Having waited in line for half a year, I finally got the letter I had been waing for for so long. This letter was from the library kindly informing me that my book was ready for me to pick up. Finally my turn! Then I noticed the date. The letter had been on an adventure, or so it seems, as I received it just in time giving me only one day time to pick it up before someone else would get the pleasure. Gladly, I managed to get over this complication and now happily hold the book in my hand.

The prolonged wait was worth the while. Last night I turned the first page. Immediately I knew that I would enjoy this. I would devour this book. The first line and later followed by the first few logs (the book is written in the form of journal entries in a log) gave me a vast array of feelings and thoughts. Cleverly written, I am constantly given information without having to tramp through boring descriptions of the setting and protagonist. Instead, the first person narrative continuously radiates facts and characteristic traits about the personality of the writer and his surroundings through the entries. And I must say that my concentrating-hard-do-not-disturb-me, jammed facial expression vanished quite quickly thanks to the amusingly funny self-irony and paradoxical being of the whole situation.

Andy Weir's The Martian effortlessly leaped to the top of the pile of books on my nightstand.

Set on Mars the book is overflowing with scientifical explanations on how astronauts are transported to and from the Red Planet, how they live and more importantly, how to survive if you get stranded and are supposed dead by, well, everybody. All of this seems like it is deliberately written for me combining some of my passions. And not to mention the positive, "don't give up without a fight", attitude that just rubs off on the reader.

All I can say (note that I've only just embarked on this mission) is that I am super happy that I didn't go see the movie before reading the book, and that the first impression was indeed impressive. My winter break will be a success no matter what.

-Anna