September 2022 – Page 2

Review: Some of It was Real

Title: Some of It was Real
Author: Nan Fischer
Genre(s): Mystery, Romance
Pages: 352
Source: Own
For: Recommended
Rating:
Sexual Content:

Goodreads Amazon

There's a trigger warning for this book. See Trigger Warning section at end of review for more details.

Goodreads Synopsis

Sylvie Young, a psychic on the verge of stardom who isn’t sure she believes in herself and, Thomas Holmes, a cynical journalist with one last chance at redemption are brought together by secrets from the past. When Sylvie and Thomas collide, a game of cat and mouse ensues, but the secrets they’re keeping from each other are nothing compared to the mysteries and lies they unearth about Sylvie’s past.

My Thoughts

When I read Wendy’s review of SOME OF IT WAS REAL, I put it on hold at my local library right away. There was a little bit of a wait, but I finally got it and read it. I’m glad I did because I really enjoyed this book.

The enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity tropes are two of my favorites and SOME OF IT WAS REAL didn’t disappoint. The execution of the enemies-to-lovers trope was excellently written, producing a spicy slow-burn romance. Sylvie and Thomas’ constant worry of out-smarting the other while falling in love was a treat to read, and the cat and mouse game dynamic made the story fun and exciting.

I loved the inclusion of Sylvie’s beloved service dog, Moose. Even though as a Great Dane he comes across as a bit scary, he’s a lovable teddy bear. Thomas’ cat, Christopher Robin, reminded me of my Daxi-cat, who recently passed away due to old age. I loved Chris’ demeanor and her interactions with Moose. Each pet was written as a beloved companion, endearing me more to the two main characters and making SOME OF IT REAL a much richer story.

My memories are a nest of spiders suddenly caught in bright light. They skitter to dark corners.

SOME OF IT WAS REAL is a a heart-wrenching story that asks the reader to believe in something unseen. It’s also about love, acceptance, and truth. I’m glad I was a part of the journey to find out who Sylvie was. I thought the premise came across as realistic given the circumstances of her past. Skeptical at first like Thomas, the more I learned the more I believed in Sylvie as a person and a psychic-medium.

I would’ve given SOME OF IT WAS REAL 4.5 or 5 stars, but the ending wasn’t quite as satisfying as I wanted it to be. I did love the feeling of hope and how it coincided with believing in something intangible. View Spoiler »

Have you read SOME OF IT WAS REAL? If so, what did you think?

Trigger Warning

There is a trigger warning for loss of a parent and loss of a pet.

September 19, 2022/10 Comments/by Jenni Elyse

Sunday News

Sunday News #36

Sunday Post and Sunday Salon are blog news memes hosted at Caffeinated Reviewer and Reader Buzz, respectively. It’s a chance to share news, recap the past week on your blog, and showcase books and other things.

Feeling

I’m feeling a bit blue this week. I’m still muddling through all the things I need to do; my PTSD therapy’s just taking its toll on my mental health. I know what I’m doing is good for me in the long run, and it’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.

Blogging

This week on the blog:

Reading

I finished reading SOME OF IT WAS REAL by Nan Fischer this week. My review’s posting tomorrow. I was a bit disappointed with the ending, but I still loved the story and premise. I also finished listening to the HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE audiobook. I’m still trying to decide if I’m going to post anything about it. Probably not since it’s my sixth time reading it.

I’m back to reading WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING by Delia Owens. I’m hoping to finish it early this week. Then, I’ll start FEED by Mira Grant (Seanan McGuire) or LOVE ON THE BRAIN by Ali Hazelwood. I’m really excited to read both!

I also started the HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS audiobook on Friday. This book gives me ALL the feels.

I learned in DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) that life is full of dialectics, or two opposing truths. In this case, the two opposing truths are: 1) I don’t agree with JKR’s stance regarding trans people, and 2) I still love Harry Potter.

Listening

After a particularly hard day with my PTSD therapy this week, I spent some time listening to my instrumental playlist. Instrumental music soothes me like no other music, especially music in the minor key. I really love piano music; though, I love fully orchestrated pieces too. Anyway, I’m sharing one of my favorite songs from my playlist. It’s called “Halston” by Stephan Moccio.

