A Psalm for the Wild-Built

The first “cozy” book I've genuinely enjoyed, and one of the few books to genuinely warm my heart.

Don't let my 2 week reading time fool you. This is a short read. Really charming.

Me encanta el concepto de ciencia ficción cozy. Las descripciones, los personajes, es todo muy hermoso, te hace querer vivir en este mundo futurista, se siente muy parecido a estar viendo una película de Ghibli.

La historia habla sobre la presión que tenemos como sociedad de encontrar nuestro propósito y tratar de hacer la mayor cantidad de cosas en nuestra corta vida, siempre corriendo y buscando ser alguien importante, la idealización de tener la vida resuelta lo antes posible y lo estresante que puede llegar a ser este tipo de mentalidad.

Es un libro te invita a reflexionar sobre esto, junto a un personaje con quien se me hizo super fácil identificarme y junto a un personaje que sinceramente ame mucho. Vi que hay una segunda parte asi que definitivamente lo estaré leyendo pronto, espero.

Slow until the arrival of Mosscap, but absolutely adored it after that. Can't wait to read number 2!

When I thought of a monk and a robot this was not what I had in mind.

When I read the description at my indigo I was like: woahhh. But then I was surprised when my thinking was a bit too old and the novel presented a very futuristic ideal of the two concepts and I was pleasantly surprised. This novel was, to put it simply, everything I liked smacked into 100 pages. Theology and wilderness with goofy circumstances made for such a fun enjoyable read.

I thought I was gonna walk into this novel with this super like monky monk uk travelling through the jungle with a very roboty robot. However, it was not like that at all. The monk was um very unmonklike which was one of my issues. Dex def did not act very wise as a “monk.” I thought Dex was kinda the opposite of a monk, very unknowing and like so rash. It didn't even pair them as a like young monk but one that's kinda old and should know what's up. I get that a robot is super smart, but it was like way more wise than the monk. I think that was kinda the issue. The “monk” aspect was kinda just for the sake of the novel and being captivating. The religions weren't explored that much and very much felt like an afterthought. As if the author made this super cool concept but just kinda got lazy... and didn't want their main character to be constrained by this crucial aspect of themselves so just made them super super lax ig.

On the other hand, my favourite part, we're the robots. The thing that I found so absolutely endearing, was the names of the robot. Like that was actually so cute. Two foxes? Cmon. Actually so great. While a tad bit too much stuff with too little actual showcasing and explanation, the theology of the novel was quite interesting as well and I found was pretty enjoyable. I do love made up religion in novels. The prologue especially felt interesting to me with that question of which god the robots adhered to.

Honestly all my favourite parts had to do with mosscap. Like I loved it and I don't get how anyone could hate it. And this leads to my main issue. I found Dex so like, bruh how could you get mad at this cute ass robot. This cutey patootie. Moss cap actually steals the show in this novel. it acts so human, much more human than Dex imo which is ironic. But not so much human to pull away from the interesting and unique story.

Throughout the story I had this super nostalgic feeling. The various stories about what the other robots were up to and the uniqueness of them. I really felt in tune with the mc's aspirations too. Super random but the want to go listen to crickets was such a cool and interesting motive. This I felt was the best part that Dex contributed to the story. Otherwise I just omg like when dex was irrational and mean to mosscap I got so annoyed. Dex tbh was just weird. I didn't like how the author kinda added in sex and whatever for the sake of it. I especially found it really weird when dex was thirsting after that guy with babies. Really off putting and kinda made me leave the world that was crafted for a second cuz I was just iffy about it. I also found that it was kinda dumb for like this whole tea monk thing to be hyped up but then nothing done with it. I thought it was a pretty interesting and cool concept. But we kinda just glazed over it.

I think the main issue I had with the book was simply that it sometimes took itself too seriously. Like I liked the explanation of life and whatever but bro breaking into tears and the dramaticacy just felt icky to me when Dex was so emotional less and it felt like Rex's problem wasn't really a problem. But nonetheless the unreal problem had a very unique and real kind of solution given by mosscap.

#iwantmoremasscap

5/5 • Oh, Becky Chambers, you are becoming one of my favourite authors. This book is a warm hug. It is somehow so peaceful, yet also made me rather teary.

This is cozy science-fiction and it works. A travelling tea monk and a robot meet in the wilderness, they travel, drink tea, converse about the differences in robot and humans, and their overall purpose in life. That's really it. The plot is simple, but written in such beautiful prose. I love these kind of oddball friendships- between characters that are so different (a robot and a monk). Chambers manages to really explore this friendship, seeing both their differences and similarities.

