“Sometimes, a person reaches a point in their life when it becomes absolutely essential to get the fuck out of the city.”

This cozy sci-fi novella was our BookClub Read for June. Written by American author Becky Chambers it has won many awards including the Hugo Award for Best Novella and was a nominee for the Nebula Award. The dedication reads, “For anybody who could use a break.” It is definitely a warm and comforting read much like the mugs of tea which feature heavily.

Set in a utopian world, Pangia, after the factory age has ended, the robots have become sentient and left for the wilderness, and the humans have redesigned their world to incorporate biodegradable housing, spirituality and time for lengthy tea-breaks. Sibling Dex is a non-binary Tea Monk who serves tea and spiritual encouragement from a mobile bicycle-home. Despite the utopian perfection of life Dex becomes discontent and sets off into the wilderness in search of crickets. Dex meets a robot Splendid Speckled Mosscap who is on a mission to find out what humans want and how they are faring. The two embark on a journey and a conversation about life. Dex asks, “Something is missing. Something is off. So, how fucking spoiled am I, then? How fucking broken? What is wrong with me that I can have everything I could ever want and have ever asked for and still wake up in the morning feeling like every day is a slog?” The robot replies, “You keep asking why your work is not enough, and I don’t know how to answer that, because it is enough to exist in the world and marvel at it. You don’t need to justify that, or earn it. You are allowed to just live. That is all most animals do.”

This was a short, heart-warming story that reminds us it is OK to just be, and appreciate nature around us, rather than needing to serve an important purpose in life. I enjoyed the journey, I just wondered what happened to the crickets Dex set out to find? 4.5 stars for me. ( )

Becky Chambers, sabes escribir lo que necesito leer siempre. Esta pequeña novela es una taza de té caliente en un dia frio. Es un abrazo y una conversación de las que a veces te cambian la vida.

Chambers escribe un espejo al que mirarnos, una imagen de lo que podríamos ser o a donde podríamos llegar a traves del filtro del optimismo y la esperanza. No es una alerta como otras novelas, sino un canto a lo bueno de la humanidad.

Ojalá su mundo pueda ser posible. ( )

A Psalm for the Wild-Built is such a cozy sci-fi story that has all the right vibes. It's the kind of book I finish and contemplate life afterwards.

Not only did I love the coziness of it, but I loved the exploration of purpose and desire, and how they interact with and shape our needs. It's refreshing and like a hug to the soul. ( )

It didn't dawn on me that this was the same author as "The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet" (a fantastic book). The styles are so different, but this book is just as fantastic ... maybe more.

There are so many things to think about in this book. From the beautiful sci-fi world Chambers creates, to the well-thought out religions, to the non-binary protagonist, to the charming robot, to the deeper philosophical discussions around what it means to be human. How on earth (or Panga) did Chambers fit so much stuff in a relatively short novella?

At any rate, you simply must read this book; even if you don't normally read sci-fi. It's not *really* about the sci-fi anyway. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go pick up book #2 in the series and devour it. ( )

I've already determined by this point in my life that I'm going to read absolutely everything Becky Chambers ever writes. ( )