Watching

Corey and I finally saw BULLET TRAIN. It was amazing! We both loved it so much. I want to see it again soon! I loved one of the cameos SOOO much. (If you know me and you’ve seen the movie, you’ll know who I mean. Hint, take a look at my celebrity crushes.) Anyway, the actors were fantastic. I also loved that the director embraced Japan in all its glory. Like others, I thought it was very reminiscent of both volumes of KILL BILL. Corey, a Tarantino aficionado, said it was more like a marriage between Tarantino and Wes Anderson.

We also finished rewatching the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE movies. I really love the team they’ve put together for the movies. I do hope Jeremy Renner comes back in one or both of the next two films.

I also watched the finale of MASTERCHEF and let’s just say that I couldn’t be any happier!

Loving

I really loved this week’s Let’s Talk Bookish discussion. We were asked to discuss what we’ve learned from blogging, any advice we’d give new bloggers, our favorite and least favorite things about blogging, and anything we would’ve done differently. You can read what I said by clicking the link in the BLOGGING section.

Wanting

I want to watch SEE HOW THEY RUN. It looks like a fun movie with a star-studded cast. Have you seen it or watched the trailer? What do you think?

Needing

I need to become more healthy. I’m just not sure I can put in the effort needed to reach my goals while I’m in PTSD therapy. I’m already grumpy and irritable and I don’t want to push Corey over the edge any more than I already have because of my emotional dysregulation.

I’ll begin in earnest after I finish PTSD therapy. In the meantime, I’ll try to work on doing small things, like drinking more water, regulating my sleep schedule, eating less sugar, and maybe taking short bike rides in the evening. These changes might even help me regulate my emotions more effectively.

How was your week? Anything exciting happen?

September 18, 2022/47 Comments/by Jenni Elyse

Let's Talk Bookish

Let’s Talk Bookish #3

Today’s Question(s) is …

What have you learned since you first started blogging? What advice would you give to new bloggers? What is your favorite thing about blogging? What is the hardest part of blogging for you? Is there anything you wish you’d done differently with your blog?

My Answer(s) is …

I started blogging back in June 2007. Before that, I maintained a personal website that I painstakingly created by coding with html and CSS. I like blogging a lot better because I can focus more on what I’m writing than on what I’m coding.

Blogging has been a huge part of my life and I’ve learned a lot. I’m more creative and I’ve learned to be okay with me. I can express myself better and I’ve made so many awesome friends. Even though I still struggle with my voice, I’ve learned to be a little more free with my writing. (I was a technical writer for nearly a decade and that rigidity doesn’t leave easily. Because of technical writing, my writing’s much more formal than how I actually speak. I’m still trying to learn how to write more conversationally.)

The best advice I can give new bloggers is to be yourself. Even though you’re writing for an audience, you need to enjoy what you post. Otherwise, blogging will become a chore and you’ll want to stop. Trust me. Been there, done that.

Taking time to blog hop is my second best advice. Not only is it a great way to make friends, you’ll also gain more followers. The friendships you’ll make are definitely worth the time and effort you’ll expend blog hopping. Interacting with others is most definitively my favorite part of blogging.

The hardest part of blogging for me is pushing through my depression and continuing to blog even though the last thing I want to do is write or comment on other blogs. Fortunately, the skills I’ve learned in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) this past year have helped me learn to cope when I’m emotionally dysregulated.

The only thing I wish I’d done differently is not delete 14 years’ worth of blog posts in a moment of emotional dysregulation. Thanks to Feedly’s archiving feature, I can at least access my posts from May 2013 onward.

How about you?

September 16, 2022/12 Comments/by Jenni Elyse

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday #34

Books with Geographical Terms in the Title

This week’s prompt is “Books with Geographical Terms in the Title.” My first thought when I saw the prompt was, I’m not sure how many books I’ve read qualify. I used Jana’s link to geographical terms, cross-checked it with every book I’ve marked as Read on Goodreads, and I found ten books. I haven’t read some of these books since 2007 or earlier! Anyway, here’s what I found:

What about you? Which books did you find with geographical terms in the title? Do we have any in common?

September 13, 2022/69 Comments/by Jenni Elyse

Sunday News