The Book Blawg

Passionate Housewives Desperate for God, by Jennie Chancey and Stacy McDonald.

This is sort of the anti-feminist manifesto. I found the book inspiring, but didn't really give me anything new. The back of the book says, "Do you wrestle with cultural messages that demean the homemaker's calling and exalt instead the emotionally androgynous power-woman?" Um, no, not really. I'm pretty secure in my role as a lawyer-turned-stay-at-home-mom.

Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?: An Easy Plan for Losing Weight and Living More, by Peter Walsh.

I listened to the audiobook of Walsh's It's All Too Much and loved it, so I was anxious to read his new book. It's really just the it's all too much philosophy applied to weight loss and food, with lots of Walsh's insights into human nature, as he has observed the connection between body clutter and "too much stuff" clutter.

Add to the list of books on home staging and decorating:

Home Therapy: Fast, Easy, Affordable Makeovers, by Lauri Ward. By the author of Use What You Have, this book is something of a case study, without a whole lot of guidance. Lots of photos.

Building a Successful Home Staging Business: Proven Strategies from the Creator of Home Staging, by Barb Schwarz. This book has some useful information for anyone staging their own home, but it is more for the professional.

Dress Your House for Success: 5 Fast, Easy Steps to Selling Your House, Apartment, or Condo for the Highest Possible Price!, by Martha Webb and Sarah Parsons Zackheim. You wouldn't think that such a small book with no photos, only a few black and white illustrations, would be so helpful, but it really stands out from all the books I've read recently.

Read and Reading:

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Staging your Home to Sell, by Julie Dana and Marcia Layton Turner.

Organize It!: How to Declutter Every Nook and Cranny in and Outside Your Home, by Mervyn Kaufman.

Decorating on a Dime: Trade Secrets from a Style Maker, by Christy Ferer.

Home Makeovers That Sell: Quick And Easy Ways to Get the Highest Possible Price, by Sid Davis.

Home Staging: The Winning Way to Sell Your House for More Money, by Barb Schwarz.

Use What You Have Decorating : Transform Your Home in One Hour With Ten Simple Design Principles -- Using the Space You Have, the Things You Like, the Budget You Choose, by Lauri Ward.

Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food, by Jessica Seinfeld.

There has been a lot of controversy about this book, written by wife of comedian Jerry Seinfeld; and a similarly-themed book, The Sneaky Chef. I didn't actually try any of these recipes, but you can read all the comments on amazon.com if you want a comparison of how the meals stack up. However, I must say that I love the styling of this book. It has a 1950s-retro feel to it, strongly reminiscent of my favorite Betty Crocker's Cookbook for Boys and Girls. Looks nice, but I'm not rushing out to puree cauliflower anytime soon.

It's All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff, by Peter Walsh [CD AUDIOBOOK].

I first heard about Peter Walsh from Oprah's website, where he is her "clutter and organizing guru". Our library doesn't have his book, but they do have the audiobook. Now, I don't usually listen to audiobooks, since as a stay-at-home mom I don't have much of a commute. But I found it a refreshing change from listening to the radio while cooking and cleaning in the kitchen. And the book was inspiring, too - I got rid of a lot of unnecessary kitchen clutter while listening to the book. This would be a great book to listen to on headphones while cleaning the house.

Peter Walsh's approach is part organizer, part therapist. He deals with the physical aspects of clutter, walking you through each room in your house, with a definite plan of attack. But he also deals with the emotional aspects of why we hang on to junk. He also pays special attention to the relationships in a family - between spouses or partners - and how decluttering your home can affect your family, both positively and negatively. And he emphasizes that we should teach our children to have limits, that they should not acquire more "stuff" than they have the space for in their lives. One of the best books I have read on this subject.

The Family Manager, by Kathy Peel.

This book is full of helpful suggestions and strategies for running a household, given with a mom-as-manager attitude.