September and Final #OABookClub

Welcome to our #OABookClub for August! This feature hasn't been popular amongst our readers, so we've decided to retire it. However, before we go, this month, we wanted to give everyone our thoughts on:

J

I enjoyed the book, especially toward the end when Stephen King went into details about being hit by a van and the long road to his recovery. That made the book, for me, even more relatable and real. That's also when I felt the most hope.

The book is by Stephen King, so obviously, conservative readers, there's going to be adult language, a few sexual situations, and even a bit of violence. (You've been given a heads up.)

CV 22 and 23-- when he discusses meeting his wife-- that's great stuff.

In the On Writing- Section 15, there's a view of what a good query looked like in 1999. (Page 245 in the paperback 10th Anniversary edition.) I wonder what today's literary agents would make of it? Would it make it past our own Operation Awesome PASS OR PAGES? (Honestly? Not if I'm the one reading it. That one breaks nearly every query rule I know. What a difference 15 years makes!)

A story about his son, Owen, illustrates the difference between determination and passionate desire. (A determined person will do all the required work with diligence. A person overflowing with passionate desire will go above and beyond joyfully, perhaps even to the detriment of other bits of life.)

Kara

I found On Writing to be a fascinating mix of memoir and writing advice. Getting a peek into how a famous author became what he is today was exciting for me, even though I've only read one Stephen King book (too scary!). I love how he gives so much credit to his family and his wife for supporting him.

I appreciated that he gives writers permissions to just write for a while and see what sticks, plot-wise. I think the way he put it is coming up with a situation and just exploring what characters in that situation would do. Which is all well and good when you can write a 600-page book and no one will blink an eye, right? But even for a new writer who is very aware of that 100K word guideline, it can be a great way to flesh out possible plots. It just means doing a lot of cutting later, and that's okay! I'm actually going to try out this method with my current WIP idea that's floating around in my head waiting for a plot.

Overall, I highly recommend this book for writers. It's really cool to see that even Stephen King came from humble writing beginnings, and for me, was a real confidence-booster. And we all need that from time to time, right?

Samantha

This was the first writing craft book I ever read, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is starting out. Heck, I recommend it to any who's never read it because it's accessible and inspiring and interesting.

One thing that struck me as off, though, was the advice to try writing four hours (FOUR?) a day only after shutting yourself away from the world. Well, that's nice, Stephen, but some of us have family and jobs and commutes. So I would offer in its place this advice: Figure out what works for you and then do that.

But overall, it's great. Don't stop there, though. I recommend everything Donald Maass has ever written. And if you want some more recs, have a gander at my Goodreads writing craft shelf!

***

If you read On Writing or have other craft book recs, let us know in the comments!

August #OABookClub

Why, hello, everyone! In July, we took some time off from the #OABookClub, but in August, we're back with a craft book every writer should read at least once:

“Long live the King” hailed Entertainment Weekly upon the publication of Stephen King's On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer's craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King's advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported near-fatal accident in 1999—and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery. Brilliantly structured, friendly and inspiring, On Writing will empower and entertain everyone who reads it—fans, writers, and anyone who loves a great story well told.

Come back at the beginning of September to let us know what you thought of it!

#LesMisRead2016 Update from Samantha

We're not going to talk about it right now.

***

So what have you been reading this summer? Let us know in the comments!

June 2016 #OABookClub: Me Before You by JoJo Moyes

Welcome back! In June, the members of Operation Awesome read Me Before You by JoJo Moyes.

J

The writing itself seems to be well done. The characters are fleshed out properly. I could have done without the head-hopping chapters. It made me miss Paris, but for me, I understand the way that Will misses Paris, and feel similarly to him on the subject.

I'm not going to debate if life was "bad enough" for a fictional character. I can think of a dozen ways to write it to make it worse. There are events that separate a person from the rest of humanity. Scars so deep they prevent us from ever being like everyone else. This book discusses three of them with an emotional abandon rarely braved.

The book has inevitable spiritual and scientific debates. I've been drawn into heated debates about euthanasia and the appropriate or acceptable amounts of medically scientific interference that should be permitted for two decades now. This review of a fictional book is not going to contain my encyclopedia-worth of knowledge on the topics. The book is fiction. Besides, the book seems to have covered every angle of those debates. One of the primary characters is diverse only in the sense that he has a severe medical condition. I found other minor characters in the story who had similar afflictions to Will, but who lived very different lives than he did.

I would like to remind everyone not to feed bread to ducks. Seeds and lettuce in moderation are okay.

