There aren’t many books that I gush about anymore. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve read so many by this point in my life that it takes a special one to stick out, or if it’s because when I recommend one to people, I want them to take it seriously. Whatever the reason, I’d like to take a moment to gush about The Martian by Andy Weir.
Okay, I’ll try not to gush too much. I know what happens when people do that: Expectations go up, up, up, and inevitably those expectations aren’t met. So, I’ll keep my recommendation short and sweet:
Read it! It’s awesome.
Fine, fine. I’ll gush a little more. But only a little, I promise.
I first heard about The Martian last fall when I went to a writing conference run by publishing guru, Chuck Sambuchino. During the session that revolved around writing great first pages, he mentioned this book. I can’t remember exactly what Sambuchino said, but it went something like this: “If you want to read a flawless first page and a near flawless book, then read The Martian.”
So, of course, I did. And, of course, I loved it! I’m not even a huge sci-fi fan and I couldn’t put it down.
Since then, I’ve recommended The Martian to all of my friends, and they’ve agreed it’s addicting. Just this morning, my mom text me and told me she finished it (she started it two days ago), and then proceeded to gush about it as well.
…I won’t go into any specific details as to why The Martian is so great (I despise spoilers), but let’s just say it’s been about six months since I finished it and I’m still not over it!
Talk about an epic book hangover! Thanks a lot, Andy Weir. 😉
Okay, okay, I’ll stop now. Just go read The Martian! And definitely read it before the movie adaptation gets released in November. As amazing (and accurate) as the trailer looks below, we book nerds know the movie is rarely better than the book. So read it before you head to the theater!
To read more about The Martian, click here!
Photo credits:
In a way, The Maze Runner reminds me of 
So what are you waiting for? Run out and read The Maze Runner before the movie hits theaters on September 19th!
Since this is the third and final book in the 
Yeah, obviously I’d 
…sigh…
Well, that about sums up my feelings for Cress. Yippy, ya-hoo, woo-hoo, yea, yeah, yes! Seriously, can Marissa Meyer write a bad book? I mean it. I thought 
I can’t even begin to tell you how endearing and amusing Cress is. This Rapunzel inspired character was a perfect combination of sweet and naive, and edgy and brave. Half the time I wanted to laugh and shake my head at her daydreamin’, romantic fantasies, while the other half I wanted to give her a high five and thank her for not being a total damsel in distress.
If you read Scarlet, then you’ve already been introduced to Captain Thorne. And if you didn’t fall in love with him then, I promise, you will in Cress. Through countless adventures and an unfortunate accident, Captain Thorne proves to be more than a charming, arrogant, self-centered fop. He shows us he’s also a genuine, patient, caring guy. And a man of his word.
To read more about Cress, click 
However, Shatter Me wasn’t X-Men. It was too 
Blue blue blue…
What? You haven’t started reading this awesome series yet? Well, here are my reviews for book one and two:
Seriously, what the heck, Armentrout? How could you do that to us, huh? The shock, the disbelief, the pain…AHHH! I didn’t think I was going to be able to wait for my copy of Origin from the library. (I was like 200-billionth on the wait list…okay, more like 50, but still!)
If you’re a fan of the Lux series, Origin won’t disappoint. And if you haven’t picked up this series yet, go get started. It’s fun, easy and thoroughly entertaining!
Jen's Pen Den 
