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 Ambient Christ
The Inside Story of God in Science, Scripture and Spirituality
Joseph C. Masterleo
2021 Finalist
362 Pages
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Christian - Non-Fiction
The Ambient Christ: The Inside Story of God in Science, Scripture and Spirituality by Joseph C. Masterleo is a book I have long wanted to read, only it wasn’t written yet. Finally it is here — a brilliantly articulated argument that reconciles science and faith, establishing the logical way in which one complements the other, and demonstrating that one does not necessarily imply the absence of the other. In this book, the author pulls the reader into uncharted waters as he explains the seamless connection between the visible and the invisible worlds, showing with convincing and logical arguments that there is a new synthesis that explains the unity of science and religion. Readers will understand the link between the biblical narrative of creation and science and evolution. This synthesis demonstrates that the material and the spiritual worlds do merge and proposes an intelligent solution to the mysteries of the incarnation and the secrets of the Holy Grail that have never before been revealed. That unity is Christ!
There was a period in the Church’s history when the free spirit of scientific inquiry was systematically and ruthlessly stifled, and for centuries, science was considered as opposing religion. The dialogue between science and religion is a recent endeavor, one that was amplified by Pope John Paul II. This book is a giant leap in the direction of that dialogue and Joseph C. Masterleo comes across as a master in the field. The Ambient Christ is well-researched, filled with scientific and historical facts, and observations that are mind-boggling. The author does an impeccable job of uncovering trends and belief systems, capturing the religious climates of the different periods in writing that is fluid and excellent. Some of the observations in this book will have readers rethinking their approach to religion and science. The Ambient Christ: The Inside Story of God in Science, Scripture and Spirituality is a pioneering work that defines the spirituality of the future and establishes the place of Christ in that spirituality; it offers a fresh perspective in understanding the salvific mission of Christ as the unifying principle.
Recommend this book:
Enemy of Humanity
Jubei Raziel
2021 Honorable Mention
218 Pages
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Christian - Non-Fiction
Enemy of Humanity by Jubei Raziel is a non-fiction study of Christianity and the Bible, setting itself above the parapet as a wholly faithful exploration of facts, without fear of influence customarily derived from conjecture or supposition. Raziel begins with an introduction to his journey, a casual read that launched an ambitious investigation. Over the course of thirty-three chapters, Raziel is meticulous in the combing through of a wide-ranging degree of wisdom from the origins of a holy book that has been indiscriminate in who it appropriates and then recycles its texts from, to the foundational enslavement by way of a creation story that Raziel is able to succinctly dissect using intellectual reasoning and the Bible's own scripture, and on to the background of popular catchphrases such as, “Love the sinner, hate the sin,” and the reality of what they mean.
Jubei Raziel holds absolutely nothing back in Enemy of Humanity, which I found to be so much more engaging and profoundly honest than the dozens of theses I've collected over the years. The narrative is a well-constructed balance of intelligentsia and the comfortable conversational style of a man who knows what he's talking about. And Raziel definitely knows what he's talking about. My favorite parts were found in chapters eight, Contra-Christianity where contradictions are laid bare in a near-perfect laundry list of tit-for-tat scripture, and twenty-two, wherein the stunting of psychological and emotional expansion results in subservient fixation to the church, “Because they’re catalyst to the paradigm.” If you're going to read a book that digs deep into the core of Christian theology and rounds up its findings with facts, Enemy of Humanity is your stop. All aboard.
Recommend this book:
The Shut Door
Losing Me, Finding Him
MeShayle Lester
2021 Bronze Medal
250 Pages
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Christian - Non-Fiction
The Shut Door: Losing Me, Finding Him is a work of non-fiction in the memoir, autobiographical and introspective writing sub-genres, and was penned by author MeShayle Lester. The work is intended for the general reading audience and discusses the emotional trauma and how one’s identity can be shaken by paternity news within the family. As the author recounts the incredible revelations following her discovery that her father of 37 years was not her biological father, so begins a journey of self-exploration and the search for answers. From questions of God and Christianity to the true nature of soul-searching, this is the story of a woman finding strength against the doors which have been closed to her in life.
