BEAUSOLEIL BOOKS - BLOG-JSJ

Alexis's Cookbook spotlight

4/12/2021

Yesterday I pulled out my favorite cookbook from Beausoleil Books, Half Baked Harvest Super Simple, and I decided I was going to challenge myself. I not only wanted to make a delicious meal, but I wanted to make it beautiful. I chose the Penne Alla Vodka Two Ways Pasta and my own version of a pesto caprese salad. I also decided I was going to make one of the Whisper Room cocktails I created: Raspberry Lemon Dream. It all came out so amazing that I had to take a picture before I dove in!

Penne Alla Vodka Two Ways:
4 tablespoons salted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup vodka
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, drained and chopped
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 (1-pound) box penne
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh basil, for serving

I started with adding the butter, garlic, and red pepper flakes over medium-low heat in a large saucepan. I continued cooking, stirring often, and then added Ketel One Vodka (they say to never cook with anything you wouldn't drink). I cooked until the vodka reduced, added my crushed tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, large pinches of salt and pepper, and simmered the sauce over medium heat. After about 12 minutes I transferred my sauce to my blender and allowed it to blend until it was a beautiful orange color and pureed texture. I stirred in my heavy cream and allowed it all to simmer. Meanwhile, I boiled my penne pasta in salted water for 12 minutes. I then drained my pasta, added it to the sauce and mixed it all together. I whipped up my caprese salad on the side using butter lettuce, fresh basil, mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes, and topped with a pesto, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil.
Finally, for the final touch I topped my pasta with shredded parmesan and began making my cocktail.

Raspberry Lemon Dream:
1.5 oz Belvedere Vodka
5 Muddled raspberries
1 oz Triple Sec
1/2 oz homemade simple syrup
Shake and strain into a martini glass
Garnish

Voila! That was my yummy Sunday night meal. Stop by sometime to get yourself a Raspberry Lemon Dream and a copy of "Half Baked Harvest Super Simple!"

I Want That Cookbook!

April book du mois

4/6/2021

In April, we will explore Matt Haig's The Midnight Library. In this bestselling literary fiction novel, there exists a library that contains within its volumes all of your possible realities. This library can tell you what would have happened if you had gone to a different college, had not broken up with that old lover, or had the pancakes instead of the waffles for breakfast. Would you visit the library and get lost in its tomes? What if you could return to your reality after having researched all of your best possible outcomes, would you make different decisions? Nora, the protagonist of The Midnight Library, faces these questions, and we can't wait to see what decisions shape her life! We will meet to discuss The Midnight Library on Saturday, April 24 at 11am.
Content Warnings: suicide, cancer, death, drugs, alcohol, depression

Stop by the store to pick up a copy of The Midnight Library, or use the buttons below to support us through our affiliates.

April 2021 book recs

3/29/2021

Our April picks are in! This month we are celebrating Asian Authors, National Poetry Month, & our Customers! We have hand-picked books for each of these categories for you to choose from through our affiliates BookShop and Libro.fm. There you will also find what the owners and our manager are reading. This makes book shopping fun and easy. We hope you enjoy our recommendations for April!

And don't forget to follow us on social media for even more book recommendations throughout the month . . .

Présentons Bryan Dupree!

3/22/2021

This week we are continuing our meet-the-team blog series with a profile of co-owner Bryan Dupree.

Bryan is a seventh generation Louisiana native who grew up on the eastern levee of the Atchafalaya Basin. When he walked across the stage at Millsaps College in the Spring of 2011, Bryan became a first generation college graduate. Armed with his Bachelor’s degree in French literature, he returned to Louisiana, anxious to use his ancestral language however he could.

For five years he worked as a French-speaking tour guide, giving tours in French to visitors from all over the world on Louisiana’s famous River Road. For the first time since his college semester abroad in France, Bryan realized that from the moment he opened his eyes to the moment he closed them, there were days when the only language he spoke or heard was French. He dreams of a day like that again.

When the opportunity came for Bryan to transition from the tourism industry to the study of law, he knew it had to be Louisiana. He wanted to learn more about the French influences on Louisiana’s legal system and Louisiana’s influence on the Civil Law tradition today. In addition to earning his juris doctor and diploma in comparative law from the LSU Law Center, Bryan completed additional studies to earn his LL.M. in International and European Business Law in Lyon, France.

