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:
Poison
Wind Dancer Dystopian Series Book 1
Lan Chan
2016 Finalist
351 Pages
Check current price
Young Adult - Sci-Fi
Poison, Book 1 of the Wind Dancer series by Lan Chan takes place in a well-constructed future world full of wonderful beasts, advanced science, and the same old human problems of treachery, greed, and murder. Wind Dancers, Furies, Reapers, Wanderers, and Seeders are just some of the imaginative creations Lan Chan brings to this novel. The story starts with a murder in the middle of the night and things go downhill from there. The Seeders are the bad guys, the people in power, and the hero, Aurora Gray has sworn that they all must die. Poison is a tale of revenge, revolution, and betrayal. Aurora doesn't know who she can really trust and this will cost her as she tries to figure out who is a friend and who is a foe.
I like the way Lan Chan unveils her novel and her world step by step through the eyes of Aurora and her young friends. This is the heart of this first book of the series. We have to learn who these people are and what they are fighting for. This happens in a slow progression, with a kind of coming of age for our heroine. The characters are richly drawn and appropriately complicated. Many of them are not who they seem and we learn this as Aurora does. Poison moves steadily towards a satisfying conclusion, but the battle is far from over and the stage is set for Book 2. I think young people will enjoy these books, but older readers will like them too. Aurora grows in strength with each challenge and makes a pretty good role model for teenage girls.
Recommend this book:
D'mok Revival
New Eden
Michael Joseph Zummo
2016 Honorable Mention
385 Pages
Check current price
Young Adult - Sci-Fi
D'mok Revival: New Eden is the first book of the New Eden story, a part of the D’mok Revival literary universe created by science fiction author Michael Joseph Zummo. In this continuing saga, the superhuman D’mok Warriors are pushing back the Nukari beasts to what remains of the world they once lorded over. The D’Mok Warriors have just scored an important victory, but the threat is still alive and real with the Nukari leader, Kajlit’ga, on the loose, and her beasts and their allies continuing with their attacks. Rhysus Mencari, whose family is believed to have been killed during the invasion, commands the D’Mok Warriors from the war room of New Eden, hoping to crush the Nukaris so that his people will find lasting peace and freedom. The discovery of a prison planet, however, will deepen Mencari’s resolve, as he is faced with the possibility that his family may still be alive.
Released in 2013, Michael Zummo's D'mok Revival series is listed among the "Top 20" in the Amazon Science Fiction list. And in D'mok Revival: New Eden, the author launches another impressive chapter in the colossal fight between the Nukari beasts and the D’Mok Warriors. The war is not over and it is simply mesmerizing to follow one action scene after another taking place in strange planets and fought with highly imaginative advanced technologies. If you’re already a fan of Zummo’s writing style, you’ll be glad to know that his narrative style still has that sense of urgency that makes his story jump under your very eyes. And as we are caught in the exciting head rush of his narrative, we get to know each of his complex characters and understand the reason why they behave the way they do, whether we spend many chapters with them or only a few pages.
Recommend this book:
Breeder
K.B. Hoyle
2016 Bronze Medal
302 Pages
Check current price
Young Adult - Sci-Fi
Breeder by K.B. Hoyle is a brilliant example of dystopian fiction. Humanity has been forced to the brink of extinction, taking with it a large population of wildlife. Fortunately the Unified World Order has introduced a Controlled Repopulation Program and, in the interests of survival, only the most perfect genes will do. Flaws will not be tolerated so, in order to ensure a perfect child, Breeders are carefully selected. Seventeen is one such Breeder, one designated as genetically ideal. She is happy, her life is perfect. Or is it? An enforcer named Pax stirred such doubts while reminding her of a name she once possessed long ago, Pria. Doubts and curiosity are not tolerated. She is forced to flee, and Pax aids her escape. She has never seen the world outside, a world of survival. Threats lurk around every corner and soon she discovers the existence of something Pax calls nests, a community of those with recessive genes, and his need to find one is the reason he sought to rescue her. They need her, a Breeder, in order to stand against the UWO, but can they convince her of the truth, of a reality conveniently hidden from all those within the UWO?
