Books of the Month May 2019

April was a hard month to beat for book lovers, but May certainly didn't disappoint either. Readers were really spoiled for choice this month and there were so many great books in each genre that narrowing them down to just one each was almost impossible. Once the dust settled, these are the books that made our selection of the best books for May 2019.

Best Romance

The Bradens at Weston (Box Set, Books 1-3)

by Melissa Foster

Readers just can't get enough of contemporary romance novels and this box set by Melissa Foster features some of the cream of the crop. This box set features the first three books in the "Love in Bloom: The Bradens" series, which introduces readers to the Braden billionaires. The first book, "Lovers At Heart, Reimagined" is the story of Treat Braden falling hard for Max Armstrong, a woman with a secret painful past. Book two, "Destined for Love" sees Rex Braden falling in love with the daughter of his father's nemesis, while "Friendship on Fire" is the tale of small-town overachiever, Riley Banks, who ends up working for Josh Braden, her childhood crush who is now a fashion mogul. All three books in this set are guaranteed to satisfy fans of compelling romance stories.

Best Action & Adventure

The Last Mission of the Seventh Cavalry

by Charles Brindley

Action and adventure are at the forefront of The Last Mission of the Seventh Cavalry. In this compelling tale, soldiers of the Seventh Cavalry have to bail out of their plane when it is hit during a mission over Afghanistan. However, the thirteen men and women don't end up in Afghanistan as they expected, but thousands of miles away. Even more bizarre, they appear to be two thousands years in the past and right in the middle of a conflict between primitive forces. This results in the platoon having to choose sides and become involved for the sake of their own survival.

Best Mystery & Thriller

Death Votes Last

by Marc Rainer

Even if you are not familiar with the Jeff Trask Crime Drama series, then standalone novel will quickly turn you into a fan. Jeff Trask, a federal prosecutor, and his team of FBI agents and police officers have their work cut out for them when the leader of one party appears to be responsible for the death of an opponent. It's not just a senator who was killed either as witnesses begin to die or have attempts made on their lives. All of this culminates in what could be the trial of the century, provided that Trask and his team can find justice in the political swamp of Washington, D.C.

Best Biography

Fake Papers

by Aaron Rockett

The best biographies are the ones that not only tell a great story, but also teaches valuable life lessons, which is exactly what you'll find in Fake Papers by Aaron Rockett. It is the story of his grandmother, Letty, who was only seventeen-years old when World War II began. Being from a rigid Orthodox Jewish family, she feared for her life when she ended up trapped in a French resort with her mother and two sisters as the police began rounding up people. However, this is more than just a story about Letty and her survival, but also about how telling her grandson about her experiences many years later helped him through tragedy too.

Best Children's Book

Jerry the Squirrel

by Shawn P. B. Robinson

Jerry the Squirrel is a book that will delight children as the follow his fun and wacky adventures. In addition to being a squirrel, Jerry is also an inventor, but his inventions have a habit of not working quite like he would want them to, such as slippers that become out of control. On top of this, Jerry has to deal with all kinds of other problems, such as annoying neighbors and a boss who is a bit of a tyrant.

Best Young Adult

Faelorehn

by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson

Fantasy meets romance and Celtic mythology in Faelorehn by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson. It is the first book in the Otherworld series, which introduces readers to Meghan Elam, a girl who has been strange her entire life. Not only can she see and hear things that nobody else does, but her eyes have an odd habit of changing color. Meghan dreads being taken to yet another psychiatrist by her parents when the visions and voices begin to get worse, but then a mysterious stranger named Cade MacRoich shows up. He tells Meghan about another realm, which is a place of fantasy and where the answers she seeks might be found.