Author MeShayle Lester has crafted a heartfelt and harrowing work of non-fiction, but one with plenty of renewed hope, strength, and faith to offer readers who persevere with it. I found the work to be well organized in its storytelling and recollection of some quite incredible circumstances. In terms of the presentation of the author, I found that the use of close narration created a deeper emotional resonance, and I felt that there was a raw, honest quality to the prose which makes it highly readable and emphasizes the true grief of the process all the more. This is sure to teach important lessons for others finding themselves in this position and seeking help from those above and around them. Overall, I would highly recommend The Shut Door: Losing Me, Finding Him to fans of deeply emotive writing styles, fascinating real-life family stories, and for anyone experiencing similar feelings everywhere.
Recommend this book:
Char's Gift
A Remarkable Story of Hope Through the Storms of Life
Steve Harryman
2021 Silver Medal
200 Pages
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Christian - Non-Fiction
After Steve Harryman’s wife was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor, the next 25 years of their life together becomes a profound personal transformation and embodiment of faith. This is Char's Gift: A Remarkable Story of Hope Through the Storms of Life by Steve Harryman. The author shares their love story, the anatomy of his wife’s illness and her humane concern of helping others, the strength of their faith, and the pain of his loss. Char’s debilitating illness doesn’t stop her from reaching out to help those who are facing their own bouts with a terminal illness. Char and Steve have created a ministry to offer the opportunity for anyone facing a serious illness or disability to enjoy moments of hope. They founded the Hope Through The Storm Ministries and the Hope Conference where people walking the same journey find strength and encouragement in one another.
After reading Char’s Gift, you cannot help but feel appreciative of the sociological and psychological impact of faith. It does move mountains, and if it works hand in hand with love, they move the world. This is a true love story that needs no romanticizing because everything here is straight from the heart. Steve Harryman writes with a strong sense of inspiration as if Char is guiding him. This is a tale of altruism that we can all learn something from, especially when you think that it stems from physiological adversity. Cancer remains one of the top killers, and anyone who contracts it commonly undergoes the five stages of dying. Char, however, takes it as an opportunity to maximize the quality of her life by setting an example and knowing that there are deeper things that matter more to her that are stronger than death. Read it and be inspired. It’s a story that attests how love and faith will always trump death.
Recommend this book:
Milk and Honey Land
A Story of Grief, Grace, and Goats
J. M. Huxley
2021 Gold Medal
402 Pages
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Christian - Non-Fiction
Milk and Honey Land: A Story of Grief, Grace, and Goats by J. M. Huxley is a story of faith, loss, hardships, and finding hope once again. Divided into four parts, the story follows the journey of Janet Huxley, the author, as she retells her life’s story. Living in San Diego, she was aware of the PSA 727 plane crash tragedy, but Janet did not expect to lose her father in an airline crash. Her life changed forever. From having nightmares to feeling adrift, Janet was not ready to live a life where her beloved father was not part of her story anymore. Soon after, she lost more people in airline-related incidents and that made Janet feel more removed from reality. Losing faith, Janet was moving away from God before she knew it. But when things got too bleak, she felt closer to her spirituality and learned that hardships are just a way to feel closer to God.
Acceptance has a way of healing all wounds, and that rang true for Janet Huxley. I am so glad that she chose to share her story. Not many people have been in a similar situation, so this book can be a comfort for those who are grieving or have lost someone in a situation like this. The narrative was nostalgic and melancholic. The author talked about her father with so much pain, love, and appreciation that my heart ached just from reading it. The narrative felt like a conversation. I felt as if the author was sitting right in front of me and narrating her story. While the themes of religion, finding God, and exploring spirituality were very prominent, the themes of hope, rising above, and personal growth were also there. I would highly recommend Milk and Honey Land: A Story of Grief, Grace, and Goats to everyone.
