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 Tearing Apart
Luisa Elena Kolker
2021 Honorable Mention
81 Pages
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Poetry - General
In Luisa Elena Kolker’s The Tearing Apart we are introduced to a variety of subjects such as relationships, loss, dreams, and childhood nightmares. Set in Spain and New Mexico, we travel along with the poet as she tells us her story in perfect, almost lyrical lines. Very raw and personal, Kolker delivers a beautiful array of poetry in her first collection.
Two poems really stood out to me. They were Demons and A Passage Through Spain. In Demons, you read about a previous partner of the author perhaps and the sexual abuse that they suffered at the hands of their father as a small child. You see that this caused a long-term effect on the person, even if it’s not something shown on the surface. It’s a very powerful poem because it’s true; abuse leaves behind scars and demons that linger. The trauma caused can come out in many different forms. I found A Passage Through Spain just brilliant because, as I read it, I went back to all the history books I have devoured about Spain.
I really enjoyed reading this collection. I thought the poems were amazingly written. With each poem, you find yourself in the author's shoes as she expresses grief, love, terrors from childhood, and seeking the truth she wants to find. Overall, I think Luisa Elena Kolker has done a great job and I can’t wait to read more of her work. It’s definitely a collection of poems I will recommend to others.
Recommend this book:
Selected Poems
2000-2020
JC Mehta
2021 Bronze Medal
70 Pages
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Poetry - General
Selected Poems is an award-winning poetry collection written by J.C. Mehta over two decades (2000-2020). J.C. Mehta expresses her own trials, tribulations, hopes, and desires through a set of intimate and personal poems that showcase the various stages of her life. Murdered & Missing Indigenous Women is a poetic narrative recounting the destroyed and forgotten lives of women belonging to the Native American community. A Priest and an Indian Walk Into a Bar is a humorous rendition of a raucous night. The Lecture recounts how the passage of time rolls over the young. Mourning Light showcases how the past sometimes comes back to haunt us. Each piece feels inspired by J.C. Mehta's personal experiences throughout her life.
If you love poetry, Selected Poems is a collection that you won't regret having in your catalog. Author J.C. Mehta's beautifully written pieces will break your heart, make you smile, and unleash your imagination in wild ways. Written in a first-person narrative with a raw and authentic style that sometimes may even seem brusque, the poems cover a wide spectrum of subject matter related to childhood trauma, parental neglect, abuse, exploration of sexuality, identity crisis, love, and more. Each poem feels heavily influenced by real life and is filled with clever wordplay, introspection, and humor in varying degrees. The pieces may differ in subject matter, length, and style -- some even seem abstract -- but have a common unifying sense of personal intimacy that you can't shrug off. I thoroughly enjoyed Selected Poems, and I will highly recommend it to poetry lovers.
Recommend this book:
One Heart Many Breaks
Sandeep Kumar Mishra
2021 Silver Medal
75 Pages
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Poetry - General
One Heart - Many Breaks: A Collection of Poems and Art by Sandeep Kumar Mishra is a collection of poems and art with diverse themes that give glimpses of the poet's personal emotions, feelings, and journey. The words and art in the book reflect the poet's love for nature and the need to go back to it, the spiritual quest in today's modern times, and the good and bad moments that impacted his life. He captures the nuances, intricacies, and complexities of life with ardor and vigor that will leave readers excited and impressed with his perception of life.
'A Letter to My Beloved Wife' is raw and honest, and is all about the author's pain of being in an unhappy marriage which he terms as a business agreement. 'Seascape' is another poem I enjoyed; it spells out hope, joie-de-vivre, and pleasant feelings, and the rhyme gives it a lyrical pace and breezy movement. I found the following prose poem profound as it captures the author's pain and angst perfectly: “I painted an ocean/But forgot the shore/There were no ships/When I took a close look, /It was my isolation" - this strophe is originally from his poem 'I Painted an Ocean.'
One Heart - Many Breaks: A Collection of Poems and Art by Sandeep Kumar Mishra is kind of autobiographical because it is all about the poet, his life, his family, society, the world, and nature, and the artwork enhances his words effectively. The collection is a real treat for all poetry lovers as the poems are beautiful and will take them to another world where the rawness and profundity of the poet's words will touch their hearts.
Recommend this book:
Dispatches from the Swinging Door Saloon
Poems from my 10-year bender inside heaven’s dive bar
Randall McNair
2021 Gold Medal
130 Pages
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Poetry - General
Dispatches from the Swinging Door Saloon: Poems from my 10-year bender inside heaven’s dive bar by Randall McNair is a unique collection of poetry about many facets of life. From the first poem, you get a feel for the personality of the author. In these verses, you'll find humor, clarity, and truth. McNair's poetry has something for every taste. If you like abstract ideas, you'll find them. If you like concrete, vivid imagery, you'll find it. McNair is a true storyteller, telegraphing bits and pieces and a myriad of emotions in his phrasing. You'll connect instantly to the first poem as he describes making $50 a year writing poetry. His writing is clear and descriptive, and you get what he is saying when he talks about a blue-collar man being trapped in a white-collar existence. His observations are keen and quick, and you'll find yourself zipping through each poem to read more wit and wisdom.
