I don't have any cookbooks on my bookshelf, I usually keep them for a while to reference (I can never have too many recipes! lol).

If you gave a little more info about what kind of cuisine you & your family like, and if you're looking for quick & easy or you have the time to prepare more involved recipes. 

A few recommendations that I can make are:

1) Avoid Rocco's Five Minute Flavor : Fabulous Meals with 5 Ingredients in 5 Minutes

I have it, and although I'm not ready to post it, it isn't a book I reach for time & again. The main reason is that even though his goal was to create recipes that were 5 ingredients, made in 5 minutes, for $5 per serving, I found that the actual price of the ingredients will be more costly than I'd like--such as spices that I might not use again.   If I entertained often, or had more discretionary income, then I might use this book to it's potential. But, for me & my family, this cookbook isn't as helpful as I'd like.

2) Definintely try Seriously Simple.  My sis got it for me for Christmas, I didn't specifically ask for it. OMG I'm so happy that she pulled it off the shelf! It is a total keeper for me! There is variety in the recipes, not too difficult, but the resulting meal feels "special."  (Oops. Just realized it's on the WL.)

3) Betty Crocker's New Int'l Cookbook is amazing! I inherited it from my mom (I have the original one, published in 1980.) The recipes are easy to follow, the meals are amazing, and it gives you a nice world tour of cuisines.

Based on your recommendation I went and bought this used at Amazon.  I have to stop doing this!!

Ruth

Aww, Ruthy!  I hope you enjoy them!

I have too many cookbooks.  If I see them at a yard sale, I will buy them if they're fifty cents or a dollar and I have easily 200 cookbooks in my home. I figure for the price if I get one good recipe than it's worth it.

I forced myself to post some and have sold a couple already.  People were happy to have them and I have more than I can use.

On my shelf, I would recommend the following cookbooks Grandma's Great Desserts (awesome-though I don't think they would help you with dinner ideas!), Private Collection 2 (dustcover is in poor shape, but the book is great- Jr Leagues are usually good), Pure & Simple (I haven't tried any, but I remember the recipes did sound easy), Pampered Chefs (always have good ideas), The Gourmet Grapevine has some good sounding recipes (I made copies), Great Meals in Minutes Pasta does too, The Chef ones are more gourmet.  I'm sure all are good (Of course!!), but I haven't cooked from them, so can't tell you if the recipes are good or not. I'm trying to weed out my collection and somewhere you have to draw the line! (plus the first four are duplicates to me). I can't pass them up at the thrift stores!!

Ceil Dyer's BEST RECIPES

The book that I seem to go to the most often is "how to cook everything" by Mark Bittman. It is not on my bookshelf, in fact I don't have anything there right now, but if you should come across it at a second hand book store or yard sale it is worth picking up.  Very much like The Joy of Cooking but a bit simplier with easier to follow, and find key ingredients at the local market, then Joy.

The other one that I swear by is Better Homes and Gardens, but who doesn't have that one!!! Have had many many other books over the years, that I've found only one or two things that I've made and then donated to charity book stores.  this of course happening before I found the swap.

These days my best cookbook is the internet. I find lots of different recipes for just about anything, print them, make them and if I like them they get added to my personal cookbook 'binder'. I've stopped spending a lot of money or credits on cook books. But hey...that's just me.

I just posted

http://www.amazon.com/Country-Italian-Favorite-Best-Loved-Recipes/dp/0785351663/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1246131772&sr=8-1

which is a Country Italian cookbook. It is hardcover and beautiful!