Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


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“And to that end, welcome comfort, for without it, you cannot stay strong.”

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

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This time, I read the duology back-to-back (how I wish this series had continued, but I understand Chambers stopping here). Where Psalm for the Wild-Built was really just about Sibling Dex and Mosscap, A Prayer for the Crown-Shy is much more the story of community. Having made it to the monastery and back the pair now embark on the promised road trip for Mosscap to ask its question of humanity. To do that, they travel from town to town on their way to the city. Dex is convinced that if there is an answer to what humanity needs it […]

“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.”

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

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Back in 2022 I read and loved A Psalm for the Wild-Built and its companion book Prayer for the Crown-Shy so when I came across the Read Harder task this year to read a novel where a character uses they/them pronouns I immediately took the excuse to add a re-read of these Becky Chambers books to my annual to do list. I normally don’t use re-reads for Read Harder challenges, but because my soul has been crying out for a good cathartic cry with Sibling Dex and Mosscap I decided that it was okay this time.   […]

Comforting message but … (it’s definitely me, not you, novellas)

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

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These were rereads for me but I likely wouldn’t have chosen to revisit this world if they hadn’t been the selection for the Buffering podcast’s book club for April. I like Becky Chambers but prefer her Wayfarers series, and I enjoyed these novellas the first time round, though i preferred the first to the second novella. This time, I read them in one weekend so it’s a bit harder to treat or view them as separate entities. These novellas are perfectly lovely, taking place in […]

“People – a group comprised of every sapient species, organic or otherwise – were chaos, but chaos was good. Chaos was the only sensible conclusion.”

The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers

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Monthly Keyword Challenge 26: Ground Nowhere Book Bingo 26: A book that came out more than 4 years ago Defeating the Goblin TBR 26: The Gizmo Book (A Sci-fi or Dystopian book) Reading Rainbow – Indigo cover The planet of Gora doesn’t have much to recommend itself to anyone, except as a stopover for travellers to other, more interesting parts of space. Travellers can rest, refuel, eat, restock their supplies and update any permits that might be required. It’s like an interstellar truck stop between […]

Monk and Robot #1 and #2

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

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After reading several sobering, spooky, or downright heart-wrenching post-apocalypse stories, these two short novellas were a breath of fresh air. Do you want a story about a planet where humans avoided the apocalypse, barely, and have figured out how to give everyone what they need? Do you want a charming robot (who also has everything he needs) and is meeting humans for the first time in over 200 years? Do you want friendship and adventure with no anxiety? I ready these back to back and […]

Steeped in Meaning

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

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I had the pleasure of reading A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers, which turned out to be the perfect end-of-your-day read: light but meaningful, engaging without being taxing. The story follows Dex, a monk in a futuristic society that has rebalanced itself after the AI singularity. In this imagined future, robots gain consciousness and – rather than triggering a bloody, Terminator-style war – humans and robots amicably agree to go their separate ways. Decades pass without contact as robot territory becomes the Wild, […]



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