Emer
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
I raced to finish this in advance of seeing the movie and I absolutely loved it. School teacher Ryland Grace wakes from a coma with amnesia and finds himself alone on a spacecraft after a thirteen year journey from earth. He has to figure out who he is and why he’s there - to find a way to destroy a single-celled organism that’s killing Earth’s sun. He makes an alien friend, does a lot of science, and is perfectly written for Ryan Gosling to play the part in the film. If you loved The Martian, you'll love this. It's smart, accessible, funny and heartbreaking.
Hungry by Katriona O’Sullivan
I’m halfway through this excellent follow up to Poor, O’Sullivan’s bestselling, award-winning memoir about growing up in an abusive, addicted and poverty-stricken home. She calls Hungry “a biography of my body”, and it’s so generous that she shares these insights into how trauma and circumstances can shape how a person develops from childhood into adulthood. I can’t wait to finish it and see what she does next.
Other People’s Lives by Kathleen McMahon
I usually have a few books on the go so I’m also halfway through Other People’s Lives by Kathleen McMahon. I’ve been a fan of Kathleen’s since I read her beautiful 2020 novel Nothing But Blue Sky. Other People’s Lives is about Justine, who’s suddenly tasked with planning her daughter’s wedding. This leads her to reflect on her own life, her marriage, her friendships. I’m someone who finds the institution of marriage quite baffling sometimes, so I’m really enjoying reading a book that interrogates it. As always, Kathleen’s writing is detailed and beautiful.
