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:
Fighting for Freedom in America
Memoir of a "Schizophrenia" and Mainstream Cultural Delusions
Clyde Dee

2016 Honorable Mention
334 Pages
Check current price
Non-Fiction - Biography

Fighting for Freedom in America: Memoir of a "Schizophrenia" and Mainstream Cultural Delusions by Clyde Dee is a non-fiction book that focuses on some of the harshest realities of life. Clyde Dee was a mental health counselor when his life was turned upside down. Taking a job at the Section 8 housing project was perhaps the worst (or the best) thing to happen to him. Embroiled in politics and games, his life becomes increasingly difficult when he is incarcerated in a psychiatric ward. After three months, he comes back to the real world as a changed man. But he is homeless and jobless; however, he has the will and strength to face down his fears and conquer them. Now he has empathy for the mental health patients and how they survive day after day.
Clyde Dee is such an inspiration for people who deal with mental health issues day after day. This book would be informative and very encouraging for people who are either suffering from mental illness or who treat people with a mental illness. For an average person like me, it was insightful and instructive. I finally understand what a person with a mental illness feels like, lives like, and how he fights for his sanity and his life every single day.
You cannot help but feel their pain and hope for the best. Life is very tough and the way Dee described it, things are even harder for the mentally ill. This book has compassion, passion, understanding, and a force of will that will allow any person to become better and make peace with themselves. Great job.
Recommend this book:
Sleetmute
A True Story of Alaska
Stan Resnicoff

2016 Bronze Medal
Kindle Edition
Check current price
Non-Fiction - Biography

Sleetmute: A True Story of Alaska is a non-fiction memoir written by Stan Resnicoff. In 1968, the author was 24 years old and had just graduated from college. He decided that several years in Hawaii as a VISTA worker would be an appealing alternative to the wartime effort in Vietnam. After spending a New York winter living aboard his boat, he could already feel the warmth and tropical air of Hawaii. His application was accepted; however, he was posted, not to Hawaii, but to Alaska. He would be spending his time in Sleetmute, a tiny rural village set on the Kuskoquim River. Sleetmute was a huge change for a New Yorker: no electricity or plumbing or telephones, and he didn't know the language the Eskimos spoke, but his year there turned out to be very interesting indeed.
Stan Resnicoff's memoir, Sleetmute: A True Story of Alaska, reads like an enthralling adventure tale. The wry and sometimes humorous narrative is punctuated by photographs that bring the reader down from the clouds with the realization that this story is non-fiction -- which makes it even better. There are stunning landscapes, bleak snowy scenes of tiny cabins huddling against dark and dreary skies, and the incredible pictures of the Sleetmute inhabitants: the children, women and men who welcomed a stranger into their midst and treated him like family. The reader gets to experience the brutal cold of winter and the lush green of spring, and it's all so beautifully imparted. Some of the stories Resnicoff tells are funny, others, such as the first time he heard a Rolling Stones song are incredibly poignant. I had such a grand time reading this book. I got to experience a moment in time in a far-away place and meet, through the author's words, a people whose lives were so in tune with their environment. Sleetmute: A True Story of Alaska is a marvelous memoir as well as an important anthropological look at a rural Alaskan village. It's most highly recommended.
Recommend this book:
Managing Bubbie
Russel Lazega

