Books of April–2026

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

Do robots dream of sheep? No, but they often watch cheesy television shows. This is the first book in a funny, fast-paced series that follows a murderous robot. Well, it’s actually a very kind and caring robot, but it gets embarrassed if people notice. Murderbot (it named itself that) is a robot that does not know what it wants. It is rented out to a group of scientists on an unknown planet. Naturally, danger ensues and our robot friend has to save the humans. This book made me laugh out loud and cry at certain parts. It is so refreshing to read about robots that do not care about being human. This robot is happy as it is, and that makes me happy! I am reading the fourth book now, so I am hooked. There is a show based on the book, but I have only watched episode one. Thank you, Martha Wells and Kevin R. Free (he reads the audiobooks) for making these books so enjoyable! If you like dry humor and robots, then this is for you.

Saltcrop by Yume Kitasei

Happiness overboard! Wow. This is a bleak book. I read this book for a book club, and I am nervous to hear the other’s talk about it. I thought this was going to be a swashbuckling adventure about two sisters sailing to find their oldest sister. Geez, I was wrong. This is a book about corruption, isolation, and small acts of kindness. The story is told in three parts. Each part corresponds with a different sister. We begin with Skipper, the youngest, as she learns that her oldest sister Nora has disappeared. Her other sister, Carmen, joins her on a long journey to reunite their family. They uncover a mystery that endangers themselves and their family. I had just read Blob: A love story by Maggie Su, and the person reading the audiobook was the same! At the forefront, this is a story about the climate crisis. Crops require specialized fertilizer to grow, cars are uncommon, food is scarce, and governments are mostly corporations. This was a sad read, but I think it is important to understand that the climate crisis is real and will not end with a big bang.

The Great Displacement by Jake Bittle

Is it raining men? If so, please let those men be ecological scientists! I read this book a couple of years ago, and it has stuck with me. This book is about the current effects of the climate crisis. People in the United States are moving because of potential climate disasters and lack of resources. Despite the subject, this book is not all doom and gloom. There are stories from real people who hold out hope that positive change will take place within the next few years. When I was reading this, I also held out hope. I still do! I am a strong proponent of the Land back movement, which would put the land back under Indigenous control. There are reasons why people did not build homes on top of swamps! If you would like to read more about the movement, go to https://nativeamericanstoday.com/the-land-back-movement/. As for the book, it was incredibly informative and broad. If you want to learn how the climate crisis is already here and changing how we live, then this is a great place to start.