Book Review: A Psalm for the Wild-Built / Becky Chambers

 

This book should come with a warning - you cannot read it without a cup of tea in hand.

Sibling Dex lives on a moon of a planet that is not Earth. Their live is good: they are loved and comfortable and have what they need, but they are not satisfied with their life. So they become a tea monk - providing a listening ear and a cup of tea for those in need. They ride around in a home pulled by a bike touching the lives of many until they again are not satisfied with their existence. Then they diverge from their own path into the wilds where they come across a robot, Mosscap. 

It has been years since the robots gained sentience and moved to create their own communities no longer mixing with people. Dex and Mosscap are quite different, but they slowly start talking and learning from each other.

This book is simple and a quick read. The characters are three dimensional and delightful and kind. The moon is coming back from the brink of disaster through sustainable practices. A Psalm for the Wild-Built quietly asks the big questions about existence. Read this book, maybe even read this book twice. 

Book Review: Himawari House / Harmoney Becker

It is a snow day so it is time to read a book. My 2023 Book Challenge contains themes of the month, and one of the themes in February was International Friendship - yes there is a day for that. And yes, this book exemplifies that. 

First things first, why would I add monthly themes to my 2023 Book Challenge? I am always looking for ways to push myself - to learn and experience new things. This book challenge offers me some topics to encourage me to read books about topics that I might not pick up otherwise. I am really enjoying this aspect of my challenge this year. 

Now on to Himawari House. This book is a graphic novel about a girl, Nao, who returns to Japan (during a gap year before college) after moving to the United States when she is a small child. In the US, she never feels like she really fits in. Her lunches are different from those around her, she looks different, and no one pronounces her name correctly. She believes that she will fit in perfectly in Japan. But is that the case after adopting so many American habits and practices? Has she lost too much Japanese, her first language?

This book really gave me some insight into how it feels to live between two cultures, between two languages. 

If you are someone who is interested in a gap year, or living abroad, or even Japanese culture and language - try this graphic novel. If you are interested in reading about friendship or love interests, read this book. What a great read on a snow day (or any day.) Happy reading!