Book Review: Dinner with an Astronaut by Leroy Chiao (with Victoria Bruce)

 

If you are following along with me in 2026, you know, I chose Outer Space as a reading theme for this year! I have been straying into some Science Fiction that isn't really space related, and several other genres as I've been offered various reading options.  So, when I saw this book listed on Net Galley, I jumped with joy!  I was even more excited because it was an audio copy, which is always helpful for me with my eye issues.

With this very appealing cover, I was so ready to dive into this one. Leroy notes he is the first "full blooded Chinese" person to go to Space, (his words- not mine!) and his experiences are fascinating. 

   The format of the book is meant to feel as if one is enjoying a meal with Leroy and he's answering some questions that most space enthusiasts have. As the audio is also read by Leroy himself, it has a bit of a homey feel. For me it felt as if I was experiencing one of those  "story worth"  creations where families choose prompts for their loved ones and create their own memoirs.  The main difference of course, is that Leroy has massively interesting stories about going to Space, doing Space Walks, and working with Russian and Chinese Astronauts. 

   I feel like the audio production could have leaned into this some more with an additional narrator to ask the questions and possibly even add in commentary, but- it might have been hard to do that without it drifting into the hokey category. As it is, the audiobook is an effortless read/listen that moved along with perfect pacing. 

    This is a good one for adults and kids to listen to together. Leroy covers his early childhood passions for planes and rockets, his education choices that lead to his astronaut candidacy and qualifications, and his training and missions as an astronaut. He has a lot of "flying" time, and EVA (Extra-vehicular activity) time in Outer Space, and so brings a great perspective - having experienced NASA through several iterations.  Also a good choice for book clubs, and readers who want to include some non-fiction in their reading diet. 

This comes out June 16, and would be a fun one for family listening if you are taking a road trip this year!

First Published :  6/16/2026

Pages: 256

Available as an Audio Book :  yes ~ 8-9 hrs

Trigger Warnings:   discussion of various space missions that resulted in deaths, alcohol use, marital issues, mention of some controversial political figures (this is not a full list, read responsibly)