But procrastination aside, July's book was The Martian by Andy Weir and I seriously enjoyed it. I won't lie, it was difficult getting into the story in the very beginning (with all the NASA jargon - like I'm still not 100% on what a MAV is) but once I became more acquainted with Mark Watney and his insane journey through Mars, I was hooked.
The gripping, desolate narrative tells the story of Mark Watney, an astronaut who becomes injured while on Mars, and thought to be dead. It turns out he was alive, and left completely alone on another planet. Weir writes the story with Watney's daily Sol logs to guide you, as well as brief intervals on Earth and the Hermes spaceship with the original crew. I liked the style of the narrative, it allowed the reader to develop a relationship with the main character, and boy did I.
Mark Watney's humor is unparalleled in this novel. I found it impressive that the main character was still able to keep his great sense of humor in the midst of utter loneliness and quite possibly death. My favorite one-liner from Mark includes a moment from a scene where he super glues his hand to his helmet and then immediately tells the reader, "Stop laughing." It was that engagement with the reader that really drew me in. I found myself waiting for those hilarious little bursts of comedy.
I won't ruin the ending for all you fine folks, but it definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. Reading The Martian was a great experience for me because it's a book I honestly might not have read on my own. I've never really been drawn to science fiction before, so I'm glad I created this book club to experience new genres and go on all different kinds of adventures through reading! PSA: Host a book club. You get to read awesome books, plus there's usually chips and guac.
So what are you waiting for? Walk...no, run. Wait, what am I thinking, just jump in your rover and head to the bookstore for your copy of The Martian! If you're a science fiction fan, or love a great adventure in space, check this book out.
Have you read The Martian? What did you think of it? Tell me your thoughts on the book in the comments!
