'The Scarlet Pimpernel' by Baroness E. Orczy

The Scarlet Pimpernel, Baroness Emmuska Orczy (4.0)

This book has a soft spot in my heart as it was given to me by my parents in junior high. I’ve always enjoyed the history, love story and good twists. So, I will say it’s hard for me to be objective. I would also call it a softer version of one of my favorite books, ‘A Tale of Two Cities’. Both are set during the French Revolution and bounce between London and Paris. The eponymous character is an anonymous Englishman who leads a troupe who extract French noble families from the jaws of Madame Guillotine. Given the author’s title, you can assume all sympathies are with the Pimpernel and the people he is saving, not the revolutionaries. Therein lies my only issue with the book – the ‘bad guys’ are rather cookie-cutter and some prejudices are too obvious. But it is true to the era when it was written and a thoroughly charming little book!

'Project Hail Mary' by Andy Weir

Project Hail Mary, Andy Weir (4.5)

Another riveting book by Andy Weir. At first, I was hesitant to read this as it seemed like it was too similar to ‘The Martian’ (man is stranded somewhere in space and must MacGyver his way to survival) but found this to be much more speculative in nature. Yes, you first meet the protagonist, Ryland Grace, as he finds out he is stranded in space and has no recollection of who he is, where he is or how he got there. But where the story goes is much more than just a tale of survival. Throughout the reader discovers things as he does, with flashbacks as events trigger his memory. Some may find the science explanations long and uninteresting- it is very similar to ‘The Martian’ – and in both cases quite necessary to help explain much of what is happening. I don’t want to say more as I found the enjoyment of this book had a lot to do with going into the unknown with Grace.