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!
Short stories pack a lot of punch in an abbreviated format; THE MAN WHO LOST HIS GENIUS AND OTHER STORIES by Valerie Byron has something for everyone. With varying lighthearted and serious themes, the tales have their own unique and separate flavors. Each bite-sized story comes to its own conclusion, making this collection a great bedtime read.
Working mostly in some of the toughest penitentiaries of Ontario, author Vern Thibedeau brings a spare and realistic grit to his stories of colorful prisoners and the tough camaraderie he had with his coworkers in his decades of work in Canada’s correctional system in THE DOOR.
In a matter-of-fact presentation, Michelle D. Gladieux lists the hidden challenges of courageous communication in COMMUNICATE WITH COURAGE. With “Pro-Moves” and exercises, the reader learns to overcome challenges, embrace risk, build empathy, and learn conflict skills. This book outlines how improving communication is a life-long pursuit that can help in all matters in life, from interpersonal relationships to workplace interactions.
Breaking through the horrors of what was inflicted upon the author’s father by the Nazi’s with a clear narrative that transcends the events, Barbara Bergren’s WITNESS FOR MY FATHER is a triumphant story of hope, courage, and perseverance in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. A fantastic book that should appeal to any fans of non-fiction and biographical genres.
THERE IS NO DEATH IN FINDING NEMO by Jeffrey M. Feingold is a collection of short stories that draws the reader into its whimsy and unique messages. Clear dialogue with surrealistic and sometimes quirky meanings, this easy-to-read title contains thought-provoking and humorous content. Descriptive passages to detail joy, sadness, and discovery come together for various conclusions.
THE BLACK HOLE PASTRAMI by Jeffrey M. Feingold is a poignant collection of 16 stories that examine life in different ways. By turns emotional and humorous, the stories revolve around relationships between spouses, doctors and patients, children and parents, and more. Written in the first-person, this collection is charming and moving at the same time.
Ross Loren Lindrud’s science fiction novel INTERSTELLAR REPORTER DANICA STAR has his intrepid reporter take any and every risk to get her story. The book has a large ensemble of dynamic characters, and shifts through several points of view to give readers the larger scope of the story. Strong pacing supports intriguing plot twists, and there’s always another layer revealed. Originally conceived as a serial, each chapter builds as an episode, while driving the audience onto the next one. Fans of adventurous science fiction will enjoy this page turner.
PHOENIX SAGA: A Modern Epic in Prose by amalL era JesuƨɘႱ hO is a beautifully crafted collection that ignites introspection and understanding. It weaves ancient wisdom and life lessons into captivating stories and poems, while also drawing on insightful quotes from the greatest minds throughout history. Whether you seek comfort in nature’s wisdom, clarification through scientific exploration, or insightful explorations of philosophy, this book holds the key to unlock new avenues of understanding.
Cory Mortensen effortlessly takes the reader along with him in UNLOST, a candid and extremely readable travel memoir detailing his impromptu seven-month odyssey, journeying south from California down through Central and South America before detouring to participate in the Antarctica marathon. Full of sharply amusing observations and fascinating nuggets of unusual information about the ancient civilizations that once dominated the landscape, Mortensen capably demonstrates his natural abilities for story-telling and travel writing in this supremely engaging and entertaining account of his impulsive adventures and the like-minded wanderers he meets along the way.
Author Stephen Watts traces the journey of his English great-great-great-great (and more) grandfather to America, via the letters and, more important, a very engrossing intertwined narrative in SEARCHING FOR CHARLES (The Untold Legacy of an Immigrant’s American Adventure). It’s a remarkable feat of scholarship, one that can’t be emulated by ancestry.com – with sleuthing worthy of a top-notch private eye.
THE SOUL MACHINES by Alexander Czimbor is a fascinating book melding together fantasy and historical fiction to create a multifaceted thriller based on the lives of three unlikely friends in 19th-century Europe. The setting of the Austro-Hungarian empire is brought to life beautifully through striking visuals, ambience and socioeconomic accuracy. The riveting and thought-provoking plot revolves around the discovery of a mysterious artifact, with many subplots converging and diverging around the central conflict.
FEAR, TEAR, AND WEAR by Shawe Ruckus is a collection that expertly weaves together tales of loss, set in an apathetic modern age. The author’s skillfully written characters shine a spotlight on the difficulties of love, death, and finding one’s place in the ever-changing landscape of contemporary life.
STRONG by Kristal DeSantis is written by a self-titled cisgender female for a male audience. However, a reader of any gender classification trying to understand and perhaps guide their (male) partner would benefit from this self-help guide also. The writer, a marriage therapist, specifies early on that the text is written in gender binary language, and readers who object to that should be aware from the outset. This book discusses all matters factually and frankly, providing statistics and article references a plenty. It is a pleasantly and refreshingly ‘open’ book that is designed to support males in our modern and female empowered world while explaining and teaching ‘what women want’. Ultimately, it is a book for all readers on how to create and maintain a healthy and strong relationship.
In PINOCCHIO’S GUIDE TO THE END OF THE WORLD, author Eva Moon unfolds the post-apocalyptic struggles and growth of Pinocchio with resilience and determination. Amidst the desolation, encounters with other survivors teach valuable lessons of friendship and trust. The narrative explores self-discovery and the enduring spirit of humanity, creating a captivating and inspiring tale set in a menacing atmosphere.
An updated eldritch horror for our time, Barbara Cantrell’s Lovecraftian story DARKNESS BELOW is set in the halls of the modern-day Miskatonic University. Ellen Logan is a student just wanting to make it through school and pass her classes; but when one friend jumps to her death and another vanishes, Ellen is left with a mysterious book, some very unsettling dreams and so many questions. Ultimately, she and her professor, Andrew Carter, must embark on a dangerous journey deep into the depths of the university to find the answers. Mystifying and compelling, DARKNESS BELOW is an excellent introduction to the Arkham community and all the goings on at the mysterious Miskatonic University in Cantrell’s Cthulhu-inspired series.
THE PRICE OF REBELLION by Michael C. Bland is the second installment of the Price Of series. Dray Quintero will stop at nothing to protect his family, even if doing so means exposing a government plot that forces him to decide between his humanity and the family he would do anything for. This is a page-turning science fiction and action thriller with a quick pace.
A captivating journey into the skies of the early 20th century, Christopher Beck’s THE ASTONISHED EARTH delivers an imaginative assessment of the pioneers of aviation. Through substantiated fiction, the author skillfully showcases the awe of early flight history, revealing the wonder, mistrust, and honor that defined the era. A soaring literary case which blends historical accuracy with complex and painstaking storytelling.