Welcome to Litsy!

I randomly took this from the lubrary and got hooked! I was deeply engaged throughout, though I wish the ending had been a little bit different.

This was an amazing #auldlangspine rec from @Barbarajean ! In the near future, three astronauts are preparing for the first trip to Mars. The story rotates from the perspectives of the three and some of their family members. It was very unique! I was very invested in each of the characters- they were each developed so richly! I loved it!

I'm regretting slightly that I stayed up to finish this last night, but I didn't want to interrupt the magic. I loved this book so much! I loved that the characters surprised me, not so much by changing as by changing in ways I didn't expect. It was entertaining and thought-provoking and beautiful. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“It was time for a second Enlightenment.

Critical inquiry. Reason. Humor. Compassion. Empathy. If we did not move forward with these things, then the answer to the question ‘Why do we seem to be alone in the universe‘ had to be ‘Because anything close to being like us will destroy itself.‘ Something big needed to happen, right now, for all of us.”

This is sci-fi that‘s not really sci-fi. I saw several reviews criticizing it as literary fiction masquerading as sci-fi, but I like that mashup. Through alternating perspectives, it follows three astronauts (and their families) as they undertake an intensive 17-month simulation, to prepare for a mission to Mars. It‘s very internal, very psychological, and I found it fascinating and beautiful. (Continued ⤵️)

“Mireille knew right away that it wasn‘t going to be funny. It was going to be one of those things that take a while before you stop feeling sick about them, and will never go away, but wash up continually in memory form to embarrass you in the middle of something completely unrelated.”

“Prime is skittish about using language borrowed from the military, and mixes acronyms with a kind of high-minded verbiage, noun-to-verb mashups, and the stray Latinate pun. The mindless totalitarian-speak predicted in dystopian fiction was not the future. Big Brother had gone artisanal.”

“…there is nothing to be gained by showing James “Boone” Cross anything other than what Helen privately refers to as PIG: Polite, Interested, Good humored. Helen is perturbed, a little uncomfortable, but she can get PIG to fly in much more adverse conditions.”

😂Yesterday, I as I tried to decide which book to read next—this line sold me on this one. Today, during an annoying meeting with my boss, I kept thinking, “PIG. PIG will get me through…”😏

Explores the effects of a pioneering deep-space mission on three astronauts and their families. Really liked this one.

#OuterSpace #SavvySettings
@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

First book completed for #DashingDecember readathon. This was a quieter book than I expected but not in a bad way. It raises some interesting questions that it never answers. Overall, I liked it.

CW for fatphobia/fat shaming

I don't really have any goals for the readathon. Trying to read and relax as much as possible (so tired).

Fav accessory - my Star Trek earrings
Reading “The Wanderers” but not really enjoying it.
I have visited a desert! Beautiful.

Having trouble getting into this book. I like most of the characters I guess. Not really sure how I feel about the writing in general though.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ for this book about the effects of a simulated space voyage on the crew and their families. It was slow-moving and subtle.

• The Wanderers, Lola and the Boy Next Door, and There‘s Something About Sweetie
• Anna and the French Kiss
• The Wanderers

#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

I can see why this is a love it or hate it kind of book in reader reviews. Not much happens and a major plot point (such as it is) is purposely left unresolved. But I am firmly in the love category.

A book about whether we can really ever know ourselves or the people we love. A book about observation, privacy, connection, and performances - for audiences and for ourselves. I loved all the characters, but the astronauts the most.

Waiting all day to get back to this gorgeous book. Borrowed it from the library but enjoying it so much I will probably pick up a copy for keeps.

Only a little way in to this rather enigmatic novel but so far I'm enjoying it a lot. Howrey, I have learned from lazy sleuthing, is a former ballet dancer and so it makes sense that she is able to convey the inner lives of extraordinarily disciplined, competent and accomplished people in a compelling way. Plus one of the main characters is a 50-something female astronaut which, frankly, is unusual enough to me that it's a goddam delight.

#7days7covers #covercrush day 1!

seven cover in seven days, no explanation! tag someone to join the fun!

thanks for the tags @Ruthiella And @JessClark78 !

@ephemeralwaltz if you haven‘t already, do you want to join the fun?

Torie thank you so very much for this wonderful and unexpected happy package! I just got home from vacation so was already feeling blah and I am officially moving tomorrow so my night will be spend packing but this absolutely brightened my day. You are so very kind and it is very much appreciated. Thank you! 💚😊💚

Since I've read all of Becky Chambers' Wayfarers books and I don't know if/when there will be more, I'm jonesing for something similar, something that weds the world (or universe) of #tomorrow with a compelling story about human (or alien) nature. Based on the blurb, I'm hopeful that this could fill that void. And I'm in love with the cover 😍

#musicalnewyear
@Cinfhen @vivastory

This may be an #unpopularopinion but I had to bail. Reading this made me feel claustrophobic-as though I was boxed in somewhere.
I really wanted to like this one ☹️

I won the book in a giveaway competition.
I was curious about this book.
I found it difficult to get into the story so I stopped after 100 pages

I've been a little quiet since birth of newest little but still reading! I'm working on this one during naptimes currently.

If you like your sci-fi with a healthy serving of Feelings, this is the book for you (it certainly worked well for me)! Ostensibly about a crew prepping for a manned mission to Mars, it's also about their interpersonal relationships, their families, and how well do we really know ourselves, anyway? Made me want to call my mom a lot, in (mostly) a good way.

