The Martian by Andy Weir

Wow it’s been a while since I’ve posted about my latest readings. . . Whoops!  Don’t worry, I have been reading.  And reading a lot for that matter.  First off, let’s talk about my book club reading of The Martian by Andy Weir.  

The Martian is about an astronaut, Mark Watney, who gets stranded on Mars after a wind storm forces his team to evacuate. With no way to communicate with his team or NASA back on earth, Mark has to rely on his brains and his sense of humor to survive until a rescue mission can be arranged.  Initially, both his team and NASA thought Mark dead, but after telescope pictures captured Mark and his temporary home, they all do whatever they can to help Mark survive.  Eventually communication is set up and Mark is able to work with NASA to arrange for his rescue.  With many bumps along the way, Mark’s rescue and survival is put into question. Readers are left on the edge of their seat until the very end of the book.

I didn’t think I was going to enjoy this book.  It is definitely not something I would EVER pick up on my own.  Man am I glad we chose this book though!  I really loved it.  Even though I didn’t understand every little detail of his survival (it is pretty Science-based) I was able to enjoy it.  Andy Weir is very good at making even the most complex, science-y scenarios relatable for all.  The sense of humor Weir gave Mark really makes the book.  If Mark had been given any other personality I think the book would have been boring and hard to read.  Because Mark was able to make jokes and make the most of his horrible situation, the book was enjoyable and fun. 

Good news for me and anyone else that has read and loved this book. They are turning it into a movie, set to release November of this year.  While typically I like books way better than movies, I think seeing how Hollywood portrays Mars and the different scenarios Mark finds himself in will be very interesting.  I’m definitely going to see this, maybe even with the book club.  Bonus, Matt Damon is playing Mark Watney.  Man  do I love me some Matt Damon J  There are actually some other big names set to play in the movie.  Check it out on IMDB.

There are more posts to come!  I’ve read a decent amount of books since the last time I posted.

Until next time,

Tara