I'm experiencing stress from deadlines, travels, etc. Not bad stress, but I desperately need rest. When I feel this way, I require the right book. I call them book friends and somehow, they find me in my hour of need.

So it was with Becky Chambers: New Book Friend. She kept me excellent company with The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. Chambers writes intelligent, insightful stories that are so smooth, I flow through them like talking with a good friend. The stories stay with me, subtly making me a happier person.

I was so attached to this crew, I refused (for a while) to read the next book in the series, when I discovered that each book focuses on a different group (related but not continuous). Thank you, stubborn me, for getting over it. I loved the entire series, differently.