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:
Code Black
Joe Peters and Bill Fleming
2016 Honorable Mention
450 Pages
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Fiction - Urban
Code Black by Joe Peters and Bill Fleming is an interesting blend of mystery and thriller set against the not-so-obvious reality of modern Boston. One of the MBTA transit stations has been hit by what appears to be a terrorist attack and everyone is speculating. It would be easy to accuse international terrorists, and that is normal, except that there is a twist in the story that is fed to the public. What if this attack is actually a staged scene, a disguise by someone or a group too close to home? Could someone be using the international terrorists to cover up a homicide? Only one man knows the truth and what he knows will surprise everyone, plus readers. Does he have what it takes to bring the truth to light?
Code Black by Joe Peters and Bill Fleming is a story that unveils the problems the MBTA faces every day. The characters are engaging in a unique kind of way and the authors have this uncanny ability to make readers feel as if they were walking side by side with the characters. The prose is highly descriptive and paints a very convincing reality of Boston with its ills and woes, the hostilities, the stabbings-in-the-back, the racial conflicts, and the problems that people have in their daily lives. The plot is filled with numerous instances of humor and suspense, well-structured to make readers keep turning the pages. The social and political commentary will come across as an eye-opener to readers who know little about Boston.
Recommend this book:
The Velvet Rope
Based On Real Events
Brent Lymer
2016 Bronze Medal
284 Pages
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Fiction - Urban
The Velvet Rope is a memoir written by Brent Lymer, detailing life as a nightclub doorman in the 1990s. Working in a low-paying, high risk job is the most fun that Brent had ever had. Wearing a suit and working in an office means having to be careful at all times that you don’t offend or hurt people’s feelings, but working the door at a busy nightclub allows him to act like a man and enjoy life at the same time. Whenever Brent shows up at his day job, sporting a black eye after a rough night on the job, he tells the curious-minded that it is a sports injury from a hockey stick during a game from the night before. Some believe him. One of the most important aspects of the job is knowing that your colleagues will have your back (and that they know that you have theirs) at all times. The other is being able to win a debate over whether Superman or Batman would be victorious in a fight against each other. Often, when ‘escorting’ one bad apple from the premises, the bad apple’s friends will want to take you on for simply doing your job. Without backup, 'hockey stick' sporting injuries become a regular event.
I grabbed this book out of intrigue, yet found myself laughing out loud before I had even hit the first chapter. Brent Lymer has a unique spin on the English language which is up front and jumps out at you, tickling your funny bone one minute, while leaving you stunned and fully gobsmacked the next. The Velvet Rope is truly an eye-opener, revealing the perks and perils of being a doorman/bouncer/host. Thanks to Brent Lymer’s hard-hitting delivery, in depth behind-the-scenes views, and stories of the dangers of the job, the humor that keeps the night flowing smoothly, and the rough-and-tumble that drunken patrons put forward, I have a whole new respect for the staff that work the door of any establishment, keeping the patrons and employees safe while ensuring their own people stay in one piece by the end of the night. I very much enjoyed reading The Velvet Rope and recommend it to anybody who loves a good laugh while learning about the unsung heroes that keep us safe at party time.
Recommend this book:
Ninth Ward Blues
Janelle Smith Toussant
2016 Silver Medal
237 Pages
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Fiction - Urban
Ninth Ward Blues is an urban fiction novel written by Janelle Smith Toussant. Tracey's life changed dramatically when she was thirteen years old. Her parents hadn't been getting along for some time, but they finally decided they just couldn't live in the same house anymore. Tracey's dad moved into an apartment, and her mom sent Tracey and her little sister, Lynette, to the Ninth Ward to live with their grandmother, Ma-Me, so she could go to college and get a profession. When Tracey's dad told her the news, her mind was on the Cosby Show she was missing. By the time he finished, she realized that she was losing the parent she had bonded most closely with. Tracey was her daddy's girl, even if she didn't look at all like him and shared her mother’s features. She and her dad both sang -- singing and music formed the center of their world. Tracey's first public performances were at the Mount Zion Baptist Church where the family worshipped, and her first solo there was at the age of four. Some day Tracey would be a singing star like her dad, but for now, she was missing both her mom and her dad, and had to get used to living with Ma-Me, who was loving but probably the grumpiest person Tracey had ever met.
