wow wow wow 5 stars

Okay, so I sometimes worry I rate things a little higher than I should but this is not the case here. Interesting Facts About Space is my first book of 2024 but I can say it's my favorite book I read in the past year and one month. I've not yet had the chance to read Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead so I was excited about getting early access to this book thanks to Netgalley and I must say it didn’t disappoint. In my eyes the best part of this book is the relationships, I think Emily Austin does an amazing job of introducing us to Enid and her life. All of the relationships felt very well written and so rewarding, and everyone felt very grounded and real. I won't go into any details but the relationship Enid finds herself in felt so beautiful and honest. The depiction and representation of mental health issues were written so well and, in a way, I think lots of people can find comfort in by realizing they are not alone. Enid and her mom's relationship might have been my favorite part of the book I loved every text and phone call and the love and sometimes guilt behind them. It is truly a touching and beautifully written book and a nice plus was all the interesting facts I learned about space.

Publishing date is January 30th, 2024

Wow. I enjoyed Emily Austin’s debut novel, but Interesting Facts About Space was exactly my kind of weird!

Austin’s sophomore novel is a comedy, drama and mystery all wrapped up in one. The story follows Enid, a 20-something queer woman, as she:
- Has a number of hilarious / cringeworthy dating adventures
- Seeks to connect with her adult half-sisters (aka her estranged father’s second family)
- Texts her mother interesting facts about space whenever she becomes anxious – fortunately, she knows a lot, since she works at the Space Centre
- Hyperfixates on true crime shows and has an irrational phobia of bald men

I won’t get into the plot for fear of giving spoilers. However, I thought this book was an absolute riot, and at the same time, somewhat devastating, due to its captivating exploration of Enid’s mental health challenges and relationship with her dysfunctional family. At its heart, Interesting Facts is a book about identity and belonging, and Austin does such a terrific job of bringing Enid to life as a character and endearing her, flaws and all, to the reader. Ultimately, I was impressed at how well Austin wove these elements together to create an emotionally compelling page-turner. It feels good to have found my first favorite book of the year.

Sincere thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

Interesting Facts About Space follows Enid, a woman who loves to talk about space and listen to true crime programs, dates a lot, is terrified of bald men, and has an overwhelming fear that she’s a terrible person. Throughout this book Enid tries to develop a relationship with her half sisters and falls in love for the first time, but her life becomes more and more difficult and overwhelming as her paranoia around bald men grows and her fear of being a bad person intensifies.

So I started this and I was like “Oh…… this is just Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine... ok I guess.” And I’m surprised it’s been as popular as it has because from what I’ve seen in recent years people haven’t seemed to enjoy Eleanor Oliphant as much as they did when it first came out. I’ve found that in almost every positive review of this book that I’ve seen the reviewer says some variation of “I related to this so much! I’ve never felt so seen!” And maybe that’s why I didn’t enjoy it as much as a lot of other people have. I don’t relate to it for the most part. But I definitely don’t think a person should have to relate to a book a book to enjoy it so I’m still disappointed. I also didn’t think it was funny and I think the humor is another big thing that makes people like this book. I don’t think this is a bad book at all. I just think I could’ve done without it because it didn’t give me anything unique, any laughs, or any interesting writing. Yes the main character was quirky but we’ve seen a whooooole lot of quirky main characters in recent years. So that wasn’t enough to keep me interested. I’ve seen people describe the writing as unique but I feel like I’ve encountered this writing style before. I just think it’s forgettable and I don’t feel like my life is any better or worse for having read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

I was so excited when I was approved to read this book, because I read Emily Austin's debut novel, Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead, last summer and thought it was great. Ever since, I've been itching to read something else by her, because I found her writing to be strikingly authentic. I was a bit worried this one wouldn't live up to my expectations... but I was wrong! Interesting Facts about Space exceeded my expectations - it was funny, heartwarming, moving, and gnawed at the back of my mind whenever I put it down. I found myself picking up the book as soon as I had a free moment throughout the day; it pulled me in and never let go.

