A Long Way for Cozy Sci-fi

Fleeing her old life, Rosemary Harper joins the multi-species crew of the Wayfarer as a file clerk, and joins them on missions throughout the galaxy. Looking forward to a simpler life, she soon discovers it’s not what she was expecting; everyone has secrets, and there’s more than enough to keep her busy.

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Published 2014 via Kickstarter
Bingo Category – Space Opera (Hard Mode)

This comfy, cosy, Firefly-esque space opera hits the spot in terms of an easy going, character focused novel. The plot is good, the writing is good, the characters are fully fleshed out and feel real, and plot arcs get resolved. It’s all very satisfying. I enjoyed it, but it almost felt too cosy. The stakes were relatively small, everyone was polite and nice and friendly and mostly everything was resolved in a nice, polite, friendly way. I know there is loads of love for Becky Chambers and I’m not surprised, because what she writes is great, but this book and most likely the rest of the series, is just not for me.

2024 Reading Wrap Up

I’ve had a busy but marvellous time reading in 2024. My aim at the beginning of the year, was to spend more time reading and to expand my reading experiences. I think I’ve definitely done that, and I’ve enjoyed doing it too, which is a bonus. I originally started this blog to catalog that experience and do “proper” reviews, but that got waylaid, as did my updating regularly. But hey-ho, tomorrow is another day and another year, and I’m not getting stressed about it, because I’m hoping that 2025 will be brilliant all round. I don’t usually do a wrap-up, I don’t usually do stats, but again, because I’ve been reading much more than usual I figured I’d go the whole hog and bamboozle everyone and geek out, so here’s my 2024 Reading Wrap-Up!

The Main Stats

Books Read (Across All Formats, Inc.re-reads)91
Total Pages Read (Including re-reads)37,634
Average Page Read (Weekly)724
Average Books Read (Weekly)1.75
Book Club Reads12
r/fantasy Bingo reads Completed16/25
Books Read of Purchased (Physical)52/118
New (to me) Authors35

The Stats behind the Stats
Books Bought (Physical)120
Books Bought (Kindle)12
Books Bought (Audible)28
Books (Kindle Unlimited)8
  
Books Read (Physical) (not including re-reads)52
Books Read (Audible)17
Books Read (Kindle)2
Books Read (Kindle Unlimited)8
Failure to Launch (Physical)3
Did Not Finish (Physical)2
Re-Reads (Already Owned)4
Re-Reads (New)8
Books Read (Total) (Includes PAKPKURR)91
  
Pages Read (Physical – without re-reads)24,631
Pages Read (Kindle – without re-reads)1,615
Pages Read (Kindle Unlimited without re-reads)4,470
Pages Read (Re-reads)6,918
Total Pages Read (Including re-reads)37,634
  
Time Listened (Audible)215.5
Time Re-Listened (Audible)267.5
Total Listening Hours483 hours
  
Average Page Read (Daily)103
Average Page Read (Weekly)724
Average Listening (Weekly)9 hrs 15 mins

