Books of the Month April 2019

This has been a great year for readers so far as the quality books just keep on pouring in. April continued this trend once again with a slew of page turners for every genre. Check out our selection of the best books for April 2019.

Best Romance

Her Dakota Man

by Lisa Mondello

Her Dakota Man is the first book in the Dakota Hearts series by author Lisa Mondello and a great read if you like your romance stories with a bit of a twist. This tale follows Poppy Ericksen, a woman who left South Dakota years ago when the man she loved, Logan, ended up marrying someone else. Thanks to the dying wish of a friend, Poppy ends up returning to South Dakota, where the recently widowed Logan is on his own trying to take care of his young son. Poppy ends up staying with Logan, but can the two find a way to fall in love again or will the secrets of the past keep them apart? Read Her Dakota Man to find out how this riveting tale plays out.

Best Action & Adventure

The Last Caliph

by T.L. Williams

The Last Caliph by T. L. Williams is a hard hitting and realistic military adventure that is not only packed with action and intrigue, but also unpredictable enough to keep readers on the edge of their seat. This book is part of the Logan Alexander series and this time the CIA Operations Officer has his hands full with ISIS. The terrorist organization is making use of technology in order to recruit domestic jihadists while the White House firmly believes that ISIS has been vanquished. This means that it is up to Logan Alexander to penetrate the terrorist group and put an end to their efforts to destroy the USA.

Best Mystery & Thriller

Casey Jones Mysteries (Box Set, Books 1-6)

by Katy Munger

Every reader knows that a good mystery leaves you wanting more, so it is a good thing that this box set of Casey Jones Mysteries features all six books in the series. It features a strong female character in the form of Casey Jones, a private detective that doesn't let anything hold her back. Over the course of this series, she has to handle crooked politicians and cops, dysfunctional families, prison breaks and even a bit of romance. The books are packed with mysteries and thrills along with a healthy dose of humor, which makes them worth binge reading.

Best Biography

Wanderlost

by Simon Williams

If you are tired of the typical travel biographies, then Wanderlost by Simon Williams will be a breath of fresh air. It will also probably make any travel mishaps that you might have had in the past look like child's play in comparison. Simon not only has a knack for getting into difficult situations while traveling, but also the gift to write about his experiences in a very humorous and engaging manner. It's not often that biographies causes readers to laugh out loud at least once per page, but Wanderlost pulls this feat off with ease.

Best Children's Book

Archer and Zowie

by Hans Bluedorn

Children's books don't get much more imaginative than Archer and Zowie by Hans Bluedorn. Young readers will be enthralled by the adventures of Archer and Zowie, two friends who manages to construct a rocket ship out of a tree house before leaving the Earth behind to travel through uncharted space. The two mismatched pals eventually crash on an alien planet where they have to find their psychotic teleporting microwave and find a way back home, all while learning about friendship.

Best Young Adult

CeeGee's Gift

by Joy H Selak PhD

Celia Gene Williamson is the twelve-year old protagonist of this novel and her gift is the ability to foretell the future. Initially CeeGee struggles with her ability, until it leads her to an elderly widower, named Mr. Tindale. Although she has bad news for him, Mr. Tindale takes it in stride and begins to each CeeGee how she can use her special ability to help others. Not only is this a wonderfully written story, but it is also an inspirational tale of finding your own gifts to share with the world.

Best Fantasy

Dragon Assassin

by Arthur Slade

If you love the fantasy genre in general and dragons in particular, but don't have the time to get lost in a massive series, then Dragon Assassin: Twin Fury is just what you need. The first book in the Dragon Assassin series is just over a hundred pages, but packs more than enough action and excitement to satisfy even the most demanding fantasy fans. In this book we meet Carmen, a female assassin who is on the verge of graduating from assassin school. Carmen is determined to finish ahead of her class as well as her twin brother, but then things change when she discovers a dragon. Graduation also becomes a little more complicated when the Emperor suddenly declares a war on all assassins.

Best Historical Fiction

Innocence Lost

by Sherilyn Decter

Sherilyn Decter uses Philadelphia of 1924 as the backdrop for her novel, Innocence Lost. It is a time of bootleggers and crime, which doesn't make things easier for the protagonist, Maggie Barnes. Maggie is taking care of her young son and their rundown house after the death of her husband, but is forced to take on boarders with criminal ties in order to make ends meet. Then, Maggie is drawn into investigating the disappearance of a friend's son when nobody else is interested in the case. She does have one advantage, though, the assistance of a ghost who used to be a Victorian-era cop.

Best Horror

The Devil's Pets

by Alex Siegel

Horror fans will enjoy sinking their teeth into The Devil's Pets, book one in the Paranormal Enforcement Administration series by Alex Siegel. It is about a top-secret government agency that is tasked with taking down all kinds of things that go bump in the night. In this book their leader, Stony, and the rest of the team is on the trail of a satanic serial killer who kidnaps and tortures children. The killer also has a group of slaves that he keeps alive to assist with his rituals, including one named Diana who can transform into a panther. Stony is not just determined to take down the killer, but to also try and win over Diana to the side of good.

Best Literary Fiction

Snow Blind

by Kwen D. Griffeth

Snow Blind is the tale of a semi-retired rodeo cowboy named Bobby Trent, who steps into the role of sheriff after the murder of his father. Bobby only plans on fulfilling the remaining months of his father's term in office, but it turns out to not be quite as easy as he anticipated. First, the body of a young woman is found without any signs of foul play, then local ranch owners become agitated after their livestock begins going missing. Finally, an out of state reporter is poking around about the story of a girl who went missing more than twenty years earlier. All of this adds up to one big headache for Bobby and a riveting story for readers.

Best Science Fiction

The Time Traveler

by Joe Corso

Time travel has always been a fascinating subject for science fiction books, but The Time Traveler by Joe Corso takes a new approach to this familiar trope. Instead of sophisticated technology the protagonist of this tale, Lucky Campo, stumbled across the secrets of time travel by luck. Starting out as a jewel thief before being coerced into joining the CIA, Lucky nearly died during an assassination attempt involving explosives. However, his injuries required a brain operation, which left Lucky with the ability to see gateways that can cut through time itself. Of course, this type of skill quickly attracts the wrong kind of people who will stop at nothing to learn its secrets.

Best Non-Fiction

Understanding Pain is Your Guide to Healing

by Hayuta Epstein

Pain is a part of everyday life for many people, but most spend more time trying to numb the pain than to understand what is causing it. This book by Hayuta Epstein is aimed at people who would like to find out what the reason and purpose of their pain is, which can lead to self-understanding as well as spiritual growth. It is a great book for putting things into perspective and the author has some profound thoughts on the subject that makes it worth reading.

Best Paranormal Fiction

Ready To Were

by Robyn Peterman

The paranormal and humor don't often mix, which makes this novel by Robyn Peterman even more entertaining. It's the story of Essie, a trained agent with the Werewolf Treaty Federation. Essie fled her hometown in the dead of the night after having her heart broken by a Werewolf named Hank. Unfortunately for Essie, werewolves in her old hometown are going missing and someone with good looks are needed to infiltrate the operation. Since she's the only agent who fits the bill, it means having to go back to the town where Hank is waiting to find out why she ran out on him.