Books of the Month March 2019

Both January and February featured plenty of stellar books across all genres for readers. March certainly did not disappoint either, so check out what the top books in each category is that kept readers burning the midnight oil last month.

Best Romance

Taken by Surprise

by Valerie J. Clarizio

Everyone believes that Clare Ulster has the perfect well-to-do city life in Milwaukee with her rich and handsome fiancé. However, much to their shock and surprise, Clare gives it all up, packs up for the quiet small town of Iron City and moves into her grandparents' old homestead. For Clare the remote Upper Peninsula of Michigan sounds like heaven compared to life with her abusive and cheating ex-fiancé, but unfortunately for her he is not so willing to let her go. In addition to having to deal with her ex, Clare also lands in hot water with the female admirers of the town Fire Chief, which prompts the irresistible Police Chief to take an interest in her safety.

Best Action & Adventure

California Bound

by Frank Kelso

California Bound is a gritty western that is filled with plenty of action and adventure. The story features two Confederate veterans, Jeb and Zach, who have dreams of striking it rich in California. However, on their way there, they discover that some of Jeb's family were killed and his niece kidnapped. This causes a change in plan as the two attempt to find the girl and rescue her, but they end up getting into a lot of trouble along the way. It is a mission that nobody else would dare and one that will put their friendship to the test.

Best Mystery & Thriller

Rebecca Schwartz Complete Set

by Julie Smith

The Rebecca Schwartz series by Julie Smith is such a hit with fans of mystery and thriller books that everyone who starts reading it ends up completing the entire set. The star of the series is a Rebecca Schwartz, a lawyer with a penchant for sleuthing. The set includes five gripping novels that sees Rebecca using her humor and wit to uncover all kinds of mysteries. From figuring out why there is a dead hooker on her living room floor to tracking down who murdered someone else for a frozen lump of dough, these books provide the kind of thrills that mystery fans live for.

Best Biography

Love at First Bite

by Dr. Yair Ben Ziony

Israeli veterinarian, Dr. Yair Ben Ziony, proves that James Herriot is not the only veterinary surgeon that had a very interesting life. Love at First Bite is a collection of stories from his life and chronicles everything from working at a small animal clinic to managing a dairy farm in Iran. This is not just a biography about the interesting life of the doctor, but also his humorous perspective on the animals that he had to treat and their equally fascinating owners. 

Best Children's Book

Has Anyone Seen My Brain?

by Dan Nimak

It is not just children who loves Has Anyone Seen My Brain by Dan Nimak, but readers of all ages who enjoy a well written and gripping story. In this tale, a trio of twelve-year olds travel invisibly through time, while accompanied by a dog named Blue. However, what begins as the best summer ever turns into a disaster when one of the friends disappear for real. Fortunately for the remaining friends, they manage the enlist the help of a fourteen-year old girl from the Salem witch trials for the search. However, they also learn that actions have consequences and finding their missing friend could mean having to make a life-or-death decision.

Best Young Adult

Maybe Never

by Sadie Allen

Young adults will know that life doesn't always live up to your expectations and sometimes you just have to make the best of a bad situation. Maybe Never is a book about two teens who discover the type of curve balls that life throws at you. One, Judd Jackson, started out with seemingly having it all, but loses his popularity, beautiful girlfriend and friends due to a family secret that leaves him scorned and ridiculed. Then there is Sunny Blackfox, a girl who keeps herself busy with big plans and big dreams because she is alone in the world. These two have everything going against them, but together they might just be able to leave it all behind and make it out of town.

Best Fantasy

Soldier of Fortune

by Kathleen McClure

If you love your fantasy tinged with science-fiction, then the genre-mashing Soldier of Fortune by Mathleen McClure is a must read. It is the first standalone novel that is set her series, The Fortune Chronicles, and features a man named Gideon Quinn who was wrongly convicted of treason. After six years of hard labor, Quinn gets a shot at freedom and redemption, which he grabs with both hands. If he wants to clear his name he is going to have to find the real traitors and might just end up becoming a hero if he can pull it off.

Best Historical Fiction

The Law of Moses (Sam and Laura's Story, Book 1)

by Kwen Griffeth

Great historical fiction isn't just about interesting settings, but also compelling characters. Fortunately, The Law of Moses features both and has been a firm favorite amongst fans of the genre. In this book we get to meet Samuel Cardiff, who is a Christian pacifist with little care fo the outside world. All Cardiff wanted in life was to graduate from the Teachers College, return home, find a job and then get married. Unfortunately for Cardiff, his life changed in the spring of 1861 after the attack on Fort Sumter by Confederate forces. Thanks to the extensive research of the author, The Law of Moses has an authentic historical feel to match its great story.

Best Horror

Craddock

by Jerry Gerold

Craddock is the horror story that has been sending the most shivers up the spines of our readers in March. When Victor and Anna stumble across the abandoned town of Craddock they are intrigued by the mysterious old oak they find there. However, after their visit to the town, things begin to go somewhat wrong in their lives. Victor makes the shocking discovery that his grandfather was a witch and that his aunt was sacrificed in order to lift a curse. In order to set things right, Victor and Anna must return to Craddock, but when they do it quickly becomes clear that the town is not quite as abandoned as they thought. Craddock is a short read, which makes it the perfect bedtime story for horror fans.

Best Literary Fiction 

The Brambles

by Leah Erickson

The Brambles mixes a murder mystery with paranormal elements to create a gripping and memorable story. It opens with the death of Elizabeth Gray, who is found hanging from a tree. However, the reason for her death is just the start of the mystery as it also turns out that she had no birth certificate, no social security number and no record of education. Even her own mother refuses to cooperate with the authorities, which make it seem unlikely that the mystery will ever be solved. This changes when Elizabeth, who is able to communicate in spirit, turns to her three childhood playmates and prompts them to investigate. 

Best Science Fiction

Bridgers 1: The Lure of Infinity

by Stan C. Smith

Like all great science fiction novels, Bridgers 1: The Lure of Infinity has a compelling story to tell and a fascinating futuristic setting where it takes place. It's hard to come up with original sci-fi adventures, but Stan C. Smith does just that with this book. It is set in a future where time travel is possible, thanks to the act of bridging. This is obviously a big hit with tourists, but elite fights and survival experts called "Bridgers" are needed to babysit them during visits to alternate worlds. The protagonist of this book, Infinity Fowler, is one of the best bridgers there is, but she finds that she has her work cut out for her when she ends up on a vastly different version of Earth along with three biologists.

Best Non Fiction

Global War on Terror: The Nigerian Dimension

by Clement Mosindi

Nigeria is not a country that immediately springs to mind when thinking about the war on terror, but in this compelling book by Clement Mosindi he explains why it plays such an important role. Not only has Nigeria become a very active operational theater of global Islamist Jihad in the past ten years, but it has also become an epicenter of homegrown terrorism for the West Africa sub region. Mosindi has poured a lot of research into this book and doesn't just state facts, but also offers solutions and guides on how security agencies and decision-makers could handle this growing threat.