Kara

I have tried to read two of Jojo Moyes' books before (The Ship of Brides and The Girl You Left Behind), and I couldn't get into either one of them. Both ended up on my DNF shelf on Goodreads. I'm not sure what it was about Me Before You that kept my attention, but it was probably the voice of the main character. I liked her from the start, and so was able to stay hooked. I liked all of the characters, really, even the ones whose choices irritated me. Everyone felt real to me.

I also liked how Lou gradually fell for Will. I hate instalove, especially in situations like this one where Will is fairly horrible to Lou at first.

The ending gutted me. I knew how it would end; with the movie out, spoilers are all over the place. So I was prepared for it, but still ended up bawling like my daughter when her binkie gets taken away. I do not think that Will made the right choice. I think his life was worth living, and choosing to die was selfish and prideful. I don't agree with assisted suicide because of my religious beliefs, so that bias was obviously there, but really. I find it hard to believe that anyone would sympathize with Will's choice. Still, people do.

Which is why I think this makes a good book club book. There are a wide range of opinions on assisted suicide, and the book could be a good jumping-off point for a discussion on the practice.

I'm not sure I would read this one again (even though I read books over and over), but I liked it while I read it. Four stars.

***

Next Book of the Month: August

For July, we're taking a little break from the Book Club due to vacations and general summer craziness in our lives. Come back at the beginning of August to find out what we're reading!

#LesMisRead2016 Update from Samantha

Perhaps I should just re-title this segment "Worst Year Ever Update from Samantha." Since last we met, my father was diagnosed with a (thankfully, very treatable) form of cancer, and I suffered a back sprain from my lingering injury when I was pregnant two years ago. I don't know if you're aware of the difficulty of motivating yourself to read something somewhat challenging while experiencing the pain of a back injury and stress about the health of your parent, but...

OK, so for some happy news: I've joined the slush reading team of Flash Fiction Online! I'm planning on doing a post here one of these days on things I've already learned from slushing. I've only done it for a little over a month, but already I know it's improving my writing dramatically--mostly around ideas and approaches to my stories. We all know the oft-repeated cliche beginnings of novels, but there are cliche ideas (which come in and out of fashion, in fact) that run through slush piles. It's interesting to see those.

So, um, all that to say: I'm getting there. I will finish reading Les Miserables in 2016 if I'm skimming the end while the ball drops for 2017. But I'm behind. Again.

Thanks for stopping by. Let us know what you thought of Me Before You in the comments!

May 2016 #OABookClub: Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

Welcome back! In May and in honor of our MG Pass or Pages, the members of Operation Awesome read Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt.

Kara

I hate to say that I was disappointed by Tuck Everlasting. I was so excited by the premise; immortality in any shape or form is guaranteed to catch my attention, but I felt that so much of this premise was wasted. Not only were the Tucks super boring, they were wasting immortality! They could have done so much with their longevity, and instead they just spent it in hiding. I much prefer the way the vampires in Twilight, for example, spend their eternity: learning new languages and skills, and helping the community.

I wanted much more exploration of what immortality meant to the characters. I liked the older brother’s sadness at the loss of his family, and I wanted to know more about how immortality affected the other members of the Tuck family. Apparently it turned the younger brother into a perv; the way he treated 10-year-old Winnie made my skin crawl. I’m glad that in the end, she chose not to drink the magical water.

The prose was beautiful, I will say that. But overall, I would prefer a lot more action in place of so much description.

Katrina

Ever since watching the movie as a teen, I have been wanting to read this book. When it popped up at a library sale for 25 cents, I swiped it up as quick as I could! Now I wonder why it took me so long to read it!

The poetry of the words alone is worth the read! The overarching theme of the wheel of time and interdependence of life, and the clever descriptions also make it deep, thought-provoking, and entertaining. The toad may have been my favorite character. Isn't he just like Tuck himself? Very touching ending.

I do think if I read this as a child I would not have appreciated the ending, but I certainly do now, as a mother. To be frozen at 17 seems an awful curse when I think how much joy I'd have missed without aging through motherhood. Very thought-provoking.

Samantha

I didn't love this book, nor did I hate it. It was kind of meh, but then again, I don't read much MG. When I do, I have an eye toward whether I think my 21-month-old will eventually like it. I think she will, but I found it slow going, especially the beginning. The descriptions dragged on and I kept wanting them to get to the point. And, to be honest, I still don't get why the Tucks kidnapped a little girl, but she did get to have a nice adventure, so there's that.

The one thing bothered me was the promise of gaining immortality at seventeen. I know that as a ten-year-old, seventeen seemed like the perfect age: so grown-up, but not ancient and withered like my parents. (And I had my daughter three years later than my mom had me--yikes!) But as an adult, stopping growth at seventeen seems horrifying, unless emotional growth keeps going.