Janelle Smith Toussant's urban fiction novel, Ninth Ward Blues, is a masterfully told tale of a young teen's coming of age and early adult years in New Orleans' Ninth Ward. I was immediately transfixed by Tracey's tale and frequently had to remind myself that this was a novel and not a memoir. Within the first few chapters, however, Tracey had become so real to me that her being a fictional character didn't matter in the least. Toussant had so fully created her, breathed life into her thoughts, dreams and aspirations that the magic just happened. Ninth Ward Blues is a compelling, lyrical and magnificently written book. Toussant's characters leap from the pages with all their faults, flaws and humanity there for the reader to share, commiserate with, and be inspired by. I couldn't pull myself away from the story, even for dinner, and was so pleased to discover that there's a sequel in the offing. Ninth Ward Blues is a dream of a novel, and it's most highly recommended.
Recommend this book:
Daddy's Girl
Ben Burgess Jr.
2016 Gold Medal
388 Pages
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Fiction - Urban
Daddy’s Girl is a novel written by Ben Burgess Jr. A 2:00 am telephone call is all it takes to fully wake Nick Johnson. The mother of his child, Vickie De Luca, has gone into labor one month early and threatens to sign the baby over to the state if he is not there to prevent it. Panicked and hung over, Nick rushes to the hospital as fast as he can and is able to witness the birth of his daughter, Lynn, after receiving disgusted looks from the nurse at the disheveled Black man standing before her. Nick had met Vickie while doing renovations for her mobster husband, Frank, and after catching Vickie mid-dress, one thing had led to another, resulting in a highly guarded secret pregnancy. Choosing to continue her lavish lifestyle with Frank, Vickie makes it clear that she wants nothing to do with the baby, before handing her to Nick and disappearing. As Nick continues to go clubbing and brings strange women home for sex, he soon realizes that he needs to choose between his daughter and his drunken ways – a choice which becomes easy after a close call with death. Lynn has many difficult questions for her father over the years – questions about her mother, her skin color, and why her father never seems to have her back when she is in trouble. As Lynn physically grows, Nick grows up emotionally as he realizes that fatherhood is one of the most difficult, yet most rewarding jobs a man can ever have.
This story really hit home for me and gave me a whole new appreciation for my own father – a Black man who had no choice but to raise me on his own. Ben Burgess Jr. has captured every possible aspect of fatherhood while tackling bad habits and tough choices. Initially, the main character, Nick, relies on everybody else for help with his daughter and soon takes them all for granted, but when they all desert him, he is forced to wake up and fully face the situation he is in. The writing style of Daddy's Girl is so fluent and easy to absorb, painting the perfect picture in my head of the events in play. The sequence of events was brilliantly delivered, starting with the panic of a premature birth, then how he had actually met the mother of his child – a woman who is married to a mobster and wanted to get back at her husband after he had cheated on her – before continuing to Lynn’s childhood and Nick’s realization that he is solely responsible for his daughter’s well-being and safety. Every one of the characters was complex, yet believable. I fully enjoyed reading Daddy’s Girl and recommend it to mature readers who enjoy inspirational tales with a full spectrum of drama, humor, heartbreak, tragedy and self-sacrifice.
Recommend this book:
The Warmest Winter
A James Gordon Mystery
Greatest Poet Alive
2015 Finalist
343 Pages
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Fiction - Urban
In The Warmest Winter by Greatest Poet Alive, a well-known doctor, Dr. Miles Livingston, is the prime suspect in the murders of his wife and his two girls. They were killed in their own home in a brutal murder. Miles asks his attorney friend James Gordon to represent him in court, even though he is not a criminal lawyer. As Miles is his friend, Gordon agrees. But as soon as he delves into the case, he finds out that everything is not as it seems. There are secrets that can destroy the life of his friend.
