Although I seem to spend more time reading a screen than I do a book, reading for me is a given. How would I function if I could not read?

In our family, reading happens everywhere…except the bathroom. I am not a book-in-the-bathroom person. Ewww. We have bookcases in every room except the bathroom.

It’s summer so the kids have days when they are voracious readers and days when they are not. My summer reading tips are as follows:

• Buy books. Yes, I know books are expensive, but kids love to reread old classics or new stories. Invest in books.
• Get each child a library card. Make sure you and your husband have library cards. Carry your library card in your purse or wallet.
• Visit the library regularly for storytimes or summer reading programs.
• Join summer reading programs at the library or bookstores.
• Shop consignment stores for books. I picked up 12 of the 13 Lemony Snicket books for about $10. I found The Complete Wreck (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Books 1-13) on amazon for $94.50!
• Shop Goodwill for books.
• Go through your book collection at home. Pull out books that are too young for your child. Move books that are too young to a younger child’s bedroom.
• Buy each child a bookcase or shelf for their bedroom.
• Create screen-free areas in your house. Our living room does not a TV. There is a CD player if kids want to listen to books on CD. Our girls have laptops, but each child has reading time where the screens are turned off.
• Read the newspaper, read a book, read a menu, read the phone book — read anything while your little kids are in the room.
• For long car trips or lengthy visits to the doctor, have kids pack a book or a puzzle book to do while they wait.

Are you a blogger with kids? Check out this fabulous I Can Read contest over at Twittermoms!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms blogging program to be eligible to get an “I Can Read!” book. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

I posted recently about my worry that the plethora of tech gadgets available to kids stops kids from reading. Do you see your child staring at a screen and wonder “Why aren’t you reading?!” I know I do. DS, wii, PS3, Flip, itouch…you name it kids can get their hands on it. Is reading suffering?

When my children were little books were a huge part of our day. I was one of those moms who had to learn how to use the shape sorter bucket. I am not a “sit down on the floor and play for hours” type. I did log in many hours playing trucks, GeoTrax, Barbies, Polly Pockets, Thomas, and Bob the Builder, but I developed many strategies for extricating myself from the play. “Mommy, has to switch the wash to the dryer.” “Mommy needs to make a phone call.” “Mommy thinks she heard the mailman…I’ll be right back!”

When playing was involved I exited quickly stage left. Not so with reading. I recall many reading moments with my oldest. She was a cranky baby, but books always calmed her down. My funniest moment with her was the time I pushed her near a display of “Molly & the Big Comfy Couch” books at a bookstore in the mall…Molly was her fave show on PBS. While I thumbed through a book probably called “Dealing with Your Difficult Toddler” or “Encouraging a Child Who Eats Air to Eat Food…Any Food,” she roared with laughter. She was “reading” a book AND got the joke. She connected the pictures to a funny moment from the show. I had never realized that a child of 18 months could “read” a book.

Fast forward to the preschool years, elementary school, middle school, and soon-to-be high school years…reading is a huge part of my children’s lives. But, technology is present in their lives, too. 3 years ago we got a wii. 4 years ago my older two got Nintendo DS. 10 years ago we got a PS2, but the kids never used it. Add in TV and laptops and the kids have many screen options. But, where does reading fit in to the screen time?

It’s July and the summer is finally here. Our days are scheduled with swim practice, trips to the health club, summer workbook time with Dad, and other activities like movies, playing outside, etc. Reading time is important…but do I need to schedule it. Wouldn’t assigned reading time seem too much like school?

My oldest reads spurts. Some days she reads a huge amount. Other days not at all. But I don’t worry about her reading. My middle must have her bedtime reading. I often cannot get her to read at other times. She chafes at any required reading. I don’t want to push it. My youngest…now he is a puzzle. He reads well, but won’t read independently. He and his dad are ploughing through the first harry Potter. He loves it but will not pick up Harry Potter by himself. He treasures his Dad and Kid time. I do “make” him read, but don’t want to make reading a huge issue.

