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:
Brandenburg
A Story of Berlin
James Cloud
2019 Honorable Mention
447 Pages
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Fiction - Cultural
Brandenburg: A Story of Berlin by James Cloud takes us on a journey through the Germany of the early twentieth century, through the eyes of some ordinary and not so ordinary Berliners. Beginning with the declaration of WWI by Kaiser Wilhelm, we travel through the false bravado and patriotism of a nation at war to explore the horrors and senselessness of the killing fields of Ypres, the Somme and Passchendaele. With the war and the deprivations it brought almost over, the people of Germany must then face, along with the rest of the world, the ravages of the Spanish Flu. What follows is the constraints of the Treaty of Versailles, the incredible hyper-inflation of the early twenties, five years of relative prosperity to be followed by the share-market crash of 1929, and the perfect storm that would see the rise in Germany of two competing ideologies; Communism and its vicious and violent enemy, Nazism and Adolf Hitler. Through the eyes of a young Prussian aristocrat and his beautiful Jewish wife, along with their best friends, a working-class girl and her farming-stock husband, the author examines the class structures and the political pressures that were exerted on Germany during this period that would lead to one of the darkest times in world history.
I particularly enjoyed this simple story of love and family. Brandenburg: A Story of Berlin by James Cloud is set against the momentous events of the first third of the twentieth century. The author clearly is well versed in the city of Berlin and its history. I really appreciated his main characters that represented all stratum of German society. In Herbert, we could see the young, liberal Prussian aristocrat who wanted to go his own way and saw nothing unusual or wrong in falling in love with and marrying a rich young Jewess. That their best friends should be from a working-class and a rural background provided a wonderful counterpoint to the political turmoil that was happening all around them. That their families were able to generally reconcile and accept the breaking down of class, religious and political barriers within German society was well expressed by the author.
This book did a wonderful job, for me, in laying the groundwork for what was soon to plunge Germany and the world into further chaos, as Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933. That this story ended there gives me hope that there is a sequel coming, as I for one am excited to find out what happens to this diverse range of characters as Nazism takes over and dominates Germany for the next ten plus years. I highly recommended this read to all historical fiction buffs and readers in general.
Recommend this book:
Jugend
Aalia Lanius
2019 Bronze Medal
175 Pages
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Fiction - Cultural
Jugend by Aalia Lanius is a historical fiction novel that is set in 1937 Europe juxtaposed with events unfolding in 2017 in the United States of America. Fourteen-year-old Ernst, an enthusiastic member of the Hitler Youth, is chosen to participate in what is made to look like a bicycle tour of London. But his real task is to spy on a wealthy British family of Jewish descent suspected of sheltering Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany in 1933. Clark, on the other hand, is a young American boy who lost his mother to cancer and his father to the Iraq war. Orphaned and living with his guardian, his dad's friend who is a rabid white supremacist, Clark finds himself spying on a Muslim family that are long-time residents of the US, but branded as terrorists.
Aalia Lanius' Jugend is a riveting tale of two boys innocently caught in historical events that have drastically changed their lives and enormously impacted the very history of the world. Ernst and Clark are two young boys who are forced to make a decision between good and evil when children their age should just be starting to learn the intricacies of life. Fast paced and gripping, Jugend successfully tells a complex and emotional story in a way that is easy to understand. Aalia Lanius' creative writing style is subtle, without a lot of frills, and the result is a novel that is informative, enjoyable and emotionally tugs at the reader's heart. The content of this book is universal and is relevant to any other time in history!
Recommend this book:
Sons of the Soil
A Novel
Lucas Dines
2019 Silver Medal
458 Pages
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Fiction - Cultural
Sons of the Soil by Lucas Dines is a sweeping historical fiction novel taking place on the cusp of two of the world's most defining moments, the onset of WWI and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire. Macedonia in the earliest years of the twentieth century sets the stage for a multiple points of view story about a man, Jon Ahmeti, who will do anything to save his family. At the behest of MacGregor, a British spy, there is little that isn't required of him as he becomes witness to (and a victim of) the atrocities of the Balkan conflict. “We Macedonians are frozen in time, confined to a playground in which Fate continually acts out all of its most sadistic fantasies.”
