The Car Share by Zoe Brisby

 A ninety-year-old woman with Alzheimer's and a depressed young man end up sharing a car ride from France to Brussels that changes both their lives forever.

The plot:  Alex and Max (short for Maxine) could not be more different. Alex is an introvert, quiet, and lacking in self-confidence. Max is loud, stubbornly determined, impulsive and a bit wacky. When she first meets Alex, she thinks he must be a drug addict because he's so thin and pale. But he's just depressed. And floundering. And Max decides to 'save' him and get him to have fun and love life again before she goes to Brussels to die. And when Alex learns of Max's plan to be euthanized before her Alzheimer's gets worse, he decides to do everything he can to convince her to change her mind and keep living. Together, this mismatched pair forms an unexpected bond of love and friendship. 

My thoughts:   I was looking for a light-hearted, quirky kind of book when I stumbled upon this one at my library. And it's so humorous and fun! Talk about bookish serendipity. I love how Max draws Alex out of his shell and helps him deal with his depression and his panic attacks. Their arguments and their banter made me smile. And I loved all the crazy mishaps they get into on their road trip to Brussels. And Alex's concern for Max is very touching. Best of all, it has a happy ending. Which is exactly what I needed.  

My rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Reading!

Cyclops Road by Jeff Strand

 

The plot in brief:  

Evan Portin's life is not going very well. His wife died two weeks ago and his boss just fired him. Then, walking through a park at night, he sees a young woman being mugged. But when he tries to help, he ends up getting mugged himself while she fights off her attackers. Her name is Harriet and she's not an ordinary young woman. She's following a prophecy: headed to Arizona in order to slay a Cyclops. Evan doesn't quite know what to think about that, but he's got some time on his hands, so he offers to drive her. And soon her quest becomes his. 

My thoughts:

Cyclops Road is unexpected, quirky and entertaining. I loved Evan's dry sense of humor and all his sarcastic comments and thoughts. The way he gets drawn into Harriet's quest despite his skepticism was pretty amusing. Along the way they team up with Seth, a D&D gamer, and Maurad the Berserker, a volatile cage fighter. Seth was an immediate favorite. There's a light-hearted sense of fun about this book that makes it a great summer read. It's very typical Jeff Strand. And it made me smile. 

Happy Reading!

Similar reads:

The Haunted Forest Tour by James A. Moore and Jeff Strand

Helen & Troy's Epic Road Quest by A. Lee Martinez

 

The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise by Colleen Oakley

"In life, there were two kinds of friends: friends who would wish you well on  your journey to battle, and friends who would jump in the trenches with you."

I won a copy of this book on Goodreads and I absolutely loved it! Total opposites, Tanner and Louise are such unique and memorable characters. At 84, Louise has definite views on just about everything. She hates the indignities that come with growing old. And she has a secret past. Tanner, on the other hand, is just 21. She lost her soccer scholarship because of a leg injury, and now she spends her days playing video games so she doesn't have to deal with her rage or grief. She's also Louise's new live-in caretaker. 

Together these two are hilarious. They so don't like each other at the beginning. I loved the wit in Oakley's writing and the banter, the humorous interactions between Tanner and Louise, their different POVs, their snark and sarcasm, and their unexpected friendship. And when they end up on the run together because of Louise's past? Talk about a madcap cross-country adventure. This book is entertaining, amusing, surprising, and heartwarming. A definite 5-star read!

Happy Reading!

Similar read: 

The Big Finish by Brooke Fossey