IndieReader Discovery Awards 2025 Entrants
Added as our reviewers read them, find the latest verdicts for the 2025 IndieReader Discovery Award entrants, leading up to the big winner announcement in June!
Julie Barth’s NOTES FROM A BLACKBERRY is an intimate memoir that engages with significant feelings of life and unfortunate loss. The author ravely describes the hardships her family faced when illness disrupted the lives of her husband and daughter. Reminiscent of The Diving Bell and The Butterfly, NOTES FROM A BLACKBERRY is thoroughly insightful and inspiring.
Pat Miller’s KICK KARMA’S ASS is an engrossing and moving story about staying true to your convictions during hard times and the influence that supportive surroundings can have on your well-being. The book shows life lessons of how inner strength and a positive outlook can overcome any obstacles thrown at you by life. The resulting story is one of hope and the strength to overcome any insurmountable challenges.
Proof that some good things come in huge packages, Ashley Wall’s THE DAY I HAD A DINOSAUR is an informative and adorable children’s book that follows Luke on a yoga-saurus adventure with some prehistoric pals. With the help of Vaughan Duck’s engaging illustrations (and some pronunciation assistance), the story teaches cute lessons on teamwork, ingenuity, and the importance of inclusivity, showing that embracing ‘new and different’ isn’t always easy, but welcoming the unfamiliar can lead to wonderful new experiences, friendships, and personal growth.
REAL PEOPLE by Roberta J. Chromey is a captivating memoir that provides a rare and intimate glimpse into the Gurdjieffian training program at Sherborne House under the guidance of J.G. Bennett. The author’s honest and transparent account of her personal journey offers valuable insights into the challenges and transformations experienced by those dedicated to the Fourth Way teachings.
In PROJECT AGOSHA: Call of the Koteli by M.T. Lynx, a compelling narrative unfolds, intertwining themes of duty, sacrifice, and the uncertainties of destiny. The author skillfully navigates through the characters’ profound decisions and the burdens they bear. Through evocative imagery and deep emotional insight, the book delves into themes of allegiance, bravery, and the enduring connections that influence our paths. It presents a profound exploration of human behavior, captivating readers with its intricate storytelling and reflective storyline.
Lisa Darcy’s THE PACT immerses readers in the gripping journey of Samantha and Annie Callahan, celebrated doubles champions whose bond is tested when Annie’s engagement threatens their partnership. Through drama, action, and heartfelt moments, Darcy crafts a captivating narrative that explores the complexities of sisterhood, friendship, and love exemplified by relatable characters.
A MISFORTUNATE MISFIT is an inspiring account of one man’s journey from over 700 pounds to a fit 225, all without surgery, therapy, or visits to doctors. Far more than a weight loss book, Karl Sebastian’s well-written memoir is a moving lesson on facing life’s challenges with courage and conviction.
Pairing traditional story-telling and lyrical poetry with stunning illustrations (courtesy of Patrick Atkins), David Cary Lane’s THE PUPPY PROPHET offers readers a genre-bending novel that’s truly like no other. Part philosophical exploration, part spiritual journey, this contemplative tale offers a litany of life lessons via a lowly ‘dumpster’ stray navigating some of life’s biggest questions on a journey that will resonate with readers from all walks of life.
THE PIANIST’S ONLY DAUGHTER, a memoir by Kathryn Betts Adams, details her parents health battle after her mother is diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and her father with cancer. Adams is the only child, therefore it is her responsibility to look after them. She quickly learns that, in order to fulfill this obligation, she must find a way to get past her father, who wants to be in charge of all aspects of her mother’s daily care despite the fact that his health is deteriorating as well. Through the lens of a social gerontologist, she skillfully blends her own experiences as the only daughter with the difficult task of providing care, as well as the subtleties of love and family relationships. This heartwarming tale serves as both a helpful manual and memoir, penned with wisdom and insight regarding the optimal ways to tend to ailing and aging parents. It is also incredibly thorough and written with empathy and clarity, making it a priceless, reliable shelf companion for caregivers.
