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The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers, #1)
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2017 Reads > LWSAP: May 2017 Pick: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

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message 1: by Rob, Roberator (new) - rated it 4 stars


message 2: by Rob, Roberator (new) - rated it 4 stars

Rob (robzak) | 7205 comments Mod
I enjoyed this one and I sequel, but it's light on overarching plot. It feels more episodic. But I really love the characters. I hope people enjoy it.


Brendan (mistershine) | 930 comments I've been expecting this to be a pick for a while.


terpkristin | 4407 comments Rob, did you listen to this one or print read?


message 5: by John (Taloni) (new)

John (Taloni) Taloni (johntaloni) | 5197 comments I read this a while back...on your recommendation as I recall Rob! It's a worthy pick.

I suppose I can hold back on discussion until the first... :)


message 6: by Rob, Roberator (new) - rated it 4 stars

Rob (robzak) | 7205 comments Mod
terpkristin wrote: "Rob, did you listen to this one or print read?"

I read it. Can't speak to the narrator on this one.


message 7: by John (Nevets) (new)

John (Nevets) Nevets (nevets) | 1903 comments I also enjoyed this book. I listened to it, and thought the narrator was good and appropriate for the main POV character.

I wrote some more, but realized it should probably wait until we get into it next month. Not a spoiler, but an opinion that is probably best to wait on.


terpkristin | 4407 comments Thanks for the tips. :D


terpkristin | 4407 comments Also, in the US you can get it for $7.99 on Kindle with a $3.99 add-on for the audio (which is what I did). I'll probably try to listen to it. Because life.


message 10: by Mark (last edited Apr 24, 2017 07:46PM) (new) - rated it 4 stars

Mark (markmtz) | 2822 comments How to get a copy of The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet in 8 easy steps:

1) Nov 20 2011: terpkristen starts the Kindle (and other ebooks!) Daily Deal

2) Apr 13 2012: I join The Sword and Laser

3) Feb 21 2013: I discover the Kindle (and other ebooks!) Daily Deal thread

3) Feb 2013 to Oct 2016: My to-read-pile grows exponentially because of the Kindle (and other ebooks!) Daily Deal thread

4) Oct 31 2016: Keidy posts a Kindle Daily Deal for The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet @ $1.99

5) Oct 31 2016: I buy a copy of The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet @ $1.99 + $0.10 sales tax with the balance of an Amazon Gift Card whose origin I don't recall, but the next book I read is Dracula vs. Hitler by Patrick Sheane Duncan and LWSAP is buried beneath other Kindle (and other ebooks!) Daily Deals

6) Apr 24 2017: The Roberator posts the May 2017 pick, The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet

7) Apr 24 2017: I go to Amazon looking for a copy of LWSAP and I learn that I already have a copy and I could have looked at my to-read-pile on Goodreads to recall that fact

8) Apr 24 2017: Dial up The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet on my Kindle, easy peasy

And all this data is just there for the asking. Pretty scary.


Trike | 11216 comments No math, Mark!


message 12: by Tassie Dave, S&L Historian (new) - rated it 4 stars

Tassie Dave | 4076 comments Mod
There are 2 Becky Chambers on Amazon.

One is the daughter of scientists and loves science.
https://www.amazon.com/Becky-Chambers...

The other writes bullshit pseudoscience rubbish.
https://www.amazon.com/Becky-Chambers...

I am so glad we are reading the former :-)
You had me worried for a few minutes ;-)

This books sounds good.


Sean Lookielook Sandulak (seansandulak) | 444 comments Tassie Dave wrote: "There are 2 Becky Chambers on Amazon...The other writes bullshit pseudoscience rubbish.."

If you write a book on homeopathy are the pages blank?


Colin Forbes (colinforbes) | 534 comments I've seen this one referenced in a lot of places lately, happy to give it a try ... though I've not finished Invisible Library yet!


message 15: by Serendi (new)

Serendi | 848 comments People have been talking about this book so much I read it a couple of weeks ago, then read the sequel. I actually read a recent pick! Whaddya know! (Acquired it months ago.)


message 16: by Tassie Dave, S&L Historian (new) - rated it 4 stars

Tassie Dave | 4076 comments Mod
Sean wrote: "Tassie Dave wrote: "There are 2 Becky Chambers on Amazon...The other writes bullshit pseudoscience rubbish.."

