Books of the Month January 2020

The start of a new year is always a great opportunity for new beginnings, which includes trying out some new books. A lot of our readers clearly made it their new year's resolution to read more books this year and judging by this list they are off to a good start. Whether you used the lull in January to catch up on good books after the hectic holiday seasons or treated the month as a fresh start to get to those books you have been putting off last year, there were plenty of novels to choose from. Here are the books that are readers spent the most time with in January 2020.

Best Romance

Ember Casey Starter Bundle

by Ember Casey

The start of a new year is a great opportunity to try out some new romance novels and this Ember Casey Start Bundle offers three delicious reads by the USA Today bestseller author. The books in this bundle include the first book in The Cunningham Family series, His Wicked Games, the first book in The Fontaines series, The Sweet Taste of Sin, as well as the first book in The Devil's set, Claiming His Treasure. Romance readers who love intense, complicated characters as well as plenty of steamy thrills can't get enough of Ember Casey.

Best Mystery & Thriller

Peril in Pensacola

by Lucy Quinn

Peril in Pensacola is the first title in her Accidentally Undercover Mysteries series and stars Dora Winslow, who is having a bit of a hard day. Dora stumbles upon a money-laundering scheme and then ends up on the run after her boss winds up murdered and all signs point towards Dora being the prime suspect. Fortunately, Dora has her friend Evie by her side, but before the two can leave town to find some vital evidence they first have to deal with a police officer who is not as trustworthy as Dora thought.

Best Biography

Scattered Rays of Light

by Efraim Yitshak Pedatsur

Scattered Rays of Light is the incredible true story of how the Kotowski family struggled for survival during World War 2. The family found their quiet life disrupted when the Nazi invasion of Poland took place. However, the head of the family had the insight to quickly grasp what was about to take place and attempted to secure the future of his family by instructing them to disperse in different directions. It was a desperate plan to try and ensure that at least some of them would survive the tragic event that cost the lives of an estimated six million Jews.

Best Children's Book

The First Run

by R. J. Furness

The First Run by R. J. Furness is the first title in the Orgo Runners series and is aimed at children aged 7 and over. It stars the 14-year-old Fayth who races animals known as orgo for survival. Unfortunately for Fayth one of her friends is caught stealing and his fate is left in her hand. She can either leave him to a fate worse than death with his captors or agree to a deadly journey that involves delivering food supplies. What follows is an adventure that is filled with action and fantastic creatures.

Best Fantasy

The Furyck Saga

by A. E. Rayne

The Furyck Saga by A.E. Rayne features the first three books in the epic fantasy adventure series. One of the characters, Jael Furyck, finds herself in a predicament when her father dies and her uncle steals the throne. It seems that Jael's fate is to be married off to the fallen son of her arch-enemy, but this is not something she is just going to accept. Especially not as a battle-hardened warrior who has been trained to kill since childhood. Eadmund Skalleson, on the other hand, is a drunk who is also not interested in the wife his father is threatening him with. Except this time he is given the choice of marrying Jael Furyck or his brother will return from exile.

Best Historical Fiction

My Name is Vittoria

by Dafna Vitale Ben Bassat

My Name Is Vittoria is the second book in the World War II Brave Women Fiction series and is based on the true story of a Jewish Holocaust survivor. The protagonist, Vittoria, is a noble Jewish woman who lives in northern Italy at the onset of World War II. Her entire family is forced to flee across the border to Switzerland when the Nazis arrive, but tragedy strikes when one of her children is not allowed to cross with them. My Name is Vittoria is based on research, interviews as well as original historical manuscripts and focuses on the Italian Jewish community who are often overlooked in other stories about the Holocaust.

Best Literary Fiction

As if Women Mattered

by Virginia DeLuca

As If Women Mattered by Virginia DeLuca is a compelling social drama that is set during the early 1970s. It is the entwined stories of four women who come together as part of a consciousness-raising group and help each other find not only their voices but each other. As if Women Mattered is a novel that will resonate with everyone who was there during the women's lib era as well as those with an interest in the time period. The characters are all well fleshed out and the author has done a great job telling how their lives were affected by the women's movement.

Best Science Fiction

Mind Machines

by Dima Zales

Mind Machines by Dima Zales is an intense techno-thriller and the first book in the Human++ series. It is the story of Mike Cohen, a man with billions in the bank and his own venture capital firm. Mike is living the American dream, but when a car accident leaves his mother with memory problems he develops an interest in a new technology called Brainocytes. Unfortunately for Mike, he is not the only one who sees the potential of this technology and his attempts to help his mother soon plunge him into a criminal underworld. However, although Mike is up against impossible odds he does have a few tricks up his own sleeve.

Best Non-Fiction

Healthy Mediterranean Kitchen

by Dalia Avissar

Many people resolved to eat healthier this year, so it's no surprise to see Healthy Mediterranean Kitchen by Dalia Avissar and Shely Inbar become so popular. This book contains Israeli Recipes for everyday cooking and proves that gourmet doesnt have to mean cholesterol-laden or expensive. It is packed with recipes and suggestions that will help you to whip up gourmet home meals for any occasion and stay healthy in the process.

Best Paranormal

Nathaniel

by Faleena Hopkins

Nathanial by Faleena Hopkins is the first book in her Werewolves of New York series starring four werewolves living in secret as architects in The Big Apple. However, instead of bloodthirsty killers, these werewolves use their powers for good and use their aggression to take down evil whenever they find it. However, their secret is in danger when Nathanial encounters a woman who is about to be raped and saves her from the attacker. Nathanial knows that the woman is his fated mate, but will she keep his secret after the police discover that her attacker was killed by a wolf?