My son is a “can read a chapter book, but won’t” type of reader. Have you heard of I Can Read! — the number one beginning reading series in the country? I Can Read! It’s the open door to a child’s adventure with the most beloved characters in the history of children’s literature.

It a proven series for encouraging young readers from early reading together to advanced reading alone. The series debuted in 1957 with the introduction of a familiar favorite, Little Bear. It was one of the first ever easy-to-read books that children could read independently, and has been in print ever since. Now with more than 6 million I Can Read! books sold, including 200 titles, I Can Read! books is the best series to take children step by step into the wonderful world of reading on their own.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms blogging program to be eligible to get an “I Can Read!” book. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

The day was exhausting. Here’s why:

• Staying up until 3 a.m. to print out postcards that I should have sent to VistaPrint 3 weeks ago is officially a dumb move. Who knew that “free postcards” if not ordered 3 weeks in advance would cost $25 to ship. Live and learn and get postcards to printer sooner.
• When you know you need to print postcards, don’t wait until 11 p.m. to create 4 different designs for 4 different pieces needed for your booth.
• If you wait until 11 p.m. to work on your designs, you will not be ready to print until 2 a.m.
• If you print at 2 a.m., the following will happen…you will need to find paper, you will spot a flashing light on the printer, you will need to fiddle with the trays, turn off the printer, reboot, scream, reboot, fiddle, change the magenta cartridge, fiddle again, scream, and finally give up.
• You will resign yourself to only have 50 postcards for an event where 3,000 were expected. In your defense, you would not have purchased 3,000 postcards from Vistaprint, but 250 would have been a reasonable number.
• Oh and 2 a.m. is officially not a good time to learn how to print doublesided. “Which side goes up?” “Oh, that’s right I need to put the other side up.” “Huh! What just happened?” “[scream]“
• Don’t make a list at 3 p.m. and not look at it until 3 a.m. to see if you have everything.
• Going to bed when all seems hopeless is a good idea. Waking up — or being woken — at 8 a.m. is officially soul-destroying.
• Coming downstairs after your shower to find your husband has saved the day with the printer..rocks! He has the Midas touch. Everything he touches…prints! Go, Coach Dad.
• Telling your first grader you can’t attend his game as you have to print the rest of the postcards and start on the business cards is not fun. Coach Dad took him, but I could tell he was disappointed. Next Saturday…I will take him! HATE letting the kids down!
• Arriving at an event early is an odd feeling. So this is what the rest of the world feels…not rushed, calm as a cucumber.
• Walking to Celebrate Mama in downtime Bethesda, I staggered under the weight of 4 bags, a box, and a beach umbrella. I ditched the cooler in the car.  I was fine until a 20-year-old asked if I needed help. Suddenly I felt like a creaky senior citizen. Don’t mind me I have crazy strong arms from carrying two huge toddlers…I know I just look as though I might keel over, but I’m fine. Thanks!
• Arriving at table for check in and realizing that I can’t find my contact person. Now, my bags were feeling heavy. Table and check in person were soon found.
• Table set up was a toughie as I had to secure the flapping table cloth, cut up the postcards, create two signs, set up the raffle…not that I left anything til the last minute or anything. You would think since I was up until 3 a.m. that I would have been ready. Ha!
• Thank goodness Rachel arrived to save the day. Rachel is the other half of DC CityMommy.
• Rachel and I manned or mommed the DC CityMommy table. We held a Maclaren raffle with a prize of a Maclaren gift basket of Beginnings products for moms.
• Met many very sweet moms-to-be and new moms, but the day was looooonnnggg. Many brought tents. I had my trusty, very rusty beach umbrella, but no way to secure the umbrella to the table. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a stand from the restaurant behind me. I snagged the stand fully expecting someone to say something. None of the waiters noticed. Yay for shade.

By the 4:10 when I left I was exhausted. I was spent. As you can imagine I was not happy to be trudging around the Elm Street parking garage looking for my %$&^van. Not a good way to end the day. After taking the elevator down a third time I abandoned my box of samples and the &^%& beach umbrella to walk once again to find my van. I felt like the mom in Joy Luck Club who abandoned her twins under the tree…not that I am comparing my beach umbrella to a baby, but you know what I mean. The umbrella and box were heavy…especially after walking up and down the garage.

