Something Of Substance by Tia Souders

Something Of Substance 

by Tia Souders

Available On Amazon

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘📘📘
Genre - Teen & Young Adult, Self Esteem, Social Issues
Format - eBook

This books was amazing and I think it should be on the syllabus for all schools. Grace is a girl who deals with social issues that so many kids do these days. She struggles with self image as well as her parents attention. Unfortunately, she finds the need to be accepted and to fit in even more powerful that her own health. This book really does an amazing job making the reader understand how easy an eating disorder can get out of hand. Also, how easy it is for that person to hide it from the people closest to them. My heart was breaking for Grace and I wanted to jump into it and hug her.

So many school kids are bullied for so many reasons and it's horrible. Because of this some kids will go to great measures to change the person they really are even if it pits their life at risk. In their minds it's all worth it in the end.

If you know someone who is struggling, not just with an eating disorder, I suggest this book. Hopefully they will see that it's not just them who is affected. And of course, if you see something - say something.

The Saga Of Chief Barking Loincloth by Larry Sargeant

The Saga Of Chief Barking Loincloth

In Search Of A Hero

by Larry Sargeant

Available On Amazon

Available on Book Depository 

Rating (1-5) - 📘📘📘1/2

Genre -Fiction, Humorous, Biographical
Format -Paperback
Printed Pages -350

"In The Saga of Chief Barking Loincloth, Alan unabashedly recounts his adventures and misadventures, revealing humor and pathos in elusive successes and humiliating miss-steps as he encounters social contradiction and hypocrisy, unanticipated pitfalls, and ill-advised detours." *Amazon

Check out my post "Chance Encounter" to find out how I came about this book.

This book is by far the most different of books I've read. The life of Alan is full of high expectations and reality checks. The journey starts off with Alan as a young boy who has typical childhood mishaps and big dreams of being a Hero, of course, isn't that what all boys want? The quest to become a Hero has Alan analyzing almost every situation he finds himself in, which eventually leads to enlisting in the Army just shy of 18 years of age. The Army seems like the perfect place to be able to obtain Hero status. During his time with the Army, Alan discovers a love for Skydiving, the ability to become semi-famous and that becoming a Hero doesn't always work the way you plan it. The story of Alan is so entertaining in his quest to become a Hero that I found myself laughing out loud as well as feeling sorry for him.

The troubles Alan finds himself in are such things that could happen to any of us. The ability to be able to relate to a character in a book always makes them a but more enjoyable to me. I would've liked to have given a higher rating for this book because I did think that it was a good read, but it didn't have that "can't put the book down"hold on me. I still highly suggest others to read it. It is well written and I think you will enjoy it.

Vacation

I recently spent 2 weeks in warm sunny Florida (I live in NY) visiting with some of my husbands family. I miss the warmth every morning I've been back when I wake up, look out my window and see the snow then I turn up my heat a little. My trip consisted of my 3 1/2 year old daughter, my mother in-law and myself (obviously). Now, I know that some of you see "mother in-law 👿" and wonder what I was thinking or that there's no way I enjoyed my trip. I'll admit I was a little skeptical about the drive down in close quarters (or starters). I mean, what could we talk about for that long? Would I say the wrong thing? Would she criticize my parenting? Would I survive?  

Since I'm here writing this post you can see I clearly survived. As far as everything else, it was a wonderful trip. Luckily for me my mother in-law doesn't feel the need for constant conversation, nor did she complain about my music. She helped keep my little one occupied and snacked-up. During dinner one night (with my husbands grandmother and her 2 sisters) my eyes teared up as she praised me for my parenting. It's not everyday that you get to hear someone give you credit for the hard work of being a parent and hearing it come from her made it even better.

My MIL also watched my little one so that I was able to visit the Seminole County Public Library store and get some really nice finds. Check out what I brought home:

I've always been a Stephen King & Dean Koontz fan, so I was glad to find these. 

(And looking forward to Thomas Harris as well)

Stephen King - 

Dark Half (A) (B)

Dean Koontz - 

Frankenstein, City Of Night (A) (B)

Tick Tock (A)

Shadow Fires (A

Seize The Night (A) (B)

Thomas Harris - 

The Silence Of The Lambs (A) (B)

Red Dragon (A) (B)

I remember my mom having this series when I was young. 

A bit discouraged to be missing 1 (Flowers In The Attic), but I'm sure I'll come across it one day.

VC Andrews -

Garden Of Shadows (A) (B)

Petals On The Wind (A) (B)

If There Be Thorns (A) (B)

Seeds Of Yesterday (A) (B)

I really liked the Twilight movies (and since the books are usually better) I grabbed the whole series.

Stephenie Meyer - 

Twilight (A) (B)

New Moon (A) (B)

Eclipse (A) (B)

Breaking Dawn (A) (B)

I got the first 3 in this series simply because I liked the covers

Alyson Noel - 

Shadowland (A) (B)

Evermore (A) (B)

Blue Moon (A) (B)

April Activites

So there's a lot going on in the upcoming month in the Read N' Reviews Facebook Group - a new book, new author, new shopping and of course lots of fun.

The book that received the most votes for the April read is ......

It by Stephen King.

Available on Amazon or Book Depository

This is a very long book and it's understandable if you are not interested in reading along this month. Great news though. The book discussions are never deleted in the group. What does that mean? That you can read any previous month's book and post in that discussion. Previous books were  -

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larson

Home In Time For Christmas by Heather Graham

If you joined the read along for March (The Woman In The Window), the discussion post is up. 

Click here to join it.

There's also an amazing giveaway being held by PageHabit.

Enter for your chance to win a Kindle PaperWhite or other prizes.

You can check that out here - GIVEAWAY