Review: The Martian by Andy Weir

The Martian by Andy Weir
Publisher: Crown
Publication Date: 02-11-2014 (First Published 2011)
Genre: Science Fiction
Source: Personal Library
Goodreads ~ Barnes and Noble ~ Amazon
Six days ago, Astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.
After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate the planet while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded on Mars' surface, completely alone, with no way to signal Earth that he's alive. And even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone years before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, Mark won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first.
But Mark's not ready to quit. Armed with nothing but his ingenuity and his engineering skills - and a gallows sense of humor that proves to be his greatest source of strength - he embarks on a dogged quest to stay alive, using his botany enterprise to grow food and even hatching a mad plan to contact NASA back on Earth. As he overcomes one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next, Mark begins to let himself believe he might make it off the planet alive.
But Mars has plenty of surprises in store for him yet. {Goodreads}

You know what is the most amazing thing about this book? That it came about because Andy Weir was trying to think through what it would take to carry out a Mars mission FOR FUN. You know what I do for fun?  I crochet and watch Netflix. Actually, lately I've been watching The Martian over and over and over. But that's for another blog post. Today we're talking about the book.

Mark Watney is one of the best characters I've read in a long time. He has intelligence and confidence in his intelligence, which allows to to survive alone on a desolate planet. He's cynical and sarcastic and has a fantastic sense of humor. Watney uses ingenuity to push through in the face of unbelievable odds. This is true science fiction. Watney uses science to work through each obstacle systematically. He work one problem and then moves on to the next. It's both how he works and thinks on a any given day and how he manages to stay sane.

Andy Weir has a great writing style and has created fantastic characters. What I love about The Martian is that it's a smart book. The science and space travel is explained in a way that is not dumbed down, but the reader doesn't need an engineering degree to understand it, either. Weir doesn't bog you down with the details. In addition to the science and survival, the book has incredible depth of emotion. Weir is able to portray the emotional impact the situation has on people on Earth, on Watney, and on the crew that left him behind. This is a huge credit to Weir's writing talent.

Jupiter seen from NASA's Juno spacecraft on 08-27-16

I enjoyed reading it and felt like I learned something while I was having fun. I'm fascinate by Andy Weir's brain and can't wait to read more of his writing.

Oh, I'm also fangirling NASA now. Seriously, how amazing is this picture of Jupiter?

Review: Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder (Hannah Swensen #1) by Joanne Fluke
Publisher: Kensington
Publication Date: 09-01-2006
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Source: Personal Collection
Goodreads ~ Barnes and Noble ~ Amazon
Hannah already has her hands full trying to dodge her mother's attempts to marry her off while running The Cookie Jar, Lake Eden's most popular bakery. But once Ron LaSalle, the beloved delivery man from the Cozy Cow Dairy, is found murdered in her bakery with Hannah's famous Chocolate Chip Crunchies scattered around him, her life jut can't get any worse. Determined not to let her cookies get a bad reputation, she sets out to track down a killer. But if she doesn't watch her back, Hannah's sweet life may get burned to a crisp. {Amazon}

I think we all have books that we turn to when life is hectic and we just need a little break. They aren't overly violent or sexual, they're just fun to read. Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder is one of those books. It's what I would have called "comfort reading" until I discovered the name for its genre: cozy mystery!

Cozy mysteries recall the likes of Agatha Christie and show a gentler side of crime fighting. They are the ones you see that involve a group of quilters, or even a cat, solving crimes. In Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder, the main sleuth, Hannah Swensen, is a baker. The book even includes cookie recipes! I'll let you know how they are when I try some out. :)

Hannah Swensen is a wonderfully relate-able character for me. She's in her early 30's, single, takes great pride in her role as Aunt Hannah, and talks to her cat, Moishe, as though he's human. There's some dating (which can be brutal, as any single thirty-something knows) but it isn't the main focus of her life. Hannah's main focus is her business, her family, and solving whatever murder has fallen into her lap.

I love a good mystery. I flew through the Rizzoli and Isles series by Tess Gerrtisen, but more than one of the books had me going to bed with the hall light on. Not so with Joanne Fluke's writing. There was suspense, but nothing that kept me up late at night. The relationships were realistic, the characters were delightful, and the writing was good. The book was absolutely delightful and I can't wait to read the rest of them! I feel like these will be perfect books to read when I'm back in school in the fall. I nice dose of brain candy - something that keeps my interest, has a little intrigue, and gives me a break from the reading I have for class. Perfect!

If you have ever spent any time watching a movie or show on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries channel, then this sounds awfully familiar. It should. The Hannah Swensen book series has also become a move series on Hallmark: the Murder She Baked series. The cozy mystery books are also cozy mystery movies! They are equally delightful and I highly recommend them.