Recommend this book:
That Famous Fig Leaf
Uncovering the Holiness of Our Bodies
Chad W. Thompson
2020 Finalist
152 Pages
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Christian - Non-Fiction
That Famous Fig Leaf: Uncovering the Holiness of Our Bodies by Chad W. Thompson is a Christian non-fiction book that addresses the sexuality and shame that have consumed our human state of nakedness throughout history. Using a combination of scripture, studies, documented and well-known stories, and common sense, Thompson breaks this guide down into eight succinct chapters that encompass everything from the human disconnect between spirituality and our bodies (“...the mystery of God on the one hand, and the mystery of the human body on the other...”) to the travesty of body ideals that are a wholly social construct (“We measure ourselves not against an ideal of health...but against created icons, fantasies made flesh.”). Throughout, Thompson champions that argument of our bodies being the perfect creation of God and that viewing it in exactly this way would eliminate the overall sexualization of the human body and all that it encompasses.
It might have been written with a Christian foundation, but I think That Famous Fig Leaf has the relevance and weight to sway even the most skeptical of (non-Christian) readers alongside those who will find it perusing for Christian philosophy. Chad W. Thompson is able to deftly balance a witty and engrossing narrative with the facts to back them up. I lost track of the number of “Ah-ha!” moments I had reading this book, as well as the number of times I turned to my wife and said, “Listen to this...!” Thompson is timely in the release of this book as a new generation—one which leans firmly against hashtags that defy the mechanisms behind the sexualized body—is fighting on the forefront to end centuries of conditioning to the contrary. This is a book I'd just as quickly pass on to my grandmother as I would my daughter, and—even more importantly—sit down to discuss and read with a son. Highly, highly recommended.
Recommend this book:
The Road to the Cross
Susan Mouw
2020 Honorable Mention
100 Pages
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Christian - Non-Fiction
The Road to the Cross is a work of non-fiction in the style of a collection of poetry and was penned by author Susan Mouw. Working with inspirational and religious themes, the author presents an exploration of the Christian faith and her own life in Christ, and how that journey came about following the many different influences of her life to date. Spanning decades of life experience, we journey with her from the hedonistic days of youth through her feelings of emptiness, and into the loving acceptance that she has found through God and God’s word. What results is a devoted and autobiographical collection of the power of faith.
Christians and those seeking to deepen their faith in God are certain to adore the thematic content of this book, which presents every angle, question, doubt, and difficulty and answers them all in the way that author Susan Mouw experienced them. One of the things I especially enjoyed was the raw and honest quality of the work, which admits questions of faith and expresses the journey to a life in Christ overall, rather than just the results. This makes the ending section all the more evocative because we have seen the roots of its growth. The poetic talents of the author also display a lot of technical skill and a great sense of atmosphere, and some of my favorites included Baby Steps and Please Be Patient. Overall, The Road to the Cross is definitely recommended to Christian readers as an excellent and expressive collection of verse.
Recommend this book:
Finding Joe Adams
Overcoming Great Odds A Son Searches For His Father
Joe Field
2020 Bronze Medal
194 Pages
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Christian - Non-Fiction
Ask older attendees of a memoir writing workshop what the subject of their intended memoir will be, and 90% will reply that, encouraged by their families, their memoirs will be a recollection of the most memorable events, big or small, in their lives. Finding Joe Adams by Joe Field is very much that kind of memoir because, as the author states in his epilogue, he wanted to “...summarize for my new family and my east coast siblings what transpired in my life with Mom and to show that one need not listen to the naysayers who say if you are raised fatherless, you will become a statistic headed nowhere.” What? Wait a minute. So there is more to this memoir than just recalling past vignettes? Oh yes. Finding Joe Adams is the story of the author’s desire to locate the father he never knew, a father it took him over 60 years to find.