If you write a book on homeopathy are the pages blank?"


Obviously. The paper remembers what was written on all the paper it was next to. You get the information by touching the book and having it transferred into your brain. ;-)


message 17: by Iain (new) - rated it 3 stars

Iain Bertram (iain_bertram) | 1740 comments I read this in Feb 2016 for another book club. Gave it ★★★☆☆, it is a light fun read.

What is interesting is this was self-published and was so successful a book deal followed.


message 18: by Dara (new) - rated it 3 stars

Dara (cmdrdara) | 2702 comments I didn't really care for this book but I know a lot of people enjoyed it and I hope the club does too.


Trike | 11216 comments I liked it. And I never like anything.


message 20: by Jenny (Reading Envy) (last edited Apr 25, 2017 07:26AM) (new) - rated it 5 stars

Jenny (Reading Envy) (readingenvy) | 2898 comments Woohoo! I liked this one a lot because it is based on the characters. If you're a "stuff happens" reader then it is likely this won't be your cup of tea. I have the sequel on my shelf and keep meaning to get to it... I buy the UK editions because they are prettier:
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers, #1) by Becky Chambers
A Closed and Common Orbit (Wayfarers, #2) by Becky Chambers

Because the USA editions look like this:
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers, #1) by Becky Chambers
A Closed and Common Orbit (Wayfarers, #2) by Becky Chambers


message 21: by Mark (new) - rated it 4 stars

Mark (markmtz) | 2822 comments Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "Woohoo! I liked this one a lot because it is based on the characters. If you're a "stuff happens" reader then it is likely this won't be your cup of tea. I have the sequel on my shelf and keep mean..."

I like the original cover, self-published, I guess? The ship looks the way it's described in the opening chapters of the book.




message 22: by Jenny (Reading Envy) (last edited Apr 25, 2017 08:19AM) (new) - rated it 5 stars

Jenny (Reading Envy) (readingenvy) | 2898 comments It was published first in the U.K. And I don't think self-pub.


AndrewP (andrewca) | 2668 comments I got this when it was $1.99 so I'm happy :) Will see how it goes as i'm not a big fan of character based novels. They remind me to much of reality TV.


message 24: by Kim (new) - rated it 4 stars

Kim | 477 comments Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "It was published first in the U.K. And I don't think self-pub."

No it was first published in the US by the author using CreateSpace. The cover Mark posted is the original. Once it started getting good reviews it was picked up by traditional publishers. Similar to The Martian.


Jenny (Reading Envy) (readingenvy) | 2898 comments Kim wrote: "Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "It was published first in the U.K. And I don't think self-pub."

No it was first published in the US by the author using CreateSpace. The cover Mark posted is the origi..."


Ah, okay. Interesting that the sequel would come out in the UK first then.

It definitely doesn't read like a self-pub.. I mean I actually got through it and liked it! Heh.


message 26: by Rick (new) - added it

Rick I won't say more, but this is very Firefly-ish in that if you love the characters and how they interact you'll likely really love this. If you're a plot above all else reader or if you don't like the characters or their interactions, you likely will not.


message 27: by Kim (new) - rated it 4 stars

Kim | 477 comments Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "Ah, okay. Interesting that the sequel would come out in the UK first then."

It didn't. It was released on Oct 18th, 2016, in the US, and on Oct 20th, 2016, in the UK.


message 28: by Stephen (last edited Apr 25, 2017 10:06AM) (new) - rated it 5 stars

Stephen Richter (stephenofskytrain) | 1641 comments Great book, book two A Closed and Common Orbit has my Hugo vote so far and I actually have a Hugo vote. Christopher Doll is the artist for the original cover. The audio is a blast. My Quick Burn on Tor Book picking it up was read by Veronica on Podcast 208. Classic Veronica. 9:30 if you want to re-live it.


Jenny (Reading Envy) (readingenvy) | 2898 comments Kim wrote: "Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "Ah, okay. Interesting that the sequel would come out in the UK first then."

