Grab the Lapels

Experiences Going Forward and Looking Back

looking back: The POwer rangers

When I was a kid in the mid-90s, I was obsessed with the TV show The Power Rangers. My brother and dad harped on how stupid the show was, but I continued watching, even having my mom put my hair in special pony tails that followed the color order in which the characters transformed from teens to rangers. One day, a local business that sells mobile homes advertised on the radio that the power rangers would be there — and free hot dogs! It was a gloomy, gray day, but mom took my brother and I to the business where we got our dogs and waited. Okay, I was stoked, but also shy and nervous. Out walked a rather chonky red ranger — and my brother nearly died laughing. I was so ashamed, but whatever.

Recently, the a nearby city hosted a comic convention, but because the city isn’t a major metropolis, the celebrities weren’t Big Names today. I was excited, though. They had Dean Cain (Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman), Denise Crosby (Pet Semetary, Dolly Dearest, Star Trek), and Austin St. John (the red frickin ranger!). So, it may have taken about thirty years, but I finally saw the red ranger. The first thing I thought was, “Suck it, [brother’s name]!”

looking forward: training

I’ve been working away at getting connected with interpreting agencies in Indiana and establishing a relationship with an accountant. Taxes for freelance interpreters are notoriously challenging. Most of the big agencies are south of me, around Indianapolis, but I am making connections with local agencies, too. Due to a hiccup, I will be spending one week in Indianapolis to complete forty hours of training before returning home and starting regular work. Again, this industry is all about confidentiality for both hearing and deaf clients, how businesses operate, with whom they have contracts, etc., so I can’t tell you much.

looking back: does grab the lapels still have a reason?

Each month, I receive an email from WordPress telling me my stats for the past 30 days. Over the past several months, each time I see red numbers and downward-pointing arrows letting me know that there are fewer views, visitors, and comments. I have guesses as to why. During my internship, I could only seem to read Lucy Kincaid books, which are not only part of a series, but an older series, and not the kind of fiction my most active readers like. Also, I joined a spooky book club, and I have almost no horror fans here anymore. Grab the Lapels always goes through obsessive phases: women only, fat fiction, Deaf fiction, Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar books, etc. All I can think at this point is that there is such a backlog of information housed at Grab the Lapels that most readers are seeking specific books and topics, which lead them here.

looking forward: books in bins and on e-devices live in a black hole

I’m starting to see the #20BooksofSummer lists go up, and while I make one each year, I come away wondering why I did. Basically, I don’t follow the list and change it as I go. However, over the past week, I’ve had a bit of the blues because I’m still waiting for work training to start and “real life” to commence. Honestly, what makes you happier than going through all your books?? Therefore, I’ve decided to make a list of the books I plan to read during the summer months in an effort to bring myself joy. I won’t be participating in 20 Books of Summer, yet I’m hoping you’ll see something on my list that you’re looking forward to seeing reviewed.

books of summer for book clubs

  • So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison
  • Goodbye Earl by Leesa Cross-Smith
  • Girls with Long Shadows by Tennessee Hill
  • Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind
  • Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green
  • Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison
  • Graveyard Shift by M.L. Rio

books i’ve owned too long

*These are all by men because I’ve prioritized reading women for Grab the Lapels, hence they’ve been languishing on my shelves.

  • Big Man with a Shovel by Joe Amato
  • Boring, Boring, Boring, Boring, Boring, Boring, Boring by Zach Plague
  • The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster
  • The Outsider by Richard Wright
  • Why We Can’t Wait by Martin Luther King, Jr.
  • Building a Life Out of Words by Shawn Smucker

books i just got (yes, baybeee!)

  • Kittentits by Holly Wilson
  • All this Can Be True by Jen Michalski — check out Jen’s interview for Pride Month
  • Going Bovine by Libba Bray
  • The Last God by Jean Davis (I bought this book in exchange for petting a chicken, lol)
  • Homing by Sherrie Flick
  • The Sorrows of Satan by Marie Corelli

just for funsies & part of a series

  • Best Laid Plans by Allison Brennan (Lucy Kincaid #9)
  • Bitter Thirst by S.M. Reine (Preternatural Affairs #8)

34 comments

  2. I think our blogs have their own cycles as much as our lives have their seasons. I fell out of sync and step with a beloved event I co-host every May due to personal emergencies (ie. medical) which were affecting my family and had an even harder start to June for the same reasons. I have had large gaps in updates and communication over the last several years due to either my work life or other adversities which pop up in life but I’ve come to realise that those who care about us in our circle of online bookish friends will always be ready to engage with us as we’re ready to engage with them too. You just have to keep your blog focused on what makes you happy and not worry about how actively it is read. After all, the blog is a reflection of you and your own readerly journey and thereby, it makes sense that it will have its cycles of focus and at other times be a bit quieter if life is taking your focus elsewhere. Just be true to you and those who enjoy reading your blog will find your posts. This is also why I sometimes have gaps in visiting and commenting on blogs I regularly read as well.

    As an aside, I’m glad you finally could meet the red ranger! I am not familiar with the series though I knew about it but I’m a bit older than you so it wasn’t on my radar. I still think its wicked when you have the chance to meet someone who meant something to you. Those are special moments. Cherish them.

    Alas I gave up on 20 for Books for Summer too! I found that I love reading YA and MG Lit books in the Summer and I’m bringing that focus back on my blog in July. For June, I’m focusing on the stories I was attempting to read for Wyrd And Wonder (ie. all Fantasy) and a few others which I received before all the medical emergencies took my heart and focus off reading completely! Oy.

    Here’s to a bookishly sweet Summer for us both!

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    • I noticed that Cathy isn’t hosting 20 Books anymore, so I can only imagine how much work it is.

