Product Review: A Life Well Read (Personal Book Catalog Box Set)

A Life Well Read: My Personal Journey Through Books
Developed by: D&D Creations, LLC
A Life Unplugged ~ Organizing system in Box Set format
Books / Organizing / Box Set / Book Journal

Edition Reviewed: Box Set ~ Many thanks to D&D Creations, the creators of A Life Well Read, for sending me a box set for review.

Special Promotion going on NOW!
For readers of Wendi's Book Corner ~ A Life Unplugged has set up a special page just for you, where you can get 25% off discount! Just click here!!

Also...
ONE WEEK ONLY - Buy 1, Get 1 50% off ! ~ Perfect for a boss, teacher, co-worker (regularly $29.95 each)
Book Club Specials! ~ 15% Discount on a set of 8 A Life Well Read boxes

Perfect for : Personal Use, Gift for book lover and/or someone who likes to stay well-organized, Resource for book reviewers, book clubs, participants of book/reading challenges, teachers, etc

My Thoughts: First, let me start by sharing a few key things I noticed while setting up my A Life Well Read box set. The set is elegant and fits in really nicely on a book shelf next to books. The box set is really well-thought-out and complete, all you need to add is your own books or book lists.

Next, let me share a quick lesson with you. I belong to a very fun book club, where we meet once per month, and have been meeting for about six or so years. Every few meetings we think back about some of our favorite books and TRY to remember exactly what we've read! Let me tell you... when you've read more than 70 books as a group, it can get hard to remember every single title, let alone your top favorites! What I love about A Life Well Read is that it is helping me to document the books we are reading, including special notes about the meetings (what we ate, recipes, guests, notes about how the group liked the book, etc). I am even able to have a section for suggested reading books, where I can include the title, author, and who suggested the book. On top of that, as I'm reading, I can tuck the card for that book into the book itself and add notes/page numbers to passages I'd like to share during our get-together.

With that said, let me tell you my favorites about the inserts within the box set. It comes with 50 double-sided cards to document your books (author, title, book rating, where you got the book from, date, genre, notes, lending history, book club selection, and information on availability). It also comes with sheets of book plates for gift giving, as well as those for "from the library of," which I have had a hard time locating! These are wonderful features, especially when you add the tabs that help to organize your cards within the box.

Are you looking for a special gift this holiday season for that hard-to-buy-for person in your life? This might just be a perfect gift! This wonderful organizing / cataloguing system can be used in many ways:

~ Book Reviewers (take notes as you go by keeping a card tucked inside the book)

~ Reading Challenge Participants (use the system to catalog the books you read for a reading challenge - it will keep your list handy and help you remember key points about each book)

~ Book lovers (use the system to keep track of the books you have, are reading, want to read, loan out, etc)

~ Book Club members (After the first few books, it can get hard to remember all those wonderful books you've read as a group, and the reactions to the books. Use this to help keep track of all the great details: what the group thought of the book, your thoughts, what happened at the book club meeting, if you had special treats or dinner - what was served, special guests, other notes, etc)

~ Teachers (With so many books on the shelves, use this system to keep track of those special books you pull out from time-to-time to share something really great from)

~ Bosses (They always seem to have a book shelf full of books they like to pull out and refer to from time to time. This will help them keep track of key pages, and who they have loaned the book to)

I challenge you to leave me comments with more great ideas as to how you could use this system!

If I could add anything to this box set, it would be some elegant clear stickers with gold numbers on them that could be added to the spine of the box to show which volume the box set is... I foresee the need for multiple boxes in my future!

About: (from the A Life Unplugged website)

Finally, a truly unique gift idea for book lovers of all ages! Bookworms who love to read books, create their own book reviews and summaries, buy books as gifts and create their own “must read” book lists will love A Life Well Read—My Personal Journey Through Books®.

The first in a series of Living Unplugged™ products, this is the ideal personalized and mobile reader’s companion for anyone who wants to celebrate the simple joy of reading books – the old fashioned way – and for those who savor their moments “unplugged” away from the wired world of computers and the internet.

