Book Review: Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

AMY AND ROGER'S EPIC DETOUR

Author: Morgan Matson (Twitter)

Genres: Contemporary, Road Trip

Format: Hardback (Amazon)

Release Date: May 4, 2010

Reading Challenges: 2015 Goodreads Challenge

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.

oining 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.

Now I understand why bloggers/vloggers are always expressing there love of Morgan Matson. I absolutely loved this book!

Audiobook Review: Strike (The SYLO Chronicles #3) by D.J. MacHale

STRIKE

Book Series: The SYLO Chronicles, Book #3
Author: D.J. MacHale (Facebook | Twitter)

Genres: YA, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Mystery

Format: Audiobook (Amazon | Audible)

Narrators: Andrew Bates

Length: 12 hours & 12 minutes

Release Date: March 25, 2014

Reading Challenges: 2015 Goodreads Challenge, 2015 Audiobook Challenge

#1 New York Times bestselling author D.J. MacHale is back with the third book in the SYLO Chronicles. Once again, Tucker Pierce and friends must fight for their lives against the better-equipped SYLO. All bets are off in Strike—with twists so big readers will never see them coming—while the action and pulse-pounding suspense remain as high as ever. Fans will be sure to devour this incredibly satisfying conclusion.

OH MY GOSH, WHAT AN EPICALLY SPECTACULAR ENDING!!! I loved this series so much; dystopian at it's best.

Audiobook Review: The Martian by Andy Weir

Title: The Martian

Author: Andy Weir (Facebook)

Genres: Science Fiction, Adventure, Thriller

Format: Audiobook (Amazon | Audible)

Format: R. C. Bray (Audible)

Length: 10 hours and 53 minutes

Release Date: February 11, 2013

Book Club (Feb Book of the Month): Nerds and Novels (SoCal Chapter)

Reading Challenges: 2015 Goodreads Challenge, 2015 Audiobook Challenge

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first men to walk on the surface of Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first man to die there.

It started with the dust storm that holed his suit and nearly killed him, and that forced his crew to leave him behind, sure he was already dead. Now he's stranded millions of miles from the nearest human being, with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive--and even if he could get word out, his food would be gone years before a rescue mission could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to get him first.

But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills--and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit--he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. But will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

FIRST IMPRESSION:: From the very first sentence, I knew I was going to love this book.

Book Review: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Attachments

Author: Rainbow Rowell (Twitter)

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Format: ebook (Amazon)

Length: 327 pages

Release Date: April 14, 2014

Reading Challenges: 2015 Goodreads Challenge, 2015 MGR Reading Challenge

"Hi, I'm the guy who reads your e-mail, and also, I love you . . . "

Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.

Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now- reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.

When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories.

By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself.

What would he say . . . ?

FIRST IMPRESSION:: Jennifer and Beth are my kind of people! I love their banter immediately! This is such an interesting approach to a story. It's simple and yet, perfect. Pulled me right in. Jennifer and Beth are my kind of people! Their email exchanges are so entertaining. I love their humor, their wit and there pop culture references (hell yes STYX's Renegade is an amazing song). I can see how Lincoln couldn't stay away.

Audiobook Review: Breakable (Contours of the Heart #2) by Tammara Webber

Title: Breakable

Book Series: Contours of the Heart, Book #2

Author: Tammara Webber (Facebook | Twitter)

Genres: New Adult, Contemporary

Format: Audiobook (Amazon | Audible)

Narrators: Zachary Webber

Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins

Release Date: May 6, 2014

As a child, Landon Lucas Maxfield believed his life was perfect and looked forward to a future filled with promise - until tragedy tore his family apart and made him doubt everything he ever believed.

All he wanted was to leave the past behind. When he met Jacqueline Wallace, his desire to be everything she needed came so easy.…

As easy as it could be for a man who learned that the soul is breakable and that everything you hoped for could be ripped away in a heartbeat.

Tammara Webber, the New York Time best-selling author of Easy, now delivers a daring and entirely new perspective on love, and why falling for it is beyond our control.

FIRST IMPRESSION:: Landon in a hospital bed ... after. It was as awful as can be expected. I was not immune to cries for his mother; almost brought tears to my eyes in just a few sentences.

Book Review: Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Author: Daniel Keyes

Genres: Classic, Science Fiction

Format: Audiobook (Audible)

Narrator: Jeff Woodman

Length: 08 hrs and 58 mins

Book Club Pick: Nerds Read Books (part of The OC Young, Fun and Nerdy Meetup)

My Ranking:

Book Review: Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Book Series: Pushing the Limits, Book #2
Author: Katie McGarry
Genres: Contemporary Romance, New Adult, YA
Format: Audiobook (Audible)
Narrator: Christopher Gebauer & Brittany Pressley
Length: 12 hrs and 18 mins

My Ranking:

Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."

