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:
What You Should Know Before Starting A Business
Dr. Patti Mack-Tucker

2011 Finalist
144 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Business/Finance

What You Should Know Before Starting Your Own Business is both a reference and a guide book. The author asks questions and leaves room for you to record your answers. She allows you the opportunity to find your dream, to examine it, research it and implement your dream. When starting a business you must have faith and confidence in yourself. Dr. Tucker uses scripture to support her advice. She writes in a clear and concise style. She sticks with the point and does not go off on tangents. The doctor is a motivator and encourager.
Dr Patti Mack-Tucker offers readers the wisdom of her experiences and expertise on starting your own business. Deep inside, hidden from others, most of us dream of starting our own business and being our own boss. What few of us realize is we are not all cut out to own our own business. Too many look at being self-employed as being less stressful (this is the point where current business owners laugh out loud). The stress related to owning a business is very different from being an employee. As the owner of a small business, I do not want to discourage anyone. I feel like everyone should follow their dream. Everyone should dream. However, I do think everyone should do their research before starting a business adventure. I wish I had read this book before opening a florist shop. There was so much I did not know and didn’t know to ask. I think this would make a great read and study guide for business students as well as entrepreneurs.
Recommend this book:
How To Interview Like a Pro
Forty-Three Rules for Getting Your Next Job
Mary Greenwood, JD, LL.M

2011 Honorable Mention
Kindle Edition
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Non-Fiction - Business/Finance

No book could possibly be timelier than How To Interview Like a Pro. With the economy in shambles, many people are competing for the same jobs. Each hopeful interviewee must put him/herself in the best possible light. Author Mary Greenwood brings her experience and expertise to this much needed manual. She offers assistance on how to dress, shake hands, and project the right attitude and makes suggestions on preparing and delivering a good speech. In this small book the readers will find 43 tips including reference materials, examples, resources and lists.
One of the important lessons readers will find in this book is how to prepare before the interview and what to do after the interview. Greenwood writes in an easy-to-understand, crisp and clear manner. I think asking questions may be the most important and most overlooked part of an interview. Ms. Greenwood covers the topic in an excellent manner; no detail is too small for her to mention. She keeps a positive slant in this book; interviewees do not need to go into an interview with negative thoughts. By keeping a positive attitude the reader/interviewee will come across in an optimistic light. The appendix has a glossary of terms, laws pertaining to discrimination and whom to contact if you think you have been unfairly treated.
This book would make a great gift for anyone looking for a job. It would also be an asset in a high school or college life skills class.
Recommend this book:
Moving Forward on Your Own
A Financial Guidebook for Widows
Kathleen Rehl

2011 Gold Medal
80 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Business/Finance

Kathleen Rehl has created a little gem of a book in Moving Forward on Your Own, A Financial Guide for Widows. She was widowed suddenly and shares with the reader the grief, blankness, and the symptoms of widowhood in an easy-to-read format with colored photographs, paintings and quotations. She tells of her own loss, then shares with the reader symptoms and stages they may go through and warns them against persons who will want to take advantage of a widow. She tells them of papers they must organize, steps they must take and phone calls they must make and leaves a place next to each step for a checkmark. Then Rehl, a certified financial planner, writes simple but understandable advice on how to manage finances alone and how to get on with your life.
This book is easy to read, easy to follow, well-organized and edited. Friends could easy give this to someone recently widowed and not be offensive. Actually, funeral homes might wish to carry a good supply of this book to give to clients.
This is not a book for libraries to carry as it has many spaces for people to write down financial and personal information. Moving Forward on Your Own covers well, and in detail, the many money issues that face a widow. It cossets the grieving in depth but also is a guide for getting life together after losing one's mate without being pushy and obnoxious which the grieving will not enjoy.
Recommend this book:
Leading Team Alpha
Leadership in Novel Form
Joel DiGirolamo

2011 Bronze Medal
222 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Business/Finance

Dean, the main character in Leading Team Alpha, finds himself dealing with some tough business decisions and decides to reach out to a former professor for leadership advice. Unlike other business books, this is a fictional novel but is filled with leadership principles. DiGirolamo takes the reader through Dean's decision making, his relationship with his team, and dealing with difficult workers. The key concepts covered in the book include selecting team members, motivating them, ensuring their work aligns with the organization, remaining goal focused, and job satisfaction.
When I started this book, I was drawn into it immediately because of the easy-to-read novel format. I could relate to Dean and some of the challenges he came across. Readers can easily identify with this main character and recognize very quickly who the difficult characters will be in the story. DiGirolamo has good descriptive dialogue so readers can quickly pick up on the communication techniques used and apply them in their own business settings.
I had some trouble buying into a story toward the end of the novel because it was a complicated situation that was resolved relatively quickly. I also felt a section about a work trip did get a bit off-track. There were so many dynamics happening just within the office that DiGirolamo could have kept the story there. One thing that may have helped readers grasp the core principles a bit better would be to have a 'takeaways' section at the end of each chapter. Overall though, I thought it was a good book about leadership and a light read for a business book.
Recommend this book:
Why the Heck Aren't We Already Doing This Stuff?
12 New Policy Ideas Even a Congressman Could Understand
Al Lewis

