Audiobook Review: Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks

Posted on September 11, 2012 · 5 Comments

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend
by Matthew Dicks
Publication Date: August 24, 2012
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Source: ARC copy from BEA (print and audio)
*****

My Thoughts

Jamin. Jumbly. Cynthia. Sarah.

I was an imaginative kid. I had not one, but FOUR imaginary friends. We did everything together. But, alas, they faded away, as many imaginary friends do. I never really thought about them having their own lives. But, this book has made me think of imaginary friends in a whole new way! Budo, the lead character in Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend is unique as far as imaginary friends go. He’s been alive for five years! He’s helped Max, his human friend, navigate the world of home and school for a long time. Max is special. From Budo’s description, the reader is led to believe that Max has autism. So, Max has relied on Budo and Budo loves Max. They are best friends. Budo helps Max make decisions, keeps guard while he goes to the bathroom, and tells him if his mom kisses him one too many times before she goes to bed. Their relationship is special and, as a reader, I felt it. Even though Budo is a figment of Max’s imagination, Budo came alive on the pages.

But when Max’s teacher kidnaps Max and no one sees it but Budo, he must figure out a way to save Max before it is too late! But, in doing so, Budo realizes that by saving Max, it might mean the end of himself. As long as Max believes in him and needs him, he will continue to exist. So, Budo is torn between wanting to help Max get away and wanting to save himself, because Max will eventually stop believing in him.

This book is heartfelt, at times laugh-out-loud funny, and at times sad. I would have loved a bit more detail on Mrs. Patterson’s (Max’s teacher) motives for kidnapping Max. There were some hints and I can make my own conclusions, but I wanted more about the WHY she did it. The audiobook narration is top notch and this is one of those books that I would definitely recommend listening to. It is phenomenal. Here is a clip for your enjoyment:

http://media.us.macmillan.com/video/olmk/macmillanaudio/MemoirsOfAnImaginaryFriend.mp3

And thanks to Macmillan Audio, I have one AUDIO CD copy to give away to USA residents! Just fill out the form below with your name and e-mail address. That’s it! Giveaway will end one week from today on Tuesday September 18 at 11:59pm EST.


 

Tell me about your imaginary friends – did you have one (or two, or three, or four?)? What was his/her name? What did you do together?

 

*****

Filed Under: Book Reviews, Crazy Fabulous Tagged With: , , , ,

Book Review: Following Atticus by Tom Ryan

Posted on September 10, 2012 · 1 Comment

Following Atticus: Forty-eight High Peaks, One Little Dog, and an Extraordinary Friendship (P.S.)
by Tom Ryan
Publication Date: August 7, 2012
Publisher: William Morrow
Source: Free copy for review from TLC Book Tours

After a close friend died of cancer, middle-aged, overweight, acrophobic newspaperman Tom Ryan decided to pay tribute to her in a most unorthodox manner. Ryan and his friend, miniature schnauzer Atticus M. Finch, would attempt to climb all forty-eight of New Hampshire’s four thousand- foot peaks twice in one winter while raising money for charity. It was an adventure of a lifetime, leading them across hundreds of miles and deep into an enchanting but dangerous winter wonderland. At the heart of the amazing journey was the extraordinary relationship they shared, one that blurred the line between man and dog.

Following Atticus is an unforgettable true saga of adventure, friendship, and the unlikeliest of family, as one remarkable animal opens the eyes and heart of a tough-as-nails newspaperman to the world’s beauty and its possibilities.


My Thoughts

As soon as I saw the cover of this book, I knew I had to read it. I have two miniature schnauzers so I knew this would be a very special book.

And I was not disappointed.

Tom Ryan is a journalist who publishes his own newspaper, The Undertoad, in Newburyport, Massachusetts. He uncovers all the secrets of Newburyport, naming names, getting to the heart of the politics behind every story and printing everything he discovers, despite enormous pressure not to do so. But, even while he says he is fulfilled in his work, he was not fulfilled in his life. Something was missing.

It took a little dog to help him find it.

Atticus Maxwell Finch.

Atticus and Tom

From the beginning, there is something special about Atticus. Tom’s trials through puppyhood are hilarious, and as Atticus grows up, he becomes his own unique being. When Tom’s brother invites him and Atticus on a hike, Tom accepts, hoping to draw closer to his family. That hike changes Tom and he sees something in Atticus  - “It was as if he were made for the mountains” (pg. 49). They begin climbing other peaks, embarking on a quest of self-discovery. Something changes in Tom and Atticus when they are climbing the mountains. Life changes. Spiritual realizations emerge. The busyness that consumes daily life goes away and it is just about a man and a little dog, who leads the way for Tom.

