Welcome to Litsy!

Holy crap on a cracker. I did not expect to adore this book. It‘s a cozy, low-stakes sci-fi that is more character-driven than plot-driven. It focuses on identity and found family. I genuinely, truly loved this. I sat up late into the night reading because I didn‘t want to leave. Becky Chambers shared Zoë van Dijk‘s artwork for the folio edition, and it is everything. So many green flags. It‘s thoughtful and thought-provoking. Beautiful.

#SundayFunday @BookmarkTavern
I'd want to live in this sci-fi world where diverse alien species coexist and humans have the opportunity to explore the far reaches of space 🚀

Looooooved it! This was a store book club read and it was so cozy and delightful. The sci fi backdrop was there with members of a mixed species space ship crew doing different missions, but the real heart of the book was the characters. I honestly can‘t pick a favorite- maybe Sissix, or Kizzy, or Dr. Chef... Chambers was so creative with the way she imagined different species, family structures, cultures and rituals… a really rich story.

I think we're in for a pretty massive storm tonight! I got the dogs all settled in, and now we're hunkering down in the bedroom with a good book and a bag of nerds clusters (bc why not 😂).

I'm a few chapters into this book and I'm really enjoying it. I LOVED Becky Chambers' novellas (Monk & Robot), and I'm hoping for some more of that contemplative world building with this series.

I don't know why I waited so long to read this. It has fantastic worldbuilding and a wonderful multi-layered story. I loved the eclectic cast of characters. The author does a great job making you care for all of them. Even the jerks. I laughed and cried. I will definitely be reading the rest of the series. (The audiobook narrator was perfect.)

I've just begun the audiobook for this and am already thoroughly enjoying it. (Support your favorite indie bookstore, or indie bookstores in general, and use Libro.fm instead of the zon.)

DNF @ 139 pages. Weird to say but- there‘s too much dialogue: everyone is constantly talking but it doesn‘t seem to be furthering the plot. Looking through the reviews (although mostly positive) it just seems this one may not be for me.

#FreshStart 🚀🌌🪐 #25Alive 🪩🫧 *ੈ✩˚🥂*ੈ✩˚ 🫧 🪩

#BookNerd 🤓📚💙

Why did I wait so long to get my hands on this book?!

This was such a delight! If you like character-driven stories that do have some stakes, but still have that cozy vibe, this book will not disappoint.

My only complaint is that I don't have the next book in the series yet!

A little outside my normal sci-fi read, but I really liked this first book in a series. The characters and their relationships were a highlight.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

A reread for October‘s #doublespin & second time round I still loved it. Properly cosy sci-fi, I really enjoyed the exploration of different gender/sexuality/parenthood etc across different alien species

#hauntedshelf #skeletoncrew

From what I've seen, this is a comfort read for a lot of people, so I'm very glad that it exists. To me, it seemed like a lot of world building, but it didn't go anywhere. It's the first in a series though, so maybe things that started in this one will be picked up later? Top marks for diversity and inclusivity!

Finished this space opera novel today. It was cute at times, at times cozy, overall entertaining. It‘s very diverse when it comes to characters and relationships. We never really dove too deep in any of those and I didn‘t feel there was a clear conflict/problem, but it was a fun read and I am simply glad I was able to finish a book this month, even if it didn‘t blow my mind. It‘s a genre I don‘t often read, so it was nice to branch out a little.

The #queerbc read for September hosted by @puddlejumper open to everyone! see original post if you are interested in joining!
https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2766728

This is super entertaining and I look forward to continuing the series.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

The first half felt like I was in the bar on Tatooine in Star Wars, with the crazy music and different species, and that was NOT the book I wanted to read! I stuck with it and ultimately became quite fond of the characters of the Wayfarer tunnelling ship as they made their way through space. It was actually quite a gentle, sensitive read, once I got past the beginning. That said it felt quite simplistic, perhaps YA, and overall I didn‘t love it

This is the third Becky Chambers book I‘ve read and I think it‘s safe to say she‘s become one of my favorite writers. This book is just so decent. It feels loving, both to the characters and to the reader. It‘s exactly what I wanted and needed right now. I will absolutely be reading the rest of the series.

Next

My brain since I just recently read the tagged: just like Doctor Chef‘s species! I love finding sci-fi stories in biology 😆

I've been looking forward to reading this one for a long time, and it was well worth the wait. I absolutely loved this! The characters are so fun, and the world building delves deeply into each race's culture and mannerisms in such interesting ways. It's lower action than most scifi, so it won't be everyone's favorite. It reminded me a lot of Firefly and Titan AE. #LGBTQIA #SciFi

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️if science fiction space opera were a cozy this would be it. If you love character driven stories, this would be it lol. It‘s sort of like Star Trek, a harmonious galaxy with many different species that you learn a lot about and friendships. Nice read.