It didn't. It was released on Oct 18th, 2016, in the US, and on Oct 20th, 2016, in the UK."


Only for Kindle, not the paper.


message 30: by Kim (new) - rated it 4 stars

Kim | 477 comments Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "not the paper. ."

Those still exist?


message 31: by John (Taloni) (new)

John (Taloni) Taloni (johntaloni) | 5197 comments It's so true! I barely read on paper any more. My copy of Wizard of the Pigeons, a book I'd really like to reread, languishes on the shelf as I can no longer read small text.


message 32: by Erik (new) - rated it 4 stars

Erik (aerik) Excellent!

Last month, I drove up to Nashville for Scalzi's book tour, and listened to S+L on the way. Veronica mentioned that she had it in mind for a future pick.

Then at the Scalzi signing, he exhorted us to buy an extra book from the event host, Parnassus Books. I wandered over to the sf section and picked up this one!


Lorie (loriechristoffel) | 70 comments It's on Hoopla! Yay!


message 34: by Kev (new) - rated it 4 stars

Kev (sporadicreviews) | 667 comments Really enjoyed this book. I read it awhile back. The sequel was quite different, not as good, but still enjoyable.


Callum Orr | 47 comments I absolutely loved this book. It had a very strong Scalzi feel. Where you just want the characters to have conversations about anything. The dialogue was fast and witty but not childish, and the plot moved very quickly. The first one was alot better the an the second In my opinion as the diversity of characters meant I never felt bored.

I have a feeling the confusion with the homoeopathy book is that being homoeopathy it has be classed as fiction. Haha


Kristina | 588 comments Looks fun!


Jessica (j-boo) | 323 comments Awesome! I actually already have this book out from the library right now but haven't started yet.


Leesa (leesalogic) | 675 comments Enjoying it so far!


message 39: by Alex (new) - rated it 5 stars

Alex Tang | 13 comments Yay yay yay! I read this a few weeks ago and loved it. I immediately bought and devoured Closed & Common Orbit as soon as I finished LWSAP. I've been hoping that S&L would read it soon. :)

This is such a good and fun read. I really love good SF/Fantasy stories that deal with people/beings and their relationships, and this book is all about that.


Aaron | 285 comments I forced both books to the top of my read list early this year and now this is the second of my book groups to read it in a 3-month span (I talked a third group into reading it this summer).

I enjoyed them both, but as others have pointed out, those who demand action tend not to enjoy them.


Tyler | 5 comments Oh man, I read this last year and looooooved it! I still need to get to the sequel.

Can't wait to hear what others think!


Julia (yurana) | 34 comments Great pick! I listened to the audiobook last year and loved it. The sequel is little heavier on plot and I liked it even better.


Walter Spence (walterspence) | 707 comments Got my copy via my local library. Encouraging to hear so many good things about a work that was originally self-published. Looking forward to the read.


Jordan (justiceofkalr) | 32 comments Pretty excited for this one. I've heard so much positive about it and it's been sitting on my Kindle just waiting to be read.


Colin Forbes (colinforbes) | 534 comments Listened to the first few chapters yesterday. First impressions are good. Immediately feel comfortable with the style.


message 46: by Mike (new) - rated it 3 stars

Mike | 2 comments Feels more character driven than anything else yet somehow still a page turner despite the lack of definitive plot so far. Very fun!


message 47: by Skye (new) - added it

Skye | 7 comments I’m looking forward to reading this one. I got to hear Becky Chambers read from it at Borderlands last year. She picked a cozy kitchen scene to read since it was pouring and windy out. A lovely memory of a lovely author and book.


Jenny (Reading Envy) (readingenvy) | 2898 comments I started in on A Closed and Common Orbit and I'm enjoying it, lots of alien culture stuff told in a different way.


Karyn | 2 comments I loved it! Bravo to Becky Chambers!


message 50: by Sue (new) - rated it 3 stars

Sue (spaltor) | 10 comments Why did no one stop the narrator from mispronouncing "heretic" over and over and over? Am I the only one bothered by this? (Or other occurrences of narrators mispronouncing pretty common words?)


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