Book Review: The Martian by Andy Weir

The Martian by Andy Weir

Completed: February 19, 2014
Length: 384 Pages

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Apollo 13 meets Cast Away in this grippingly detailed, brilliantly ingenious man-vs-nature survival thriller, set on the surface of Mars.

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first men to walk on the surface of Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first man to die there.

It started with the dust storm that holed his suit and nearly killed him, and that forced his crew to leave him behind, sure he was already dead. Now he's stranded millions of miles from the nearest human being, with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive--and even if he could get word out, his food would be gone years before a rescue mission could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to get him first.

But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills--and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit--he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. But will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

Fiction or Non-Fiction? Genre?: Science-Fiction.

What Lead You To Pick Up This Book?: Blogging reviews. I love stuff like this and everyone seems to love it so far. I had to see what the buzz was all about. Plus, Michelle told me I would love it.

Summarize the Plot: It's the future and we have got to Mars. The book starts off circulating around Mark Watney. We read his log entries after he winds up being stranded on a planet he just stepped foot on. He is thought to be dead, but fate had a different story in mind. Now he is struggling to survive and assuming death is in his immediate future. It's a real struggle! Then the people still on Earth start circulating into the story. If it was just Mark, it might be a bit boring, but all the different viewpoints add to the story. Us readers, and all the people still on Earth, are basically waiting to see what happens to Mark and doing everything they can to help him survive.

What Did You Like Most About This Book?: Man... Where does one start? Firstly, I have always been a bit fascinated with Mars. I think it is pretty exciting if we wind up there. And, this book is so believable! You can tell Weir did his research. We may not have actually got to Mars yet, but he has it very believably plotted out. The entire time we visited with Mark on Mars, I believed it. The science, the characters, etc all worked so well. I also liked the mixture log entries, for Mark, and other media for the other characters. And, the pop culture references. One of Mark's crew members was a big fan of Disco and old TV shows. It added even more facts to the story.

What Did You Like the Least?: There were a couple moments when the action slowed down, but not really struck me as bad with this book.

What Did You Think of the Writing Style?: I really liked it! It was a page-turner almost the entire time. And, like I said above, I really liked the mixture of different methods of telling the story. Weir definitely knows how to make a very readable story!

What Did You Think of the Main Character?: Mark is quite the character! For starters, he is really witty, sarcastic, and funny. I loved him and I think that is a lot of reason why I enjoyed this book so much. He made a bad situation entertaining!

What Did You Think of the Ending?: Holy page-turner! I actually got this book on audio because I HAD to know what happened and turned the pages REALLY fast as the book got going. I am not even entirely sure if I retained everything. I kind of want to hug the book and I really really hope Andy Weir can keep the momentum going and follow up with an awesome book.

Strongly recommended! You will finish it and want to read it again!

Random Acts of Senseless Violence by Jack Womack

Random Acts of Senseless Violence by Jack Womack

Completed: February 9, 2014
Length: 256 Pages

Synopsis from Goodreads:

With his vivid, stylized prose, cyberpunk intensity, and seemingly limitless imagination, Jack Womack has been compared to both William Gibson and Kurt Vonnegut - though Gibson admits, "If you dropped the characters from Neuromancer into Womack's Manhattan, they'd fall down screaming and have nervous breakdowns". Random Acts of Senseless Violence, Womack's fifth novel, is a thrilling, hysterical, and eerily disturbing piece of work.

Lola Hart is an ordinary twelve-year-old girl. She comes from a comfortable family, attends an exclusive private school, loves her friends Lori and Katherine, teases her sister Boob. But in the increasingly troubled city where she lives (a near-future Manhattan) she is a dying breed. Riots, fire, TB outbreaks, roaming gangs, increasing inflation, political and civil unrest all threaten her way of life, as well as the very fabric of New York City.

In her diary, Lola chronicles the changes she and her family make as they attempt to adjust to a city, and a country, that is spinning out of control. Her mother is a teacher, but no one is hiring. Her father is a writer, but no one is buying his scripts. Hounded by creditors and forced to vacate their apartment and move to Harlem, her family, and her life, begins to dissolve. Increasingly estranged from her privileged school friends, Lola soon makes new ones: Iz, Jude, and Weezie - wise veterans of the street who know what must be done in order to survive and are more than willing to do it. And the metamorphosis of Lola Hart, who is surrounded by the new language and violence of the streets, begins.

Simultaneously chilling and darkly hilarious, Random Acts of Senseless Violence takes the jittery urban fears we suppress, both in fiction and in daily life, and makes them explicit - and explicitly terrifying.

Fiction or Non-Fiction? Genre? Fiction. Science-fiction.

What lead you to pick up this book? Jo Walton. She talks about it in What Makes this Book so Great, you can read the essay on Tor.com here, and she ponders why this book is not better known. It is one of her favourite books and many people have never even heard of it. I had never heard of it before, so it was the first book I wanted to read because of her.

