I just finished The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet. It’s space opera set in a universe somewhat like Star Trek, with a Galactic Commons involving lots of different species.
There are some refreshing changes from the formula, though:
Humans are not only a fairly weak member of the commons, they’re also, due to some events in their future-history, among the most pacifist members. Other species are both older, more ambitious, and more violent.
The book does have a plot, but it’s more a picaresque through space, a series of vignettes. The focus isn’t on action so much as it’s on interspecies relationships, how folks from one species deal with and live alongside the peculiarities of folks from other species.
I enjoyed it a lot. Not a life-changing book, but a very fun perspective on a well-worn formula.