Dines has done an exceptional job in bringing to life a piece of history that so few seem to know about. Sons of the Soil is epic in both sound and substance, pushing beyond Jon Ahmeti's first-person perspective and cracking open every bloody angle through the eyes of opposing characters. Each allows the reader into the heart and mind of a transgressor, which all are, including Ahmeti in his own forcefully misguided way. I loved Eleni, a strong yet violently damaged Greek rebel, but found Gotse Delchev, a Slavic freedom fighter and leader of the IO, to be the most intriguing. It takes an even-handed, skilled writer to deliver such an ambitious saga, but Dines has done it with a responsible storyline that manages the delicate act of balancing a cataclysmic time in history with a riveting fictional drama. A beautiful novel.
Recommend this book:
Short Stories II by Rich DiSilvio
Mysteries, Thrillers & Historical (Volume 2)
Rich DiSilvio
2019 Gold Medal
154 Pages
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Fiction - Cultural
Short Stories II by Rich DiSilvio is an eclectic collection of tales ranging from the Roman era to the 19th century right up to the modern day. It includes short stories featuring Armand Arnolfini, a high-powered private detective with CIA connections who specializes in art theft and forgery cases. These are followed by the story of a man who appears in court due to a traffic offence, with a surprising twist - a tale so realistic one wonders if it is based on the author’s personal experiences. Next is a harrowing story of a man who, after a road accident, is fully conscious but unable to move a muscle or communicate with his doctors or family in any way, after which follows an intriguing, thought-provoking tale of a Korean war aviator. The collection concludes with four historical vignettes or dramatizations where the founder of the FBI, the Roman Emperor Augustus, Guglielmo Marconi, President Roosevelt and Winston Churchill all make an appearance.
I thoroughly enjoyed the selection of Rich DiSilvio’s works which have been collected in Short Stories II. Well-written with a cast of extraordinary characters, it is a book that you will dip into time and again. A fine collection of tales with many twists and turns, surprising and informative revelations and passages that will make you pause to think. Filled with good dinner party anecdotes, this collection ensures that you will not fail to be enthralled by Mr DiSilvio’s story telling and penmanship. This is my first encounter with this author’s work but I will certainly make a point of looking out for his books in the future.
Recommend this book:
Mary Poser
Butterflies and White Lies as Bollywood Comes to Nashville
Angel A
2018 Finalist
478 Pages
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Fiction - Cultural
Mary Poser: Butterflies and White Lies as Bollywood Comes to Nashville by Angel A is a story of love and commitment between two people who are the polar opposites of one another. What I loved most about this story is the fact that the two characters were so different from each other and yet they remained true to themselves. Neither of them tried to change the other person and that just made the story brilliantly beautiful. It made the story even more enjoyable for me as this helped the story build and become a live entity.
This is the story of Mary and Simha, one a Christian and the other a Hindu, but their hearts want something that their minds will not allow. Mary spent her life being the perfect daughter, the perfect friend and the perfect person for everyone. But when it comes to herself, there is something that she has neglected for far too long. Simha Das came to the USA to make a movie, but he was not expecting to find Mary and fall in love with her. Falling in love with each other is easy, but the cultural and religious differences between them are holding them back. What can these two do? Can their love fight their differences and conquer them?
The story was complex and brilliantly crafted. The differences between these two characters were palpable, yet this made them even more perfect for each other. I enjoyed how these two tried their hardest to become one. At times, I wanted to shake Mary and make her realize what she was missing, but I did not have to do that. She realized it all on her own. This story is perfect! Their connection, their integrity towards themselves and their love for each other made this a beautiful story. Exceptionally good!