Summarize the Plot: Well, it's kind of random... There is violence on the street, the presidents keep dying, and there are dust clouds... We have no idea why. Instead we follow Lola Hart and her family through the difficult times. Her parents both can't get work in the current economy which forces Lola to go from an upper-middle class lifestyle to just getting by. The experiences and friendships change Lola and we watch the transformation.

What did you like most about this book? It's different. How have I never heard of it before? It definitely should be better known and wider read. It addresses issues that are illuminating to current circumstances. It also shows everything from the viewpoint of a child forced to grow-up quickly. She is still trying to have her 'childhood' moments, though. I liked that even with her being young it was still believable for her to write older and not be the scribbles of a young person with no details.

What did you the least? It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but as Lola lives longer and longer in a 'rougher' area... She starts talking like them. It made what is actually a rather short book take a bit longer to get through. Like I said, no necessarily a good thing, and I understand why he did it, but it is worth mentioning.

What did you think of the writing style? The book is told through diary entries. Sometimes this can be really good for me, and sometimes it is terrible. Thankfully, this worked well. As I said above Lola had to grow up fast in many ways, so it made the writing style believable in providing details. It was a very personal way to tell about what was a horrible, and unhappy, life.

What did you think of the main character? For the most part, I really liked Lola. There were times where I didn't, but you could understand where she was coming from. I find that by the time I got to the end of the book I really knew who she was, what she has gone through, and where she was headed. It made for some unpleasant reading at times!

What did you think of the ending? I actually really wanted more... The ending was pretty clear on what was going to happen after she finished the last page of her diary, but I still wanted to watch it all unfold. I am pretty sure this is a standalone book, so I guess I will never find out for sure. I find myself thinking about Lola and her future and the difficult things she had to face, though, so it was a good ending.

I am so happy I read this book! It was really good, will make you think, and I need to see what else Jack Womack wrote!! (It is also one of those books I am not sure I effectively reviewed...)

Audiobook Review: Henrietta's War by Joyce Dennys

Henrietta's War: News from the Homefront 1939-1942 by Joyce Dennys

Completed: January 11, 2014
Length: 3 Hours, 47 Minutes (158 Pages)
Narrated by: Mandy Gasson

Synopsis from Audible:

Spirited Henrietta wishes she was the kind of doctor's wife who knew exactly how to deal with the daily upheavals of war. But then, everyone in her close-knit Devonshire village seems to find different ways to cope: There's the indomitable Lady B, who writes to Hitler every night to tell him precisely what she thinks of him; the terrifyingly efficient Mrs. Savernack, who relishes the opportunity to sit on umpteen committees and boss everyone around; flighty, flirtatious Faith who is utterly preoccupied with the latest hats and flashing her shapely legs; and then there's Charles, Henrietta's hard-working husband who manages to sleep through a bomb landing in their neighbour's garden.

With life turned upside down under the shadow of war, Henrietta chronicles the dramas, squabbles, and loyal friendships that unfold in her affectionate letters to her "dear childhood friend" Robert. Warm, witty, and perfectly observed, Henrietta's War brings to life a sparkling community of determined troopers who pull together to fight the good fight with patriotic fervour and good humour.

Henrietta's War is part of The Bloomsbury Group, a new library of books from the early 20th-century chosen by readers for readers.

What Lead You to Pick Up the Book?: I was curious. I have heard good things about this book for ages and planned to buy it at Christmastime, but there was a reason that I couldn't. So, I went the audiobook route instead. I still would like to own the paperbacks at some point.

Summarize the Plot: The novel is entirely told from Henrietta's point of view through letters that she writes to her friend Robert. Robert is serving in the war, and Henrietta is keeping up to date on life on the home front. Through her letters, we learn about her husband and the cast of colourful characters that make up her community. By the end of the book, you feel as if you have been visiting with old friends.

What Did you Like Most About the Book?: I think my favourite part of the book is how everything comes to life during Henrietta's letters. Henrietta herself is the focal point, but she describes others so well that you feel as if you know them. There is Lady B, for example, who writes a letter to Hitler every evening telling him what she thinks of him. Then there is Faith, who has the choir master wrapped around her little finger. The choir master himself comes to life by visiting Henrietta in her bedroom to lament about his fate in the world. 

What Did you Like Least?: I wanted more. The book is very short, and I wish it wasn't. There is a sequel, though, and I may feel better once I have read that. (I am just disappointed that it is a different narrator for the audio because now Henrietta won't sound right.)

What Did you Think of the Writing Style: Well, I love books told through letters. I know there are many people that don't feel it gives enough to have a book written that way, but I am a huge fan and some of my favourite books are written through letters, diaries, etc. (This is why I joined the Postal Reading Challenge this year). I think that Dennys does a very successful job of telling what life was like on the Home Front during World War II.

