Favorite Read of March

I think we are all happy that March is coming to an end. Have you struggled with reading this month? Are you looking for a distraction from the news? A lot of great books come out this month, but you might be struggling with choosing one. To help you out, MK, Susan, and Donna have picked their favorite this month.

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The Lane Betrayal by John A. Heldt

I've been one of the people who has had trouble focusing on reading since COVID-19 hit the U.S. I read The Lane Betrayal before everything went crazy and I'm tempted to see if I have any more of Heldt's novels in my reading pile because it would be a great escape read that would surely hold my attention. Like all of John Heldt's books, I enjoyed The Lane Betrayal. It is a bit different from the other books I've read of his. In the other books, time travel has been by some natural phenomenon. In this book, a time machine has been invented. The 1860s, the time period the Lanes travel to, isn't a period I usually read, but the history tidbits were interesting and I really like the characters. Read my full review. ~ Donna

Virginia physicist Mark Lane has a problem. Weeks after privately creating two time machines, he learns his corporate partner wants to use the portable devices for nefarious purposes. Rather than give him the chance to do so, Mark takes the time boxes and escapes to the relative safety of 1865.

For Mark, wife Mary, and their children, the adventure is a chance to grow. Mary runs a business. Jeremy, 19, and Ashley, 12, befriend escaped slaves. Laura, 22, finds her place as a nurse. Jordan, 25, falls for a beautiful widow. All hope to find peace in the past.

Billionaire Robert Devereaux has other ideas. Shortly after Mark's betrayal, he sends an assassin to 1865 to retrieve his property and set matters straight.

Filled with romance, suspense, and history, THE LANE BETRAYAL follows a modern American family as it tries to find security and contentment in the final weeks of the Civil War. (Goodreads)

Buy The Lane Betrayal at Amazon

City Spies by James Ponti

I really enjoyed City Spies this month! It's a fun book with a great story, and it should be a good series to read in the future. Read my full review. ~ MK

In this new series James Ponti brings together five kids from all over the world and transforms them into real-life spies.

Sara Martinez is a hacker. She recently broke into the New York City foster care system to expose her foster parents as cheats and lawbreakers. However, instead of being hailed as a hero, Sara finds herself facing years in a juvenile detention facility and banned from using computers for the same stretch of time. Enter Mother, a British spy who not only gets Sara released from jail but also offers her a chance to make a home for herself within a secret MI6 agency.

Operating out of a base in Scotland, the City Spies are five kids from various parts of the world. When they’re not attending the local boarding school, they’re honing their unique skills, such as sleight of hand, breaking and entering, observation, and explosives. All of these allow them to go places in the world of espionage where adults can’t.

Before she knows what she’s doing, Sarah is heading to Paris for an international youth summit, hacking into a rival school’s computer to prevent them from winning a million euros, dangling thirty feet off the side of a building, and trying to stop a villain…all while navigating the complex dynamics of her new team.

No one said saving the world was easy. (Goodreads)

Buy City Spies at Amazon

The Shape of Family by Shilpi Somaya Gowda

The Shape of Family is an intimate portrayal of four individuals as they grapple with what it means to be a family and how to move from a painful past into a hopeful future. It is a profoundly moving exploration of the ways we all seek belonging — in our families, our communities and ultimately, within ourselves.  It's emotional and heartwarming with a family that I won't soon forget. Read my full review. ~ Susan

From the international bestselling author of Secret Daughter and The Golden Son comes a poignant, unforgettable novel about a family's growing apart and coming back together in the wake of tragedy.

The Olanders embody the American dream in a globalized world. Jaya, the cultured daughter of an Indian diplomat and Keith, an ambitious banker from middle-class Philadelphia, meet in a London pub in 1988 and make a life together in suburban California. Their strong marriage is built on shared beliefs and love for their two children: headstrong teenager Karina and young son Prem, the light of their home.

But love and prosperity cannot protect them from sudden, unspeakable tragedy, and the family’s foundation cracks as each member struggles to seek a way forward. Jaya finds solace in spirituality. Keith wagers on his high-powered career. Karina focuses relentlessly on her future and independence. And Prem watches helplessly as his once close-knit family drifts apart.

When Karina heads off to college for a fresh start, her search for identity and belonging leads her down a dark path, forcing her and her family to reckon with the past, the secrets they’ve held and the weight of their choices.

The Shape of Family is an intimate portrayal of four individuals as they grapple with what it means to be a family and how to move from a painful past into a hopeful future. It is a profoundly moving exploration of the ways we all seek belonging — in our families, our communities and ultimately, within ourselves. (Goodreads)

Buy The Shape of Family at Amazon


What was the best book you read this month?

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