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!
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.
Simone Hewitt’s LIVING IN COLOR is part self-help book and part memoir using experiences and trauma from the author’s life to illustrate various forms of betrayal, exclusion, and deceit that exist within communities that claim to stand for the opposite. She explores societal demands that drive these dynamics through the lens of personal and painful experience. Each chapter begins with a series of affirmations relating to the chapter’s topic then expands outward through a personal story, how she navigated through it, and what lessons she took from it that allowed her to take the next steps. LIVING IN COLOR teaches that we are capable of bearing more than we think possible at any given moment, and, most importantly, that we are not alone.
A COMPREHENSIVE BREAKDOWN is unafraid to examine pain but always finds a way back to meaning. It is a moving and reassuring work that invites readers to feel less alone in their struggles. The stories are told with honesty and warmth, making heavy experiences feel lighter to carry. Each chapter reads like a quiet reminder that healing takes time and that imperfection is part of being human. In the end, it leaves you with hope that even in hardship, there is always a way forward.
Whilst it may be beneficial to be familiar with the original Austen novels from which the myriad cast of characters derives, it is not essential. Author Alice McVeigh expertly brings each character to life as if they were all of her very own creation. With a dusting of lasciviousness, MARIANNE: A SENSE AND SENSIBILITY SEQUEL may not be for the Austen purist, as McVeigh effortlessly blends characters from different Austen novels into one narrative, but, for the modern reader with an adoration of the classics, this book is perfect holiday reading.
Learning the truth about oneself is always an eye-opener, and for Sean/a, the truth is about as “they” as they come. In I, SEAN/A: THE STORY OF A HOMELESS INTERSEX WOMAN WHO INSPIRED A COMMUNITY by Dr, Kirsten Viola Harrison and Sean/A Smith, a colorful and vivacious man-woman finds a new life, acceptance, and love throughout his/her own community. This inspirational story may ring a bell for many others who are looking for acceptance in their own truths.
SCATTERED TALES by R. Henry Price is a captivating mix of sharp imagination and rich storytelling, offering thirteen stories that surprise, amuse, and provoke thought in equal measure. Each piece draws readers into a different world—sometimes strange, sometimes familiar, but always engaging. It is a delightful read for anyone who enjoys short fiction that balances humor, curiosity, and a touch of the unexpected.
STOLEN HISTORIES by B.R. Michaels is a bold and thrilling fantasy adventure that dazzles with its vibrant worldbuilding, sharp humor, and magnetic characters. With a heist plot layered in rebellion, elemental magic, and queer representation, Michaels weaves a narrative that is both fun and emotionally resonant, making this book a standout for fans of morally complex heroes and richly imagined settings.
BLACK CORROSION by Costi Gurgu is a visceral and richly imagined postapocalyptic tale that immerses readers in a crumbling world plagued by scarcity, mutation, and looming war. Balancing relentless action with deeply human struggles, the novel explores resilience, betrayal, and the price of survival through characters who are both fantastical and achingly real. Gurgu’s haunting vision of a civilization battling ruin and revelation is both a thrilling sci-fi epic and a sobering mirror of our world.
A GUIDE TO JAZZ IN JAPAN by Michael Pronko is a passionate, richly detailed exploration of Japan’s jazz scene, blending practical insights with cultural depth. With vivid storytelling and decades of first-hand experience, Pronko offers both a travel guide and a heartfelt tribute to the music, making it essential reading for jazz lovers and curious travelers alike.
THE JOURNEY FROM KAMAKURA by Glen Allison is a compelling, semi-autobiographical novel that transports the reader across the globe on the perilous but intoxicating quest of travel photographer Grey Matheson. Driven by ambition, wanderlust, and a hunger for the perfect image, Grey roams from Puerto Vallarta’s surf to Tibetan avalanches, falls prey to self-destructive impulses that cost him his marriage, fortune, and sense of stability, and is ultimately forced to confront what truly matters when a mysterious woman in Southeast Asia shows him visions. Allison’s prose is rich with sensory detail and emotional honesty, immersing readers in both the beauty and danger of life on the road. With its themes of resilience, identity, and the cost of chasing excellence, The Journey from Kamakura offers not merely a travel narrative but a deeper reflection on purpose, loss, and transformation.
THE WAYPOINTS: FROM 400 FAREWELLS AND 3,000 MILES by Diane Gansauer is a beautifully written and deeply moving reflection on life, loss, and the strength of the human spirit. Blending her seven-year hike along the Continental Divide Trail with her work as a life-cycle celebrant, Gansauer transforms miles of rugged terrain and hundreds of memorials into profound meditations on healing, resilience, and connection. Her storytelling is honest and luminous, filled with lessons gathered from both the wilderness and the lives she’s honored—each chapter a reminder that every farewell, like every mountain climbed, can lead to unexpected wisdom and grace.
Thank you to the 2027 IndieReader Discovery Awards Sponsors!
