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!
STATE OF GEORGIA VERSUS CLEVON JAMEL JENKINS by Robert Michael Kelly is a true crime novel at its finest, reflecting a case where hearsay remained supreme and a swarm of prosecutors, lawyers, judges, and officers got caught up in all the stories sending an innocent black man to prison for life. Robert Michael Kelly, Esq. supports his arguments by thorough well-researched evidence endorsing his credentials. This is the true crime book that all readers will appreciate for the exhilarating story, the grit and passion in the author’s tone, and of course the ultimate whodunit.
The dozen stories in Elizabeth Searle’s THE DRAMA ROOM explores 20th and 21st century events: COVID-19, the Kerrigan-Harding ice skating fiasco, politician’s families, school shooters, unwanted pregnancies, IVF trials. Yet all differ in tone and style: stream of consciousness, film/theater scripts, quiet memoirs, punk dialogue. A potpourri approach well suited for readers who appreciate writing’s infinite variety.
Finding life’s balance between drama and joy can be a daily struggle. KINDLING HOPE: Daily Passages from Darkness into Light by Zhen-Ru reminds readers that there is light—whether it’s dim or bright—at the end of every dark tunnel, and that “this too shall pass.” This collection, simply presented by Buddhist teacher Zhen-Ru (and translated by the Amrita Translation Foundation), features easy-to-read passages meant to bring out the true power in all of us. Changing the way we think doesn’t happen overnight, but one page a day from KINDLING HOPE is a start to one’s new personal mantra.
ACROSS THE BRIDGE by Michael Simones is a story of exploring sexuality, and for Ryder it was living life as a LGBTQ teenager. The emotion, passion, and raw heartbreak made this story come alive regarding awareness and acceptance. The colorful story and graphics will draw attention not only to the story, but to LGBTQ+ awareness regarding living in this world just as we are.
David James’s ESCALA’S WISH blends personal longing with a sense of quiet wonder. The novel centers on Escala, whose wish sets off a journey that is less about grand spectacle and more about internal change: grief, hope, and the cost of wanting something badly enough to reshape a life. The narrative takes its time, letting Escala’s inner thoughts and relationships guide the story and shape her growth. The focus stays firmly on character, allowing relationships and small, meaningful choices to carry the weight of the narrative. What ultimately makes Escala’s Wish resonate is how it treats wishing not as magic alone, but as a mirror for our human vulnerability and desire.
Whilst the pace of THE SECRET may leave some readers mildly frustrated and the choice of wording at times somewhat jarring, the reader will be compelled to continue in order to discover the protagonist’s "secret" past and their future. This love story is for the real romantic with a fastidious attention to detail.
THE RESCUES, Jordan’s Standridge third book in the Women of Strength, Courage, and Hope series, is a tough, determined love story. Ripley Capilano meets Morgan (book one’s heroine) by chance in a diner, and Morgan offers to rent her a spot for her RV on her ranch. When a truck carrying horses to slaughter is involved in a serious accident, Ripley joins Morgan and her crew to rescue the horses, bonding with one who is terrified of men. As she helps the horse regain trust and heal, Ripley falls in love with Morgan’s best friend Ty. Both have secrets, and they have to navigate their current lives and their pasts while deciding if they have a future together. It’s a slow burn romance with lots of clear, difficult discussions about what they want and need in a partner. The characters are strong and engaging, and every scene that’s built around the horses is both hopeful and heart-rending. THE RESCUES is a love story that demonstrates hard doesn’t mean it’s not worth the trouble.
E. H. Gates’s THE AUTHOR is a unique novel and a treat for literary nerds, written in the form of a profound dialogue between two young siblings—Ezekiel and Hannah—meeting regularly at a local cafe, Milton’s Coffee. At the heart of this novel, punctuated by excerpts from the Bible, soulful original poems and a great number of literary allusions, is Ezekiel’s quest to discover what it means to be an author and his power as a creator of words and worlds. Together, Hannah and Ezekiel embark on a journey in their shared dreams to communicate with each other when they can’t in the physical world, and decode the riddle at the center of this mind-bending tale: is Ezekiel ready to become “the author”?
UNBROKEN: Life Outside the Lines by Adriene Caldwell is a memoir reflecting on how it was growing up with a parent with a mental illness and how it shaped and healed Caldwell’s life. The tragedies, bravery, perseverance, and triumph made this story remarkable. Though the narrative delves into harsh and unflinching territory, it is infused with genuine admiration for Caldwell’s bravery, perseverance, and hard-won triumph over adversity.