Bryan now works as an attorney in the Lafayette office of Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett. Living mere minutes from downtown Lafayette, Bryan and his husband James often walk along Jefferson Street after work or on weekends. On more than one such walk, they ran across French-speaking visitors eager for a cultural exchange. It is through these interactions that the dream of Beausoleil Books first formed. If done well, Bryan imagined a small business that could meet so many current needs in downtown Lafayette: a bilingual and diverse independent bookstore and gift shop, a cultural hub for visitors to Acadiana, and a multi-functional wine and cocktail lounge.

At Beausoleil Books, Bryan has found a unique way to combine all of his various interests. He curates Le coin francophone, the bookstore’s French language literature section, as well as Local Interest and cookbooks. He is looking forward to the day when festivals and events return to downtown and he can see his initial vision for Beausoleil Books totally realized. In the meantime, he is thankful for the support of the community as Beausoleil Books pushes the possibilities of what a new small business can achieve in the face of a global pandemic.

Cette semaine, en continuant notre série de blog à la présentation des membres de notre équipe, nous consacrons celui-ci au profil d'un des copropriétaires, Bryan Dupree.

Bryan est la septième génération d'une famille née en Louisiane. II a grandi sur le bord est de la levée longeant le bassin Atchafalaya. Quand il est descendu de l'estrade de l'université Millsaps au printemps 2011, il devenait le premier de sa famille à avoir obtenu un diplôme universitaire. Sa licence en littérature française en poche, il est revenu en Louisiane, avec la ferme décision d'utiliser la langue de ses ancêtres d'une manière ou d'une autre.

Pendant cinq ans il a travaillé comme guide de tours en langue française, donnant des tours en français sur la prestigieuse route louisianaise longeant le Mississippi à des visiteurs venant du monde entier. Pour la première depuis son retour d'études en France, Bryan réalisait que du moment où il ouvrait les yeux à celui où il les fermait, il lui arrivait de passer des jours entiers où la seule langue dans laquelle il s'exprimait et celle qu'il entendait parler était le français. Son rêve est que cette occasion se reproduise aujourd'hui.

Quand Bryan a quitté l'industrie du tourisme pour se lancer dans des études de droit, il savait qu'elles devaient concerner la Louisiane. II voulait pousser ses recherches sur les nombreuses influences françaises dans le système légal louisianais ainsi que les influences louisianaises dans la tradition du Code Civil d'aujourd'hui. En plus de son doctorat en droit et de son diplôme de droit comparé de la faculté de droit de LSU, Bryan est également titulaire d'un Master en droit des affaires internationales de l'université de Lyon en France.

Bryan travaille désormais comme avocat dans le cabinet de Gordon, Arata, Montgomery, Barnett. II vit à quelques minutes du centre-ville de Lafayette. Bryan et son mari James se promènent souvent sur Jefferson Street après leur journée de travail ou les week-ends. C'est d'ailleurs au cours d'une de leurs promenades, qu'ils ont rencontré des visiteurs de langue française désireux d'échange culture! Ce sont ces échanges qui ont fait naitre en eux le rêve de Beausoleil Books. Bryan est alors parti à la recherche d'un petit espace commercial qui pourrait remplir de multiples fonctions culturelles en plein cœur de Lafayette ; une librairie indépendante bilingue et diverse, une boutique de souvenirs, une plaque tournante pour les visiteurs de l'Acadiana, ainsi qu'un salon bar et cocktail aux fonctions multiples.

A Beausoleil Books, Bryan a réussi à combiner tous ses intérêts dans un même lieu. C'est lui qui dirige Le coin francophone, sélectionne la section des livres de

March Book & Cocktail du Mois

3/9/2021

This month we're going on an epic sci-fi adventure into Area X with Jeff VanderMeer's Annihilation. Area X has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; the second expedition ended in mass suicide, the third expedition in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another. The members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within weeks, all had died of cancer. In Annihilation, the first volume of Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy, we join the twelfth expedition. With the anthropologist, the surveyor, the psychologist, and our narrator, the biologist, we will discover not only the strange things lurking in Area X, but also the strange secrets these explorers bring with them.

