Books of the Month August 2020

It wouldn't bee an exaggeration to say that many people would like to put 2020 behind them and start fresh with a new year. However, there are still a few months left and our readers have been putting them to good use by immersing themselves in good books. Here are their favorite titles from different genres.

Best Romance

When You Got A Good Thing

by Kait Nolan

When You Got A Good Thing by Kait Nolan is a small-town romance about a free-spirited woman named Kennedy Reynolds. It's been a decade since she's left her home of Eden's Ridge, Tennessee behind without looking back. However, the unexpected death of her adopted mother prompts her to return where she runs into Deputy Xander Kincaid. Kennedy was his first love and he has never forgotten her or stopped wondering why she left. Kennedy has her hands full trying to mend things with her sisters and caring for the foster child that her mother left behind, but she also has to deal with secrets from her past.

Best Action & Adventure

Cian

by Charley Brindley

Cian by Charley Brindley is the story of Cian and Saxon, two people from different worlds who meet in the heart of the Amazon. Together they explore more than just the rain forest but end up adventuring halfway around the world in search of a peaceful place to settle down. However, peace is hard to find due to their shared sense of justice, which eventually leads them from Europe to New York before returning to Brazil. It is there that they confront a heartless woman named Oxana specializing in trading not only endangered animals but also women and little girls.

Best Mystery & Thriller

The House of Closed Doors

by Jane Steen

The House of Closed Doors by Jane Steen is set in 1870 and is the story of a young woman named Nell Lillington. When Nell becomes pregnant it infuriates her stepfather who is already not particularly fond of her. Nell, who is desperate to avoid marriage, refuses to reveal who the father of the child is. So, when her stepfather decides that the baby should be born at a Poor Farm and then discreetly adopted, Nell agrees. Unfortunately, the discovery of two small bodies at the Poor Farm convinces Nell that they were murdered. While she is unwilling to abandon her own child to a similar fate she has no safe place to run to even if she manages to escape.

Best Biography

Gabrial Bach: Attorney, Judge and Gentleman

by Gabriel Bach

Gabriel Bach: Attorney, Judge and Gentlemen is the fascinating true story of Bach who managed to escape from Nazi Germany as a young child. The biography follows his trials and tribulations through this dark period in history and continues as Bach not only becomes a Deputy State Attorney in Israel, but also the prosecutor of Adolph Eichmann. Bach also held various high positions in the legal system in Israel where he had to deal with numerous public, social and political affairs. His biography is a riveting look into both the challenge he has had to face in his personal life as well as the issues that Israeli society has had to deal with.

Best Children's Book

Kell, the Alien

by Darcy Pattison

Kell, the Alien by Darcy Pattison is a great children's book that combines whimsy and humor with a little bit of learning. It follows Kell and his family crash landing on planet Earth where they end up being shipwrecked. With no other choice, Kell and the rest of his family become citizens of Earth and Kell begins to attend 3rd grade. In order to make a living, the family starts a party-planning business, but Kell also has to deal with his principal who suspects that someone in third grade is an alien.

Best Young Adult

The Sparks

by Kyle Prue

The Sparks by Kyle Prue is the first book in the Epic Feud Trilogy starring a six-teen-year-old named Neil Vapros. Neil wants nothing more than to become an assassin and serve his family, but he nearly dies in the process. His family, and two rival dynasties, made an ancient promise to protect their city, but have since abandoned this cause. When Neil begins to lose relatives to an unknown evil hunting the three houses from the shadows he attempts to unite the families against their common foe. Unfortunately, years of assassination attempts make trust a very scarce commodity, leaving Neil to face a bloodthirsty foe as well as betrayal.

Best Fantasy

The Wild Hunt

by Ron C. Nieto

The Wild Hunt by Ron C. Nieto is the first book in the Faerie Sworn series. The protagonist, Lily Boyd, grew up with old rhymes and children's games taught to her by her grandmother. These ancient tales fade from memory as her mother moves the family to Manchester and forbids Lily from ever returning to the Scottish Highlands. However, Lily does return there years later to assist her grandmother only to discover a hidden world of magic and danger. She ends up on a quest to save her grandmother and must venture into the faerie lands aided by a kelpie, but not knowing if she can really trust him.

