IR Discovery Awards: Top Titles To-Date

IndieReader launched the first annual Discovery Awards (IRDAs) for one reason: to help you, the indie book lover, discover the best indie books, vetted by some of the top people in the publishing business today.

For a first effort we’ve had a spectacular response, and we’ve been bowled over by the number of incredible books we’ve received. We will be announcing the winners of the IRDA’s–top three fiction, top three non-fiction and the “best of” in 30+ categories, this Sunday, June 3^rd at the Book Expo America (BEA), a trade event held once a year in New York City. The New York Times best selling indie author Darcie Chan and yours truly will be making the announcement of the winners live, available via YouTube.com/IndieReader.

In the meantime, we’d like to share the top titles to-date. We have broken down the categories alphabetically. This is the final list prior to announcing our winners.

Please note that the judging is not yet complete, that all books entered have not yet been reviewed and that not all of the books included here will win. But they are all “IndieReader Approved”, meaning they’ve received a 4 or 5 star review, and very much worth a read.

HEALTH

My Dream to Trample AIDS by Don Carrel 4 Stars ()

HORROR

One Blood by Qwantu Amaru 5 Stars (*)

HUMOR

Snide Remarks in Sotto Voce by Kathryn Higgins 4 Stars ()


MEMOIR
Siren’s Feast: An Edible Odyssey by Nancy Mehagian 4 Stars ()

POPULAR FICTION

Co-Opted by Joan Bigwood 4 Stars ()
Eye of the Redeemer by Richard I Levine 4 Stars ()
Eddie and Me on the Scrap Heap by Marc Littman 4 Stars ()
Hang On by Nell Gavin 4 Stars ()/td>
Any Other Night by Anne Pfeffer 5 Stars (*)
Misfits & Heroes by Kathleen Flanagan Rollins 5 Stars (*)
Out, Out: A Novel of Women and Apes by Kim MacQueen 4 Stars ()
Parts North by Kevin Cohen 5 Stars (*)
The Bridge Club by Patricia Sands 4 Stars ()
The Pursuit of Cool by Robb Skidmore 5 Stars (*)
The Tourist Trail by John Yunker 5 Stars (*)
Uncertain Journey by James Rouman 4 Stars ()
Whole Latte Life by Joanne DeMaio 5 Stars (*)

PSYCHOLOGY

The Digitally Divided Self by Ivo Quartiroli 4 Stars ()

ROMANCE

Jennifer’s Garden by Dianne Venetta 5 Stars (*)
Season of the Shadow by Bobbi Groover 4 Stars ()
The Haunting of Wolfe Haven by Debbie A. Heaton 4 Stars ()
SCIENCE FICTION

Spire by Aaron Safronoff 4 Stars ()
The Mercury Vapor Lamp Experience by Howard J. Levinson 4 Stars ()
West Pacific Supers: Rising Tide by K.M. Johnson-Weider 4 Stars ()

SELF HELP

Grieving a Soulmate by Robert Orfali 5 Stars (*)
This River Called Life, A Letter to My Children by Velinda Peyton 4 Stars ()

SHORT STORIES

Sometimes the Sun Does Shine There by Herb Schultz 5 Stars (*)

TRAVEL

Pines Picks: A Kid’s Guide to the Best Things to Eat and Drink in New York City by David D. Pines 4 Stars ()

YOUNG ADULT

Aggie’s Nine Heroes by Diana Laurence 4 Stars ()
azad: a flight of desi fantasy by Sanjiv Behera 4 Stars ()
Neiko’s Five Land Adventure by A.K. Taylor 4 Stars ()
Oracle: Sunken Earth by C.W. Trisef 4 Stars ()
Pandora’s Key by Nancy Richardson Fischer 4 Stars ()
The Grief Recovery Kit: A Young Person’s Guide through the Journey of Grief by Tanya Kilgore 5 Stars (*)
The Jinson Twins, Science Detectives, and The Mystery of Echo Lake by Steven Zeichner 5 Stars (*)
The Way Things Work in Life by Basimah Khulusi 4 Stars ()
Unaccounted For by Nan Willard Cappo 4 Stars ()
Untraceable by Laura Griffin 5 Stars (*)
What’s Wrong With Me?: A Girl’s Book of Lessons Learned, Inspiration and Advice by Daree Allen 4 Stars ()