The story follows Enid, a 26 year-old, neurodivergent woman who struggles with anxiety. She has a phobia of bald men that is taking over her life and calms herself down by reciting interesting facts about space and listening to true crime podcasts. In her free time, she goes on dates with women she meets on dating apps, checks in on her mother with depression, and is starting to form relationships with her two half-siblings. The novel details her life as she begins to suspect that someone is following her. Is her bald neighbor stalking her, or is she just overly paranoid?

I loved this story. From the moment it started, I was intrigued by Enid and her life. Emily Austin's writing is so good. Her books make me wildly uncomfortable, because she writes about anxiety and mental health struggles with such accuracy. She also sprinkles humor and thoughtful social commentary throughout her books. I found myself laughing one moment, only to have goosebumps ten pages later. Her writing is easy to read, as well. It's written in first person present tense, following Enid's thoughts in a stream of consciousness. It flows naturally, which I find impressive for this type of style.

This novel is even better than the author's first one, because the characters are more developed. Everyone has a unique personality that has been fleshed out. While some readers might not find Enid likeable, she is at least sympathetic. She is clearly struggling, but at the same time, she cares a lot about others and wants to be a good person. Her journey is fascinating to read. The other characters are intriguing, as well. I loved Enid's best friend, Vin, and love interest, Polly. Even the other characters Enid goes on dates with are interesting and offer great commentary on queer dating in the age of social media. Enid's family members each bring something different to the story, too. I was so moved by the chapters featuring Enid and her mother.

The pacing is the main thing I could see others critiquing. It worked for me, because it felt like a true representation of someone's mental health struggles (it is slow for a long time, but then a lot happens all at once near the end). If you don't like slice of life stories or you find Enid uninteresting, you may be bored throughout the first half of this book. For me, though, I was so interested by Enid and how she lived her life that even the slower chapters held my attention. Every detail ends up being important, so it is thrilling to piece everything together alongside Enid.

While I clearly adored this novel, I don't think it will be everyone's cup of tea. It deals with heavier themes, such as childhood trauma, mental illness, parental abandonment, and more. However, it is also quirky and has some silly moments. This created a perfect balance of emotions for me, but if you don't like dark, somewhat strange humor, then you may not find it as entertaining as I did. Also, if you don't like slice of life or stream of consciousness writing in your books, you also may not find this as enjoyable. However, if you want to read a moving portrayal of mental illness with queer representation and some added comedic relief along the way, then I highly recommend Interesting Facts about Space!

5 out of 5 stars.

Enid loves space and can tell you pretty much any fact about it. Other than that she is fairly normal…well, except the fact that she is terrified of bald men. A typical day includes listening to a true crime podcast, going on dates with a rotating door of women, and worrying about trying to build a relationship with her estranged half sisters. Enid feels like someone is following her though, and her traps show that maybe someone is…ok fine…maybe she is slightly more paranoid than normal…

This book was so delightfully quirky. Seriously…I think quirky is the only word for it. When Liz from @Lisaandliz told me she thought I would like it, she called it quirky and I made her differentiate between good, bad, or just weird quirky. Well I can tell you she was right, it is good quirky! I really loved Enid and while her facts about space were all over the place, I enjoyed hearing them! I have totally been the person that makes sure I locked my door four times before going to bed, and 85 times before I leave to go on vacation, so while Enid was slightly more intense about it, I understood her concerns about her safety, though I don’t think the true crime podcasts helped her much there. As we got closer to the end my heart broke more and more for Enid. Also, my dad is deaf in one ear so I felt so hard for her when people got annoyed she wasn’t “listening” when she couldn’t hear them. This book was so unique and I truly enjoyed every second of it!

I loved this book. Enid’s story was well thought out and surprisingly moving. Even all the side characters worked for me. It was a lovely read that I highly recommend.

⭐️ ARC REVIEW ⭐️
Interesting Facts About Space by Emily Austin
My Rating: 3/5⭐️

Thank you NetGalley for the gifted ecopy of this book!

My Review: I went into this read completely blind with no context. Ironically enough I had chosen this for my BOTM before I was even picked to read the ARC.