Recommend this book:
Cedar Woman
The Cedar Woman Saga, Book 1
Debra Shiveley Welch
2018 Honorable Mention
180 Pages
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Fiction - Cultural
Cedar Woman: The Cedar Woman Saga, Book 1 is a contemporary cultural fiction novel written by Debra Shiveley Welch. Lena Cedar Woman Young Bear’s parents were married on the day that they met. Peter Spotted Eagle Catcher was leaving the reservation to go to work on Countryman’s 300-acre farm. Joseph Countryman’s declining health led him to seek help with the everyday tasks of farming. Peter would be taking on some of the more strenuous tasks, such as mending fences and helping with the dairy cows. Countryman had immediately answered Peter’s response to his advertisement with an acceptance, gasoline money, and a warm welcome. The twenty-one-year-old man had no wife or even any romantic interests, and he sought his mother’s advice on how to find the wife who seemed to be part of the job offer. Reva Two-Strokes Catcher knew she could find a girl for Peter, and she was pleased to be doing so. It was past time for her to experience the joys of being a grandmother. Mary One Feather Fools Bull was that girl. A quiet, unassuming and somewhat timid young woman, she calmed her fears about her trip and upcoming marriage with her attention to carefully packing her clothing, especially the ribbon dress her mother gave her for her wedding. She gently folded it with wild sage and her eagle feather.
When Peter met the bus, Mary was too terrified to look into his eyes. The sixteen-year-old felt paralyzed by fear and could only fix her gaze on her betrothed’s dusty boots. Reva felt compassion for her shy daughter-to-be, and her smiling gaze and warm hand were lifelines for Mary in her strange new surroundings. She numbly prepared for her nuptials, but deep within there was a core of steel that ensured she would leave this place if she wasn’t sure about Peter. She would know when she finally looked into his eyes. Mary felt as though she were in a dream as the wedding ceremony took place, and then she raised her eyes to meet his and she knew. She had found her other half. Their daughter, Lena, would become a legend when she was only seven and had rescued a trapped hummingbird, which became her erstwhile companion and friend. Her actions led the medicine man on the Rosebud reservation to give her a new name. She would now be known as Lena Cedar Woman, one who nurtures.
Debra Shiveley Welch’s contemporary cultural novel, Cedar Woman: The Cedar Woman Saga, Book 1, is a beautifully written and enthralling story about a Native American woman raised by her parents in Ohio, whose introduction to her culture in Keokuk, at the Annual Gathering of the People, is a life-enhancing experience. I loved learning about Lakota culture as Julie Spotted Eagle Horse becomes Lena’s mentor and friend. Welch includes a dictionary of the many Lakota words she uses throughout her book, but she also gives the reader the proper pronunciation within the text, which I found to be quite useful. As I read on, I began to appreciate how the language worked and was able to predict how new words would be pronounced, making me feel even more invested in her compelling story. Cedar Woman: The Cedar Woman Saga, Book 1 is most highly recommended.
Recommend this book:
The Kurdish Bike
A Novel
Alesa Lightbourne
2018 Bronze Medal
321 Pages
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Fiction - Cultural
Books having to do with the Middle East always interest me, and especially those set in Iraq. This is a region that the author says is “older than the flood.” It is a land that has been ruled at one time or another by the Assyrians, the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Parthians, Romans, Islamic Arabs, Mongols, and Ottomans. I was really enthralled with this part of the book. In The Kurdish Bike by Alesa Lightbourne, the protagonist, Theresa, is an American teacher working in Iraqi Kurdistan. Unlike the other expat teachers assigned to the school, Theresa yearns to get out and see the landscape and meet the people. Her purchase of a bicycle gives her the freedom to explore. On one of her trips out she meets a Kurdish family that becomes her “village family.”
I enjoyed the portions of the book that address some of the differences between the Arab and Kurdish cultures. The story addresses some traditions that have been banned in most of the world, but are still followed in the more rural areas (such as female genital mutilation). I felt like I had met the characters through Ms. Lightbourne’s thorough character development. Most of the story is based on the author’s actual experiences in the region. I can envision Theresa riding along on her bike; Ara and Theresa dancing and laughing; Theresa’s frustration with the love-smitten Bezma. I wanted to remain right there among these people with such open hearts. They know how to appreciate the small things in life.
Recommend this book:
The Fish Tank
And Other Short Stories
Maria Elena Alonso-Sierra
2018 Silver Medal
127 Pages
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Fiction - Cultural
An unexpected treasure handed over from an ex-spouse via the divorce lawyer; a classic mother-son bonding experience on a roller coaster ride; tragic tales of survival of ordinary Cuban citizens in the 1960s; a paranormal happening in the Museum of the Weird, the Sad, and the Wretched; and a complex murder mystery – all of these stories in one volume. The Fish Tank and Other Short Stories by Maria Elena Alonso-Sierra reveals life stories in the raw with a compassion for reality and the fantastical.
