Celebrate the Ladies – Week 2

Woo boy! You guys are keeping me on my toes. I have to dedicate my Sunday evenings to updating all these great contributions. I’m so ecstatic that everyone seems to be really taking to this blog event. You guys are the best! I reached over 400 followers this week and I hope that other people have seen an uptick in their numbers as well.

Let’s get to it!

Books and Traveling with Lynn posted her list of influential female authors. She’s much better with classics than I am so head on over and check her out.

Luna over at GamersUnitedGG shared her favorite fierce, female fighters in video games.

Field Notes From Over the Hill for International Women’s Day shared the strong women that surround her and influence her life.

Man of Tin featured his Mary Seacole figure, a Jamaican nurse who supported British troops in the Crimean War.

Ignited Moth featured the ever lovely Harriet Tubman this week. Art + information = good time had by all.

Leadballoony had a very interesting, special International Women’s Day post that featured other blogs as well.

Precinct1313 shined their spotlight on Mera, Queen of Atlantis this week.

Mostly True Stories of K. Renae P. ran away with it again this week! She takes the cake for the number of posts in one week (7!) so I’m just going to point you to her blog directly.

If you missed any of my own postings this last week, here’s a short summary: International Women’s Day, Saga Volume 3, and The Power book review.

International Women’s Day

Good morning ladies! (And fellas!) It’s International Women’s Day. I arose from slumber twisted in blankets with a slight headache, so my morning is starting off with coffee and tylenol. A lady has to do what a lady has to do to go to work and earn that bread. I’m not complaining, I can work, I can vote, I can do whatever the fuck I want unlike some parts of the world where women are still controlled on a daily basis. The book I’m currently reading reminds me on a daily basis that while there is still work to be done in the United States with women’s rights, there are places where women still have NO rights and that bums me the fuck out. But alas, let’s get some inspiration from historical women today.

 

Celebrate the Ladies Weekly Update 1

It’s only been half a week since March started but a girl has to start the weekly updates somewhere. It’s already been a joy to read the things people have started to post. This is going to be an interesting/informative/fun-tastic month.

I finally finished the massive epic fantasy I’d been working on for half a month and today officially started reading only female authors. The first book beginning this adventure is The Power by Naomi Alderman.

That’s enough about me, let’s jump into what other people have been doing this week!

Field Notes From Over the Hill started off with a trip she took with a good friend that resulted in them attending a Native American pow wow. She took pictures of the beautiful, strong women of the tribe.

Precinct1313 posted in The Week in Geek that Cheetah will be officially challenging Wonder Woman in the next movie and a glance at the new Tomb Raider trailer.

Man of Tin not only posted a lovely photo of his tin figure of Emmeline Pankhurst, but also historical facts about Women’s Right to Serve and their contributions in war.

Ignited Moth posted fan art and historical facts about the one, the only, Madame Marie Curie. There ain’t nothin’ hotter than female scientists.

Mostly True Stories of K. Renae P. posted not one, not two, but three biography sketches AND a trade book. This lady is not kidding when she says she’s an educator and she’s going to make the rest of us look lazy this month. 😉

Leadballoony posted this one day before Women’s History Month started but I’m including it because these are some bad ass female miniatures. (I’m really trying to work on the lingo for this stuff.)

I’ve also decided that each weekly update will be left off with wise words of advice from our foremothers.

 

 

C&M’s Book Blogging Confessions

I am unapologetically stealing Drew @ The Tattooed Book Geek’s idea to confess his blogging sins. That boy is quite the sinner and we’re both unashamed assholes, so who better to inspire listing all the reasons why I’m kind of a prick?

1. I swear a lot. Although now that I’m thinking about it, I think I might not swear enough on the blog. IRL I could challenge sailors to a profanity duel.

2. Also like Drew, I don’t blog every day because….

3. I trash books I hate and I don’t feel bad about that. Not one shred of guilt here.

4. I think some of the publishing companies that give away ARCs on Netgalley have stupid rules. But I may not even match that rule, I’m just paranoid that I do and it’s holding me back from a book I really wanted.

4. Sometimes I pad posts with memes and/or gifs because me brain no worky right first thing the start of day.

5. This is my most guilty confession: if you mostly review romance novels, I do not follow you back. There is no way I’m ever going to read that review or have a single thing to say about it, so why pretend?

 

I can’t say that I feel cleansed now. I think I’m snuggling with all my sins because I’m completely okay with them. 

 

C&M 2018 Evolution

I’ve been considering a few things about the blog for a couple of months now and I will be putting them into action in 2018.

First – I will be changing my book review format for a more professional approach. That’s something I’ve been thinking about doing for a long time and just never got around to it.

Second – I joined Netgalley. I’m hoping to get approved for some pretty awesome books but since I currently am at zero reviews and feedback on the site, I may have to start with some not so awesome or at least requested less ARCs. It will be an adventure nonetheless.

Third – I joined Instagram with the intent of it being a Bookstagram at least 90% of the time. I can’t promise that the animals won’t make an appearance here and there as they are freaking adorable. I’m still not entirely sure what I’m doing on that website yet but you can follow me (and I’ll follow you in return) anyway: C&M Bookstagram

I’m really excited for these new ventures in blogging and social media and hope to really grow this blog in 2018. (Quickly approaching 350 followers as it is. You guys are amazing!)

5 Year Blogiversary!

Technically it’s only been 1 year since I brought this blog back to life and you nice ladies and fellows have jumped on board somewhere along the way. Originally, I began this as a way to bitch about the things in life that pissed me off anonymously. I probably did about a dozen posts before completely forgetting about my little endeavor. Four years later I matured. As in, I don’t care to be anonymous about my bitching and expanded my blogging interests. So thanks for hanging out and chatting whether it be about books, beer, baking or adorable animals for the past year. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the amazing blogs I’ve found along the way as well and the swell characters I’ve met and befriended. You’re all amazing and make the internet oh so interesting!

 

New Section

Let’s face it. If you’ve been following this blog for any amount of time, I am not a quiet woman. I’m starting a new section of this blog to dedicate to political things. Now, maybe you come here for the book reviews, or baking recipes or cute pet photos, those things will still be my main focus. But, as a woman, living in Trump nation, well, I’ve got some shit to say about that.

So if you don’t like it, feel free to skip those ones by. Or unfollow me. Because here’s the thing, I’ve spent most of my life not giving two fucks if someone likes me and now that I’m older and even more comfortable in my skin, I don’t give three fucks if someone likes me.

With all that sass being said, introducing  –Light My Fire.

 

This is real. This is not a drill.

I have no intentions of making this a political blog, despite my intent to become much more politically active. But, I think some of us could use a little lift-me-up, some inspiration as we wrap our heads around recent events.

My personal motto for the next four years:

“Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”

Also important to remember:

“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out – Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out – Because I was not a Trade Socialist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out – Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak for me.”

Therefore, I reserve the right to change my mind and speak out on MY blog. I originally began this as a place to rant anonymously, I calmed down over the years. I’m not calm anymore and I can’t care to remain anonymous.