I felt this book gave me anxiety while I read it. Everything was short snippets of Enid’s experiences and everything about her was erratic. Even my ADHD got an eye twitch reading this. For a majority of the book there wasn’t a true direction, it was just a lot of fast thoughts or events. I’m still not even sure what the book was about if someone were to ask me.

The last few pages Enid comes into her own, and that’s probably what tipped me from a two to a three star review. I didn’t struggle through it, I was genuinely invested, but it just seemed like a lot of jumbled thoughts put together. I think personally I need more structure in the books I read and the characters I encounter.

Interesting Facts About Space is available wherever you buy books on January 30, 2023.

Emily Austin’s debut <i>Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead</i> was so much fun to read (you can check out my raving review <a href=https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4694846500>here</a>). If you didn’t click that link, well, I think you should know that the last line of that review mentions how upon finishing her debut, I went on Goodreads and immediately added this very book to my TBR. A year and a half later, I’m here and honestly I will say that I wasn’t as in love with this one. This is probably (and almost certainly) my fault. I way overhyped what this book was going to be. My advice, don’t fall so hard for an author you put them on an unreachable pedestal.

Now, even though I didn’t fall madly in love with this one, I still had a great time. The protagonist, Enid, who is deaf in one ear, has some quirks: she fears bald men (a strange phobia, yes), has an almost borderline addiction to listening to true crime podcasts (a pastime I could never get behind), dates several women from dating apps without ever committing to long-term relationships, and regularly calls her mom in times of crises to share with her interesting facts about space (boom! title of the book). Ultimately, this sounds like all unrelated ideas, but Austin does a great job tying everything together - almost in a way that was just a bit too tidy for me. I like being left in the dark, and Austin just connects it all with a blindingly bright light.

To sum up my actions/emotions/thoughts while reading: I was confused, I laughed, I gasped, I cringed, I related. Oh, and I learned a lot of truly interesting facts about space.

I’m going to give this a solid 3.5 stars. Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the advance reading copy!

________________________________
I GOT THE ARC??!

Are you joking? I’ve been wanting this for over a year now. I am too excited!!!!!!!!! (can you tell?)

This book is for anyone struggling with who they are. Enid doesn’t like much about herself and often feels like there is a parasite in her spewing hateful thoughts. Interesting Facts About Space is a raw depiction on mental health (mainly anxiety, phobias, PTSD, depression and bipolar) while also having it’s funny and often heartwarming moments. Emily Austen is able to captivate what it means to be human - all the good and bad that comes with it - into a wonderful book. I loved Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead and I loved this one as well.

Really tried to temper my expectations going into this one. I love love loved Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead, and I didn’t want to get my hopes too high. But it didn’t matter because I loved IFAS so much!!!! High expectations and all.

Austin’s writing is laugh out loud funny while also being emotional and poignant. Her characters are so real and unique. I had no trouble connecting with them. I will always enjoy anything she writes. It’s certainly not the most plot heavy book, but I didn’t mind that at all. It was such a smooth and easy read. Although I tried to slow down my reading speed because I didn’t want it to end.

It’s just a really beautiful book, and I’m so happy that Emily Austin exists and writes books.

The only negative thing I can and will say about this book is that I do not love the cover… I really want a physical copy, but I don’t KNOW. It’s just not my fave color palette.

Austin’s craft is impeccable in the way she so uniquely captures Enid’s voice. I found Enid’s path through healing painful and heartbreaking and hopeful.

Emily Austin's work always makes me relate so hard to it in ways I'd rather not process but am thus forced to. In a good way.

This book is about Enid and she is very unique. She loves learning about space and true crimes. She is afraid of bald men and feels someone is watching her. Her family is complicated too. This is a quirky story told entirely from Enid’s POV. She has a job at the space center and her best friend Vin is a co-worker there. It takes a little bit to get used to the style of writing as Enid goes through the routines of her days. Her complicated family includes a caring mother that battles depression and half sisters that are from the family her dad created when he left her.

I don’t want to give spoilers but there is humor, weirdness, and the story draws you into her world. I did like that she gets therapy and there are real reasons and explanations for some of her behaviors. And as someone who is becoming more and more hearing impaired I was intrigued that her deafness in one ear factors into her behaviors. This is a wonderfully interesting book if you take the time to sink into Enid’s world. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC and I am leaving an honest review.

