Financial Advice for Females

Small disclaimer: Normally I don't like to "genderify" (yes, I know that's not a real word) things, but this book really does help women to understand their finances. Women still earn statistically $0.70 to every $1 men earn, and being financially independent is a necessity, especially with the rise of single mothers, single women, and main-household-wage-earning women out there.

Confession: I have been carrying around minuscule scraps of paper with bits of notes jotted down on them about different financial books for close to 4 weeks. Only someone truly suffering from 'intending to blog' syndrome would do that on the off-chance that I have a spare second to sit down and share this with you. Well, this is your lucky day because I found a spare second! Pull out your pencils and notebooks, folks, because you won't want to miss this bonafide financial advice from someone not even remotely qualified.

First, I have to say that this isn't really financial advice. It's more advice about where to get the financial advice you may be seeking. Without fully revealing my financial status, let me just say that I find myself, a single female in my 20s, beginning to think about things like savings (any at all), graduate school (cross your fingers I get in!), retirement (someday I hear this will happen and by then Social Security will have run out), a house (though the odds of me being able to afford something with the way our current real estate market is looking are slim to none), a new car (dear my '99 Toyota Corolla, I know you've got a few hundred thousand more miles left in you please), and all those other time-of-life things that I suppose it's now my responsibility to care about. This being the case, and finding myself with friends in the similar position, a book was recommended to me which opened my eyes to a world of financial responsibility and possibility. I will now share that book and others I have discovered on my way to financial autonomy.

On My Own Two Feet: A Modern Girl's Guide to Personal Finance by Manisha Thakor and Sharon Kedar is knock-your-socks, stockings, and stiletto heels -off enjoyable! This book is amazing for what it accomplishes, all without making you feel like a complete moron for not knowing it in the first place, and building you up so you believe you can actually be financially savvy. I realize I may be one of the only people in the world who thinks learning about financial planning is fun, but this book makes everything having to do with money so easy to understand, it's actually not scary! That's probably one of the best ways to recommend this book. Everything is dealt with so matter-of-factly, there's no chance to be scared. Things you sort of knew about, things you sort of heard about, and things that haven't crossed your mind entirely are all addressed in a comprehensive, yet not overloading, sort of fashion. The first part of the book is all the basic stuff - budget, what you should be saving for, and how to go about doing that. The second part of the books delves a little deeper into things like investments. A very good introduction for any woman 18-108.
9781598691245 $12.95

From this point on, things get a little tricky. I had all of this great energy for doing everything the book wanted me to do, but I wasn't quite sure where to start for things like investing. Really, I'm just waiting for these women to write book two, which would delve deeper into the things discussed in the second half of the book, but no luck with that so far. That left me to my own devices. Personally, I'm interested in things like socially responsible investing and green investing. It's not only important that my money work for me, but that it does so in a way that isn't hurting anyone else. The big problem with this is that there are few books that deal with these subjects in general, and then I've found none of them to be a) geared toward a novice, b) geared toward women, or c) written very well at all. So, briefly, here are a few books I've looked at, and how they rank.

Green Investing: A Guide to Making Money Through Environment-Friendly Stocks by Jack Uldrich 9781598695823 $14.95
I hate to put my politics right in the forefront, but I'm sorry, any book that has a George Bush quote in the first paragraph - especially a book about investing in the environment, hello? Anyone else notice he undid about 10 years worth of environmental-protection legislation in his first 4 years in office? - is a book I usually want to throw right out. That aside, the rest of the book was okay, for being one of the only books out there dedicated to this subject. The main problem was that I was looking for a how-to, some information on how to go about practicing green-friendly investing. Maybe some companies to look into, how to diversify my portfolio (or whatever that means), etc. What I was not looking for? This guy's personal views on the economic structure of investing, ever. I'm a fairly intelligent human being, but I have to admit that the combination of long-winded sentence structure, the completely unnecessary elevated verbiage, and pages of superfluous information put this book way above my commitment level (case in point).

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Socially Responsible Investing by Ken Little 9781592577293 $16.95
Not to begin in a completely negative tone, but I hate the Idiot's Guides and the Dummy's Guides. I think they're tacky and insulting. And yes, I'm a hypocrite as I have at least one on my own bookshelf at home. Also, I think it's sad that the Idiot's Guide company came out with something like this first. That being said, this really wasn't that bad. It was pretty user-friendly, as are most of these books, and actually offered some easy how-to advice. As much as I hate to admit it, this book was the winner of these three extras being reviewed. Guess there's a reason these things are so popular after all.