I'll take immortality in my late twenties, please and thank you.

***

June's Operation Awesome Book of the Month

In June, we're reading Me Before You by JoJo Moyes.

Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.

What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.

Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.

What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.

Come back on Friday, July 1, to discuss what you thought of the book!

#LesMisRead2016 Update from Samantha

I'm finally all caught up again, although it helped that I skimmed the chapter on the nuns. I might have paid more attention if it was a real order of nuns, but apparently Hugo decided to make them up, according to the translator's note before the book. It was a little bit weird, to be honest, and almost seemed like he was projecting some kind of fantasy onto these fictional women, but maybe I'm being unkind.

On the whole, I'm liking the actual story. Cosette's story is heart-breaking, and I'm so glad that Jean Valjean rescued her. She didn't deserve all the horrible things those people did to her. It was a little mean of him to use Madame T-whatever to keep her quiet when they were being chased by the police, although I understand why he did it. But there's still more than half the book remaining, so I imagine (or, well, hope!) that their troubles aren't over.

Thanks for stopping by. Let us know what you thought of Tuck Everlasting in the comments!

April 2016 #OABookClub: A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

Welcome back! In April, the members of Operation Awesome read A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab.

Kara

It took me a while to get used to the writing in A Darker Shade of Magic. I kept describing it to myself as "dense." Not a bad thing, let me be clear: I really enjoyed the writing. I just couldn't read more than a couple chapters at a time until I got used to it. Then I was reading large chunks, and really getting into it.

I loved the characters; Kell in particular, from the moment he showed a little bit of kindness to mad King George. The magic of the different Londons was fascinating; I found myself wanting to know more.

The one complaint I had (if you could really call it a complaint) was that the book tied things up too neatly! I liked that, but I didn't feel compelled to start the sequel (A Gathering of Shadows) immediately, even though I checked both books out from the library at the same time. In between finishing ADSOM and starting AGOS, I read three other books. I would have liked a little more of a cliffhanger or at least a hint of what was to come in the next book to keep me going. As it is, I'm mostly reading AGOS now because I like V.E. Schwab's fantasy world, not because I have a burning desire to find out what happens next. Even so, that's a pretty minor complaint.

Samantha

I read A Darker Shade of Magic in a weekend, which is somewhat uncommon for me at this point in my life because of the many other things going on. However, my speed-read wasn't so much the narrative pull, but because the writing flowed. I like V.E. Schwab's voice, and it was easy to get into.

However, I am doomed to analyze everything I ever read or watch, and in this case, I must report that the beginning was not done properly. By properly, I mean following the commonly touted advice given to writers aspiring to publication. What I would consider the first chapter inciting incident (discovering the Black London trinket) didn't occur until about 100 pages in, which means the first quarter was world- and character-building. We followed the main character hither and yon as he completed tasks that were unrelated to the overarching plot. Of course, that meant the true Act I to Act II transition occurred late (the midpoint--nearly halfway through), and the rest felt rushed and underdeveloped.

That being said, I would still recommend it to anyone interested in the premise or a fan of Victoria's other work. She's very strong with world-building, and talent covers a multitude of sins.

***

May's Operation Awesome Book of the Month

In May, to celebrate the category and genre of our upcoming #PassOrPages contest, we're reading Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt.

Doomed to - or blessed with - eternal life after drinking from a magic spring, the Tuck family wanders about trying to live as inconspicuously and comfortably as they can. When ten-year-old Winnie Foster stumbles on their secret, the Tucks take her home and explain why living forever at one age is less a blessing that it might seem. Complications arise when Winnie is followed by a stranger who wants to market the spring water for a fortune.

Come back on Monday, May 2, to discuss what you thought of the book!

#LesMisRead2016 Update from Samantha

I'm working on getting caught up from getting behind last month on reading Les Miserables, but the story ground to a halt with the description of the Battle of Waterloo. I ended up sending out a plea to my Twitter followers to ask if I really had to read those chapters, and the answer was, "No, just read the ending of that section." So that's what I did--only after summoning up the willpower after a week of not reading.

That's the kind of thing that frustrates me about classics. I like a contemporary pacing. It's unfortunate because so far, I've been impressed with this book. I might even say that it's my favorite classic I've ever read. (And I'm reading the abridged version, so I wouldn't have expected a wikipedia-page explanation of a battle right in the middle of the action.)

Thanks for stopping by. Let us know what you thought of A Darker Shade of Magic in the comments!

