Books of the Month June 2022
Another year has reached its midpoint, and as 2022 begins hurtling toward an end, many readers took it as an opportunity to get started on a new series. There’s something comforting about knowing that no matter what happens, there’s a sequel or two waiting for your favorite book. To find out which books captivated our readers the most, check out the books of the month for June 2022.
Best Romance
The Sheriff’s Woman
by Jackie Weger
The Sheriff’s Woman by Jackie Weger is the story of Rachel Cameron and Sheriff Garrett Stark. Rachel is raising three children in the same isolated mountain cabin after becoming a widow, while Garrett is an ex-Marine and life-long bachelor who missed his chance with her years before. Although Rachel needs the help that Garrett is offering, she’s too proud to admit it and too stubborn to accept it. Fortunately for her, Garrett has no intention of backing down, and his relentless attention soon stirs up dizzying emotions in Rachel.
Best Adventure
Blowback
by James P. Sumner
Blowback is the eight book in the Adrian Hell series by James P. Sumner. It sees the protagonist finally finding some semblance of peace after starting a new life in Tokyo. Although semi-retired, Adrian works low-level contracts to keep busy. Unfortunately, a twist of fate not only puts Adrian in the crosshairs of a Yakuza family but there is also a ghost from his past lurking in the shadows. This forces Adrian to confront enemies both old and in a battle for which he wasn’t prepared.
Best Action
Goliath
by Richard Turner
Goliath is the first book in the Ryan Mitchell Thriller series by Richard Turner. The title refers to a British airship that mysteriously vanished without a trace during its maiden voyage in 1931. In the present-day Philippines, Ryan Mitchell, a former soldier, comes to the rescue of historian Jennifer March after an attempted kidnapping. Ryan, along with Jennifer, is drawn into a deadly race to find the Goliath in an effort to thwart a mysterious figure threatening to topple governments.
Best Mystery & Thriller
A Matter of Latitude
by Isobel Blackthorn
A Matter of Lattitude is book one in the Canary Island Mysteries series by Isobel Blackthorn. Celestino is an anti-corruption activist who ends up in a collision on a lonely road. Knowing that it wasn’t an accident and fearing for his life, the wounded Celestino takes refuge in an abandoned fishing village. While Celestino is waiting for a chance to make it home, his distraught wife Paula sets out to look for him. However, she soon realizes she is being followed, and her search descends into mayhem, danger, and intrigue.
Best Children’s Book
Ellery’s Magic Bicycle
by Maria Monte
Ellery’s Magic Bicycle by Maria Monte is a children’s book inspired by the author’s own childhood adventures. The heartfelt story is aimed at kids ages four and up, featuring Ellery and her magical bicycle. The lonely yet curious Ellery finds adventure, love, and friendship while also weathering sorrow and loss. Ellery’s adventure begins when she finds the magical bicycle as a young girl and continues as she grows up to become a mother with a baby girl of her own.
Best Young Adult
Riwenne & The Mechanical Beasts
by Kristen S. Walker
Riwenne & The Mechanical Beasts by Kristen S. Walker is the first entry in the Divine Warriors series of steampunk fantasy novels. Riwenne is a fifteen-year-old who, along with her best friend Nexita, wants to become priestesses. This is an important job in the sky city, but Riwenne is on her own for the first time in her life when only she becomes a novice and Nexita is chosen by the engineers. However, when a talking bird informs Riwenne that her best friend is under attack, she sets out to become a divine warrior in order to save Nexita from mechanical beasts.
Best Fantasy
Black Spark
by Al K. Line
Black Spark is the first book in the Dark Magic Enforcer series by Al K. Line. It is the story of Faz Pound, a.k.a. Blck Spark, who is a Dark Magic Enforcer. Faz finds himself in trouble when after losing his memory, he kills a man with dark magic. Since his job is to keep magic hidden from the world, he has to battle to make things right and exact revenge on those responsible for his predicament. However, he only has twenty-four hours to make amends and cover things up, all while dealing with angry mages, bitey zombies, grumpy trolls, and more.
Best Historical Fiction
Born To Track
by Stuart G. Yates
Born To Track is the first book in the Reuben Cole - The Early Years series by Stuart G. Yates. Thes story follows Reuben Cole, a fifteen-year-old who learns firsthand about the viciousness of the lawless West. Reuben’s life changes when he comes to the aid of a fleeing Native American who is being pursued by a murderous gang. Unfortunately, Reuben finds himself being hunted when he accidentally kills one of the men in the process. To stay alive in the unforgiving West, Reuben has to learn the arts of tracking and survival, which will shape him into the dangerous, powerful man he is to become.
Best Horror
Haunting in Hartley
by Janice Tremayne
Haunting in Hartley is the second standalone book in the Haunting Clarisse series by Janice Tremayne. In this supernatural suspense horror, Clarisse Garcia, a spirit hunter, arrives in the small Australian township of Hartley for work. She immediately senses a centuries-old curse and soon finds herself face to face with a malevolent demon. In this high-stakes parley with evil incarnate, Clarisse has to maintain her grip on sanity while saving the tight-knit community from doom.
Best Literary Fiction
Home from Within
by Lisa Maggiore
Home From Within by Lisa Maggiore is set in the fall of 1982, with fifteen-year-old Jessica Turner finally entering the freedom of public high school after being homeschooled. Although she is warned that no dating is allowed, Jessica soon finds herself in a secret relationship with a bad boy named Paul Peterson. However, things end in tragedy when their relationship and Jessica’s pregnancy are discovered. Seventeen years later, Jessica, now living a quiet life with her daughter and a horse farmer named Matt, still struggles with the events that took place.
Best Science Fiction
Obsolete Theorem
by Stan C. Smith
Obsolete Theorem is the first book in the Across Horizons series by Stan C. Smith. Lincoln Woodhouse routinely jumps his drones into the past to collect environmental data. However, when one of his drones is found beside the 47,000-year-old remains of a Neanderthal skeleton, he has some explaining to do. So Lincoln is ordered to jump back in time to investigate, which is something that no human has ever done before. The jump sends Lincoln and his team to a world of deadly creatures and savage beings, where they encounter a woman named Skyra. Although Skyra is a skilled hunter and vicious fighter, she’s not human yet might hold the key to humanity’s future..
Best Paranormal
Creatus
by Carmen DeSousa
Creatus is the first book in the series of the same name by Carmen DeSousa. Derrick Ashton is a creatus, whose kind have been concealing themselves from humans for four thousand years after being hunted almost to extinction. One of his family’s strictest laws is to not fall in love with a human, which Derrick ends up breaking. This leaves him having to risk everything to save the girl from humans as well as his own kind.
Best Non-Fiction
The Neo Diet
by Kevin Aventura
The Neo Diet by Kevin Aventura is the result of years of research done by the author to find answers to his own health issues. In addition to reading all the polarizing health and nutrition books, he also tested the best concepts from each of these diets on himself. As a result, it is not a simple guide about what to eat and what to avoid but instead takes a deeper look at why current diets make people sick and how they can fix this issue.
