Golden Son by Pierce Brown

 *realizes that Red TV could totally be a song for this…or at least for the first book….
and my brain is hearing Fly by Nicki Minaj and See You Again by Wiz Khafia
Hey look at the racism.
Mustang is amazing. I love her. People make assumptions about her and like.. sigh
And of course it has more Hunger Games vibes.
I like...was expecting a thing to happen at the end and it didn't, and I feel like...There's probably a reason why it didn't
464 Pages

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

So this is the second book to make me cry today..and it's the beginning of the book. 
As soon as I found out there was a school on Mars:

So like....am I the only one who's like....this has Attack on Titan training camp energy...just me...cool. I'll just listen to the soundtrack with this...
Ohhhh some of these things are sketch and problematic
Ok so more than some of these things are problematic....
Did my brain compensate for the gruesomeness and trauma by saying "God, it's brutal out here" yes.
Alexa play Teenagers.
If you can get past the violence and like...despicable things that are happening to the characters--it slaps. 
It's like Hunger Games but with less direct killing, and more violence/cruelty against women and scheming and some teamwork involved.
416 Pages

The Martian by Andy Weir

The Martian by Andy Weir
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I didn't expect this book to be so funny, and I especially loved how analytical Mark is in some moments, while in others he just throws caution to the wind and hopes for the best. It's like he can only take so much of the procedures and rules before he goes with his gut, which is a compelling contrast.

The audiobook for this is A+. I was stressed out the whole time I read this, but in the best sort of way.

I also really enjoyed how technical this sci-fi novel is, while still being charming and emotional. Honestly, I felt like I was right there with Mark, while he sorted through issues and made all his calculations. I even caught myself nodding along a few times like-- you're right, Mark. You've got this, Mark. But the reality is I was no better than a cheerleader.

The book made me feel like I understood his predicaments and how to resolve them, but on a highly technical level, I didn't. I can step back now and admit that, but in the moment, I was with Mark through all of his logic and math sessions to sort out his solutions. I think that is the true power of this book. It made me feel like I could be a botanical, engineering, martian, wizard, when the reality is that I absolutely cannot. However, during the 369 pages of this book, I absolutely could.

I think that's why people love this book.

Book 271 read in 2018

Pages: 369

The Martian by Andy Weir

Confession: I watched the movie before I read the book. 

Therefore, I pictured many of the characters as they were depicted and portrayed in the movie. Luckily, they matched up pretty easily! Also, the movie sets/scenes allowed my brain to concentrate on the technical details of the novel, rather than trying to imagine images of Mars all on my own. 

I particularly loved Mark's voice, spirit, determination and humor. It was also oddly inspiring, as if Mark can figure out how to survive on Mars, then I can certainly get a few simple things done here on Earth!

Conclusion: I loved this book!

369 pages