Brilliant! I loved the pay off of this ending. The pacing was sharp and I fell into the inner workings of Enid easily. Highly relatable for someone like myself working through grief, trauma, and touch of PTSD.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve had Everyone in this room will someday be dead on my TBR for forever but haven’t gotten around to it, so I went into Interesting facts about space with only a vague idea of what Emily Austin’s writing would be like. Holy hell. The way she creates tension throughout the narrative is so impressive. I felt everything the MC felt, and every little moment landed just as I’m sure Austin meant it to. It’s hard to condense this book down into a succinct review because, while the plot is not complicated, so much happens. I will say that as someone who has lost a lot of memories due to trauma like the mc has, I appreciate the way it was presented. When I’ve seen it in the past, it always seems to be used for shock value and just a way to keep a big reveal hidden. Austin treats it with a little more care, and the way the mc’s memories are uncovered felt very authentic. I’ve seen a lot of people comment on how Austin writes loneliness in EITRWSDBD, and in reading this, I can see what they were talking about. I can’t speak for the other book, as I said, but in this one Austin really draws out that feeling of being isolated even when you’re surrounded by people. Even more, she manages to capture those rare moments when someone reaches inside that isolation and connects with on you on something you thought no one else could understand. All that to say, its some damn good writing. The only reason I’ve rated it 4 instead of 5 stars is that the ending didn’t quite satisfy me. There was something I was missing in the last pages that I can’t even really identify. Still, I would recommend it to anyone and everyone.

I am a big fan of Everyone in This Room Will Someday be Dead, so I was excited to see that Emily Austin had a new book on the horizon. With her second novel, she has joined my shortlist of "automatic reads." Which surprises me, because ordinarily, short(ish) novels that are heavy on atmosphere and less on plot are not normally my cup of tea. Which shows you the importance of reading outside your comfort zone every now and then, but I digress.

Like Everyone in This Room Will Someday be Dead, Austin movingly depicts aspects of mental illness (in this case, paranoia) that affect everyday life. Unlike her debut novel, this involves a loving and supportive mother-daughter relationship, which added humor and much-needed comfort to the story. (It's not a wholly emotionally perfect relationship, but what relationship is?) If you loved her first novel, you'll definitely want to read this one.


Many thanks to Atria and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

OCD, anxiety, autistic pals— you will either love this or be v triggered by it (I am both).

I giggled, I gasped, I held my breath. Something about Austin’s books is so comfortingly distressing and I eat it up every time.

The protagonist Enid is a hard of hearing lesbian who is deeply obsessed with space and true crime. She spends her time casually online dating or searching for the bald man she’s convinced is stalking her. She’s also beginning a relationship with her adult half-sisters after their father dies.

Imo Emily Austin gets “sad girl” books exactly right. She knows how to make you feel like you’re in this person’s head and captures all the ridiculous places your mind goes when your anxiety is in override. I appreciated that she also turns her sights on the mental health of our loved ones and how all of our respective brain worms can play off each other.

Similar to EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM, Austin uses her signature vignette-style writing with a balance of heart and tension. So your feelings about her previous work will likely also apply here, though I might like this one a touch more.

big TW for intrusive thoughts!

With Emily Austin's prior book, I felt that the writing was from a disconnect that worked well for some readers and not as well for others. In this one, the writing is choppy and disjointed, but in a way that brings you directly into the paranoid mind of Austin's main character. This book excellently depicts growth, through not only therapy but support/closure in other areas of life. You leave this book feeling hopeful, knowing that even our worst traumas can be healed from. One of my favorite books of this year.

Emily Austin expertly portrays the growth and healing of her main character, leaving this reader feeling hopeful about her own healing. This is a deeply moving work.

thank you to netgalley for this arc, this was my most anticipated read of the year. enid was as much as of delight and as relatable as gilda. although similar, her debut and sophomore novel are also very different character wise and actual content. enid is all consumed with space and the human condition and gilda thinks about death and religion which also be apart of the human condition. sorry about comparing the books because this novel stands on its own but eitrwsbd is my favorite book of all time.

