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:
And Then There Were Three
Sixty-Seven Letters to Sasha
Julia G. Fox
2016 Bronze Medal
Kindle Edition
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Non-Fiction - General
And Then There Were Three: Sixty-Seven Letters to Sasha by Julia G. Fox is a fascinating book. My fascination lies in both the author’s presentation of the material and her style. Rather than take the more traditional, novel-like approach to her memoir of three people in a polyamorous relationship, Julia G. Fox has chosen to present her material in a series of letters to Sasha, one of the principle characters. What I also find fascinating about the style is Julia G. Fox’s incredible ability to weave poetry into prose. Many times I found myself stopping to re-read a line or a paragraph for the deeper meaning suggested by the words. And Then There Were Three: Sixty-Seven Letters to Sasha is anything but a simple narrative memoir: it is poetic prose…and it’s beautiful.
And Then There Were Three is also intriguing, enlightening and even daringly raw. There will be some readers who will not be able to handle the erotic descriptions Julia G. Fox provides about the sex she enjoys with Sasha, who is gay. They may also be offended, shocked and quite unable to accept that Julia is also married to George, a bi-sexual, and that these three people somehow find a way for a period of time to live, love and have sex with each other, and as a threesome, with no traumatic psychological issues between them. How intriguing! It’s a lifestyle that for most people is part of a fantasy to which they could never admit.
The enlightening aspect of And Then There Were Three is also disturbing as we learn how dreadful it is to live in a society so non-accepting of same-sex love. Sasha grew up in and lives in the Ukraine. Under no circumstances does he dare reveal his true sexual leanings. In fact, his need to hide the truth is so important that he actually marries so he won’t be found out. What a terribly sad way to live. And Julia G. Fox has so beautifully shared Sasha’s sadness…and hers…with us.
I came away from this memoir deeply touched on many levels. If a reader is looking for titillation, there are plenty of other books on polyamory that provide that. If the reader is looking for something that is erotically honest, uniquely poetic and movingly memorable, Julia G. Fox has written And Then There Were Three for them.
Recommend this book:
Trading Places
Becoming My Mother's Mother, A Daughter's Memoir
Sandra Bullock Smith
2016 Silver Medal
Kindle Edition
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Non-Fiction - General
Trading Places: Becoming My Mother's Mother, A Daughter’s Memoir by Sandra Bullock Smith is a true story. Sandra finds herself in the position of having to look after her mother, a role reversal she hoped would never happen. Looking after anyone is a challenging process, even more so when it is your own parent. Many people say they could do it, but when faced with the reality they find themselves totally unprepared for what is to come. Sandra takes us through the years that she looked after her mother, years that were hard to bear, but years that she wouldn’t give up for anything. She provides us with deep insight into what it takes to care for a parent, the similarities to her own childhood, moments that are sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking. This book is not to be missed by anyone who is in the same situation or who may have to make the same choices in the future.
Trading Places: Becoming My Mother’s Mother, A Daughter’s Memoir by Sandra Bullock Smith is one of the best nonfiction books I have ever read. It made me think about my parents, both in their seventies looking after my granddad in his nineties, and it made me realize just how much they do for him and how much it affects their own lives – not that they would change anything! Sandra made me laugh at times and she made me cry, bringing home a real sense of compassion with plenty of advice for those of us who may be faced with the same in years to come. The photographs gave the book an even more personal touch. The book was written in a way that made it easy to follow and very easy to sink into, a way that makes you know you are not going to put it down until you have finished. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, whether you are looking after your elderly parent or not.
