Despite tornado warnings, severe weather alerts, and a brief shelter-in-place after our discussion, 11 brave readers gathered in Bucktown for our June Book Club discussion of Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. A huge thank you to April for hosting us and creating one of our most creative themed menus yet!
Our mission-ready spread included Swedish Meatball Asteroids, Mission Control Charcuterie, Taumoeba Spinach Artichoke Dip, and the crowd-favorite Astrophage Fuel Cells (oat and peanut butter energy bites). Featured beverages included Jazz Hands with Ilyukhina's Vodka Stash, rosé, non-alcoholic rosé, and sparkling water.
While not everyone had quite finished the book, the conversation was lively and engaging. Most members who finished the novel loved it, helping it earn an impressive average rating of 9.25 so far, with ratings currently ranging from 7 to 10. That makes it one of our highest-rated book club selections in recent memory.
Several themes emerged during our discussion. We debated whether the science was fascinating or occasionally a bit too science-y. We appreciated Andy Weir's imaginative interpretation of alien life and found the friendship between Rocky and Grace to be one of the most compelling and believable relationships in the novel. We also discussed how clearly the novel reflects the era in which it was written. Many readers noted themes of loneliness, isolation, resilience, and human connection that felt especially resonant in a post-pandemic world. The relationship between Grace and Rocky seemed to embody many of those ideas, which may help explain why it resonated so strongly with readers.
We also discussed the movie adaptation and whether Ryan Gosling being cast as Ryland Grace helped or hindered our reading experience. Opinions varied on whether he was the right fit for the role, though there was broad agreement that most of us are fans of Ryan Gosling. We also discovered that while we love a film adaptation, most of us would prefer our books without movie tie-in covers.
For those looking forward to the adaptation, the movie is now available on streaming. It appears to still be in some theaters as well.
