Hello! I’m here with another installment in my Buzzword Readathon series. **And every day we are reminded that discrimination against marginalized communities is still a serious problem, so click here to find a compilation of resources where you can donate your time, money, or whatever you can to support these communities. I still encourage you to research these causes on your own to educate yourself and find the best way to lend your support.**
This is the fourth post in my Buzzword-a-thon series for 2022. In case you’re new here, Buzzword-a-thon (or Buzzword Readathon) was originally created by Kayla at the YouTube channel booksandlala. It centers around readers choosing books that include specific words or ‘types’ of words. This is the second year where all 12 prompts were selected in advance and it’s being loosely hosted once a month on sites like Goodreads and Storygraph. Last year had an even split of specific words and themed-words alternating every month, but this year it’s more themed-based with a few original buzzword catagories making a reappearance from past read-a-thons. In 2022, I am challenging myself to read at least one book that satisfies the prompt every month, and suggesting books I’ve read previsously that would also fufill it within these posts. The theme for April was “size-related words” and this had to be the hardest prompt I’ve had to fulfill when attempting to complete this challenge by far. Thankfully, I did have one book with a size-related word in the title on my TBR that I was excited to pick up, and I’m glad I get to talk about it here.
Book read in April: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Rosemary Harper didn’t know what to expect when she climbed aboard the tunneling ship the Wayfarer. The patched-up vessel has seen better days, but for someone trying to escape a past she wants desperately to forget, it offers Rosemary a place far away from the only planet she’s known all her life and a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy. It also gives her the chance to be a part of a multi-species crew, learning about the history and customs that come with each lively member aboard the ship. When the Wayfarer is offered the job of a lifetime, life is about to become much more hectic and dangerous – unexpected adventures and thrilling mishaps will force the crew to rely much more on each other, and Rosemary comes to realize that maybe it isn’t so bad to be a part of a family.
I’ve heard a lot of things about this book, and the series as a whole, since it came out. It was such a character-driven sci-fi that explored the mind-set of every member of the Wayfarer crew. I listened to the audiobook, and while some of the informational paragraphs may have gone a bit over my head, I loved being with these characters and their journey across the galaxy. Seeing them come together in times of distress or grief, even through all of their differences, just warmed my heart. There is tension, there is conflict, there is discrimination, and there are bad people who do bad things in almost every species mentioned. It offers commentary on existence, relationships, love, family, and what actually makes us different from one another. It’s not something where I was turning the page wondering what was going to happen next (although there were a few chapters where trouble hit and I had to kep reading) but the world and the characters welcomed me back every time I picked the book back up. It’s such a difficult book to describe, because you don’t want to set up comparisons and expectations for people to ultimately be disappointed, and it’s not going to be for everyone, especially those who are looking for more action-packed warring worlds guts and glory science fiction, but it’s a story of hope and unity and getting through the toughest things with the people you trust the most. I don’t want to get into the plot too much, as things progress slowly over the course of the entire book, but let’s just say that in times of need I’d want the crew of the Wayfarer looking after me.
In conclusion, I got a little off track in April – I finished the book rather late in the month (due to work and getting rather sick) and didn’t quite have the time to finish this post to get it up on my typical schedule. But I’m still having a blast and can’t wait to see what May’s prompt has in store for me.
Where to find The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet:
Bookshop
Amazon
Goodreads
Storygraph
Becky Chambers’ site
Additional Book Recommendations: (I’m sad to say it’s only one this month)
–Dress Codes for Small Towns by Courtney C. Stevens
Thoughts About Things 