Recommend this book:
Charity
The Gifts of Giving, Discover the Hidden Benefits of Kindness and Generosity
Garret Biss
2016 Silver Medal
Kindle Edition
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Non-Fiction - General
Charity comes in different forms, from helping the homeless, being a mentor to children, feeding the hungry, to paying your tithes and offerings to your local church that funds the missions. All of these acts of charity are for the common good. Charity efforts should be seen as the gift of giving either through acts of service or financially. Charity: The Gifts of Giving, Discover the Hidden Benefits of Kindness and Generosity by Garret Biss is a simple audiobook that displays the various types of benefits that charity offers for both the giver and receiver. For the giver, it can offer joy and spiritual enlightenment to know that you have helped someone else in need. For the receiver, it touches on a worthy cause that could not have been satisfied otherwise. Biss wants to encourage more people to give. Biss provides a 10-step action checklist to help you get the ball rolling. “If you don't share the blessings that you receive with others, the universe will stop sharing blessings with you.”
Charity: The Gifts of Giving, Discover the Hidden Benefits of Kindness and Generosity by Garret Biss helped me to understand why some people either don't see the value or why they choose not to perform charitable acts. They say charity begins at home, but what this really means is to get outside of yourself and help someone else. Have you noticed that when you are feeling down and you listen to those around you, your woes don't seem as bad after all? This is the same feeling that occurs when you perform an act of charity. Charity can take on a life of its own; it releases a burst of energy, empathy, and excitement like no other. As you give, the universe gives back to you. Garret Biss, thanks for this gift!
Recommend this book:
Slow Dancing with a Stranger
Lost and Found in the Age of Alzheimer's
Meryl Comer
2015 Gold Medal
240 Pages
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Non-Fiction - General
Imagine that your talented, brilliant husband, a renowned scientist and doctor devoted to his patients, starts to exhibit erratic behaviour patterns, becomes aggressive when questioned, and becomes ‘someone else?’ In Slow Dancing with a Stranger, this is what happened to journalist and author Meryl Comer. It took two years and a painful battery of tests before Harvey Gralnik was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s at age fifty-eight. This was a devastating blow to both Harvey and Meryl, and their family and friends. What followed is a nearly twenty-year odyssey of trauma, hardship and tragedy as Harvey declined mentally and physically. After a series of disasters with care homes, Meryl gave up her stellar career to nurse Harvey at home with the help of a team of dedicated care-givers. Another blow fell when her mother, too, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and also came to live with Meryl. Caring for these two people became the focus of Meryl’s existence.
Meryl’s book dedication is to her grandchildren, that may their memories last a lifetime. Memories are what we take for granted. When we forget something small and inconsequential, like where we placed our keys, it’s nothing. Imagine forgetting everything, even who you are. I was moved as Slow Dancing with a Stranger detailed how Harvey disintegrated from a true Renaissance man—cultured, elegant, educated, gracious, charming and creative—into a shambling shell who might lash out in rage at any minute against his wife and caregivers. As I read, I could hardly believe the horror of what Alzheimer’s can do, and there is no cure. The statistics on Alzheimer’s are frightening. Every sixty-eight seconds, someone falls victim, but fifty percent are never diagnosed. The disease affects 5.4 million people in the US and 44 million worldwide.
What is clear from reading this harrowing memoir is that the average person has no concept of what it is like to live with and care for someone with Alzheimer’s. Forget the sepia tinged idea of a sufferer just having more than a few ‘senior moments.’ There is no glamour and very little reward in caring for an Alzheimer’s sufferer. Meryl’s brutally honest account describes a descent into a kind of nightmarish madness, hideous for both the caregiver and the sufferer. Fighting a dread disease is made easier when the patient can fight back, too, along with their family, loved ones and medical team. Imagine when the silent enemy is insidiously eating away at all that one cherishes: one’s memories, one’s capacity for human behaviour, one’s sense of self. Closeness, or intimacy, and shared memories define relationships. When you have no memories, you have no ‘you.’ The loss of social restraints, the loss of memory and identity, the loss of connection with people they once loved and who love them is painfully and agonisingly described in Meryl’s words.
