The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers, #1)

by Becky Chambers

“I have never understood potatoes,” Sissix said. “The whole point of a potato is to cover it with salt so you don’t notice how bland it is. Why not just get a salt lick and skip the potato?”

“Jenks always waits until the end of the speech,” Kizzy said with a fond smile. “Just to be polite.” Rosemary looked back to the jittery AI. “That’s not a sentient model, is it?” “I don’t think so,” said Ashby. “But try telling Jenks that. He always gives AIs the benefit of the doubt.”

Aeluon women didn’t have breasts, but after meeting Pei, Ashby had found that he could do without. His teenage self would’ve been horrified.