2016 Gold Medal
248 Pages
Check current price
Non-Fiction - Biography

Managing Bubbie by Russel Lazega is a heartwarming and hysterical memoir of his “Bubbie,” Lea Lazega. Intermixed with a narrative about her harrowing journey across Europe to America during World War Two are snippets of conversations between various family members, providing insight into the modern life of this courageous woman. As the Nazis invade countries in Europe, Lea manages to escape by the skin of her teeth with her three small children. Being Jewish at this time was difficult enough, but Lea continues to show courage in the face of adversity, finally managing to get her children out of Europe, back to America and safety.
I thoroughly enjoyed this memoir. Mr. Lazega had me from the beginning, as I am a huge Neil Simon fan. I was reminded of Brighton Beach Memoirs, a play I have directed, in the way he portrayed the scenes of his family life. Even more inspiring was Lea’s journey through war-torn Europe. I can only imagine the fear she must have felt, knowing at any moment they could be caught and sent to a concentration camp. I did not want the story to end, and I wanted to know what exactly happened to Eva and Lea’s first husband. Mr. Lazega has done an impeccable job weaving together the memories and experiences of his Bubbie. I loved the addition of letters and photographs to bring even more life to the colorful members of his family. Managing Bubbie by Russel Lazega is certainly a different type of Holocaust memoir, one of hope, inspiration, and humor.
Recommend this book:
Managing Bubbie
Russel Lazega

2015 Gold Medal
248 Pages
Check current price
Non-Fiction - Biography

Managing Bubbie by Russel Lazega is a heartwarming and hysterical memoir of his “Bubbie,” Lea Lazega. Intermixed with a narrative about her harrowing journey across Europe to America during World War Two are snippets of conversations between various family members, providing insight into the modern life of this courageous woman. As the Nazis invade countries in Europe, Lea manages to escape by the skin of her teeth with her three small children. Being Jewish at this time was difficult enough, but Lea continues to show courage in the face of adversity, finally managing to get her children out of Europe, back to America and safety.
I thoroughly enjoyed this memoir. Mr. Lazega had me from the beginning, as I am a huge Neil Simon fan. I was reminded of Brighton Beach Memoirs, a play I have directed, in the way he portrayed the scenes of his family life. Even more inspiring was Lea’s journey through war-torn Europe. I can only imagine the fear she must have felt, knowing at any moment they could be caught and sent to a concentration camp. I did not want the story to end, and I wanted to know what exactly happened to Eva and Lea’s first husband. Mr. Lazega has done an impeccable job weaving together the memories and experiences of his Bubbie. I loved the addition of letters and photographs to bring even more life to the colorful members of his family. Managing Bubbie by Russel Lazega is certainly a different type of Holocaust memoir, one of hope, inspiration, and humor.
Recommend this book:
Buccaneer
The Provocative Odyssey of Jack Reed, Adventurer, Drug Smuggler and Pilot Extraordinaire
MayCay Beeler

2015 Finalist
220 Pages
Check current price
Non-Fiction - Biography

Buccaneer: The Provocative Odyssey of Jack Reed, Adventurer, Drug Smuggler and Pilot Extraordinaire by MayCay Beeler is a true crime story about the life of Jack Reed. Jack Reed was a drug smuggler, working as a pilot for Carlos Lehder. Lehder’s partner in crime was Pablo Escobar, the infamous Colombian drug lord of the Medellin Cartel. For the first time, Reed opens up about his life as the pilot, flying from Norman’s Cay off the coast of Florida. He tells of how he ended up as co-defendant on one of the most publicized and longest-running drug trials ever, and of how he became a victim of a mistake in sentencing. Until now, Reed has refused to speak to the media, but now he opens up and what you are about to read will blow your mind.
Buccaneer: The Provocative Odyssey of Jack Reed, Adventurer, Drug Smuggler and Pilot Extraordinaire by MayCay Beeler was a bit of a wow for me. I like true crime stories anyway and this was something so completely different it has to be read to be believed. It’s an intriguing tale, full of mystery, twists and turns and one single surprise that turns everything around! An amazingly written and very honest account of Reed’s involvement in drug running and of life working for Escobar. Two stories are nicely woven together into one amazing read. I guarantee that anyone reading this will be eager to know the ending and won’t want to put the book down until it’s over.
Recommend this book:
Lunch with Charlotte
Leon Berger