My second book by this Canadian author and it was just as interesting as her first! I can tell this one won't be for everyone just because of its stream of consciousness, meandering style of first person narration but I didn't mind that at all.

It also starts off sort of slowly but builds as Enid spirals more and more, finds herself entangled in a new relationship, tries to grow closer to her half sisters and eventually begins going to therapy to deal with her anxieties and PTSD from her childhood.

I really liked the mental health and hard of hearing rep in this book and learning how only being able to hear from one ear affected Enid's day to day life. There's also discussion that she may be neurodiverse which definitely seemed likely.

Overall a well written, thought-provoking read that was excellently read by my very fav narrator, Natalie Naudus! Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

I requested this book on a whim and I'm so glad I did! It started a bit slow for me as I adjusted to Enid and her quirks, but I quickly fell in love with her and was so invested in her story.

Enid works for the National Space Agency and is full of facts about space. She was born with only one hearing ear, has some intense phobias, and has recently tried to create a relationship with the two half sisters she met as an adult. Enid is sure a bald man is stalking her, and is also trying to navigate dating.

I loved Enid, I just wanted to give her a hug and help her -- make everything okay for her. I also loved the relationship that she and Polly developed -- I loved Polly and the ways in which she was steady and stable for Enid.

The relationship between Enid and her mom was so realistic and well-written. I could feel how much Enid worried, and the reasons why, and the work arounds she had come up with to insure her mother was okay.

Vin was one of my favorite characters and I was so glad that Enid had someone who she could commiserate with.

Overall this book is very quirky, somewhat depressing, but with lots of hope, humor, and optimism. I would definitely recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

Enid loves space. Her father left her and her mom when she was 6 and had a new family so she has half sisters. She met them at his funeral. She listens to true crime podcasts and speaks to her mom a lot. She is a lesbian and has never had a serious relationship. She's pretty sure something is wrong with her. I understand it's supposed to be funny but it fell flat for me.

4.5/5 stars - I reeeaaaaallly enjoyed this book. I've never read Emily Austin, but I will definitely be finding her previous novel! This book was melancholic, fraught with anxiety and social anxiety, complicated because of previous bad behavior of Enid's father, but I plowed through the book like there was some compelling mystery -- there wasn't! I just really wanted to keep moving along with Enid and her journey. I felt like she would certainly come to understand herself more somehow, and I was right. I ached for the young Enid who always took care of (and still takes care of) her mentally ill mother. I loved the smattering of space facts - and found myself looking up most of them because I couldn't believe they were true! A quirky, sad, strange book about regular people figuring stuff out. A gem.

amazing and thought provoking work. i learned a lot abt space, and this book was super captivating. thanks for the arc.

One of my favorite books of all time is Emily Austin's "Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead" so I was thrilled to see she had another book coming out. Interesting Facts About Space has the quirky main character energy I fell in love with reading her other book, so it's no surprise I loved this one too.

The story explores mental health and developing a sense of self as an adult, and while it can get heavy, there is a fun aspect where a fact about space is thrown in as a "palate cleanser." I loved the little space facts and the way it related to the main character.

For all the quirky book loves, this one's for you.

4.5 stars. Thank you to the publisher for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
I love Emily Austin's work. After "everyone in this room will someday be dead" I decided I would read anything she writes. I was genuinely so excited to get to read this from Netgalley for a review.
Enid is trying her best to navigate existing. Emily Austin does an incredible job capturing small moments of life and thinking and logic and emotions that are so relatable to me and yet so hard to explain. Enid is now seeing how she's reinforcing her own beliefs about fitting in and what she deserves and what that means for her and the people around her. The story is full of clever and unexpected detail - working at a space agency is such a great idea - and the phobia of bald men and how that ultimately ties into the story is unexpected and well written.
I finished this book as fast as life would let me. I thought about it when I wasn't reading it. I am excited for whatever else Emily Austin writes and I will be there waiting to read it.