NNO Book Club: The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet

We have loved both of this author’s Monk & Robot books but this is the first book in the series that brought her recognition long before. We don’t read a lot of space stuff, but this seems a little more “space opera” and I have confidence that this author will give us interesting and engaging characters along the way “to a small angry planet”. This month we are reading “The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet” by Becky Chambers.

***Book summary from Goodreads***

Follow a motley crew on an exciting journey through space-and one adventurous young explorer who discovers the meaning of family in the far reaches of the universe-in this light-hearted debut space opera from a rising sci-fi star.

Rosemary Harper doesn’t expect much when she joins the crew of the aging Wayfarer. While the patched-up ship has seen better days, it offers her a bed, a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy, and most importantly, some distance from her past. An introspective young woman who learned early to keep to herself, she’s never met anyone remotely like the ship’s diverse crew, including Sissix, the exotic reptilian pilot, chatty engineers Kizzy and Jenks who keep the ship running, and Ashby, their noble captain.

Life aboard the Wayfarer is chaotic and crazy—exactly what Rosemary wants. It’s also about to get extremely dangerous when the crew is offered the job of a lifetime. Tunneling wormholes through space to a distant planet is definitely lucrative and will keep them comfortable for years. But risking her life wasn’t part of the plan. In the far reaches of deep space, the tiny Wayfarer crew will confront a host of unexpected mishaps and thrilling adventures that force them to depend on each other. To survive, Rosemary’s got to learn how to rely on this assortment of oddballs—an experience that teaches her about love and trust, and that having a family isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the universe.

***This month's restaurant selection***

This month I am dying to return to one of my favorites from when I first moved to Tampa - Thai Ruby in Tampa Palms. I will say – my personal experience is that there are Thai places that are amazing at carbs (pad thai, fried rice, etc.) and then ones that are great at curries but rarely both. This one is outstanding at curries but I am not sure I’ve ever done “carbs” here BUT I would be shocked if those are not also amazing. You can check out the menu here:

<a href="https://www.thairubytampafl.com/">https://www.thairubytampafl.com/</a>

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***Not sure about book club or never been to one before? ***

Read the book (or some of the book). Come to the Meetup. Eat yummy food and chat with folks about what you thought about the book. REPEAT!

***Not sure where to get the book? ***

All books we select have a decent number of copies (at least 3-4 across all formats) at both the Hillsborough and Pinellas County Library. And, of course, you can always buy a copy.

***Didn’t finish/hated this book?***

Come to the Meetup anyway! If you didn't finish - just be aware, there will be spoilers. If you hated it, come and rant! In my experience, the books that generate the best conversations and the books we really love are rarely the same books.

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