River Readers

CIA agent Sam Capra receives a frantic call from his wife to leave the office, and escapes moments before there is an explosion killing everyone. He see his pregnant wife Lucy being taken from the scene -- and then becomes the focus of the investigation. Was Lucy kidnapped, or has she turned traitor? Sam is determined to find his wife and their baby, but in order to track her he must go rogue and rely on his history, CIA experience, his athletics skills in parkour and some unlikely allies in order to clear her name and find out who is responsible in the first of six titles.

Owens (The Eye of the Elephant: An Epic Adventure in the African Wilderness), an experienced nature writer, puts her background to good use in her debut novel. Her descriptions of the Carolina coastal marsh add vibrancy to this story of Kya Clark, known as the Marsh Girl, who has survived alone there for years. Kya's story is intertwined with a 1969 murder mystery in which Kya is the chief suspect. The nature writing is lyrical, and narrator Cassandra Campbell does it justice.

Elise Sontag is American, but when WWII breaks out, the fact that her parents are German immigrants trumps that. Soon Elise and her family are sent to Crystal City, an internment camp in the Texas desert. Though there are unspoken divisions between prisoners of German and Japanese descent, Elise befriends Mariko, a fellow first-generation American with a vivid imagination. The two lose touch when their families are repatriated, and the focus shifts to Elise struggling to adjust to life in Germany, where she faces a language barrier and bombings in equal measures.

Illeana lives with her parents in Bucharest at the height of power for the Communist Regime of Nicolae Ceaușescu. Her family's flat was demolished to make way for his grand palace and they now live in a much smaller place. They have to be careful of what they say and do since you never know who could be spying on you. After an bugs are discovered in their apartment, Illeana's parents decide she will be better off in the country with her grandparents. She has never met her grandparents nor been outside of the city before.

Callie has Tourette's Syndrome but has been told not to tell. So she just seems weird when she makes noises or does strange movements. Callie is starting her 11th school. Her mom moves them every time she breaks up with a boyfriend. So Callie has no stability in her life and is always starting over. Despite that she is optimistic in her new school. She meets Jin, her neighbor and classmate, and hits it off right away. Only problem is Jin is embarrassed to know Callie at school and only wants to hang out at home. 

Melly is always in her best friend Olivia's shadow. She lets Olivia take the lead in most things and is just happy to follow along. That is how she ends up at Camp Rockaway. Melly plays the drums and Olivia the bass and they assume they will be paired together for camp. They are in the same cabin, but get put in different bands. Olivia is soon enamored with the lead singer of her band and ditching Melly. Melly is in a band that doesn't seem to fit together musically but she does enjoy getting to know singer Adeline.

Margaret lives at a convent on an island. Her only companions are the nuns until William and his mother arrive. They are exiled from the mainland because of his father's politics. Turns out the island is actually a political prison for those who go against the crown but who's crimes are not bad enough to be executed for or sent to a real prison. All the nuns are prisoners as well. This all comes to a head when Eleanor, the exiled queen, comes to the island. Margaret and Eleanor discover they have a lot in common and get to know each other.

This is a book about thinking about what you eat and why. It has some really good tips on how to be more mindful when you are eating. The key is really to listen to your body and really taste your food. Slow down and savor what you are eating. Figure out if you really are hungry and if you really like what you are eating. The funny thing is that reading this book made me want to eat something which is not what the book is about!

After a late night raid on their encampment, Drest is the only one left in her family war-band. Drest must try to rescue her father and brothers from Faintree Castle where in just four days they will hang. During the raid, Drest witnesses one of the enemy knights try to kill a fellow knight. Unable to allow the injured knight to die at the bottom of the ravine, Drest rescues him and plans to use him in a trade, one knight for one of her family members.

Eider lives with the other children in the compound. They are taught by Teacher and cared for by Nurse. They believe the world outside has come to an end and they are all that is left. Teacher believes these children are special and will one day rule the world. She is trying to prepare them for that eventuality. Eider is not one to accept things though. She remembers having a little sister even if everyone is trying to convince her she didn't exist. She questions why Teacher only teaches them certain things.

Molly has had tons of crushes but never a boyfriend. Her twin sister Cassie has been dating for a while and keeps trying to get Molly to act on her crushes. When Cassie begins dating her new girlfriend, she tries to set Molly up with cute boy Will. Molly has also started a new job and met Reid. She and Reid really have a great rapport. Who will she choose?

Henry has moved to the country with her family after the death of her brother Robert in a house fire. Mother is not dealing with the death and the immediate birth of baby Piglet, who no one wants to call Roberta. The local doctor has her doped up and wants to commit her to an asylum. Father can't deal with any of it and heads off to the continent. It is up to Henry to stop the evil doctor and get her mother back. She enlists the help of the cook and her husband and the local "witch" in the woods. 

Tin is a set in an alternate England between the two wars. It is a time of machines built by the greatest engineers of the age. Absalom is not one of the greatest engineers even though he does like to brag. He works out of a scrap yard and tries to get work for his mechanicals: Jack, Rob, Amanda and Gripper. He is aided by Estelle who makes skin and Christopher his adoptee. When an accident reveals Christopher is not actually "proper" but an ensouled mechanical things go sideways fast.

Petra lives with her family in a lighthouse on the coast of England. The world is at war and Pet's German mother is sent to an internment camp. Her older sister Magda appears to be keeping secrets and their is a spy in their midst. The family is just getting used to mom being gone when Churchill asks for boats to help rescue the soldiers stuck at Dunkirk. Both dad and Magda head across the Channel, but only one remains. Petra is left to try and figure out what is going on, who is spying for Germany, and save what is left of her family.

After a horrible explosion, Eli and his family are led to an underground compound to wait 15 years until the radiation has died out to make it safe to go above ground again. Eli's twin brother and grandmother did not make it. After six years, Eli starts to realize that something isn't right and starts to investigate their situation. Eli's wealthy father has a lot of secrets to explain.