How to Invest $50-$5000: The Small Investor's Step-By-Step Plan for Low-Risk, High-Value Investing by Nancy Dunnan 9780061129827 $14.95
If the previous book was a clear winner, then this book is the clear loser of the three. I made a lot of assumptions about this book. I thought, Hey, written by a woman - financial books written by women are not as common - must be pretty user-friendly and woman-empowering. I thought, Based on this title, clearly I will be able to find advice for my financial bracket - also hard to do as a lot of investment guides are geared toward people who have money to "play" with. What's that saying? Oh, yes: assume(ing) makes an ass of u and me. And so it does, and so it works both ways. Nancy Dunnan assumes a heck of a lot about the person reading her book. Things she says are not explained fully, leaving a lot of frustrated questions hanging. Points she makes are unclear to someone who is not fully versed in the financial matters to which she is referring. Lastly, forget that title. My $50 are going to continue sitting in my savings account, and I'm sorry, but something about that just doesn't seem quite like "investing" to me. All in all, I was thoroughly disappointed.

So there ya have it. What I've been carrying around in my pocket for the last month. Fresh from me to you. Good luck saving!

-Rebecca

Book Review: Nice to Come Home To by Rebecca Flowers

I'm ashamed to admit how long it's been since I've read a new adult book. Keeping up with all the great new children's books out there hasn't left me much spare time to sit down with something more appropriate for my own age and reading level. I admit, it was the cover of this book as much as anything that made me pick it up, and when I actually read it (4 weeks later) I was glad I did.

Nice to Come Home To by Rebecca Flowers. Doesn't that sentence have a lovely ring? As the title may give away, this is a novel about finding love (that someone it's "nice to come home to"), but it's also a novel about finding yourself. What I liked best about this book, and I mean this in a complimentary way, is that the novel doesn't take itself too seriously while exploring that vein. I admit to being a deep thinker; I tend to apply everything - books, movies, music - to feelings and situations in my own life (often way overdoing it!), and it was really nice to read something that spoke to me without taking me too deep.

The main plot involves the character Prudence Whistler - Pru for short. She's in her mid-to-late 30s, has just lost her job, and is about to lose her boyfriend. Suddenly she sees herself reflected in a stranger - a woman full of children, husband, and her place in life as mother/caregiver - and Pru is catapulted into uncertainty about where her own life is taking her without any of those things. Prudence Whistler is a woman of lists, of plans, of still waters running deeply without surface ripples giving away her inner deliberations. The plot unfolds as Pru struggles to find what it is she is really meant to be doing, really wants to do, and how any sort of romantic entanglement fits into all of that.

A small sub-plot involving her younger sister, Patsy's, romantic life only serves to underscore the things Pru is finding out about life, love, and herself. The subplot was well-done, adding some familial substance to the character of Pru, forwarding the plot just enough, without overwhelming Pru herself.

Now, even though I began this post by saying I'm glad things didn't get too hot and heavy into a discussion of topics such as life philosophy and the feminist female psyche (or as I put it earlier, "deep"), I admit to being a bit disappointed by how things worked out so well for everyone in the end. I won't write a spoiler, but I will say everything ends up as it should. Though on the surface Pru suffers - lost job, boyfriend, spoiling second romance, struggling career options - I really didn't feel Prudence taking enough charge of her own life. She went with the flow a bit too much for me, the universe threw a few too many good coincidences her way, and when she finally did stick up for her emotional well-being, the moment quickly became anti-climatic (which may have been the point, but really only served to take the wind out of my reading sails). As a list maker and planner myself, I didn't see enough determination, enough drive, enough (yes, I'll admit to it) ambition from her regarding her own life. Things sort of happened, she dealt with them, accepted them or didn't accept them, but there was something lackluster in her character, some missing spark or spirit that kept me from getting 100% behind her and fully celebrating for her at the end. Real life just isn't that pat of a story.

What really held the book for me was the solid writing. Though by no means a riveting page-turner, I consistently went back for more. Rebecca Flowers has a way of putting together a sentence that gets to the heart of the matter and makes you want to know what's coming next (even if it the event itself is slightly predictable). Overall, a good, light read, well-written and meaningful, without the headache of too many unanswerable life questions. Stop by the store for your very own autographed copy.


Thanks for reading,

Rebecca

Children's Book Review - The Penderwicks/The Penderwicks on Gardam Street

Are you all ready for two fantastic reads? The Penderwicks series by Jeanne Birdsall is the most fun new series to hit the shelves! Get ready for some gushing praise because I love these books! The two tales center around the Penderwicks family made up of a father, 4 daughters, and a loveable, laughable dog. There's nothing better for a summer read than a series set right in New England!

