2027 ENTRANTS
Added as our first-round reviewers read them, find the latest verdict blurbs for the 2027 IndieReader Discovery Award entrants, leading up to the big winner announcement in June 2028!
BELONGING TO THE WORLD inspires and entertains as Barry Hoffner recounts his personal tale of loss, grief, and overcoming through travel and culture. Hoffner displays distant corners of the world—from Africa to Asia—as he uses travel for both leisure and therapy. Lovers of emotional stories and vibrant cultures will resonate deeply with this book.
THE SECOND WORLD by Jake Korell is an uproarious dive into generational pressure, the weight of legacy and the hidden gift of coming in second. Korell spins a comedic tale with winks and nudges, sure to appeal to fans of Douglas Adams.
ENCELADUS delivers an imaginative science fiction narrative that blends high-concept ideas with an engaging sense of wonder. Chase Gluch’s accessible prose and steady pacing make the story appealing to both seasoned sci-fi readers and newcomers drawn to speculative explorations of humanity’s future
Written for military wives by an author who has lived the life she presents in this debut novel, THE GENERAL'S WIFE resonates with authenticity. Suzanne Dana beautifully captures the deep love and pride a wife feels for her high-ranking husband, and the admiration she has for the wives, like her, who persevere through ongoing deployments and constant uprooting of homes and families. With touches like watching the transition of young girls to women, uncovering buried secrets and a solving a murder, what is quite possibly a memoir evolves into a captivating novel to be enjoyed by all readers.
Diana Camellia Kai’s THE BOOK I NEEDED BUT NO ONE GAVE ME is a lyrical, intimate meditation on girlhood, resilience, and the quiet ways a person learns to survive and reclaim her voice. With vivid imagery and a spare, poetic structure, it will resonate most with readers drawn to reflective, emotionally honest literary writing about healing and selfhood.
Samm Smeltzer's WORKPLACE HEALERS takes a deliberate, human-centered approach to leadership, combining practical workplace insights with reflective, healing-focused methods for HR professionals and people managers. With its emphasis on intuition, resilience, and culture restoration, the book will appeal to readers looking for a more compassionate and long-term approach to supporting teams in today's challenging workplace.
Michael Gorton’s TACHYON TUNNEL 3 is a multi-layered interstellar science fiction crafted for true buffs. Fusing real physics with outlandish imagination, Gorton weaves a story that carries readers to the peak of the genre with human emotions front and center. In one sentence: it’s a hard-to-put-down read.
John Altamura writes with a quiet passion that's not stylistic, but grounded, deep, and real. SEVEN YEARS IN CHICAGO: A Journey of Growth sticks with readers for its brutally honest nature, not embellishing or exaggerating, but presenting a heart-wrenching story in an honest, well-paced manner. This is a solemnly-written tale of love, grief, perfect for readers who love emotional character-driven stories.
Filled with empathy, compassion, and an evident love for children with disabilities, SHINE ON: Raising Our Kids with Disabilities to Lead Bright, Happy Lives is a one-of-a-kind guidebook to raising special needs children. Schulz mixes personal anecdotes with compassionate words to create a book that feels less like an instructional manual, and more like a familial conversation. SHINE ON is a must-read for parents, educators, caregivers and guardians of children with special needs.
Through vivid descriptions and metaphors, VOICES WITHIN (Bella: Beyond the Bark) portrays the incredible story of one dog who overcame adversity, hunger and loneliness to understand love and a sense of belonging. Lana Stasek writes from the point of view of her rescued beagle, vividly and emotionally portraying his world to readers. VOICES WITHIN is a novel for readers ready to explore the world of strays, rescues, and the companions we call our pets, but be warned: this book WILL move you.
THE WIRE-WALKER is a deeply moving tale of struggle and finding self-expression in the darkest times and unlikeliest places. James Janko writes with a passion that's unmistakable, using metaphors, vivid imagery, and sensory descriptions to make what could easily be mistaken from a memoir. THE WIRE-WALKER is moving, vivid, and written with the emotions of a true survivor.
Originally published in 1936 as Do’s and Don’ts for Husbands, HOW TO BE A GOOD HUSBAND: A Classic Guide, Updated for Today, annotated by Rick Resnick, is an evergreen handbook focused on strengthening marriages. Updated for modern readers with new introductions and annotations, the book presents a mix of straightforward and traditional guidance with common sense at the forefront. Neither preachy nor flashy, it reads less like a formal manual and more like a relaxed, fun conversation with a witty, experienced friend who’s been through it all.
CRYSTAL LAKE CHRISTMAS blends the passion of romance, the chaos of family drama, and the joy of Christmas into one wonderful novel. Susan W. Green chooses not to embellish her writing, delivering a narrative pushed by substance rather than style, and it works- developing characters that drive the narrative forward from the first page. Green wrote for a very specific target audience, and readers looking for a character-driven romance will love this book.
John DeGuire's HOLIDAY SPIRIT BOOK THREE: MONSTERS ARISE! bursts with pulpy fun, combining typical monster chaos, snappy wit, and a surprising streak of heart into a fast-paced adventure. It's ideal for readers who enjoy a boisterous, imaginative supernatural adventure with holiday-themed mayhem.