2011 Gold Medal
211 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Business/Finance

Why the heck isn't this book a bestseller? Al Lewis doesn't believe that the government should continue doing things that don't work simply because that's the way things have always been done. Lewis has written a smart, hilarious book that says exactly this, and includes ideas from his blog about how to improve the economy. His use of the term "Methadone economy" to describe an economy which is dependent on government spending to increase growth is one of the unique ways he helps readers understand his "out of the box" ideas. Tired of solutions to our economic woes that involve stimulus checks and government subsidies, Lewis has twelve suggestions that might just change the way Americans do business and handle their money. Topics like tax refunds, mortgages, gasoline, and healthcare are what you might expect to find in an economics book, but not the way Lewis discusses them. Nor would you ever guess what he has to say about the penny. Such ideas are creative, clever, and worth some serious investigation by our lawmakers.
This is one of the only books I have ever read that was both laugh out loud funny and extremely thought-provoking. Even if you are like me and have absolutely no background in economics, you will still understand and enjoy this book. I found myself completely engrossed in it and wondering what would come next. Lewis will draw you in with his hilarious introduction, and then surprise you with his thoughtful, logical suggestions for encouraging economic growth. His humorous way of boiling down complex ideas into words I could actually understand made me laugh and seriously ask why these common sense suggestions have not been implemented. His writing is clear and thankfully you won't find a lot of jargon that might normally dissuade the average reader from a book about economics. Included at the end of each chapter are responses from Lewis to positive and negative comments that bloggers posted about each of the ideas he outlines, another helpful aspect of the book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is curious about economics, open to new ideas, or just likes to laugh.
Recommend this book:
Easiest Short/Long Term Plan for Saving Money
Jennelle L White

2011 Finalist
58 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Business/Finance

It is very important to get in the habit of laying aside money from each paycheck to pay yourself. The thesis of this book is on percentage of paychecks. The style is easy to read and understand.
Jannelle L. White's book, Easiest Short/Long Term Plan for Saving Money, is very practical for everyone considering our current economy. White shares tips, plans, and examples to help the reader make wise choices and obtainable goals in regards to saving money. The worksheets provided at the end of the book are useful.
Recommend this book:
How YOU Are Like Shampoo for College Graduates
The Complete Personal Branding System to Define Position and Market Yourself and Land a Job You Love
Brenda Bence

2011 Silver Medal
280 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Business/Finance

You've just graduated from college and have very little job experience, and yet they have high hopes of landing the perfect job, so does every other college graduate. How do you make yourself stand out in the crowd of job applicants? Brenda Bence has the answer. Bence is an expert on Branding and Marketing. She has a systematic approach to landing that perfect job.
Everyday companies try to convince you that you need their product, and that it is the best product on the market. Bence insists you look at yourself in the same manner. You must brand and market yourself.
This book is divided into three sections:
1) Define it: know who you are, define your talents, compare yourself to other applicants, and define why an employer should hire you.
2) Communicate it: Review your actions, reactions and look throughout the interview process.
3) Avoid damaging it: 20 brand busters or things not to do.
This book is organized in a logical manner. It is simple, easy to read and understand. This would make a great gift for your college grad.
Recommend this book:
Joy Rules!
30 Lessons to Help Leaders Harness Heart Power at Work
Filomena D. Warihay

2010 Gold Medal
247 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Business/Finance

There is a proven correlation between joy in the workplace and productivity. "Joy Rules! 30 Lessons To Help Leaders Harness heart Power At Work" is an exciting read for all leaders. Dr. Filomena D. Warihay, Ph. D. writes in a perceptive, energetic, sensible and humorous manner. She offers 30 insightful and inspiring lessons. Among the lessons you will learn: Leaders should be self confident, willing to laugh at his/herself and inspire workers. A leader should not be afraid to put his/herself on the same level as other workers. It is much easier to get workers to produce by offering rewards than threats. As a leader you should have specific goals. If you don’t know what you are working toward, how will your employees? A leader also allows employees to be creative. A leader listens to the individual.
This book is well organized. It is easy to understand. You do not have to have a Master’s degree to get the point. The book is actually a pleasure to read. I suggest this book for anyone that supervises or leads others. I can even see this working in church environments.
Recommend this book:
The New Rules for Mortgages
Dale Robyn Siegel

2010 Silver Medal
224 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Business/Finance

Ms. Siegel provides the reader with an up-to-date and concise understanding of current credit and mortgage practices. The book is useful for both the first-time and the experienced potential home buyer.
The book is beautifully organized into concise and practical information which is comprehensible and current. The author provides step-by-step information on the understanding and improvement of one's credit score, as well as practical information related to gift and tax laws, as they apply to home ownership. Types of refinancing and mortgages are explained so that the reader has an honest and firm understanding of the process.
This is a superb book of practical information written by someone who writes knowledgeably in her field of expertise.
Recommend this book:
Just Tell Me How To Get Hired!
A Top Recruiter’s Fast, Easy Guide to Getting & Staying Employed
Jill DeSena-Shook

2009 Gold Medal
194 Pages
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Non-Fiction - Business/Finance

Jill DeSena-Shook offers readers an honest and humorous look at the job seeker, employers, and recently hired employees. She stresses the need to be prepared before the interview. Research the company. Collect business cards and social network. Be willing to gain experience, you weren’t born knowing how to walk and talk. DeSena-Shook discusses the pros and cons of a recruiter.
A resume is important, but it has to be the right resume. She offers examples. How you look and dress can get you the right job or lose the right job. Look neat and professional, no wrinkles, no loud jewelry, no blue and purple hair. Jill offers examples of what not to do. She also discusses accents. That one got me. I have a very strong Kentucky accent. I can certainly understand what she is saying but I’m not sure how to lose the accent. My favorite suggestion was be positive. Attitude is everything.
It is easy to recommend this book. Jill has covered the topic of getting and keeping a job from A to Z. She brings experience and expertise to her book. It is written in an easy to read and understand manner. I found it both entertaining and informative.