Emily Austen is always a delight and this book is no exception. In fact, I think it's even stronger than everyone in this room will someday be dead, which I loved ofc. This novel is a similar style and voice, but it actually feels more intimate to me, and charming but also darker. The sakes feel deeper, still funny but the pulse cuts right to the bone.

Emily Austin has a talent for crafting such deep, introspective looks at intriguing and relatable characters, and Interesting Facts About Space is no exception!

Highly recommend this one.

Thank you to Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Emily Austin books are guaranteed to offer two things every single (and I say this with all the authority of someone who's read exactly 1 novel and 1 novella by her):

1) Dark humor that is unmatched

2) Characters that will make your heart hurt because they are simultaneously unique and uncomfortable relatable

Interesting Facts About Space provides in spades on both accounts. The story follows Enid, a paranoid, half-deaf lesbian woman who works at the space station. She is consistently sharing interesting facts about space with her mom, a woman that has grappled with depression the entirety of Enid's life. She is learning more about the half-sisters she has only become introduced to in adulthood, following their father's death. She engages in a lot of casual dating that often results in her preemptively pulling back before things get serious. Her entanglement with a (unbeknownst to her) married woman complicates this a bit. She also has a crippling phobia of bald men... and suspects one in her building has it out for her. All the while, she is consuming the YouTube videos she created in high school, haunted by their eternal presence online, while also compulsively continuing to watch them.

Needless to say, she's got a lot on her plate. And the amount of anxiety and self-consciousness that Enid experiences while attempting to balance it all is, perhaps, the most human thing I've ever read.

While it didn't hit as hard as Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead (not sure anything can!), this reinforced the fact that I am now and forever a fan of Emily Austin.

This was an interesting book for me. I've not read any of this author's other work, I was intrigued by the name of the book and the cover. First the positives- Austin does a great job in characterization. Each person felt independently real and we saw how Enid perceives and interacts with each of them differently. (An example would be the guilt of her half sisters encouraging her to reach out more to her mother after spending time together- time in which she holds back her true self, unlike with her mother) The writing was clean, and the facts about space were quite interesting.
The negatives for me: The narration by inner monologue as a stream of consciousness isn't my favorite when there's no clear plot. This story is more of a character engagement and exercise in explanation of how Enid interacts with the world. Her experiences are often tinged with an unreliability, a sense of "did that really happen".
My mind is fairly logical and so books that feature a point of view from mentally ill I struggle with.
Overall, if you enjoy meandering stories about life, family and friends, this would be a good fit for you. Despite the negatives for my personal experience, the book is not lacking and I did find myself genuinely concerned about Enid throughout.

emily austin is quickly proving to be one of my favorite authors of all time -- this book was just as captivating as her debut. it was funny, unique, witty, and i truly could not put it down.

Quirky and tender, "Interesting Facts about Space" is a novel with a protagonist you won't soon forget. Recommended for anyone who appreciates flawed and interesting characters. This is an engaging read that will steal your heart. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

wow wow wow wow!!!!!!!

i will read anything emily austin writes, and so far i have. i thought EITRWSBD was the best book of all time, and have forced it upon everyone i know. “interesting facts about space” may have it beat!

i absolutely adore this book. the ending kept me gripped, and the mystery woven through the story was intriguing. i can’t wait for the world to get to meet enid and her possible parasite. finally, emily austin if you’re reading this i’m free to listen to boygenius together this thursday i repeat this thursday i am free to listen to boygenius with you.

thank you netgalley and atria books for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Emily Austin has done it again. Her latest novel, Interesting Facts About Space, follows a half-deaf, neurodivergent lesbian named Enid, who works for NASA, is obsessed with true crime, and has a debilitating phobia of bald men. To which I said: Say less, bestie. I'm sold.

Much like her first novel Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead, Emily Austin has such a way of crafting heartbreaking, yet beautiful coming of age stories disguised in these hilarious and completely unique premises, I love the fragmentary structure of her books, I really think these vignettes and her easily accessible writing style makes her books so compulsively readable. But then you also have these painfully relatable and funny characters that make you feel so seen that you can't help but fall in love with them. And then she *really* twists the knife with the gradual reveals in the narrative that are so unexpected for literary fiction or contemporary-type stories. I have trouble putting her books down and always want to stay up late into the night to finish them.