March 2016 #OABookClub: Emma by Jane Austen

Welcome back! In March, the members of Operation Awesome read EMMA, by Jane Austen.

Emma is a classic, by a revered author. So why did some of us have trouble finishing? Read on, and please add your thoughts in the comments!

Kara

I have struggled with reading "classics" all my life. While a part of me would love to be "well-read," the actual reading of most of those books has been onerous. I often can't read them unless I've seen the movie (Pride and Prejudice is one that comes to mind).

Well, I've seen Clueless, so I figured that would be enough to get me through EMMA. And it helped; I kept reminding myself "Okay, Harriet is Tai, Mr. Knightley is Paul Rudd's character..." While I was able to keep the characters straight, I still kept falling asleep while reading! I do intend to finish EMMA, someday, but alas I could not finish it in March. It's not like I didn't have free time this month; the amount of Gilmore Girls I watched can attest to that. But when the choice came down to watching Netflix, working on my own book, or reading EMMA, somehow EMMA always got picked last. In fact, I only read it when I was donating plasma and the internet wasn't working (meaning no Netflix).

I tried to pinpoint what it was about EMMA that kept putting me to sleep, and I think it's the pacing. It moves soooooo sloooooooowly. Most of the beginning of the book is dialogue or exposition. Emma's governess/companion moves out, but we're mostly told that, not shown it. Harriet becomes Emma's friend. And then the Travis-equivalent proposes to Harriet (that's as far as I got). But somehow there is endless talking about FREAKING EVERYTHING even though barely anything is happening!

It reminded me that while dialogue often helps us get to know characters and love them, it is not a good device for advancing a story. Action is important. Stuff has to happen on the page, not just be talked about.

I'll finish this one, eventually, if the internet isn't back on at BioLife. At least it was free!

Samantha

Honesty time: I did not complete the homework assignment. I DNFed this book at 7%. And what's more... I was the one who picked this out.

I spent most of my life avoiding Jane Austen. Her writing isn't exactly my thing. I'm more into space operas, gritty fantasy, and psychological thrillers. That's about as far from her prim romantic interludes that you can get. My BFFs in high school were obsessed with the Gwyneth Paltrow movie, yet I never read any Austen works until a couple years ago.

However, I enjoyed Pride and Prejudice. It's quaint. I liked the voice, and I can understand why people go crazy over her writing. I've also been bingeing Downton Abbey on Netflix lately, so I get it. I get it. I GET IT.

What I didn't get was who all these people in Emma were. OMG, so many people. And her father went by "Mr." or whatever? Like, how am I supposed to remember that? I spent half the second chapter thinking I'd been introduced to someone new and being confused about someone's second cousin's childless marriage and... Yeah.

March has been a stressful month for me overall. I might have persevered longer if I had more energy. I really thought I'd like it, but that's the verdict: DNF, 7%. Sorry, Ms. Austen.

Karen

I have to confess that the only reason I read this book is because a good friend of mine told me it was a digestible Jane Austen. I had a history of DNFing all the Jane Austen books because, oh my goodness, they dragged. And dragged.

This one was a bit more readable for me though. Perhaps it's because I'm older, reading more, writing more, and I have a different relationship to words than I used to. It probably also helped that I saw the movie Clueless first, which made it easier to keep track of everyone, especially with a double-check to the wiki. But I definitely agree with Samantha that it was chock full of people.

Emma is a beautifully complex character, so much so that I still rooted for her despite her frivolity and stubbornness. She's smart and clueless at the same time, all while being so wonderfully interesting. Something very difficult for a writer to pull off well.

As much as I liked the book, however, it is, as of this post, still a DNF. I'm more than halfway through, and intend to finish. And I'll definitely be watching Clueless again.

Katrina

I am a sucker for Jane Austen's dry humor and spot-on characterization of people who seem too real to be made up. Frank Churchill, for instance, while charming in every movie adaption of Emma I ever saw, is really quite a cad in the book. Take this excerpt, from when Emma catches him staring at his secret fiance.

He started. "Thank you for rousing me," he replied. "I believe I have been very rude; but really Miss Fairfax has done her hair in so odd a way--so very odd a way--that I cannot keep my eyes from her. I never saw anything so outre! Those curls! This must be a fancy of her own. I see nobody else looking like her. I must go and ask her whether it is an Irish fashion. Shall I? Yes, I will--I declare I will; and you shall see how she takes it--whether she colours."

Not quite the charmer Ewan McGregor had me crushing on! As much as I have loved the characters in Pride and Prejudice, and Persuasion, I believe Emma holds some of the most ridiculous and yet life-like of any Jane Austen wrote. While the story line may drag a tad, the actual conversations are so much fun, you couldn't get any more entertainment from watching The Bachelorette, which is, of course, how Emma likes to describe herself.