Writing with elegance and simplicity, the author cogently describes a hellish journey that most of us would have given up on, a labour of love beyond what any average person would take on. The author asks and answers many soul searching questions in her book, the most important one being why take on this burden? Was it out of love, duty, or guilt? Perhaps Meryl answers that best with these words: “No one deserves to be forgotten in life because their disease is without hope.” This book is a must-read, no matter your age.
Recommend this book:
Landed On Black
Zach Fortier
2015 Finalist
156 Pages
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Non-Fiction - General
Landed on Black by Zach Fortier is a first-hand look at the reality of police work. Zach is a retired American police officer and this is where he recounts a number of situations that he has found himself involved in over the years. It takes years on the job to realize that things aren’t always what they seem and that you really can’t trust everyone around you, not even your own colleagues. Each year, the number of people you can place your trust in shrinks and you soon start to ask yourself questions about your own sanity because, after all, it can’t be everyone around you that isn’t right. They can’t all be hiding behind another face. This is the truth about police work - it can make you realise just how bad things really are and how much of a toll it can take on you, emotionally and physically, both in your work life and at home. This is the brutal truth about the life of a police officer on the streets.
Landed on Black by Zach Fortier was a rather interesting read. We all read about the life of a police officer, but most of it is fiction. This is the real truth, the real story behind the police you see on the streets every day. I found it an eye opener, a no sugar-coated account of the reality of police life, no holds barred. If you really want to know what it’s like to work in law enforcement, read this first. It may put you off but it will definitely give you the heads up on what you are about to face. Good book, nice to see some of the facts laid bare.
Recommend this book:
Game-Day Youth
Learning Football's Lingo
Suzy Beamer Bohnert
2015 Honorable Mention
124 Pages
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Non-Fiction - General
Game-Day Youth: Learning Football’s Lingo by Suzy Beamer Bohnert, with the help of simple text, clear illustrations of the field and its markings, drawings of where the players play on the field, and pictures of the official’s signals, explains the questions of playing football, the players and positions, basic rules, various techniques, and the meaning of football words. The book begins with a quick introduction to professional football and its history, describes the football field, the equipment, the players and their positions, and officials in detail. This is followed by a discussion on the rules of the game, the skills necessary for a player, as well as the formations, both for offense and defense. A concise dictionary of football terms is included in this book, with illustrations wherever necessary.
Game-Day Youth: Learning Football’s Lingo by Suzy Beamer Bohnert is a book for all types of enthusiasts. Whether you recently signed up for the football team, watch a brother or sister play, or want to learn more about the game, this book is custom made for you. All the essentials of learning the game, as well as playing the game well, are included. With the dictionary added to its pages, this book can act as a complete manual for anyone interested in picking up or continuing with the game. Helpful illustrations are provided in many places for easy and quick understanding. A detailed table of contents and an equally good index placed at the end enhance this book’s suitability as a reference.
Recommend this book:
Justify Thin
Renae Da Grava
2015 Bronze Medal
224 Pages
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Non-Fiction - General
Justify Thin by Renae Da Grava is a helpful and useful guide on a relevant topic that is of major concern nowadays - weight reduction. The author motivates readers with her honest perspective on the topic and gives them the much required boost to live a healthy and thin lifestyle. The author's personal experiences make readers connect with the book and help them become thin or maintain their already slim figures. It is a refreshing guide and gives readers a lot of strength and guidance in chalking out their weight reduction program which is not based on any diet pills or staying away from food.
I found the book extremely useful and the tips and advice given by the author can be used over the course of one's lifetime. The book trains you to be truthful and real, make a mind-body connection, customize your diet and make necessary adjustments that will keep you in the game for necessary weight management. The training worksheets are useful and will help readers to plan, adapt and work out the strategies suitable to them and their lives.
The author has approached this topic with a very fresh outlook and she encourages readers to live with passion by getting rid of their negative thoughts. The author covers all weight related topics extensively and with a lot of clarity. It is a well-researched book that will empower readers to construct their own schedule for a healthier lifestyle.