Have you read any cozy mysteries? What are your favorites?

You're Never Too Old to Fangirl

A wee TARDIS

I feel like I should give a little imformation about this new blog of mine and why I started it. I'm a self-proclaimed fangirl about many things. I have more copies of Anne of Green Gables than I can count, all things Harry Potter have a prominent place in my home, and you should see my Doctor Who  Lego TARDIS. It's magnificent. I've been known to flail and squee on a regular basis, and even occasionally in public. So when I started a blog where I would review the books I read and post about all these things that I love so dearly, the tagline "You're Never Too Old to Fangirl" was perfect! As I thought about it more, I decided to see what the internet has to say about fangirls these days.

Urban Dictionary is not at all complimentary of the modern fangirl. The most popular definition says a fangirl is "a rabid creed of human female who is obsessed with either a fictional character or an actor." I'm sorry, internet, but my fangirling extends far beyond a single character or actor. A less extreme definition is "a female fan who can laugh at their own passion for their particular interest (or even obsession)." While I'm not overly thrilled with either option, the 2nd is far better than the first.

A fangirl is much more than a "rabid" screaming teenage female (or male - there are fanboys, too). To me a fangirl is a female with varying, albeit at times intense, interests who is confident enough to share that enthusiasm with abandon. Although perceived as ridiculous most of the time, any person whose life has been significantly impacted by a book series, anime, movie, etc, will tell you the importance of that life-changing interest. The result can be anything from sparking creativity and passion to helping someone deal with mental or physical illness. Maureen Johnson didn't start #YASaves for nothing! (Here is a blog post by Kiera Cass that gives some background on how YA Saves got started.)

I think this one is self-explanatory. 

John Green (Nerdfighters FTW) responded beautifully to the use of "nerd" as an insult in one of his Vlogbrothers videos, and I think it applies here as well.

Nerds like us are allowed to be unironically enthusiastic about stuff...Nerds are allowed to love stuff, like jump-up-and-down-in-the-chair-can't-control-yourself love it. People who call people 'nerds,' mostly what they're saying is "You like stuff," which is not a good insult at all. Like, "You are too enthusiastic about the miracle of human consciousness."

So, let's be fangirls, fanboys, and nerds, and be excited about life!

Review: My Lady Jane

My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
Published: 06-07-2019
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Genre: Young Adult Historical Fiction (emphasis on fiction)
Source: Personal Library
Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble
The comical, fantastical, romantical, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey. In My Lady Jane, coauthors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have created a one-of-a-kind fantasy in the tradition of The Princess Bride, featuring a reluctant king, an even more reluctant queen, a noble steed, and only a passing resemblance to actual history - because sometimes history needs a little help.
At sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But those trifling problems aren't for Jane to worry about. Jane gets to be Queen of England.
Like that could go wrong.
{Synopsis from Barnes and Noble website}

My Lady Jane was such a joy to read! The writing is clever and smart, the story is playful, and the characters have amazing personality. Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have done an amazing job of making sure the writing flows through all the chapters and the reader forgets that the book has multiple authors. Interjections from the authors throughout the book add its laugh out loud humor and the banter between the characters is just fabulous.

The story takes place during the reign of King Edward Tudor, prior to the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, and sexism in society abounds. Jane values her independence and commands respect from others as she works to have her voice heard. To say the forced marriage between Jane and G (please, for the sake of all things holy, don't call him Gifford) was strained would be putting it mildly. Before the relationship can develop beyond irritation and potential loathing, respect for one another must emerge. A prominent theme in the book is this shift in the views of male characters as they realize that women have just as much ability to rule and lead as men - some of them being much better suited to the leadership role.

In the past, I've noticed that while I'm completely wrapped up in the romance happening in what I'm reading, when I put the book down I realize it was actually quite nauseating. Not so in My Lady Jane. I think this says a lot about the views of the authors and their desire to give Jane Grey more power and  a better ending than the history books report. She is not a wilting flower but any means. Jane has earned a place as a favorite literary character.

I'm definitely going to be fangirling over My Lady Jane for quite some time. The retelling of the reign of Jane Grey introduces humor into what was originally a very sad tale and even includes a little fantasy. It's going to be very difficult for me to restrain myself from running up to all of my friends and yelling, "OMG MY LADY JANE is AMAZING, go read it RIGHT NOW." I visited the website for the book and discovered that today, July 9, marks the beginning of Jane Grey's 9 day reign as queen. Each day will have new content on the website and online events to celebrate Jane Grey. Make sure you visit the site to join in on the fun!

Have you read My Lady Jane yet? What were your favorite parts? If you haven't read it, what one earth are you waiting for?! (It's been out a whole month! What have you been doing with your time?)