When Tom’s friend succumbs to cancer, Tom and Atticus attempt to do something that’s rarely been done – climb all 48 of New Hampshire’s 4,000 foot peaks TWICE in one winter while raising money for charity. This is a feat that will test Tom to the limits of his physical health. And the mountains have much in store for Tom and Atticus.

This book captivated me. Each trek up the mountain, I could picture little Atticus marching proudly, showing Tom the way. It also made me think of my own schnauzers and the pretty mundane lives they have lived! :) This book is ultimately about a man who is looking for meaning and purpose in his life. And he discovered it in a most unusual place – through a relationship with Atticus M. Finch and by trekking the 4,000 foot mountains of New Hampshire.

Tom Ryan’s blog, Facebook page, and Twitter account

NOTE: Be sure to follow the Facebook page for videos and pictures of Atticus and of his brother Will!

And for your enjoyment, I leave you with some pictures of my miniature schnauzers!

Cody – Age 7

Tyson – Age 6

Tyson and Cody (my boys and brothers – from different litters)

*****

TLC Book Tour Schedule

Wednesday, August 8th: Peppermint PhD

Thursday, August 9th: Tiffany’s Bookshelf

Tuesday, August 14th: BookNAround

Thursday, August 16th: The Book Garden

Monday, August 20th: Wordsmithonia

Wednesday, August 22nd: Miss Remmers’ Review

Thursday, August 23rd: Book Dilettante

Thursday, August 23rd: A Musing Reviews

Monday, August 27th: 4 The Love of Animals

Tuesday, August 28th: Champion of My Heart

Thursday, August 30th: Something Wagging This Way Comes

Thursday, August 30th: StephTheBookworm

Monday, September 3rd: No Dog About It

Tuesday, September 4th: Book Club Classics

Monday, September 10th: Crazy For Books

TBD: My Tail Hurts From Wagging So Much

TBD: My Bookshelf

*****

Filed Under: Blog Tour, Book Reviews, Crazy Amazing Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Audiobook Review: The Daughter’s Walk by Jane Kirkpatrick

Posted on July 13, 2012 · 4 Comments

The Daughter’s Walk
by Jane Kirkpatrick
Publication Date: April 5, 2011
Publisher: Waterbrook Press
Source: I received an ARC of this book from Amazon Vine for review last year, but I ended up listening to the book on audio which I got from my library.

*****

Taken from an actual historical event, author Jane Kirkpatrick tells the story of suffragette Helga Estby who, in 1896, accepts an almost impossible task. Starting in her home state of Washington, she must walk across America to New York City within seven months. If she succeeds she will receive $10,000, which will save the family farm from foreclosure. Along the way, she will be promoting a new dress style and showing that women are strong and independent. Taking along her 18-year-old daughter, Clara, the women set out on their journey. They are met with numerous obstacles, threatening situations, and illnesses that hamper their progress. When they return home over a year later, they are met with severe hostility from the rest of their family and are forced to never speak of “The Walk” again. Clara, unable to accept these new restraints put on her, chooses to leave the family and make her way on her own, attempting to achieve financial independence of her own doing.

The book starts off fantastic. A mother and daughter embark on a journey together to help save their family’s livelihood. They must earn money to support themselves by taking odd jobs, selling their portrait, or speaking at events. They must battle the elements, people, and most of all, each other, if they are to make it. During their walk, secrets are revealed, memories are shared, and the women form a close bond. Since so few historical details remain from the actual walk, the author did use the historical premise to create a fictionalized version of the walk as it could have happened back in 1896.

However, “The Walk” only encompasses a small part of the book, which is disappointing. Much of it recounts the details of Clara’s life after the walk when she left her family to make her own way in the world. I feel that this is when the book lost some of its luster. Clara meets and begins to work for two women, Olea and Louise, who become like family to her. These women are not fictionalized. They were actual people who were part of the real Clara’s life (in fact, the author uses the real life names for nearly all of the characters in the book). Since these women are involved in the fashion industry, Clara becomes interested in it as well. The book takes an odd turn and seemed to meander endlessly about the fur industry and animal-trapping, which is not what I was expecting. Clara seemed to be trying to find her way in the world through any means necessary that would bring her financial gain.

This book is classified as Christian Fiction and there is an overarching theme of God’s provision throughout the book, but it does so in an unassuming way. Clara does seem to struggle with her faith, but the end of the novel did not bring any full resolution to that issue.

The narrator is fantastic. Each character’s voice is distinguishable and well-accented. I really enjoyed listening to this book mainly because of the narrator. The story bored me at times, but I liked hearing each character’s voice come to life.

Overall, this is a good book. It was not quite what I was expecting after reading the synopsis. I thought there would be more of the walk, so I was disappointed by that piece of the novel. I was also expecting more of a resolution to Clara’s faith journey considering the book is in the Christian fiction classification. It’s a nice story spanning many years, but it did not quite live up to what I expected.


*****

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