Orbital

Bookseller recommendation

“This is a beautiful fictional exploration of what it is like to be one of 6 astronauts orbiting the earth in the International Space Station: how they deal with the isolation, the psychological effects of witnessing 16 dawns and sunsets in 24 hours, the physical effects of micro-gravity, and with the fear and helplessness of watching a huge hurricane bearing down on your friends. It is a small masterpiece. 5 stars (at least!).”

— Phil • Timaru Booksellers

Bookseller recommendation

“This sedate, dreamlike exploration of a single day in the life of a space station’s international crew is, in many ways, an extended love poem to life on Earth. There’s no plot per se; rather, the reader experiences 16 orbits of our planet through internal monologues, flashbacks, and descriptions of the world below. By turns moving, thought-provoking, and heartbreaking, each sentence of this little novel is so dense–at times tumbling into stream-of-consciousness outright–that I had to break often to digest what I’d read. Think of As I Lay Dying, but in space.”

— Charlotte • Quail Ridge Books

Bookseller recommendation

“Exquisite. It made me feel the way I did reading The Alchemist for the first time, but on a cosmic scale. It is humanity distilled. If this book had existed 30 years ago, would I have been inspired to become an astronaut instead of a bookseller? Apropos of nothing important, Sarah Naudi's American accent is immaculate (and her natural accent beautiful). What IS important is that the narration is generally top-notch. It took me a little bit to settle into her style, but once I did, I couldn't imagine anyone else reading it.”

— Maren • Nook & Cranny Books

Bookseller recommendation

“This is a beautiful exploration of humanity from the most zoomed out view possible - space! I loved the lyrical writing style and the way it made me think about the world. If you ever need to be reminded of the bigger picture, this is the book to read. ”

— Becca • Bookmarks