All in all it was a successful if tiring day. Met many potential members of DC CityMommy. Talked to vendors about running ads. Met my Co-Leader. Good day, but happy to be home. Napped for two hours!

With Dave Barry at the WeGiveBooks.org Press Conference

As a kid I devoured books. I read through the Judy Blumes. I raced through Harriet the Spy. I became obsessed with reading every book in the Chalet School book series. The Chalet School books were written in 1930s and 1940s. The books were hard to come by, but I found them at the library, at bookstores, and at school. Now, can you imagine not being able to have access to books?

Amy Tan shared her story of her childhood. The books she treasured were books given to her by missionaries. It was not until she was a little older that she was able to get a library card. The library opened up the world of books to her. I know that my children have benefited from reading books in our home, at the bookstore, and at school. My children know that I will almost never deny them a book.

Amy Tan shared her childhood memory of books at the Washington, D.C., launch of the WeGiveBooks.org. We Give Books is a venture between Penguin Books and the Pearson Foundation. So far 3,178 (correction: 3,710 books have been donated since I started this post!) books have been donated by We Give Books to organizations that distribute books to children all over the world and the U.S. I missed meeting Amy Tan. I’m a little mad at myself, as I have read most of Tan’s books.

Here’s how it works…moms…dads…grandparents…teachers…go to WeGiveBooks.org. Once on the site, choose a campaign from the list of campaigns, such as:

• NEA Foundation’s Books Across America
• Haiti Learning Spaces
• United Through Reading — donate books to military families

Once a campaign is chosen, you can choose a book to read to a child from a list divided by in to categories “New Releases,” “0-3,” “4-7,” and “8-10.” When the books is read, a book will be donated to the organization of your choice. It’s that simple.

A treat for me was meeting Dave Barry at the end of the press conference. Barry was syndicated in the Washington Post Magazine each Sunday.

I wrote this review as part of a campaign by Mom Central on behalf of We Give Books and received breakfast, tickets to the Rock Bottom Remainders concert, and a gift certificate.

As many of you know, I first heard about Joy Berry at a brunch held in New York City for bloggers. I had a wonderful chat with Joy Berry about her series of books for kids and parents. I left with a few copies. The books were a hit in my house with my kid, preteen, and teen…and me! I held a giveaway recently for Joy Berry’s books. The winners were both thrilled to win. Winning books makes my day, too!

One of the great joys of blogging is getting to tell readers what you love. I am too shy to scream from the rooftop, but I will blog about what I love!

Interested in learning about all that Joy Berry Books have to offer to parents like you? I have a couple of codes for you to use!

The complete Help Me Be Good Box Set features all 28 bestselling titles from the Help Me Be Good series along with a CD of songs, plus a bonus Parent’s Guide with activities for every book. Features of the Help Me Be Good Box Set:

• All 28 bestselling titles from the Help Me Be Good series.
• Titles Include: Being Lazy, Being Forgetful, Being Careless, Being Messy, Being Wasteful, Overdoing It, Showing Off, Being a Bad Sport, Being Selfish, Being Greedy, Breaking Promises, Disobeying, Lying, Interrupting, Whining, Throwing Tantrums, Complaining, Teasing, Tattling, Gossiping, Being Rude, Snooping, Cheating, Stealing, Being Bullied, Being Bossy, Being Destructive, Fighting, Being Mean
• You also get a download code for 56 additional Help Me Be Good songs when you purchase the Box Set.

The Help Me Be Good Boxed Set regularly sells for $129.95, but with the promo code that follows you can get the Help Me Be Good Boxed Set for $99! Go here and use Code: HMBG1240 to get the discounted price! You won’t regret this purchase!

To use the code, click on the highlighted name of the Help Me Be Good Boxed Set or the word “here.” When you check out, apply the code — HMBG1240 — to get the discounted price.

