BHBC: Diary of a Submissive

First, I have a confession.  I haven't read Fifty Shades of Grey, and I probably won't.  But when the opportunity to review Diary of a Submissive for BlogHer Book Club, I was intrigued. Diary of a Submissive is the true life story of a woman discovering her desires.  While it lives in the erotica genre, it's more than just a titillating read.

Sophie Morgan (a pseudonym) is a journalist who thrives on being independent.  But secretly, she wants to be submissive.  The story in this book takes us from Sophie's early life, through her college years (and her first spanking) through current day, sharing the journey she has taken to find her true self.  Behind the (sometimes steamy) tales of domination/submission, there is a story of trusting yourself, and finding the confidence to go after what you want and take some chances.  Throughout all of Sophie's relationships, she is pushed to the edges of her boundaries, and has to truly listen to her inner voice telling her what she can and can't handle.

I believe that I am a pretty open-minded person, and what other people do in their private lives is their business.  Reading this story confirmed for me that I would never make it as as submissive.  I do wish that there was more discussion regarding the mechanics of a dominant/submissive relationship.  While there was a quick discussion of safe words and normal nights, the bulk of the story was about the actual acts.

If you enjoyed the Fifty Shades series, you should read Diary of a Submissive.

This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.

Nuggets

There are so many things every day that I think I will write about, but I never do.  I'm not confident enough in my voice any longer.  I'm floundering with who I am.  I'm working on finding that confidence, so I'm forcing myself to write for now.

Most people make resolutions and changes on New Year's Day.  I feel that resolve in the Fall, when it's back to school.  I purge and clean, buying new notebooks and calendars, resolving to do better at staying organized this year.  It very rarely works, but I enjoy it none-the-less.  I have been on a cleaning/purging binge though, and my house is feeling better for it.

How about you?  Does your fresh start come in January or September?

Tightropes

My boy is nine.  It seems like just yesterday he was a mischievous little imp with a quick smile.  Now he's a messy boy, although still a bit mischievous.  In the past week, I've had numerous people comment on how big he has gotten, how much he has physically grown.  It's scary to be honest.  He's my baby.

He has discovered boy humor, and is constantly trying to insult his sisters (even though his insults are usually made up of nonsense.)  He is mostly loving, but prone to moments of grumpiness that I can no longer cajole him out of.  Luckily, he still loves his mama best, and he understands that no matter what, I'm there for him.

We had a young boy die in our school district last week, an apparent suicide at 10.  We've had a rash of suicides at the high school level in the last year and each one has shaken me, but this one, this one almost crushed me.  I don't believe that we knew the boy in any of our small groups, but it still is so upsetting.  How does a 10 year old even begin to think about their own death?  How sad must you be, what bad things have happened in your life?  All I could do was grab up my boy and love him, talking to him and making sure he knew how much I love him, how adored he is.

I work hard to maintain a relationship with my kids.  I try to walk that line...the line where your kids respect that you are the adult and are trying to do what is best for them, and them still wanting to be around you and talk to you.  It's like a tightrope, and I sometimes wobble.  Hopefully I haven't fallen completely off without knowing.