Title: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour
Author: Morgan Matson
Published: Simon & Schuster, 2010
How I Got It: Purchased from Amazon
Why I Read It: The premise sounded interesting
Rating: 5+ stars
Summary: Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew--just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn't seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she's coming to terms with her father's death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road--diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards--this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself (from Goodreads).
Review:
Have you ever loved a book so much that anything you write just doesn't do it justice? I've been trying to write a review for this book for the past three weeks. This review has been rewritten at least four times.
I absolutely loved this book. It was epic. It was amazing. I was so sad when I was finished with it because it meant that I was done traveling with Amy and Roger. Since I am unable to write coherent sentences and paragraphs in regards to this book, the review will be done in bullet points (I hope you don't mind).
Reasons Why This Book Is Amazing:
It's about a road-trip. I love road-trips! It's been way to long since the last time I went on one.
At the beginning of each chapter there is a song lyric or quote.
Roger makes at least seven different music mixes for the cross-country journey. Each play-list is in the book. New music? Yes please!
Road-trip essentials according to Roger: snacks and music (and gas)
All of the little "extras" in the book: pictures, menus, receipts, notes, emails, and drawings. They add so much to the story!
The detours Amy and Roger make: Yosemite, The Loneliest Road in America, Colorado Springs, Kansas, Kentucky, Memphis, North Carolina
The adventures that happen because of the detours they made
Even the secondary characters in this book are amazing. (Bronwyn was definitely my favorite).
It's a fun book that deals with some heavy issues - death, grief, guilt, overcoming a fear
There is so much more I want to say about this book BUT if you decide to read it I want you to be able to discover all of the awesomeness for yourself and to develop your own first impressions of the characters.
Now I have an urge to read more books about road trips! What's your favorite road trip book? Fondest road trip memory?
Where I got It: I actually won it in a contest. =)
Why I read it: He's one of my favorite authors!
Rating: 5 stars
Inside flap description:When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family. Be even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her... a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo's empathetic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards... and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven. This was actually a really great book. At first I didn't think I liked it, and it took me a minute to get into, but I would definitely recommend it to everyone. I feel like Nicholas Sparks wrote this book a lot differently than he did his other books. While yes, this is still a romantic love story, it's not quite as "gushy" as his others have been. But, that doesn't take away from his story, or the way he wrote this particular book. The way the book is written is kind of like in parts. In the beginning you're told about her moving to Southport and not being very outgoing, then you've got the part where she briefly speaks about her past, then another happier part, and so on. We don't find out about what exactly the kind of past she had until well into the book, closer to the end. I'm not sure if i like this or not. It felt like it was backwards to me. The 'good' was first, then the 'bad' was second. Usually books have what happened bad happen in the beginning of the book, then the middle to end of the book is how they over come the struggle(s). But Sparks did it the total opposite, which made for an interesting book. Apparently this book has already been sold to become a movie. I kept this in my mind as I was reading it and I basically kept picturing it has a mysterious, love story with a side of horror mixed in. That's pretty much how the book goes down. It's heartwarming, and has a few funny parts, it'll make you smile, and you'll actually find yourself scared during parts of it too, wondering if the characters will escape the madness that they're going through. I do believe, however, that this is the first book that Sparks has written that hasn't made me cry. But! Don't get that confused with it being a bad book, because it's not at all. He still did a fantastic job writing it, even without the heartbreaking, sobbing and crying stuff that his other books have. But then again, maybe it's just me and I wasn't in the "crying mood". You be the judge if it's a tear jerker! I highly recommend this book. I don't really have anything bad to say about it. It's a quick, sort of light, heartwarming, family loving, learning about your past and moving on book. I think you should go read it today!!
Title/Author: The Shining by Stephen King Publisher/Year: Signet, 1978 How I Got This: One of my own! Why I Read It: Stephen King is my favorite author, and this is one of his classics! Rating: 5 Stars!
For those who don't know, here is a quick little summary of the story:
What of the penetrating cold terror of an old hotel, a haunted place of seductive evil with a malevolent will of its own--and a five-year-old boy of innocent beauty whose mind mirrors the nighmarish secrets of its past? Behind every door of the Overlook's 110 empty rooms there is a chamber of horror. Little Danny knows of these things because he has the terrible power--the shining.