The Special Times Pack comes with 6 of the most popular Teach Me About books. The Teach Me About Box Set features:

• A double CD featuring Read-to-Me tracks and fun songs for each book!
• Titles in Pack: Bedtime, Bathtime, Potty Training, Mealtime, Getting Dressed, and Illness.

The Teach Me About Box Set sells for $34.95, but with the promo code that follows you can get the set for $25! Go here and use promo code: TMA12350 to get the discounted price.

To use the code, click on the highlighted name of the Teach Me About Box Set or the word “here.” When you check out, apply the code — TMA12350 — to get the discounted price.

Happy Reading!

Of course, my only experience with Curious George was the books by H.A. Rey and Margret Rey. I have a memory of only reading Curious George — the original story. If memory serves me…some of the books are written by H.A.Rey and some by H.A. and Margret Rey. The more recent ones are written by co-authors since the Reys are deceased. (I did not know that the Reys escaped from Nazi Germany on bicycles with a draft of Curious George strapped the bike…George was then called Fifi.) My kids have read the original and the sequels like Curious George and the Firefighters, Curious George and the Airport, and Curious George Visits a School (if might be called Visits the Art Teacher, I’m not sure).

The only problem I have with the original Curious George is that dear old George is smoking the man with the yellow hat’s pipe. You can bet that when I was reading that page we always had a discussion about the dangers of smoking. The pipe aside…my kids can relate to George. They loved when George escaped from the jail. Do you remember that George was taken to jail by the police for calling in a 911 call? He was a new phone user. Again, this was another time when I could talk to the kids about what would be the right thing to do — Call 911 ONLY if someone is hurt.

As a child I recall reading the original Curious George book, but we didn’t own a copy. In fact, although my parents bought many books, my collection as a child pales in comparison to the collection I have amassed for my kids. As a kid do you remember when the Book Mobile came to school AND you could buy a book to take home? We are book lovers!

Recently I added a few books to our collection. I helped a friend sort out her kids’ stuff for a consignment appointment. In exchange she gave me her kids’ Curious George books. I was thrilled to be paid in books. My kids loved Curious George Goes to an Ice Cream Shop, Curious George and the Firefighters, and Curious George at the Fire Station. For all Curious George stories in one place, check out The Complete Adventures of Curious George, Anniversary Edition.

Curious George is not just in books. He’s at Port Discovery…one of our favorite places to visit in Baltimore! Curious George is one  of the traveling exhibits at Port Discovery through June 6. Admission to the Curious George exhibit is included in the admission to Port Discovery: $12.95 for people 2 through 102; children 2 and under are free! Good value — after 14 years of taking kids to children’s play centers, museums, amusement parks, and theaters…the admission at Port Discovery is good value for the whole family.

Regular hours for Port Discovery from October – Memorial Day:

• Tuesday - Friday: 9:30 am - 4:30 pm
• Saturday: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
• Sunday: 12:00 noon - 5:00 pm
• Box Office closes at 4:30 pm

Special hours at Port Discovery for the next few weeks:

• March 19: 9:30 am – 7:00 pm
• March 29 – April 2: 9:30 am – 5:00 pm
• April 5: 9:30 am – 5:00 pm (this is the Monday after Easter)
• April 16: 9:30 am – 7:00 pm

There is a second traveling exhibit — Joshua’s Journey: A Black Cowboy Rides the Chisholm Trail. My tween and teen would be very interested in this exhibit since both have been taught American history at school. The 6-year-old? He would love that the guy is a cowboy!

The Diner, Science and Tech, and Target Dollar Days!!

• The Diner area will reopen March 27. The Diner will be closed for renovation from now through March 26.
• Discover the Wonders of Science, Match, Engineering and Technology over Spring Break! From Monday, March 29 – April 5 enjoy a day of learning through play and enjoy exciting programs that will engage even the youngest of learners in Science, Math, Engineering and Technology including Fun with Magnets, NANO Day with Howard University and The Money Game. Plus enjoy special performances including New Moon Theater, The Kindersinger, FunDrum Rhythm Circles, and more!
• 2010 Target $2 Family Fun Nights – March 19 • April 16 • May 21 * June 18 • August 20 • September 17 • October 15 • November 19. Please note, there is no Target $2 Family Fun Night in July 2010.

