10 Secrets for Success and Inner Peace
by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
Cindi accidentally forgot to tell One Spirit not to send out their most recent books so today we received this book as well as another book by the same author, Being in Balance. I liked the look of them so we decided to keep them.
**Update**
I started reading this while taking a bath one day and have been reading little bits here and there. He describes 10 concepts to help you attain success and inner peace:

1. Have a Mind That Is Open to Everything and Attached to Nothing
2. Don't Die with Your Music Still in You
3. You Can't Give Away What You Don't Have
4. Embrace Silence
5. Give Up Your Personal History
6. You Can't Solve a Problem with the Same Mind That Created It
7. There Are No Justified Resentments
8. Treat Yourself As If You Already Are What You'd Like to Be
9. Treasure Your Divinity
10. Wisdom Is Avoiding All Thoughts That Weaken You

Most of it makes sense but some is a bit too broad and unrealistic. In the section on the sixth secret he says, "The world is just the way it is. The economy is just as it should be. The people who are behaving "badly"in the world are doing what they're supposed to be doing." And he goes on to say "If you're filled with anger about all of those "problems," you are one more person who contributes to the pollution of anger." I don't find this to be true. Especially for politicians and others in power who should be answering to the greater public and the greater world. We should be angry with they aren't acting in our best interest, I think anger can be a justified reaction and does have it's place in our lives. Greater change often occurs because of the anger we feel and the action it prompts us to take. We shouldn't assume anger is wrong or an unneeded emotion.
Received: September 22, 2006
Started: November 2006 (date unknown)

Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook: The Essential Guide to Caring for Everything in Your Home
by Martha Stewart
This is now my bible! In over 700 pages there are instructions on how to do EVERYTHING in this book. It's amazing. Room by room she describes how to organize, clean, repair, and care for just about everything item in your home, condo, apartment or castle. I paid $10 and it's listed for $45. The best deal I've gotten so far!
Received: November 22, 2006

Fit From Within *Completed*

Fit from Within: 101 Simple Secrets to Change Your Body and Your Life--Starting Today and Lasting Forever
by Victoria Moran
I recently "borrowed" this book from my aunt when I was pet sitting. It had been suggested to me by a friend and I quickly realized why. It contains many great ideas on taking better care of yourself and your body. Some of the concepts don't fit but enough of them that it's worth reading and keeping. I either need to buy my own copy or "forgot" to return this one. {wink}
**Update**
I've been keeping this on my night stand to read before bed every night. It is full of things that seem obvious but we all need to be reminded of from time to time. I really enjoyed it and need to frequently re-read it to be sure to implement her wonderful suggestions.
Started: September 1, 2006
Completed: October 29, 2006

The Wok Bible: The Complete Book of Stir-Fry Cooking
Over 180 sensational classic and modern stir-fry dishes from east and west for pan and wok, shown step-by-step in more than 700 stunning photographs
by Sunil Vijayakar, Becky Johnson, Jenni Fleetwood
Cindi "accidentally" got this yesterday when she was at Borders getting a free coffee. It was very discounted and was too much to resist. It is a stunning cookbook. It's not specifically vegetarian but there are plenty of vegetarian recipes that we can ignore the ones with meat. I *love* all the pretty pictures!!
Received: October 25, 2006

The Wisdom of Yoga: A Seeker's Guide to Extraordinary Living
by Stephen Cope
This is my pick for October. I've decided, once again, to try and have a more regular and a more dedicated yoga practice. I haven't done much reading in regards to the more spiritual side of yoga so I'm hoping this book can fulfill this desire.
It arrived in the mail today but I haven't had a chance to check it out.
Received: October 25, 2006

The Ultimate Guide to Pregnancy for Lesbians: How to Stay Sane and Care for Yourself From Pre-conception through Birth (2nd Edition)
by Rachel Pepper
This has been on my pregnancy to-buy list for quite some time. As soon as it was brought to my attention that a new edition had come out I knew we had to buy it. Between this and the other two books we've purchased, we'll be more than prepared.
**Update**
I stared reading this yesterday and love it already. Her writing style is easy and fun to read as well as extremely informative and inclusive of the many varieties of lesbian families.
**Update**
I completed the conception portion of this book. I have many pages marked to go back and look at again with Cindi. She brings up some really important issues and question to discuss prior to conception that will make the pregnancy and future parenting much easier. I really like the author!
Received: October 10, 2006
Started: October 13, 2006

I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence
by Amy Sedaris
My parents were nice enough to give Cindi a gift card for Borders for her birthday. She managed to sneak off on her lunch break and purchased this book. We are both very fond of Amy and her brother David and I know we'll both *love* this book. We may not be able to use a majority of the recipes she's included but it'll be good for some laughs. I plan to keep it on our coffee table to entertain what few guests we have.
Received: October 19, 2006

The Cafe Flora Cookbook: More than 250 Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes from the Renowned Seattle Restaurant
http://www.cafeflora.com/
by Catherine Geier with Carol Brown
This is Cindi's book for October, another wonderful vegetarian cookbook to add to our growing collection. It doesn't have many pictures but the recipes look delicious. We're were very excited to see it included a recipe for potato tacos, something we've been on the lookout for.
Received: October 14, 2006

A Donor Insemination Guide *Completed*

A Donor Insemination Guide: Written By and For Lesbian Women
by Marie Mohler, MA & Lacy Frazer, PsyD
I decided to order this book because it seemed to focus more on the physiological aspects of pregnancy conception. I hope for us to learn this on our own and not from a doctor, midwife, or birthing class. I hope to be well prepared so when the time comes we'll have questions and not blank looks. After seeing the experiences of family members regarding their pregnancies and births, I plan for us to be proactive and make decisions that are best for us, not a hospital or doctor.
**Update**
It didn't take me long to complete this book. It isn't very long but has very straightforward information on the different choices for donor insemination and offered advice on ways to track fertility to ensure you inseminate as close to ovulation as possible. The authors were obviously jaded by their negative experiences with insensitive and inept doctors and staff but it is still a very valuable resource for lesbian women.
Received: October 10, 2006
Started: October 11, 2006
Completed: October 12, 2006