My review:
Oh man was I creeped out reading this book! It got so bad that I had to put the book down from time to time, and I had to pick up another book to lighten the mood. I felt like Joey from Friends. Once again, Stephen King is a genius. My favorite part about this book is that the scare factor doesn't come from any monsters or anything that goes bump in the night (well...kinda), but rather the emotional horror that the characters are put through.
I'm not usually one for scary movies. Anymore, I think they're cheesy and overdone. The Shining is one of very few movies that officially scares the hell out of me. That being said, I think the book scared me worse. In the movie, you can't really delve into the psyches of the characters, whereas in the book, especially with Jack, we get to see how torn he is and then eventually his demise. Speaking of Jack, he is officially one of the creepiest mf-ing characters out there. But that's what was so great about the book. You really get a chance to view his inner demons that ultimately tear him apart.
Comparing the book to the movie even further, I enjoyed Wendy's character much more in the book. Her motherly instincts are right-on. I thought she was just whiny in the movie. And Danny probably ranks as one of my all-time favorite characters.
As I've said before and will probably say many times again, I think the reason why Stephen King rocks at what he does is his characters. Besides probably Harry Potter, I have never read better hashed out characters in my life.
So if you're looking for superb character development along with a good (HUGE) scare, I highly recommend this.
Title and Author:Black Swan Rising by Lee Carroll Publishing Info: Tor Books, August 3, 2010
How I got this book: I signed up to win it on Goodreads, and I won!
Why I read this book: The premise of the book sounded really interesting and intriguing. I think I was more excited to win this book than any of the other first reads I've won!
This book caught my eye in the long list of Goodreads book giveaways because of the title and the intriguing cover. Once I read the description, I eagerly signed up to win. I'm so glad I did! This book was rich with beautiful literary writing, dynamic characters, and a complex plot. “Lee Carroll” is a collaboration between award-winning mystery novelist Carol Goodman and her poet and hedge fund manager husband, Lee Slominsky. I loved the integration of mystery, intrigue, poetic writing, and exquisite descriptions. These two make an awesome team, and I hope they continue to write novels together in the future.
I really pity the person who was put in charge of writing the blurb on the back cover of this book! This plot was so complicated, that during the entire book I was wondering how on earth I'd be able to summarize it for my review! Just this once, I guess I'll take a shortcut and copy the book's blurb. Kudos to the blurb-writer! I don't think they get nearly enough credit. Anyway, here goes!
When New York City jewelry designer Garet James stumbles into a strange antiques shop in her neighborhood, her life is about to be turned upside down. John Dee, the enigmatic shopkeeper, commissions her to open a vintage silver box for a generous sum of money. Oddly, the symbol of a swan on the box exactly matches the ring given to her by her deceased mother. Garet can’t believe her luck and this eerie coincidence until she opens the box and otherworldly things start happening.
That evening, the precious silver box is stolen. When Garet begins to investigate, she learns that she has been pulled into a prophecy that is hundreds of years old, and opening the box has unleashed an evil force onto the streets of Manhattan and the world at large. Gradually, Garet pieces together her true identity—one that her deceased mother desperately tried to protect her from. Generations of women in Garet’s family, including her beloved mother, suffered and died at the hands of this prevailing evil. Does Garet possess the power to reclaim the box and defeat this devastating force? On her journey, she will meet the fey folk who walk unnoticed among humans and a sexy vampire who also happens to be a hedge fund manager that she can’t stop thinking about. But the fairies reveal a desire to overpower mere humans and the seductive vampire has the power to steal the life from her body. Whom can Garet trust to guide her? Using her newfound powers and sharp wit, Garet will muster everything she’s got to shut down the evil taking over her friends, family, New York City, and the world.
This was right up my alley! I started reading it as soon as I could, and I was pulled in by the time the first page was read. As I said, and will probably say again, the writing is lovely! There were a few typos that the editor missed… some misspelled words, and some words that were most likely supposed to be different words. I knew what they meant, though, so I can look past that. Luckily, there was just a handful.
