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:
Gold Rush
Jennifer Comeaux
2017 Honorable Mention
378 Pages
Check current price
Young Adult - Romance
Gold Rush by Jennifer Comeaux is a captivating romance for young adult readers, a story that speaks about the friction of falling in love and holding on to a dream. Can love and a dream be bundled together? What if that dream could mean everything? Liza Petrov’s eyes are set on winning the Olympic Goal Medal in skating. She is beautiful, disciplined, and utterly focused. But then Braden Patrick happens and, instead of following the discipline that has led her thus far, she is compelled to follow emotions and feelings she’d never felt before. The question is: Can she pursue this romance and still find the strength to keep up the pace in her pursuit of the gold medal?
I love watching skating and Blades of Glory has been one of my all-time favorite sporting movies. Gold Rush made me relive the same experience I have every time I watch this movie. It will come as a huge surprise if the author, Jennifer Comeaux, is not herself a hard-core skater because she has the gift of making the ice rink come alive with her characters. Her descriptions of the sport, the movements, and the overall science are the work of great research or experience, and the reader has the impression that she is a master in the sport.
That said, Gold Rush is masterfully written — no doubt about that — and the characters are well-imagined. From the very beginning, the author portrays the protagonist as anxious and determined, and the reader becomes keen to watch her progress. Jennifer Comeaux carefully builds suspense around the idea of the gold medal and the reader pays attention, reading feverishly, longing to see what happens at the end. Although the plot isn’t so complex, it is designed to keep the reader engaged as the story unfolds and as the different layers of the characters are unveiled. The story is as entertaining as the ice rink itself, and it is satisfying to watch as the characters evolve.
Recommend this book:
All You Need is Love
And A Big Handbag
Julie Hodgson
2017 Honorable Mention
182 Pages
Check current price
Young Adult - Romance
Julie Hodgson’s All You Need is Love (And a Big Handbag) is hilariously adventuresome. What would you do for love? Would you be willing to hide under a bed in a run-down hotel and stake out your husband? That’s exactly what Maggie Spalding does. Do you believe in fairy tales, happy endings? Maggie did, but now she fears she must grow up and face reality. Maggie’s husband is acting weird, a little too strange. Their beautiful beginning now seems a distant memory. Alone and empty, she allows her imagination to take flight and thinks the worst. With her ever faithful, over stuffed Mary Poppins’ style handbag in her grasp, Maggie sets out to find some answers. She could have never imagined what she discovers...
All You Need is Love is outrageous! Julie Hodgson writes a comedy action adventure that is beyond entertaining. The narrative is cute, full of hilarious moments and outlandish escapades all surging at an adrenaline-fueled pace. Written in first person, the story takes you inside the mind of the heroine and places you smack dab in the action. Hodgson’s writing style is delightfully descriptive. The characters are fun, intelligent and likeable, except for the villain who is downright vicious. Hodgson creates a bizarre, polar opposite sidekick for the heroine. Their relationship is a comical, yet heartfelt bond that stretches the main character to do things outside her comfort zone. But, if truth be told, the real partner and lifelong companion of the heroine is her handbag. The plot transpires over a few hours; however, through flashback technique, years of memories are thrown into the mix. The action is fast and furious, humorous and dangerous. Definitely my kind of book!
Recommend this book:
The Slope Rules
Melanie Hooyenga
2017 Bronze Medal
282 Pages
Check current price
Young Adult - Romance
The Slope Rules by Melanie Hooyenga is a great romance for young adult readers, a story that explores love, coming of age, and personal growth. During the holidays, Cally, a fifteen-year-old beauty meets Blake, a “hot snowboarder,” with whom she develops a strong connection. But this couldn’t last long. It is just something light, a thrill in the vacation. But fate brings them again together when her father opens a new business in another town and Cally finds herself in the same school with Blake. Only this time, Blake doesn’t want to have anything to do with her. He has become someone she never knew. Watch as she navigates her new terrain, deepening her trust in herself and self-knowledge while working to find her place in the new environment.
Both sporting fans and readers who love emotionally charged novels will adore The Slope Rules. Melanie Hooyenga creates memorable characters in her work. Cally is a well-rounded character and she demonstrates perfectly her age and what faces her as a young adult. She is the perfect image of what young adults go through as they traverse a critical phase in their lives, learning to trust their instincts and build meaningful relationships. The conflict is well-developed, especially the internal conflict, mostly experienced by Cally. Through the judicious use of stream of consciousness, the author unveils powerful thoughts in the protagonist and different layers of conflict. The Slope Rules is a fascinating story with an interesting plot, a novel that will arrest the attention of readers with its gorgeous characters and moving conflict.
