Staycation Reading

Haven't you heard? Everyone's staycating this year instead of going somewhere. It's the newest and coolest, according to the New York Times! I'm really at the forefront of this trend because of all the staycations I took last year, which had nothing to do with the fact that I was unemployed for two months. No connection at all.

In any case, I'm staying in New York over Labor Day weekend not because I'm a sad-sack but rather because my dear old dad is extending a business trip to spend a few days in the city with me. He doesn't get here tomorrow, but today I'm off to the beach sans cell phone, avec a few (I hope) good reads:

• Emma Donoghue, SLAMMERKIN and LIFE MASK. I just got a copy of Donoghue's newest book set in 1800s England, THE SEALED LETTER, and am looking forward to immersing myself in this world while doing things its women can't do, like wearing pants.

• Joseph O'Neill, NETHERLAND. Weirdly enough, this book found its way to me at the library right after I had the opportunity to hear the author read. I've already read a few chapters, but I'm getting the sense it's the kind of book that deserves to be devoured in one (beach?) sitting.

• Jean Chatzky, MAKE MONEY, NOT EXCUSES. I had hoped to have had this read before my Talk of the Town appearance this week, and that didn't happen, but I'm interested in what I guess you could call a woman-powered approach to personal finance. (Farnoosh Torabi also worked for her at one point and thanks her in YOU'RE SO MONEY.)

Talk of the Town Tonight: Farnoosh Torabi

I bought this book. Should you?

Tune in tonight to Talk of the Town with Parker Sunshine to hear me talk about Farnoosh Torabi's YOU'RE SO MONEY.

~7:30PM EDT (~4:30PM PDT, 1:30PM Anna Time)
WEBR for D.C./Virginia/ Maryland locals (available through your TV)
Everyone else: Tune in here!

Earlier:
My Personal Finance Toolbox
How Did We Get Here?

ToTT Tuesday: Announcing August's Talk of the Town Pick

My next appearance on "Talk of the Town" will be August 27, and this month I went ahead and picked a book that's already out in paperback in case you want to read along with me. My interest in personal finance has picked up in the last few years, not only as I've been adjusting to the "real world" but also as financial news have been dourly predicting a slump in the American economy. (For a great explanation of that, I recommend a "This American Life" episode called "The Giant Pool of Money.")

So the book I chose is Farnoosh Torabi's YOU'RE SO MONEY: LIVE RICH, EVEN WHEN YOU'RE NOT. Ms. Torabi is a financial reporter for TheStreet.com and hopefully will give us all some pointers. If you, already the savvy saver, don't wish to buy the book first, feel free to wait until the 27th and I'll tell you whether it's worth the splurge. And I'll be posting a little here and there about the book on Tuesdays until then.

Also, the subject of July's show, Jancee Dunn's DON'T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME, hits bookstores today. I gave it three bookmarks, and I meant it!