I was not compensated for this post. We just love Port Discovery!

I love books. I love looking at a shelf full of books. My one OCD tendency in a house that could be considered a little cluttered is that I alphabetize books by topic…fiction…biography…drama…reference. Is it slightly ironic that I am watching Hoarders while writing this post??

From time to time I check out library books, but I get frustrated when I have to wait weeks to get near the top of the waiting list. I recently heard about a service called www.BookSwim.com.

BookSwim is the first online book rental library service lending you paperbacks, hardcovers and now college textbooks Netflix®-style directly to your house, without the need to purchase! We stock all the latest bestsellers, new releases, and classics! Read your books as long as you want – no late fees! Even choose to purchase and keep the books you love!

BookSwim.com Gift Card also make that unique, perfect Holiday gift for readers. I don’t know about you, but I have a few relatives and friends who are extremely hard to buy for. I stress and fret and worry about what to buy these people. My go-to gift would be something I *think* the friend would, but this method can be hit or miss. What if my great notion for a gift is a miss. I might think the person would love a box of tea, but what about if my friend has enough tea to last a lifetime.

BookSwim is the solution for the avid reader…the person who loves buying books…the mom or dad who must have the latest book their kids are clamoring for…and me!

How does BookSwim work?

1. Add books to your Rental Pool.
2. Receive no-hassle deliveries to your door.
3. Enjoy books with no DUE dates and no LATE fees.
4. Mail books back FREE. Next books sent automatically.

Try out BookSwim — the first online book rental library service lending you paperbacks, hardcovers and now college textbooks Netflix®-style directly to your house, without the need to purchase! BookSwim stock all the latest bestsellers, new releases, and classics! Read books as long as you want – no late fees! Even choose to purchase and keep the books you love!

BookSwim gift cards also make that unique, perfect Holiday gift for readers. Buy a BookSwim.com Gift Card today!

I had a chance to chat with Beth while she was in the middle of her cross country book tour for See Mom Run: Side-Splitting Essays from the World’s Most Harried Moms. I wanted to know how she does “it” — that is be a mom and have a successful business as a writer. I caught up with Beth on a rare day home from the See Mom Run book tour.

Musings: So, how is the tour going?

Beth: The tour is fantastic. Great turnouts in each city.

Musings: How did you come up with the idea for See Mom Run book?

Beth: I was working with a publisher at Lane White Press on an anthology for moms. Lane White wanted to reach out to some fave blogging moms. As we connected and talked about book, I realized I would love to share stories of all the moms…have voices of “every mom.”

Musings: How did you start See Mom Run?

Beth: I put out a call for new moms, for moms of tweens, for empty nesters, for grandmothers. I asked each mom to share their harried moments. The book became not just a book for news moms, but a book for moms of all ages — from moms of newborns to moms of college students and beyond.

Musings: Was there one article that you wrote that made you think “I need to write a book of articles on being a harried blogging mom”?

Beth: After leaving corporate life, I entered the crazy world of constantly running and working as a writing mom. I would share stories with someone. Writing friends would share stories with me. Contributors took the idea for See Mom Run and ran with it.

Musings: How did you come up with the title for See Mom Run?

Beth: While on vacation in Florida at Nick Studios, I batted title ideas around with my parents. “See Mom Run” was one of the titles we came up with.

Musings: How did the See Mom Run contributors come on board?

Beth: I reached out to my fave blogging moms + authors I loved. A producer told me…you need to get Sherry Shealy Martschink, a retired senator from South Carolina, to contribute a story. I wanted to have a book with moms from all different stages of motherhood so that all moms stages are included. I even had my mom (Lenore Stoller) write and share her stories! 

Musings: How do you know your contributors? From NYCMoms?

Beth: Some of the contributors are NYC Moms, but others are from all over the U.S.

Musings: How did you find your nonblogging contributors?

Beth: After I found blogging moms who wanted to contibute to the book, I reached out to some nonbloggers. The subtitle changed from ”world’s most harried blogging moms” to “world’s most harried moms.” I found when I went to cities and did events with nonbloggers that these moms were dying to tell their stories.