What Did you Think of the Main Character?: Henrietta was very human. When there was something to be scared of, she was scared. When there was action going on, she got in the midst of it when it was necessary and ran away when it wasn't. Dennys made her seem like a real person instead of attempting to create a larger than life or impractical British woman. There was one scene where she gives blood that was particularly well-done and believable.

What did you think of the ending?: The book only covers the first part of the war, so I tend to think of the sequel as the real ending. That being said it ended fine and with no compulsion to have to read the sequel, but I want to see how things play out for Henrietta, her family, Robert, and the members of her community during the rest of the war.

Strongly recommended!

Thoughts on the Audio: I liked Mandy Gasson. She did a very good job talking in the conversational tones of the letters that Henrietta was writing to Robert. I went to see what else she has narrated, but this is her only book. As I mentioned above, I am disappointed she doesn't narrate the sequel.

Some House-Keeping AKA More Plans for 2014...

Hosted by The Indextrious Reader

January 1, 2014 - December 31, 2014

There are a few ways to participate in this challenge:

Postcard Level:   Read and review 4 books with a postal theme.

Snail Mail Level:   Read and review 8 books with a postal theme.

Parcel Post Level: Read and review 12 books with a postal theme.

Air Mail Express Level:   Read and review 12 books with a postal theme AND commit to sending more old fashioned letters this year. At least 12 pieces of mail (or more!), and you can share numbers or even images of your mail art in the quarterly roundups.

The key is to read and review books with a postal theme. These can be non-fiction on the subject of letter writing, collections of real letters, or epistolary fiction of any era. Be creative! Review each one and link back to the challenge -- there will be quarterly roundup posts for you to link reviews and posts to as you create them.

My Thoughts: um, yeah, this is so me! I love this and I am so excited and I have all ready been hunting down books! In a more coherent sentence format, I would love to reach the Air Mail Express Letter because I love sending mail! My Christmas cards alone, which some may be after Christmas cards, are more than 12... It will just depend on how my reading for the year goes. It also works out that two books I was considering for January fit the challenge.

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Literature and War Readalong 2014

Hosted by Caroline at Beauty is a Sleeping Cat.

The Books:

January: The Black Flower by Howard Bahr

February: The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

March: March by Geraldine Brooks

April: Toby's Room by Pat Barker

May: Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo

June: Fear by Gabriel Chevallier

July: The Lie by Helen Dunmore

August: Undertones of War by Edmund Blunden

September: My Dear, I Wanted to Tell You by Louisa Young

October: Phoenix and Ashes by Mercedes Lackey

November: Flight Without End by Joseph Roth

December: Letters from a Lost Generation by Vera Brittain and Four Friends

My Thoughts: I really hope I can stick with this because I would love to finally participate! I all ready have The Black Flower. I had to get an audio copy from Audible because it is out-of-print in Canada and my library didn't have it. There are a couple others I can't get easily either, but I will take it a month at a time. I own March and Phoenix and Ashes. I actually read My Dear, I Wanted to Tell You in 2012, I think, and liked it. I hummed and hawed but decided to get rid of it in my most recent purge. I guess it will be coming back for a reread! (I bought it for a few people after I read it, so someone will just have to lend it to me!) The book I am most excited about is Letters from a Lost Generation because I was saving it to read this year for the centennial and am tempted to buy it now instead of waiting... But, well, I have to wait...

Hosted at The Worm Hole.

January 1, 2014 - December 31, 2014

During this time you choose a book to read from each of the following categories (examples of books you could choose are in brackets):

• A reference to time (Eleven Minutes, Before Ever After)
• A position of royalty (The People’s Queen, The Last Empress, The Curse Of The Pharaoh)
• A number written in letters (The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, A Tale Of Two Cities)
• A forename or names (Rebecca, Eleanor & Park, The Unfinished Work Of Elizabeth D.)
• A type or element of weather (Gone With The Wind, Red Earth Pouring Rain)

Extra information

• Books can be any format (print, audio, ebook).
• It’s preferred that the books don’t overlap with other challenges, but not a requirement at all.
• Books cannot overlap categories (for instance my first example, Eleven Minutes, could be used for category 1 or 3 but not both).
• Creativity for matching the categories is not only allowed, it’s encouraged!
• You don’t have to make your list of books beforehand, you can choose them as you go.
• You don’t have to read your chosen books in any particular order.

My Thoughts: I wasn't going to do another challenge and I probably won't complete most of these goals I am setting for myself.... But, I am going to try another because it is fun. I have joined before but I forget about it. I need to do better!!

A Reference to Time: 

A Position of Royalty:

A Number Written in Letters:

A Forename or Names:

A Type or Element of Weather: