Happy Saturday! I went to two yoga classes right after work yesterday and slept in this morning… I’m feeling rested. I even made some homemade cranberry sauce (with a lil orange zest) for a Friendsgiving I’m going to this evening. The holidays are here!
I also finished reading the latest book from Blanche’s Book Club: “Dear Evan Hansen” by Val Emmich. Here’s the book description from Amazon:
Dear Evan Hansen,
Today’s going to be an amazing day and here’s why…
When a letter that was never meant to be seen by anyone draws high school senior Evan Hansen into a family’s grief over the loss of their son, he is given the chance of a lifetime: to belong. He just has to stick to a lie he never meant to tell, that the notoriously troubled Connor Murphy was his secret best friend.
Suddenly, Evan isn’t invisible anymore–even to the girl of his dreams. And Connor Murphy’s parents, with their beautiful home on the other side of town, have taken him in like he was their own, desperate to know more about their enigmatic son from his closest friend. As Evan gets pulled deeper into their swirl of anger, regret, and confusion, he knows that what he’s doing can’t be right, but if he’s helping people, how wrong can it be?
No longer tangled in his once-incapacitating anxiety, this new Evan has a purpose. And a website. He’s confident. He’s a viral phenomenon. Every day is amazing. Until everything is in danger of unraveling and he comes face to face with his greatest obstacle: himself.
A simple lie leads to complicated truths in this big-hearted coming-of-age story of grief, authenticity and the struggle to belong in an age of instant connectivity and profound isolation.
I didn’t really know much about this book before reading it; I’d heard people say the Broadway musical was great, but that’s all I knew. From the book’s description, it sounds like the book was written after the musical (but I could be wrong).
It took me a little while to get into this book – it took a turn I didn’t expect. I enjoyed it, but I didn’t LOVE it. It reminded me a little of “Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda“, although I think “Simon” is a much better read.
However, I do think it’s an interesting take on the things we do for others (or perhaps for ourselves) and it also touched on a fresh side of dealing with grief.
I’m recommending this book to anyone who loves YA novels, and to anyone who’s kept secrets to please someone else.
The next book I’m reading is “Blood, Bones, and Butter” by Gabrielle Hamilton – I wanted to read something foodie over the Thanksgiving holiday.
I do have to work next week, but I’m definitely looking forward to a long weekend… and watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade!
As everyone gears up for the holidays, I’m planning some fun blog posts (including some unique gift guides), so stay tuned. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!
The Bitter Lemon 
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