Musings: How did you come up with the cover design? Who decided on the robot?

Beth: Plain White Press is an independent imprint. It is run by a mom formally from Wiley. Plain White Press reached out to a graphic designer who worked with me on a design. The designer found a photo. The star was added to show that mom is a star.  It is time for mom to be a celebrity.

Musings: How do you balance your work life with your personal life?

Beth: At an event lately, I did not invite my friends as I do not want them to feel obligated to come to all my events. I only invited blogging friends and friends who I knew would be interested.

Musings: How do you balance your work life and home life?

Beth: I feel as though I have fleeting time with my kids. I want to travel with my kids as much as I can. Whatever my kids want to do I will support them.

Musings: Do you have a pet peeve?

Beth: Yes! I hate when moms overbook and don’t show up. I wrote about it on RoleMommy.

Musings: You are a busy PR professional. How do you find the time to write and blog at so many sites?

Beth: I have a strategy…during the week I will blog at night and in the early a.m. During the day I will focus on PR projects then write at night. Since I am focusing on the book launch right now, I did not take on many projects.

Musings: Do you have a mentor you look up to?

Beth: Yes, Lee Woodruff. She was in PR, before catastrophic events happened to her husband, Bob Woodruff. Insane schedule. She finally had the chance to walk away from things that were not working for her. 

Musings: Do you have any upcoming projects?

Beth: I’m working on turning See Mom Run: Side-Splitting Essays from the World’s Most Harried Moms in to a stage show. At an event in May, some of the See Mom Run contributors read from the book. A producer was there. I have written a bunch of song parodies. Another venture…readings from men. Dad’s point of view. My goal is to have a workshop in May to come up with topics.

Musings: Do you blog about your children?

Beth: I don’t blog about my kids on www.rolemommy.com. I don’t feel as though my personal site is the place for writing about my kids. I would never make fun of my kids as I don’t want to embarass them! On RoleMommy, I did have a section called Rolemommy Confessions where in the past I shared about my kids, but now I only share my innermost thoughts about myself, not the kids.

On sites like NYCMoms, I will shares stories about my family, but I keep it general. I believe that the freedom of writing is writing about what you are passionate about.

Musings: Do you keep your blogging life separate from your personal life?

Beth: I have learned to be careful when writing stories, like the ones in See Mom Run. It is a good idea to keep your blogging life separate from your personal life. Don’t want to lose friends.

Musings: Who is the sponsor of the See Mom Run book tour?

Beth: I’m thankful to Swiffer Wet Jet for letting me share the book at events throughout the U.S.  Women are the ultimate storytellers who need to tell their stories. Women like to commiserate with each other and then laugh about it.

A little more about the author…  Beth Feldman is President of Beyond PR, an entertainment public relations agency specializing in television, innovative websites, parenting and book projects. Clients have included the CBS Marketing Group, Lifetime Television, Embassy Row Productions (“The 9” on Yahoo), the fashion website, Top Button, the online stationery site Design-her Gals, Chez Baby LLC., as well as New York Times best-selling author Daniel Solin (The Smartest Investment Book You’ll Ever Read) and authors Matt Titus & Tamsen Fadal (Why Hasn’t He Called/McGraw Hill, Feb. 2008). She is co-author of Peeing in Peace: Tales & Tips for Type A Moms(Sourcebooks, April 2008) and a freelance writer who contributes regularly toMomLogic(produced by Telepcitures), Newsday, and Westchester Parent. Beth blogs at NYC Moms Blog, Working Mother,  New York Metroparents and theHuffington Post, LifeTimeMoms, among others. She also hosts a podcast for Blog Talk Radio.

I conducted a social media campaign for SeeMomRun.