THE NOBLE ADVENTURES OF BERYL AND CAROL by Jeremy Sherr is a delightful tale that captures the boundless imagination and unwavering friendship of two young girls as they embark on a journey to build their own house and boat. Filled with whimsical adventures, relatable characters, and a heartwarming spirit of determination, this book will captivate readers of all ages with its charming storytelling and the inspiring resilience of its protagonists.
The reality of how the working class in Yorkshire, England in the middle of the 19th century dealt with a web of repressive systems is impressively painted in David Jacinto’s fictional book, OUT OF THE DARKNESS. The struggles that individuals in this century faced—child labor, poverty, mortality, and loss—are exemplified by the life of Tom Wright and his family. This story effectively demonstrates both the destructive effects of unrestrained capitalism and the inherent character of human nature. It is an intriguing historical novel that effectively highlights ambition, opportunity, and tenacity as critical components of accomplishing one’s goals.
Sigmund Freud would have a field day, what with dreams and Christian symbolism and reality interwoven in Nicholas D’Souza’s THE DEATH OF A BLUE JAY, the tale of Jeremy Martin’s spiritual journey. Many events remain unexplained, like the cause of son Leon’s death. Others can be interpreted readily, thanks to a back-end glossary. Along the way, readers might feel like a lost Alice in Wonderland with quickly switching scenes and characters; it’s balanced by the underlying emphasis on the search for the authentic self.
Michael E. Jimerson’s compelling examination of morality and justice in DRAW A HARD LINE forces readers to reevaluate their assumptions about justice and fairness. The story highlights the fuzzy lines between good and bad as it navigates the complexities of the legal system through the eyes of its protagonist, E.J. Kane. The novel presents a captivating story with vivid descriptions and endearing characters , making a lasting impression on readers who dive into its examination of human nature.
Decker Brown, returning home to Virginia after education in Boston, must decide whether to stick to his federal principles or his hometown loyalties as his country and future plans erupt into chaos. Engaging from page one, Brian Kaufman’s DREAD TRIBUNAL OF LAST RESORT is an American Civil War novel that features an easy-to-read writing style paired with an engaging story that will excite history fans.
Maya Workowski’s collection of poems QUIVER is filled with truthful moments that are both dissonant and lyrical. They make the personal universal and the universal personal, dissecting moments in ways that encourage the reader to experience them through multiple facets. From “Cupid’s Orchestra” to “Airport Poem” to “Tarot is for the witches” she takes a specific moment of experience and expands it across the senses. Photographs are woven amongst the poems, although not directly mirroring them, allowing the reader to decide which photograph goes with which poem and how to interpret their own matches. Workowski also uses the white space of the page and the way the words of a particular poem are arranged on it to further boost the experience. QUIVER is a collection of poems to make the reader think, laugh, see, and, most importantly, feel.
Christina Bacilieri’s THE LAST REFUGE delivers a touching message about the power of hope in this dystopian fantasy tale filled with an imaginative magic system and sympathetic heroines on journey of self-discovery while thwarting the plans of malicious authoritarian forces.
Comical characters, unexpected yet believably unbelievable situations and an upbeat storyline add up to THE FUNNY MOON by Chris Lincoln. Life’s ever-changing road has its standard ups and downs—this tale of marriage, career, frustration, and imagination brings them all together in a fast-paced light and airy read.
James Kingsley summons the spirit of the Old West, its settlers, and indigenous inhabitants in GREYSKIN, his beautifully unusual and gently profound collection of stories that dissolve genre boundaries to explore conflict, identity, and the complexities of the human condition. Fusing fantasy, horror, and traditional Western adventure, Kingsley unfolds tales of emotional struggle and injustice that introduce several wonderfully embroidered characters whose lives weave together through the different narratives. Rich in imagery and written in prose that manages to be both lush and austere, GREYSKIN is a spellbindingly good read.