Recommend this book:
Guyliner
J. Leigh Bailey
2017 Silver Medal
312 Pages
Check current price
Young Adult - Romance
Connor, one of the two main characters in Guyliner by J. Leigh Bailey, is a 17-year-old golden boy. He has a pretty girlfriend who thinks she hit the jackpot because he doesn't have the ONE thing on his mind all the time, he excels at sports, and is popular. Enter Graham: the new guy at school. He is different and wearing eye liner. It is clear right away that he is anything but straight. Connor and Graham get in trouble together and have to face the consequences. This leads to them discovering something about Connor's own preferences, and eventually it might ruin everything Connor had hoped for in his future.
Guyliner by J. Leigh Bailey is a lovely coming-of-age and coming out story that tells an exciting tale about a boy who needs to discover who he truly is and his own sexuality. I found the characters well developed; it was great that Graham had a proper back story and was not only the hot guy that turned up to show some other guy that he actually likes boys better than girls. The two young men go through a lot; they have to deal with family issues and with bullies at school. Not all of those challenges are easily solved, and I found it interesting to follow the story of Connor and Graham. The interactions between them and other characters in the book seemed realistic, and I enjoyed every single page of the story.
Recommend this book:
Seven Weeks to Forever
Jennifer Farwell
2017 Gold Medal
260 Pages
Check current price
Young Adult - Romance
Seven Weeks to Forever is a young adult romantic paranormal fantasy written by Jennifer Farwell. Cassidy knows that she'll be dying yet again in another seven weeks. She's living in the house in Los Angeles that her parents left her, far from the Boston home she grew up in and the aunt and uncle who took her in as a small child many years before. Cassidy loves music and enjoys going to concerts. A particular pet peeve of hers is when a tall guy blocks her view of the stage like this one is doing. After all, she's rather diminutive in size, and he could easily let her stand in front. After she manages to get herself out of his shadow and the concert has ended, she notices something shiny on the ground. It's a student ID that just happens to belong to Riley, the blocker. Her Life-After handler, Noah, tells her that Riley is her assignment as a Second-Timer on earth and already she's annoyed with him.
Jennifer Farwell's young adult romantic paranormal fantasy, Seven Weeks to Forever, is a powerful and moving sweet romance. The author has fashioned a fascinating mythology about the afterlife that fuels the plot for her story. Cassidy loves the Life-After and is going through the movements as a Second-Timer, almost as if she's serving time, just waiting to be released and to be allowed to return. The reader is privy to her innermost thoughts and feelings as she works so hard to remain disengaged from life. Her unwilling romance with Riley, another damaged soul, is beautifully orchestrated as the two learn to trust and love again. Farwell's writing style is fluid and smooth. Once I began this compelling fantasy, I didn't want to stop until I had finished the story. It's a marvelous tale that should please both adult and young adult readers alike. Seven Weeks to Forever is most highly recommended.
Recommend this book:
The Oldest Soul
Animus The Oldest Soul Trilogy, Volume 1
Tiffany FitzHenry
2016 Finalist
328 Pages
Check current price
Young Adult - Romance
The Oldest Soul: Animus is the first in a romantic science fiction trilogy by author Tiffany FitzHenry. Our central heroine is Eve, who is discovered to be the oldest soul on the planet when her DNA is dated back through all the lives she has lived on Earth. Eve is seventeen, and she finds herself in a dilemma when she meets Jude, who appears to be the last soul created for a very long time. Whilst Jude is intensely attractive, Eve also has to contend with Roman, whose soul has been matched to hers over many lifetimes. As this one small conflict begins to eat away at Eve, a much larger battle is looming overhead, foreshadowing a war that could end one side of the human race forever.
The power of Tiffany FitzHenry’s work first and foremost lies in the superb concept she has created. The Oldest Soul: Animus sits on the border of young adult and adult fiction for me, as Eve’s youthful stance on life is interspersed with her Zodiac soul, which tells of the many lives lived before her current body. I really enjoyed the idea that the soul transcends race, gender, or any other physical factor, and her relationship with Roman really puts the idea of soul mates under a new kind of microscope. Brilliantly crafted, well written, and compelling, The Oldest Soul: Animus is a true page turner that will satisfy audiences of romantic fiction and sci-fi alike. I would recommend it to readers seeking something totally original, detailed, and deep.
Recommend this book:
Crossing the Ice
Ice Series Book 1
Jennifer Comeaux
2016 Honorable Mention
308 Pages
Check current price
Young Adult - Romance
In a great first book of the planned Ice Series Trilogy by author Jennifer Comeaux, Crossing the Ice will appeal to many young adult readers who love a sweet romance. Follow the story of pair skaters Courtney and Mark as they are working to their goal, a shot at making the Olympic team. They promise not to let anything get in their way. Another pair couple, Stephanie and Josh, a sibling duo, is their primary competition. But when Courtney finds herself more and more drawn to the sweet and shy Josh, will their dreams be forever changed? You'll need to read this fantastic book to find out!
