February 2017 – Julie Wrote a Book

I Think I Love You

My younger sister, The Angel of Death, texted me yesterday that David Cassidy is battling dementia. I'd happily sign legislation that made it illegal for all artists to be mortal. Can someone please get on this? Thinking about David Cassidy reminded me of a book I loved called I Think I Love You by Alison Pearson. If you love David Cassidy, or really if you've ever had a crush on a pop star this is a super fun read. From the Amazon description: Petra and Sharon, two thirteen-year-old girls, are both desperately in love with a world-famous pop star. Together…

Squash. A Haircut. A Hotel.

Happy Saturday, and for those of you in the United States, Happy President's Weekend. Are you taking care of yourself? We have rain predicted all weekend, so I am staying close to home. I owe the Husband a night on the town (and a cheesecake) since the flu ruined our Valentine's Dinner. Other than that, here is what I'm up to: Reading this book, and am nervous because my expectations are very, very high. I need a good read - I've been striking out with books lately – abandoning far more than I am finishing. Need some recommendations. What are…

The Crown

I have contracted with what I am pretty sure is the bubonic plague, so no Wednesday Words for you today. I am going to just leave you with a Netflix Binge recommendation. Have you watched The Crown? If you haven't GO WATCH IT! I alternate between whining I want to be Queeeeeeeen and then insisting I could never ever ever be Queen! Honestly I just want the castles and the dresses. The episode when she had to forbid her sister from getting married? Broke. My. Heart. AND I have heard there will be a total of six seasons, but for sure Season 2…

Regency Romance, Vampires, and Cheesecake

Valentine's Day: World's Lamest Holiday? Or World's Sweetest Way to express love? Whether you are celebrating a love story or your own sweet self, here are some fun links for your pre-Valentine's Weekend: Last month I met a woman who writes Regency Romances. I asked her why she thought the Regency Era took off so much. Why not Victorian or Gregorian or Elizabethan? Yes, I know there are books written about all of those eras, but not in Regency numbers. Her theory was that the Regency Era is like the 1960's in American history: young people were trying out new…

My Word in 2017

We are a month into 2017. Did you make resolutions? I did not, but I did choose a word of the year. In case you've never come across that notion, the idea is that you choose a single word that will guide you through the year instead of specific resolutions. Life moves so fast, and things change, and I really liked thinking about an overall theme instead of a fixed target. I tend to put my head down and focus on micro targets, to the exclusion of the big picture. That helps sometimes (when I'm on a book deadline, or when…

The Tunnel Tree. Weird Things in Books. Spicy Shrimp.

Well, really. What a stupid week. I am soothed by small doses of hard liquor, large doses of dark chocolate, massive doses of books, and very select friends and family. Also, very super small doses of internet until I feel the existential dread tightening its noose around my neck. It goes like this: Ohmygodddddd the world is so awful where is my passport grab the Bug Out Bag never mind let's just stay here and die. Then Husband tells me to calm the hell down (in a nice way) and tells me to watch Tina Fey until I'm ready to stop acting like a…

Don't Make Me Read That

Welcome to the first installment of my new blog series called “Don't Make Me Read That.” As I've told you before, I read quite a bit. But I don't veer out of my favorite genres too often. I don't know anything about fantasy or science fiction, and I've read very little true crime or mystery. I want to try new types of books, and what better way to learn about them than from their biggest fans? This new series will serve two purposes: it gives me a chance to talk books with some of my favorite people. And it will…