In Think Confident, Be Confident, Leslie Sokol and Marci Fox tackle the issue of confidence by looking at changing thinking and more importantly changing behavior. We all know that you can spend endless hours thinking of ways to improve how you interact with others in a confident way, but unless you put what you have learned in to action you will never change.Doubt, as we all know, is what stops you from doing what you want. I recall as a newly minted college graduate I lacked confidence in job interviews. In interviews with potential employers, I would stumble over my words, not make consistent eye contact with the interviewer, and generally present myself in a less than confident way. In short, if I as an interviewee did not project confidence in my abilities, why would an employer want to hire me? I managed to gain confidence in myself through taking a certificate program in my field, but my issues of lack of confidence remain to this day.

Fox and Sokol have written a cognitive therapy-based program that teaches the reader how to conquer doubt. The authors have divided the book in to four steps or chapters:

• Label your doubt
• Question your doubt
• Rethink your doubt
• Take action

The book is a good read with super easy-to-use fill-in-the-blank grids. As I read the book I was prompted to think about situations where I lacked confidence. To jog my memory the authors used fictional examples to illustrate situations where someone would feel neglected by a friend or marginalized by a boss. I used the grids to record the situations where I had confidence issues, for instance, job interviews, dealing with my children’s teachers, etc.

Once I isolated several situations I would analyze them using the four steps: label doubt, question doubt, rethink doubt, and take action. As I started looking at problems using the author’s grid I was able to think through my issues. I may not have conquered my confidence issues, but the book highlighted what I do well and what I need to improve.

The introduction to the book was written by two medical professionals from the University of Pennsylvania. Judith S. Beck, PhD, is the Director of the Beck Institute for Cognitive Therapy and Research and Clinical Assocaite Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry, while Aaron T. Beck, MD, is the University Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and the President of the Beck Institute for Cognitive Therapy and Research. Sokol and Fox both work at the Beck Institute as well. Sokol is the Director of Education while Fox is a Senior Faculty Member in the Extramural Training Program.

From reading the authors’ titles you might think that Think Confident, Be Confident would be a dry, academic-type book. You would be wrong. I found this book to be a great resource for tackling issues of confidence in all aspects of life.

By the way, if you are a confident person, I would love to hear how you became confident in yourself. Were you always that way? Did you become confident during grade school, middle school, high school, college, first job, or becoming a mom? What was the major reason for your shift in attitude in yourself? Please leave a comment and I promise I will respond. Let’s get a dialogue going to see how we as moms can gain confidence in ourselves as moms, entrepreneurs, workers, and people.

Publishers: I love to read books. For books I love, I will write a book review. You can contact me at JillAnneBerry@msn.com if you have a book you think I might be interested in.

The real life Book Club and I are not getting along well. I want to go to meetings, but I can’t seem to get the book read or if I do get the book read I can’t find babysitting. The other issue is the book selections. We are accustomed to letting the host choose the book. I don’t know about this anymore. Lately I have not been as interested in the books chosen. No offense to any of the members of this Book Club.

The SVMoms Book Club is another matter. I love this group. It is all virtual. I read the book. Write a post about the book. Someone links up all the posts in on central post. About every month or two, the author will visit all of our posts. Love it!

But, back to not reading the book… I finished, but was not ready to post about Jonathan Tropper’s This Is Where I Leave You. I hate missing a deadline. Hate it! I’m up writing this post at an unpostable hour so that I can enjoy Christmas without a ton of posts hanging over my head.

I loved Tropper’s book. I wasn’t sure about it at first since the first couple of scenes are a little graphic, but the book got better…much better.

The lead character is an ordinary guy from a vaguely dysfunctional family. His life is humdrum until his wife has an affair with his oafish boss — a shock jock. Judd Foxman’s life is going badly when he learns of the death of his father.

Judd’s atheist fatherleft instructions in his will that all four of the Foxman children will sit shiva for their father. For the now grown children  the prospect of spending 7 days with each other and their mother is terrifying as well as inconvenient. Three of the siblings have to put their lives on the backburner. The youngest son of the family with the least family ties is drawn back in to his role as the baby of the family.

Day in day out the family observe the Jewish mourning ritual. I don’t want to spoil the ending. Tropper tells a good, involved, yet realistic about a family coming to grips with death and learning to understand each other.

I was given a copy of the book for review.