Books of the Month October 2024

It’s hard to believe that yet another year is quickly drawing to a close, but the upside is that plenty of great books have been released. From romance and action to fantasy and science fiction, the following books have been chosen by our readers as their favorite books of the month for October 2024.Best RomanceCowboys & LoveBy Erin WrightCowboys & Love by Erin Wright is a limited-time edition boxset that offers readers the first book in the Cowboys of Long Valley Romance and Firefighters of Long Valley Romance series. The Cowboys series starts with Accounting for Love, which sees the bank threaten to foreclose on a cowboy named Stetson’s farm. Jennifer is the auditor on the case, and sparks immediately fly between the two. The Firefighter series starts with Flames of Love, starring Jaxson, the fire chief of Sawyer whose main priority is caring for his two small boys. This doesn’t leave a lot of time for love until the day he catches sight of Sugar and discovers love is as unpredictable as fire. Best Action & AdventureWhen The Trees Started FallingBy A.D. PopovichWhen The Trees Started Falling by A.D. Popovich features a group of ill-fated evacuees desperately struggling for survival. In addition to fleeing disasters such as raging winter wildfires and treacherous landslides, the group also finds itself being hunted by the FBI. As the internet is down and weather disasters continue pummeling the United States, the group has to rely on their wits, instincts, and luck to survive.   Best Mystery & ThrillerTickled to DeathBy Annalisa RussoTickled to Death is part of the Archibald Lemon Boarding House Mystery series by Annalisa Russo. It is set in 1927 Chicago, where Katie O’Sullivan takes a job as a waitress in a speakeasy after moving from Appleton, Ohio. Katie dreams of singing professionally, and the speakeasy owner occasionally lets her sing with the band. Unfortunately, she finds herself stepping into a dangerous game of deception, intrigue, and trickery when kidnappings begin taking place. Also caught up in the chaos is Garrett Macmillan, a man running for Attorney General of Illinois whose life changes when Katie enters it. Best Children’s BookDon’t Feed The Worry BugBy Andi GreenDon’t Feed The WorryBug by Andi Green is part of The WorryWoos series aimed at young readers to help them understand anxiety. The protagonist, Wince, is one of the biggest worriers ever, stressing about everything from cookies to homework and the weather. Wince also has a WorryBug that appears when he begins to worry. While the WorryBug is initially small, it grows the more Wince worries, which is an excellent metaphor for teaching children not to let their worries take over their lives. Best FantasyCrystal Moth ConspiracyBy Konn LaveryCrystal Moth Conspiracy is the first book in the Ash Born series by Konn Lavery. It follows the adventures of Lola Cabello, a fugitive who is hellbent on avenging her mother’s death at the hands of the notorious Crystal Moths. Lola allies with Synarion, the last nymph, but it is a strained alliance as he wants diplomacy while she wants to eradicate and expose the Moths. Lola also has to deal with Scalebane, the hell-born assassin sent by the Crystal Moths to silence her. Best Historical FictionThe Secrets My Mother KeptBy Elana MilmanThe Secrets My Mother Kept by Elana Milman is a gripping, heart-wrenching historical novel based on the true story of a Holocaust survivor and her estranged daughter. The story is set in 1946 in the aftermath of World War II and Israel in 1976. In 1946, Franka and her infant daughter Danka made their way to the displaced persons camp in Bergen-Belsen, where Franka clung to the hope of finding the remnants of her Jewish family. In 1976, Elana Rosenfeld embarked on a worldwide search to find out more about her birth parents, their origins, and hers. She hopes to find answers to the questions she’s had all her life after being adopted by a childless couple when she was just thirteen months old. Best Literary FictionWhen I Was Your MotherBy Liora CarmeliWhen I Was Your Mother by Liora Carmeli is the story of Maya, who got married to her high school sweetheart, Gill. After seven years of blissful marriage, the couple has three beautiful children and a small house in the country, but Maya then sees a report of a car crash that orphans a ten-year-old boy. Maya becomes convinced that the boy is the son she gave up for adoption when she was eighteen years old. It’s a secret that Maya has kept from everyone, but as she’s unable to let go of the past, it begins to affect her marriage, her job, and even her family.   Best Science FictionThe EvitableBy Krutartha ChitnisThe Evitable by Krutartha Chitnis is set in a future where nuclear war is looming due to global water scarcity. The only solution to avoid human extinction is the dismantling of nuclear arsenals worldwide. The resulting radioactive material is instead repurposed for research and advancement of humanity. Dr. Victor Cormwell leads this project, but in the process, he uncovers lies, conspiracies, and concealed truths that could have dire consequences. Best ParanormalA Match Made in HellBy Traci LovelotA Match Made in Hell is part of the Bound to the Vampires series of steamy paranormal romance novels by Traci Lovelot. It follows Mel, a witch who works as a vampire hunter and is forced to work with her former worst enemies on a dangerous mission. She never expected to have to use her magic alongside those of the vampires, primarily after years spent dedicated to their extinction. However, she soon finds that her new misfit team appears to be destined to fail, and it’s almost as if someone wants it that way. Best Non-FictionGratitude: Two Hundred Short PoemsBy A.H. MorrisGratitude by A.H. Morris is a collection of raw, moving, and honest original poetry. Each page contains a short poem that weaves complex emotions and thoughts into memorable verses. Everything from fear and doubt to disappointment is captured in these poems, which are filled with relatable topics that will stay with readers even after finishing the book.