Review: Dear Evan Hansen

Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have been kind of obsessed about DEH for about a year now. I think the play and soundtrack are brilliant. Once I heard there was a book I just had to read it. I think I liked it even more. You don't have the music (being a musical nut, I thoroughly enjoy that part), but you have a GREAT story.

Without giving much away...Evan is kind of a mystery to his mom, friends, and the kids at school He has an absent father, a mom that has a job but goes to school and a therapist that makes him write letters to himself.
The death of a classmate changes Evan's whole world. He gets caught up in something he can't handle because he doesn't know how, and he has to face the facts of things that have happened in his own life.

It is a very quick read because the play itself is only about 2 hours.

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How to keep a book journal

I should probably change the title of this, I was going to, but I thought, "no, this is how I got to my journal, so it is my story."  As in life, my story may not work for you and that is fine.  Whatever system (that is if you even want a system) you choose is what is best for you.  I just want to give you advice....you don't have to stick with the system you choose.  I started my book journal in 1996, and it has evolved drastically.  As a matter of a fact, I am about to have a new stamp made because I have decided to change it up one more time.  

In 1995, I bought a book at the US Post Office store in Little Rock, Arkansas.  I paid way too much for the book, especially since I didn't journal, but it was adorable and I wanted to do something with this adorable book.  I needed to do something special because I am telling you, it was not a cheap book. 

I used this book for a few years until I decided to keep more stats and then I added more information.  I found a book stat chart on the internet and made a similar one in Excel.  I realized quickly that you can do lots with Excel and I started a journal there, I still kept up my paper one, but this one had numbers. I don't even like numbers, but I loved this part.

My Excel sheet

After adding formulas to count my books for me and a few other columns of stats, I edited my paper journal chart once more and decided that I couldn't print off my Excel journal anymore. I wanted a journal similar to where I started, a journal in an already bound book.  This is when I developed my stamp.   I ordered it from rubberstamps.net (they have made a lot of custom stamps for me, they are quick and very good).  

Here is that first book, a very expensive (like $25) pet stamp journal book

The insides of the pet stamp journal

The pet stamp journal book took me to 2013 to fill because I wasn't keeping much information on my books at that time.

These are inserts I clipped to other journal books of the first chart that was created in Excel

2014-2021 stamp

This last one is the new stamp that I just created.  I was hoping for a simple layout that tracked the DNF books and was in the order of Goodreads as far as the information.   The empty box next to Borrowed is where I will write the library or person's name that loaned me the book, I did add a heading because it was too cluttered. I was going to put "source", but I had little room to write.  

I would love to see what you fellow readers do to track your books, please share.  

Review: Me & Patsy Kickin' Up Dust: My Friendship with Patsy Cline

Me & Patsy Kickin' Up Dust: My Friendship with Patsy Cline by Loretta Lynn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Review: Story of a Murder: A Bookish Cafe Mystery

Story of a Murder: A Bookish Cafe Mystery by Harper Lin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Maggie's life in the bookstore is going just fine, she has a slight crush on her boss and seems to be fitting in better with his rejuvenation of the bookstore. Life is just great until her half-sister shows up. Angel is desperately trying to escape a cult and a man that is no good for her. Maggie is trying hard not to be impatient with and distant from Angel, but she just can't do either...that is until Angel's man turns up dead. Angel and Maggie will have to mend fences and work together to solve this murder.

I really don't think you have to read the other books in the series, but you will have more fun if you do read the other books in the Bookish Cafe series.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: Story of a Murder: A Bookish Cafe Mystery

Story of a Murder: A Bookish Cafe Mystery by Harper Lin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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Review: The Discovery of the Titanic

The Discovery of the Titanic by Robert D. Ballard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: Rent

Rent by Jonathan Larson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed

The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed by Sara Gay Forden
My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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First book pick of 2022

 A few months back, I was lucky enough to get my hands on this book a few months before it was published.  It wasn't my first Julia Kelly book, but it became my favorite Julia Kelly book. 

 This book introduces us to Lily, a young woman that doesn't want to be in the last group of debutates, but her grandmother and mother demand it so she must.  We will follow Lily on the journey of parties, presentations, and dances, a typical debutante life until her world turns upside down by a family secret.  I love books like this, you know the ones, where you expect something and the story gives you something so different.  

This is an excellent read for the start of those 2022 reading challenges.

Fellow book nerds END-OF-YEAR stats

 Hello to you fellow readers.  

I have created an end-of-year book stat sheet for you.  This features your top 10 books of the year and your final reading stats. 

 If you didn't keep up with your reading stats and want to in 2022, don't worry, I will be posting tips and tricks soon. I have been keeping a book journal since 1996 and I have changed it many times and finally, I have the perfect stats book for me.  More on that later....even if you aren't interested in stats, you might be interested in your top 10 books of 2021.  

Download a copy of the stat sheet here. 

Review: Empowered Embroidery: Transform sketches into embroidery patterns and stitch strong, iconic women from the past and present

Empowered Embroidery: Transform sketches into embroidery patterns and stitch strong, iconic women from the past and present by Amy L. Frazer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: Without You

Without You by Anthony Rapp
My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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2022 Reading Challenge

 Every year I try to do a challenge of my own to get me out of a reading box, but also to just have some fun trying to fit a book into categories.  Over the last few years, I have made my own to distribute to friends.  My challenges have just one requirement, that you do what you want with it.  If you don't like a category, you mark it out and insert your own.  If you don't like how I worded something, you reword it.  If you wish to use one book for three categories, you do so.  It is your challenge, your reading life, I am just there, I hope, for inspiration.  

Don't forget to come back here each month in 2022 and get my MUST READ book of the month, book reviews, and maybe some free bookmarks you can print or download.  My summer reading challenge will come out around April and will be full of fun reads for your all summertime adventures.  

Thanks so much to you all that followed along with me in 2021. I hope you had a wonderful reading year and I am hoping you stick around for next year.  

2022 Reading Challenge--download the challenge here