Recommend this book:
Hollywood Clown
An inside look into the competitive and political world of children's birthday parties of Hollywood's rich and famous
Jason Lassen
2015 Silver Medal
254 Pages
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Non-Fiction - General
Hollywood Clown by Jason Lassen begins with a birthday party, with the author in the company of Robert De Niro, whose son’s birthday is the celebration. After lengthy preparation about the games to play, costumes to wear and styles to conduct, the author find himself in the center of children’s parties of high society, and conducts party after party, keeping the children and the adults always entertained. Some of them say in the beginning itself, “I don’t care what you do; just make sure you keep the kids upstairs so they don’t bother the adults.” Sometimes the mess created becomes too much and the ‘entertainer’ himself will be forced to clear up, with little help from the host.
Hollywood Clown by Jason Lassen is a commentary on the difficulties a costumed entertainer has to undergo to turn himself into an attraction at any gathering, while making the costume and the man behind the costume retain an enigmatic appeal for kids. The many and varied tricks one has to use to achieve this, devising new ways to keep the children at bay while keeping their parents largely undisturbed, all the while seeing that the party does not cross the limits of decent behavior, adds certain challenges to this, making it into a serious affair. The fun and enjoyment of the kids, the unexpected, sometimes shocking demands from the children, especially when in the robes of Santa Claus, and the reactions of relief from those grown ups turn this into a good read.
Recommend this book:
My Letter to Fear
Essays on life, love and the search for Prince Charming
Ms. Patricia L Steffy
2014 Finalist
154 Pages
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Non-Fiction - General
My Letter to Fear: Essays on Life, Love and the Search for Prince Charming is a nonfiction book in which Patricia Steffy compares the goals and expectations of women she interviewed, as well as her own, with reality. She looks at the different expectations she has had through life and what the actual outcomes have been. Each chapter of the book looks at a different chapter/event through which she delivers different messages on life. Through these chapters/letters, she talks about things like how giving in to fear holds us back from achieving greatness, the importance of self discovery, taking the first step, preparing for your next step, self-doubt and how it impacts our lives, believing in yourself, realizing that you deserve better, effects of living in denial, not being afraid to let the person inside us come out and shine, and many other important life challenges and lessons.
My Letter to Fear is no ordinary memoir. It is the work of a hilarious author who takes you through the different chapters of life as she reflects on life expectations and delivers vital life lessons; giving you her interesting and sometimes bizarre perspective on life. The unique writing style and tone of the book make for an engaging reading experience as you move from one chapter to another, each chapter giving you a look into a different important aspect of the lives of the women interviewed, as well as Steffy's, and delivering a different message each time. I absolutely loved reading the book as I moved from one hilarious chapter to the next.
Recommend this book:
The Adventure of I
A Journey to the Centre of Your Reality
Tania Kotsos
2014 Gold Medal
294 Pages
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Non-Fiction - General
The Adventure of I: A Journey to the Centre of Your Reality is not a quick or light read. Author Tania Kotsos was inspired to write this book by the inscription on the Ancient Temple of Apollo: "Know Thyself." The author stresses the need to know the Real You, the "part of you that is eternal, immortal, and unchanging." If you know the Real You, you will have the "power to create the life you desire and become the master of your experience.” The author believes this power is what makes us different from other animals. Humans have what I call free will (the author uses the term Freedom of Choice). For your mind’s power to be effective you must have self-awareness. Author Kotsos based her thesis on the Top-Down-Living theory "which is to direct your life from higher degrees of self-aware consciousness, which at its height, is your Real Self."
The Adventure of I could be one of the most important books you ever read. It opens readers up to a new way of thinking and an abundance of untapped power. This is not a power we can control or increase; it already exists within us but, like most things, if we do not know about it, it cannot be utilized. It is something we must discover. The author appears to have done a great deal of research and explains the topics so the layperson can easily understand them. There is so much more to this book than I can possibly cover in one short review, so I highly recommend you pick up a copy today.