2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion

This thread is to discuss A Closed and Common Orbit, the second book in the Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers.

Pages: 365.

Length: 1 Month (February).

Participants: SarahKat, Dominique, Rebecca, Jessica, Valerie, Truitt_Ta.

Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!

Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.


Happy Buddy Reading!

I'm looking forward to rereading this one!

My hold just came through for the audio book so I'll be starting this weekend!

Started today and have read the first two chapters. Looks like Pepper’s backstory will be as important as Lovey’s forward story. Might take a bit to get my head around but certainly interesting so far.

I just started the audio of this. I thought I would just read it physically, but I needed an audio book for the month so here I am. Same narrator so it's awesome.

I'm listening to it as well so it's hard to tell exactly where I am. I'm 12% in, looks like on chapter 7. (view spoiler)[One thing I notice is that Sidra (formerly Lovelace) thinks separately than her new body. She doesn't say "I moved my hands" she says "The kit moved its hands." I'm thinking and hoping she will eventually feel comfortable enough that she thinks of her new body as hers.
Pepper's backstory is really interesting. Right in the middle of some creepy bloody massacre. (hide spoiler)]

Part 1 (51%). Found this a bit difficult to get into at first as it seemed to jump between the two stories. I normally like short chapters but it felt a bit frustrating trying to follow each separate track but it’s come together for me now.
Am wondering (view spoiler)[ how Jane became Pepper and what happened to Owl (hide spoiler)]
I suspect (view spoiler)[ things will develop between Sidra and Tak who are obviously soulmates (hide spoiler)]
Interested to see what happens in part 2.

Part 2 (81%). Things really moved on in this part, well paced and quite gripping.
So now we know (view spoiler)[ how Blue arrived in Pepper’s life although I’d like more of his backstory. I liked the way the language structure change reflected Pepper’s development. Going to be interesting to find out what happened to Owl (hide spoiler)]
I’m still wondering (view spoiler)[ how Sidra will develop. Interesting how life is so difficult if you can’t tell lies or avoid direct questions. Will this be the deciding factor now she can do both. Guessing there’ll be some kind of interaction between her and Owl (hide spoiler)]
Certainly looking forward to seeing how this all works out in the last part.

Part 3 (100%). A clever, satisfying ending.
I liked the fact that (view spoiler)[ it was Sidra who was able to save her fellow AI and find a purpose for herself. I had predicted that there would be some special bond between them. (hide spoiler)]
I would have liked (view spoiler)[ to know more about Blue but maybe there’s something in the later books. Glad that Pepper will now be able to move on with her life (hide spoiler)]
First part of the book dragged a bit for me but the second half definitely made up for it. Enjoyable, witty, moving and thought provoking in turns, again this book has a light touch which belies some of its depth.

Valerie wrote: "Part 1 (51%). Found this a bit difficult to get into at first as it seemed to jump between the two stories. I normally like short chapters but it felt a bit frustrating trying to follow each separa..."

Finally finished Part 1! Valerie, those are my thoughts as well. (view spoiler)[Owl was sad that her first family left her. I don't want Pepper to leave her too. I wonder if she gets destroyed or if she's still around somewhere. (hide spoiler)]

Sidra: (view spoiler)[ I can definitely see a romance budding between her and Tak. I really want her to get a non-bot tattoo still so she can feel that the body belongs to her. Would this count as a forbidden romance since Sidra's not even really allowed to exist let alone be in a relationship? (hide spoiler)]

I'm a few chapters in to Part 3 because I didn't notice when it switched on audio. I'll try to keep my comments to Part 2 here though.
Pepper:(view spoiler)[I love how Pepper and Blue met and that they've stuck together ever since. I wasn't crazy about her backstory at the beginning but it's really tying in her feelings for Sidra. She was basically raised by an AI and Owl was her only companion for what? 7 years? It makes sense she would care for and be protective of Sidra after that. (hide spoiler)]
Sidra: (view spoiler)[I feel like Sidra is starting to feel more independent. It helps that she finally got her coding to allow her to lie and not answer direct questions. That obviously needed done but that is of course a huge responsibility. Now she gets to deal with all the human anxiety of what to say and worrying that you've said the wrong thing! (Is that just me?) (hide spoiler)]
Tak: (view spoiler)[I am confused on Tak's gender/sexuality. I actually looked it up to figure it out. Xe is shon so xe changes between male and female. I was confused at first because I remember Sissix doing that in the first book but she's an Andrisk. I believe right now in this book xe is shifting and that's why they refer to xer as such. I'm also getting less of a romantic vibe than just a good friendship with Sidra. (hide spoiler)]

I finished the book with 12 hrs until it was going to be taken back by Libby. I need to gather my thoughts better before i make any comments. I have also discovered in need to read one book at a time because i keep mixing things up.

Jessica wrote: "I finished the book with 12 hrs until it was going to be taken back by Libby. I need to gather my thoughts better before i make any comments. I have also discovered in need to read one book at a ti..."

I also can only really read one book at a time (well two but only if one is in English and the other in Spanish, or one is fiction and the other nonfiction) so you are not alone. I know some people can have multiple books on the go but not me. Just the different ways our brains are wired I suppose.

Final thoughts: (view spoiler)[I don't have a ton to say about the ending other than I love where everyone ended up. All of them (Pepper, Blue, Sidra, and Owl) came from traumatic or confusing backgrounds and they all ended up finding a purpose and family together. I thought it was very sweet. (hide spoiler)]

Valerie, we'll miss you for the last 2 books!