"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....

"I dare you..."

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....
Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.

But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all...

I LOVE THIS SERIES!!! Usually, I am not a fan of  dual narrations. Two much like a yo-yo, bouncing between two sets of personalities, two different takes on a story and so on. But, not so with this book. I feel like both Beth and Ryan are honest narrators. They react how they react and talk about there regrets and vulnerabilities openly and honestly, no matter what they are. And even through they're not that alike, it didn't feel like I was going up and down on a string. As a matter of fact, it never has with this series and that's what I  love most about McGarry's writing style. Her characters are unique and different, their accounts of how life plays out feels amazingly authentic and real. All of her characters become even better the more their flaws are exposed and that's a truly beautiful thing. What's surprising is that if I had to pick a character that I liked more, in either book, I would have gone for the male lead in both. Noah and Ryan are amazing. Nothing against Echo or Beth, but i prefer them.

What I most appreciate about McGarry's works is that she has a special talent for capturing the essence of the pressures of family, and exploring the dynamics in brutally honest and often devastating ways. No matter what, we are damaged by our families. Okay, maybe damaged is too strong of a word. Rather it's like your family leaves a sticky residue on your skin that exists always. Whether it's failed expectations, abandon hopes, disappointments, physical pain or hurt feelings they've given you, it's something you can never shake - it's always there. And no matter how hard you try to change yourself to shed it, it never really goes away. On the flip side, you give what you get. You hurt them too, leave your residue on them. Family is who you love and hurt the most... sucks.

While reading this book, I felt that Beth's residue was anger. It was her very special friend. Something she can whip out and use against the world. And it's a sad thing. Because when there's no one left to unleash that hurt and anger onto it turns inward. Corroding your happiness, or "lightness" as she called it. But I can understand where all the anger and resentment comes from because the accounts on the relationship between Beth and her mother are heartbreaking. And for Ryan, it was the pressure to be the perfect son. Exactly who is parents wanted him to be and to hell with his own wishes.

Also, After reading Book #1 and realizing that Beth had a deep secret in her past like Echo's, I prepared for the worse. Because Echo's was 10 kinds of f***ed up. Well, this one delivered again and ... damn. Just damn. It's heartbreaking.

One last comment is that, as a sports fan, I loved Ryan's reflections on baseball. So perfect!

Will I be progressing to the next book? Most definitely! This is definitely a favorite series, no doubt.

I think that both of the narrators did fantastic jobs. I preferred Christopher's narration a bit more. Could have been because I liked Ryan more as a character. But - I think both narrators connected with the characters and performed flawlessly. I will now be stalking both on Audible....

Book Review: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Book Series: Pushing the Limits, Book #1
Author: Katie McGarry
Genres: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Format: Audiobook (Audible)
Narrator: McLeod Andrews & Tara Sands
Length: 11 hrs and 03 mins

My Ranking:

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with freaky scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.

But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

This book definitely caught me by surprise. I had reservations; I wasn't expecting the plot to be as developed as it was. No disrespect to McGarry. But thankfully I was extremely wrong. This author delves so deep into her characters and puts everything on display. Even her secondary characters. That's what makes the story beautiful. I could explain what exactly I mean but I think it would take away from the experience. Read it for yourself. It's amazing.

Noah was my favorite character in this book. It was easy to see how Echo fell in love with him - or rather why. I loved how he didn't even see her scars. He just saw Echo. His siren.

There love story was so romantic. It was modern but sweet and real. Loved it. I really liked Echo too. It was strange but I liked her more from Noah's perspective than from her own. She felt more sure of herself. Or maybe that's just how he saw her. Probably a testament to McGarry's writing style.

Oh my god... her mother. What a monster. I wasn't expecting her to be an actual monster. But she was still - after all that time - quite frightening. I'm glad that Echo got her closure. I'm also glad that Echo finally understood her father and where he was coming from. She easily could have stayed bitter.

McLeod Andrews is also a brilliant narrator. I felt like he really got into the core of Noah and made me connect with him that much more. Tara Sands also gave a great performance.

Book Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Book Series: Divergent, Book #1
Author: Veronica Roth
Genres: Dystopian, YA
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Emma Galvin
Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins

My Ranking:

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

I loved this book! The world building was pretty mazing. I thought that the faction system was really interesting. How these people had to pick an aspect of themselves and live there lives that according to that one trait. To be always brave, always honest, always peaceful, always selfless or always intelligent; that's asking for so much. And especially the way that the initiation system is run. To choose to stay with the faction/family that you're born into, or to abandon everything you've known to become the person you really are, or at least the person you believe you are inside. And for that choice to be public. To have to stand in front of your entire community and denounce your family, friends and your whole world. The consequences are pretty dire because that choice isn't even the most difficult thing you'll have to do. You then have to prove yourself worthy to your new faction. And if you don't, you become one of the factionless - you become no one, nothing.

