I'm Not the Same Again Today

by Lainey Oslin

What you’re about to read is part memoir,
part poetry book,
part self-help guide,
and on some pages,
part love letter,
with creativity and the outdoors, getting a great deal of credit for everything.

My now sacred years spent writing my recovery,
broken down into blinks,
snapshots,
a mosaic of memories.

Whether you’re reading from cover to cover or opening to any page, I’m Not The Same Again Today offers wisdom and insight gained when you lean in and let life change you.

‘What do you see,
When I say the word ‘self’?
Whatever it is,
Won’t be here tomorrow.
Thank God.’

222 pages, Paperback

Published June 18, 2024

About the author

Lainey Oslin is a poet and lyrical-verse storyteller living in Washington State. Her first book I’m Not the Same Again Today, introduces us to her unique style of self-help and memoir poetry.

​Tackling real life rhythmically, Lainey lays bare a life filled with crashes and recoveries and captures what it is to grapple with addiction, divorce, betrayal, and grief while celebrating love, renewal, creativity, and family. All of this is done against the backdrop of her beloved Pacific Northwest, which she credits for a great deal of her healing and inspiration. She lives with her husband, Ric, and their cat, Gus, but you can often find her on any of the local trails.

Her daily writings can be found at her Instagram blog @thelaineydayblog, and her debut lyrical memoir, I’m Not the Same Again Today, will be released June 18, 2024, through the Empowered Press.

Reviews

[Jess✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was finally able to have this book added to Goodreads, so I can post my review and add this to my book collection on here after 2,5 months. 😅

This was a beautiful memoir in poetry form! 🌲
I never read anything like this: reading poetry but also reading about a person's life, struggles and tips, if you want to call them that.

My main problem, and the reason for "only" 3 stars, is that I could not fully connect with the author, her story, and her experiences (maybe because of my age (I'm 22)?). I could not fully feel some of the poems and stories and read them without feeling anything. But with others, it was the complete opposite. I felt without realizing I had read (if that even makes sense)... So maybe, it is the perfect book for anyone, because everyone can find something to relate to or learn about in this collection. Most likely, this is a me problem, so check this book out and give it a try!

The cover alone is worth the try 😍

Some of my favorite quotes:

""Making myself presentable," has always been paramount.
The preparation of my outside has always taken priority over the state of my insides."
⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘
""I would have died without feeling this,"
has entered my mind countless times since life turned the lights back on."
⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘
""He would never" was how I opened every answer [...].
With no idea that I was talking in my sleep every time."
⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘
"Some fights can only be won,
if your goal in the beginning,
was to be alone in the end."
⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘
"Life comes down to a series of trust falls.
Keep learning to let go."
⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘
"You will never be the same again.
But you weren't supposed to be."
⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘⁘
"Will "shoulds" keep me away from the shores?"

Special thanks to NetGalley, Empowered Press Publishing and Lainey Oslin for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Kay Tarson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my quest to continue to grow in emotional maturity, I choose books that both resonate and challenge me. I bought this book as a divorce present to myself and it delivered just what I had hoped for. Things for me to think about and work through. It also underscored my thirst to be outside and hike some local paths that I had never even noticed before. Lainey Oslin's very personal words are the perfect balance between TMI and enough meat for it to make sense. Buy the book! Do your inner work!

[Emi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book as a meal: A comforting meal that my mom made, and while eating she tells me about her life
The book left me: Curious and hopeful of my aging and future experiences in life

Why did this call out to me?
I really liked the design of the cover, and the synopsis sounded like something I needed at the time

Pick-up-able? Put-down-able?
Pick-up-able, really enjoyed reading this and reflecting on my own womanhood

Progression?
There is absolutely an underlying story here. It felt like we went a bit back and forth from a dark place, a good place, and back to a dark place again.

Issues:
Arrangement of the contents can be a little messy and hard to keep up with
Not organized chronologically

Good things:
Relatable topics, either to myself or people in my family
Feels hopeful even in the darkest of times
Beautifully told lifestory in the shape of poems

How did it feel to read?
I am having a conversation with either my mom or grandma about my life, and she in turn talks about her life and experiences. We are having a vulnerable moment, and that is beautiful.

What mood would I read this in?
Migth come back to this again if I become a mother in the future to see if I connect even more with the poems. Otherwise, if I need some motherly words and none of the women in my life is available, this will bring some of that same comfort

Where does this fall in my tier list ranking?
A tier. Beautiful collection, and resonated deep within me

Favorite poems:
im not the same again today
origin story
recovering
moving day
ransom demands
messes
my valentine
what god does | part 5

[Chelsea Bowman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t know if I would like this book, because I didn’t know how much I would actually be able to relate to it. I’m not divorced, I don’t have kids. BUT, I actually was able to relate to a lot of Lainey’s poems, simply because I have gone through my own traumatic experiences and I have experienced pain in my own life. I learned that even if our exact situations aren’t the same, we can still glean from other people’s lives and feel less alone because of what they have gone through. This book of poems is beautifully written, both raw and emotional! Well done, Lainey Oslin!

Thank you Net Galley and publishers for an advanced copy!

[Desney King · Rating 5 out of 5]

A unique and powerful memoir, written as a series of raw, tender, revealing poems.
I had the great privilege of being one of the first people to read this book (thank you to the author and Empowered Press for the advance copy).
This is the cover endorsement I wrote.

Oslin's unique perspectives on universal themes offer profound insights, inspire self-reflection, and glitter with tears, laughter, honesty, courage and hope. This is a treasure to be read cover to cover, and a first aid kit for your soul.

It's a book you can open at any page and know your day will be richer for having read it.
Wonderful!

[Knicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

🌲✨😭❤️‍🩹🥹📝🏔️
I truly believe anyone, from any walk of life or age, will be able to find pieces to resonate with and examine in their own life. In one moment, easy to digest lines help to process complex issues life can throw your way. In another, stories filled with the joys and insights you can find when you least expect them fill you with hope for your own journey in life.

[Shannon I · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was able to get a signed copy from my local bookstore which is always nice to have. It didn’t do much for me overall, but there were some good bits of wisdom here and there. Hard to rate someone’s life in poetry form.

[Sarah (blissbubbley) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made it a mission of mine to read more poetry this year. This was a lovely poetry memoir. It felt more personal than just reading text, poetry made this seem more heartfelt. Really lovely.