I very much enjoyed Crossing the Ice. Author Jennifer Comeaux has done a wonderful job at creating characters that her readers will connect with, relate to, and continue to think about long after the book is finished. If that isn't a sign of a great author, I'm not sure what is. The story line is sweet with the promise of young romance without going too far, so both young readers and their parents will approve of this story. Any young reader, and perhaps especially young women who enjoy a romantic read, will certainly enjoy Crossing the Ice. I highly recommend this book. I was happy to find that this is the first book in a trilogy, and I can't wait to read more from the Ice Series as soon as I am able to do so. If the subsequent stories are anything like Crossing the Ice, they will certainly be worth the read!
Recommend this book:
TJ's Last Summer in Cape Cod
Don't Cry For Me Cape Cod
Garfield Whyte
2016 Bronze Medal
418 Pages
Check current price
Young Adult - Romance
In a great new book from author Garfield Whyte, TJ's Last Summer in Cape Cod: Don't Cry For Me Cape Cod is a story that will leave readers wanting more. Follow the story of eighteen-year-old TJ (Taj James) as he makes a promise that his last summer on Cape Cod will certainly be a memorable one. TJ enlists the help of his Uncle Peter, a man with not a little experience with women, on his quest. TJ learns a lot from Uncle Peter and is ready to use it, but needs to decide whether he wants to move away from being his typical good boy self in order to do it. What will TJ decide? And what will the end of the summer bring? You'll have to read the book to find out!
I very much enjoyed TJ's Last Summer in Cape Cod. Author Garfield Whyte has done a great job in creating memorable characters that his readers will continue to think about long after the last words are read. If that isn't a hallmark of a great author, I'm not sure what is. His descriptions of Cape Cod are vivid, and readers will feel as if they have simply slipped through the pages into the sunny seaside setting. Any reader looking for a book that might be able to return them to their youth, even for a little while, should definitely read this. I am pleased to recommend TJ's Last Summer in Cape Cod and look forward to reading more from author Garfield Whyte in the near future!
Recommend this book:
The Healer
Book 1
C. J. Anaya
2016 Silver Medal
335 Pages
Check current price
Young Adult - Romance
The Healer by C.J. Anaya (Book One of the Healer series) draws upon ancient forces, gods, and demons from Japanese mythology to craft a thrilling and richly layered modern epic for Young Adult readers. In the first book of what promises to be an enthralling series, Hope, a seemingly normal (albeit slightly introverted) motherless teenager with a strange ability to heal the sick, makes surreptitious visits to the hospital in which her physician father treats patients. Her primary purpose is to offer healing and – dare we say - hope to suffering patients without drawing attention to her abilities and exposing her secret. Along the way, she befriends a terminally ill patient and begins to feel a burgeoning desire to test the boundary between life and death when she realizes that she cannot save those who are meant to die.
With the help of her red-headed, boy crazy siren of a best friend, Angie, Hope sorts out life issues as diverse as mourning her mother’s passing and defending her choice to postpone thoughts of romance. Enter Victor and Tie, two ‘new boy’ cousins too hot to go unnoticed by any of the girls at school, and Hope begins an adventure worthy of the most timeless traditional epic heroines. Layer by layer, a life-or-death scenario unfolds as characters and concepts from Japanese mythology begin to invade Hope’s world and cause her to discover powers, wisdom, and abilities no one could have guessed she possesses. As “The Healer” comes into her own, lives are changed and young female readers everywhere are empowered in extraordinary ways. The Healer by C.J. Anaya is a wonderful, uplifting, and educational Young Adult adventure, full of prescient messages and timely reminders that heroes come in all shapes and sizes.
Recommend this book:
Faeborne
A Novel of the Otherworld, The Otherworld Series, Volume 9
Jenna Elizabeth Johnson
2016 Gold Medal
394 Pages
Check current price
Young Adult - Romance
I loved Faeborne by Jenna Elisabeth Johnson. It is full of magic, romance, and mystery. Attention to detail is one of the key elements that can take a book from the so-so ranks and send it up the charts to bestseller. The attention to the details of this fabled mystical land is just one of the elements of a great book that Jenna Elisabeth Johnson does very well. Not only the details of magic and glamour, but also the details of everyday life combine to draw us into Faeborne and compel us to keep reading. I honestly didn’t want to put it down. Another key component of any good book is the characters. Faeborne excels in this area also. Brennen, Seren, Rori, they all come to life. You care about their lives and what will happen to them. Without this element, a book may still be good, but with this element a book can be great. Faeborne is great.
My old drill sergeant used to always tell us new recruits “pain purifies.” These are characters with a lot of pain in their lives, characters who face a great foe and many personal hardships. This makes for a great story with a compelling plot line. Jenna Elisabeth Johnson makes a very smart creative choice by throwing in a lot of vocabulary with an archaic Gaelic feel. Just one more example of her mastery of the elements of successful fiction that draw you deep into Faeborne. There is no greater attraction to me than great characters facing a powerful foe. If you love romance, action, magic, and great writing, do yourself a favor and buy Faeborne today.