150 Award Genres
Children
- Children - Action
- Children - Adventure
- Children - Animals
- Children - Audiobook
- Children - Christian
- Children - Coming of Age
- Children - Concept
- Children - Educational
- Children - Fable
- Children - Fantasy/Sci-Fi
- Children - General
- Children - Grade 4th-6th
- Children - Grade K-3rd
- Children - Mystery
- Children - Mythology/Fairy Tale
- Children - Non-Fiction
- Children - Picture Book
- Children - Preschool
- Children - Preteen
- Children - Religious Theme
- Children - Social Issues
Christian
- Christian - Amish
- Christian - Biblical Counseling
- Christian - Devotion/Study
- Christian - Fantasy/Sci-Fi
- Christian - Fiction
- Christian - General
- Christian - Historical Fiction
- Christian - Living
- Christian - Non-Fiction
- Christian - Romance - Contemporary
- Christian - Romance - General
- Christian - Romance - Historical
- Christian - Thriller
Fiction
- Fiction - Action
- Fiction - Adventure
- Fiction - Animals
- Fiction - Anthology
- Fiction - Audiobook
- Fiction - Chick Lit
- Fiction - Crime
- Fiction - Cultural
- Fiction - Drama
- Fiction - Dystopia
- Fiction - Fantasy - Epic
- Fiction - Fantasy - General
- Fiction - Fantasy - Urban
- Fiction - General
- Fiction - Graphic Novel/Comic
- Fiction - Historical - Event/Era
- Fiction - Historical - Personage
- Fiction - Holiday
- Fiction - Horror
- Fiction - Humor/Comedy
- Fiction - Inspirational
- Fiction - Intrigue
- Fiction - LGBTQ
- Fiction - Literary
- Fiction - Magic/Wizardry
- Fiction - Military
- Fiction - Mystery - General
- Fiction - Mystery - Historical
- Fiction - Mystery - Legal
- Fiction - Mystery - Murder
- Fiction - Mystery - Sleuth
- Fiction - Mythology
- Fiction - New Adult
- Fiction - Paranormal
- Fiction - Realistic
- Fiction - Religious Theme
- Fiction - Science Fiction
- Fiction - Short Story/Novela
- Fiction - Social Issues
- Fiction - Southern
- Fiction - Sports
- Fiction - Supernatural
- Fiction - Suspense
- Fiction - Tall Tale
- Fiction - Thriller - Conspiracy
- Fiction - Thriller - Environmental
- Fiction - Thriller - Espionage
- Fiction - Thriller - General
- Fiction - Thriller - Legal
- Fiction - Thriller - Medical
- Fiction - Thriller - Political
- Fiction - Thriller - Psychological
- Fiction - Thriller - Terrorist
- Fiction - Time Travel
- Fiction - Urban
- Fiction - Visionary
- Fiction - Western
- Fiction - Womens
Non-Fiction
- Non-Fiction - Adventure
- Non-Fiction - Animals
- Non-Fiction - Anthology
- Non-Fiction - Art/Photography
- Non-Fiction - Audiobook
- Non-Fiction - Autobiography
- Non-Fiction - Biography
- Non-Fiction - Business/Finance
- Non-Fiction - Cooking/Food
- Non-Fiction - Cultural
- Non-Fiction - Drama
- Non-Fiction - Education
- Non-Fiction - Environment
- Non-Fiction - Genealogy
- Non-Fiction - General
- Non-Fiction - Gov/Politics
- Non-Fiction - Grief/Hardship
- Non-Fiction - Health - Fitness
- Non-Fiction - Health - Medical
- Non-Fiction - Historical
- Non-Fiction - Hobby
- Non-Fiction - Home/Crafts
- Non-Fiction - Humor/Comedy
- Non-Fiction - Inspirational
- Non-Fiction - LGBTQ
- Non-Fiction - Marketing
- Non-Fiction - Memoir
- Non-Fiction - Military
- Non-Fiction - Motivational
- Non-Fiction - Music/Entertainment
- Non-Fiction - New Age
- Non-Fiction - Occupational
- Non-Fiction - Parenting
- Non-Fiction - Relationships
- Non-Fiction - Religion/Philosophy
- Non-Fiction - Retirement
- Non-Fiction - Self Help
- Non-Fiction - Short Story/Novela
- Non-Fiction - Social Issues
- Non-Fiction - Spiritual/Supernatural
- Non-Fiction - Sports
- Non-Fiction - Travel
- Non-Fiction - True Crime
- Non-Fiction - Womens
- Non-Fiction - Writing/Publishing
Poetry
Romance
Young Adult
- Young Adult - Action
- Young Adult - Adventure
- Young Adult - Coming of Age
- Young Adult - Fantasy - Epic
- Young Adult - Fantasy - General
- Young Adult - Fantasy - Urban
- Young Adult - General
- Young Adult - Horror
- Young Adult - Mystery
- Young Adult - Mythology/Fairy Tale
- Young Adult - Non-Fiction
- Young Adult - Paranormal
- Young Adult - Religious Theme
- Young Adult - Romance
- Young Adult - Sci-Fi
- Young Adult - Social Issues
- Young Adult - Thriller
Illustration Award
Recommend this book:
The 19th Element
A James Becker Nuclear Thriller
John L. Betcher
2011 Gold Medal
316 Pages
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Fiction - Thriller - Terrorist
A murder, a suspect, a nuclear plant with a spent fuel reactor that no one wants to discuss, potassium, a terrorist plot and two stolen truckloads of fertilizer, plus a couple of Mongolian goons, makes for a thrilling race-against-time plot in this novel, The 19th Element. The man to tie up the loose ends and resolve the case is none other than James "Beck" Becker, a former elite U.S. government intelligence operative who has retired to his childhood hometown of Red Wing, Minnesota, just six miles down the Mississippi from the Prairie River nuclear facility.