It is also a kind of rags to riches story. As the book description accurately depicts, Joe’s early life with a single struggling mother was one of poverty, but despite the deprivations of his childhood, and the lack of a full-time father, Joe grew up to eventually succeed as a lawyer, a husband, and a father. But bit by bit over those years, Joe’s desire to find his own father became his life-fulfilling goal. Google and Facebook searches and ultimately DNA testing brought about a reunion not just with his birth father and his current family, but with his immediate siblings from whom he had been separated as a child. It’s a joyous conclusion to Joe’s memoir, and that’s what memoir readers like best of all.
I can’t leave this review without mentioning one more thing that became increasingly important in Joe’s life: his faith in God. As a child and a younger man, he didn’t have much use for God but when life threatened to defeat him, he prayed. He believes that was the turning point in his life. There will be thousands of readers who will relate to this side of Joe Field’s story. As to Field’s delivery of his life story, one thing is certain: he is a natural story-teller. Some of his anecdotes, like leaving his car parked on the beach and not realizing high tide could carry it out to sea, are hilarious. Readers will find themselves smiling again and again thanks to Joe’s ability to laugh at himself and make readers laugh with him. It’s a winning attitude and a wonderful asset for an author to have. The several photos scattered throughout the memoir add a further dimension to Finding Joe Adams and I’m sure will be most appreciated by the members of his now new and very large extended family. Enjoy!
Recommend this book:
Searching for Mom
A Memoir
Sara Easterly
2020 Silver Medal
253 Pages
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Christian - Non-Fiction
Searching for Mom: A Memoir by Sara Easterly is the story of a woman’s journey in realizing that being perfect is not everything. Sara Easterly always lived her life in limbo. As an adopted child, she never felt a connection with her adopted mother. She always had an ideal mother in her mind that her adopted mother never seemed to fit. She had detachment issues and they only progressed as she grew older. But as years went by and Sara became a mother herself, she found out that being a mother was much more than what she expected from her own mother. When her mother passed away, Sara realized she had been a little too harsh on her and her mom had loved her very dearly. With the realization that she might not have been the best daughter to her mom, she found God. Will she ever forgive herself?
Love is love and it has nothing to do with blood. Searching for Mom is such a heartbreaking tale of a daughter’s journey in which she was chasing the perfect mother without realizing that the one she had was the perfect mother for her. Sara’s journey made me very emotional and I might have cried on at least two occasion. Her adoption circumstances were unique yet other adoptees will find a connection with her story. Sara Easterly poured her heart out, she didn’t hold back any emotions because she wanted you to feel everything she went through. She chose her words very carefully so that they have maximum impact on the reader. She kept the pace just right to make sure the reader remained in the moment with her. Kudos to Sara Easterly for having so much courage in revealing something so precious about her life. Very touching and heartwarming.
Recommend this book:
A Song Of Love
How Jesus Breathes Life into Destiny
Jan Chapman
2020 Gold Medal
212 Pages
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Christian - Non-Fiction
A Song of Love: How Jesus Breathes Life into Destiny by Jan Chapman is an insightful and profound book that chronicles the author's journey and reiterates the power and presence of God. These are stories of love and stories of God, of overcoming and being made new in Christ. The book will make readers understand how everything changes once they follow Christ and how the author was transformed from a caterpillar to a butterfly and started to fly. A Song of Love is about the amazing and unconditional love of God, the joy he gives, and will give hope to readers who are facing adversities and challenges in their lives. The author's story of being hit by a semi-truck and meeting the Lord in the tunnel will leave readers in awe about how the Lord is everywhere.
A Song of Love is inspiring and the author's connection with God will give readers hope and can be related to by many who have experienced bad times and been saved by the Lord's presence in their lives. The author's faith in God and her joy in experiencing his blessings and amazing love are palpable. The journey is an eye-opener to readers about how the true power of prayers work and how God makes miracles happen. Jan Chapman's honesty and straightforwardness when it comes to sharing her story is heartening and gives comfort, peace, and happiness to many readers in dealing with their difficulties and problems. The book is good to use for Bible classes because of the messages it gives and can be read whenever there is doubt in one's mind related to God's workings in everybody's lives.