Last month, I received two books to review: GOOD DEALS & SMART STEALS by the editors of Good Housekeeping and O’S BIG BOOK OF HAPPINESS. (Both books are easy reads and make great gift options for the holiday season.)

GOOD DEALS & SMART STEALS
This book would be great for your “frugal” friends. (Actually, with this economy, who isn’t looking for a great deal?) The book shares hundreds of ideas for saving money on a variety of purchases (including daily household items to larger purchases like appliances, vacations, cars, etc.). This paperback book is divided into two sections: How to be a Smart Shopper and Get a Good Deal. The tips are a helpful reference source (but be forewarned, your super frugal friends probably already know many of the tips). There are enough ideas, referrals and such spread throughout the book that every reader should walk away with at least a few new good tips. For the average reader, the deals and steals will more than make up for the book’s purchase price ($9.95).

O’S BIG BOOK OF HAPPINESS
This is a beautiful hard-covered book that I’m looking forward to getting all the way through. The book is basically a “best-of-the-best’ collection of articles from O, Oprah Magazine. Currently, I’m reading the Your Mind/Your Body section which is about diet, health, faith, confidence and such. Other sections include Dating, Mating, Relating and Dreaming Big. I like how many of Oprah’s writings focus on growth, so this book is right up my alley. This would be a welcome gift to people who love Oprah’s magazine (there are many!) or a great addition to your personal home library. (You can get a sneak peek/ see the table of contents and read sample stories here.)

So, what (if anything during this FULL holiday season) are you reading this month?

(To read about what others are reading this month, visit What’s on Your Nightstand.)

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Lately, I’ve been reading an interesting book called Who’s Your City?: How the Creative Economy Is Making Where to Live the Most Important Decision of Your Life by Richard Florida.

On the most basic level, the book is about why it’s so important where we live. Wealth and “personalities” of various cities are covered. However, the part that interests me the most is Part IV: Where We Live Now. It is about the three big moves that people make over a lifetime (The Young and the Restless/Married with Children/When the Kids Are Gone). I think that section registers the most because my husband and I are thinking about where we’re going to live next.

When I was “young and restless”, Manhattan was ideal for me. I had no problem sharing an apartment with roommate/multiple roommates, because we were all rarely home at the same time. Even when I was newly married, having a cramped little one bedroom on the Upper West Side of Manhattan was fine. Once again, we were primarily out enjoying all that the city has to offer. Even now with two preschool aged kids, it’s manageable. (We moved uptown to Harlem for more space/an extra room, but we still love the city life.)

However, now that our oldest son Michael will be going to Kindergarten next year, we’re steadily moving towards the “Married with Children” move. We love our Harlem neighborhood and still being in the city, but something has to give. You see, Harlem is “up and coming” as evidenced by all of the construction/raised rents/gentrification/etc. BUT the schools still leave much to be desired. Our education choices: locals zoned schools (no); private school (not my cup of tea); charter schools (you have to win a “lottery”); or open/unzoned public schools. We were leaning toward traveling to an “open” school like CPE1 or CPE2, but I don’t think so. Michael loves his pre-k but traveling to and from it takes a toll on Sean and I (we have to take two trips – drop-off and pick-up). Fortunately, Michael is only going to school part time, so it’s manageable. I can’t see doing a long commute with a full-day of school. I think that it would be too much of a time and energy drain on our family. So, we’re looking to move next summer to an area (probably Queens) that has easy access to the city by train AND a great local, zoned school. We’ll see what happens…

Anyway, these are the type of dilemmas that the book covers. The author also includes some of the best places for people to live at every stage of their life. (New York is one of the best “large regions.) All in all, this is an easy, informative book to read.

(To read about what others are reading this month, visit What’s on Your Nightstand.)

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I read an excerpt from Dinner with Dad written by Cameron Stracher in the June issue of New York Family. It was excellent. I thought that it would make a great book to review and/or be a giveaway on our site. Fortunately, Random House agreed. They sent me a copy to review and they will be giving away a copy to one lucky Mom in the City member. (Mom in the City newsletter subscribers can enter to win by leaving your name in the “Comments” section below or by sending an email to contests@mominthecity.com with “Dinner” in the Subject line by September 15th).

Normally, I’m reading three to four books at a time. This month though, with all of the school prep going on, I haven’t been reading as much. Dinner with Dad is worth the read though! Basically, the book is about Mr. Stracher’s attempt to be home for dinner with his family five nights a week (and to cook some of the nights!) in an effort to strengthen relationships with his family members/create more “balance” in their lives. To put it lightly, the transition is not easy for his “Type A” personality. Along the way, he learns (what most of us moms already know!) that his sacrifices (shopping, cooking, simply being there) aren’t always acknowledged or appreciated. Sometimes, he slips into self-pity, but for the most part, he is a good sport. While reflecting on his efforts, Mr. Stracher did well in actually getting home for dinner; not so great in cooking half of the meals that he was home for; and he realizes the financial consequences of changing his work schedule.

As someone who really values family dinners, I found this book both realistic and humorous. Hands-on parenting is not easy/for the faint of heart, but it is SO worth it. I’m very grateful that my husband has a family-friendly job (teacher) and schedule. Eating dinner together most nights of the week is one of the greatest gifts that I think we have been able to give to our kids so far!

(To read about what others are reading, visit What’s on Your Nightstand.)

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