      I was right about one thing; picking out books for this post did make me happy. I haven’t seen a post from you in ages, so I’m wondering if I’m not following you correctly, or if you aren’t posting as much? I’m going to toggle the follow button off and on.

      I love what you said about blogs being part of our journey, a reflection of who we are as readers. Sometimes I’m surprised when someone comments, and I didn’t even know they read my posts at all.

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      • My Mum had surgery in early May and the whole month was spent on her recovery – both in the hospital and outside of it. My father is currently hospitalised now and we’re going through a lot with his recovery. I’ve shared only 5 posts in May and 1 this far in June. I have more I’ll be releasing this week for May – part of Wyrd And Wonder – they were answers to the challenge posts which were drafted but not completed or edited. Then, shifting forward I’ll be sharing more new content this month and continuing through Summer. I had six posts in April. Before that it was a bit hit/miss. I’ve been trying to get more consistent but so much has been going on personally I just haven’t had the spare hours needed to finish the posts I’ve begun.

        You’ll find them in the sidebar — under I geek stories badge? I have my archives there.

        I feel that way myself. About commentary on my blog – sometimes I am so happily surprised by who has visited and commented. It truly makes my day a bit happier and brighter.

        Sorry you thought I had blinkered off completely. I’ve just had a rough year.

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        • I’m sorry to hear about your folks. As I get older (I’m now 40), the conversation around parents and their wellbeing is more prevalent. I’m glad my parents are healthy, so I don’t have to worry TOO much about them, but sometimes I’m worried that someone will take advantage of them, or they will work too hard, etc.

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  3. I like it when blogs change as the journey presents choices. I’m here for the books, yes, but also for the personal point of view on them and how they affect your life (and vice versa).

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    • It did feel unusual to me to write another post about myself because I have not done so in a long time. Plus, any time I sign on with another interpreting agency to freelance for them, I read through pages and pages of documents about confidentiality. I guess that means I need to look elsewhere in what I’m doing and think about what I can share.

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      • Yes! One of the oldest points Ron and I like to make about socializing comes from the early years of our marriage when he worked at a top-secret job and we went to events with people he worked with–none of them talked about work, and those were some of the most enjoyable social events I’ve ever attended.

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    • I did a video visit with Lou a couple of days ago, and we were both giggling that you enjoy books about twenty-something women because it’s just a fun, surprising fact about you that I adore. I guess we all have our funny quirks.

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  5. Very amused by the idea of buying a book in exchange for petting a chicken! Chickens don’t seem like immensely pettable animals to me.

    I know I haven’t been around as much either – my work and life have both changed a lot over the years, as I know yours have! I still enjoy reading your posts. After going through the same process last summer that it sounds like you have been going through, I basically came to the conclusion that my blog serves a purpose as long as I enjoy writing it, even if I’m not able to give it the same attention I used to.

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    • Well, we were at a comic con, and this author had brought her pet chicken. I noticed it earlier in the day, but by the time I got to the woman’s table, the chicken had been put away. Of course, I had to ask where the chicken was, and she said it was resting from a full day of stimulation. Then, despite my protests, she got the chicken out again for me to me, so I felt obligated to buy a book.

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  7. One thing about being the change that you want to see is that it’s a moving target. You’ve got to go out and kick ass, but there is always going to be more ass left unkicked.

    It was neat to see a Superman and all, but Denise Crosby was a total treat. I would go to another con just to hear her tell more stories.

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  8. Change happens and can’t be stopped. I say as long as you enjoy blogging at GtL keep at it regardless of how many visits of comments you get. There are plenty of things to talk about besides work and even books (shocker, I know!)

    I love pawing through my books! I’m glad you found joy there. Your list is varied and full of good stuff. I hope you enjoy the summer reading!

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    • I definitely broke the One Clear Tote With Lid rule — I now have that clear tote plus two smaller ones plus two cloth bags — but I keep a spreadsheet, so I’m thankful that at this point, pawing through the books doesn’t involve unpacking boxes.

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  9. Horror fan here! I’m in a book club, but there’s only one other person who also reads horror. Wish I got the weekly email from WordPress, but I’d probably worry about the decrease in views and comments. One less thing to deal with, lol. My oldest son lives in Lexington, KY and attends the ComicCon there every year. They’ve gotten some pretty good celebrities there, and he’s also met several voice actors he liked.

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    • I was part of a book club that tends to vote on and choose women’s fiction, and out of the 50 or so people in that club (it’s split into two nights), there was only one other horror fan! Fortunately, she’s part of the horror book club I belong to, too. I’ve since stopped going to the club that tends to choose whatever Jenna or Reese or Oprah are reading.

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      • We have a monthly theme, and everyone is free to choose their own novel. It’s a format that’s worked for the past 8-9 years, and we get a lot more recs that way.

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        • Oh, lovely! What kinds of themes do you do? In January my spooky book club did a Stephen King month, so people could chose whatever appealed to them, especially considering the holidays just wrapped up and some folks could only a read a novella, while others find holidays a long time off from work and no family busyness, so they had lots of time to read.

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  10. I have an audio copy of Girls with Long Shadows – it sounded good!

    I loved your story about the Red Ranger! Love that you finally got to see him!

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    • It only took about thirty years for me to see the red ranger, lol.

      I hadn’t heard of Girls with Long Shadows before, but that’s one the book club chose. I’m a little nervous that one website said it had a touch of Where the Crawdads Sing to it because that story was not my jam. On the other hand, the synopsis sounds much more ferocious.

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      • It was on a list of advance copies of audiobooks that I could access and sounded interesting enough that I snagged a copy. I didn’t love Where the Crawdads Sing as much as others did but I liked that this sounds as though it is more about female relationships.

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