On a Prayer for the Crown-Shy

Becky Chambers’s books are exactly what I need right now. It’s almost disappointing that they’re so short and so easy to read — she makes writing look easy, and every moment is a pleasure. I flew through the chapters and bawled my way through the last one. The Monk & Robot books have really resonated with me lately; they offer both an escape and a glimpse of what a better world might look like. I’ll have to read her Wayfarers series later, since I can’t get enough of her writing, though I don’t want to finish it all at once. Chambers is right that this is a book for those who need a break. I don’t have Dex’s cricket or Mosscap’s turtle, but I do have the sound of cicadas, the forests of Kroumirie, and fields of olive trees to get lost in — and that’s exactly what I’m going to do this summer.