March’s Book du Mois Club meeting will be on March 27 at 11am in The Whisper Room, and we can't wait to serve you our delicious Cocktail du Mois, Ghost Bird. This clean, bright drink pairs perfectly with our Book du Mois. The summery aroma of basil muddled with housemade brown sugar simple syrup coats the mouth at first taste allowing for a warm backfinish of Bourbon and the tart flavors of fresh squeezed juice. The color and flavors of this cocktail gives us the "we're right there with them" vibes as we read along!

Stop by the store to pick up a copy of Annihilation, or use the buttons below to support us through our affiliates.

March 2021 book recs

3/1/2021

We love keeping all of you up to speed on what our Beausoleil family is reading and recommending. From curated classics to celebrating Women's History Month, you can always find our picks through our affiliates Bookshop.org and Libro.fm. For all of our readers who like the feel of a book in their hands, and those who pop their headphones in to dive into a good read while folding laundry, we appreciate the desire to consume a good story and to be impacted by it, and we hope you will enjoy our choices for the month of March!

And don't forget to follow us on social media for even more book recommendations throughout the month . . .

Spring 2021 Book du Mois Picks!

2/22/2021

With each passing day we are getting closer and closer to hosting our Book du Mois Meeting in The Whisper Room! As soon as it is safe to do so, we will be opening our doors to you, but until then, we will continue cozying up at home with a drink and meeting via Zoom. Here's the scoop on our April, May, and June Book du Mois picks, and stay tuned for announcements about the Candle and Cocktail du Mois!

In April, we will explore Matt Haig's The Midnight Library. In this bestselling literary fiction novel, there exists a library that contains within its volumes all of your possible realities. This library can tell you what would have happened if you had gone to a different college, had not broken up with that old lover, or had the pancakes instead of the waffles for breakfast. Would you visit the library and get lost in its tomes? What if you could return to your reality after having researched all of your best possible outcomes, would you make different decisions? Nora, the protagonist of The Midnight Library, faces these questions, and we can't wait to see what decisions shape her life! We will meet to discuss The Midnight Library on Saturday, April 24 at 11am.
Content Warnings: suicide, cancer, death, drugs, alcohol, depression

In May, we will get to know the Vance family through J.D. Vance's memoir, Hillbilly Elegy. Vance tells the story of his childhood and his family history as he understands it, dismantling the façade of the American Dream as he does. This book is as much about a man escaping his upbringing as it is about honoring his origins. We will meet to discuss Hillbilly Elegy on Saturday, May 29 at 11am.

Content Warning: drug abuse, domestic abuse, death threats, suicide, alcoholism

In June, we will experience Ocean Vuong’s seemingly autobiographical novel, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous. Vuong’s protagonist, Little Dog, writes a letter to his mother, who cannot read or speak English, describing the events of his life with both compassion and brutal honestly. Vuong explores the realities of race, class, and masculinity as Little Dog struggles with domestic violence, drug abuse, and the inter-generational trauma of the Vietnam War. This coming of age novel reveals the power and joy of telling one’s own story, and is also a part of our Pride Month reading list that is coming soon. We will meet to discuss On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous on Saturday, June 26 at 11am.

Content Warning: domestic abuse, drug addiction, homophobia, mental illness, violence, and depictions of war

February Book and Cocktail du Mois!

2/15/2021

Join us on Saturday, February 28, at 11 am via Zoom for a delicious discussion of The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans. Although it is completely free, registration is required (check out the button below to register). The Office of Historical Corrections is a collection of short stories exploring human relationships and how the past haunts our present. We cannot wait until we can open up our Whisper Room doors, but until then our resident bartender, Alexis, has shared her perfect Cocktail du Mois that you all can make at home and sip with us! So check out the recipe, grab a copy of The Office of Historical Corrections in store or at either of the links below, and we can't wait to see you all on Saturday Feb 28!

