The Martian

I'd seen the film so I knew how it was going to go, ergo no surprises. I don't like doing it that way, I always try to read the book first.
It was a fun read as our plucky young astronaut goes from disaster to disaster via DIY and disco.
Sure Watney is irritatingly optimistic, I understand that he got on several reviewers tits - and probably the crew's too! I found him a good diarist though, explaining the science and keeping me interested in his survival. He's nicely balanced by the parallel stories on Earth and the ship.
What stands out for me are the episodes where a cold, omniscient voice narrates Watney's activities on Mars - I actually found them pretty spooky, especially considering where in the story they appear!
Already planning on reading more of Weir's fiction and probably rewatching the film again!