River Readers

Volume Two of this series finds Peony in the Cannibal Coliseum where the rules are simple, "cook or be cooked!"

This is a cute second volume in the series. A must read if you read the first!

Peony suddenly finds herself in outer space selected to compete in Space Battle Lunchtime to see who the best chef in the galaxy is. Mayhem ensues as sabotage is not discouraged.

This was a cute beginning to this series, highly imaginative and creative.

This starts out with the story of King Midas and his wish to turn everything he touches to gold. Of course that wish goes sideways and he turns the entire earth and everything on it to gold. Fast forward hundreds of years into the future when the story and location of Earth have been erased from the records by the Federation. Three young rebels learn of its location and are determined to find the weapon they can use against the Federation. Of course the Federation is not going to let them get away with that. Everyone is very surprised to find the weapon is a man and not a machine.

It has a dark past--one in which a number of humans were killed. A past that caused it to christen itself "Murderbot". But it has only vague memories of the massacre that spawned that title, and it wants to know more.

Teaming up with a Research Transport vessel named ART (you don't want to know what the "A" stands for), Murderbot heads to the mining facility where it went rogue.

What it discovers will forever change the way it thinks...MRRL Catalog

2nd in the MurderBot series. Fast read, fun sci-fi.

In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company.

Rogue Protocol is the third entry in Martha Wells's Hugo, Nebula, Alex, and Locus Award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling series, The Murderbot Diaries.

Starring a human-like android who keeps getting sucked back into adventure after adventure, though it just wants to be left alone, away from humanity and small talk.

Who knew being a heartless killing machine would present so many moral dilemmas?

Andrew Dahl's assignment to the Intrepid, the flagship of the Universal Union's space fleet, made him feel very fortunate ... at first. But something's not quite right in the 25th Century. There's an unusually high number of casualties on away missions, problems are solved by a mysterious Box, and the laws of physics and common sense often seem to be ignored. The only conclusion he and his friends arrive at is preposterous. And to make things right, they will have to go on a rogue mission of their own to the most unlikeliest of places.

Cager had no intention of finding himself aboard his father's lunar cruise ship, the Tennessee. But he was also not particularly conscious when his best friend, Billy Hinman, and long-time caretaker, Rowan, strapped him into his transport to the ship. It's a rehab mission, you see. Cager's been addicted to Woz for years and Billy has decided that the ideal place to detox is the luxury space ship. Now, the three of them are the only living passengers aboard the massive ship (that they know of, anyway).

This unique graphic novel takes us on an epic journey to reclaim lost love. When Mia joins the reconstruction crew, she doesn't expect the crew to become her family. She's still trying to get her life together after a challenging childhood and adolescence. As such, she's prone to making mistakes and taking risks that could jeopardize the entire crew. The rest of the crew, however, has more or less "adopted" her into their ragtag space family and are willing to do what it takes to keep everyone safe and together.

In the year 2066, a chance observation by Americans spots the presence of alien visitors at what appears to be an orbiting station around Saturn. It doesn't take long for the world to spot the presence and it becomes a race between Americans and Chinese to be the first to arrive and acquire technology with global implications. What will be found? Readers who enjoyed the science-driven plot of Andy Weir's "The Martian" will find this story of exploration and discovery compelling, with interesting characters and subplots, with plenty of surprises and a healthy dose of treachery.

To Amy, everyone has a flavor. Her mom is the flavor of mint--sharp and bright. Her dad is like hot chocolate--sweet and full of gentle warmth.

Binti is a master harmonizer of her people who is on her way to Oomza University on another world. She is the first of her people to leave their land and carries with her the traditions of her home. After first being ostracized for being different from her fellow travelers, she soon makes friends and even starts falling in love with a boy. That all comes to a halt when the ship is attacked by alien terrorists who kill everyone on board except Binti. It seems that the things that set her apart from her fellow travelers are the exact things that save her life. 

In a galaxy powered by the current, everyone has a gift.

Cyra is the sister of the brutal tyrant who rules the Shotet people. Cyra’s currentgift gives her pain and power—something her brother exploits, using her to torture his enemies. But Cyra is much more than just a blade in her brother’s hand: she is resilient, quick on her feet, and smarter than he knows.

A year has passed, and the crew has separated. Catrin follows a signal that will lead her to a reunion and a chance to take the battle to Earth.

A fitting end to the story arc, but wrapped up oh so quickly. It still packs plenty of emotional punch, though, and the art is wonderful.

It's time for Uma and crew to blow off some steam. Unfortunately, the universe has other plans. The characters and plot grow in this second volume, slamming through odd alien encounters and personal revelations, ending on a great cliffhanger.