Books of the Month May 2021

May is often seen as a celebration of new beginnings, and this is true for our readers who wasted no time getting started on brand new books during this month. The only problem is that there are so many good books from which to choose. Fortunately, we have a list of the month's best books, as selected by our readers, for May 2021.

Best Romance

See You Again

by Kait Nolan

See You Again is a small-town southern romance by Kait Nolan and part of her Wishful Romance series. The novel follows Mayor Sandra Crawford and Gerald Peyton III, two people who had a shot at being together 30 years ago but didn't take it. Now Sandra is a divorced cancer survivor, and Gerald is a billionaire philanthropist. Gerald has never forgotten Sandra and is determined to win her heart, but when the two wake up married in Vegas, he has his work cut out to convince her to give their marriage is not just a reckless mistake.

Best Action & Adventure

The Omega Strain

by Steve P. Vincent

The Omega Strain is the first book in the Mitch Herron series by Steve P. Vincent. Herron is an assassin without equal, but he finds himself turned into a walking bioweapon when fanatics ambush him. As the clock continues to tick, Herron has to hunt down the fanatics and stop their attack. However, he only has days left before they will use him to spread the most lethal contagion in human history, so the stakes are higher than ever.

Best Mystery & Thriller

Diamonds Aren't Forever

by Connie Shelton

Diamonds Aren't Forever by Connie Shelton is the first book in her Heist Ladies Caper Mysteries series. Pen Fitzpatrick is a spunky 72-year-old who finds herself the victim of a museum robbery where a thief nabs a million-dollar necklace. As the police appear to be unwilling to solve the crime, Pen gathers a group of friends intending to catch the crook and steal back the necklace herself. The group calls themselves The Heist Ladies but finds that they are up against a master con man working with an international theft ring. The Heist Ladies will not back down, though, even if their mission takes them far from home.

Best Biography

Being Authentic

by Morhaf Al Achkar

Being Authentic is the biography of Morhaf Al Achkar. In addition to telling his fascinating life story, this biography was also written to help readers be more authentic in their own lives. The author shares his understanding of authenticity from the perspective of someone who is aware of his own finitude and challenges readers to be brave enough to do the same. Doing so will also help readers learn how to heal, forgive, and let go of the resentment preventing them from living a more positive life.

Best Children's Book

Noah's Treehouse

by David and Emberli Pridham

Noah's Treehouse by David and Emberli Pridham is part of their "If Not You, Then Who?" series of books and is aimed at young readers aged four to eight. This picture book features seven-year-old Noah Fairley, who cannot wait to start building a treehouse. Unfortunately, Noah, his dad, and his grandfather keep running into one problem after another. Noah wants nothing more than to have the treehouse done in time for the meteor shower, so he looks for inventions that could solve their problems.

Best Young Adult

Girl of Glass

by Megan O'Russell

Girl of Glass is the first novel in the series of the same name by Megan O'Russel. It is set in a world where the human race has been divided between the chosen few living in the safety of domes while those on the outside suffer and die. Seventeen-year-old Nola Kent is one of those who has spent her life in the domes where she has been trained to protect her little piece of the world. However, when the fate of an outsider child falls into her hands, she dares to venture beyond the security of her home. Here she discovers the terrible price some pay for survival in the poisoned night as well as the depth of forbidden love.

Best Fantasy

Tales from Thac

by F. P. Spirit

Tales from Thac is a collection of short stories and novellas by F. P. Spirit, Shannon Pemrick, Kathryn Fogleman, Timothy P. Doran, and Jeffrey L. Price. It was edited by Sandra Nguyen and also features illustrations by Jackson Tjota Amalia Chitulescu. Tales from Thac is filled with fantasy-themed adventures involving dragons, swordsmen, pirate captains, druids, and much more. Unlike many other short story collections, the tales in this book also fit together coherently as they are all set in the same world.

Best Historical Fiction

Hazel the Outlaw Mummy

by Bob DeMoss

Hazel the Outlaw Mummy by New York Times bestselling author Bob DeMoss is the story of a hard-living, wild Kentucky woman named Hazel Farris. She was born in 1880 and had a penchant for fast living and faster guns. This short story examines how Hazel ended up becoming mummified and if 500,000 people actually paid to see her remains. What makes this tale so compelling is that it is based on true events.

Best Literary Fiction

Wanna Get Lucky?

by Deborah Coonts

Wanna Get Lucky? is the first novel in The Lucky O'Toole Vegas Adventure Series by Deborah Coonts. The lead character, Lucky O'Toole, has a knack for solving murders, and there's no shortage of those in Sin City. In this book, she investigates the death of a woman who fell from a tour helicopter to determine if it was a suicide, accident or if she was pushed. However, Lucky is not as good with life as she is with her job, which leaves her in a pickle when her best friend presses her to take their relationship to the next level.

Best Science Fiction

Longshot

by Johnny B. Truant

Longshot is an alien invasion science fiction novel by Avery Blake and Johnny B. Truant. John Abbot is in Vegas on the winning streak that he's only ever dreamed about when aliens invade. His only hope for surviving what looks like the end of the world is to assemble a motley crew of left-over lowlife and Vegas vagabonds for a high-risk crusade. Their plan involves getting a dying alien to Area 51, but they are in a race against time, and their odds for surviving the trip are not looking very good.

Best Paranormal

Dead & Buried

by T. K. Eldridge

Dead & Buried is the first novel in the Partners in Crime series by T.K. Eldridge. It sees Detective Kennedy and Donovan continuing their years-long partnership even after one of them dies. Kennedy is left having to solve Donavan's death with the aid of his partner's ghost. This means he has to hide somehow how he is figuring it all out to keep his badge and solve the murder. However, Kennedy doesn't just have to hide the fact that he is speaking to thin air, but must also stay on his toes to avoid ending up dead and buried too.

Best Non-Fiction

A Mother's Tears

by Dre Carlan

A Mother's Tears by Dre Carlan is the memoir of a journey made by a son and his mother. Their stories are interweaved, and each has to deal with their own individual troubles and hardships. The mother, Gabby, grew up under communist rule in Romania and is sent to the United States while pregnant with her son, Dre. Gabby perseveres through everything, including cancer, the death of her husband, as well as Dre's struggles with drugs and alcohol. A Mother's Tears is a remarkable story that is told in a manner that quickly draws in readers.