How was your March, Ceillie?

*flops in answer*

I had to take a hiatus for a couple of weeks between the stress of work, taking an actual vacation with my two best friends, and doing freelance work. I had a great hiatus, and I have some great posts scheduled over the next month! One of the perks of the hiatus was that I got to read MANY BOOKS even ones that weren’t for review! It was great!

I also called out a book in probably the nicest call out ever, and was subtweeted for the first time, which was amusing. As the…. third? fourth? call-out that relates to m/m romance writers in the last month, I’m yet again unimpressed with many m/m authors, though my writing group is full of them.

The other big thing that happened is that I turned in my notice at the Danville Register & Bee. I detailed the reasons in a twitter thread, but what it boils down to, is that I’m exhausted. I’m going in a slightly different direction and working on freelance things, so if you see me begging for jobs, don’t be so surprised.

My last day isn’t final yet. I don’t want to leave during a heavy budget discussion and leave my coworkers or a brand new reporter in a tough spot. So I’ll know when I’m going to be leaving… shortly before I leave?

 

 

Books I read:

DROPKICKromance by Cyrus Parker | This Will Be My Undoing by Morgan Jerkins | the witch doesn’t burn in this one by Amanda Lovelace | Failure to Communicate by Kaia Sønderby | The Reluctant Fortune-Teller by Keziah Frost | Dreadful Young Ladies and Other Tales by Kelly Barnhill (DNF) | The Price Guide of the Occult by Leslye Walton (DNF) | A Night at the Mall by M. Hollis | Testing Pandora by Kaia Sønderby | The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli (DNF) | A Girl Like Her by Talia Hibbert | Infomocracy by Malka Ann Older | Historians on Hamilton Anthology* | The Heart Forger by Rin Chupeco* |

 

Posts I Wrote:

Review:: DROPKICKromance by Cyrus Parker | Review:: Chaotic Good by Whitney Gardner | Author Interview:: Candida Spillard | Review:: Failure to Communicate by Kaia Sønderby | Taking A Short Hiatus! |

 

Culturess Articles I Wrote:

Review: the witch doesn’t burn in this one, Amanda Lovelace | Women to Admire: Tarana Burke | Sade drops first song in seven years for “A Wrinkle in Time” | Review: The Reluctant Fortune-Teller, Keziah Frost | 5 self-help books that won’t make you roll your eyes | 5 nerdy fictional languages we wish we could learn | 3 Broadway mashups we’d love to see for a good cause | Relax, ODAAT is coming back for season 3 |

Links I Liked:

Let’s Call It Assimilation Food | Afrofuturism helped me deal with the mental health issues that come with activism | Why Black Disability History Matters | A Short History of South Asian Speculative Fiction: Part II | When ‘Good Writing’ Means ‘White Writing’ | Hungry Demigods | SkyKnit: How an AI Took Over an Adult Knitting Community | Saying Stephen Hawking Is “Free” From His Wheelchair Is Ableist | The culture of STEM may sideline aspiring queer scientists | Welcome to the Center of the Universe | Writing While Autistic #9: Do allistics even have theory of mind? | asexuality in media and using the word | Valley Forged: How One Man Made the Indie Video Game Sensation Stardew Valley | How To Be More Inclusive of Nonbinary, Genderneutral, and Trans* People in Your Spaces | Camryn Garrett’s Debut Book “Full Disclosure” Is an Important Story About a Teen Living With HIV | Social, Envy, and (re)focusing on you | You Do Nothing But Freefall | After Simon, where are the YA f/f books? | How Dad Lost His Voice — And Finally Learned to Listen | Autism is a feminist issue | Episode 35: The State of Things |

Journalism I Did:

After renovation and move, spacious Mount Hermon library ready for new chapter | Murder indictments come a year after double homicide | County officials plead against budget cuts | Gov. Northam announces company’s $5.8 million plans for the county | Pharma company to invest $5.8 million in county expansion | Astronaut is keynote speaker at awards banquet | Gretna development called off due to new tariffs | Osprey cam is back | Trouble signs missed in 2016 slaying | Police confirm death consistent with gunshot | Wintry mix coming to Dan River region | Police identify man killed in Danville shooting | Teen gets 31 years in slaying of mother as family makes court plea for leniency | As budget wrestling continues, closing Pittsylvania County schools not on table | EMS, fire response rate improves in Pittsylvania County | Science workshop kicks off at Institute focusing on second year of AgBot | Tax hikes, schools dominate community budget meeting in Mount Hermon | Pittsylvania County Fire and Rescue Association, committees discuss budget | For business of trash, study gives options to Pittsylvania County | Speaking of budget and lack of revenue, Pittsylvania County supervisor says ‘we’ve got cancer’ | Plans eyed for Chatham Armory | Goodyear workers pitch in to help with Habitat for Humanity house in Danville | Kitchen addition opens new possibilities for Reid Street Gallery | Two hurt as police pursuit ends in crash; ‘I turned my lights on and that’s when he kicked it,’ trooper says | Some Pittsylvania County voters to shuffle precincts in June | Danville improves year-over-year, but still ranks low in health report | Students unharmed in Pittsylvania County school bus wreck | Pittsylvania County hires private company to collect trash at dumpster sites |