Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Did you like Andy’s previous novel The Martian? Maybe you’re a fan of the movie? If so, you do NOT want to miss out on this book!

Thank you Crown Publishing for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission–and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish. Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it. All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company. His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, he realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Alone on this tiny ship that’s been cobbled together by every government and space agency on the planet and hurled into the depths of space, it’s up to him to conquer an extinction-level threat to our species. And thanks to an unexpected ally, he just might have a chance.

YOU GUYS. This is probably one of my top favorite books every. I haven’t felt this way about a book in a long time! I could not stop reading this and it has not left my brain ever since it was over. I will preface this and say that I am a science teacher by trade, so my emotions about this book may way heavier than others. I’ve had a lot of people ask me if the science in this goes over your head – and with that I say no! While there is a lot of science in the novel, Andy does a great job at explaining it for someone who may not understand it as much. Honestly, go into this book blind. Don’t read a lot about it. I did just that, and was blown away at 30% in the book and continued to be on the edge of my seat. This one is already in the works to become a movie too, so you will most definitely want to read it beforehand. All the stars! Check out my rant I shared on Instagram below!

5/5 Stars

Vessel by Lisa A Nichols

As a Star Trek Fan, I feel it is my duty to expand my science fiction reading experience. This one sounded way too good to pass up. In fact, I stayed up all night reading it!

Thank you Atria Books for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis: After Catherine Wells’s ship experiences a deadly incident in deep space and loses contact with NASA, the entire world believes her dead. Miraculously—and mysteriously—she survived, but with little memory of what happened. Her reentry after a decade away is a turbulent one: her husband has moved on with another woman and the young daughter she left behind has grown into a teenager she barely recognizes. Catherine, too, is different. The long years alone changed her, and as she readjusts to being home, sometimes she feels disconnected and even, at times, deep rage toward her family and colleagues. There are periods of time she can’t account for, too, and she begins waking up in increasingly strange and worrisome locations, like restricted areas of NASA. Suddenly she’s questioning everything that happened up in space: how her crewmates died, how she survived, and now, what’s happening to her back on Earth. Smart, gripping, and compelling, this page-turning sci-fi thriller will leave you breathless.

This read just like a Twilight Zone episode – another show of which I am a huge fan of (the original of course). This even reminded me of an episode from an old radio show called “Suspense”. Basically, this was so suspenseful that it kept me at the edge of my seat the whole time. It read like a dream! If you enjoyed “The Martian”, then you will love this book even more. The character development was perfect and the mystery really did leave me breathless. I’m just anxiously awaiting to hear that this will become a movie one day because I’m here for it!

5/5 Stars

The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas

I’m a sucker for time travel novels. And, isn’t this cover beautiful?! Thank you crooked lane books for my copy in exchange for my honest review.

Synopsis from Goodreads: In 1967, four female scientists worked together to build the world’s first time machine. But just as they are about to debut their creation, one of them suffers a breakdown, putting the whole project—and future of time travel—in jeopardy. To protect their invention, one member is exiled from the team—erasing her contributions from history. Fifty years later, time travel is a big business. Twenty-something Ruby Rebello knows her beloved grandmother, Granny Bee, was one of the pioneers, though no one will tell her more. But when Bee receives a mysterious newspaper clipping from the future reporting the murder of an unidentified woman, Ruby becomes obsessed: could it be Bee? Who would want her dead? And most importantly of all: can her murder be stopped?

I LOVED the premise of this book – a story about 4 women scientists who’ve developed the ability to travel through time (woohoo, go girl science power)! The problem with this one was how quick the story went. I wanted more detail about how their scientific discovery went in the beginning of the book. The first few chapters were so crucial, I just felt like they flew by! The story takes a quick turn to focus on a murder mystery, almost leaving the revel of discovery behind in the dust. A very unique story, but I just wanted more.  I’m not sure if I liked having to switch to the mindset of being between a sci-fi novel, contemporary fiction novel, and a mystery.