The story takes place in present-day NYC with elements of history, the arts, and Shakespeare. Again, right up my alley. I really liked the main character, Garet, which stands for Margaret (named after her mother Marguerite—which is an important detail). She’s courageous, spunky, and has a good head on her shoulders. She has to go through a lot in this book, seeing as how evil is slowly escaping and seeping into everyday life. At the very beginning of the book, her father gets shot and some valuable artwork is stolen from their business. An investigator comes and believes her father staged the whole robbery and shot himself. This storyline is an underlying part of the entire rest of the story, and has Garet deeply troubled. The evil influences, which come in the form of fog and feelings, weigh heavily on her friends and her father… even the world around her. The evil actually coaxes someone into trying to commit suicide. Garet is the only one who knows why all of this is happening, but she doesn’t sit and complain about it like some heroines do. Instead, she follows in the footsteps of the women she descended from, in order to try and defeat this evil. Through it all, she has this wonderful sense of humor! It helps that she has sidekicks along the way, particularly a small fairy and a sexy vampire. Boy, does this book make him sound amazing! He swoops in and protects her when she needs him (even though he’s forbidden), which makes you want a vampire of your very own.
Now, don’t worry! When I say vampire, I’m not talking Edward Cullen. If you hate Twilight, don’t worry. You can read this book and still hate Twilight. The authors put a totally different spin on vampires, and it’s really a tiny, tiny part of the story. Even though this vampire is a romantic interest, the romance is almost non-existent. If you don’t like romance, don’t be scared away by this book. It’s extremely minimal. The main focus is on Garet’s discovery of this new world, and what she plans to do about it. Along with the fey and the vampire, she encounters an alchemist, a dragon, a water goddess, and some other interesting people that are not who they appear to be. She experiences so many different things, goes through every emotion, and flip-flops between who to trust and who to steer clear of. It’s a crazy web of events and feelings, but it was written in a way that was not at all confusing. I’m just having a hard time doing it justice, but I actually see that as a good thing!
What I loved about this story was that it was so unpredictable. I didn’t know what was going on until Garet did. I found myself questioning every character right along with her. Is this guy on my side? Should I be worried about this? What’s going to happen next? I had no idea how the ending would work out. I was shocked every time she was. I trusted the same people she did. It’s like I was doing the thinking for her. That was refreshing, as many mysteries can be easily solved before the book is over.
The only complaint I had was that Garet’s father and close friends slowly slipped into the background. I guess when you’re one woman fighting off the evils of the world, while being sought out by Mr. Evil himself, and befriending a romantic vampire you don’t have much time for family! However… the characters were likeable, so I wish I got to learn more about them.
BEWARE: Cliff-hanger ending! This better be a trilogy, or it should at LEAST have a sequel, because the ending was just too shocking and frustrating to deal with. If readers are not rewarded with a second book, I’m not sure life will be ok. Just sayin’.
Overall, I’m giving this book a good solid 5-star rating. I’m not one to re-read books, but I really want to re-visit this one soon. It’s been almost two weeks since I finished it, and I’m still thinking about it. That’s a REALLY good sign, especially since I’ve read two books since I finished this one. If you love a good urban fantasy, a strong heroine, a little mystery, evil lurking around every corner, amazing and beautiful writing (see, I told you I’d mention it again), detailed descriptions, a smidge of romance, a dash of action, and a hint of Shakespeare, then I think you’ll love this book! Oh, and if a book #2 rolls around, I’ll be sure and let you know… because I’m determined to be one of the first to find out!
Book/Author: The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
Publisher and Year: Penguin Group 2006
How I got it: I bought it
Why I read it: It came highly recommended by one of my friends, plus I love alternate tellings of famous stories.
We all know Lewis Carroll’s famous story. Alice Liddel stepped through the looking glass into Wonderland and had many adventures.
Only… it’s all a lie. Wonderland is real. Alyss Heart is the heir to the throne, until her murderous aunt Redd steals the crown and kills Alyss’s parent’s. To escape Alyss and her bodyguard, Hatter Madigan must flee to our world through the Pool of Tears. Unfortunately in the pool Alyss and her bodyguard are separated. Lost and alone in Victorian London, Alyss is befriended by an aspiring author, to whom she tells the violent, heartbreaking story of her young life. Yet he gets the story all wrong. Hatter Madigan knows the truth only too well, and he is searching every corner of our world to find the lost princess and return her to Wonderland so that she may battle red for her rightful place as the Queen of Hearts.
