Books of the Month July 2019
The end of the year is fast approaching, but our readers still managed to slow down and take it easy with a few good books. However, deciding which ones to read was not as easy as July had its fair share of great books across all genres. Here are the books across all genres that managed to captivate our readers the most during the month of July.
Best Romance
Capture Me
by Anna Zaires
Capture Me by Anna Zaires is a spin-off from her very popular "Twist Me" series and it is equally captivating. Although readers of the Twist Me series will already be familiar with the characters, this book can also be enjoyed even if you have not read the previous novels. With steamy love scenes, compelling characters and a gripping plot, Capture Me definitely manages to capture the attention of romance fans.
Best Action & Adventure
Scavenger Hunt
by Meg Buchanan
Scavenger Hunt is not just a book of action and risk-taking, but Meg Buchanan also threw in some romance for good measure. It is the story of Josh Reeves, a moto trials rider who finds life getting in the way of his desire to ride fast and win. His life spirals even further out of control after a crash, which leaves Josh scrambling, but there is also the small matter of some weekly thefts that is drawing the attention of the police.
Best Mystery & Thriller
Deception Bay
by Chris Patchell
Deception Bay by Chris Patchell is a thriller featuring Austin Martell, a cozy mystery author who finds himself in the center of a real-life murder mystery. It all starts with his mother suffering a serious accident, which forces Austin to leave New York behind and return to his hometown of Whidbey Island. However, it soon becomes clear that someone wants him back in town and possibly out of the picture. Austin has no choice but to team up with Police Chief Ellie Sharpe in order to find out who is out for his blood.
Best Biography
Courage and Grace
by Yoseph Komem
In Courage and Grace, Yoseph Komen tells the heartbreaking tale of how he and his brother, Yitzhak, survived during World War 2. The two young brothers had to adopt false Christian identities to hide in the Aryan side of Polish cities as well as the countryside while living in fear of being exposed. They had to endure this terror for more than five years, thanks to the support and kindness of both non-Jewish acquaintances as well as strangers.
Best Children's Book
Flashing Visions
by Cyan Li
Flashing Visions is an amazing children's book that Cyan Li started writing when she was only eight years old and finished by age eleven. It is brimming with imagination and captivating characters that will draw in readers of all ages. For this story, Cyan created a cat universe that is filled with action, adventure and suspenseful twists. It is an incredible book that constantly surprises readers with its depth and intensity.
Best Young Adult
Beyond the Abyss
by Melissa Ojeda
Beyond the Abyss by Melissa Ojeda is part of the Soul Carrier Trilogy and features a soul carrier, named Bree Booker. Bree has had enough of the city of Galegash and makes it her mission to save up every coin she can get her hands on in an effort to leave it far behind and find happiness in the countryside. Of course, things do not quite work out the way she plans and Bree, with the assistance of a certain feline, discovers that there is more to the city than meets the eye.
Best Fantasy
Tompkin's School
by Tabi Slick
Izara, along with her brother Kain, is sent off to a boarding school in the middle of nowhere Oklahoma after failing to get along with their father's new mistress. For Izara, it feels like her life is over, but it turns out that her new school is not very ordinary. Izara soon encounters things that she never even imagined could be possible, such as shapeshifters and supernatural powers. However, her newfound powers come at a price and she will have overcome her inner demons in this exciting fantasy novel by Tabi Slick.
Best Historical Fiction
Hell to Reality
by Jack Grylewicz
In Hell to Reality, author Jack Grylewicz tells the story of Peter Mayer, a man who fought for survival during German-occupied Poland during WWII. Although it is a historical fiction novel, it is based on actual events, which makes it all the more harrowing. Peter had to endure a series of trials and setbacks, from fleeing the Gestapo to being taken in as a refugee, being forced to join the Russian army and even being captured and transferred to the infamous "Stalag 18" camp.
Best Horror
Oddjobs
by Heide Goody and Iain Grant
Oddjobs is a great read for anyone who loves horrors, but who can also appreciate a good comedy. The story is about the end of the world as we know it, thanks to incomprehensible horrors from beyond that will devour it. Unfortunately, someone still needs to do the paperwork and this task falls to Morag Murray, who works for a secret government organization tasked with making sure the apocalypse goes smoothly. Oddjobs is the first book in the series and sees Morag having to deal with everything from man-eating starfish to supernatural murders and even the small matter of her own inevitable death.
Best Literary Fiction
Seeking Glory
by Patricia Hamilton Shook
Seeking Glory by Patricia Hamilton Shook is a novel about relationships, loss, and finding your way home. It stars Kate LaRue, a successful, but divorced businesswoman. Kate assumes custody of Glory, her four-year old granddaughter after the child's mother dies. However, Kate discovers that Glory is not just selectively mute, but also seemingly traumatized. To help her, Kate takes it upon herself to solve the mystery of what happened to Glory and her mother, Kate's daughter, Allison.
Best Science Fiction
Survive
by Phil Maxey
In Survive by Phil Maxey a group of ex-military prisoners find the cell doors in their remote high security military prison opening. Initially, the prisoners believe that this is merely a test, but they soon realize that while they were stuck in prison the world had already ended. This leaves them fending for them themselves in a changed world where the human race is fighting for survival.
Best Non-Fiction
Mozambique Hell Run
by Miguel A. Mitras
In Mozambique Hell Run author Miguel A. Mitras tells his tales of trucking through Mozambique in 1991. It was the period of the Mozambican civil war and the roads that he drove were so treacherous that it was called the "Hell Run." The country was in a state of chaos, which meant plenty of hair raising moments for truckers who had to haul goods through the region. However, this book doesn't just tell a riveting tale of the author and his friends, but also offers a unique insight into the conflict that gripped the country at the time.
Best Paranormal
The Halfblood's Hoard
by Devin Hanson
The Halfblood's Hoard is the first novel in the Halfblood Legacy by Devin Hanson and features Alexandra Ascher, a private investigator who is anything but ordinary. Alexandra lives on the fringes and has carved out a niche for herself by dealing with clients who have problems that would raise eyebrows if they tried to find help through conventional means. However, all of this changes on her 21st birthday when her apartment is trashed and Alexandra tries to track down the culprits. Not only does her search unveil a growing web of mysteries, but Alexandra also discovers that she has a dark heritage that she never would have seen coming.