Summary of Cars I Could've, Should've, Kept: Memoir of a Life Restoring Classic Sports Cars, by Jackson Brooks

Rev up your nostalgia with Jackson Brooks' memoir, 'Cars I Could've, Should've, Kept,' a humorous and heartfelt journey through classic car restoration.

So, you think you're the ultimate car enthusiast? Well, buckle up, because Jackson Brooks is here to take you on a ride through the winding roads of nostalgia, regret, and the occasional oil spill in his memoir, Cars I Could've, Should've, Kept. This spirited recounting of his love affair with classic sports cars will make you both sentimental and slightly envious.

Brooks dives right into the grease-stained memory lane with tales of his most beloved rides-those beauties he should have held on to tighter than a rookie holding onto their first guitar. You know the feeling: a sweet deal slips through your fingers, and suddenly you're left dreaming about what could have been. From vintage Mustangs to decked-out Jaguars, Brooks seduces his readers with colorful narratives of the classic cars that graced his life, each with their own twinkling headlights' worth of quirks and challenges.

Throughout the book, Brooks passionately describes his adventures in restoring these magnificent machines, all while balancing the struggle of adulting (because apparently, you can't just live in the garage forever). Spoiler alert: some of those cars had more personality than your average Tinder date, and like those dates, not all of them ended well.

You'll find yourself laughing at the mishaps and misadventures in car restoration as Brooks delves into his youthful exuberance, a splash of misguided optimism, and more than a few heartaches as he reminisces about what each vehicle represented. There are plenty of moments where you'll want to shout, "Why didn't you just keep it, dude?"-but hey, hindsight is 20/20, right?

Brooks also sprinkles in tales about the car community, where every gearhead is a potential friend or foe, depending on the shade of your paint job. His encounters with fellow enthusiasts, local mechanics, and car shows highlight the bond that fuels this passion, all coated in a witty glaze of familiar banter and the inevitable rivalries that come with the territory.

The memoir isn't solely a catalog of vehicular woe; it's also a tribute to the lessons learned along the way. Brooks intertwines life lessons with car restoration metaphors that are so relatable you might just want to start collecting vintage parts too-seriously, who wouldn't want a life lesson wrapped in a shiny, classic chassis?

Now, before you start expecting a happy ending: spoiler alert, Brooks does end some relationships-with cars-and it's a bittersweet conclusion that leaves you wondering about the roads not taken. As he reflects on his choices, it becomes clear that this isn't just a book about cars; it's about the journey (pun totally intended) of growing up, learning from mistakes, and accepting that not every classic car will find its way back into your garage.

In summary, if you're ready for a funny, heartfelt ride through the heart and oil of a true car lover's life, buckle up and dig into Cars I Could've, Should've, Kept. You might just find your next classic dream car or, at the very least, a chuckle at the thought of holding onto things a little tighter-whether they're chrome bumpers or relationships.

Maddie Page

Classics, bestsellers, and guilty pleasures-none are safe from my sarcastic recaps. I turn heavy reads into lighthearted summaries you can actually enjoy. Warning: may cause random outbursts of laughter while pretending to study literature.