Maria Elena is a marvellous storyteller. She presents her narrative with overwhelming descriptive power and unexpected and surprising twists and turns. The plots are cleverly orchestrated with characters that come alive with compassion, both good and evil. Her protagonists are strong and endearing, particularly in her Cuban stories which depict an era of unspoken horrors and frightening scenarios. The suspense leading up to the climax pulls the reader along on a roller coaster ride filled with adventure to a climax that certainly doesn’t disappoint - it rather fills the reader with a sense of awe as the reader realizes the power behind the narrative and the unusual path that the author has followed. The resolution reaffirms the author’s intent: to provide the reader with a certain “wow” factor in the story itself. From suspense, to romance, to real-life stories from the author’s own past, the finely tuned craft of the short story is clearly evident in this collection. Each story is engaging, thought-provoking and memorable. This is clearly an author who writes with style and with class.
Recommend this book:
Girl Behind The Veil
The Invisible Veil Series Book 1
Jalpa Williby
2018 Gold Medal
268 Pages
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Fiction - Cultural
Jalpa Williby exposes the horrific world of human trafficking in Girl Behind the Veil. Special Forces operative Kaden Reid goes undercover to rescue a young woman from a human trafficking ring in Pakistan. His mission objective - act as a client, buy her, get her out and return her safely to her father. The mission is a success, but the girl hidden behind the veil with the beautiful gray eyes pierces his soul. Salena Hamas is delivered safely to her father, but she is forever haunted by her kidnapping. Burying the tragic incident deep inside, Salena finishes college and becomes a successful journalist for the New York Times. But, Salena isolates herself behind an invisible veil. When she attends a charity event to raise awareness of human trafficking, her past collides with her present. Her hero, her savior, Kaden Reid, reappears. The opposite worlds of Kaden and Salena intersect once again. They spend a wonderful life-changing week together, but will their relationship survive another goodbye? Salena returns to work, Kaden goes on another covert mission. Their love is powerful, however, days apart turn into endless silent months; doubt, fear, and heartache overshadow Kaden’s parting words, "Wait for me.”
Girl Behind the Veil is the first book of Jalpa Williby’s The Invisible Veil series. Williby writes an unforgettable, gripping and passionate story of overcoming tragedy. Although suspenseful and romantic, the story focuses on the post-traumatic effect of sexual abuse on its victim. The heroine is beautiful and fragile, intelligent and defiant, desiring security and stability. She is paired up with a masculine, duty or die, honorable yet tender “restless soul.” The supporting cast consists of a doting traditional father, a vindictive woman from the past, new and forever friends. The plot turns predictable, then bam! Suddenly, it hits you with shocking surprises. It is an emotional landslide to the very end. Jalpa Williby writes to inspire. In Girl Behind the Veil, she raises awareness of human trafficking and cultural differences by creating dynamic characters and bringing their tragic story to life – from victim to victor.
Recommend this book:
The Other La Bohème
Yorker Keith
2017 Bronze Medal
364 Pages
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Fiction - Cultural
The Other La Bohème by Yorker Keith is aptly labeled literary fiction, an interesting story that explores the life and career of the Dolci Quattro. After their breathtaking performance of Puccini’s well-known opera, La Bohème, during their graduation, four friends form a band called the Dolci Quattro. Set in the very complex and rich backdrop of New York City, the Dolci Quattro pursues their dream and embraces a Bohemian lifestyle. But all is not sweet and easy. Readers will watch them as they fall in love, as they experience betrayal, and as they face obstacles and family challenges. What is it that keeps them together?
Yorker Keith writes beautifully and those who love music, especially fans of La Bohème, will be smitten by this story as well as those who just enjoy the opera. The author shows great knowledge of music and writes confidently about it. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d not lived this experience personally. The writing is elegant, flowing like music, and polished. The plot is well-paced and the conflict developed around the career and the love experiences of the characters helps to give the entire story a strong dynamic. The characters are well-explored and I enjoyed the psychological depth of the story. One of the things I enjoyed about the book is how the author skillfully weaves elements of the original La Bohème into the story. The narrative is great and the prose so descriptive that it allows the reader to have a great feel for the characters. The Other La Bohème is, indeed, a real treat for music lovers.