Winner of the National Book Award, the first book, The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy, takes place in Arundel, Maine, where the Penderwicks go on their summer vacation. Their normal vacation spot is booked, so they end up renting a small cottage on the property of a large house. Before you know it, the four sisters are up to their noses in adventures, involving, at times, yes, two rabbits, the boy next door (friend or foe?), a bull, the gardner, the cook, and much much more. It's an unforgettable summer for the entire family, and it's sure to be an unforgettable read for you!

The second book, The Penderwicks on Gardam Street, takes place back at home on Gardam Street. It's fall - school time - and also time for a visit from the girls' favorite aunt. Soon the whole house is in an uproar, though, when their favorite aunt suggests the unthinkable - that the girls' widowed father should start dating again! Everyone, Dad included, is horrified at this suggestion, and the girls soon hatch the Save-Daddy Plan. Hilarious incidents insue as the girls try to set their father up on one bad date after another. Handled with surprising tact and sensitivity for such a touchy subject, everyone's heart ends up in the right hands by the end of this book.

Jeanne Birdsall calls Northampton, MA her home. She will be visiting the Odyssey for a book signing in June - date will be posted soon!

The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall
Paperback: 9780440420477 $6.50
Hardcover: 9780375831430 $15.95

The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall
Hardcover: 9780375840906 $15.99

-
Rebecca

Odyssey Kids! - Kids Krafternoon/ATCs

Hello all! I'm thrilled to tell you about our first Kids Krafternoon, featuring Nisha Dawson and her family introducing us to the phenomenon of Artist Trading Cards (ATCs). First begun in Switzerland, ATCs are primarily an adult interest. They are baseball card-size, and people use all kinds of materials and mediums to decorate these cards, making them mini works of art, and then trading them with people. Nisha has been instrumental in introducing ATCs to children wherever she goes, and we were lucky to have her and her family with us on Saturday to show us how it's done.

We had quite the little crowd for our first Kids Krafternoon - it was held from 2-4 pm on Saturday, May 3, and people were welcome to come and go as they pleased during that time. We gave out little starter packets which included 1 Odyssey ATC, 1 card-protector sheet, and a handful of blank ATCs (1 of which had a background design to get you started!). Then we laid out crayons, markers, stickers, wrapping paper, construction paper, fabric, glue, and scissors, and let the kids go creatively-wild! We turned out some beautiful ATCs, and at the end, we had a great time trading them with each other.

Stop by the Odyssey to receive your free ATC starter kit. Then, at our next Kids Krafternoon (sometime in July, date TBA), bring in your decorated cards and trade them with other friends!

To find out more about ATCs, or to just scope out some great decorating ideas, check out these websites:
Art in Your Pocket
Artist Trading Cards
or type "Artist Trading Cards" into your favorite Internet search engine.

Sending creative thoughts to all of you!

Rebecca

new bloggers on the block

Hello Dear Readers!

Happy belated Beltane! I hope you all have been smelling flowers and going for strolls in the grass and stretching out your limbs after the long winter. Sure, maybe it was 25 degrees out here yesterday morning, but we sure had some gorgeous weather last week, huh? I've got a gazillion things to tell you about, but I'll save most of them for later to avoid blowing your mind and rendering you speechless.

We have some dear bookfriends who just stepped into the blog world, and they are creating a really fantastic resource. Ann and Michael are sales reps from Random House, but their blog, is a mix of posts and podcasts of the conversations which just don't end at the end of the day. They read a lot of Random House books, but this project isn't officially related to Random House and isn't in any way limited to their books. It is a really great way to learn about new books & catch a bit of their infectious enthusiasm. www.booksonthenightstand.com go check it out right now. how 'bout now?

Ooh, please *please* check out the post about Infected, I read the book after reading Michael's recommendation and totally loved it. It took a moment for me to get over the flashiness of special agents checking their glocks and berettas before leaping into action, but it was so much fun to read, and so captivatingly creepy. They've written way more since that post, but I've been meaning to tell you guys about the book for a while and gosh darn it gets busy here. Neil is on vacation and we've been so busy filling his office with packaging peanuts and glueing his office supplies to the floor that I just haven't had time to write. (Kidding, kidding! We've actually been holding spring bonfires after hours, with the town fire marshal's full blessing, of course!)

Anyway, take care everyone! Stay tuned, I swear I'll write really soon about bagshare, Nowtopia, Mudbound, and eight thousand other fascinating book-related bits and pieces. We went to a Neiba conference yesterday which was pretty interesting, perhaps I'll tell y'all about that. Soon.

