IndieReader Discovery Awards 2026 Entrants
Added as our reviewers read them, find the latest verdicts for the 2026 IndieReader Discovery Award entrants, leading up to the big winner announcement in June!
Judy Haveson stitched together a story of familial bonds across generations, packaged in a colourful, easy-to-follow children's book. With a writing style that's basic, illustrations that are inviting, and a linear story fit for the youngest readers, THE MAGICAL WOODEN CHAIR is a tale of a family heirloom passed down, and the book itself is fit to be a family heirloom which generations of children will enjoy. This book will be a perfect bedtime story.
High schoolers get initial answers of how to decide what work path to pursue in CAREERS BY THE PEOPLE: Candid Career Advice from 101 Experienced Professionals, Mike Wysocki’s ambitious compilation of 101 different careers, based on interviews with individual practitioners. Remarkably candid, each three-to-four-page summary centers on details like likes/dislikes, typical benefits, advancement, and words of advice. A great starter for determining how to spend the next 40 work years.
THE RADICAL RADIANCE OF THE FISHING FLY by Lewis K. Schrager is not a typical fishing novel. It's a story of family bonds, childhood wounds, and reconnection against the backdrop of Alaska's beautiful wilderness. Complete with scenery to die for, a main character rife with insecurities, and a brotherly bond relatable to anyone with siblings, this novel will capture readers' hearts and not let go.
In WAKE-UP CALLS: A Journey of Learning to Lead and Succeed in the Funeral and Deathcare Profession, Lisa Baue reflects on a lifetime in funeral service, tracing how sudden loss pushed her into leadership before she felt ready. Part memoir, part professional guide, the book speaks directly to women in deathcare who are navigating ownership, pressure, and the need for more humane leadership.
THE POWER PLAYBOOK: Practitioner Field Manual by Steve Evans Jr. is a practical, output-focused guide for coaches and athletes committed to training power through a structured and logical training system. Written in a clear and accessible manner, the book explains power-oriented performance enhancement concepts while emphasizing the relationship between speed and velocity supported by precise tracking and fatigue management. All in all, it’s a worthwhile read for anyone serious about thoughtful power development.
E.L. Wilk’s novel BODY OF WORK is a speculative thriller that attempts to integrate organ donation, breakthroughs in robotic surgeries, and ordinary people struggling to make the best of their lives. William fell in love with British immigrant Olivia, and now they struggle to make ends meet and care for their four-year-old twins. A bad decision made out of desperation plunges him into the world of organ donation, willed bodies, and the darker underside. BODY OF WORK depicts the friction between everyday survival and scientific breakthroughs.
Lynn Marceau's WHEN WILL I EVER LEARN is a vibrant collection of realistic, funny poetry that warmly and clearly depict ordinary childhood situations. The book is ideal for young readers and families looking for lighthearted observations on growing up because it is paired with expressive images.
Jessica Chappell Sumbury's HALF DEAD WOMAN: a collection of poems written for the living is a deeply personal collection of poems dwelling on the themes of womanhood and mothering. In understated, elegant, and sometimes enigmatic verse, Sumbury explores the nexus between personal responsibility, giving voice to one's experience, and the banalities – and epiphanies – of everyday life.
Samantha Burgess-Smith’s SNAKE WIFE is a dark, myth-soaked tale that feels ancient and visceral from the very first pages. The story follows Liama, Chieftainess of House Est, a powerful and unsettling figure whose connection to healing, decay, and transformation sets her apart from everyone around her. As Norse raiders threaten her land and storytellers like Aemilie recount the violent clashes, the line between legend and lived experience is blurred. What makes the book stand out is its raw physicality which gives Liama’s power an eerie, almost sacred weight. It’s a haunting, folkloric story that will leave readers wanting more.
BECOMING MARIELLA is a moderately-paced, fairly entertaining coming-of-age tale taking readers on a complex journey with the feisty protagonist from the heart-warming locales and the family-oriented community of Sicily to her dream city, San Francisco. While Janet Constantino has crafted a memorable and profound protagonist with layers of childhood trauma, as well as fierce ambitions for her future beyond Sicily, the star character is definitely Mariella’s mother. Readers will definitely be surprised to see a different, more ferocious and dominating side of motherhood explored in a reflective manner in this moving tale.
E. Piotrowicz's understanding of the neurodivergent brain seeps through every word in this tapestry of love and music. BIRD IN SPACE is a mature blend of romance, neurodivergence, and the love of the arts perfect for musicians, nonconformists, or anyone who appreciates slow-burn love stories.
ABDUCTED by J.S. Ash is a high-stakes sci-fi survival story in which a sharp, underestimated teenager is forced to fight alien mercenaries aboard a living warship to save her best friend. Mixing brutal action with smart character moments, the novel builds tension as buried training and fierce loyalty collide with threats far bigger than she imagined, resulting in a tense, imaginative, and emotionally grounded gripping opener.
W. Royce Adams’ SCAR SONGS: stories offers a resonant collection that explores the marks people carry, both visible and unseen, with insight and emotional clarity. Through vivid prose and keen observation, the book captures moments of vulnerability and resilience, appealing to readers who appreciate character-driven literary fiction.
IN THE GHOST'S SHADOW by Clifton Brown launches The Shadow Core Saga with a fast-paced science fiction story driven by advanced technology, covert operations, and an emerging hero thrust into dangerous circumstances. With immersive worldbuilding and steady momentum, the novel will appeal to readers who enjoy high-concept sci-fi grounded in classic genre tradition.
PIECE BY PIECE by SHERYL HAUK is a haunting memoir of abuse and healing. Spanning decades of hardship, Hauk confronts the realities of suffering while affirming that healing, though never linear, remains possible. The result is a hopeful yet honest journey toward wholeness.
THE ABSURD BURDEN OF FAMILY: A Cautionary Tale by H&S Alvaurence offers a sharp, unapologetically humorous examination of family dynamics from an unconventional perspective. Bold and at times deliberately uncomfortable, the book will resonate with readers who appreciate candid, fearless explorations of complicated relationships.
Stephen Ford's THE GLASTONBURY TRIANGLE presents a provocative blend of mysticism, romance, and social commentary rooted in themes of Wicca and feminist spirituality. With unexpected twists and a climactic resolution that restores narrative momentum, the novel will appeal to readers drawn to unconventional, thought-provoking fiction.
LOSER*: A Survival Guide to High School Popularity by C.S. Beaty is a brutally honest and surprisingly funny memoir about growing up awkward in Grand Island, Nebraska—a town so unremarkable its main claim to fame was finally getting a Target store. Beaty captures the universal agony of high school crushes and failed relationships with such painful accuracy that every botched date and missed opportunity feels like watching your own worst memories play out in slow motion. What starts as a self-deprecating tale of romantic failures transforms into something deeper: a meditation on how the confused, fumbling losers we were and how the small towns that suffocate us shape who we become.