2015 Honorable Mention
447 Pages
Check current price
Non-Fiction - Biography

Lunch with Charlotte by Leon Berger is the biographical memoir of Charlotte Urban, born Liselotte Goldberger. Miss Goldberger was born in Vienna at the end of World War One to parents Jakob and Franzi Goldberger. Jakob had met Franzi when she was only fifteen and fell completely in love with the auburn-haired beauty. They married when she was only eighteen, Franzi finding herself pregnant with Charlotte shortly thereafter. Struggling in post-war Austria, Jakob traveled for a living, selling various goods. Franzi very often was left alone with Charlotte. After the Anschluss, the annexation of Austria by Germany, Jakob finds himself trapped outside the country as the borders close. Desperate to get his family out, Jakob flees Europe for England and his brother’s home. In the end, he is only able to get Charlotte out via the kindertransport, lying about his daughter’s age. Charlotte finds herself uprooted to a strange country, struggling with the customs and coping with the war-torn world.
Mr. Berger transcribes a very emotional interpretation of the events of Mrs. Urban’s life. Unlike most memoirs of the time, Berger gives us the view of the rest of the world looking in on Nazi Germany. I was moved by Mrs. Urban’s ability to adapt to every situation thrown her way. Her life was not easy and continued to be a challenge. I shed tears at the end, my heart going out to the woman who merely wanted to find a place of belonging. With so much taken from her, Charlotte persevered. Lunch with Charlotte is an inspiring tale and very well worth a read for anyone interested in memoirs from the World War Two time period.
Recommend this book:
I Am Raymond Washington
The only authorized biography of the original founder of the Crips
Zach Fortier, Derard Barton

2015 Bronze Medal
244 Pages
Check current price
Non-Fiction - Biography

Over a kitchen table in 1969, in a small apartment in Los Angeles, two best friends were talking of forming their own gang. One that would become one of the most widely known and feared gangs of the modern era, the Crips. Only the three men in that room, the two founders, both now dead, and the youngest brother of one of them would ever know the true story of the name and the man, until now. I Am Raymond Washington by Zach Fortier and Derard Barton is the story of growing up in the streets of Los Angeles, where it was common to get up every morning and walk a couple blocks to the corner where the local Black Panthers were giving out free breakfast to the kids. Raymond turned twelve the week of the Watts Riots, and was able to watch them from his apartment, although he is said to have been out in the violence. He would grow up seeing things that would be unbelievable to someone growing up in a different type of neighborhood, and it all influenced the formation of the Crips. Zach Fortier, with the help of Derard Barton, Raymond's younger brother, tells the story of Raymond's life in a non-judgmental way so as to give you a glimpse into the why and how, and let you, the reader, decide what is right, wrong and just somewhere in between.
I Am Raymond Washington should be read by everyone, no matter what you know or feel about the Crips or gangs. I found historical incidents that occurred that would influence Raymond's views of the police, and that of all the residents of the Watts, Compton and South LA area that I had never even heard of before. Zach Fortier, as a former police officer involved in gang crime, admits in the writing that even he was shocked to learn of some of the behavior and incidents that occurred that would shape Raymond's views of the world. Derard Barton, Raymond's brother helping with the telling of this biography, lends a human side to Raymond, not just the tough, ruthless, powerful street thug leader of the notorious Crips. Even if this is something you never think you would read, pick it up, give it a chance; it might just enlighten you in a way you never imagined.
Recommend this book:
Rowdy
Chris Madsen

