fiction
Blanche’s Book Club: ‘Rush’.
Hey everyone – you made it through week #1 of the time change! I keep hearing people talk about it, and I feel like this is the first year it really seems off – I am a little more tired at earlier hours… and it’s still a little more difficult to get out of […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘The Dinner List’.
Howdy! Whew – i was on a mission to get all caught up on my reading and that is exactly what I did! I get a lot of my book recommendations from Instagram, and when I saw my latest read, I knew it was going to be an interesting one. I’m talking about “The Dinner […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win’.
It’s been awhile since I’ve read a book and it feels so good to be back! I’ve had such a busy few weeks, and I hate when people use that as their excuse for not reading, but this time, it’s true – I promise. I also said I was going to read a different book […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: 2018 Halloween Reading Guide!
It’s October 1st, and what better way to celebrate the spookiest month of them all than with a list of books meant to scare the daylights out of you?! If you’ve been around these parts for awhile, you know that I don’t do too well with anything scary. What can I say? I’m a […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Ghosted’.
It’s officially FALL, Y’ALL! Cue the pumpkin patch pictures (say that 5 times fast), pumpkin spice lattes, flannel and plaid everything… I’ll admit I have always loved fall, but mostly because of the crisp air and, in a way, it’s the start of the holiday season. Speaking of holidays, today I’m spending the day working […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘The Bucket List’.
Hey there! It’s about 11 on Tuesday night, and while I normally would be tucked in bed by now, I’ll admit I’ve got some nerves keeping me awake. In the morning, I’m heading to a dermatologist to have my skin examined for signs of cancer. Right before I went on vacation, I was putting on […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘All We Ever Wanted’.
I got back to Austin yesterday afternoon, took a quick nap, and headed to teach my first blog class of the semester! It was a busy day, but I always enjoy meeting new students. I have today and tomorrow off work, so I slept in this morning and am just getting things moving. It’s supposed […]
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Blanche’s Book Club: ‘An American Marriage’.
Happy Labor Day! It’s gloomy here in Austin, so I don’t feel a BIT guilty for planning a day indoors – I’ve got blogs to write and some freelance to do… and I need to make some jewelry for my Etsy store – so, cya summer. Just kidding, that won’t happen until… October? I skipped […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘The President is Missing’.
Hey there! Last week, my boss instructed me to pick a day to work from home this week because I’ve been “doing too much” – so, today is my day! I am always so jealous of anyone who has a job that lets them regularly work from home (even if it’s just one day a […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Leah on the Offbeat’.
Hey there! I am going to jump right into the subject matter today because I waited SO long to get this book in my grubby little paws. Today, I’m talking about “Leah on the Offbeat” by Becky Albertalli. As soon as I read “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda“, I put myself on the library […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘The Island’.
Hey there! I feel like I haven’t blogged in forever – I’ve been in a bit of a creative slump and I’ve been so busy with work that I have barely been reading. It’s just all-around lame! But, yesterday I finished reading a book, so let’s jump right in! Today, I’m talking about “The Island” […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘How to Party With an Infant’.
Happy Sunday! I took off Friday and Monday from work because… I needed to get my life together. I have been so busy with work (work, work, work, work) that I was feeling really scatter-brained, exhausted, and even little, daily tasks were starting to pile up. So, I spent Friday running errands – getting my […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Limelight’.
Another week is upon us, and I’m feeling pretty good about it. I realized that I go into every weekend hoping to relax and get things done around my apartment or for the blog, as most of my weekdays are filled with work and dance classes… but you know what? It’s really hard for me […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Eleanor & Park’.
Hey, hey! I am slowly, but surely making it through my stack of library books – work and my freelance clients have kept me busy lately, but I’m reading when I can. If you’re a fan of YA novels, I think you’ll love the latest read from Blanche’s Book Club, so let’s get into it! […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘The High Season’.
I’m feeling the PRESSURE – I have several library books at home that need to be read and there’s more reserves waiting to be picked up! What’s a girl to do… lay around and read? Sounds like a plan. I stayed up until almost midnight last night to finish Blanche’s Book Club’s latest read: “The […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Sociable’.
Happy July 4th! It’s gloomy already in Austin, and the chances of outdoor activity are looking grim… and those were my BIG staycation plans! I bought a ticket for paddle boarding under the fireworks, buuuut I’ve already gotten the obligatory email saying if it rains and the fireworks get cancelled, then you’ll get refunded. Ugh. […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘The Vanishing Year’.
I feel a little bad about posting two book reviews in a row, but this means I’ll be all caught up with Blanche’s Book Club, and I’ll be able to post about my stay-cation plans later in the week! So, let’s get to it: the latest read from Blanche’s Book Club is “The Vanishing Year” […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘One Plus One’.
