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!
COLORSCAPES. Lee Woodman
Lee Woodman’s latest collection of poetry, COLORSCAPES, is the sixth book in her “Scapes” poetry series. It is a delight, pulling from art, literature, nature, travel, color, and the depths of human emotions. Her storytelling in each poem is beautiful. The use of space on the page, the enjambment choices, the sonics, choice of stanza structure, and the sensory detail make each poem a sublime joy. The high level of craft and skill elevate each poem, encouraging the reader to linger, while also enticing the reader to turn the page for the next poem. Interspersed with images, COLORSCAPES is a poetry collection whose pleasure expands with each page and each re-read.
Somadina Nnaji Chukwu’s THE CONVICTION AND ULTIMATE CHOICE OF GREATNESS stands out as a heartfelt, original blueprint for personal greatness, blending spiritual insight with practical life lessons drawn from the author’s own experiences. Written in a sincere, thoughtful voice, it offers philosophical reflections on themes like destiny versus free will and encourages readers to find their own path with hope and conviction.
LIKE DRIFTWOOD ON THE SALISH SEA by Richard I Levine is a heartfelt exploration of reconciliation and the enduring power of love, seamlessly blending military history with small-town nostalgia. Its richly drawn characters and vivid Pacific Northwest landscapes make it a deeply immersive and emotionally rewarding read.
ARCANUM: In The Temple Shadows by Kelly O’Hearn is a blend of romance, mystery, and spiritual awakening that moves effortlessly between modern-day Manhattan and the mystical sands of ancient Egypt. When Sarah Fuller, a successful but restless woman, begins to experience strange déjà vu and visions of a past life, she’s drawn into a journey that challenges everything she believes about love, destiny, and the soul’s eternal connections. With vivid storytelling, rich historical detail, and a touch of sensual magic, O’Hearn delivers a story that feels both otherworldly and deeply human, leaving readers eager to see where Sarah’s next lifetime will lead.
There’s a lot to love about THE WITNESS, a story that delivers both thrills and emotional depth. Jordan Standridge has a way of drawing readers in so you feel like you’re right there alongside the action. With each chapter, the suspense builds while the characters’ strength and courage shine through. Readers who love a good blend of suspense and heart will be glad they picked this one up.
SHREWD LITTLE SLEUTH by Scott Leckie blends memoir, historical thriller, and family reckoning. The narrative centers on Leckie’s grandfather, A. B. Leckie, once celebrated by J. Edgar Hoover as an FBI standout, only to later earn Hoover’s suspicion. Found dead just days before Marilyn Monroe, with her unlisted number in his pocket, he leaves behind a life steeped in intrigue, from undercover operations and Cold War espionage to Hollywood entanglements and shadowy government ties. Leckie, writing as both grandson and detective, pieces together fragmented clues, moral ambiguities, and the quiet tolls of legacy to ask: Did his family’s protector become his victim? The prose is personal yet probing, alternating between archival detail and emotional reflection. While some leaps in inference require faith in the narrator, the book turns a hidden family history into a prism for larger questions of power, secrecy, and redemption.
Short segments in THE LAST BOOK: The Diary of the Last Earthling by Hungry Minds, collective fictional author Noah Kaplan, bring the saga to life in this large-bound colorful tome-like fiction book. Following a bicycle accident that led to a coma, the author describes his dreams and a mythical, magical journey across the world and cosmos. Among Kaplan’s fantasies are entries of science, philosophy, and world history. THE LAST BOOK: The Diary of the Last Earthling is a nice addition to a home library.
THE FOREST’S EYES: Threads of Deception by Ruben Elustondo is a fast-paced, character-driven thriller that blends corporate intrigue, family conflict, and moral choices into a suspenseful story that hooks readers from its explosive opening. At the heart of the story is an earnest accountant who stumbles onto suspicious financial dealings that hint at money laundering, setting the stage for a tense unraveling of secrets.