2015 Silver Medal
658 Pages
Check current price
Non-Fiction - Biography

Christopher Madsen did not imagine that he would write a book but circumstances find him as the new owner of a sailboat that has seen glorious days and this will change his life in a way that he never imagined. Rowdy is the story of a sailboat juxtaposed with that of its original owner, Colonel Holland Sackett Duell, who fought in World War I as a major with the 306th Field Artillery, 77th Division, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the Croix de Guerre, and the Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism in combat.
A distinguished personality, Colonel Holland Sackett Duell married Mabel Halliwell, daughter to one of the richest men in New York. The opulent lifestyle they enjoyed in their 20,000 square foot mansion Ardenwold exploded in 1924 when it was revealed that for the past six years a secret love affair had been thriving between Holland and Mabel’s first cousin Emilie Brown. A week after his divorce Holland and Emilie married, and remained deeply in love until his death in 1942. A distinguished sailor, Holland Sackett Duell owned Rowdy for more than two decades. This is their story.
Rowdy by Christopher Madsen is a creative non-fiction story that started with the author acquiring a sailboat of the same name, originally owned by American lawyer, US Army officer and New York politician Holland Sackett Duell. This acquisition ignited a quest to find out everything about the 1916 NYYC yacht Rowdy and its previous owner. Well researched and very informative, this book is a work that spanned many years and it shows in the final product. Both subjects certainly have compelling stories to tell and it is interesting to note that in the author's process of rehabilitating Rowdy, Holland Sackett Duell seems to come back to life through this book as well. Thanks go to the author and the cooperation of Duell’s numerous relatives, especially his 93-year-old daughter Hanny, who, at the time of the book’s writing, was his only surviving child. This is a gem of a book!
Recommend this book:
The Touch of Roy and Dale, Volume II
Personally Told Stories of Lives Changed by Roy Rogers, The King of the Cowboys, and Dale Evans, The Queen of the West, Continue
Tricia Spencer

2014 Bronze Medal
320 Pages
Check current price
Non-Fiction - Biography

More than 100 years after their births, the road to Happy Trails still begins with Dale Evans, The Queen of the West, and Roy Rogers, The King of the Cowboys. What a tribute to this legendary couple of all times. “Spending summers working at the Roy Rogers and Dale Evans museum brought an unexpected pleasure,” says Dustin Rogers, grandson of Roy and Dale. Dustin goes on to say, “I got to personally hear the fans talk about how their lives were impacted by the two people I called Grandpa and Grandma.” In Volume II, The Touch of Roy and Dale, Tricia Spencer recalls the impact Roy and Dale had on the lives of their fans. Their fans were more like an extended family of millions.
I didn’t think Ms. Spencer could top Volume One of The Touch of Roy and Dale, but Volume II is even more special because it tells more of the influence this very special couple had on the lives of their many fans. As I read the letters of fans in this book, I was touched by the heartwarming relationship Roy and Dale had with these fans. Their extended love clearly shows in what the fans say, as well as what members of their family have witnessed. This book is full of even more pictures, loads of information about Roy and Dale, film billboards, and so, so much more. You will just have to purchase a copy of this book for yourself to see what is included. I highly recommend The Touch of Roy and Dale Volume Two, and you can’t have this book unless you have The Touch of Roy and Dale Volume One. These are truly the best two books I have ever read about real-life people!!
Recommend this book:
The Touch of Roy and Dale
The Impact and Influence of Roy Rogers...As Only Their Fans Could Tell It
Tricia Spencer

2014 Honorable Mention
288 Pages
Check current price
Non-Fiction - Biography

The Touch of Roy and Dale is the story of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. Tricia Spencer recalls the impact and influence of Roy and Dale as only their fans and family could tell it. Included in this wonderful book are never before seen photos, art, poetry and songs, along with letters of fan mail, and a wealth of information about this awesome couple. There is so much more in this book that you just need to check it out for yourself!
One sentence I read in this book says that Roy Rogers and Dale Evans touched lives, and their legacy lives on, and this is so true for those of us who remember them. I wanted to read The Touch of Roy and Dale to remember those early years of my life and the excitement as my parents talked about them, and always listened and watched as they were on television and radio. They were a household name that I will never forget. This book is so very interesting. Ms. Spencer goes into details about their lives, and the mountains of fan mail they received. And back in the day it was snail mail, not email, so you can imagine! I especially enjoyed hearing their children remembering their mom and dad, and the life they lived while growing up in their home. If you are fans of this Happy Trails couple, I really want to encourage you to pick up a copy of this book. There are just not enough words to tell you the wonders of this precious book!