Wendy

I'm a big fan of Jane Austen's work, and of all of them, I love Emma the most, and not just because I think Mr. Knightly is the best Austen love interest.

The characters in this book are people you can identify the world today: Emma, who means well and says things that sound correct but doesn't realize how unnecessary her advice and "assistance" really is; Harriet, who values her friend's opinions over her own, much to her detriment; Mr. Woodhouse, who's content in his comfortable little world of consistency and hates any kind of change; and the rest of the cast, whose blunders and antics and interactions are so relatable, even so many years later.

Yes, the plot isn't exactly action-filled, but with Austen, I'm in it for the characters, the clever dialogue, and the little hidden gems of understanding, rather than a riveting plot.

On the topic of "hidden gems" -- for fans of Austen, or those who may have read the works but feel like they're still missing the "inside jokes," I'd definitely recommend What Matters in Jane Austen: Twenty Crucial Puzzles Solved by John Mullan. This literary criticism outlines twenty insights into Austen's world that make reading these novels even more enjoyable and might make some of those tough-to-get-through chapters make more sense. It contains insights on what those books were that Harriet told Mr. Martin to read, why Austen had her characters play those particular card games, and how much the age difference between characters would have really mattered during those times. You may be surprised what you've been missing!

***

April's Operation Awesome Book of the Month

In April, we're reading A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC, by V.E. Schwab.

Kell is one of the last Travelers—rare magicians who choose a parallel universe to visit.

Grey London is dirty, boring, lacks magic, ruled by mad King George. Red London is where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London is ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne. People fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. Once there was Black London—but no one speaks of that now.

Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell smuggles for those willing to pay for even a glimpse of a world they’ll never see. This dangerous hobby sets him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a dangerous enemy, then forces him to another world for her 'proper adventure'.

But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive—trickier than they hoped.

Come back on Monday, May 2, to discuss what you thought of the book!

Click to Tweet: I'm reading A DARKER SHADE OF MAGIC by @veschwab in April for @OpAwesome6's #OABookClub. Join me?

#LesMisRead2016 Update from Samantha

Quick update: As I mentioned above, I've had a hard month. My father-in-law died on Good Friday. Before that, my husband went up to see him in his final days, and I had the week off from work to (supposedly) potty train our toddler. But Morrigan was very upset that Daddy was gone, so that didn't happen. No potty training with depressed toddlers. Then hubby got home, and his father went into palliative care, and we took the twelve hour drive up there. As I'm writing this, we're on the road back home.

So that's more of a life update than a Les Miserables reading update, but all that to say: I'm behind, but not because I'm not enjoying it. My big overall thought on the novel is, "Poor Cosette. Poor Fatine. Poor Jean Valjean. Poor everyone." But then, with a title like that, what do you expect?

Hopefully I'll be caught up by next month!

Thanks for stopping by. Let us know what you thought of Emma in the comments!

February 2016 #OABookClub: The Martian by Andy Weir

Hello and welcome to our second month of #OABookClub. Based on its insane popularity right now (and, really, how great of a book it is), we chose The Martian by Andy Weir. If you read it, we'd love for you to join in the discussion.

Kara

My favorite thing about The Martian was definitely the voice. Second, the drama created by us getting to see what was happening on Mars AND Earth. Third favorite was the fact that I didn't know what would happen to Mark until literally the second he was saved. I love not guessing the endings of books.

I can't put my finger on why exactly I loved Mark's voice, but he felt completely real to me as a character the entire time. The data entry logs worked for me, even though it is kind of like epistolary storytelling, which I usually hate. I guess it just didn't feel forced or contrived to me. It felt like the perfect way to tell Mark's side of the story. Even with all the science stuff. Look, I've got a MS, and I consider myself a fairly intelligent person, but man, the science was off-puttingly dense. It made perfect sense that it would be there, because that's how Mark would think, but I'll be honest: after the first 75 pages or so I just skimmed those sections. It was easy to do, and I recommend that way of reading it to everyone I recommend the book to.

Getting to see Earth's side of the story was also awesome, for me. It really upped the tension, knowing what NASA could see that Mark couldn't. I liked those characters, as well.

Finally, because Andy Weir did such a good job of running Mark through the wringer all throughout the book, I thought there was a very good chance he'd die while trying to be saved. I really wasn't convinced that he'd live until they pulled him onto the ship. And that's my favorite kind of ending--surprisingly happy.