Rêves De Chèvrefeuille (Honeysuckle Dreams)
1 Shot of Bayou Satsuma Rum, 1 oz St. Germain, 1 oz honey syrup, 1 oz lime juice, shaken and pour into martini glass, garnished with lime slice and half sugar rim.
It’s winter and what feels better after a long week of work, or a long week of not working, than cozying up with a good read and a delicious cocktail? The Office of Historical Corrections, gave us sweet, citrusy vibes and we’re running with it!
With winter’s surplus of citrus, and delicious satsumas growing in my entire neighborhood’s backyards, we were inspired to bring this month’s book flavors to life. What’s in this winter’s elixir? You have locally made (and absolutely delicious) Bayou Satsuma Rum, the iconic elderflower liqueur — St. Germain, fresh squeezed lime juice, and a dash of sweet, golden nectar otherwise known as honey. Give that a good shake with ice, pour into your most extravagant martini or coupe glass and viola! If you really want to take it to the next level, or you just enjoy being fancy, give your showy glass a sugar rim, and top your cocktail off with a slice of lime.
Bayou Satsuma Rum is the perfect base for a delicious, soul-warming cocktail. It adds a faintly sweet citrus to the creamy vanilla of Bayou’ silver rum. St. Germain brings the elegance. It’s pleasantly floral and sweet without being too sugary. Fresh squeezed lime juice, key words — fresh squeezed, gives the tartness any good cocktail deserves, and pairs beautifully with the honey syrup! Honey, in my humble opinion, is the best of the sweeteners! Mix equal parts honey and hot water, stir, and let it sit. Now you have yourself the perfect last touch for the Rêves De Chèvrefeuille!
This drink is perfect for that friend who “really wants to get into Rum but hasn’t found THE drink that turns them,” for that winter gathering you’re planning to host, or if you’re just looking for the cocktail that satisfies every inch of your pallet. This is the one! Try Honeysuckle Dreams and you’ll be dreaming about it for weeks!

Zoom Registration

And the award goes to . . .

2/8/2021

Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson

ZJ’s dad isn’t just ZJ’s hero, he’s everyone’s hero. As a professional football player, Zachariah Johnson is the star of the team, and at home, he’s the star of the neighborhood. ZJ and all of his friends love to hang out with Zachariah until one day, ZJ’s dad stops remembering things, like his own son’s name. He also becomes angry all the time and has headaches that keep him in bed all day. ZJ’s mom says his dad is sick because he hit his head so much playing football, but it is hard for ZJ to fully understand how his favorite sport, the one that made his dad so happy, could have caused this complete personality change.

Taking place in the early 2000’s when CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) was first acknowledged and researched, Before the Ever After shows the impacts of the professional football on the physical and mental health of a young black family. The story is told in verse and explores ZJ’s observations and feelings about how CTE has changed his family’s life. ZJ longs to go back to before his dad’s headaches, and creates several coping mechanisms to deal with his quasi-loss of a father. This book is heart-wrenching but beautiful as ZJ finds his new normal, relying on his friends that stick around even after his dad’s health declines.

I would recommend this book to all young readers and their parents. The book’s predominant theme is grief and coping, and may be a helpful tool for children experiencing a form of grief in their own lives. The story is filled with immeasurable love alongside the family’s hardships. Jacqueline Woodson was recently awarded the 2021 Coretta Scott King Book Award, and signed copies of Before the Ever After are currently in stock.

Special Thanks to Libro.fm for allowing me to listen to a free copy of Before the Ever After.

-Endya
Follow Endya on Instagram and GoodReads to see more of what she is reading. If you'd like to read Before the Ever After and support Beausoleil Books, use the buttons below to purchase through the Bookshop.org and Libro.fm affiliate programs:

Our Favorite reads of 2020 . . .