I like how Randall McNair paints images with his poems, whether it be his thoughts on a woman's body or the loss of a loved one. Each page tells a story of characters and meaning, and most are grounded in everyday life in an observational Stephen King style. As in life, these poems reflect the hills and valleys of experience, so that anyone can relate to the verses. He covers a wide range of emotions, from love to hate and everything in between, but I especially like his views on alcohol. On the surface, his poems seem simple, but deeper meaning lies beneath. If you like poetry, you'll love Dispatches from the Swinging Door Saloon by Randall McNair. And if you don't like poetry, meet the poet who can change your mind.
Recommend this book:
Clouds: On the Wind
Poems for the Soul - A Meditation
Gary W. Burns
2020 Finalist
104 Pages
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Poetry - General
‘Sometimes we get lost. And that’s okay. Life is a mystery. As we go our way.’ Clouds: On the Wind: Poems for the Soul – A Meditation by Gary W. Burns is a contemplative collection of poems that will have a calming and meditative effect on the reader. This rhythmic collection of poems is evocative and tackles diverse topics and emotions in an aesthetic way. The poet’s perceptions on life and living in a minimalist way make an impact on readers as they can feel the images growing in their minds. The visualizations of nature, love, harmony, calmness, contemplation, warmth, and other emotions stand out starkly in the poet’s delightful and tightly knitted poems.
This zen-like and tranquil collection will have a meditative effect on readers. The poet is expressive and conveys a lot in a few sentences. I liked the poems ‘Meditation I’, ‘Meditation II’ and ‘Meditation III’ – they capture the essence of meditation and the line ‘let now be your way’ sums up the concept of meditation beautifully. ‘Soul Serenade’ is exquisite and the poet serenades readers in those three lines. It is not always easy to get readers’ attention in short verses but the poems in this book manage to do that because there is so much depth and profundity in the poet’s words, even though they are succinct and crisp. It is a good collection that all poetry lovers will enjoy and the poems will help them reflect on and contemplate life and the emotions that come with it.
Recommend this book:
Woman Strong
Anna Casamento Arrigo
2020 Honorable Mention
108 Pages
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Poetry - General
Woman Strong by Anna Casamento Arrigo is a collection of poems that address many questions with the main one asking what it means to be a woman. Today, being a woman is fraught with abuses, lack of control, and many barriers despite achieving basic freedoms like voting. All of this and more is captured in Woman Strong. Anna Casamento Arrigo also captures the strength, vulnerability, happiness, and love that comes with so many life experiences. Each poem varies and allows the reader a brief view of a life event like birth, divorce, and death. Interspersed with photographs and art of Heydi Quezada, this collection of poems shows readers many of the nuances of being a woman in such a beautiful way that tears came to my eyes numerous times.
As an avid reader, I like to read a variety of genres and I have a special spot for remarkable poetry. This collection was one of those. The author varies the length of poems and kept me reading with this tactic. This wasn’t the only aspect that kept me going though. The author evokes many emotions with each poem and I may have even shed a tear at the end. Some poems are able to capture the nuance of a moment which made my mind bloom with dozens of images. Perhaps the greatest part for me was that the author managed to expertly portray the life stages of a woman and show the raw strength that accompanies them. Simply put, Woman Strong by Anna Casamento Arrigo was breathtaking.
Recommend this book:
Hurricane Warning
Poems
Matthew Ryan Defibaugh
2020 Bronze Medal
58 Pages
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Poetry - General
Hurricane Warning: Poems by Matthew Ryan Defibaugh shares poetic insights into the everyday challenges faced by those who have disabilities. He took the very fabric of his being and turned it into words that echo deep inside the hearts of those who can comprehend what it's like to be impaired. From the joy of a gentle breeze to the pain of becoming wheelchair-bound, going through surgery and pneumonia, to explaining how we sometimes have to heal ourselves, Defibaugh has bared his soul. Moments of undying love and courage, pain, sadness and loss are transformed into poetry.