4 out of 5 stars (I knocked one off for the technobabble, because really, it could have been summed up)

Find Kara on Twitter here.

Katrina

As a survival story, The Martian is exciting and interesting, with the main character coming up with complex solutions to his life-and-death problems, all while making the rest of us feel impressed because we'd never have thought of them, or dared to attempt them.

His voice, however, took some getting used to, and even though I watched him go through quite a lot of trauma, I couldn't connect with him emotionally as a main character. In fact, at times the heavy detail reminded me of the thick exposition in Jules Verne or Dan Brown. So if that's your cup of tea, you'll appreciate this on a level I don't play at.

I might have enjoyed it better in serial format, the way Verne's similarly detail-rich adventures were published, although no format would have made me comfortable with the amount of profanity used by all the characters. Not my particular cup of tea.

Find Katrina on Twitter here.

Samantha

When I was a little girl, I wanted to be an astronaut. Despite that I have bad eyesight and loathe exercise, a part of me still believes that maybe, just maybe, I could have been an astronaut, ya know, if I'd really applied myself. Or gone back to grad school. Or whatevs.

This book speaks to that little girl inside me.

I loved how accessible the voice was. The whole time, he was just all, "Hey, I'm a regular person, just like the rest of you, even if I have the most badass job on the planet in the solar system." And the journal format was great. I love unique storytelling like that.

The only thing I have a slight complaint about was the detailed math he included. At first, I started running through the numbers with him (in my head--I didn't whip out a calculator or anything) (OK, maybe I was telling myself I could run through the math if I wanted to), but after a while, it was slowing down the story. Especially as things heated up, it was distracting. I just wanted to get on with it. But still, it was interesting that the author proved that all this is possible. That's the appeal of the book, I think. Knowing it could be true, perhaps even today.

Overall, I loved it.

Find Samantha on Twitter here.

Wendy

The Martian by Andy Weir was one of my favorite sci-fi books I read last year. Looking back, what really sticks with me is the vast amount of real science and math that went into solving the problems of fictional astronaut Mark Watney as he finds himself stranded and alone on the red planet. The xkcd comic below really sums up my thoughts on it perfectly --

​And yet, even if the science goes way over your head (I know a lot of the physics did for me), I think readers can also appreciate the story's sense of adventure and the narrator's humor (that goes a long way to lighten up what could have been a really hopeless situation). At its heart, it's a survival story where the unique elements of the environment vie against human hope and ingenuity.

Find Wendy on Twitter here.

So what did you think? Chat with us in the comments below!

March's Operation Awesome Book of the Month

For this month, we're heading from a few years in the future to a few decades in the past.

'I never have been in love; it is not my way, or my nature; and I do not think I ever shall.'

Beautiful, clever, rich - and single - Emma Woodhouse is perfectly content with her life and sees no need for either love or marriage. Nothing, however, delights her more than interfering in the romantic lives of others. But when she ignores the warnings of her good friend Mr. Knightley and attempts to arrange a suitable match for her protegee Harriet Smith, her carefully laid plans soon unravel and have consequences that she never expected. With its imperfect but charming heroine and its witty and subtle exploration of relationships, Emma is often seen as Jane Austen's most flawless work.

Join us! We'll be posting comments on Monday, April 4, so come back then and let us know what you thought.

Click to Tweet: I'm reading EMMA by Jane Austen in March for @OpAwesome6's #OABookClub. Join me?

And finally, before you go...

#LesMisRead2016 Update from Samantha

I'm still on track with Les Miserables, so I'm quite pleased with myself. I struggled with the last classic I read, and now that I'm taking my time with this one, I'm pretty sure it's my need for speed that got in the way. 3.3 pages a day isn't bad, and even if I don't read all week, it doesn't take that long to get caught up on a weekend. Trying to get something read as soon as possible inherently makes it unenjoyable.

In terms of the story itself, it's interesting that just when I think the story is dragging, something dramatic happens. And Hugo contains so much emotion in one tiny sentence. Cosette's story has brought me to tears, but having a 1.5 year old means that happens a lot to me in life now. I didn't realize how many suffering children existed in literature and television until I had my own.

So, in summary, I'm quite enjoying the book. Onward I go!

Check out my other impressions on the Twitter hashtag #LesMisRead2016. And if you want to read it this year with me, there's plenty of time to catch up.

Click to Tweet: I'm reading LES MISERABLES in 2016 with @Saboviec. Join me? #LesMisRead2016

Thanks for stopping by, everyone, and don't forget--let us know what you thought of The Martian in the comments!

