Bathroom Books

I can't be the only one who does this.

I like to have at least one large tome in the bathroom that can be read in short doses without diluting either my interest or requiring me to hang out in the bathroom for more time than I already do.

Encyclopedic reference books are perfect, though they sometimes don't meet my second criterion, which is that it must be the kind of book that I won't mind getting wet, banged around, or curled up from humidity.

Enter Amy Dacyzyn's The Complete Tightwad Gazette.

I read the individual volumes as they came out, but since that was back in the '90's and frugality was still new to me, not much of it stuck. Also, I was greatly put off by an interview the author gave to Money Magazine where she was asked how her children fit in with their friends, and her response was that her children had each other--they didn't need friends. I wasn't sure what a mother who could say such a thing had to teach me about saving money.

However, this volume showed up at a library book sale a few months back, and for some time now has been my bathroom book.

Although it is dated, (computers and the internet figure not in her world) it is still a great read. I had forgotten what a strong sense of humor the author has about her own foibles, how honest she is about what does and doesn't work (getting kids to eat lima beans may never be worth the effort, no matter how frugal or nutritious), and how tolerant she is with regard to any mother's choice as to work outside the home or not.

It's the ultimate bathroom book, clearly meant to be absorbed in small doses. It took me four months to read, and I'd be willing to keep on going, if only I hadn't run out of pages.

Maybe the author was misquoted by Money Magazine? Or maybe I'll just have to forgive her for that lapse.

Oh, and her all-purpose stain removal recipe really does work!