Apollo to the Moon by Teasel E Muir-Harmony

It started with a New Year's resolution:
1 book a week, 52 books in a year.
I kept reading, and it grew into something much more.

Back in 2011, I was an avid reader who had somehow lost my way with reading. Between working and being a full-time student, reading for pleasure had slowly fallen by the wayside.

I wanted to change that. So I gave myself a New Year's resolution to read one book every week for a year. I started A Book A Week on January 1, 2012 as a way to hold myself accountable and share what I was reading along the way.

I didn't quite reach my goal that first year, but I kept reading. I kept reviewing. And all these years later, I'm still here, looking forward to whatever book comes next. Some years I crush my goals, some years I don't, but my love for a good book has never wavered.

Reader. Blogger.
Book lover.

I'm a lifelong reader with a particular soft spot for mysteries and thrillers. I've always loved the genre, and I credit those stories—the twists, suspense, and need to know what happens next—with keeping me a reader as an adult. My reading has taken me in all kinds of directions since then, but I'll always come back to a good mystery.

I love creepy horror novels. A fascinating work of nonfiction can completely pull me in, too. And I've found plenty of favorites in science fiction, literary fiction, romance, and other genres I might never have picked up when I first started the blog. That's part of the fun. I never quite know what kind of story is going to grab me next.

When I'm not reading or writing reviews, you'll usually find me at home with my husband and our pets. I'm a classically trained musician and composer, an enthusiastic home cook, and a backyard gardener. There's usually a trip to look forward to or some new project that has caught my interest, too.

At the end of the day, I just really love books. There's nothing quite like discovering a story I can't put down or finding an author I can't wait to read again. Even when a book doesn't quite work for me, I still enjoy thinking about why and putting those thoughts into words. That's what keeps me reading, reviewing, and sharing it all here on A Book A Week.

Honest reviews, always.

Some of the books I review are ones I've purchased myself. Others are provided by publishers or authors in exchange for an honest review. Either way, what I write here is always what I really think.

Not every book is going to work for every reader, and that's part of the fun of talking about books. I'll tell you what worked for me, what didn't, and hopefully give you enough to decide whether a book might be right for you.

Good, bad, or somewhere in between, you'll always get my honest take.

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I'll never forget the year my middle brother broke his arm. We were at an aunt's house for a Sunday lunch. All it took was a bunk bed and a little too much horseplay. What should have been a fun-filled summer of swimming and beach going was halted by an enormous plaster cast that extended from his wrist all the way to his shoulder. Ever the optimist, my dad canceled our beach vacation, piled us into the family car, and drove us to Houston to tour the Johnson Space Center. It was a summer vacation that I'll always cherish.

Years later, I find myself living in the city that was the home to the famed Mission Control for all of those years. With the privatization of space travel, the once vibrant hub of exploration has become a mere vestige of its former self. The large facilities that housed a myriad of training sequences and high-tech equipment for astronauts have given way to simple museum exhibits that don't really capture the real magic of what used to be there. Fifty years after the first manned mission to the moon, we must turn to books to try to grasp the enormity of that history.

In Apollo to the Moon: A History in 50 Objects, Teasel E Muir-Harmony takes on the daunting task of chronicling the history of that famous space mission. The book focuses upon 50 specific objects. Each one is accompanied by vivid photographs, first-hand accounts, and detailed descriptions of their origin/significance. There isn't an overarching narrative to the presentation of the objects, which can sometimes make the book more of a textbook than narrative history. Still, the focus on the people behind the project gives a human touch to the sprawling mission and the objects. While a book can never truly provide the same experience as seeing historical artifacts firsthand or witnessing the history unfold, this one does a fine enough job in relating the events and massive effort of the space program.

For more information, visit Goodreads and Amazon.
This review is part of a TLC Book Tour. See the full tour schedule here.

(2018, 39)

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It started with a New Year's resolution:
1 book a week, 52 books in a year.
I kept reading, and it grew into something much more.

Reader. Blogger.
Book lover.

Honest reviews, always.

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