During my road trip to Marfa, I listened to my first Jojo Moyes’ book: “One Plus One”. I’ll be honest here, I know people love Moyes, but I have never read a description of one of her books that made me really want to read it. So, I was excited at the sound of “One […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Leave Me’.
Hey, hey! It’s been a little while since I was here – it has been a crazy few weeks at work, and I didn’t really do any of the reading or writing I thought I was going to do on my trip to west Texas (more on that in a later post). But, yesterday I […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Almost Missed You’.
Rolling right on through my library reserves… If you follow me on SnapChat @OrangeJulius7 you know that I picked up two crime fiction novels two weeks ago, both about missing persons. That’s the risk you take with, what I like to call, the Russian Roulette of Reserves. Of course, it’s like, way less risky… given […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘The Husband’s Secret’.
I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday weekend! I took a dance class yesterday, did some serious outlet shopping (I got so many beauty products – ahh!), and have been working on a few new items for my Etsy store (there is currently a big sale happening, check it out here). I am about to […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Little Fires Everywhere’.
I’m kind of liking this book review on Sunday thing… I’m taking a break from a DIY project (decorating a jacket) and making some jewelry (you can watch it all on my SnapChat @OrangeJulius7) to tell you about the latest read from Blanche’s Book Club. It’s “Little Fires Everywhere” by Celeste Ng. Before I go […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘The Lost Girls of Camp Forevermore’.
It’s not even 11am and I’m only the struggle bus for the day – issues at the office, and y’all KNOW how little tolerance I have for that #WhyDontIWorkForMyself Anyway, I’ve got another book to share with you from Blanche’s Book Club! It’s “The Lost Girls of Camp Forevermore” by Kim Fu. Here is the […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘The Queen of Hearts’.
Another day, another book to read! On Saturday, I went out to lunch with a friend (we had vegan Chinese food) and we went to see Cecile Richards on her book tour. I got home around 5pm, and had one thing on my to-do list: read a book. This book was due back at the […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘The Other Side of Everything’.
Howdy! Did anyone else stay up watching The Oscars last night? I did, and I’m not entirely sure why – I never am good at keeping up with the movies that are nominated. I did enjoy when the celebs visited the moviegoers across the street, though. I also took a much-needed 3-hour nap yesterday, so […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Are You Sleeping?’
Greetings! It’s so cold in Austin right now – I’m writing this from the comfort of my couch after eating a hot bowl of homemade tomato soup with a grilled cheese (both vegan)! I’m also watching reruns of “The Hills”, and all I can really say is, thank YOU, MTV. But anyway, I’ve got a […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street’.
I know I usually post these things on Friday, but since I’m working from literally NO content calendar at this point – and am just blogging whenever I feel like it, I’m just going with it! I finished reading this book yesterday, so I thought I’d go ahead and talk about it 🙂 So, the […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Let it Snow’.
After nearly two weeks off from work – I’ve officially survived the first four days back (it was not without struggle)! We’re here and I’ve got a really great book to share with you all: “Let it Snow: Three Holiday Romances” by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle. This book has been on my […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Sourdough’.
Hey there! It seems sort of pointless now to keep apologizing for not writing on a more regular basis like I have been for so long. I really can’t explain much else aside from simply saying that I feel like the last 3 months of 2017 really knocked the wind out of my sails. Even […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Watch Me Disappear’.
Howdy! I’m currently on my couch, winding down after a weekend packed with holiday goodness. I went to some holiday markets (saw the best handmade goodies), enjoyed some sushi, sake, and yakitori (for the first time), bought and wrapped aaaallll of my gifts to donate to a nursing home (an annual tradition), and even stumbled […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘The Hot One’.
Howdy! Even after taking Monday off work to recover from my holiday travels, this week was a bit of a struggle – am I alone here? Yikes! I think this weekend is my last one that’s sort of empty (as far as plans go) before all of the holiday parties and activities go into full […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: 2017 Holiday Reading Guide.
Well, Thanksgiving is over and it’s officially the holiday season! I have always wanted to read a Christmas-themed book during this time of year, but have never gotten my life together in time to do so… until THIS YEAR! Over the weekend, I picked up my first holiday book (a pick from last year’s holiday […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Landline’.
If you’re still at work today, hang in there – Thanksgiving is riiiight around the corner! I’m traveling today, which is a relief, because I always feel like the the days leading up to traveling are so hectic and crazy and then when I finally get on that plane, I can take a nap. But […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘The Art of Crash Landing’.
I hate being this person, but can you believe Thanksgiving is less than a week away?! Yikes! I actually have a Friendsgiving to attend tomorrow, so I’ll get an even earlier start on my turkey + cranberry only diet this holiday season (just kidding, vegan Gods). Regardless, the holidays are always hit or miss for […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘The Hate U Give’.
