I have seen many reviews on this book floating around out there. Some of them are great, and some less so. But for me, this book was one that falls in the “LOVE” category. I love the voice the author uses, and how she peppers everything with blog entries, both of her own and others. She adds lots of anecdotes, both the good and the bad. She made some points which made me think, not just about journaling but about things in general. I like books that make me think, and more than that, decide WHAT I think. When I came upon this book, I couldn’t decide if I wanted to write or journal. Or what I wanted to write. Reading this gave me inspiration for both, and lots of fodder for my imagination. It also broadened my perspective on journaling. I always thought of it as more of a “Dear Diary, I had the worst day with my boyfriend…” book. And she does talk about reflecting, and recording your day, but also talks about adding song lyrics, quotes, poems, pictures, ect. And who knows? I have been wanting to start a ‘family life story’ for years. I could include some interesting details in it if I do this. I got so into the process, for a while, journaling really became my priority over writing (and sometimes reading). You know when you find a non-fiction book that is so good you can’t decide if you want to go do what it’s talking about, or stay and read more about it? This is exactly what this was like. I discovered a nice cheap hobby, if you like to write (and I do =D), and very portable, with only needing a notebook and a pen. And I didn’t even go out and buy a journal (who knew how long this would last?). I used a note book I had on hand. I was surprised how quickly it started to fill up, as I carried it with me, and used it, all the time. (In fact, I am referring to the notes I made for this review out of it, heh). I am a bit of a blogger (only 4 at current count) and I was a little afraid how the journal and blogs would work together. I am finding they coexist quite nicely together, and one doesn’t have to replace the other. There are very few books I re-read (I don’t see the point when there are SO MANY new books out there to read all the time), but this is one I can see myself re-reading. When I decided this was the case, and it was time to return it to the library, I tracked down a new copy on the internet (the only place I could find it) and bought it. Now, to get my hands on her book about letter writing…

So what is your favorite book on journaling, or journal (ex. Diary of Anne Frank)? ( )

In November, 2009, I took a leap in my writing practices by attempting to use something other than my computer to capture thoughts and ideas. Penmanship issues aside, it was very helpful until it came to transferring what I wrote in a lined, pocket-sized Moleskine® to the aforementioned computer. I wrote whole stories in that thing, and now, I’m still in transfer mode. It got me wondering if I was going about the journaling process in the wrong way. That thought occurred to me fairly early on, so I somewhat randomly bought a few books on the subject. This review is about the first of those books.

In hindsight, I could have saved a few bucks. The book is not without merit, mind you. The author did stress that one could write as much or as little as one wished (but more is generally better). She also used several relevant examples of other author’s (the more famous ones) journals. Good research! But that’s it.

This is NOT a book you want to give to an impressionable teenager (male or female). The majority of the book was excerpts from, and analysis of, her own journal entries. The predominant theme of the selected texts was boyfriends and sex, not necessarily in that order.

I am not prudish by anyone’s definition. She’s had a rich and colorful sex life, and I’m very happy for her and a tad jealous of the men in her life. The point of the book, however, was supposed to be “thoughts about, and reasonable practices of, personal journalism”, or something like that. That message was overwhelmed by her seemingly apparent infatuation with her libido. ( )

Note to Self provides an enthusiastic endorsement of the power of keeping a journal to understanding/discovering one's true self. The encouragement is intertwined with low-key how-to suggestions that are secondary to the message of Just Write Something (my words). Samara gives personal (really personal) details from her own journal that show how she has recorded life events and thoughts and what they have meant to her personal growth. Each chapter ends with context from historic journals.

I definitely enjoyed this book and took away ideas and encouragement even though I doubt a 44-year-old married father was the target audience. I purchased the book as a gift for my 13-year old daughter. Fortunately I got a hold of it first. I haven't decided yet whether she's mature enough for the Intimate Details chapter. ( )