Review: The Road Trip Dialogues - Jass Richards

Hi there! I bring you, today, another one of Jass Richards' books. Previous books were "This Will Not Look Good on My Resume" and "The Blasphemy Tour", which were amazing and you can click the book titles to read the reviews.

Jass is a comedic author, full of feminism, atheism and irony on her books. She's funny, witty and outright adorable. I loved her previous books and since The Road Trip Dialogues is sort of like a prequel to The Blasphemy Tour, with the setup of the main characters and the actions that led to the Tour itself, I was more than eager to read it.

I had, however, issues getting started with the book. Somehow I felt like I wasn't getting in to the mood of the book, it didn't feel as funny or as smart as the ones I've read before. I knew it was there, but I wasn't on the same level, this time. So I took a break, read some other stuff, started my driving license mandatory classes and got my rhythm back.

Here we see Dylan and Rev getting back together after studying together in college (if I'm not mistaken). Rev is on her way to Montreal to see the fireworks and meets Dylan in the way. Dylan house-sits, randomly, so he doesn't have a proper house, but a storage, and he travels around staying in houses for people. He searchs and finds that there is a house to be sat in Montreal, so they go and do that. Well, not properly, as they always get things confused, but they try.

Probably the funniest part is about the cats. I had to stop reading and tell my mom that part, because she kept staring at me while I laughed out loud. So, the house owners have two cats, Fish & Chips, who are indoor cats. Accidentally, Rev lets them out, since her own cat is an outdoor cat and goes out and walks around and always comes back. But, since Fish & Chips are NOT outdoor cats, there's a big problem, they might just not come back. They start looking for them but can't find them. Suddenly, a couple of cats show up at the house and since they can't remember what color the cats were, they assume it's Fish & Chips. But, suddenly, when they see themselves with 6 cats instead of 2, they have a major issue - which ones are Fish & Chips?

After that, we see the sequence of events that leads to The Blasphemy Tour - namely, the Blasphemy charge for defacing a billboard against abortion with, yes, a Bible verse. Got to love these two. So they go to trial and all that. They also save a mommy and baby deer. But that's another story ;)

Jass, you are still a comedy genious. But I prefer the ideology-heavy parts, definitely!

Jass is working on a new book, I can't recall the name, but it's about having permission to have children aaaand I'm looking forward to it, eagerly.

I highly recommend this book, as well as Jass' other books.

You can buy The Road Trip Dialogues at Amazon.

Review: The Blasphemy Tour - Jass Richards

Jass Richards has done it again. As I tell anyone who wants to listen, Jass is a comedy genius, she writes the funniest books and always writes the most believable unbelievable characters and scenes. 

On The Blasphemy Tour, we meet Rev and Dylan, Canadian atheists and thinkers, who travel to the USA after being arrested for vandalizing a Christian billboard (with a quote from the Bible, nothing less: “‘Blessed are they that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stone.’ Psalms 137:9”) at the expenses and invite of the Atheist Consortium to give talks... On religious schools and universities.

I knew this book was a winner when, right at the American border, they manage to get their car disassembled for using the word bomb. Also, when a K9 unit dog kind of eats their special brownies... And dances the Thriller. No, really. When a dog does the Thriller, one simply knows the comedy is assured.

Rev and Dylan are not your ordinary guy and girl protagonists with sexual tension and a romantic interest, at all. They both defy gender roles and they are so smart and opinionated, it's both funny and made to think at the same time. They tour around the USA, on their lime green bus that says "There are no gods. Deal with it." and ends up having to be re-painted often (always sponsored by friendly atheist car paint shops), gather both a friendly group of, well, groupies and a decent amount of threats.

I wanted to give you some quotes from the book, but unfortunately, when I changed my ebook reading software (from Kindle app to something MUCH lighter for my phone), I lost the markings and now I don't have any quotes :(

While The Blasphemy Tour is hilarious, there is the thinking factor. Having recently re-discovered my political and social beliefs, it was very interesting to have the characters discussing them openly and I saw myself nodding almost all through the book. The only thing I disliked was the heavy use of drugs, where I just don't like them or anything that clouds your mind, your judgement. But it's not that big deal, anyways.