OOoOoOoOoOooooOOO – It’s Friday the 13th! I woke up this morning with my right eye crying and when I looked in the mirror, it was incredibly red. So, I threw on some clothes and went to an urgency care clinic. They basically told me it was just irritated- no pink eye or virus – so […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘The Language of Flowers’.
Happy Friday! I’m extra, EXTRA excited for this weekend to begin because my best friend is on a plane as I type this – she’ll be in Austin real soon! We’ve got a fun weekend ahead basically tackling my ATX bucket list, including the bats (!), a solid hike, and Austin City Limits. Wahoooooo! But, […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘My Life in France’.
When it rains, it sure does pour. I know I have vaguely referenced a family emergency I dealt with last week, and frankly, I’m have a really difficult time getting through each day. I’m not big on prayer, but if you are, I’d appreciate some strength and peace my way. I could use good vibes, […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: Fall Reading Guide.
It’s still 95 degrees in Texas, but it’s been officially fall for five days now! There’s no time like the present to round up a good stack of books for the season, and luckily for you, I’ve taken the guess-work out of that task. I don’t have much strategy when it comes to reading books […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Sycamore’
What? An installment of Blanche’s Book Club on a Monday? Yep! I had a family emergency that came up on Thursday, which meant I threw my life into a bag and jumped on a plane to get to Tennessee. I wasn’t able to write on Friday, but I still have a FANTASTIC book to share […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud’.
Hey there! Here we are on another Friday – and yep, I’m still pretty excited about a weekend full of… not much. I’m doing some volunteering tomorrow morning, but other than that, I’m planning on making a few more items for my Etsy store and shipping off a few (I had six orders this week!). […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Saints for All Occasions’.
Hey guys! Immediate apologies are in order, for posting this so LATE – yes it’s Friday at 10:15 pm and I’m finally sitting down to post today’s blog. But, I have so many books on my list of recommendations, there’s just no way I could skip an installation of “Blanche’s Book Club! Also, thank you […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Into the Water’.
Happy Friday before a holiday!!! Wahoo! What is it about that extra day off that just makes life so great? I’m not going to analyze it, I’m going to TAKE it and run with it. Actually, I’ll probably be in bed, but who cares? Anywho, let’s get into this week’s read: “Into the Water” by […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Gone Girl’.
Greetings, from Texas, i.e. Hurricane Harvey’s final destination! It’s been a crazy week – I was so worried about getting everything prepped for the Quesoff (which is scheduled for tomorrow), I finalized my recipe (will share next week), made a sign, bought a festive tablecloth, made business cards to give out, and dug out my […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Some Kind of Happiness’.
Hello, hello! I hope you guys have had a great week – it’s been pretty good on my end. I don’t know about you, but… I’m starting to feel ready for fall. Living in Texas, I’ve got a little while before any sort of chill hits the air, but it rained all night a few […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘The Arrangement’.
Hello, hello! I’ve had a pretty good week over here – hope you all can say the same! I DID take three dance classes last night though, so I’m definitely sore today. However, I needed it! But let’s jump right into the book review, because this one is a GOODIE. Here’s the official description from […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘The Sun is Also a Star’.
TGIF! This week has been so WEIRD – Texas is in its special legislation session (basically meaning they didn’t get the work done the first time), so a lot of my work has been at the Capitol. I’m always up for a change of scenery during the week, but it definitely throws me off. Not […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Ready Player One’.
I have been reading SO much lately, and the book we’re talking about today is seriously so good! I have to say that the week before I picked up this book, I spent an afternoon scouring the library shelves for a book that would give me an escape. Sure, I’ve been reading books this year […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘On Turpentine Lane’.
Congrats – you made it! I feel like I always go into a short week thinking it’s going to be so awesome, but then it ends up being more difficult than a regular week. I don’t know about you, but between getting things back to “normal” after time off, paired with a weird work week […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘The Night We Said Yes’.
Hellooooo – I’m back! I apologize for being gone this week – I was on a little vacation and didn’t have my life together enough to schedule posts or really even *think* about the blog. But I haven’t forgotten you! While I have a ton of things on my mind to discuss, I’ll have to […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Head for the Edge, Keep Walking’.
Happy Friday! It has been a busy week on my end, and I’m sort of in a race to the finish – the finish being my flight to Indianapolis a week from today. Before then, I’ve got a lot on my plate and I feel like I’m running on some serious adrenaline, but hey, it’s […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Bittersweet’.
Happy Friday/Holiday-weekend Eve! Don’t you love that Friday feeling – knowing that you’re about to do whatever the heck you want for three whole days? Yep, that’s a great feeling. I always look forward to Memorial Day weekend – it’s festive in a no-pressure kind of way, and it’s the true sign that summer is […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Why We Broke Up’.