Breeder is one of the best examples of first person narrative I have ever read. It is engaging, descriptive, and immersive. K.B. Hoyle introduces an array of diverse and interesting characters, conflict, and a gripping plot. To say I enjoyed this is an understatement; I was absolutely captivated. This book was simply perfect in every way. It is well-written, well-balanced, thought provoking, and thrilling. Breeder is filled with imaginative ideas underlined with a subtle horror as the reader is forced to consider how easily the world created could come to pass, especially when we already place so much focus on appearance and physical traits. Breeder will certainly appeal to a wide audience. I can’t wait to read more, and will be eagerly awaiting the next instalment.
Recommend this book:
I Am Titanium
Pax Black Book 1
John Patrick Kennedy
2016 Bronze Medal
340 Pages
Check current price
Young Adult - Sci-Fi
I Am Titanium (Pax Black Book 1) by John Patrick Kennedy introduces us to Pax, a teen genius who learned to contact the astral plane and communicate with a being who lives in that plane. The bad thing for Pax is that he is also dying. Pax gets an offer from his astral mentor - a chance to have a life of great power, and all he has to do is let the astrals inspect Earth. Pax, of course, agrees to the opportunity. The next event will change Pax and his friend Scarlett's lives forever. The astrals, of course, have their own agenda and mankind doesn't mean much to most of them. What is worse is they are not the biggest issue.
This book is both interesting and controversial. Pax is a highly intelligent young man who has an autoimmune disorder that affects him every day of his life. Pax does not allow this sickness to stop him being a brilliant person. Author John Patrick Kennedy has created a whole new interesting world with the astrals and what they have planned for Earth. I enjoyed this book a great deal and it kept me guessing the entire time I was reading it. There is a depth to each character and each part of the story that you don't see too often in this genre anymore. It is truly a fantastic and enjoyable read. If you want to read a brilliant book that has been well written and has deep and interesting characters, this is a book you will enjoy.
Recommend this book:
The Stuff of Stars
Book Two of The Seekers dystopian trilogy
David Litwack
2016 Silver Medal
244 Pages
Check current price
Young Adult - Sci-Fi
Orah and Nathaniel are on a journey in The Stuff of Stars. It is a journey that began in the first Seekers book, The Children of Darkness. A journey that began with a desire to recover the wonders of an intelligence that existed before their days until temple rule, this journey takes the couple across an ocean to find the descendants of the original keepers, those whose knowledge and intelligence will help, or so they believe, their own world as it struggles to recover from a life marred by multiple restrictions. Orah and Nathaniel do find the descendants of the keepers, but those they seek are now known as dreamers and they are neither alive nor dead. Those they meet represent opposing views of the age of intelligence that led the dreamers to an existence far above and beyond the realms of basic human comprehension. So how will Orah and Nathaniel communicate with these dreamers? How will they convince the opposing communities that there really is no right or wrong and it is better to work together?
This is another powerful story from popular author David Litwack. The Stuff of Stars, although part of a series, is expertly told as if it were a stand-alone novel. Background information from the first book in the series is presented and unraveled as needed. The centuries-old search for a utopian existence is challenged in this second novel as the two protagonists, Orah and Nathaniel, find themselves pitted against two points of view: that intelligence and living with intelligent machines is the only way to survive, and that returning to nature and living off the land is the right way to go. The utopia that the protagonists seek is mired in questions with no answers, and the truth they hope will help their own people across the ocean is difficult to ascertain. Is there a right or a wrong answer? Can a real utopia truly exist? The reader is left with these troubling questions as the novel ends with a bridge to the third book.
Excellent plot development, description, characterization - the reader truly feels like he/she is part of this story. This is a fantastic story that continues the plot initiated in the first Seekers book: a tale about a futuristic utopian world that is anything but perfect. There is only one word to truly define this novel: WOW!