I don't normally listen to music alongside reading, but for this one, I decided to do something different. I picked an instrumental and ambient spotify playlist- and gosh that made this even more cozy and immersive. Much of this book is set in the wilderness, so listening to ambient sounds of birds and forest made this even more cozy. This was a chill hour just reading and I loved every moment.

I also loved the social commentary. Though I feel this one isn't so much commentary, more showing a social alternative. What an interesting world. Also the philosophical discussions on life's purpose really hit me in a time that I needed it. This is also the second time I've been in a reading slump and it's a Becky Chambers book has been made fall in love with reading again, so thank you.

Oh my goodness!

This is perfect. Becky has created a wonderful world I want to be part of. SO much so that I want to wander in the wilderness and built a hermitage there... and it can take all the time it takes, and then I will be there, offering tea and a listening ear and open arms to everyone who arrive...
This book is so good, kind, warm, nice, gentle, beautiful... absolutely perfect.

This book is a total delight. It is the second I've read of this author and has what I imagine is her characteristic quirkiness coupled with a deeply optimistic humanity.

The setting is a far post-robot future. The robots did not take over the world but have left to live their own lives and the humans have them only as a distant history.

Sibling Dex is a Tea Monk who travels around nearby towns and sets up shop, listening to people's troubles and blending them soothing tea. Dex has no gender - Sibling replaces Brother or Sister. Dex is restless and decides to travel to a distant pilgrimage shrine that might no longer exist. Somewhere along the abandoned road a robot approaches and says, 'What do you need?'

And so begins an unexpected friendship. The genderless human and the robot who sees itself as an 'it'. Without any socially constructed identities and in an abandoned shrine the troubled Dex learns to listen to himself and find inner peace. The monk learns meaning in life from the robot and the robot's first question, 'What do you need?' is not so strange after all.

I was expecting a cozy little story about a monk and a robot going on an adventure so I was pleasantly surprised by how this book made me feel and think. Everyone has times where they feel like they've lost their purpose in life and go into a downward spiral struggling to understand what to do next to give their life meaning. And this book answers that question brilliantly, just be. That's it. Go on one adventure at a time even if it's as simple as learning to make a cup of tea.

The perfect book for me right now. Filled me with hope. There's so much I could say about this book, but instead of saying things, I feel like it wants me to do things. Change the world to be a better place, one step at a time.

reread: 4,5⭐️still love the characters and the universe but I could not give this book 5 stars for this second read, it's personnal preferences more than anything. I really hope I enjoy the sequel as much or even more than this first one!

first read: 5⭐️

3.5

the robot was very cute

My first exposure to the Solarpunk genre and one I shan’t forget. Reading the environment and world it portrays is a joy that leaves me hopeful for the potential future humanity might take.

It’s also a pretty cool story about robots.

Definitely recommended read.

3.75

A lovely little book that hit me right in the feels multiple times. Wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to fans of sci-fi, or cosy fantasy

“For anybody who could use a break.” the dedication reads. And it is just that. A cozy cup of tea and reassurance that you do not always need to be productive or useful in order to deserve contentment. I feel like this silly, sweet parable will stick with me.

To be honest, the pronoun usage was a bit difficult to get used to, but it got easier with time. I understand how important representation is, so I'm not holding a slight inconvenience against this book. Still, I'm not quite sure what to make of the book. The philosophical ponderings would have had an impact on me if I was in high school - I'm not sure if that is the target audience. The setting raises a lot of questions - for instance, it made no mention of how the robots have souls if they're recycled; I feel like that's a big thing to leave unanswered. And why would the robots believe in the same gods that the people did; why did all people believe in the same gods? Were there any people who didn't believe in gods? Does this mean there has been contact with gods? Also, it was a baffling decision to make the robot feel so human, and the human feel so robotic; that is to say, the human was extremely unlikeable. It also felt weird for a monk to be so sex-forward. I don't know. Great cover art though.

Equal parts delightful and existential. A wonderful read with stunning descriptions of scenery and exploration of philosophical themes relevant to us all. I underlined SO MUCH in this book. I now understand why it's such a beloved book. I have a feeling I'll come back to it often.