Miles is not being one hundred percent truthful with Gordon and Gordon cannot help him if he is not co-operating. As Gordon investigates deeper into the murder, a new tale is revealed and he is confused. Along with that, his own domestic life is disturbed. He is trying to find answers for his own life and marriage. Can he save his friend when his own life is so problematic? Is his friend Miles really the culprit or is someone framing him for the murders?
The Warmest Winter was a great, thrilling thriller. If I remember correctly, James Gordon is a fantastic poet. Turns out he is also a talented thriller/mystery writer. This novel is a compelling mystery with an attorney who is ready to dig in deeper and get his hands dirty. He does not shy away and I really like such characters. I love a story when I cannot guess who the killer is. I really enjoyed the novel and loved this story. I gave it a 5 star rating because it held my attention and made me read it until the very end. Great job!
Recommend this book:
This Nearly Was Mine
A Novel
Nancy Farkas
2015 Bronze Medal
264 Pages
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Fiction - Urban
This Nearly Was Mine by Nancy Farkas relates the life of Annie, a social worker who goes to Spain in 1980 after a broken engagement. She meets Francisco, a handsome local musician, and the two have a brief relationship. Annie returns to the United States, marries Mathew and has children. She speaks fondly of Francisco and her time in Spain, and twenty-six years later, her daughter Marielle locates him. This stirs Annie’s feelings as she remembers her naivety, and a past filled with bittersweet memories. Annie is still insecure about her life and often feels unappreciated by Mathew. Her renewed friendship with an old flame opens emotional scars with some regrets. She compares her relationship with Mathew and Francisco as both men show their love and support in different ways.
This Nearly Was Mine is an intense and nostalgic drama by Nancy Farkas. It is narrated by Annie who still displays a bit of naivety, but she retains a sense of humour, while struggling with her complex emotions. Nancy Farkas writes very nicely and with compassion. She approaches the story in a straightforward, unpretentious writing format. This is so evident from the first page and continued to the conclusion. Her characters are very interesting, and it appears that a few are based on the author’s own family and friends. There are several characters who have realistic issues which are amusing, sad and painful at times. This Nearly Was Mine is a novel that both men and women will appreciate reading.
Recommend this book:
Confessions of a Bronx Bookie
Billy O'Connor
2015 Silver Medal
354 Pages
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Fiction - Urban
Confessions of a Bronx Bookie by Billy O'Connor takes you on a wild ride starting in the 1950s in the Bronx, and to Vietnam and back again. Follow Connor Kelly as he goes through life; he is a gambler, addict, alcoholic, misogynist and lover of women. When he sees a problem he just jumps in with both feet and laughs. He has charmed Lady luck and has no interest in doing anything but living his life ... until it goes off the rails and he has to start a whole new life.
This is a fun, full throttle running book that puts the pedal down on page one and keeps on going through the entire book. I love a fun loving adventure and stories that start out in the 1950s just give me a big smile. You can't help but enjoy a bygone era when things were either more buttoned up or more let go and enjoy - depending on where you hang out. Connor is a let go and enjoy kinda guy! Billy O'Connor has written a book that is fun and has a great flow to it. If you want to read a story that is as real as it gets about a flawed man who could be any one of us out in the world, this is the book for you, and you will truly enjoy it. Dig in and spend some time with a flawed human being who has a great story to tell.
Recommend this book:
Love and Happiness
Ben Burgess Jr.
2015 Gold Medal
240 Pages
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Fiction - Urban
In Love and Happiness by Ben Burgess Jr., can love conquer all or does the infidelity of a spouse kill the love in a relationship? From the outside, Karen has everything that anyone could desire. She has a handsome husband who loves her very much, she has beautiful daughters, and a really nice house seems just like icing on the cake. No one knows that she is actually cheating on her husband, and not with one man, but with two. She feels neglected, unloved and unappreciated. This is why she fell into an extramarital affair with Tyrell and Raheem.