TOKYO JUKU by Michael Pronko immerses readers in the high pressure world of Tokyo’s cram schools, blending a tightly plotted murder mystery with a penetrating critique of Japan’s exam culture. The ultimate result is a novel that is both intriguing and genuinely human, combining sharp societal satire with page-turning mystery.
RIDDLE OF THE JEWELED CIPHER by L. J. Aldon is a richly atmospheric paranormal mystery that combines historical lore, spectral intrigue, and modern sleuthing. The story follows Pucci Riddle, a ghost-seeing liquor critic, who stumbles on a centuries-old cipher hidden in a locket from the Cheapside Hoard. Her quest leads her to mist-shrouded Scotland, Rosslyn Chapel, and legends of the Knights Templar and King Solomon, while she is pursued by a dangerous adversary known only as the Shadow Man. Aldon’s heroine is sharp, emotionally grounded, and refreshingly original. The novel’s descriptive settings, clever puzzles, and steady rising tension make it ideal for fans of Agatha Christie-style whodunits infused with supernatural undercurrents.
While the online description of A FATHER’S PRESENCE by Daniel C. Davis suggests it’s “perfect for fathers and children to read together,” this excellently illustrated book might be better suited to teachers of intermediate students in a classroom setting. While the story line could hit uncomfortably close to home for some children, its several messages readily invite questions and classroom discussion. Fortunately, the book ends on a very positive note for students to share at home with those interested parents who ask “What did you learn at school today?”
SOUL RETRIEVAL by Shanna McNair is a raw and lyrical journey into memory, addiction, and healing, voiced through a fiercely original narrator whose honesty and language burn with emotional clarity. With its blend of memoir and philosophical reflection, it invites the reader into a soul’s painstaking reconstruction, illuminating the ache and hope of becoming whole again.
A HORSE-DRAWN SICKLE BAR CUTTER by Robert Merrick Fuller is an inspiring memoir of resilience and self-reinvention, chronicling one man’s journey from a fading dairy farm in Massachusetts to personal and professional fulfillment. Through vivid family history and candid reflections, Fuller reveals how he defied early setbacks and transformed a life of limited expectations into one of purpose and joy—his own Felicity.
HACKING SCHOOL by Annalies Corbin highlights innovative approaches that connect classroom experiences with real-world problem-solving, making education more engaging and relevant. With its focus on practical strategies and inspiring case studies, the book offers educators and learners a fresh perspective on how schools can better prepare students for life beyond the classroom.
In IT’S TIME TO GROW, Freddie Floyd, Jr. presents a faith-based self-help book to guide people into stronger relationships with themselves, each other, and God. It contains a lot of common-sense advice for people to treat each other well, written in a friendly, conversational style, as though he was a friend offering a helping hand. IT’S TIME TO GROW is a warm yet strong book of encouragement that will please and help those who believe.
Benjamin Weilert’s THE $1,300 ALPHABET makes vocabulary learning fun and visually appealing for kids. The book offers a fun and educational reading experience for both young readers and curious adults. Weilert’s book engages and enriches young readers by combining language, wordplay, originality, and inquiry as well as engaging illustrations by Nancy Anderson.
Lee Woodman’s latest collection of poetry, COLORSCAPES, is the sixth book in her “Scapes” poetry series. It is a delight, pulling from art, literature, nature, travel, color, and the depths of human emotions. Her storytelling in each poem is beautiful. The use of space on the page, the enjambment choices, the sonics, choice of stanza structure, and the sensory detail make each poem a sublime joy. The high level of craft and skill elevate each poem, encouraging the reader to linger, while also enticing the reader to turn the page for the next poem. Interspersed with images, COLORSCAPES is a poetry collection whose pleasure expands with each page and each re-read.
Brimming with action and suspenseful twists, MIND RAIDERS RESET by Jason Rexell draws readers into a high-stakes thriller with fantastical details as a teen with extraordinary abilities uncovers a dangerous web of interconnected conspiracies, risking everything to save a new friend.