Recommend this book:
When We Were Human
Kate L. Mary
2016 Gold Medal
261 Pages
Check current price
Young Adult - Sci-Fi
When We Were Human by Kate L. Mary is set in a post-apocalyptic world recovering from a devastating alien invasion. Eighteen-year-old Eva has spent the last year punishing herself for her sister’s death. With the population destroyed, Earth in ruins, and gangs terrorizing the survivors, she sees little hope left for the future. She soon crosses paths with Walker and Tara, two people traveling down the hot Georgia roads. In these new friends Eva sees a promise of what the future could be, as well as evidence that humanity might not be extinct after all. When a ghost from Eva’s past makes an unexpected appearance, the group sets out on a cross-country trek that will teach Eva how to love and hope again, and will remind her what it truly means to be human.
When We Were Human by Kate L. Mary is a well told piece of dystopian, post-apocalyptic fiction that relies less on the physical tropes pepper of the genre, and takes a more introspective approach. It's a steadily paced book filled with nuanced characters and nasty creatures. I think it's brilliant that Mary started When We Were Human after the invasion had passed; it makes things really unique as we get little glimpses here and there of what happened. I would love to learn more about the world Eva and the gang lived in. But as much as When We Were Human is filled with sadness, loss, and regret, it is filled with hope as well.
I must have a sequel!
Recommend this book:
The Clay Lion
The Clay Lion Series Volume 1
Amalie Jahn
2015 Gold Medal
253 Pages
Check current price
Young Adult - Sci-Fi
Dealing with the loss of a loved one is no easy task, but what if you could go back in time and alter the past in order to keep them around? Amalie Jahn poses that question in The Clay Lion. Brooke Wallace was devastated by the loss of her brother Brandon at such an early age to a pulmonary disease. She shut herself off from the rest of the world and decided that her life was not worth living without her brother by her side. Since time travel had been made possible, though highly regulated by the government, Brooke found hope in the possibility that she might travel back in time and alter the events that led to Brandon contracting the disease. After a great deal of study and some assistance from Brandon's pulmonary doctor, she was certain that she would be able to stop two events that were the most likely causes of his illness. Armed with the necessary knowledge to change the course of history and save her brother's life, Brooke returns to a time several weeks before the first possible cause, hoping that she can stop the disease from taking her brother's life. What she discovers is that altering the past can bring about a number of very negative consequences and set other people's lives out of order as well. She also discovers that the time that she had with her brother was even more precious than she had previously realized. Will she bring healing to her brother or healing to herself?
The Clay Lion by Amalie Jahn is a young adult masterpiece. The story and characters will grip you from the very beginning and hold you tightly until the very end. The profound truths present in this book are subtly woven into a tale of adventure mixed with love. Without giving away the story line, I can assure you that once you have been touched by this tale, your life will never be the same, and you will find new courage and a sense of peace. The Clay Lion is a must-read for anyone and everyone, but especially for those, young and old, who are coping with loss.
Recommend this book:
Red Angel
C. R. Daems
2015 Finalist
282 Pages
Check current price
Young Adult - Sci-Fi
Red Angel by C.R. Daems follows the story of Anna, a young prodigy rising through the ranks of a naval space fleet. Anna has a secret. A survivor of the deadly Coaca virus that killed her family when she was only four years old, Anna needs her snake, Red, to survive. Red’s venom is the only thing that prevents Anna from succumbing to the virus, and her blood keeps him alive. Anna struggles through the foster system, and as kraits like Red become known throughout the three star empires, she has to use her wits to fight off those who would harm her to get to Red. Eventually recruited by the Naval Intelligence Agency for her ability to break codes, Anna begins to wonder if she and Red are a help or a liability to her elite team as they work to track down interstellar smugglers.
Wow! This book is a fast-paced page turner, and kept my interest from the very first page. C.R. Daems’ story-telling ability is evident in his extremely readable and enjoyable work. I think this book would most appeal to the young adult reader, but any lover of science fiction would enjoy it as well. The symbiotic relationship between Anna and her snake was a creative and unique element that added a whole new level of complication to this space adventure. Red Angel was a fun read, and I am happy to highly recommend it to anyone looking for an exciting and unique story.