3/5 Stars

Here and Now and Then by Mike Chen

After reading The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain earlier this year, I’ve been on a mission to read more time-travel books. This one caught my eye!

Thank you to Harlequin and Mira Books for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Kin works for a secret agency from the year 2142 where he is assigned missions to get rid of criminals who would alter the course of history. His latest mission lands him in the year 1996 where things start to go wrong. His method of being able to travel back to 2142 is shot and now he’s stuck, waiting for someone from his present time to come rescue him. 18 years later, that help comes. Although, it’s a little too late. He’s married, has a kid, and a new IT job. He’s completely forgotten what his past life was like. But now, he and his family is in trouble. He has to go back to 2142 and his family is in danger because they were never supposed to be married, and his daughter should have never existed. Will he be able to save his family from the year 2142? Will he be able to travel back to his family?

THIS BOOK! I LOVED IT! As soon as I saw the Star Trek references in the beginning, I knew I was in for a grand time. This is the perfect blend of a science fiction and contemporary fiction novel. I read this book in one night! The author did a wonderful job expressing the appropriate emotions between his family from 2142 and his family from 2014. There were a few events that happened that were sad and left me wanting to throw the book, but it was the best way the story could have gone. The ending was just perfect. It wrapped every cliff hanger up. This would be a wonderful movie, by the way!

4.5/5 Stars

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

I’m full of emotion for this book. I’ve been waiting to read this one for quite some time. Multiple people have raved about it even after I had already added it to my “must reads” list.

Jason has the american dream – a beautiful wife, a wonderful son, and a job as a professor. He occasionally finds himself thinking about what could have been – but he’s okay with what he has. Until, he gets kidnapped one night, drugeed, and finds himself awake to a life that could have been – the dream job for him and his wife. The problem is, he isn’t happy with it. He’s not married, he doesn’t have a son, and every one thinks he’s gone completely mad. Will he ever find his way back to his family?

I knew I would be mad at myself for waiting so long to read this book….

And yess, I am quite mad. I devoured this book in one sitting. IT IS SO GOOD! It’s an emotional and empowering read. The constant question you ask yourself through the entire book is “am I happy with my own life?” It’s the same question the main characters find themselves asking each other. This book makes you look at your life in a whole different light. This would be an amazing movie by the way (I have read that there is talk of it happening). I need to read more books just like this – any other suggestions?

5/5 Stars

Golden Skies by Juan Zapata

Today I’m participating in Digital Reads Blog Tours to present you Golden Skies by Juan Zapata.

Book Blurb: As a boy, Malik watched an army of religious zealots swarm his home town, slaughtering his people and running his beloved grandfather through with a black sword. Nine years later, Malik still believes there’s peace…somewhere. At least that’s what he tells himself as his body is ripped apart by whips at a conversion camp. That’s what his best friend whispers as he frantically creates new force technology and jetpacks to rescue Malik. Yet when war bursts through the skies and the sky troopers, assassins, and heroes fall, when the world comes crashing down, Malik Zzoha stands amidst the sands to lead a band of friends and revolutionaries to face his tyrannical, zealot father, determined to free the people he loves.
Author Bio: Juan Zapata is a senior at Alabama A&M, expected to graduate December 2018. He majors in Criminal Justice and is a member of the AAMU Honors Program. Born in Mexico, Juan came to the United States at four years old. When he is not writing, Juan likes to play For Honor and pretend he’s a knight, laughing with happiness at his victories and nearly having aneurysms when defeated. 

Follow him on twitter and instagram @Zapatathe1 and on Facebook here.

Get your copy of the book here!

The Immortal Gene by Jonas Saul

I am happy to participate as a TLC Book Tour host today for The Immortal Gene by Jonas Saul.