January 2016 #OABookClub: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

So ends the first month of our new feature, #OABookClub, wherein we read a book together. In honor of our inaugural #PassorPages agent feedback contest, which was open to mystery/thriller writers, we chose The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie.

Did you read it, too? If not, I would highly suggest doing so. It's considered one of Christie's best works. If you did, we'd love for you to join in the discussion. Either way, please note:

BIG SPOILERS AHEAD!

Read on to find out what our operatives thought of the book...

Katrina

What a twisty ending! This is a classic whodunit where the person you suspect least ends up being the guilty party. The problem for me was that the person I suspected least wasn't even on my suspect list. I was quite thrown for a loop! I am proud of myself for guessing right on a few minor predictions, but as a whole I failed to keep up with M. Poirot.

Agatha Christie is a writer with wit and flair. She makes fun of human nature through characters who act precisely how you'd expect them to act, while slipping a few in under your nose who are merely acting. I very much enjoyed the writing style, the narrator's tone and personality, and the small town English setting. The drama of each person's secrets and open struggles plus the mystery of whodunit make this book quite the page-turner.

Find Katrina on Twitter here.

Kara

My love of all things Agatha Christie stems from my grandmother and her love of pocket-sized cozy mysteries. One summer, while visiting her, I explored her den and was amazed to find dozens of books stacked on top of each other in barely balanced piles.

"Can I read these?" It was a question I asked a lot at that age; I liked to borrow books from my parents' bookshelves, which sometimes got us all into trouble. But Agatha Christie was deemed safe, and my grandmother handpicked And Then There Were None for me to read.

My reading level might have been that of an adult, but I was 8. And Then There Were None terrified me. I stayed away from Agatha Christie and her psychological terrors for a long time. When I was finally ready to give Dame Agatha another chance, someone directed me to The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Interestingly, it was not my grandmother. Ackroyd is one of the few Agatha Christie novels she doesn't own.

I consider Ackroyd to be the pinnacle of the mystery genre, the king of the unreliable narrators. I never saw the ending coming. I know many people consider it to be a cheat, but I found it absolutely brilliant. If I had the power to erase memories, I'd erase that book so I could have the joy of reading it and being shocked yet again (I'd also delete the Harry Potter books so I could experience them for the first time again). I've now read most of Agatha Christie's mysteries (my grandmother gave her collection to me several years ago), and Ackroyd has always stood out as the best.

One caveat: Don't watch the TV version before you've read the book. The reveal is nowhere near as masterful.

Find Kara on Twitter here.

Samantha

I have a confession to make: I already knew the ending before I started reading. I was doing research for one of my books, and I found it on a list of famous works with unreliable narrators.

Still, I had trouble detecting the truth about what was really happening because Christie buried it quite deeply. Instead of creating some elaborate lie over cover up the truth, the narrator glossed over what happened. If you're going to lie and get away with it, that's the way to do it--don't give too much information--but in analyzing it as a writing device, I was a bit disappointed.

I love the flamboyant Tyler Durden in Fight Club or the smooth-talking Verbal Kent in the movie The Usual Suspects or even the creepy, confusing Humbert Humbert in Lolita. My preference for unreliable narrators is to have them spin a yarn that sucks me in and spits me back out again when I realize it was a lie all along.

Find Samantha on Twitter here.

So what did you think? Chat with us in the comments below!

February's Operation Awesome Book of the Month

For this month, we're reading a book that's so burning hot right now, it's been made into a movie starring Matt Damon.

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.

After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate the planet while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded on Mars' surface, completely alone, with no way to signal Earth that he’s alive — and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone years before a rescue could arrive.

Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark's not ready to quit. Armed with nothing but his ingenuity and his engineering skills — and a gallows sense of humor that proves to be his greatest source of strength – he embarks on a dogged quest to stay alive, using his botany expertise to grow food and even hatching a mad plan to contact NASA back on Earth.

As he overcomes one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next, Mark begins to let himself believe he might make it off the planet alive – but Mars has plenty of surprises in store for him yet.

Grounded in real, present-day science from the first page to the last, yet propelled by a brilliantly ingenious plot that surprises the reader again and again, The Martian is a truly remarkable thriller: an impossible-to-put-down suspense novel that manages to read like a real-life survival tale.

Join us! We'll be posting comments on Tuesday, March 1, so come back then and let us know what you thought.

Click to Tweet: I'm reading THE MARTIAN by Andy Weir in February for @OpAwesome6's #OABookClub. Join me?

And finally, before you go...

#LesMisRead2016 Update from Samantha

I got a little bit behind with my reading in Les Miserables when I got the stomach flu a week and a half ago, but I'm caught up again. I'm glad I've done it this way. Breaking it into bite-sized chunks (3.3 pages per day) is keeping me motivated.

