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Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated The Martian in Books

Oct 19, 2017  
The Martian
The Martian
Andy Weir | 2014 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
8.9 (50 Ratings)
Book Rating
When a sarcastic botanist is trapped on Mars
This was pretty hilarious, much more humorous than expected even after watching the film. The story follows American astronaut Mark Watney, as he becomes stranded alone on Mars in the year 2035 and must improvise in order to survive. As a botanist and engineer, he's able to think on his feet - and much of the science sounds incredibly plausible, explained in great detail.

But the best part is Watney's alter-personality from being logical and organised, to being extremely witty and sarcastic. All the while surviving on godforsaken potatoes. There are also snapshots of how his other crew members are managing, and how earth is following his progress as he becomes the face of primetime TV. It's a race against time.

All I know is that if you're ever stranded on a desert island, you'll definitely need to bring a botanist engineer space pirate with you.
  
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Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood in Books

Jan 3, 2018  
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood
Trevor Noah | 2017 | Biography
10
9.2 (16 Ratings)
Book Rating
An insider's view of Apartheid
It seems unlikely that comedian Trevor Noah would have ever made it out of the prison of colonialism, apartheid, poverty and violence, yet now he's regarded as one of South Africa's biggest export. His memoir is brutal and harrowing, describing how because of the illegal interracial relationship between his Xhosa mother and his Swiss-German, his birth was actually a crime.

It's hard to imagine that this legal segregation only ended 26 years ago, yet Noah then faced the turbulent legacy of post-apartheid. Being mixed race posed its own problems, as Noah describes never fitting in anywhere, but being accepted to a certain degree because of his 'whiteness' and his chameleon-like ability to adapt to his surroundings.

There are moments which are truly disturbing, as Noah speaks about his violent stepfather and going hungry. In this way, his life can be seen as a story of personal survival, through intelligence and humour, which millions have come to love.