A Life Well Read is the perfect gift for your family and friends, fellow book club members, students as well as being a great gift for birthday’s, anniversaries and other special occasions. With this practical and easy-to-use journaling aid for book aficionados, you can organize a book collection, add to a book wish list, start a book gift list for friends and keep track of loaned out books and book club events. This modern, mobile and personalized solution for organizing your favorite book content contains everything a book lover would want all in a beautiful keepsake box that fits right on your bookshelf!
Keep track of the books you yearn for. Fill out the “Title” and “author” information on a main card and file it in the “Books I Want” section to create your own book wish list.

Organize your personal library. Collect your book lists and your notes about great book content and book recommendations according to five preprinted categories: (All) My Books, My Favorites, Books I Want, Books On Loan, Books To Give.

Customize your categories. Belong to a book club? Use one of the blank dividers to label “book club” and use the main card to keep track of book club books, meeting dates and comments.
Personalize your library. Included in the box are 56 elegant bookplates to insert inside any of your books to ensure your beloved books stay in your library.

Never lose track of loaned out books again! On the back of the main card is a lending history area that will help you to remember who you loaned the book to, when you loaned out, and when you got it back. Once the book is on loan, file it under “Books On Loan”.

Make book gift-giving a breeze. Special “gift” cards help track books you’d love to give. Write the title and name of the person/people that you want to give the book to on our special “Gift Card”. Check the “given” box once the gift has been purchased so you can keep track of who you have given that book to. Beautiful gift labels add that personal touch to the gift of books.

And never find yourself asking, “Now if I only could find a pen…”. Enjoy using our classic writing pen which is comfortable to write with and a joy to hold - to make notes on any of your cards or book plates.

Each Box Set Includes:

~An elegant, premium-quality keepsake box in the shape of a book which fits easily on your bookshelf to keep your personalized impressions for years to come. Share them with family and friends anytime!

~50 pre-printed note cards to use as bookmarks and also record your “a ha’s!” about your favorite books

~Record your notes and impressions, quotes and page references, your personal rating, where you got
the book, book club notes, lending history by title and author.

~5 pre-printed (and 7 blank) dividers to organize your note cards into an evolving reader's journal of your best book content (All) My Books, My Favorites, Books I Want, Books On Loan, Books To Give plus 7 additional blank dividers to customize for your own needs. Categorize by title, author and subject.

~56 elegant bookplates to personalize your books in your own personal library.

~24 color gift labels to add a personal touch to your gifts of books to friends, family and fellow book club members.

~3 double-sided gift-giving reminder cards which help you track to whom and when you gifted a book

~A classic, heavy weight ballpoint pen which fits neatly into your keepsake box so you are always prepared to capture a lifetime of reading!

Other Products Available:

~$4.95 - Main card refills (set of 25)
~$3.95 - Book plates (set of 10 sheets, 80 book plates in total)
~$3.95 - Gift plates (set of 10 sheets, 80 gift plates in total)

About A Life Unplugged (D&D Creations, LLC): (From the website)

A Life Unplugged (dba D & D Creations) is dedicated to the creation of unique gift products of exceptional beauty and quality which encourage all to pursue the enjoyment of a life beyond the wired world. The mission of A Life Unplugged is to take back your quality of life and celebrate the spirit of life’s simple pleasures.

A Life Unplugged was founded by two busy, working moms in Southern California who not only share the same name (Debra and Deborah), but also the dream to create something on their own. After years of reading O Magazine and watching the Oprah show, it was the Oprah / QVC "Next Big Idea” contest in 2007 that moved them from dreaming into action. With the contest coming to Los Angeles, they knew the time was now.

Their inspiration was to reflect on their own lives and what was missing. What they found was that their lives had become almost too full. They never seemed to be able to get away from the wired world long enough to enjoy the simple things they enjoyed before the computer and the internet forever changed their lives. Don’t get them wrong – they love technology. But they also know there is a time and place to simply “unplug” and relax. With that - the concept for A Life Unplugged was born.

Although they weren’t finalists in the competition, they walked away winners, bringing their idea into reality. These two women are passionate about their crusade to encourage buyers of their products to return to the simple pleasures in life and spread the message behind A Life Unplugged to others. So if you are of a similar mind, buy a gift, spread the word and enjoy!

As a Special Thank You for readers of Wendi's Book Corner, A Life Unplugged has set up a special page just for you, where you can get 25% off discount! Just click here!!