Books Read (Physical)
1The Hunger GamesSuzanne Collins
2Catching FireSuzanne Collins
3MockingjaySuzanne Collins
4The Ballad of Songbirds & SnakesSuzanne Collins
5Gardens of the MoonSteven Erikson
6Deadhouse GatesSteven Erikson
7Memories of IceSteven Erikson
8The Will of the ManyJames Islington
9Tender Is the FleshAgustina Bazterrica
10The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying VampiresGrady Hendrix
11The Colour of MagicTerry Pratchett
12The Light FantasticTerry Pratchett
13Legends & LattesTravis Baldree
14AnnihilationJeff VanderMeer
15The Long Way to a Small Angry PlanetBecky Chambers
16Leviathan WakesJames S.A. Corey
17Caliban’s WarJames S.A. Corey
18Abaddon’s GateJames S.A. Corey
19Cibola BurnJames S.A. Corey
20Nemesis GamesJames S.A. Corey
21The Luminous DeadCaitlin Starling
22HookedA.C. Wise
23The Only One LeftRiley Sager
24The Tainted CupRobert Jackson Bennett
25All Systems RedMartha Wells
26Red RisingPierce Brown
27Golden SonPierce Brown
28Morning StarPierce Brown
29Iron GoldPierce Brown
30Ink Blood Sister ScribeEmma Torz
31Six Of CrowsLeigh Bardugo
32Crooked KingdomLeigh Bardugo
33Project Hail MaryAndy Weir
34From BelowDarcy Coates
35The Forever WarJoe Haldemann
36Dallergut Dream Department StoreMi Ye Lee
37A Demon in the DesertAshe Armstrong
38How to Enjoy PoetryFrank Skinner
39The Wings Upon Her BackSamantha Mills
40I Am LegendRichard Matheson
41I Who Have Never Known MenJacqueline Harpman
42How to Become the Dark Lord and Die TryingDjango Wexler
43Dungeon Crawler CarlMatt Dinniman
44The Gate of the Feral GodsMatt Dinniman
45The Butcher’s MasqueradeMatt Dinniman
46The Eye of the Bedlam BrideMatt Dinniman
47This Inevitable RuinMatt Dinniman
48SabrielGarth Nix
49Meddling KidsEdgar Cantero
50Starling HouseAlix E. Harrow
51A Rival Most VialR.K. Ashwick
52Wind and TruthBrandon Sanderson

Books Read (Kindle Unlimited)
1The Stranger in Her HouseJohn Marrs
2Dungeon Crawler CarlMatt Dinniman
3Carl’s Doomsday ScenarioMatt Dinniman
4The Dungeon Anarchist’s CookbookMatt Dinniman
5The Gate of the Feral GodsMatt Dinniman
6The Butcher’s MasqueradeMatt Dinniman
7The Eye of the Bedlam BrideMatt Dinniman
8This Inevitable RuinMatt Dinniman
Books Read (Kindle Purchased)
1The Sign of the DragonMary Soon Lee
2Gardens of the MoonSteven Erikson
Books (Audible)
1Dungeon Crawler CarlMatt Dinniman
2Carl’s Doomsday ScenarioMatt Dinniman
3The Dungeon Anarchist’s CookbookMatt Dinniman
4The Gate of the Feral GodsMatt Dinniman
5The Butcher’s MasqueradeMatt Dinniman
6The Eye of the Bedlam BrideMatt Dinniman
7The Will of the ManyJames Islington
8Project Hail MaryAndy Weir
9The Colour of Magic (Discworld #1)Terry Pratchett
10The Light Fantastic (Discworld #2)Terry Pratchett
11Leviathan WakesJames SA Corey
12The MartianAndy Weir
13World War ZMax Brooks
14Golden SonPierce Brown
15Gardens of the MoonSteven Erikson
16Deadhouse GatesSteven Erikson
17House of ChainsSteven Erikson

Books (Failure to Launch (FTL)
1Kings of the WyldNicholas Eames
2FaeboundSaara El-Arifi
3The Adventures of Amina al-SirafiS.A. Chakraborty

Books (DNF)
1A Taste of Iron & GoldAlexandra Rowland
2A Marvellous LightFreya Marske

I’m really looking forward to reading more in 2025! I’ve got the remainder of the bingo challenge (and then hopefully the Bingo Challenge for 2025) new releases, some series that have turned up as a result of some books I picked up that weren’t standalones, some that were picked up on purpose (I’m looking at you, Waterstones Dan, though Sarah, Emily, John and Mark are also partly at fault for some of my other reads this year – and I will continue to visit for more in 2025!)

I’ve met some great people, had some good conversations on and off reddit, joined some great communities and read many, many tales that will stay with me for a long while, even some that I’ll visit again. I’ve bought far too many book-themed pin badges (which I need to do a post for) and spent far too much on stickers and random things that don’t really mean anything to anyone but me, but it’s been a BLAST!

Here’s to much more reading fun in 2025!

Happy New Year