IndieReader Discovery Awards 2024 Entrants
Added as our reviewers read them, find the latest verdicts for the 2024 IndieReader Discovery Award entrants, leading up to the big winner announcement in June!
Prepare to embark on a thrilling journey through time in THE MOVEMENT, the captivating second installment of the Time Collector series. Whether a devoted fan or a newcomer to this world, Avi Datta’s masterful storytelling, weaving together action, mystery, and romance, will enrapture you. Join Vincent, the time-traveling hero, as he desperately seeks to recover his lost memories while facing off against the formidable Vandal, whose every move threatens the fate of the world.
Meet twins Cordelia and Rex Tanner, masters of sartorial surrealism and owners of the House of Tanner, a gloriously fantastical footwear company. Avid collector Cordelia possesses an astonishing psychic gift that allows her to read the personal history of any shoe but when she invents Footloose, a brilliant holographic shoe app, it causes unintended mayhem. With more than a nod to the golden age of Hollywood glamor and crackling with comic energy, B.A. Summer’s SOLE BRETHREN is a deliciously excessive and breathtakingly imaginative ride through some truly bizarre territory with the wonderfully whimsical Tanner Twins and their coterie of colorful friends.
Kate Hallock’s debut novel, NINE WAYS TO DIE, is a fascinating murder mystery with an interesting premise: Michael Higgins, a rich and powerful businessman, was murdered, and everyone is a suspect because they have the right motivation. With an Enneagram puzzle to entertain fans of sleuthing and a clever plot that leaves readers racing to find the killer, this book is impossible to put down. Fans of Agatha Christie will surely enjoy this.
Not one to be put down once started, Carolyn Summer Quin’s CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF ANSWERS is perfect for those wanting a cold case mystery in a small town with plenty of fun, quirky and unsavory characters. Though the story is one of murder, it has plenty of levity, some of the best of which include the interactions between young Bethany and her art teacher-turned-rival Celeste Sanderson. And no character has ever gone on more viciously verbose tirades than her grandmother, Madga Mom.
Kyle Dal Santo’s THE L.A. MEMOIRS portrays Hollywood at its most venal, most compelling, most, well, everything. Hero Lyle, with fantasies of actor stardom, arrives from the Midwest, immediately linking up with friends, colleagues, frenemies. A few gigs here and there, lots of drinking, smoking, and coke-ing, and it’s clear from all encounters it’s time to go back home. What says it best? “Every smile in this city is a fake.” Will the real Los Angeles please stand up!
Lisa Riddoch’s first book in her new fantasy Praelium trilogy, LIGHT AND DARK is a large, sprawling, multi-verse book that yet asks the intimate question: are we defined by nature or nurture? Two sets of twins come into their powers, untrained, on their fifteenth birthdays. Cat and Sam are loved and nurtured by their aunt, uncle, and allies, as they flee across worlds learning what their powers are, how to use them, and how to save their people. Zak and Ana are twins separated at birth, brought together by a powerful sorceress claiming to be their aunt, training them with firmness and cruelty as they hunt Cat and Sam. But what will define the true nature of these teens? In addition to the detailed worlds Riddoch creates for them to travel through on their quest, she has the skill and imagination to refuse to blockade the teens into stringent “good” and “evil” roles. This is especially important when it comes to Zak and Ana, who have far more complex issues of survival and core strength to face than their counterparts. The tension between how others determine to shape all four teens and their individual and collective determination to have some control in shaping themselves gives the novel a welcome and unusual dimension. LIGHT AND DARK ends on a cliffhanger, promising intrigue and hard choices in the remaining two books.
Complete with illustrations stunningly designed by Ana-Maria Cosma, THE FORESTGIRLS, at the Edge of Land and Sea by Sissel Waage, explores the paths of young girls living in nature. Simple text describes types of aquatic grasses and plant life in locations around the world. More suitable for older children, FOREST GIRLS is a sweet picture book for a home library.
Barbara J. Willams’s memoir, I HATE YOU, MARY SULLIVAN is a poignant journey into understanding. The author’s grandmother, Mary Sullivan, lived with the family for 20 years and their relationship with often stormy. Fifty years later, Barbara revisits the relationship with her skills and knowledge in nursing and psychiatry, and travels to her grandmother’s homeland to fully understand what drove her to break ties with it. By turns funny, difficult, and full of lush sensory description, the memoir is beautifully written.