The entirety of Part 1, Book 1 is a character sketch on Bishop Bienvenu, which as a writing device, is poorly done. When we finally meet our main character Jean Valjean in Part 1, Book 2, Chapter 1, no tension exists around what's going to happen to him once he gets pointed in the direction of the bishop. Hugo just spent seventy pages telling us how terribly, wondrously nice the bishop is, so all the worry for our main character deflates.

The writing itself, however, is moving. The scene where the bishop goes to comfort the dying man who plotted the overthrow of the king during the French Revolution is touching. Since we know that the bishop is a good man, seeing his conflict over how to treat this hated political dissident is interesting. And when the dying man's story finally comes out, I might have had tears in my eyes.

Check out my other impressions on the Twitter hashtag #LesMisRead2016. And if you want to read it this year with me, there's plenty of time to catch up.

Click to Tweet: I'm reading LES MISERABLES in 2016 with @Saboviec. Join me? #LesMisRead2016

Thanks for stopping by, everyone, and don't forget--let us know what you thought of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd in the comments!

New in 2016: #OABookClub

Well, hello there, my sparkly holiday celebrants! This is Samantha, and I'd like to welcome you the first of several book-related posts that will ring in the new year with a bang. Today's topic is an exciting New Thing We're Gonna Do starting in 2016.

Writers are readers, and the Operation Awesome team is no exception. We decided that in the new year, we should get together and have cawfee and tawk about books. Therefore, I bring to you: #OABookClub.

At the beginning of each month, we'll announce a book we're reading. Our criteria are 1) something most of us have an interest in, 2) something stand-alone (i.e. no series), and 3) something that is available in most libraries. Throughout the month--assuming we aren't waiting until the day before the post to cram--we'll be talking away on the hashtag #OABookClub on Twitter. Feel free to join the conversation. On the first of the next month, we'll get together, give our impressions of the BotM, and invite you to weigh in, too.

January's Operation Awesome Book of the Month

For this month, to celebrate the inaugural round of our fabulous new contest, Pass or Pages, we'll be reading an iconic book written by an iconic mystery writer.

In the village of King's Abbot, a widow's sudden suicide sparks rumors that she murdered her first husband, was being blackmailed, and was carrying on a secret affair with the wealthy Roger Ackroyd. The following evening, Ackroyd is murdered in his locked study--but not before receiving a letter identifying the widow's blackmailer. King's Abbot is crawling with suspects, including a nervous butler, Ackroyd's wayward stepson, and his sister-in-law, Mrs. Cecil Ackroyd, who has taken up residence in the victim's home. It's now up to the famous detective Hercule Poirot, who has retired to King's Abbot to garden, to solve the case of who killed Roger Ackroyd--a task in which he is aided by the village doctor and narrator, James Sheppard, and by Sheppard's ingenious sister, Caroline.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is the book that made Agatha Christie a household name and launched her career as a perennial bestseller. Originally published in 1926, it is a landmark in the mystery genre. It was in the vanguard of a new class of popular detective fiction that ushered in the modern era of mystery novels.

Join us! Operatives Wendy Nikel, Katrina Lantz, Kara Reynolds, and I will be posting our impressions on February 1st, and we'd love to chat about it with you in the comments.

Click to Tweet: "I'm reading THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD by Agatha Christie in January for @OpAwesome6's #OABookClub. Join me?"

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But wait! There's more!

2016's Operation Awesome Book of the Year

This is unofficial and possibly the only time I'll do this.

I decided that I need--THAT'S RIGHT, NEED--to read Les Miserables. (Someone might also be demanding encouraging me to write a retelling of it--set in space, because of course--but I have committed to nothing.)

Except, in case you haven't heard, Les Mis is rather long. So I made myself a new year's resolution to read a little bit every day or so and finish it by December 31, 2016. I have been informed by my husband that it is not suitable bedtime reading for my 16-month-old, so that's out. But despite the harrowing setbacks, I'm still planning on doing it.

If you'd like to follow along, I'll be tweeting my reactions on the Twitter hashtag #LesMisRead2016. I'll give an update on the first at the end of our BotM post, too. If you'd like to read along with me, well, go get yourself a copy and we'll start on Friday. (The version I bought is about 1250-ish pages, so it's about 3.3 per day.)

Full disclosure: I struggle with classics. So. We'll just see how this turns out.

Click to Tweet: I'm reading LES MISERABLES in 2016 with @Saboviec. Join me? #LesMisRead2016

Hope you guys can join in! Who's reading along with us?