5 ⭐ CW: depression 

The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy by Moiya McTier is a nonfiction book that aims to better our understanding of the Galaxy we live in, but in an unexpected and entertaining way. I don't read a lot of nonfiction, but I was so excited when I found this at my library, because I love Moiya (no romo).

Moiya takes on the voice of the Milky Way, so it is the Milky Way that is telling us its story and communicating science and history. In this book, our Galaxy is anthropomorphized and has a distinct personality (arrogant and smug similar to a cat), relationships with other galaxies, love of the stars it creates, has depression in the form of a supermassive black hole, and pines for a romantic encounter with a far away galaxy (Andromeda). The Milky Way is an amusing character whose voice might be grating if it wasn't all encompassing and omniscient. 

Moiya McTier is the creator of Exolore Podcast, a facts based world-building show where she, an astro physicist and a folklorist, and a panel of experts, create a fictional world and fictional creatures using real science. This is a great podcast for anyone looking to figure out how to do world-building for scifi. When I spotted the book at the library, I snatched it up immediately. 

If you are interested in astronomy or any kind of science, or are interested in where some scifi stuff comes from, while also learning about our own galactic history, pick this book up, learn something and laugh a bit. You should also subscribe to Exolore Pod (available anywhere you get podcasts) and get a cool creative writing or art prompt at the end of each episode.