“You keep asking why your work is not enough, and I don't know how to answer that, because it is enough to exist in the world and marvel at it. You don't need to justify that, or earn it. You are allowed to just live.”
― Becky Chambers, A Psalm for the Wild-Built

I thought the worldbuilding in this book was really well-done. The utopia that Chambers built for the characters definitely fit with the overarching themes of the book.

The story was very cozy, but it didn’t feel like there was a ton of substance, perhaps because of how short it was. Unfortunately, this made the book stand out less than me. I’d probably recommend it to others looking for a quick read, but it probably won’t appeal to a lot of people.

This was the first book where I annotated my feelings as I read with colorful tabs, and set aside my disgust to write thoughts and comments in the margins. In the end I have a stained glass window of tabs, and I feel like I had a conversation with the book. I have a deeper understanding of the relationship between Dex and Mosscap and a deeper understanding of my own internal fights and struggles to find my “purpose”. There were many passages, or whole damn pages, that seemed to speak to me personally. I am happy to see that there is a second book to this, and I have an incredible urge to go to the bookstore to continue the feelings I currently have.

A fun, short read. My biggest qualm with this was that it felt like only half of a whole story which to be fair is literally true–a sequel to these characters and their story exists and I am looking forward to seeing their story to the end. I listened to the audiobook of this and I found the narrator's depiction of both main characters to be incredibly charming, especially in illustrating a level of neurodivergence from both characters, it seemed. The world they lived in seemed very interesting and not fully fleshed out but when those details did peek through I was intrigued enough to stay listening. Unfortunately, I did not feel the ending was particularly impactful nor was the message, but I did appreciate having read this and the story that was told here, so while not loving this book I did enjoy it just enough.

This was a solid 4 stars, was enjoying the world and these characters and the prose a lot until the last chapter and then it suddenly was bumped up to 5. I can't explain how closely it mirrored what I'm going through at the moment. It didn't give me an answer, nor did I expect it to, but seeing what was inside me being resonated on the page gave me a certain sense of solace.

Gave massive After Yang vibes... maybe the most comforting book I have ever read.

Very cute, cozy video game vibes.

I think I'm a Becky Chambers fan. I've only read [b:The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet 22733729 The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers, #1) Becky Chambers https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1405532474l/22733729.SY75.jpg 42270825] so maybe that's premature but I really liked that book, and spoiler: I loved this book. This is a spoonful of sugar, a warm cup of something on a perfect fall day; and I read this at the perfect time, peak spooky season, the leaves have turned and it is nice and cool and rainy. What a cozy and comfy vibe. I feel like expounding on how cozy this is might actually undercut some of the coziness and I would hate to take the full blast away from anyone. Just trust me when I say the cozy element of this book is there and it is perfectly done, and if that's what you want to key in on: it's in there go read it. I also don't want to give too much of the actual plot away so I'll be extremely reductive. A Tea Monk named Dex and a robot named Mosscap go on a hike and have a cup of tea in the woods. What really stands out about this book is the world-building. This world has lore and it rocks, it's a utopia where humanity frees the sentient robots and gives them half their world. It's like Terminator but with tea-1000s. The joy is in exploring a world and culture so foreign as to allow that kind of outcome, what the people are like, what the robots are like. It's hopeful.It's actually more than hopeful, this book is an optimistic supernova ball of sunshine of a science fiction story. If it were just perfectly executed cozy it might not rate super high with me, but it's such a breath of fresh air. Not only for me as a reader but for the SF genre. It could just be the books that I have been choosing to read - not to complain about some excellent books- but it seems like anything that is popular and well-reviewed tends to be dark/hard/violent. I love it when I run across a book that scratches that SF itch in a different way. I have caught myself thinking about TLWSA a fair few times and for much the same reasons. I think this book will stick with me in much the same way. While these are two very different stories, I think it's proved that Becky Chambers can write some absolutely lovable characters. Dex and Mosscap are kind and thoughtful and are so good to each other in a way that not only subverts SF convention but fills you with warmth. I did have one gripe, and I did debate docking a point for it. This book is a little short, and the way it ends absolutely demands a continuation. While there is a complete story told here, I feel like maybe this didn't need to get split into two books. Part 1 and Part 2 as a thing of economy. But then again, this did come out in a pandemic year so the content demand probably had something to do with it. This won't crack my favorites list on its own, so the sequel better rip.TL;DR: A Tea Monk named Dex and a robot named Mosscap go on a hike and have a cup of tea in the woods.PS: 2021 really had some great books