MORTAL VENGEANCE by Alejandro Torres De la Rocha is a story of revenge set by four friends that plots to be more than payback. Marcos, Alex, Mario, and Manuel all have their own story and reasoning but they all have the same goal. If readers want a gripping, thrilling, and exhilarating story leaving them breathless, then MORTAL VENGEANCE fulfills that dream and more.
STARBREAKER PROTOCOL by David McLeod delivers a gritty, character-driven science-fiction novel focused on survival, loyalty, and escalating moral stakes. Readers drawn to slow-burn space operas will appreciate the novel’s immersive worldbuilding and the steady resolve of its quietly resilient protagonist.
Trisha T. Pritkin’s historical novel THEN CAME THE SUMMER SNOW overlaps with her nonfiction book of oral histories, The Hanford Plaintiffs, in that both books deal with incidents around the Hanford nuclear weapons facility in Washington State. In the novel, housewife Edith Higgenbothum transitions from docile wife to determined activist when a Geiger counter indicates radiation in her son’s milk, and her son develops thyroid cancer. The book unfolds slowly, as Edith puts together information and finds other mothers willing to take action. Herbie, her young son, is delightfully depicted with everything from inquisitive intelligence to fear at his upcoming treatments. THEN CAME THE SUMMER SNOW personalizes the effects of radioactive fallout on unsuspecting communities lied to by federal bureaucracies.
Troy Kotanides’s AFTERGLOW follows Edyn as she navigates a controlled society shaped by suppression and carefully managed truths. Edyn is pulled deeper into questioning what she has been taught through therapy sessions, fractured memories. The novel slowly reveals how much of her identity has been shaped by forces beyond her control.
Rather than moving quickly, the story unfolds through reflection and tension, letting the weight of repression, love, and choice build naturally. AFTERGLOW is less about rebellion in action and more about the quiet, dangerous moment when someone begins to remember who they were before being told who to be.
Tony Stewart’s CARRYING THE TIGER is a personal memoir that traces the experience of loving someone through illness, loss, and the long aftermath of grief. The book follows Stewart’s journey alongside cancer. Not just the medical reality, but the emotional weight of anticipation, hope, and heartbreak, while also capturing the quiet, unexpected moments of joy that surface even in the darkest periods. What stands out is the honesty of the reflection; the narrative does not rush toward healing or easy meaning, but allows sorrow and gratitude to exist side by side. Such a compassionate, steady account of learning how to keep living while carrying loss forward is rare to find.
In INTERCONNECTED: Sex, Dopamine, and Us, Daniel De Llano discusses the effects of sex and intimacy on our biochemistry. De Llano writes with understanding and a colloquial tone that’s perfect for young adults, allowing readers not just to follow along, but to relax and connect on a deeper level. INTERCONNECTED is not simply a lecture on the body’s chemical reaction to intimacy, it is a well-researched, easily digestible examination of gay hook-up culture from a scientific and societal perspective.
THE SPARKLE TRAP by Daniel De Llano focuses on dealing with a narcissist, offering tools to help heal wounds and leading readers down a path where they “number one on their own VIP list.” Even though this book was meant for the LGBTQ+ community, everyone can benefit and relate to the stories presented and the valuable wisdom offered. De Llano presents a roadmap for healing, empowerment, and taking one’s life back.
THE PRE-RAPHAELITE BROTHERHOOD by Nick Louras traces the birth of a rebellious art movement led by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Everett Millais, and William Holman Hunt, who challenged Victorian norms through intense realism, medieval symbolism, and devotion to nature. The book follows these artists through scandalous romances, bitter rivalries, and profound creative breakthroughs, exploring how their ideas, conflicts, and personal beliefs collided to reshape British culture. Richly researched yet wonderfully readable, Louras crafts both an engaging introduction for curious readers and a thoughtful study for art history enthusiasts, demonstrating how this once-mocked movement ultimately defined an entire era’s visual imagination.
Charles Weeden’s TISSIACK: A Sierran Siren follows Awena—a half-Miwok teenager who hears an ancestral voice while running cross-country, leading her on a quest for tribal recognition and cultural identity. Set against the Sierra landscape, the story beautifully blends Native American spirituality with contemporary struggles, as Awena fights bureaucratic injustice through an inspiring 80-mile run that transforms her tribe’s future. Thoughtful and gently powerful, Weeden crafts a tale about heritage, community, finding balance between two worlds, and the courage it takes to listen to one’s inner voice.