One of the scenes that stuck with me the most is when they go to jail... Because they were all dirty (fished XD) they toss themselves at a fountain and Rev takes off her shirt. The cops try to arrest her, but Dylan goes with her, since they were both shirtless and, as it is mentioned later, Rev has had a double mastectomy and has no, well, boobs, making them pretty much the same. The funny part is when they try to make the cops say WHY her bare chest is obscene and his isn't, specially when they lift their shirts to show that they are the same - minus nipples, he has nipples, she doesn't. Either way, think about it! :)

Overall, I highly recommend anything by Jass, specially this one book, which is full of comedy gold and food for thought.

You can buy The Blasphemy Tour on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords.
You can read my review of Jass' other work, This will not look good on my resume here.

Review: This Will Not Look Good on My Resume - Jass Richards

Jass Richards wrote the funniest book I ever read. And I can say that because I have NEVER ever laughed out loud literally with a book. And with This Will Not Look Good on My Resume I did. I laughed and people came asking me what was happening and I told them and they laughed too.

Or they were Mary Margaret. She heard a voice in her head. It was God. So the staff thought she was crazy. I thought they were jealous. Or just as crazy. And I told them so at the next staff meeting. 

“You all believe in God?” I asked, by way of explanation.
Of course. Nods and murmurs of assent all round.
“And you pray?”

Yes, indeed they did.
“But none of you hears voices, none of you hears God.”
No, we do not, of course not.
“So you spend your time—some of you, your life—talking to a god that doesn’t ever talk back. And,” I continued, “you don’t really expect him to.”

With very snarky and acid remarks, Brett (a very strong willed woman) keeps getting fired. But hey, at least she has fun. She has the most awful jobs, on the weirdest places - but's not because she can't get a better one, she's got a double degree in Philosophy and English... But her personality sort of won't let her be quiet - and that gets her fired continuously.My favorite job was the one I quoted above, the psychiatric facility... And dog walking. At least that one she was good at, no people. The least favorite was the Europe trip, it got a bit repetitive eventually.

Brett is a feminist canadian stubborn woman who doesn't hesitate in telling people her opinions - about anything and everything. She hates men. She believes - and I must agree - that it's their fault women are the way they are today (dumb as a doorknob) and that they're just DOING IT ALL WRONG. Sure, Brett WAY overreacts all the time. She exaggerates on her opinions, but's just for comedy's sake and to illustrate things we can't usually see if it's not overreacted.
Her remarks about life and the stupid things we do on a daily basis without noticing are really funny, the way she says those things that we are desperate to say (and our "shoulda said or shoulda done") just puts a smile on your face. 


While it is highly recommended for people with a dark sense of humor, feminists, guys who like to laugh at themselves or people who just enjoy life laughing at and with it, it is REALLY NOT recommended for people who take life seriously, get offended at things or, for some unknown reason, can't understand irony.


I can't describe how hilarious this is, so I'll leave you with a few quotes:

"Y'know why women can't play poker?" Mac asked, smiling nastily at me, rubbing in the exclusion. "They're no good at bluffing."
Hm. "Guess you've never had sex with a woman then, eh?"

But in Paris, cars always have the right of way. Even if the little green man in the light says it's okay to cross. Actually in Paris the little green man says "Okay-you can try-"

Florence is rather like Paris in its attitude toward pedestrians, because in Italy there are no sidewalks at all. Well, there are - but apparently they're for the cars.

At another company, temping as a lobby receptionist, I replaced all the goldfish in the ellegantly labelled 'Corporate Pond'. With piranha. (Though strictly speaking, I guess, 'replaced' isn't quite accurate)

You can buy This Will Not Look Good on My Resume with free shipping worldwide at the Book Depository: TWNLGOMR

Also, available in Kindle* and on Smashwords

   (for the price of a box of crackers)

Also available in print at Amazon

    (for under ten bucks)