"There is a collaboration illusion that is the assumption that because we are human and can communicate with each other, we must therefore naturally know how to collaborate." THE COLLABORATION ILLUSION: Why Working Together Sucks and How to Fix It, co-written by Anca Castillo and Cary Lopez, PhD, is a must-read for anyone who is in a leadership position and finds themselves leading meetings and needing to learn how to collaborate with co-workers.
DESTINY OF A FREE SPIRIT by Stephen Ford is a light, psychedelic meditation on the human need to be loved and what it takes to see each other. Set against the backdrop of a walking group, the book offers a portrait that illuminates essential questions of what it means to be alive. Eddie and his friends are us, the reader, and their journey is our own. This book will fool you with its easygoing manner and reel you in with its big questions.
DESTINY OF A FREE SPIRIT by Stephen Ford stands firm in the tradition of intellectual dystopias like Brave New World. His meditation on the world divided between economy and ecology offers a timely commentary for people living in a world of climate change and competing values. Ford’s work will provoke sustained reflection and moral questioning.
NO FREE SPEECH FOR HATE is an unapologetically bold dystopian novel that takes aim at censorship, ideological rigidity, and the unintended consequences of enforced moral consensus. Stephen Ford builds a near-future society that feels disturbingly familiar, using sharp satire and escalating tension to keep the story grounded rather than abstract. The book is at its strongest when it confronts uncomfortable questions about power, compliance, and the limits of “safety” in public life. Readers drawn to politically charged speculative fiction that challenges prevailing orthodoxies will find this novel both engaging and unsettling.
TO KEEP US ALL SAFE by Stephen Ford looks at restriction, isolation, and emotional distance during a fictional lockdown. The writing captures genuine frustrations, but the story sometimes lacks pace and tension, making it feel a bit muted. Despite showing clear potential in its premise and themes, these ideas are not quite fully explored, resulting in a story that feels somewhat restrained.
D. L. Lee’s SISTERLY LOVE will be loved by anyone who enjoys reading a sweet tale of self-discovery and coming to terms with one’s sexuality in a homophobic world. The novel celebrates a young woman’s struggles to be acknowledged and loved as a lesbian, not only by her practicing Christian sister, but also by the Australian society which is gradually making space for people like her.
THE CLERK AND THE INK DRINKER is a cataclysmic adventure with a unique style and an interesting tone. With short paragraphs and simple wording, N.G. Swett ranges from apocalyptic, to conversational, to humorous, creating a doomsday novel that feels dangerous yet child-friendly. THE CLERK AND THE INK DRINKER is a uniquely-written, stylistic apocalyptic novel that highlights friendship and facing hurdles together.
COMMON WISDOM is a highly thoughtful, well-researched exploration of a concept that's widely used but sparsely understood. Dr. Laura Gabayan mixes science, philosophy, and a hint of religious understanding, but she does not pretend that her methods are the only way to wisdom- and that makes the book stand out. COMMON WISDOM is a research paper at heart, written for thinkers who seek to understand the world better and increase their knowledge.
INTREPID SPIRIT by David Tunno is a gripping maritime thriller centered on a Navy veteran, Lt. Moses Redding, and the USS Constitution, the storied U.S. frigate. Blending fiction and history, the narrative delivers a cinematic feel rich in suspense and adventure. Overall, it’s a fast-paced, immersive page-turner that keeps readers hooked cover to cover.
Helen Lapada’s FIGHT LIKE HEL: Fourteen Battle-Tested Principles For Resilience integrates authentic narratives with fourteen established principles for cultivating resilience, blending real life events with humor and an inspiring feeling of progress. Each chapter ends with reflection prompts, making this book especially helpful for anyone facing illness, heartbreak, or major life changes who’s looking for genuine encouragement.
In her beautifully presented debut, THE ABCS OF CALIFORNIA’S NATIVE BEES, community scientist and conservationist Krystle Hickman shares her extensive knowledge and stunning photography to educate and enthrall. For each letter of the alphabet, she introduces a bee native to California, explaining its habits and behaviors while weaving in captivating facts and endearing anecdotes from her journey across the Golden State to find and photograph these enchanting, characterful insects.
Hickman also explores the native plants that are fundamental to the bees’ individual habitats and the various ongoing conservation projects. Wonderfully informative, comprehensive, and engaging, THE ABCS OF CALIFORNIA’S NATIVE BEES is a delightful book that deserves a broad audience.
Raquel Y. Levitt weaves a spellbinding tale of the power of women's voices and intuition in THE SEER. Levitt captivates with a story of courage in the face of oppressive and violent forces, and the historical significance of women’s suffrage and the efforts to suppress their voices in all aspects of life. A stunning and moving historical fiction that resonates, even in current times.
A combo of Lincoln Lawyer and Cross, "accidental public investigator" Tommy Cuda of LOSING LENORE by Joe Klingler is derailed from his Route 66 cross-country trip by fortune-teller Leni—and her disappearance. His fast-paced Midwest search for her yields encounters with contemporary issues, from illegal fentanyl distribution and new AI uses to rehab retreats. Short, clipped dialogue and relateable characters keep readers engaged.
BAD DAY FOR JUSTICE by Charlotte Stuart and Don Stuart draws inspiration from the real-life WPPSS bond collapse, weaving together fast-paced legal intrigue and an authentic Pacific Northwest setting. Centered on Sydney Warren and Duncan Carmichael, this novel is an appealing choice for fans of courtroom stories that intersect with major political and military issues.
Thank you to the 2027 IndieReader Discovery Awards Sponsors!
