"The Martian" - Andy Weir

Hello fellow bibliophiles! Can you blieve it's already one week into November?! Where has this year gone?? Today's review is for The Martian by Andy Weird which is now a hit movie. Simply put, its a great book. Attention grabbing, suspenseful, and highly captivating.

"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 while thinking him dead, Marks finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive -- and event if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue 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 kill 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. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?"

I really liked this book. It was great. But explaining to you why I liked it and giving specifics has proved not to come as easily as it normally does for books that I like this well. Maybe it was the characters. Maybe the genre, or the writing stlye. Maybe it's all of the above.  The main character, Mark Watney, is great. Andy Weir did a fantastic job writing this character. He's smart, innovative, witty, and sarcastic. Watney's relentless drive to stay alive gives the reader an emense sense of hope. You have to root for him! I loved his journal entries and continually found myself laughing at his random comments and sarcasm. I cannot imagine what I would write in a journal if I was left all alone somewhere. It's probably better actually if I don't try to imagine :)

Be forewarned, there are alot of numbers and science/chemisttry jargon throughout, especially in the beginning. While understanding his math and knowing how long each necessary component will last him (food, water, air, etc.) is important, these sections can be skimmed over easily. I couldn't put the book down. Thrilling and suspenseful from the start to the end. It's easy to see why they made it into a movie. I have yet to see it but have heard great things. As always, feel free to share any comments, recommendations, and suggestions about the book or movie! I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Happy reading fools :)

"Yes Please" - Amy Poehler

Hello fellow bibliophiles! I hope you enjoyed the posts from last weekend! I have been busy reading through my stack of books and have a couple reviews to get out for you this weekend. First up is Yes Please by Amy Poehler. While I LOVE Amy as a comedian, I am not sure how well her book matched up unfortunately. I know it is a memoir. That said, it is funny as I expect any book by a comedian to be wrote.

The book starts out a little slow. For the firs 70-80 pages, I often felt Poehler was trying too hard to be funny which was taking away from the story she was telling. Once she gets to the chapters about her start in Improv and stand up, I was more interested. The middle of the book was the best, in my opinion. While there were good bits towards the end, I often found myself skimming. My favorite two favorite parts were the chapter wrote by Seth Meyers and Amy's chapter about Tina Fey. I love hearing about their friendships. What I wouldn't give to be part of that group!

Over all I would I would say the book was pretty good. Not the best comedian wrote book but not the worst. It does have some funny stories and I did enjoy hearing about how she came up in the stand-up world. It's worth taking a read! As always feel free to share any comments, suggestions, and recommendations!

Happy reading fools :)

"All the Light We Cannot See" - Anthony Doerr

Hello fellow bibliophiles! Happy Early Birthday to America! While I am sure many of you will be out celebrating on what looks like will be a nice weekend, I will be here, sending you reviews upon reviews! I'm sure you are all looking forward to BBQ's, fireworks, and a few tasty adult beverages but I happily have NO work and NO plans for once! I am perfectly content with this and plan to spend majority of it on a blanket in the park reading the large stack of books awaiting on my coffee table!

First up is All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr which has been a huge hit since its release and was a Goodreads choice winner in 2014. I was finally able to get my hands on a copy from my local library and it did not disappoint! I was transfixed by page 11 and did not put it down until I finished. The story follows two main characters throughout the latter half of WW2 in Germany and France. Marie-Laure is a blind girl living with her father in Paris who's world is turned upside down when they have to flee to the seaside town of Saint-Malo to live with her great-uncle. The other main character is Werner, an orphan in a German mining town who is transfixed by radios and becomes a self taught fixer/builder of said radios leading him to an academy for Hitler Youth and eventual a soldier in the war. The very short chapters go back and forth between their lives in both past and present until they eventually converge in Saint-Malo.

Other smaller characters also are followed throughout the book and play important parts from start to end which I really liked. If you have read of my previous reviews, you will know that I am a fan of books that go back and forth between time periods. That said, I did not think it was necessary in this book. If the story was wrote in chronological order, I think it would have had the same affect and meaning. I find books wrote during this time period enchanting. There is always another side to see, another view point to take, and more to learn. For Marie-Laure, she struggles to trust what she cannot see while Werner struggles to trust what he can see. The way they both think is so similar yet completely different and still they are drawn together in a way neither could see coming. I did really like this book and do recommend it. That said, I don't think it is as great as everyone has been saying. Maybe it is because I have recently read the Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (see review here) which is set in the same time period. That book was UNBELIEVABLE and it can be hard to not compare books with similar premises. Still, two completely different books, both great in their own right. Check out both books. You won't be disappointed! As always, feel free to share any comments, recommendations, or suggestions! Check back this weekend as I have 5-6 more reviews to post!

Happy reading fools :)