 100 Recipes from America’s Best Smokehouses, Pits, Shacks, Rib Joints, Roadhouses and Restaurants,” by Ardie Davis and Paul Kirk (Andrews McMeel, $19.99). Two opinionated barbecue experts gather their pictures, notes, recipes and tales from the road. The information and attitude may be useful for barbecue road-trippers. The recipes are less useful – many use products from the restaurants.

6. “Soaked, Slathered and Seasoned,” by Elizabeth Karmel (Wiley, $19.95). There’s a little “101″ grilling information and basic recipes at the front, but the main part is an extensive collection of recipes for rubs, sauces, dips and other outdoor-cooking accessories.

7. “Weber’s Way to Grill,” by Jamie Purviance (Weber, $24.95). The latest in a series of Weber books by Purviance. It’s very Weber-centric, of course, and a bit unwieldy (the oversize paperback format has pages crammed with pictures and information). But it’s certainly thorough. If you’re a Weber devotee, it covers your world completely.

8. “Grilling Basics,” by Linda Johnson Larsen, from the “Knack Make It Easy” series (Globe Pequot, $19.95). It reads like a military training manual. But it’s thorough, breaks techniques into simple steps and covers gas and charcoal grills evenly. A good guide for a beginner.

9. “Wood-Fired Cooking,” by Mary Karlin (Ten Speed, $27.95). A straightforward guide to cooking on all sorts of wood-based gadgets, from Big Green Eggs and backyard ovens to open fires. The recipes have an international flair.

10. “Big Bob Gibson’s BBQ Book,” by Chris Lilly (Potter, $24.99). Part recipe collection and part history of the revered Alabama-based barbecue restaurant. It has interesting recipes, such as Pecan-Crusted Pork Tenderloin Pinwheels, and good instructions and pictures on cooking a whole pig, North Carolina-style.