Books of the Month May 2024

It can be challenging to make time to sit down with a good book, but some stories are more than worth the effort. Here are the books, across all genres, that caused our readers to put them at the top of their reading lists. From romance and action to science fiction and horror, don't miss out on these books of the month for May 2024. 

Best Romance

The Merman's Kiss

By Tamsin Ley

The Merman's Kiss is the first book in the Mates for Monsters series of steamy mythology romance novels by Tamsin Ley. Zantu is a merman who has managed to evade the mate-bond for thirty-five years when he encounters a human woman named Briana, looking for a reason to live. Since mermen bond for life, they tend to die of heartbreak as mermaids are not bound to the same code. Unfortunately for Zantu, he might still end up with a broken heart as with dangers encroaching from every side, he will have to choose between keeping Briana at his side or keeping her safe. 

Best Action & Adventure

Ruthless Promise

By Em Petrovav

Ruthless Promise is the first novel in Em Petrova's Bad Boy Ranch series. Colton is a soldier who is left watching his best friend die in his arms after a special ops mission goes wrong. Colton promises his friend that he will look after his little sister, Meadow, and intends to honor this vow, even if it means working on a mountainside ranch and raising cattle while she trains horses. Unfortunately, her father is his new boss and blames Colton for the death of his only son. In addition, Meadow's relentless teasing doesn't help Colton to keep his bad-boy nature under control.

Best Mystery & Thriller

The Sheriff's Pursuit

By Jason B. Baker

The Sheriff's Pursuit by Jason B. Baker is set in the sprawling, unforgiving prairies of pre-Civil War Illinois. Sheriff Talbot Jones has to deal with a chilling murder in a town that is teetering on the brink of prosperity. With no shortage of suspects, Jones has his work cut out for him if he hopes to apprehend the culprit. The Sheriff's Pursuit is related to the Barber Brothers' Adventures by the same author but set in a much earlier time. 

Best Biography

The Courier's Wife

By Vanessa Lind

The Courier's Wife by Vanessa Lind is part of the Secrets of the Blue and Gray series, which features women spies in the American Civil War. The protagonist, Hattie, is a woman who makes the daring choice to join the ranks of the Pinkerton Detective Agency as a way to escape a life of monotony and wealth. Her wish to make an even greater impact is granted when she embarks on a dangerous mission alongside a daring courier named Thom Welton. Posing as his devoted wife, they boldly venture into enemy territory but find themselves in the crosshairs of Confederate forces. 

Best Children's Book

Easy History for Kids: The American Revolution

By Curiosity Class Publishing

Easy History for Kids: The American Revolution by Curiosity Class Publishing comprehensively covers the American Revolution's key moments but features simplified, age-appropriate explanations. This makes the complex events easy to understand for kids and provides them with a strong foundation in early American history. The book also includes fun activities and quizzes to help reinforce learning. 

Best Young Adult

Find Us In The Forest

By J.R. Packard

Find Us In The Forest by J.R. Packard is set in the unforgiving winter of the 1950s. The story follows five boys from Washington State as they set out on a journey in Alaska. They are fueled by dreams of freedom and an escape from their troubled pasts, but in the vast wilderness, they are faced with challenges of survival, friendship, and self-discovery. As they navigate the untamed beauty of Alaska, they not only have to conquer the wilderness but also their innermost demons. 

Best Fantasy

Legend of Tal: A King's Bargain

By J.D.L. Rosell

A King's Bargain is the first book in J.D.L. Rosell's Legend of Tal series. Tal has spent three decades fighting warlocks, killing mythical beats, and hunting enchanted treasure. Determined to leave his past behind, he returns to his home village under a different name. There, he meets a village boy named Garin, who is eager to make a name for himself. Garin is given the opportunity to do that after he and Tal are thrown into a journey across the kingdom. While Tal is faced with having to live up to his legend, Garin must discover his own power to survive the ordeals they will face. 

Best Historical Fiction

Daughters of Green Mountain Gap

By Teri M Brown

Daughters of Green Mountain Gap by Teri M. Brown is the story of three generations of remarkable North Carolina women living at the turn of the twentieth century. Maggie McCoury is a generational healer woman who relies on the family traditions, folklore, and beliefs of a local Cherokee tribe. However, her daughter Carrie Ann believes that the answer lies in her university training as a nurse. Maggie's granddaughter, Josie Mae, lives with her grandmother but doesn't know who to follow. 

Best Horror

Under the Breaking Sky

By Nick Clausen

Under the Breaking Sky is an apocalyptic horror series by Nick Clausen in which a mysterious crack appears in the sky. Anyone looking up at the crack is struck blind and filled with a vicious urge to kill anyone within their reach. One of the survivors, Mark, is in a boring department meeting when the crack appears and causes a bloodbath amongst the people who look out of the windows at the sky. Gina is busy shopping when everyone around her begins beating each other to death, and Tommy is trapped in a car with his stepdad, who turns into a mindless monster. As societies collapse and the world plunges deeper into mayhem, these ordinary people must stand together and fight for humanity.

Best Literary Fiction

Surviving Jane

By Rodolfo Del Toro

Surviving Jane by Rodolfo Del Toro is the tale of Dr. David Scholz, a burnt-out man looking for a career change. David is looking forward to a year-long sabbatical, during which he will travel and reset before beginning his ophthalmology residency. For David, it will be a chance to get away from the busy hospital, unruly patients, and frustrating senior staff. However, just weeks before his vacation, a young heroin addict with severe injuries is brought in. This Jane Doe is belligerent, aggressive, demanding, and does not want to be in the hospital. However, as David grows more disgruntled by her behavior, he is reminded why he entered the medical field in the first place. 

Best Science Fiction

Slimy Things Did Crawl

By Susan Kaye Quinn

Slimy Things Did Crawl by Susan Kaye Quinn is one of six short stories in the Halfway to Better collection. The story is set at the bottom of the sea, where a crew of three people is part of an operation cleaning microplastics off the ancient mineral-rich nodules. However, when the crew finds something that shouldn't be possible, their lives and their vessel are in grave danger. 

Best Paranormal

The Soul Trade

By Edward Rose

The Soul Trade is the first book in Edward Rose's Judas Investigations series. Patrick Judas is the only Private Eye in Purgatory, a place filled with bad people who have a chance at going to a better place if they live a good life this time. Unfortunately, someone is messing with this order by switching the fates of decent people with the worst scum in the City. Judas is hired by someone caught up in the middle of it all to try and save them along with the City. 

Best Non-Fiction

How To Keep Going

By Robbie Swale

How to Keep Going, by behavioral coach Robbie Swale, is a book filled with practical inspiration to help readers create good habits and stay focused on their tasks. Readers are taught how to make time every day to progress toward their goals, how to get more done in less time, and how to develop a healthy relationship with themselves. In a world filled with millions of potential distractions, the secret to staying focused is invaluable.