Recommend this book:
Fractured Glass
A Novel Anthology
Tia Silverthorne Bach,Jo Michaels,N.L. Greene,Casey L. Bond,Kelly Risser
2015 Finalist
422 Pages
Check current price
Young Adult - Sci-Fi
Fractured Glass: A Novel Anthology by authors Tia Bach, Casey L. Bond, Kelly Risser and N.L. Greene is an imaginative and exciting journey through some of the strangest dimensional worlds, with a cast that exceeds anyone’s wildest imagination. Though a stretch to title this novel an anthology, it is certainly a collaborative effort in keeping with the finest tradition of melding science fiction and fantasy. Twins Sloan and Harley have birthmarks that…well let’s say they’re remarkable and critical to the story. Starting with identical nightmares, the twins soon find themselves ensnared in a series of dimensional worlds that, at first, have no rhyme or reason. They are joined by their mother and friend Diego, as well as a number of new characters that arrive throughout to enhance the plot. Initially unsure of their purpose in these worlds, they remain occupied with escaping deadly creatures and traps. Added to their burden and stress, they often become separated and spend a good deal of their time searching for each other.
Having written collaborative fiction with an online writers group for several years, I am well aware of the complexities involved. Maintaining a consistent narrator ‘voice’, harmony in character actions and dialog make words and rhythm essential. I enjoyed the novel and was particularly intrigued by the description and role that fractals played in the story. A quantum physicist would likely throw the book through the wall, but I thought the artistic license taken with these mathematical elements of quantum mechanics unique and fun. The various dimensional worlds were well imagined and described as were some of the weirdest characters I’ve seen in a long time.
Character wise, I have to admit a bit of a struggle accepting the names Sloan and Harley for the twin girls. A school friend of mine was a hulking bear of a guy, named Harley, and each time I read Sloan, I thought of a sleazy pawn shop broker! Well, never the mind, I came to accept both names, and thoroughly enjoying these characters, forgot my hang-ups. The entire cast of characters was very well done but, other than the twins, I especially liked Calix and Diego.
I thought the pacing, the twists and introductions of new characters well into the half-way point of the story very well done. An exciting YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy tale, well worth my heartiest recommendation.
Recommend this book:
IA: Initiate
John Darryl Winston
2015 Finalist
220 Pages
Check current price
Young Adult - Sci-Fi
What our minds can achieve is certainly beyond what we truly understand at this point in time. John Darryl Winston explores that concept in IA: Initiate. Doctor Cory Andersen has tapped into other parts of the mind and has begun to experiment along the edges of what the mind can truly become. That brings us to Naz, a young teen growing up in an inner city environment, the Exclave, which is extremely rough. With Meri, his little sister, as the only family that he has left, he is constantly concerned with making sure that she is well taken care of and protected, and even holds onto the hope of getting her out of the Exclave entirely. As Naz faces the struggles of starting at a new Middle School, he is also faced with the problem of a gang that have made it their mission to either add him to their numbers or kill him. If these problems weren't enough for a thirteen-year-old, the voice in his head and the disconnection with his past that continues to haunt him leave him to face a struggle that is advancing toward him as an unseen enemy. Naz has to sort it all out or drive himself crazy.
IA: Initiate is an excellent beginning to a sci-fi series that is certain to thrill sci-fi enthusiasts. John Darryl Winston has created a believable premise with just a touch of the concept of mind and thought control mixed in. The reader will be engaged from start to finish, feeling the emotions and thoughts, as well as playing out the actions as each scene unfolds. This is not only sci-fi, but also a coming of age story as our hero is forced to discover who he is and where his true gifts lie. Excellent intrigue throughout, joined with plenty of underlying mystery to keep the reader stirring, IA: Initiate has the potential of becoming a new literary phenomenon.