In this first installment of THE PARANORMAL PARABLES, author Charlie Gray introduces the reader to Maverick, a six-hundred-year-old phantom, one of the immortal branches together with vampires, sprites, and werewolves. Desperate to avoid the imminent “War of the Branches” that threatens humankind and immortals, Maverick enlists young writer, Darcy Tuffin, to record his fantastical journey through the centuries, hoping the remarkable story will act as a cautionary tale to inspire peace. Boasting a darkly delightful titular character, THE PHANTOM MAVERICK is a sprawling, complex, and wonderfully inventive novel that has several beautifully profound love stories at its supernatural heart. Gray capably demonstrates his skill as a storyteller as he re-imagines the tropes and traditions of the genre with rich creativity and fresh vibrancy.
SWING BRIDGE is an excellent collection of short stories about life in a small town, all relating in one way or another to the expansive LGBTQ+ experience. Author Bronwyn Hughes uses the fictional town of Mobjack, Virginia to paint a beautiful and honest snapshot of small town life on the Chesapeake Bay. Thoughtful and chock full of humor alongside wonderfully colorful characters (and illustrations by Kat Sharp), the stories give readers an insight into a world they might never have the chance to experience.
John Madigan’s AN OPTIMIST BY DEGREES is a jauntily optimistic Robin Hood tale with a homeless hero. Rebel contrarian Tom Trieth declares war against corporate raiders who wronged a new friend he meets in a shelter. The result is brash and absurd but with a heartfelt agenda.
As serious, even fatal, accidents befall those who ridicule him, introvert Simon Steed realizes his retributive thoughts may have provoked the unexpected events. However, when he meets Monica Storm in college, he seems to have found his soulmate. But her sudden disappearance and reported suicide makes no sense, especially as the media photograph is of her roommate. Where is Monica and what did Simon do wrong? Spanning over twenty years, NEVER IGNORE MONICA is a quietly unnerving and unpredictable novel that plays intriguingly with reader expectations through Simon. Is he experiencing psychosis or does he have an extraordinary paranormal gift? Author Jim Lively twists and shifts the narrative in unexpected, puzzling directions that continue to mystify long after the final page.
Jonathan and James Maas’ BIG MAN JUDAS flips folk hero history on its head, giving insight and relatability to Bob Ford, the young man who assassinated Western outlaw Jesse James. Written in a simple and un-embellished style, this biography can get deeply philosophical as the authors push readers to consider a famous tale from a fresh perspective.
Nursing is more than a profession; it is a dedication of one’s life to helping others through their own pain and sorrows. In past years, nursing was traditionally thought of as a woman’s job, but men are now joining the ranks. THE MALE NURSE SURVIVAL GUIDE by Chris Lengel takes a humorous yet practical look at this noble profession, including tips about nursing school, how hospitals operate, travel nursing, and other otherwise unanswered questions. Thorough and informative, THE MALE NURSE SURVIVAL GUIDE is an inside look for both in and outsiders.
THE GREEN REAL DEAL by Bill Herrington provides fresh, feasible and nuanced solutions to the energy crisis plaguing 21st-century civilization. The author references various historical events, highlighting the importance of energy in history, being detailed and meticulous. Furthermore, he interweaves personal anecdotes in his book, revisiting experiences with jobs in the energy industry, and includes research to back up his conclusions. This book will prove helpful for those looking for a deep analysis of the energy crisis as it weighs both the pros and cons of the clean energy industry and looks for practical solutions.
THE 5-DAY JOB SEARCH by Annie Margarita Yang guides new graduates, unemployed people and professionals looking for better opportunities. The book contains comprehensive and practical action-oriented strategies that readers can implement immediately, along with a detailed guide to excelling at each threshold in attaining a better job, from answering interview questions to hunting down suitable opportunities. The author also includes many personal experiences and incidents to render the book engaging and encourage readers not to give up on making their dreams a reality.
NO CRYING IN THE OPERATING ROOM by Cecily Wang, MD is an inspiring memoir centered around the author’s life as an international relief doctor. Deftly depicting her love for medicine through an international relief mission, the book chronicles Wang’s work with various organizations in the United States, and third-world countries. A powerful meditation on volunteer work and the healthcare industry, encouraging readers to take action for the less fortunate.