Best Fantasy

Legacy of Hunger

by Christy Nicholas

Legacy of Hunter is not your typical fantasy novel, which makes it a refreshing read for fans of the genre. It follows the story of Valentia, a 22-year old who sets off from America to Ireland onboard a transatlantic steamship in 1846. Accompanied by her brother and two servants, Valentia is determined to find the family in Ireland that her grandmother told her about as well as a missing heirloom. However, the crossing has tragic consequences and Valentia ends up alone in Ireland, right in the midst of the potato blight. None of this deters Valentia from her goal, but what she eventually discovers surpasses everything she ever expected.

Best Historical Fiction

Surviving the Forest

by Adiva Geffen

Surviving the Forest is a harrowing historical fiction novel that is made even more compelling by the fact that it is based on a true story of a Jewish Holocaust survivor. The protagonist, Shurka, was just an ordinary wife and mother who lived peacefully in Poland when World War II broke out. With their idyllic life shattered, the family is forced to flee their village and take shelter in a nearby Ghetto. However, they quickly discover that Jews are disappearing from there on a nightly basis, never to be seen again. With no other choice, they then flee to the depths of a dark forest where the threat of the wild animals is less intimidating than the Gestapo.

Best Horror

Rise of the River Man

by L. S. O'Dea

If you are the type of horror fan who roots for the monster instead of the humans, then Rise of the River Man is going to be right up your alley. It is dark and disturbing enough to satisfy the biggest horror fans, but also features unique monsters that are actually human-animal hybrids instead of the usual dimwitted creatures. Rise of the River Man is also unique in the sense that it has the first book in the Conguise Chronicles, but it also has a parent series, called Lake of Sins. While it is not essential to read the Lake of Sins series to appreciate the Conguise Chronicles, the author has such a compelling way of telling stories that you will want to do so.

Best Literary Fiction

Sarah and Zoey

by Linda Watkins

Sarah and Zoey is a story about the power of unconditional love, which is something all readers will be able to relate to. In this book, Linda Watkins introduces Sarah Palmer and Mindy Sue Watson, two women who couldn't be more different. Whereas Sarah is a feature writer with a great job, beautiful apartment and adorable family, Mindy was stuck in an abusive marriage to an alcoholic husband. The only light that Mindy has left in her life is the skinny dog she adopted from a shelter. However, it is thanks to this dog that the paths of these two women cross and it might just end up saving both of them.

Best Science Fiction

The Concordia Deception

by J. J. Green

The Concordia Deception by J. J. Green has all the right ingredients for science fiction fans to sink their teeth into. The setting is a deep space colony that turns out to be somewhat less than the scientists on Earth predicted it would be. However, in addition to the alien predators that come out at night, there is also dissent amongst the new arrivals. This is because there are four very different factions who ended up on this colonization effort. First, there are the Woken, who spent almost 200 years in suspended animation for the journey. Then, there are the Gens, who stayed awake for the trip as new members were born and died. In addition, there are the Guardians, who show up in a faster than light ship from Earth. Finally, it would seem that some saboteurs have also stowed away on the ship in an effort to ensure the failure of the mission.

Best Non-Fiction

Lessons Learned from The Path Less Traveled, Volume 1

by Zero Dean

Life is full of challenges and Lessons Learned from the Path Less Traveled is the first in a volume of books that are aimed at helping people to overcome these challenges. In addition to encouragement, it is also filled with strategies and reminders that can benefit everyone. Whether you want to develop discipline, find motivation, reduce stress, face your fears, or simply live a more meaningful life, this book can help you out. This is the type of book that you can read in any order and whenever you have time in order to benefit from all the valuable insights.

Best Paranormal Fiction

Strange: Not Your Normal Paranormal

by Various Authors

If you love books about the paranormal, but need a break from all the werewolf, vampire and witch stories that can be found everywhere, then this compilation will rekindle your love for the genre. It features nine complete novels that dares to do things a little differently from the "normal" paranormal. With tales of demons, aliens, time travel, psychics and much more, these are all stories by national bestselling authors. This means that you get plenty of variety and the books also allow you to get a taste of the writing styles of these authors, so that you can go on to read more from your favorites.