This is where we will begin our discussion of our first read of the summer, Gravity, by Tess Gerritsen.

So grab a copy of Gravity and check back to this area later in June to see when the discussions begin.

Robin and Mary

Here's the book jacket from the amazing thriller, Gravity:
"Emma Watson, a brilliant research physician, has been training for the mission of a lifetime: to study living beings in space. Jack, McCallum, Emma's estranged husband, has shared her dream of space travel, but a medical condition has grounded and embittered him. He must watch from the sidelines as his wife prepares for her first mission to the International Space Station.

Once aboard the space station, however, things start to go terribly wrong. A culture of single-celled organisms known as Archaeons, gathered from the deep sea, is to be monitored in the microgravity of space. The true and lethal nature of this experiment has not been revealed to NASA. In space, the cells rapidly multiply and soon begin to infect the crew-with agonizing and deadly results.

A recovery attempt ends in catastrophe; the NASA shuttle crashes, and the space station is left dangerously crippled. Emma struggles to contain the deadly microbe, while back home, Jack and NASA work against the clock to retrieve Emma from space.

But there will be no rescue. The contagion now threatens Earth's population as well, and the astronauts are left stranded in orbit, quarantined aboard the station-where are dying one by one…"

This was the first book of Tess's that I read. I loved it and it got me hooked on her style. My goal is to read all that she's written before coming to MSTA this fall. I just finished the Apprentice which was a good read.
Lynn

It was the first of Tess's books that I read too Lynn. And it also got me hooked on her work. You have quite the ambitious goal! I am just rereading Gravity to get ready for our Summer Read with Tess. But I've also begun her book Vanish.

Keep you eyes out for a posting from Tess telling us about how she conducts the research for her books, can't wait!

Happy summer Tess reading!
Mary

Hi, Lynn. I have read several of her books and got very excited about her appearance this Fall. Read Harvest, as well. Would love to know what you think of this book. I will read Apprentice.

I've read Harvest - that was good as well. So far I have read Gravity, The Bone Garden, Harvest, Vanish, The Mephisto Club, The Surgeon, and The Apprentice. Several of these maintain the Detective character, Jane Rizzoli who I think is so much fun. Gravity was what got me hooked for sure and is up there in my "favorites" list. The Bone Garden I found particularly enjoyable because it has a story within a story - one modern day and one historical (set in Boston). I would highly recommend the Bone Garden! I'm not sure which title I'll read next - I'm looking forward to her newest work The Keepsake but it's not available until fall. Decisions, decisions!

Houston - It's time for Liftoff!


Happy July 7th and welcome to MSTA's first summer read!

The purpose of this summer read is to read adult literature with a science focus for pure enjoyment and to discuss the books with other folks who also enjoy reading and science. We chose 3 books by Tess Gerritsen because she is a fantastic writer who lives in Maine. And because she weaves science through her books beautifully and realistically. For this reason Tess will be the keynote speaker at the MSTA annual conference in October.

Each week we will plan to read and discuss approximately 100 pages. For this week, week 1, we will read through the two sections, The Sea and The Launch. Week 2, July 12-18th, we will focus on the sections, The Station and The Sickness. Week 3, July 19-25th we will focus on The Autopsy and The Chimera. And we will end our Gravity read the week of July 26th with the sections, The Origin and The Sea.

As you read through these sections think about the many science related areas and ideas that arise and how they make this story so engaging and real! Without the science there just wouldn't be a story here worth reading. There are examples from space science, biology, geology, physics, and meteorology. Are there any others that I missed? We'd love to hear which area of science caught your interest and curiosity.

As you begin to read Gravity, notice the Dedication and the Acknowledgments; they really help set the tone of the story...
"to the men and women who made spaceflight a reality. Mankind's greatest achievements are launched on dreams."
As I read this I found myself reflecting on the history of spaceflight since Kennedy’s famous speech of May 25, 1961 when he muttered the words, “First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.” You can hear excerpts of this famous speech at:
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Historical+Resources/Archives/Reference+Desk/Speeches/JFK/003POF03NationalNeeds05251961.htm)

Tess opens her mystery, which is predominantly set in the International Space Station, with mysterious life forms found thousands of feet below the ocean surface and includes references to the ocean floor's physical features. As you read this you may wonder if and how she is setting the stage for life in microgravity a few thousands of feet above! As I read I found myself wondering which of the many details was Tess going to hold onto and weave throughout this thrilling mystery. Since many of us are coming from a variety of science backgrounds some science references may be familiar to us while others are not. Due to this, different areas of the book will catch our attention differently. What areas grabbed you? How does Tess’s style add to the effectiveness of grabbing your attention?

What do you think of the story so far?

As they say at NASA,“ We are a go!” So as you travel through Gravity,“Good luck and Godspeed!”

Mary