Here is my first book of the "year", it is from the apparently bestselling series of "Chicken Soup" books. A bit of a cheesy read, but I was looking for some inspiration and confirmation that I had made the right choice by giving up my teaching job for the coming year. What I enjoy about the books in this collection is that each story is a very quick read and at most five pages. This allowed me to quickly pick up the book if I happened to have a quiet moment between making oatmeal or changing a diaper or fulfilling some other request, to enjoy a short story.

I enjoyed most of the stories in this collection. The one section that I skipped were the stories about "mom preneurs" starting their own companies as this just didn't speak to me. It was great to read about other mom's daily struggles and triumphs and it was just the type of fluffy uplifting read I was seeking. The story by Britney Spears' mom Lynne was not all about Britney as I had hoped, but rather about her brother's asthma.  Author Jodi Piccolt's contribution was inspiring as she told of writing novels while juggling three kids and having them compare her to their former nanny!

All in all I would recommend this book as an easy and sometimes inspiring read. It would make a nice gift to someone who has just decided to stay home and give up their career, however temporarily for the joy of being with their kids.  

On another note, it is fascinating that this chicken soup collection has done so well. Among their titles are chicken soup for golfers, dog lovers, students etc. Wish I'd thought of that idea!!!