Best,
-
Darcy

First CRAFTERNOON

Hey there Crafters! The first-ever Odyssey Crafternoon was a big success! Thanks to all of you who came in on such a lovely day outside. We really had a grande ole tyme.

For those of you who may be wondering what a "Crafternoon" is, let me explain. One Saturday each month, the Odyssey will hold a Crafternoon, during which time people are welcome to bring whatever sort of craft project on which they are currently working. The months will alternate between an adult's Crafternoon and a Kids Crafternoon. The adult Crafternoon will always have a theme, featuring either an author or a particular craft, though crafters of all kinds are invited to bring their projects. Each adult Crafternoon will also feature a Bagshare Sewing Circle - the Odyssey has recently become a part of the Pioneer Valley Bagshare Project, where we sew bags made from donated material, with the idea of eventually becoming paper and plastic bag-free. The Kids Krafternoon will always feature a new type of ATC or Artist Trading Card. ATCs are baseball card-sized cards that kids can decorate in all sorts of ways. The idea is children will become inspired by the world around them, using different mediums to decorate their cards, and then trade them with each other at different Krafternoons. Children are also welcome to bring whatever type of craft project they are working on themselves, but we will also provide some simple fun crafts for kids to do.

This first Crafternoon was for adults, but featured an author who read and discussed sharing crafts with kids. Amanda Blake Soule, author of The Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination and Nuture Family Connections (Paperback, 9781590304716, $14.95), read a chapter from her book that focused on crafting inspired by nature (to celebrate one of the first beautiful days of spring), signed books, and answered questions about all kinds of crafting with kids. She also has a blog in case you're interested in reading more about her; she also has a new book coming out next year with lots of craft projects in it!

We supplied three sewing machines (Thanks to Leni and Cathy of the Bagshare project for donating two machines to us, and to Darcy for bringing her's in that day), and got three bags sewn! Our Bagshare goal is 400, but we're making a good start with 12 bags sewn at the time of this posting.

Other crafts which people brought and/or discussed during the afternoon included knitting, crocheting, various types of felting, quilting, and scrapbooking. One woman brought in a beautiful book she was quilting/felting and then sewing together for her child. It was so great to see all that creative energy at work, sharing ideas, and discussing all the ins-and-outs as only another true Crafter could appreciate.

Next month, Saturday, May 3rd, is our first Kids Krafternoon! We will be decorating some of the Bagshare bags, making our first ATCs (featuring an Odyssey stamp!), and possibly making some sock puppets.

The tentative theme for June is Scrapbooking! We are hoping to feature a scrapbooking expert, ready to answer any and all questions about everything from how to get started to design concepts to best materials and everything in between. So start saving those pictures!

For more information on Bagshare or on the adult Crafternoons or Kids Krafternoons, contact Rebecca.

Quick Review - The Resurrectionist

Hello Dear Readers,

Hope you're all well. Brian Hall is in the store tonight reading from his newest novel, Fall of Frost. I'm downstairs and the event is upstairs so I can't tell you anything more specific about it. I'm sure it is wonderful.

Last night I finished The Resurrectionist by Jack O'Connell. I finished the book, and I enjoyed it most of the time, but I can't give it a rousing recommendation. The novel is made up of two interwoven storylines which ultimately share space in some common reality. The gritty realist storyline is centered around Sweeney, a pharmacist whose 6-year-old son fell into a surprise coma. A couple of months after 'the incident' his wife kills herself, and our story begins as Sweeney brings his son, Danny, to a state-of-the-art (and yet creepily gloomy) extended-care facility which specializes in waking the coma-struck. Debates over the levels and types of consciousness experienced by coma patients continue throughout the book, making the simple term 'unconscious' somewhat inappropriate. Sweeney slogs through thick grief while beginning his new job at the clinic, moving into his down-trodden apartment, and trying to take care of his son in whatever capacity possible. Meanwhile in storyline number two a band of good-hearted circus freaks in a fictional Bohemian country are forced to leave their home-circus and strike out on their own to discover some hidden destiny. Check out a more complete and better written review here, I'm running out of time to explain everything (oh, and I have some issues with O'Connell's female characters, both were heavily sexualized and commanded tremendous power, but in subservient ways and with weirdly superficial personalities. Oh wait, I'm forgetting most of the nurses, who for the most part were not sexualized) so, to summarize, this novel is a surreal, grimy, dreamy journey with some exciting sections, some engaging ideas and enough strangeness to keep things moving, but something a smidge less than a satisfying union of strands. I look forward to hearing him speak (Here! At The Odyssey! On 4/16-08! Come ask him yourself about how the Abominations match up to the Limbo Freaks!), and you should all come too. It should be fun. Best,
-
Darcy