Best Historical Fiction

Romance On The Oregon Trail (Box Set, Books 1-3)

by Kathleen Ball

Romance On The Oregon Trail by Kathleen Ball features the Christian historical western romance novels. Cora's Courage features a protagonist who feels indebted to travel on the Oregon Trail with the man who saved her and her baby. However, his intimidation and jealousy drive her into the arms of a brokenhearted man who recently lost his wife. They agree to a marriage of convenience, but it soon turns into something more. The series also features Luella's Longing, which is about a young woman left to fend on her own by her father after an accident leaves her unable to do the chores while on the Oregon Trail. She ends up in an extra wagon when nobody offers to take her in and it is there that she meets a handsome Irishman named Declan. Finally, Dawn's Destiny is the story of a woman who was kidnapped by the Indians who mistreats her before finally throwing her off a cliff. She survives and ends up on the wagon train where she heals. It is here where she encounters Heath Leary, a man who initially resents her, but eventually realizes that he loves her. The three books all feature different heroines but are set on the same wagon train, which makes for interesting stories.

Best Horror

As the Crow Flies

by Rysa Walker and Caleb Amsel

As The Crow Flies by Rysa Walker and Caleb Amsel is the first novel in their Enter Haddonwood series. It is set in a small Tennessee town called Haddonwood, which is seemingly normal on the surface. However, the protagonist, Chase Rey, has visions of an alternate reality where things are very different from what they are in his life. As The Crow Flies is not just the story of Chase either, but also a diverse cast of other characters in town. Their stories unfold over Halloween as chaos begins to envelop Haddonwood and reality as they know it is threatened.

Best Literary Fiction

Olive Branches Don't Grow On Trees

by Grace Mattioli

Olive Branches Don't Grow on Trees by Grace Mattioli is a novel filled with compelling characters, a healthy dose of humor, and plenty of delicious food. When her younger brother graduates high school Silvia Greco is asked by her mother to help with the family celebration. Her task is to gather the family, which is easier said than done as most of them are feuding and haven't been together in over six years. Silvia has enough problems of her own as she is broke and living with her father in New Jersey, but attempts to make peace in her family and bring everyone together.

Best Science Fiction

Saving Mars

by Cidney Swanson

Jessamyn, a Mars colony pilot discovers that a Top Gun attitude will get you grounded pretty in Saving Mars by Cidney Swanson. However, she is given the opportunity to fly a covert mission to off-limits Earth, which she eagerly accepts to save her world from starvation. Thanks to a competitive consciousness-transfer program where only those who toe the line are offered perfect bodies there is a dystopian peace on Earth, which is maintained by the Chancellor. All Jessamyn has to do is get the food and get out with as little contact as possible. Unfortunately, her brilliant autistic brother is captured and charged with treason, leaving Jess with a choice between rescuing him or saving Mars.

Best Paranormal

Fury Frayed

by Melissa Haag

Fury Frayed is the first book in the Of Fates and Furies book by Melissa Haag. It is the story of Megan, a member of an exclusive school called Girderon Academy. The school is located in a town of misfit supernatural creatures and should be the one place where Megan fits in, but discovers that she can't. Not only does the smug sheriff and territorial blondes cause her blood to boil, but there's also the small matter of humans dying and all the clues pointing to her. Megan has no choice except to find the real killer and clear her name, but to succeed she will have to embrace who and what she is.

Best Non-Fiction

Pressure Cooker Cookbook: 525 Irresistible and Quick Recipes for Busy People

by Vanessa Olsen

Cooking can be fun, but not everyone has the time or patience for the type of planning and preparation required for the recipes in most cookbooks. This is why pressure cooking is a popular option for many and in this cookbook by Vanessa Olsen, there are more than 500 recipes to try out. For those new to the world of electric pressure cookers, the book is also filled with information on how they work, how to keep them clean, and even how to choose a brand. Whether you want to save money by cooking more at home, want to save some time due to your busy lifestyle, or want to eat healthier, this cookbook is a great help.