Books of the Month April 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic forced a lot of people to practice social distancing and self-isolation in April, which meant more time for reading. More readers turned to their favorite genres as a way to get away from all the stress and worries surrounding them. Here are all the books that received the most attention from our readers during the month of April.

Best Romance

Seaside Summers Box Set (Books 1-3)

by Melissa Foster

Why settle for one good romance when you can get three with the Seaside Summers Box Set by Melissa Foster. With this set, you can immerse yourself in the lives of a group of fun, sexy and emotional friends who spend summers at their Cape Cod cottages. Seaside Dreams sees Bella Abbascia quit her job and put her house on the market in an effort to build a new life in her favorite place on earth. It's here that she encounters single father and police officer, Caden Grant. The box set also includes Seaside Hearts and Seaside Sunsets with more interesting characters finding love where they least expect it.

Best Action & Adventure

The Good Kill

by Kurt Brindley

Killian Lebon used to be a Navy SEAL Senior Chief until life-threatening injures in the line of duty forced him into early retirement. Killian soon finds a dark new purpose for living, but this causes him to cross paths with corrupt Russian agents and unscrupulous corporate moguls. Kurt Brindley, the author of The Good Kill, is a retired Navy Senior Chief Cryptologist and former Defense Contractor, which explains why this hard-hitting novel is written in such an authentic and compelling manner.

Best Mystery & Thriller

One Foot On The Edge

by C. K. Crigger

The protagonist of One Foot on The Edgy by C. K. Crigger is China Bohannon, a strong, independent woman who is looking to start her life over. However, this is not easy in 1896 where career choices are thin on the ground for a young lady. There's no way that she'll be able to work as an investigator in the Doyle & Howe Detective Agency when they won't even take her seriously as a bookkeeper. However, when a young girl is found dead in the river and no one else wants to take on the case, China decides it could be her opportunity to prove her worth. She might even get hired by the agency, provided she can avoid becoming the next murder victim.

Best Biography

Survivor's Journey From the Alps to the Red Sea

by Marek Herman

In Survivor's Journey, Marek Herman chronicles his life growing up as an orphan in Poland to the Nazi invasion of the country in 1939, which forces him to live under a borrowed identity. Herman joins some Italian soldiers stationed in Poland to cross the border into Italy and his life is transformed by a chance encounter that he happens to witness. It is something that prompts him to immediately join the resistance in Northern Italy where he becomes an anti-fascist fighter.

Best Children's Book

If Not You Then Who?

by David and Emberli Pridham

In this delightful book by David and Emberli Pridham children are introduced to Brooke Fairley. She's a bright and inquisitive 9-year-old with a creative streak and a passion for inventing. Brooke loves looking for ways to improve the world around her and the book features a main storyline that is relatable to younger children. However, older children can also enjoy the backstory of the inventions, which makes it a great book for all ages.

Best Young Adult

Pure

by Catherine Mesick

Pure by Catherine Mesick is the first novel in her Pure Book Series featuring the sixteen-year-old Katie Wickliff. Katie grew up in the small town of Elspeth's Grove and is completely unaware of the fact that her grandmother had to flee Russia with her when she was only a child due to some troubling events. However, when people around town start vanishing and a terrifying creature attacks her home, Katie returns to Russia with her grandmother in search of answers.

Best Fantasy

Archibald Lox and the Bridge Between Worlds

by Darren Shan

Archibald Lox and the Bridge Between Worlds by Darren Shan introduces readers to the Merge, which is a universe beyond our own. It is the tale of Archibald Lox who is a young locksmith about the cross worlds and explore the Merge. However, while there is plenty to learn about these lands of wonders it is also a perilous endeavor as Archibald faces everything from cold-blooded killers and hell jackals to rivers of blood and more.

Best Historical Fiction

Maid of Baikal

by Preston Fleming

Maid of Baikal by Preston Fleming is a novel of the Russian Civil War that explores what would have happened if a Siberian Joan of Arc had rescued the White Armies at a critical point during 1919. Her name is Zhanna Dorokhina and she grew up in a quiet town near Siberia's Lake Baikal. While she has normal hopes and dreams she has always heard inner voices telling her to prepare for a great task that lies ahead. Unfortunately, when these voices begin foretelling Russia's doom nobody believes her until she wins the trust of a young American intelligence officer.

Best Horror

Sleepless

by Marc Layton

Sleepless by Marc Layton is the first book in his Evergreen Motel series of horror novels. In this book, a young woman named Aly is on the run from her violent ex-boyfriend Kyle who is on a mission to find her and end her life. Aly believes that she will find safety and shelter at the Evergreen Motel where she is the only guest checked in for the night. However, Aly soon realizes that either Kyle has found her and is trying to terrify her until the very end or she is not the only guest at the motel.

Best Literary Fiction

Damaging Quarantine

by Al Macy

The COVID-19 pandemic is one everyone's minds, so it's no surprise to see Damaging Quarantine by Al Macy being a hit with our readers in April. It is a short story about Garrett Goodlove, an attorney who has a strong bond with Carly, his twin sister. However, due to her reckless and headstrong nature, it's not always easy for Garrett to get along with his sister, which is why he needs to take breaks from her. Then, when the pandemic forces them into quarantine together they not only have to learn how to tolerate each other but also deal with a violent, disgruntled former client who is mistakenly released from prison.

Best Science Fiction

Rogue Stars

by Multiple Authors

Science fiction fans had a lot to keep them busy in April thanks to this mammoth collection of seven full-length novels. The Rogue Stars set has everything that fans of the genre love, such as alien invasions, galactic intrigue, artificial intelligence, and of course, heroes who are not afraid to defy orders to accomplish what is right. This collection has novels by C. Gockel, Pippa DaCosta, Chris Reher, G. S. Jennsen, Mark E. Cooper, Patty Jensen, as well as Salvador Mercer.

Best Non-Fiction

I'm Now Called A Senior Wtf

by Julie Sursok

Growing older and realizing that you have become a senior can be a jarring experience, but the subject is explored in a delightful way by Julie Sursok. In her book, I'm now Called A Senior Wtf, she speaks directly to any senior who feels isolated, irrelevant, and like they have forgotten how to laugh. It features plenty of heartfelt commentaries that all seniors will be able to relate to and can help them to feel relevant again.

Best Paranormal

Unseen

by Stephanie Erickson

Paranormal fans couldn't get enough of Unseen, the first book in the Unseen Trilogy by Stephanie Erickson. Mackenzie Day, the protagonist of the story, struggles to cope with the inner thoughts of everyone around her that intrude upon every aspect of her life. Her mind-reading abilities have made her think that she was alone and a freak, but then she meets a member of a secret organization called The Unseen. For the first time Mackenzie is taught how to hone her skills as a reader, but what does she really now about The Unseen and how far will she go to be a part of their order?