My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/3lSodbr5yLY

Enjoy!

My first set of #Roll100 picks for 2024! Last year, I finished 9 books and bailed on 5 other books for this challenge, moving 14 books off of my 800+ item TBR on Libby and Hoopla 😆 thanks @PuddleJumper !

Did a little number crunching and then weeding for middling series, et voila! My favourite author/artist list for 2023.
Time to wrap up the #2023readingwrapup with a couple observations leading to #2024readinggoals neither of which I have the energy to create graphics for:

But listing favourite books THIS year is really only part of the story. I had some of my most amazing reading experiences with series. Two things surprise me:
1) That the top two are both sci fi rather than fantasy.
2) That there's so much mystery on here.
Two of these series combine fantasy and mystery, definitely a winning combo for me.

Loved it! Rhe lore, the worldbuilding: amazing.

This was an amazing book.

A year (two?) ago, my book club chose the third book in this series to read together. I hate reading out of order so I promptly bought this one. Didn‘t read it (or the monthly selection) because I was missing the meeting anyway. Now reading it will give me a bookspin bingo. Let‘s see if I can get it done by the end of the month. #serieslive2023 @TheSpineView @Andrew65

Just got this in the mail today! I had so much fun reading this book! Chambers does such a great job of writing her characters with humor, sensitivity, and insight! Some might say that SciFi is too “out there,” but she proved that aliens, rocketships, and space travel are just as engaging, exciting, and humanly relevant as any Earthly novel. I loved each character and the adventure was fun & exciting! Eager to read the next in the series! 4.5/5⭐️

Thanks to a Litsy tip, I went from Becky Chambers Monk and Robot books to her earlier Sci-fi Wayfarers series. The first book was great! A bit of a slow start, but her commitment to exploring the relationships we have with each other, our planet, and technology is amazing. Fun and thoughtful. Just picked up book 2!

Strange and weird because this is one of the most captivating reads where nothing really seems to happen. A long road-trip through space- eventual destination is in the title. Meh? BUT SO NOT MEH! Chambers‘ story is deceptive in the intricacies of world building and the creation of sociopolitical dynamics. It‘s like all the positive good parts of all space shows; Star Wars, Star Trek, Firefly et al woven together in a good vibe space opera!

I find myself in the minority who have read this book…I was definitely enjoying it for about the first half as I learned the characters and different species of beings within the novel. Super wholesome relationships within the arc. However I felt like there really wasn‘t much of a storyline past getting to know the characters. There were MINOR bits of action within the book but for the most part this book fell completely flat for me.

So good! I loved this sci-fi about a found family on board a ship, what makes us different and how we connect and show up for each other. Strong Firefly vibes, I really enjoyed this and can‘t wait to read the next in the series. #BookspinBingo #20in4 @TheAromaofBooks @Andrew65

Next up for #20in4! This one has been on #MountTBR for a long time!

What a sweet series. This second novella is just as charming as the first Monk and Robot book. Just put the first book of their Wayfarer series on hold. Great author!

Effortlessly engrossing. Perhaps aided by my having just read two non-fiction works back to back, I still can't get over how easy it was to be swept up in this story.
But it's not all about the warm fuzzies or the tranquility and gentle humour often overlaying myriad encounters on a worlds-spanning journey though space (though that was a pleasantly large part of the story, definitely my ideal ratio). 1/?

PSA: Don't space walk while high, kids. 😏

The CUTE. I am deceased. 🧶🤖🥰

Who else has read anything by this delightful author???

I picked the most worn paperback I could find at the library, and it was just published in 2015?? I‘ll never be the same! Character relationship-centric writing across galaxies and many forms of sentience. I cannot WAIT to read the next one 😍🎯🦾

(And hello again after a school-induced interlude!! Nice to see everyone and all their thoughts and reads 🤗)

Spicy potato! 😅
Honest mistake. 🤷🏼‍♂️

It's just that easy! 🫴🏻

Sensual vegetal: love the adjectives used to describe the plants.

I‘ve had this for awhile and finally decided to start it tonight because I keep hearing how good it is. It‘s also nice to read science fiction written by women.

This is a cozy Sci-Fi where the plot sets the stage for some unusual relationships! After a while you feel as though you live here too! I‘m so glad this award winning series has a fan base too! As a huge Star Trek fan, I had to “disengage” from that world to participate in this one. It invites you to imagine concerns and values from a whole other perspective while pondering our own existence here on the earth plane. Enjoy!!!

I quite enjoyed this one!! The characters really carried it for me - what a lovely bunch