Somerville residents encouraged to read “The Martian,” the selected 2015 book, and discuss the novel at a series of events this fall

The 2015 “Somerville Reads” campaign kicks off this fall with the book The Martian by Andy Weir. Somerville Reads is a project that promotes literacy and community engagement by encouraging all Somerville residents to read and discuss the same book. The 2015 project will kick off on Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 7 p.m. at the Central Branch Library, 79 Highland Ave., with a family-friendly presentation on Mars exploration. The event is free and open to the public, and door prizes will be raffled.

The Martian is a thrilling and often funny sci-fi novel set in the near future when manned missions to Mars have begun. Astronaut Mark Watney is marooned on Mars when his crewmates mistakenly believe that he has been killed during a hurried emergency departure from the planet. What follows has been compared to MacGyver on Mars as Watney devises ingenious ways to survive. The action shifts between Watney, the efforts of NASA to mount a rescue (once they realize that Watney is still alive), and Watney’s fellow astronauts who are on their way back to Earth.

Copies of each book in a variety of formats are available for check out at all Somerville Public Library locations.

A series of events and discussions is planned for September, as follows:

Thursdays, 3:30 p.m. (thru Oct. 15): Crafts at the library (see www.somervillepubliclibrary.org for location and details)
Wed., Sept. 23, 6 p.m.: Movie night: Gravity (PG-13), Central Libary
Fri., Sept. 25, 6 p.m.: Movie night and potluck dinner: War of the Worlds (PG-13), Central Library. To coordinate food, contact Cathy Piantigini at 617-623-5000 ext. 2950.
Wed., Sept. 30, 7 p.m.: Book discussion, Central Library
Sun., Oct. 4, 1 p.m.: Q&A with M.I.T. Space Engineers, Central Library

For a full events schedule, visit www.somervillepubliclibary.org.