This story takes off describing a dark family mass murder from a serial killer who keeps getting away with it. We quickly learn about Jake Wood, who is a cop in the same town as these murders. He hears about the latest family and wants in on the case. Instead, his best friend contacts him and begs him to travel to Brazil to help save his life. He’s about to get married and wants a break on the case, but he has to go save his friend. While he travels, he gets caught up in his best friend’s science experiment. As he’s reading about their studies, he gets bit by a snake and almost dies. Months later, he wakes up in a hospital a different person. What happened to him? Are they going to catch the serial killer? Are these two things linked?

WOW! This blew my mind! This is incredibly dark and twisted, but fast-paced and oh so captivating. I read the entire book in one sitting. I will say it was a little too dark for my liking, but I could NOT put it down. The chapters are short and to-the-point. Saul never pulls your attention away for one minute. I got a pretty nice Stephen King vibe from it, but loved this even better. I am a biology teacher by trade, so I appreciated the science technology behind the book. Dang, this was a good one. Science-fiction meets horror meets mystery/thriller/suspense. Nicely done! It’s not for the faint of heart, but I’m ready to read the next book ASAP!

4.5/5 Stars

Grab your copy here!

Check out his other books here!

Author Links:Website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Foe by Iain Reid

Isn’t this cover just gorgeous? I have had this book on my radar for awhile and was so excited to be approved to read it!

Thank you Gallery and netgalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for my honest review.

Junior and Henrietta are a married couple living out in the middle of nowhere and that’s how they like it. They never get visitors until one day, a strange man dressed in business attire comes up to their house and tells them that Junior has won a lottery to be the first to travel to Space to start a new colony. Henrietta will have to stay behind. Junior is hesitant about this, but has no choice. He has to go. Henrietta won’t be alone as she stays behind. The man in the suit has a plan for her: he’s going to allow someone to stay with her, someone she knows quite well: an exact copy of Junior himself. Is Junior okay with this? Is he ready to go to space? Will Henrietta be okay with this? Will she love the clone more or less than Junior himself? What is this space colony really like?

There’s a lot more to this story, but I don’t want to give too much away. This is such a good book! I read the whole thing in one day. This has your brain rattling the whole time. It’s a wonderful, quick read that is full of suspense and mystery. You keep asking yourself questions throughout and, don’t worry, you’ll get the answers. WOW. What a cool movie this would be too! I loved this book so much and recommend it to everyone. I can’t wait to read it again and talk with friends about it! The ending blows your mind! I need to go back and read Iain’s other book right away.

5/5 Stars

Vox by Christina Dalcher

Ladies, can you imagine only being able to say 100 words a day? Wait until you see what this book is about…

Thank you berkley publishing for allowing me to read Vox in exchange for my review.

Welcome to dystopian America, where woman are chained to a counter bracelet and defined by the few words they are allotted in 24 hours. Dr. Jean McClellan is an American linguistic scientist and mother of a daughter herself. Both of them are forced by this 100 word law where her husband and three other sons go about their daily business. Jean is suddenly approached by the President’s team and asked to come back to work to use her skills. Now that she has some power back, can she fight the system?

There’s something about this novel that I just can’t put my finger on. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it. The politics in this novel were over my head. I couldn’t follow them because they were so outrageous. The possibility of how quickly the law came into effect was just not believable. On the other hand, the feminist inside of me wanted to keep on reading. I had to make sure women got their say in the end with all my anger built up inside. I normally really enjoy science jargon in literature being a scientist by trade, but this bored me. I enjoyed the family relationship between Jean, her husband, and her children. The emotions they experienced were the most real thing in this book. They were completely heartfelt. I mean, to not be able to read to your daughter each night or comfort her when she’s sad? That got me right in the feels. In the end, this wouldn’t be something I would most likely pick up again.

3.5/5 Stars

GIVEAWAY!

Today I am celebrating because I have hit over 500 followers on my instagram account! SO EXCITED! Head over to @livereadandprosper on instagram to enter the giveaway! Ends Sunday, June 24, 2018. Not affliated with wordpress, instagram, the author, or publisher. Open to US only (sorry interantional followers, I will have one soon enough for you guys!)