#libraryhaul today. I‘m lacking in new reading material at home. Yup. I keep telling myself that. 😳😉😆

In the mood for some sci-fi.

Be forewarned, this novel is less about plot and more about character development. Despite the fact that this story is built around a mission to Mars, the primary focus of each person's inner narrative is relationship: that between parent and child, as well as two people in general. I enjoyed how each character grew and changed, but I wish it had a more definite ending. There's also a major debate about a key plot point, but no spoilers here!

I was surprised by how good this book was. So much more than a book about space travel. So many good nuggets and insight on human behavior and who we really are and the many personas we choose to show to others. I used many book darts - much more than I expected to use.

"It was as if he hadn't properly solved what a woman was until he saw Madoka do that. And then he had it. Women became one woman- became Madoka- became love. It was like the way you could- in one moment- "have" something in math, or in physics. Have it without metaphor or simile, have it intrinsically, as it itself. He had been profoundly moved, and very relieved."

Reading about the moment Yoshi realized Madoka was the one for him makes me smile.

One of my anticipated reads of 2017, this one lived up to me! Through deft prose and great characterization, Howrey probes what draws these three astronauts to a Mars mission, and how they handle their test run. I kinda think we could've done without POVs of other characters, and stuck more concretely to the nebulous truth of the so-called trial. Biggest question is, what's real and what's not? The civilians get in the way of that, imho.

Holy literary fiction in space batman! I LOVED this book you guys. I mean LOVED. It's space exploration mixed with introspection mixed with family relationships and all written beautifully. I understand why some people call it more of a character study, but I think that's why I loved it so much. Gonna be thinking about this one for a loooooong time. Great reading start to 2018 ❤️🍾👩🏽‍🚀🌌

1. Underground Airlines by Ben H. Winters
2. The Wanderers by Meg Howrey
3. I only read one : Troublemaker by Leah Remini (maybe need to add nonfiction to my 2018 reading goals??)
4. Caroline Kepnes

#LitsyQuestions @GypsyKat

Not quite what I expected, though I did like it. Although the book is about astronauts preparing to go to Mars, it‘s a very Earth-bound book. Less sci-fi and more human interest, but with a space twist.

#TBRtemptation post 2! In 4 years, Prime Space will be putting the first humans on Mars. Helen, Yoshi, and Sergei must prove they're the ones up to the task. They'll spend 17 months in a realistic simulation. Helen has to a daughter to come to terms with, Yoshi a wife, and Sergei his sons. Inner space will play just as big a role as outer space. #blameLitsy #blameMrBook 😎

Holy cats this book took me forever to get through. It's gorgeous but it's so slow. 🐢 I loved the writing and the characters but there isn't much of a plot and I just couldn't read more more than a few pages at a time.

#octoberTBR These may change (they usually do), but I'm close to finishing the top 2 and pretty excited about the others! The Wanderers is gorgeous but slooooow. 🐢 😞 I've been wanting to start MAD since it came out in August! 😫 Also I am getting The Power from #BOTM so who knows, I may decide to jump into that one! #TBR

Gonna try to get back into this. I set it aside a couple of months ago when I went on vacation and never picked it back up. That's generally not a good sign but I'm not ready to officially abandon it yet.

Went to my favorite used book sale of the year and got these beauties! The ones in the middle are extra giveaway copies of my favorites 😊 I'm most excited about the wanderers - I was going to wait until it came out in paperback, but someone had donated an arc!! 🤓

Here are three books I own (but haven't read yet) that fit for #spaceoddity. Who knows, maybe I will read them this month and make them #septembermostanticipated.

#septembowie #fallintobooks @Marchpane @Cinfhen @RealLifeReading

I liked it. I think if you are expecting something like "The Martian" you will probably be disappointed. Not much action. Instead you get internal dialogue of the three astronauts and their families. If you enjoy this type of story (which I do), then I recommend this book. If you are looking for non-stop Mars alien action, this might not be the one for you.

3.5 ?. "You don't stop being a real person just because you aren't in a real place.” Three astronauts embark on a simulated journey to Mars. This character-driven novel explores the nature of self and our relationships with each other. To some extent, all the characters live in simulated environments. One doesn't have to travel to space to experience the unknown. The most unexamined territory is not within the simulation, but within themselves.

A little "me time". ? Enjoying this book so far.

A private space exploration company is mounting a manned mission to Mars. To prepare for the actual event, the company plans an elaborate training program to match the conditions & potential problems the team might face. The ordeal, though simulated, is no less dramatic for the astronauts, their families, & the crew. Lines cross between fiction & reality & none of the participants is left unchanged. Part literary fiction, part sci-fi, all amazing.

A private firm plans to send an expedition to Mars in 4 years. They choose 3 veteran astronauts to go based on their abilities and qualities – Helen Kane, Yoshi Tanaka, and Sergei Kuzretsov. They and their families are under the psychological spotlight while they undergo intensive training for 17 months. It is a very realistic simulation.
Interesting to see them relating to one another, learn about themselves. It was very good until the ending.

If you are looking for a replica of The Martian or Station Eleven, look elsewhere. This book is an exploration of the humans involved in a Martian space simulation, whether by being the selected astronaut or one of the family members waiting while the 17 months pass. Whether from the past or present, these people & their stories, their frailties & strengths, their hopes & worries for themselves, earth & humankind; they will touch your soul.