Week 2

The Martian

Andy Weir's The Martian is a thriller that is going to keep you on the edge of your seat figuratively gasping for breath while the progtaganist, Mark Watney is literally gasping for breath.  The Martian follows the actions of NASA astronaut Mark Watney as he tries to survive after being stranded on Mars.  Written primarily as log book entries, the reader follows along as Watney figures out how to grow potatoes on a foreign planet, conducts experiments to create more water, and rehabilitates abandoned NASA probes to reinstate communication with Earth.  Hard Science Fiction lovers will struggle to debunk the science of the book and Thrill-seekers will have their needs temporarily satiated.
Appeal Factors: Fast-paced, Suspenseful, Detailed-Oriented

The Good Lord Bird

Set in Territorial Kansas, James McBride's The Good Lord Bird is a new look at the often discussed Civil War.  Through the eyes of Henry, a young slave masquerading as a girl, the reader gets to observe the role of abolitionist John Brown as he stokes the fire brewing between the pro-slavery state of Missouri and the anti-slavery territory of Kansas.  Henry, as Henriette, provides an insightful look into the turmoil that rocked the nation as he follows the Browns from Osawatomie, Kansas to Harper's Ferry, Virginia.
Appeal Factors: Character-driven, Fast-paced, Witty

Broken Monsters

Lauren Beukes follows up her 2013 horror thriller The Shining Girls, with another horror that stretches the imagination.  Set in present day Detroit, Beukes weaves a web of horror that begins with the discovery of a body that is the legs of a teenage boy, but the body of a deer.  As the mystery unfolds, the reader follows along as detectives, reporters, and Detroit's homeless try to solve the mystery under the backdrop of a dilapidated Detroit.  This riveting novel will keep you wanting more while inspiring you to ponder the effects of deterioration and gentrification.

Appeal Factors: Gruesome, Character-Driven