12/27/2020

Blair and Endya's favorite books read in 2020. Despite the stress of this year, we read some pretty good books along the way.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
This book pulled me in and wouldn’t let me go! I am still thinking about these characters and how they will be affecting me for years to come. -Endya

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
This was one of the best books I’ve read this year, both in terms of content and execution. Machado tells the auto-biographical story of an abusive same-sex relationship, and each chapter tells the story in a different genre. Seeing how the genres lined up with the events of the story was breathtaking. -Endya

Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur
This Bridget Jones’s Diary-esque LGBTQ+ romance follows an astrologer and actuary who pretend to be in love . . . until they’re no longer pretending. It’s equal parts hilarious and romantic. I could not praise it enough. -Blair

Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man by Mary L. Trump
This book was eye-opening, to say the least. -Endya

Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
-Blair

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
SO SPOOKY! Check out my full review in an earlier blog post.
-Endya

Late to the Party by Kelly Quindlen
This book made me hurt for teenage years I never had. This is an LGBTQ+ coming of age teenage love story about discovering yourself and loving the people around you. -Blair

Luster by Raven Leilani
This book was addicting. Check out my full review in an earlier blog post. -Endya

The Rural Diaries: Love, Livestock, and Big Life Lessons Down on Mischief Farm
by Hilarie Burton Morgan
Hello One Tree Hill fans! Hillarie Burton, known for her character, Peyton Sawyer, gave up the big city for a rural farm with her husband and son. She goes into detail about her deep love for her family and the community they created when she escaped a toxic work environment on a well known teenage drama. -Blair

What Comes After by Blair Leigh
Ok, I know this was written by my business partner and close friend, but I can’t help that this was one of my favorites to be published this year! This book has such warm and cozy Gilmore Girls vibes, and I can’t help but want to snuggle up with it on a cold night. -Endya

Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life by Emily Nagoski
This book is required reading for anyone who has a vagina or is interested in vaginas. Nagoski busts every sex myth that Cosmo Magazine taught us in high school. (PS a revised edition is set for publishing in March 2021!) -Blair & Endya

Queen Move by Kennedy Ryan
This second chance romance between childhood sweethearts follow Kimba, a successful career woman, and Ezra, the man she lost when family secrets boiled over and ruined lifelong friendships. It’s steamy, achingly sweet, and a can’t-sleep-until-I-finish-page-turner. - Blair

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
Faith and science are two huge eements in this beautiful novel by one of my favorite writers. As neuroscientist, Gifty, tried to find the scientific basis for her brother’s drug addiction and her mother’s severe depression, she finds herself struggling with the evangelical faith she was raised on. This book felt personal to me and it stayed on my mind long after I finished it. -Blair

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green
This is the sequel to Green’s debut, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, and it did not disappoint. I loved the first book, but this one brought everything together in such a satisfying ending. Green’s thoughts on modern technology and social media have created a fun and insightful young adult sci-fi journey that I think readers of any age could enjoy. (PS The Audiobook has a full cast!) -Endya

The Roommate by Rosie Danan
Uptight Clara moves across the country to live with her childhood crush and start a new life. But her childhood crush ditches her last minutes and leaves her with a new roommate—Josh, an adult performer. As they both try to reinvent themselves, they can’t stop their growing attraction. This book was impossible to put down. Sexy, smart, and respectful. -Blair

I Am Human: A Book of Empathy by Susan Verde
I don’t usually read many children’s books, but this one absolutely blew me away. With so many books teaching children how to be nicer or smarter or cleaner or more creative, this book’s message is that it is ok to be just you. It is ok to mess up; it is ok to be afraid; it is ok. We are all humans just trying our best. I found it so refreshing, and will be buying it for kids for years to come! -Endya

Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker
Wow. This book is a detailed study of a midcentury American family of 12 kids. One by one, half of the children become diagnosed with schizophrenia. This book is nonfiction but the storytelling and character development reads so much like fiction. -Blair

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
Dani and Zaf go viral when he “saves” her from a fire drill. To direct more media to Zaf’s charity, they keep up the façade that they are madly in love for the public. Of course, it’s a romance, so they also end up madly in love for real. I am so in love with this love story, and I’m not sure any other book will ever live up to this one. Both of these characters are flawed yet absolutely perfect for each other, and I would marry either of them in an instant. -Endya

How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
This was such an important read for white allies and, honestly, for everyone. This book is not to be read quickly. Read slowly and reflect and contemplate on the actions you’ve taken to combat racism. -Blair

Follow Blair and Endya on GoodReads to see more of what they are reading. If you’d like to read any of the books we listed and support Beausoleil Books, just click the photos to purchase through the Bookshop.org affiliate program. We are looking forward to a great 2021!

Endya's goodreads

Blair's goodreads