reading
How to read 55+ books each year.
One of the most frequent questions people ask me is, “How do you read so fast?” I didn’t think much of it until I listened to an episode of the podcast, “10 Things to Tell You” by Laura Tremaine. The first episode is titled, “When Do You Read?” In the episode, Laura talks about her […]
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Blanche’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: ‘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: ‘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: ‘This is Just My Face’.
Hey there! I did NOT want to get out of bed this morning…ugh. For the past three weeks, I’ve been taking three hours of dance on Thursday nights – a body drop cardio class, beginning hip hop, and broadway jazz. I absolutely love these classes, so it’s pretty easy for me to power through them, […]
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: ‘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: ‘Born a Crime’.
Hey yoooo! I have been on a waiting list at the library for MONTHS for my latest read. I guess everyone wanted to get their paws on Trevor Noah’s “Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood”. I will admit I wasn’t jumping for joy at first about this book, but I do watch […]
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: ‘Rest In Power’.
I heard about this book, “Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin” when Trayvon Martin’s parents appeared as guests on a recent episode of “The Daily Show”. They’d taken their story, which started when Trayvon was born, and put it into print for all to read. And I immediately added my name to […]
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: ‘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: ‘Black Heels to Tractor Wheels’.
Hey, hey! I am back at the office today, and wow is that whole come-down after Christmas ROUGH. It’s like this month-long build up for a single day and then, it’s over. It’s honestly how I imagine me meeting John Mayer for the first time, only on a 16-year scale, with devastating disappointment (don’t tell […]
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: ‘Orange is the New Black’.
It should come as NO surprise that I haven’t watched “Orange is the New Black” yet, because 1. I am always behind on the cool stuff, and 2. I don’t have Netflix. And yes, I know it’s cheap – it’s not even about that, so spare me. I really wanted to read the book before […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Adnan’s Story’.
I am so excited to share the latest read from Blanche’s Book Club with you all! I’ll preface this by saying that the month of October was SO, so busy that sometimes reading felt like a chore to me, and that is a feeling I hate. But, after this weekend, my schedule is clearing up […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Modern Romance’.
I know I say this every Friday, but seriously, this time I mean it: I’m SO glad I’ve made it to Friday! Between my blog class, the film festival, prepping for the dance showcase next weekend, and general business at the office, it has been a CRAZY month that has not allowed much time for […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘The Admissions’.
Wahoooo! It’s Friiiiday! That first week back to work after a relaxing week off is sure a doozy, but I made it – my fellow vacationers made it, and I’m so ready for an awesome weekend ahead. I have still been reading a ton, and am really relishing my time spent at the library (I […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘Who Do You Love’.
Truth be told, my interest in author Jennifer Weiner piqued when I saw her on an episode of “Rich Kids of Beverly Hills”. I’ve read one of her books before (Best Friends Forever) and absolutely loved it, and even bought another one (The Guy Not Taken) but haven’t read it yet. Why hadn’t I added […]
MoreBlanche’s Book Club: ‘What Alice Forgot’.
That’s right, Blanche’s Book Club is rolling right on with the summer reads! Over the weekend, I finished reading “What Alice Forgot” by Liane Moriarty. And where do I begin with this one? It was SO good! From Amazon.com (and also the back of the book), “Alice Love is twenty-nine, crazy about her husband, and […]
MoreThat 3-day weekend tho.
Whew! It’s sucky because it’s kind of like a Monday, but it’s a little less painful knowing it’s Tuesday, and in just four short days, I’ll be running out of the office a la Kevin McCallister on Christmas Eve yet again. I hope you all had a fabulous weekend – I know I did! I […]
MoreSome-kinda wonderful weekend.
Last week at work was quite a doozie – I don’t want to go into details, but let’s just say our staff is dwindling. All for respectable reasons, but it’s always a little sad, and hectic, when people move on. I always look forward to Friday, but last week held an exceptional urge to get […]
MoreDating in my Past Life.
When I was 16, I went to see a palm-reader. She lived in a semi-sketchy neighborhood, and when my high-school friend and I knocked on her door, she quickly snapped off an episode of “Full House” before tending to us. As shady as it seemed, she told me a few things that proved to be […]
MoreSaying goodbye to CASA.
In 2012, I read a book that really struck me. The book was “A Silence of Mockingbirds: The Memoir of a Murder” by Karen Spears Zacharias. At the time, the book was the featured reading for a community-wide book club in Baton Rouge. In this large club, the author would come speak. So, I read […]
MoreReading list (#goals).
I’ve been reading the same book for, like, seven months. And it’s not a thick book, it’s an easy, fun read. I’ve just only looked at it about twice. And why? Let me explain that I used to read ALL. THE. TIME. There were years, not long ago, where I read 25 books a year. […]
MoreA Review: ‘Where’d You Go, Bernadette?’
This book was one of the first I read using my iPad. “Where’d You Go Bernadette?” was on my reading list for what seemed like forever, and I couldn’t wait to read it. “Comedy heaven…. This divinely funny, many-faceted novel…leaves convention behind. Instead, it plays to Ms. Semple’s strengths as someone who can practice ventriloquism […]
MoreFresh Friday: The Key.
It’s Friday! This week has been a weird one, that’s for certain, but I’ll explain why on another day. Today, all that matters is, it’s Friday, it’s the official start of spring, I’m wearing a pair of mint jeans that I got from Goodwill for $6, and we’re only 10 days away from the Justin […]
MoreA Review: ‘Maine’.
I picked up a copy of Maine during a library trip — I had written down a list of authors I wanted to check out and J. Courtney Sullivan was definitely one of them. Maine is Sullivan’s second novel (the first one is Commencement), and it’s got all the good stuff rolled into one: the […]
MorePic of the Week.
I’ve mentioned on here before that I might be a little bit of a workaholic. Carving time out for myself has proven to be quite a challenge this year, and even when I can make it happen, it is tough for me to really enjoy it and not feel guilty about it. But Sunday, all […]
MoreA Review: ‘204 Rosewood Lane’.
204 Rosewood Lane is the second book in Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove series that I am just loving reading! While all of the books are written in third person, there is a letter in the front of each book written to the reader by one of the characters. The first book’s letter was from Olivia, […]
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The Bitter Lemon 
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