For this reading challenge prompt, I stepped well outside my usual reading comfort zone and picked up The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers.
To be completely honest, science fiction isn’t a genre I read very often. Stories set in space, filled with alien species and futuristic technology, aren’t usually the first books I reach for. But that’s one of the reasons I enjoy reading challenges—they encourage me to try something new.
The novel follows the diverse crew of a spaceship as they travel across the galaxy on a dangerous mission. Along the way, readers are introduced to different planets, cultures, species, and relationships. While there is certainly plenty of science fiction, the heart of the story is really about friendship, belonging, and finding your place in the world.
My overall reaction? Weird, but pleasant.
There were definitely moments when I found myself trying to keep track of unfamiliar worlds, species, and terminology. Yet despite all of that, I enjoyed the journey. The characters were engaging, the story was surprisingly warm, and the emphasis on relationships made it feel much more accessible than I expected.
This isn’t a book that will convert me into a hardcore science fiction reader, but it did remind me that sometimes the best reading experiences come from venturing outside our comfort zones. Not every book has to become a favorite to be worthwhile.
And honestly, if a reading challenge can get a historical fiction-loving, Wyoming sheep farmer and retired special education teacher to spend time traveling across the galaxy, I’d call that a success.
One of the unexpected gifts of this challenge has been discovering books I never would have chosen on my own. Some felt familiar, some felt challenging, and some—like this one—felt delightfully strange. That’s part of the adventure.