When the body of a University professor of agronomy turns up on the Mississippi River bank, Beck suspects foul play of a terrorist kind. His instinct tells him there is a connection among the victim and his missing lab assistant, Farris Ahmed, an international cell phone call and a stolen fertilizer truck, but no one believes him. After all, who could take seriously his suspicions of a potassium bomb attack on a nuclear plant facility? The local police, the FBI and the nuclear plant security scoff at his ideas until things start rolling, and it looks as if there is only one way things will end...in disaster. In fact, Beck is not wrong. Al Qaeda plans to attack Minnesota's Prairie River Power Plant as a means to restore the organization's fading reputation to international prominence. It is indeed a motley crew that Beck finds himself up against: Al Qaeda (who has struggled to get Arab operatives into the nuclear facility and has resorted to using two dimwitted homegrown anarchists) and a Three Mile Island survivor with a pathological vendetta against the nuclear establishment.
The author has established a likeable character in James Becker, one who has appeared in a previous novel and will no doubt feature in future political thrillers. By handling much of the narration, Beck's character imbues the novel with his own style and personality. Beck is laid-back, with a dry sense of humor and an unerring instinct for danger. He trusts his gut and so do his friends, namely Ottawa County's Chief Deputy Sheriff, Doug Gunderson, aka "Gunner" and Terry Red Feather, a full-blooded Mdewakanton Dakota American Indian, aka "Bull." This book is an excellent read, with the author managing to steer the untutored reader through a maze of technical details about nuclear power and potassium bombs without losing attention. My one criticism would be that the story slows down in the middle with the author "telling" rather than "showing" but speeds up to a satisfying and thrilling climax. An interesting snippet is the fact that potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K (Neo-Latin kalium) and atomic number 19, hence the title of this book.
Recommend this book:
Leave No Child Behind
R. Overbeck
2011 Silver Medal
326 Pages
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Fiction - Thriller - Terrorist
After terrorist Asad Akadi was sentenced to death for an act of terrorism on US soil. The prisoner would be a temporary resident of the Hammerville Security Facility in Hammerville, Ohio. A terrorist cell was assigned to rescue Asad. The carefully planned attack included taking a high school hostage. The intricate plan involved planting terrorist in strategic places such as the school.
Dee Dee Streber loved her students. It was obvious she truly cared about them. Despite her fear she stood ready to protect her students even if it meant her death.
Leave No Child Behind is an action packed thriller. I was quickly drawn in by the characters, never once did I lose interest. The plot could have been ripped from the headlines. I began this book on the day UBL died, that fact alone made this book more realistic. The plot follows an ordinary woman, a teacher as she works with her journalism and literature classes. She makes a connection with the students including Rashid. This jumped out at me. I had already guessed at least part of Rashid's role. I was amazed at the influence Dee Dee had on her students. With a mere touch of her hand and her gentle voice she could calm a classroom and avoid most disruptions.
The reader also is privy to the happenings in the White House as they prepare for the execution and then deal with the hostage crisis. I kept waiting for the President to fire the lackeys that repeatedly brought up the damage that could be done to his campaign. There were a couple of scenes that brought me to tears. While the sensual scenes were tastefully done, I felt the book could have done without the rather explicit descriptions. While it did not detract from the plot it will force me to state this book is for adults. Author, R. Overbeck skillfully brought out my sympathy for Rashid. Yes he was a terrorist but he had little choice.
This book is well written. The plot moves along swiftly. The characters are multifaceted and exquisitely developed. Overbeck even developed the secondary characters. While this book is high action it is also character driven. The Overbeck skillfully moves back and forth from the terrorists, to Dee Dee, to the White House. This gave the plot greater dimension. I look forward to more books by this author. As I look in my crystal ball I think I see a movie contract in this Overbeck's future. Well done R. Overbeck.
Recommend this book:
The Gathering Storm In The Middle East
Intrigue Passion and Love at the Crucial Turning Point of the Crisis
Robert Thomas Fertig
2011 Bronze Medal
376 Pages
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Fiction - Thriller - Terrorist
Our lead character is Richard Rinaldi. He is dissatisfied with his life and accepts a job that puts him in the middle of the decaying predicament in the Middle East. He appears to be going through a mid life crisis and seeks adventure and excitement, what he ends up with is a mess. He spends time in a dungeon after being accused of fraud.
I was curious about this book upon receiving it to review. I love suspense and espionage and, yes, this book has it all. It is a highly charged, technical read. The plot is very intense and complex, with a lot of characters, and sometimes it gets a bit confusing. It is obvious the author has spent a lot of time doing research and has created a well thought out plot.