Long story short: Emily Austin's first novel is one of my favorite books of all time, and I loved this one just as much, if not more. If you liked Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead, you'll absolutely love Interesting Facts About Space.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review! Interesting Facts About Space will be out on January 30th, 2024.

I've never read anything by Emily Austin before, so I had no expectations going into this book. However, now that I've finished it, I can definitely say that I am a fan of hers! Interesting Facts about Space is about Enid, a neurodivergent, half-deaf lesbian with a phobia of all bald men. She is also a serial dater who has never been in a relationship. This book was super character-driven, which honestly didn't bother me at all because I was able to appreciate the character development and self-realization that she went through. Throughout the book, you get to hear Enid's innermost thoughts about how she views herself, and how she views others around her. It had so many touching moments of human connection, and Enid's growth throughout the story was so apparent and heartwarming. I didn't really even notice the lack of plot in the book because I was so enraptured by Enid's self-growth! I would definitely recommend this book.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC

Emily Austin is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I absolutely LOVED her novella, "Oh Honey", and her first novel, "Everyone in this Room will be Dead Someday", and boy, her upcoming novel, "Interesting Facts About Space" has delivered the goods yet again. There's something so addicting and relatable about her writing style. I'm completely hooked from the beginning. Every night, I couldn't to read another chapter. Her books always make me happy which is surprising since her characters are very complexed and riddled with debilitating anxiety. Emily Austin was born to write. Her storytelling is quirky, poignant, and deeply personal. Enid is another fantastic and interesting character. Enid is struggling with depression and anxiety and trying to build a relationship with her 2 half-sisters. She also has a phobia of bald men, and she also believes someone is trailing her every move. I was rooting for her the whole way, and I truly wanted her to find inner peace and closure. Thank you, Emily Austin for writing stories that perfectly balance humor and heart. It's not an easy thing to do, but you do it VERY well. Highly recommended!

Thank you, Netgalley and Atria for the digital ARC.

Emily Austin has absolutely done it again. In fact, I'd argue she's just getting better and better. I was so thrilled to read an early copy of INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT SPACE and feel so lucky I am I able to share with you that this book is fantastic. It is funny, readable, fast-paced, and deeply meaningful. It's mysterious, sometimes honestly scary, and surprisingly sweet. Austin is simply just an incredible writer and I'm so glad we get to be blessed with her work.

Enid is a lesbian who is obsessed with true crime and works at the "Space Agency." She helps her mentally ill mother cope by texting her interesting facts about space to cheer her up, and compulsively internet dates in order to stave off her being scared while alone in her apartment. Enid is a memorable character, with sharp edges and a fascinating background. You'll root for her, shake your head at her, and fall in love with her. It's great to go into this novel without knowing much, because you will be delighted and enthralled. It's gonna be a blockbuster next year for sure.

Emily Austin is a favorite author of mine and i have been vibrating with excitement for her newest book Interesting Facts About Space for months! i fell in love with her writing and characters back in 2021 when i read Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead. IFAS is about Enid. some things to know about Enid: she’s deaf in one ear, she’s lesbian, she’s obsessed with true crime podcasts, she thinks a bald man is following her, interesting facts about space calm her down.
i went into this book with high expectations and they were certainly met, exceeded even! this book is hilarious, mysterious, and so damn compulsively readable. i am so thrilled for all of you to find comfort in this book and become friends with enid like i did <3

swipe for a curated selection of IFAS-inspired memes. if you resonate with even just one of them i urge you to add IFAS to your tbr and get hype for it’s release on January 30, 2024! thanks netgalley and atria books for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review

I love this author. She is so good at creating characters that make being an anxious, obsessive mess feel like less of an emergency. I’m excited to read this again when it comes out in January. I read a digital ARC provided by Atria Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Emily Austin is a delight - her characterwork is unmatched. A recommended purchase for collections where WF and quirky lit fic is popular.