She fears that these affairs will tear her family apart and break her marriage, so to avoid that she breaks off with those two men. Chris thought his life was perfect. He was madly in love with his wife, but then why did she cheat on him? When he finds out that Karen is cheating on him, he breaks down. But when a threat tries to tear their family apart, both of them are trying to figure out if they should stay together. Can Chris forgive her infidelity? Can Karen believe in her husband’s love?
I have to tell you, I was not expecting Love and Happiness to be like this. I thought the novel would be filled with too much emotion and angst. Yes, there was a lot of emotion and angst, but it was just the right amount of it. It does not ruin the impact of the story, and what a beautiful story it is! Even though you will hate Karen so much, you will not be able to stop yourself feeling for her when you read more. And Chris is a really good man; he is generous and very kind. The novel is the perfect example of the importance of communication in marriage. I really enjoyed the novel! Good work!
Recommend this book:
Crutches
Jevon E. Thompson
2014 Honorable Mention
377 Pages
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Fiction - Urban
When things get tough, we all look for something or someone to lean on; some turn to booze, drugs or money while others discover that family and friends are best to hold them up. Jevon E. Thompson tells the story of a family struggling to stay together and lean on each other in Crutches. Ashamed of herself and knowing that she can do better, Vivian decides to take her two children and move out of her parents’ house. If she is going to be able to fight booze, she’s going to have to make up her mind to do it on her own. Robin and Little Von, her two sons, are not particularly trusting of their mother’s ability to stay sober, and therefore have battles of their own to fight as they try to adjust to life in “the projects.” As 5-year-old Little Von looks at the scary world around him, he learns to lean on his older brother Robin. Robin has the typical struggles of a high school teen to face, but with the added pressure of having to take care of his little brother while their mother struggles to straighten out her life. As each work their way through their own personal battles, will they be able to come together and find strength or fall prey to the harsh living of the projects.
Crutches is a novel that is full of both triumph and tragedy. Jevon E. Thompson expertly weaves and intertwines the lives of this struggling family into a tangled web of conflict which is nearly impossible to survive. All too true of Afro-American culture in general and especially in 1957, the gripping truth of this story is very real. Thompson does an excellent job of contrasting different lives around Vivian, Robin and Little Von as a measuring stick against which the reader can see their progress and understand the pressures that are in constant motion around them. Every individual and every family has their struggles, but those who survive and become stronger have learned to lean upon those things which support them rather than continue to pull them down. You won’t have dry eyes while reading Crutches if you truly understand the depth of despair to which this family is plunged and the height of victory they achieve. Tragic, inspiring and honest!
Recommend this book:
Fathers House
C. Edward Baldwin
2014 Bronze Medal
279 Pages
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Fiction - Urban
Fathers House by C. Edward Baldwin introduces us to Assistant District Attorney Ben Lovison who never knew his father and saw his mother die in an act of senseless violence. Ben’s life has risen above the bad circumstances as a child and he now has a good job and a loving family. But he is brought back into it all when investigates a teenager’s death. It is while working on this case that he has to revisit Fathers House, a place that was his salvation as a teenager but he finds lies that bring him to the man that ran Fathers House.
Urban suspense is a newer genre for me but I can say without a doubt this is the best one in the genre I have read so far. The book gripped me from Ben’s back story through to the end. I was unable to figure out some of the twists and turns as I read which I enjoyed. A suspense book to me is never very suspenseful when you can see the twists coming and figure it out right away. C. Edward Baldwin has created a great read here that is well structured and entertaining. Ben is not a character who is perfect; he has a difficult past and things in it which he must overcome. That makes him very relatable because we all have those things in our lives. Fathers is not what I would call a typical villain in the story either and that makes him more interesting. If you like a good suspense story that will keep you entertained, I would recommend Fathers House.