New Release Tuesday #10: March 14, 2017

Hello dear Readers,

Happy Book Birthday to The Wanderers by Meg Howrey.

Title: The Wanderers

Genre: Fiction/Sci-Fi

Author: Meg Howrey

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: March 14, 2017

Language: English

Hardcover: 384 pages

Meet the Author: Meg Howrey

Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

A brilliantly inventive novel about three astronauts training for the first-ever mission to Mars, an experience that will push the boundary between real and unreal, test their relationships, and leave each of them—and their families—changed forever.

 

“A transcendent, cross-cultural, and cross planetary journey into the mysteries of space and self. . . . Howrey’s expansive vision left me awestruck.” —Ruth Ozeki

“Howrey's exquisite novel demonstrates that the final frontier may not be space after all.” —J. Ryan Stradal

In an age of space exploration, we search to find ourselves.

 

In four years, aerospace giant Prime Space will put the first humans on Mars. Helen Kane, Yoshihiro Tanaka, and Sergei Kuznetsov must prove they’re the crew for the historic voyage by spending seventeen months in the most realistic simulation ever created. Constantly observed by Prime Space’s team of "Obbers," Helen, Yoshi, and Sergei must appear ever in control. But as their surreal pantomime progresses, each soon realizes that the complications of inner space are no less fraught than those of outer space. The borders between what is real and unreal begin to blur, and each astronaut is forced to confront demons past and present, even as they struggle to navigate their increasingly claustrophobic quarters—and each other. 

Astonishingly imaginative, tenderly comedic, and unerringly wise, The Wanderers explores the differences between those who go and those who stay, telling a story about the desire behind all exploration: the longing for discovery and the great search to understand the human heart.

Wendy

Book Review: Emotions by Arnie Cantarero-Science Fiction

Hello dear Readers,

Below my book review of Emotions by Arnie Cantarero.

Title: Emotions

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Science-Fiction

Author: Arnie Cantarero

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform 
Publication Date: October 21, 2015 (First Edition)

Language: English

Paperback: 262 pages
Meet the Author: Arnie Cantarero
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

Jason Ariaz is not your average 22-year-old. He has been enhanced but that’s only the beginning. He is an emotionless extraterrestrial born to human parents and living among us. Both him and his implanted thinking computer were damaged on landing and must go through life as less than what they really are. 

The purpose of their mission: to gain permanent emotions from the more primitive society that is Earth. If he is successful, he will be the first of his species to do so in nearly 200,000 years. Hope lies in the fact that he is capable of emotional episodes, and he has been able to forge friendships. However, he does have the chance of completing his mission if he can truly care for Ariel, the closest human in his life. But he better know his heart soon. Their lives are in danger of ending tonight unless he can recover what his species has lost.

My Thoughts

First of all I want to thank the author, Arnie for bringing such an amazing story to life. Emotions is a book I really enjoyed and Jason one character I know I want to read more about in the near future. 

Onto the things I liked the most. Emotions is a story packed with a lot of action, actually it took me just a few days to read it. I could not stop, I did not want to stop reading it. Thing after thing happening, I just wanted to know what was next for Jason and all the other characters. I like how unique the premise is. Here is Jason, like the description shows us, an emotionless extraterrestrial, living in our planet, right there it was enough for me to want to read it. No emotions, makes you think how it would be like not to feel anything, no sadness, no happiness, no pain, no fear? 

I also like how Emotions is easy to read, not complicated words, not complicated descriptions like other few Sci-Fi books I have read before.  Well-developed characters, action-packed scenes, unexpected twists, a fast paced story in my opinion, complex but at the same time simple and beautiful. I like how this story is not predictable at all, every time I though I had it figured out there was something that changed everything, all the action going on, oh I loved that. And the ending, again, not expected but I liked it.

Jason is one of a kind character. Not able to have emotions, to feel, but he always tries to make sense of us Humans and the things we do which for him dont make any sense at all, questioning why Humans do certain things like drinking. Though I could not help but feel bad at times that he has to pretend or emulate emotions for the sake of not being discovered by the people around him. Love the dialogues between Computer and Jason and how sometimes Computer takes over so Jason does not end up doing the wrong thing or doing the right thing at all. For an emotionless extraterrestrial Jason is loyal and cares for the others, specially Ariel, not intentionally as we Humans do but that's how I felt it. Smart and a character that made me be invested in the story. I also like how we see more of Jason through the pages on his own words, his thoughts, his own state of mind: "I'm an emotionless being in an emotional world. A rough combination to say the least".

Overall, I liked and enjoyed the book a lot. Like I said, the premise and Jason as the main character make this story a unique one. I like how we can see the character's transition from very young people to a more adult life. Made me keep wondering how hard it would for a person to be emotionless specially in that teenage period, and for Jason who we dont get the emotions at all.

Emotions, a book I highly recommend and I can't wait for the sequel to be published. I need to know where the story goes next.

Wendy