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I finally finished reading ‘Project Hail Mary’.

I’ve been restricting myself to short bursts to try to make it last longer 😂

I did not want this book to end.

That should tell you everything you need to know about how much I’ve enjoyed reading it.

I cannot recommend this book enough!

I think I’d go so far as to say that this has been my favourite read of the year.

The story grabs you from the opening chapter and keeps you with it every step of the way. There simply isn’t any boring part.

The science can be a little intense but it’s always fascinating.

As for the two main characters, I adore them (though one, unexpectedly, slightly more than the other).

I cannot wait to see the movie! I know I’ll need to temper my expectations, but I definitely want to see this on a big screen.

Thank you to everyone who recommended this book to me. You have my heartfelt thanks 🙏

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Discussion

. 2mo ago

Hmmmmm. Was gonna buy it right away, only because I trust your judgement.

Is it "Sci-Fi"🤔? If so, that's a nope from me!

B 2mo ago

Yes Sci-Fi.

. 2mo ago

Oh dear🫤. The only Sci Fi book I've read was the first installment of The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy. I actually bought the whole series, I'd been putting it off for YEARS! I Know it's supposed to be amazing and after reading the first book I can see why people think it "Is", but it's just not me. I simply can't get into Sci-Fi🤷🏻‍♂️.

. 2mo ago

It's the Autist in me. Facts 'n figures are my bag😬😂.

. 2mo ago

What is the best book you've ever read? Curious🤔.

B 2mo ago

I don’t have a best book.

I love many books and authors.

The author with the greatest impact on me is, and always will be, Shakespeare.

I will love him to my dying day 💜

Every book by Trent Dalton has brought me to tears of sadness, or joy, or simply singular moments of extraordinary beauty.

I adore Terry Pratchett and miss him terribly.

The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway made me cry an ocean I was so invested in it! It is a masterclass on writing.

In terms of impact on me

Other last century novels like:

Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - Robert M Persig

Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie

LOTR - Tolkien

The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood

Older:

Frankenstein - Mary Shelley

This century:

Atonement - Ian McEwan

Life of Pi - Yann Martel

The Midnight Library - Matt Haig

Across the Nightingale Floor - Lian Hearn (the Otori series)

The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Luiz Zafon

Non-fiction

The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle (mindfulness)

I’m probably also missing a bunch! Basically lots of books!

I spread the love 🥰

mike 2mo ago

Brave New World

Love that book

You've just given me inspiration for names for my next 2 AI assistants

Helmholtz and Watson 😂

B 2mo ago

That’s brilliant!!!

mike 2mo ago

In fact, I'm renaming Kai, my AI telephone receptionist now 😂

B 2mo ago

Perfection! 😍

. 2mo ago

Thank you for the detailed reply B.

I've actually read 3 or 4 of them on your list.

Our tastes differ, but that's cool. We're both bookish, that is the main thing🙏🏻.

You've probably seen one of my most recent notes, "The Fourth Turning Is Here" has absolutely had the biggest impact on my life, that's for sure, not for it's writing brilliance, more for it's content. It frightened me most awfully and genuinely changed my outlook on life.

Shakespeare has me puzzled, he was obviously and still is one of the greatest authors of all time, I'm a simpleton though, in that respect, and I don't mind admitting so, I find him unfathomable🤷🏻‍♂️ (Without supplementary notes, or an English tutor😂).

One book that did make me cry was "In Harms Way" by Doug Stanhope😭. It's regarding the USS Indianapolis, which was sunk during WWII. It was the ship that actually dropped off the nuclear bomb to Tinian Island, that was then later dropped on Hiroshima. It's a fucking harrowing tale. Many survivors, eaten by sharks, over a number of weeks in The Pacific Ocean before the few survivors were rescued🫤.

My bag, as noted is facts and figures, so, lots of reference books. Also, biographies, autobiographies, tomes about real life spies (Missed my calling there, I wanted to be James Bond😌😂). Politics, History, economics, current affairs and well.....Drugs🤷🏻‍♂️, i have an unhealthy number of drugs, sorry, books, on the subject😬😂.

We're all different though and that's only to be expected. Reading is good, on the whole, as long as it's not some shit rag newspaper🥳.

B 2mo ago

I could never read “In Harms Way”.

I would never set foot on a boat again!

I’ve partially seen a doco on the events. I couldn’t sit through it all 🫣

. 2mo ago

Well, as you know, the books are generally much more moving than any documentary. The captain of the ship survived but blew his own brains out with his service revolver a few years later, on his porch because he couldn't forgive himself. That's how the book actually opens. There's then a lot of historical stuff about the voyage before it was sunk then there's a lot of it about mariners bobbing about in the sea getting eaten by sharks, the chaplain on the ship survived, he was swimming around from one stricken man to another before they were picked off by the sharks, it's a very sombre read😭.

There's another book I've read called "Happy Odyssey" i won't tell you who wrote it or what it's about but what I will do is give you what is to my mind, the greatest opening paragraph in Wikipedia's history, about the author...... Enjoy😂😂😂.

Lieutenant-General Sir Adrian Paul Ghislain Carton de Wiart,[1] VC, KBE, CB, CMG, DSO (/də ˈwaɪ.ərt/;[2] 5 May 1880 – 5 June 1963) was a British Army officer of Belgian and Irish descent.[3] He was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" in various Commonwealth countries.[4] He served in the Boer War, First World War, and Second World War. He was shot in the face, head, stomach, groin, ankle, leg, hip, and ear. He was also blinded in his left eye, survived two plane crashes, tunnelled out of a prisoner-of-war camp, and cut off his own severely injured fingers when a doctor declined to amputate them. Describing his experiences in the First World War, he wrote, "Frankly, I had enjoyed the war."[5]

B 2mo ago

😳😳😳😳

. 2mo ago

The Boer War AND The First and Second World Wars, had a few injuries too, and a VC and 2 plane crashes and escaped a POW Camp. Then he settled down for lunch😬😂.

B 2mo ago

Hope he put his feet up for a post lunch nap too!

. 2mo ago

I'd like to think so🙏🏻.

ohmen 2mo ago

As a sci-fi reader from childhood (Hitchhiker’s Guide was my favorite series), I felt the same way about “fantasy” novels. But after reading The Hobbit to my kids, I found that good stories are character driven, and just dressed up in different clothes. The adventures of a reluctant hero being called or thrust into parts unknown is universally enjoyable because it’s what we all experience to some extent. Nobody asked to be here, but here we are so let’s do what we can to make the best of it. I found that The Martian was a really enjoyable quick read for the same reason as The Hobbit. Each chapter was like a mini episode where the characters had to overcome a specific foe or obstacle, then continue moving to the final goal.

B 2mo ago

I’m inspired to read The Martian now.

I really enjoyed Andy Weir’s writing style and the way he tells the story. I’ve seen the movie but not read the book.