How many cooking books do you have? In his hilarious The Pedant in the Kitchen, novelist Julian Barnes suggests that the correct answer is a) 'not enough' and b) 'too many' in equal measure. (If you answered c) just enough, you are either disqualified for lying or for not being interested in food.) I tend to agree. By now, I have a small collection of books, but I still find more books which are interest me as well. Another variation, another 'truly authentic' way to prepare something, another style of cooking to discover.
But which books do you need and how do you find them? A good idea is at least one basic compendium which explains fundamental recipes and techniques. Anonymous recipe collections are often a bit carelessly put together, especially when their scope is very broad (The best recipes of the world) or specific (Pancake Panopticon or Scottish Stews). Also, don't fall for promises which are too good to be true. If you choose a recipe because the picture looks just delicious, it's guaranteed not to turn out that way. And 'less than 10 minutes' always takes longer. With regional cooking books, it's not that obvious. They might require specific ingredients you won't be able to find anywhere. Or, as the Irish comedian Dylan Moran aptly put it, regional specialities are probably regional because no one else wants to eat them. There are, of course, wonderful anthologies which cover a whole country, like The Silver Spoon (Italy) or 1080 Recipes (Spain), but such are usually the size of a brick and only for enthusiasts.
Technically, cooking books are merely instructions, but cooking is also a very intimate matter. Try to find authors whose style you feel comfortable with, be it chatty or to the point, guiding or challenging. It's disappointing not to be taken seriously but it's equally bad if you feel intimidated by the most meticulous instructions. Personally, I like Jane Grigson, Denis Cotter, Delia Smith and Anne Willan, but there are many others! I'm a bit sceptical of celebrity chefs – neither the ability to cook, nor to be fun on telly makes for a good writer. Usually, I'd first look up recipes I already know and like. If their version is interesting and looks reasonable, it might be a good book.
Last but not least, write down your own recipes. It might take a while to build a useful collection, but to browse through them after some years brings back more memories than some journal. After all, food is so much more than just that what happens in the kitchen. For now, cook and enjoy yourself: eat, drink and be merry!