Book review: An astronaut's guide to life on earth

How many of us had been asked when we were kids about what we wanted to be when we grew up and answered "astronauts"? And how many of us actually became one?

Well, Chris Hadfield was nine years old when he watched the first human walking on the Moon on TV and his mind was made up: being an astronaut was the only thing he wanted. He set this as a life goal, and his actions and thoughts were always aimed towards this achievement. 

In this partially autobiographical book, Hadfield goes through his career from the first steps as a fighter and test pilot to how he managed to enter the Canadian Space Agency and begin his exciting path to fulfilling this childhood dream. 

He narrates his story with wit and humour and all the excitement is there for the reader to feel chapter after chapter. What it means to become part of a Space Agency, what training is all about, what astronauts do to be suitable for a space mission, what they do when they are on Earth and what they do when they are in Space. The parts of his space travels are so vivid and interesting that one feels being with Hadfield right there on the Soyuz taking off, on the International Space Station and the Cupola, on his way back into Earth. Most people hear about space exploration, but do not realise what all this involves and how much preparation and risks are on the menu. From this point of view, Hadfield's book is really revealing.

Nevertheless, this is a book full of life lessons as the author himself experienced them through events that changed his life and his perspective over people and situations. Through its pages he shows that being humble, determined, focused and hardworking always pays back the right way. Space is a hostile environment for humans where good teamwork, leadership and personal integrity are elements that save lives. Did you know that most astronauts who train never fly in space? This may seem disappointing, however Hadfield suggests that the joy is not to be found only in the end, that an astronaut should try to find satisfaction and pleasure in the other things which form part of their life, e.g. training, assisting missions from Earth, talking and promoting public awareness about everything being done in space. This applies to all of us who are stuck here on this planet as well. 

So, this is a book about how people should find happiness in whatever they do: how to work hard, be focused, do not lose hope, work with others and for others, be humble, enjoy little things and be prepared for the worse. The author shows ways to be successful and his message is that we should always learn, always strive to become better humans. 

Once, on Q&A sessions on Reddit, Hadfield had said:

Decide in your heart of hearts what really excites and challenges you, and start moving your life in that direction. Every decision you make, from what you eat to what you do with your time tonight, turns you into who you are tomorrow, and the day after that. Look at who you want to be, and start sculpting yourself into that person. You may not get exactly where you thought you’d be, but you will be doing things that suit you in a profession you believe in. Don’t let life randomly kick you into the adult you don’t want to become.

It is an encouraging and inspirational text.

Worth reading even if you have already achieved going to Space.

+ perfect for space enthusiasts, motivating, enjoyable, insightful, informative
- a bit repetitive

Have you read this book? Feel free to leave us a comment.

[written by FK for Walkley Library]

What to read for Halloween?

Image source: http://tinyurl.com/pwrhka6

If you are among those people who wait impatiently for Halloween 364 days per year, you are in the spirit of it already.

For the rest of us, the perfect book(s) that will give us a little "push" to feel it in our skin is the right trick.

Here is a list with some of our favourite stories for the season:

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving 

A truly gothic story around the headless horseman who is looking for his head and terrorises the quiet hamlet of Tarry Town, New York in 1790. The story was written while Irving was living in Birmingham and it was first published in 1820. 

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

A love story filled with suspense about a teenager and the vampire she falls in love with. As Bella puts it: “About three things I was absolutely sure,” she says. “First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was a part of him – and I didn’t know how dominant that part might be – that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.” 

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Four people come together in a haunted house to investigate the supernatural phenomena that occur in it. An unsettling ghost story that will make you look suspiciously at every dark corner or jump at every strange sound you hear.

Prince Lestat by Anne Rice

Are you afraid of vampires? No? Well, you may be after you read the story of the perfectly evil blood-sucker hero of Rice's series of The Vampire Chronicles. From our part, we've done our duty and warned you.

The woman in black by Susan Hill

Another gothic story, placed in the 19th century England. The papers of a deceased (and creepy) lady need to be examined and the lucky guy finds himself in a mansion haunted by the ghost of a woman dressed in black. The description of the moors that surround the place is so vivid that you'll be dragged inside the story either you want it or not.