Hurricane Warning: Poems by Matthew Ryan Defibaugh is an amazing collection of poetry written in various styles. I love the way Defibaugh has shown through poetry and verse how people can rise above disabilities and strive for something greater, even if the task seems unbearably difficult. Sharing everything he feels and thinks during times of comfort, sorrow and love with such a deep emotional impact is a true inspiration. I love how the author has given a voice to the deepest emotions that reveal true respect and understanding for the beauty of life. I recommend Hurricane Warning to everyone, even those who do not generally read poetry. Every single page carries the words that will inspire and encourage others to persevere, no matter what obstacles and milestones may be barring the path to success. I hope that Defibaugh has many more poems for future collections.
Recommend this book:
Seasons of the Soul
Nidhi Kaur
2020 Silver Medal
Kindle Edition
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Poetry - General
Seasons of the Soul is a collection of philosophical poetry by Nidhi Kaur. It has many eloquent, often short poems that show the relationship between a woman seeking love and a beloved she longs for, and can also be used to describe a deeper search for peace and meaning in the stages of life. The book summarizes four “seasons” or life stages in the love journey and these four seasons are examined through intricate sets of poems paired with pictures, predominantly of leaves and flowers, to create a strong sensory experience. The seasons—Season of Longing; Season of Remembrance; Season of Love; and Season of Enlightenment—take the narrator and reader through a life journey of finding love.
The poetical quality of Seasons of the Soul is delicate and gentle. The broader spiritual growth that can be applied to this cascading waterfall of poems gives them a lot of depth and Nidhi Kaur’s writing merits close attention for the quiet elegance that is structured into each set of poems and images. While many poetry books use images effectively, few do so with as much skill as this one because the pictures act as little verses of their own, accompanied by individual longer poems or by tiny, brief verbal fragments strung along together to create a sophisticated experience. The comparison of the growth of love to the life cycle of a flower as it sprouts, buds, and blooms is carried through the whole book with strength and energy, and there are touches of beautiful lyricism, as in the lovely verse “I have translated all of your silence into poetry.” Seasons of the Soul is a good expression of the inner spirit of a life that is continually growing.
Recommend this book:
Feelings
Expressions From Deep Within
Garfield Whyte
2020 Gold Medal
44 Pages
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Poetry - General
Concentrating on such issues as memories that cling, love - both lost and found - tortuous desires, deep secrets, things pursued, and hopes abandoned, Garfield Whyte offers his thoughts in his collection of poetry, Feelings: Expressions From Deep Within. The titles to Whyte’s offerings provide insight into the emotions he examines within his works, and his feelings about his experiences and memories, including those such as “Yearning,” “Paradox,” “Pursuit,” “The Little That We Had,” “I Want to Cry,” and “Unsure.” Whyte accompanies his renditions with a series of clear and lovely photographs that complement the emotions he seeks to express within his work. The photos are consistent, without jarring differences in type and color that might otherwise throw a reader off track. Occasionally, the text wraps around and envelops a photograph, making for a single artistic offering — a single overall impression to engage both the reader’s thoughts and his eye.
It is clear when reading Garfield Whyte’s poetry in Feelings that he has loved and lost, yearned, desired, and even been forsaken from time to time. And who amongst us has not? We can identify with such thoughts as: “The smell of you still lingers on my pillow,” “Now you stand firm and tall in my life like yon’ oak tree,” “In my mind I am compelled to recreate,” and “It’s such a joy your path crossed mine.” Indeed, these are experiences we have all shared. Readers will be pleased to know that he invites those unable to adequately express their own feelings to find the words that they seek within his works.
Recommend this book:
Moments: This to the Next
Poetry - Now and Eternity
Gary W. Burns
2019 Honorable Mention
104 Pages
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Poetry - General
Moments: This to the Next: Poetry - Now and Eternity by Gary W. Burns is a poetry collection composed around the concept of time against the backdrop of nature. In Moments, Gary has brought together the various elements of time such as the past, present, future, eternity, now, and brought out the essence of it which is the present moment. The poems are grouped under various headings related to time such as A Point called Time, Moments to Hours, Clocks and Faces, Time – And You and Me, and each of these contain several short poems. The poems are usually a page long and some are just a sentence or two but still pack a punch and often contain a wealth of meaning in just a few words. There is also a short author bio at the end of the book with a list of his other poetry books.
I loved reading Moments: This to the Next: Poetry - Now and Eternity and re-read portions of it twice. This is a short book and, at first glance, it seemed as if the poems might be too short or simplistic. But this is not the case at all and sometimes the ones with just a few verses are the best ones! There is a beautiful harmony and serenity in these poems and I loved how they intertwine time and nature into one. Some of my favorite poems are Landscapes, Be Still, Midnight Bright, At One With, and The Bridge Called Journey although it’s hard to pick just a few! There is a distinct strain of metaphysics and philosophy throughout this book which I loved as well. Gary has a definite talent for poetry and his composition is soothing, with a great rhythm and technique. This is a must-read poetry book and I hope to read Gary’s other poetry books after this.