This book was so enjoyable! There was just something that kept drawing me back into the story. The world that the author has created is so full of magic and wonderful things. I love the way that the author took things from Lewis Carroll’s famous story and just tweaked it a bit. The Mad Hatter is Hatter Madigan, the brave and mysterious bodyguard. The Cat is an assassin with nine lives. The Cards are the soldiers . I was on a cruise with my family when I read this for the first time, I spent many a happy hour out on the balcony of our room with this book in hand. When I finished it I felt almost depressed. Happy because I had just finished a really good book, but so sad that it was over. I had enjoyed it that much. Of course I was overjoyed to realized that it was the first in a trilogy.
I give it 5 Stars. It was imaginative, well thought out, the characters were real and endearing, with humor, action, magic and a touch of romance. Overall, a great read.
[For those of you who may be unfamiliar with Margaret Atwood, she is a Canadian author, perhaps most famous for her 1985 novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, for which she won the Arthur C. Clarke Award. She has written many other novels, including The Edible Woman, Alias Grace, and The Blind Assassin (for which she received the 2000 Booker Prize), short story collections (one of which, Wilderness Tips, I just read and will be reviewing in a couple weeks), and poetry collections. She is also an environmental activist and is involved in Canadian politics.]
While, like with most book lovers, it is impossible for me to pinpoint my favorite author, Margaret Atwood definitely hovers around that #1 spot. My first introduction to Atwood was my junior year of high school, when I read The Handmaid’s Tale. That book basically blew my mind, and I knew I wanted to read more of her work. Though I unfortunately have not actually gotten to read very many more of her books, I follow her on Twitter, where she is very active, and read her blog posts. One of my favorite things about Atwood is that she is an activist at heart; she stands up for what she believes in, both through her writing and her actions. As an example, a few weeks ago she signed a petition against Fox News expanding into Canada, a signature that was met with a scathing attack from a Canadian newspaper. Instead of hiding from the public or retracting her signature, she upheld her signature and kept her fans updated on everything that was happening and her opinions on it. Despite being very busy flying around the world as part of her book tour for her most recent book, The Year of the Flood (a companion novel to her 2003 Oryx and Crake), she still constantly fights for social justice and the environment, and interacts with those who admire her.
Recently, in fact, Atwood participated in a Goodreads Q&A group, in which fans asked her all sorts of questions about her books (particularly Oryx and Crake, The Year of the Flood, and The Handmaid’s Tale), her writing habits, and writing and literature in general. While much of the discussion would provide many spoilers to someone who hasn’t read the novels, I’ve selected some (spoiler-free) questions and answers that I found pinteresting.
Regarding a question about the abundance of food in her writing:
There are two answers –
1) Literary: As a young person, I was disturbed when the characters in books never got anything to eat, or when they were actually starving or going hungry, as in Oliver Twist and Les Miserables. Also I read a lot of animal stories and food is very important in them. So I try to give my characters something to eat when possible.
2) Real life: I was young during the war when there was rationing; people thought a lot about food, what was scarce, etc. And I spent much of my childhood in the northern bush — we had a garden (no shops nearby) and caught fish, etc. So I have always known where food comes from. I have known about wild foods all my life and have prepared and eaten many. (I raised the money to start PEN Canada by writing a book called “The CanLit Food Book,” which juxtaposes fiction bits and poems about food with recipes by authors - some of whom can’t really cook... There’s a recipe for “toast,” for instance.) In the 70s we lived on a farm and had chickens and other animals and a huge vegetable garden, & did a lot of canning, drying, preserving etc.
On reading fiction out loud:
Some things lend themselves better to oral renditions, and some authors are better than others at reading their own work. But it’s unfair to expect everyone to have all ideal qualities. (I don’t for instance at all like the way Yeats read his own poetry, and kind of wish I’d never heard the recording..) I don’t much like my own reading voice when it’s recorded. I think it’s a curiosity, but that the real “reading” takes place when book meets reader...