I loved Tris so much. It's great that she was such a strong character but was vulnerable, too. There was a realness to her that sometimes is lacking with this type of voice. I think that Tris was a great character because she had the courage to defy expectations and be the person she thought she was. In a society where your life is determined by one guiding principle, you can only imagine how hard her choice was.

The relationship between Tris and Four was pretty amazing. I really enjoyed their chemistry. I believed in the sincerity of their feelings. This was a very volatile world these two characters were thrown into and for them to fall for each other amid the chaos was pretty remarkable. I do believe in the authenticity of their relationship. I don't believe it was a case of circumstance. I believe that if Tris and Four knew found other in Abnegation they still would have had a chance. I hope they last.

An excellent start to the series. I thoroughly enjoyed the development of the story and characters. Tris is someone that I can both admire and root for. I love a strong heroine. Can't wait for the next one!

This audiobook is how I discovered the awesomeness that is Emma Galvin. She brought Tris to life in such an excellent was. There's such conviction in her voice. Her pacing was perfect; she propelled the story forward with the intensity of her tone. I really felt like I was right there, experiencing everything alongside Tris. It was thrilling and I loved every second of it!

Emma is a phenomenal voice actress and my absolute favorite. She's brings her characters to life effortlessly and can capture even the tiniest emotion with her vocal inflection. I have have almost finished every audiobook she's ever read. Yes, she's that good. And if you don't agree, don't even bother saying so. You can't convince me otherwise!

Book Review: Wrangled and Tangled by Lorelei James

Book Series: Blacktop Cowboys, Book #2
Author: Lorelei James
Genres:  Western, Erotica, Contemporary Romance
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Scarlet Chase
Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins

My Ranking:

Wrangling a sweet-talkin’ cowboy can be dangerous business...

The West was not so wild for Janie Fitzhugh. Living with her rancher husband, Abe Lawson, in rural Wyoming nearly broke her spirit, so she left. But eight years later, she returns to Muddy Gap to take a job at a new resort. When an unexpected danger arises, Abe seizes the chance to protect Janie and prove he’s a changed man.

Janie’s employer at the Split Rock Ranch and Resort, Renner Jackson, has gotten himself tangled up in a devil’s bargain trying to finish the construction. His new partner’s daughter, Tierney Pratt, is a spoiled daddy’s girl and off-limits–no matter how drop-dead gorgeous she is. But Tierney’s got her own secret reasons for keeping the rough-and-tumble cowboy at a distance.

When things get down and dirty at the resort, Abe and Renner must saddle up and fight to rope in the women they can’t imagine living without...

DING, DING, DING, WE HAVE A WINNER!!!! James hit her stride with this one! Renner Jackson. Wow, just wow. Everything about him oozed charm and sexiness. When he first popped up in the series, I was only marginally intrigued. So you can imagine I was extremely happy to get to know more of his sexy self! I really enjoyed his back story, as well.

And then, there's Tierney. Finally - a woman I connected with. I really understood Tierney. Also, a girl who gave back just as much as these alpha men give ... and then some. Renner and Tierney have the best chemistry out of all of the couples in the series so far - and maybe out of all of James' characters. They do hot and cold so, so well.

Like I mentioned, I connected with Tierney a lot. Especially her late bloomer/virgin storyline. She wasn't all unsure or timid or scared (besides the typical), but someone who just waited until it felt right. Too many people pity - or tease - people who lose their virginity "later" in life. But hey - not everyone just got it over with. James handled Tierney respectfully in this respect and I appreciated it.

As for Janie and Abe... meh. It was a cool story about a former husband and wife getting a second shot. But again, I didn't connect with Janie at all. She made me angry a bit with how she carried herself. I did like Abe, though ... but, that's expected because all of James' cowboys are hot, hot hot! And also his big secret was quite a surprise, but that's all I'll say.

I really liked all of the Split Rock backstory, too. It was interesting to see how the resort came together and how Tierney was brought in as representing the financial end. I hadn't had any exposure to any business dealing like that before. So hey, I learned something - bonus!

This one was funny, heartwarming and was really hot. It was my absolute favorite Blacktop Cowboy's story. I can't wait for Kyle's story. He's one of my favorite guys and deserves a good woman who appreciates him. Hopefully, that's what's in store.

The tiny speck of a town called Muddy Gap, Wyoming holds a special place in my heart. This is one of my favorite series and this book was my absolute favorite. 5 stars, James. It's perfect!

Scarlet Chase is fantastic. She's got a great drawl but still speaks clear. She also is excellent at capturing the masculinity of these charming cowboys. Her performance enhanced my enjoyment of the story so much that I decided to stay "audiobook-loyal" to this series and will not read the printed version.