I started Grab the Lapels on Weebly four years ago after I got mad at a book written by a man that made women look so stupid — and I was supposed to review it for a magazine. I realized most books I was offered to review for other magazines and blogs were by men, and that most reviewers with national platforms are men. So, I told writer Kelcey Parker over coffee, “Hey, I should start my own blog! And I will take books only from women! And it will be all small-press published!” And I did, the next day.
A year later, I headed over to WordPress, which actually helps bloggers find new readers. Although there have been ups and downs in my attitude about blogging, mostly over questions of whether or not what I write means anything to anyone, I’ve never quit Grab the Lapels, not even for a hiatus. I changed “books by women” to “books by anyone who identifies as a woman.” I don’t read reviewer copies so much, as I’m working through my personal collection now, but I love to get to know authors through my Meet the Writer series.
And I’ve loved getting to meet new friends across the globe — that’s the best part about blogging. I used to think Grab the Lapels was a “we,” and “we” would bring you some great reviews. Mostly, I wanted to sound like a “real” organization, you know, with staff. It’s just me, friends: Melanie.
Thank You, Friends*!
Alicia @ Kernel of Nonsense (California, United States)
Amal @ The Misfortune of Knowing (United States)
Amanda @ Cover 2 Cover Mom (Ohio, United States)
Ami @ LuvToRead (California, United States)
Anne @ ive read this (Canada)
Anne @ Tsundokist (Australia)
Bill @ Australian Legend (Australia)
Cathy @ 746 Books (Ireland)
Chitra @ Books and Strips (India)
Diana @ A Haven for Book Lovers (Kenya)
Eveline @ Avalinah’s Books (Lithuania)
Jane @ Greenish Bookshelf (not sure!)
Jackie @ Death By Tsundoku (Wisconsin, United States)
Karen @ Booker Talk (Wales)
Laila @ Big Reading Life (United States)
Lilyn @ Sci-fi and Scary (United States)
L— @ FictionFan (Scotland)
Lou @ LouLouReads (England)
Margot @ Confessions of a Mystery Novelist (United States)
Margot @ Lectito (Australia)
Naomi @ Consumed by Ink (Nova Scotia, Canada)
R— @ Napoleon Split (Texas, United States)
Savanah @ Off-Color Literature (United States)
TJ @ My Book Strings (Germany)
Vijayalakshmi @ The Reading Desk (United States/India)
*If I got your country wrong or would be willing to let me add a state/province/cardinal directions e.g. “south-east Brazil,” I would love to add that!
Please note that all Pusheen the cat images are created by Claire Belton. You should go to the Pusheen blog and buy some of the freaking adorable Pusheen stuff. If I were single, my house would be Pusheen themed. ❤
Grab the Lapels 
Congratulations! I’d say you’ve earned a cupcake celebration this weekend, ha.
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Thank you so much, Kathy! I don’t think we’ve met. Welcome to Grab the Lapels 🙂
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Thank you! 🙂
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Congratulations Melanie and Happy Blogoversary. Your blog is so unique and I always enjoy your posts. Thank you for your friendship 🙂
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I’m excited that we are friends. You’ve taught me about Kenya and how fiction can be the ultimate teacher.
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Glad/Proud to be counted amongst your friends. Congratulations on your anniversary. You will have to imagine I have sent you a bunch of flowers, or let’s say, a pot of Sturt Desert Peas (it’s probably illegal to pick them).
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I don’t even know what Sturt Desert Peas are. I’m a long way from a desert. I love them in my imagination! ❤
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Congratulations and Happy Blog Birthday! Thanks, too, for the kind words. Your blog always has interesting reviews and ‘food for thought’ – it’s one of my ‘must visits.’ Here’s to many more years of great posts!
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Thanks, Margot! And I know you have a lot of blogs you visit!
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You are too kind and sweet. Congratulations on this milestone, and keep up the good work! I would personally be devastated if GTL ever stopped publishing.
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That’s so kind of you, Anne! I would be very sad indeed if your snark were missing from the internet. It’s so fun 🙂
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Aw shucks
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Congrats on your blogiversary! You write some of the most insightful reviews I’ve come across and I’m glad to be a part of this community along with you. Here’s to many more auspicious blogging years! And also, thank you very much for the shout out ❤❤❤
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I can’t even remember how long we’ve been blog friends, Alicia! It’s been a long time, so I was a big ashamed I couldn’t remember where you are from. I put the United States because I thought that’s what I remember from somewhere.