On her future books:
I am indeed working on a third book [to go along with Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood] -- it is tentatively called MaddAddam and will follow the fortunes of that group of people, including Zeb. But at the same time I am working on the Ellman Lectures, Emory in October, which will then be a book: In Other Worlds: SF and the Human Imagination. It will include some of my other writings on SF (Sci Fi, Spec Fic, S & S/Fantasy, Slipstream Fiction...)
And, finally, one fan asked if she had “any good suggestions where to ride out the impending global pandemic,” as that which occurs in Oryx and Crake and The Year of the Flood, a question to which she provided a serious, and helpful, answer:
I think Toby’s [character in YOF] choice of a spa in a park would be good... But any place where you can seal yourself off from actual contact, with an adequate food supply etc. ... As this one sweeps through very quickly, you wouldn’t have to be cut off for years, just some months...
If you’d like to see Atwood’s other responses, including some interesting answers to specific questions about her novels, you can check out the group here.
Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!
Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers answers. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND sign Mister Linky at the bottom to share with us and all those who are participating. If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Don't worry if you can't come up with ten every time...just post what you can!
This week's topic:
Top Ten Fictional Crushes
Jen's Picks:
Oskar from Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close: If I was eight years old I would be in LOVE with Oskar. We'd definitely get married on the playground during recess.
Wes from The Truth About Forever: Sa-woon! He's the artistic one, I want him to make me my own sculpture out of stuff he finds at the junkyard.
Gale from the Hunger Games Trilogy: He's strong, dependable, he cares for his family, and not afraid to stand up for what he believes in.
Marcus from Sloppy Firsts (the Jessica Darling series): I haven't finished the series yet but I have a soft spot for Marcus. I loved his day of the week t-shirts and cryptic messages to Jessica.
Roger from Amy & Roger's Epic Detour: Who wouldn't want a cute boy to take a cross-country road trip with? If you cry in front of Roger he's not going to freak out on you, he'll give you his sunglasses to wear so people can't tell you've been crying. Plus, he makes amazing mix CDs.
Dexter from This Lullaby: Be careful, when you first meet Dexter he might accidentally knock you off your feet (literally). But he's passionate about music, funny (his band has a song about potatoes), he loves his dog, and he never gives up.
Shay from Nightshade: Okay, so I haven't even read this book yet (it comes out today!) but I loved the marketing campaign for Nightshade. I loved how you could interact with Shay online and read his blog and watch videos he posted. He seems like a good guy (plus, he's kind of cute!). Shay's Facebook.
Ethan from Something Blue: I read this book last year so I don't remember much about why I liked Ethan but he is incredibly patient (somehow he managed to put up with Darcy), and he currently lives in England.
Sam from Shiver (Wolves of Mercy Falls): I haven't read Linger yet so my opinion could change but so far I love Sam. He loves reading (even worked in a bookstore one summer) and comes up with little songs about Grace.
Edward from The Twilight Saga: Don't hate! I know most people over the age of 16 hate him. But when I read Twilight I liked how how he acted chivalrous and like a gentleman.
I had a lot of fun making this list! Now spill, who are your fictional crushes? I can't wait to read everyone's list!
Next week's topic: In the spirit of Halloween, Tahleen will be sharing her top ten scariest books!
Title: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour
Title/Author: 
by Stephen King
: Sa-woon! He's the artistic one, I want him to make me my own sculpture out of stuff he finds at the junkyard.
: Be careful, when you first meet Dexter he might accidentally knock you off your feet (literally). But he's passionate about music, funny (his band has a song about potatoes), he loves his dog, and he never gives up.
: Okay, so I haven't even read this book yet (it comes out today!) but I loved the marketing campaign for Nightshade. I loved how you could interact with Shay online and read his blog and watch videos he posted. He seems like a good guy (plus, he's kind of cute!). Shay's 
:
I read this book last year so I don't remember much about why I liked Ethan but he is incredibly patient (somehow he managed to put up with Darcy), and he currently lives in England.
: I haven't read Linger yet so my opinion could change but so far I love Sam. He loves reading (even worked in a bookstore one summer) and comes up with little songs about Grace.