Hello, hello! My sincere apologies for not posting this on Friday – I had some internet issues on Thursday night, and was simply too tired to stay up and resolve them. But alas! I finished reading another book last week and wanted to share it with you. Blanche’s Book Club’s latest read is “Why We […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ’13 Reasons Why’.
Eeeek! I am so, so excited to share my latest read from Blanche’s Book Club with you! I know this plot is a popular subject (or at least it seems to be in my world), so let’s get to it. The book is “13 Reasons Why” by Jay Asher. I had this book on my […]
MoreA Review: HBO’s ‘Big Little Lies’, season 1.
Well, I F-IIIII-nally watched HBO’s limited series, “Big Little Lies” this weekend! I was in such a hurry to read the book (check out my review, here) before the series came out, and then week after week, I simply recorded it and just now got around to watching it. After the finale, everyone was talking […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘The Unexpected Everything’.
Hey, hey! We made it to the end of the week! I still have a busy day ahead, but I’m a big fan of the Friday energy, so I’ll take it. I’m excited to tell you about this book I read, so I’ll jump right in. It’s a YA novel called, “The Unexpected Everything” by […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Two by Two’.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I almost ran out and bought a box of Lucky Charms last night so I could eat it today for good luck – but I know I legit just wanted anything sugary because sometimes you just have to treat yourself. I didn’t (I had egg whites and spinach instead), but the […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Truly Madly Guilty’.
Helllooo! Whew! This week has been such a blur – I think it’s safe to say that staying up really late on a Sunday night is just a bad idea. I feel like I started the week off on the wrong foot and I had a bit of a crazy work schedule this week, and […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Superficial’.
Whoop – it’s Friiidaaaaay! I’m excited for the weekend because my dance studio is hosting it’s semi-annual showcase on Sunday and I’m really looking forward to the performance, and seeing all of my other friends rock their dances, too. Each weekend I’ve been spending some quality time reading, and I hope to get a few […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Goodnight Nobody’.
Heeyyyoooo! It’s Friday, and it has been a helluva week for many reasons, and you know what? I have to be at work before 9 am tomorrow, so damn. But is it weird that it doesn’t really take away the shine of today STILL being Friday? Cause I’m still pretty happy about it. Anyway, I’m […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl’.
Hello! Happy Weekend Eve! You guys… I took a new fitness class on Wednesday night, which kicked my ass so hard I thought I was going to puke… and despite being so sore yesterday, I still went to two dance classes last night. So today I basically want to die. But, hey everything is always […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Today Will Be Different’.
Hellooo! With my new job, I’m actually allowed to take a lunch hour (imagine that!) and since I get off work at 5 instead of 5:30, I’ve had so much more time to read for the book club! It’s really the small things in life, isn’t it? The latest read for the book club is […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Big Little Lies’.
Hey, hey! We all made it to Friday! I’m actually working from home today, so the fact that I get to stay in my comfy pjs and have the TV on is basically like I’ve already made it to the weekend. Last night, I finished reading the latest installment in Blanche’s Book Club: “Big Little […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: “Still Life”.
Happy Friday the 13th – Mwahahahaha! It’s my last day at my current job, and on Monday I’ll be skipping to someplace new, and of course, I’ll be sharing the next leg of my journey with you. But today, I want to talk about Blanche’s Book Club’s latest read, “Still Life” by Louise Penny. I […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘A Man Called Ove’.
So, the holidays are officially over (I think now is the appropriate time to stop saying ‘Happy New Year!’ to everyone, right?), but it’s Friday and I’m sure this week was a struuuuggggle for everyone involved. I actually didn’t hate my life too much on Tuesday morning, but as each morning passed, I hit the […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘One True Loves’.
Oh here we are, another week down, another Friday is upon us! Is it just me, or has this week been ROUGH? I I am hoping to get in some quality rest this weekend – I’m exhausted. But in the meantime, I am happy to share the latest read from Blanche’s Book Club! It’s “One […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: 2016 Holiday Reading Guide.
I’ve always thought it would be so cool to be reading a book with a holiday or Christmas plot, during the ACTUAL season. But that would involve planning, and actually being on top of things, right? Well, this year! This year, I put my tree up much earlier, started watching seasonal movies much sooner, and […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ’99: Stories of the Game’.
I feel like every single day this week kicked my behind – it was the holiday, the chilly weather, and yeah, I just wanted to stay in bed! At least it’s Friday, because I’ve got huge plans to sleep in this weekend and make tortellini soup. How cool am I? Basically, it’s the perfect season […]
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The Bitter Lemon 
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