Quick Pick: The Martian, by Andy Weir

• Opening lines: I'm pretty much f--ked.
  That's my considered option.
  F--cked.
  Six days into what should be the greatest two months of my life, and it's turned into a nightmare.
• Reason I picked up the book: I had heard a lot of good things about it, and the movie version (starring Matt Damon!) is out in theaters this October. 
• And what's this book about?
Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him & forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded & completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—& even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—& a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

• Favorite paragraph:
"This is a short but very important announcement," Annie said. "I won't be taking any questions at this time, but we will be having a full press conference with Q&A in about an hour. We have recently reviewed satellite imagery from Mars and have confirmed that astronaut Mark Watney, is, currently, still alive."

After one full second of utter silence, the room exploded with noise.

• Recommended for: Anyone who likes a good read! The narrator in this book was actually very sarcastic and hilarious, which made me laugh out loud at certain points in the novel. 
• Something to know: There's a lot of science in this book. At first it was a little offputting, but the main character (Mark, the astronaut stuck on Mars) brings so much sarcasticness that by the end I didn't mind it. He "explains" science too in some points, so that it doesn't feel confusing or overwhelming.
• What I would have changed: The ending - it was cut too short. I wanted to know more about what happens (avoiding spoilers here, ha) and the aftereffects on Earth. 
• Overall rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.
• Where can I find this book? Click here.