For the month of September, I read the book The Martian, by Andy Weir.
The Martian is a story of a man who got stranded on mars. In the year 2035, Mark Watney is impaled by a spaceship antennae, and is left to die by his crew. Mark watney ends up surviving the injury, because there was no blood loss. The man makes himself a machine for oxygen, finds food and water, and writes down his progress from each day. Satellite images capture his activity and his survival catches the news quickly. Mark ends up surviving 549 Sols (mars days) and gets picked up, leaves back to earth, and becomes a nasa instructor for survival
I liked this book because it reminded me of an end of the world scenario, if you were the last on earth. The book teaches that true independence is difficult to survive in, and that you are provided everything you need around you. I also liked it because of the sarcasm and dry humor the author put into the book, because it is a type of humor I enjoy reading.
My favorite quote from the book was at chapter 21,
“I never realized how utterly silent Mars is. It’s a desert world with practically no atmosphere to convey sound. I could hear my own heartbeat.” -Mark Watney
This quote helps feel the isolation Mark experiences in the book, and another reminder of what it feels like to be alone.