Why the name?

Maya Angelou famously said, “I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass.” Angelou wrote so much, but one of her poems that affected me very deeply was her version of Paul Laurence Dunbar’s “We Wear the Mask.” In it, Angelou expresses the deep shame young African Americans feel that older generations submitted to white people. She explains why, and ties in how wearing a mask that smiles and grins, and laughing, saved lived. Dunbar is my favorite male poet, so Angelou’s recreation of his work is literary lovemaking to me.

When did you start reviewing books by male authors? Why?

December 2024. I spent several weeks reading a 400+ page horror novel called Mary by Nat Cassidy that was in first-person point-of-view. I lived in the head of, you guessed it, Mary for 400+ pages while she struggled with menopause, feeling invisible due to her age, loneliness, and ghosts. I started reading faster because I knew I needed a review to get posted, but I had no other books finished.

I got to the last page of Mary and shouted an internal “I did it!” about finishing in time to write my weekly review only to flip the page and see an afterward. By a dude. Named Nat Cassidy. Who wondered if he was the right person to craft a 400+ page novel from the first-person perspective of a menopausal woman. Cassidy genuinely explained that strong women largely raised and influenced his thinking, and that the original idea for Mary came to him when he was in high school. It’s important that men consider and become supportive actors in the lives of women, including learning more about things like menopause and developing empathy from considering what that time is like.

If you accept my book for review, what do you do with my book after you’ve read it?

If you sent me a digital copy, most likely it will be deleted from my device shortly after the review is published. If you sent me a physical copy, I will put it in the Little Library or keep it because I loved it so much. If you would like, you can tuck $5 in the pages of a book and an address of the next review you wish for me to mail the book to.

Are you paid for your reviews?

I do not receive any compensation for my reviews. Sometimes, I get yelled at by authors who sent me their books. One time I was e-harassed on several platforms by a novelist. Sometimes I have to delete comments from new people telling me what an idiot I am. So no, no positive compensation.

would you like to be part of a book blog tour?

I do not review books that are scheduled for blog tours that I am organizing.

do you know the author who sent you a book for review?

In accordance with the FTC, I will notify readers of how the book was procured. If there is no indication, the book belongs to me.

What kinds of books do you read?

Horror, fantasy, feminist thought, memoirs, comedy, fat fiction, D/deaf writers and theory, poetry, graphic novels, classics, informational nonfiction, and rom-com. I enjoy novels, novellas, and short story collections. I do not get on with almost any young adult fiction, despite trying repeatedly. I’ll consider any type book that has a fat protagonist represented positively. See what I mean by that here.

What are your reviewer criteria?

I ask if the book adds anything culturally significant. I look at emotional depth and complexity, even if it is tinged with humor. I also examine plot, character, setting, etc. and ask myself if those elements are believable in the world in which the author has created.

What kinds of books do you NOT read?

The only books that I don’t read are cook books, gardening, crafting (etc.), children’s books, strictly religious works, or hardcore erotica. I selectively read YA.

Do you write negative book reviews?

Yes. Especially in an era of self-publishing, which makes it easier than ever to publish, skipping out on negative reviews doesn’t help readers sift through the millions of books from which they can choose. My reviews are rarely completely positive or negative in their entirety. Plus, sometimes what I disliked about a book is the very reason a reader may pick it up.

How will I know if you published my review?

Grab the Lapels is a labor of love and passion. Do me a solid and subscribe to my blog by email. You’ll see all my posts that way.

Why did you start Grab the Lapels?

Check out my origins story.

Are you currently accepting books for review?

Submissions are currently closed.