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Don’t look this way, I’ve got a terrible memory. Yes, I’m from the US. California specifically, which I list on Twitter, so maybe that’s what stuck in your brain.
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What a lovely way to appreciate people you’ve ‘met’ only virtually. I wonder one day if we could get the technology to work we could do video chats. In the meantime happy anniversary and long may you continue blogging
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Thank you, Karen! I think kids with Apple computers know how to do chats with multiple people, but I sure don’t!
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Happy blogiversary! I loved reading the impetus for your blog! Explains why I’m drawn to it.
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Thanks! I didn’t know you were a reader of Grab the Lapels. I haven’t seen you around in a long time! Did you take off some time this summer?
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I am a champion lurker! But you’re not wrong – I haven’t been as active in the blogosphere recently. I’m trying to be better!
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FOUR YEARS?! Holy buckets! That’s a HUGE milestone! Congrats!!! And what a reason to start a blog. I just wanted someone to talk to, instead of just blabbering into a black hole. You have come in with a mission and vision– it makes me so happy to see you’ve stuck with it, too. Your story is certainly inspiring. I hope I can keep up the momentum over time, just like you.
D’aw. Thanks for the shout out! I agree– it takes a village, right? Without my community, I don’t know where I’d be. And I count you as one of the most important members. You challenge me– how I think, how I write, how I view the world. I need that and want that in my blogger community. Thank you for being a part of that!
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It’s so exciting! When I started,I didn’t even know there was a blogging community. I was just trying to help small-press authors. What a bonus!
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I’m so glad that you found a community which supports you and helps you fulfill your mission! Keep up the great work.
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First… Happy 4th Blirthday!! I love hearing about how your blog got started. And I’m so glad to have discovered it at some point (I can’t really remember when that was). And that you consider me a friend. 🙂
Second… I love that cat! I had no idea he/she (?) even had a name, or a website. But I like to use pictures of him/her when sending messages to my friends and family on facebook. I’ll off to learn more about him/her!
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I bought a Pusheen tee shirt right after I made the post, lol. Pusheen never fails to make me happy.
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Wow! It was so great learning the origin story for Grab the Lapels! You do such a great job! 🤗 I love your reviews that are so thought and detailed. So glad to be your bloggy friend. Thanks for the mention here!
Wish you many many more years of great blogging! 😊
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Thank you, Vijayalakshmi! You’ve helped me find new works during our friendship, most notably Kohraa!
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Congratulations on four years, and thank you for the mention! I’ve greatly appreciated reading your posts. You always have an interesting perspective to share.
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Thanks for reading! I learn so much from you, and I trust your opinions. I also like that you’ve addressed questions I have!
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Happy blogiversary!!!!! 4 years?!?! Kudos to you my friend!
I think we all question our blogs & if anyone care at one point or another. I’ve told myself that I blog for me and if no one reads it, it doesn’t matter because it makes me happy. I can assure you that at least one person cares about your blog… ME!
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You’re a good friend, Amanda. My husband and I have a week-long vacation coming up next week, but we have zero plans! I keep imagining I meet up with all of my blog friends. You and Jackie B and I are all in those Midwest states!
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I’m totally down for a book blogging buddy road trip!
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*happy dancing* let me check my calendar!
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Happy blogiversary and well done for sticking with your original plan! I originally had a LiveJournal book blog and then a WordPress blog about being self-employed, then brought the books into the self-employment blog. And we all worry about whether our own blog matters but enjoy reading everyone else’s, by the way, don’t we!!
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Oh, man! LiveJournal!! I used to have one that I actually used like a journal. Can you believe that?? How naive were were about the permanency of the internet back then!
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Happy, happy blogiversary and I’m honoured to be included in your list of friends! What I like about Grab the Lapels is that we read almost entirely different types of books, so while I’m not always tempted by your choices I feel I always learn something about what’s going on in the world of fiction. Keep up the good work, my friend! 😀
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I do know that on more than one occasion I’ve answered a trivia question correctly thanks to your blog! 😀 I don’t like to read mysteries or big history novels, but I agree: I learn a lot from your blog, too. The funny thing is I love reading ABOUT mystery books! When I read them myself, I get very, very frustrated. As I’ve mentioned before, I want to know more before it’s revealed in the book, but because I DON’T know more, I assume I’m stupid and missed something.
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Yay! Congratulations! Happy 4th Birthday!! 🙂 I love reading your posts. You always write about such interesting sounding books, ones that other bloggers aren’t writing about. I love it! 🙂
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Thank you! Although many books on the bestseller lists sound interesting, they usually aren’t for me. That’s not where my graduate work was focused.
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