Pet sematary by Stephen King

Could a Halloween list not include at least one work of Mr King? This is for all those who think that they can't go on living without their pets. For those who wish their pets could live forever. Well, think twice, folks...

Dracula by Bram Stoker

The original Count Dracula. Not for the devoted fans of Twilight, but if you want to be counted as a real vampire fan, you just should read this. We love its gothicness, the desperation of the victims and the elegance of the Lord of the Night.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman  

A boy living in a graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts. And gets involved in a lot of magical and terrifying adventures. 

The Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde and other stories by Robert Louis Stevenson

A classic book about the dark forces that hide within each one of us. Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde - two different personalities brought into one after a chemical mixture is developed in the lab. Apart from being a very good thriller, it offers a look into the Victorian morality and an insight into human psychology.

Dead until dark by Charlaine Harris

The beginning of the adventures of Sookie Stackhouse, a waitress in a small town in Louisiana, US. Sookie has been "in trouble" since the day she was born as she has the ability to read other people's mind and learn their innermost secrets. Now her problems get more and bigger when a tall, dark and handsome vampire comes to town. The story is not the spooky kind of thing, but it is light and entertaining in its own way.

The exorcist by William Peter Blatty  

Who is Regan's friend in the basement? How can logic accept the paranormal? If you need a raw reading experience this Halloween then try what, perhaps, is the most terrifying novel written about evil and demonic possessions so far. Horror at its best.










Do you have a favourite book for Halloween? Please share it with us by leaving a comment.




[written by FK for Walkley Library]

Book review: All the light we cannot see

"Open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever."

Marie-Laure is a young girl living in Paris. She loves to explore the world around her, learn about snails and fossils and read Jules Verne's books. Her father is working as a locksmith in the Museum of Natural History and takes her with him every day. Due to a rare disease, Marie-Laure lost her eyesight when she was little and in order to help her learn how to walk to and from the museum, her father builds a detailed miniature model of their neighbourhood. In it every street, corner and house is exactly as the original ones and Marie-Laure soon becomes able to orientate herself in the vastness of Paris. When the Second Wold War breaks out, her father takes her to Saint-Malo, where his uncle has a house. And he builds another miniature model of the town so that his daughter has no problem to find her way easily. 

Hundred kilometres away, another story runs parallel to Marie-Laure's. A young boy, Werner Pfennig and his sister grow up in an orphanage in Nazi Germany. They are both fascinated by science and Werner is very capable making and repairing things with his hand, especially radios. Werner dreams of a future that will allow him to learn more about maths and physics, yet his talents lead him to a Hitler Youth Academy, which is his only chance to escape working in the mines of his town and dying like his father. When the war starts, he is sent to the front to track down the enemy's radio stations. 

The story moves back and forth in time - before, during and after the war - between the main characters. It navigates from the ugliness of life to its beauty, from the morality of the one's actions to their sensitivity, hopes and dreams. The stories seem to have nothing in common as they run parallel to one another; towards the end the lines meet and all the pieces come together. 

Doerr has a magical way to write. It is a prose that uses words so beautifully that the lines flow beneath the reader's eyes and lead him more and more into the story and the lives narrated. The movements of the body, the feel of something touched, the words spoken, the feelings endured; the reader is in there, too. 

There is a lack of dialogues, but this acts in favour of the story; in this case the descriptive writing captivates all the senses and helps the author to invite us into the atmosphere of that time. What I, personally, did not like that much is the attempt to put something of a mystery novel within a historical one; the story also involves the quest of a mythical precious stone, which is said to have magical powers for who possesses it. The fantasy may give something original to the rest of the setting, but it does not bind that well.

Nevertheless, it is book so well written that you will not regret the time spent on it.

+ beautiful prose, engaging story

- the attempt to mix two types of novels in one

Anthony Doerr speaks about what inspired him to write this novel in this video.

(written by FK for Walkley Library)

Have you read this book? We would love to hear your opinion on it.