I was so honored to be one of the judges for this year’s Inspy Awards! Bloggers & readers drove the long list nominations, and the advisory board selected the short list. At that point, we judges (all bloggers/reviewers) set out to determine the winner in our respective categories. Months of reading, much dialogue, many emails later – here are the winners of the 2016 Inspy Awards!
(Please visit the official announcement from the Inspy Advisory Board to read statements from the judges for each winner/category.)
Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense
2016 Shortlist
London Tides (David C. Cook) by Carla Laureano
The Dandelion Field (Zondervan) by Kathryn Springer
Crazy Little Thing Called Love (Howard) by Beth K. Vogt
A Love Like Ours (Bethany House) by Becky Wade
The Wonder of You (Tyndale House) by Susan May Warren
2016 INSPY AWARD WINNER
Debut Fiction
2016 Shortlist
The Thorn Bearer (Vinspire Publishing) by Pepper D. Basham
Jaded (David C. Cook) by Varina Denman
A Noble Masquerade (Bethany House) by Kristi Ann Hunter
Irish Meadows (Bethany House) by Susan Anne Mason
2016 INSPY AWARD WINNER
General Fiction
2016 Shortlist
A Cup of Dust (Kregel) by Susie Finkbeiner
The Art of Losing Yourself (Waterbrook Press) by Katie Ganshert
Secrets She Kept (Tyndale House) by Cathy Gohlke
Water From My Heart (Center Street) by Charles Martin
The Brontë Plot (Thomas Nelson) by Katherine Reay
2016 INSPY AWARD WINNER
Historical Romance
2016 Shortlist
The Wood’s Edge (WaterBrook) by Lori Benton
Not by Sight (Bethany House) by Kate Breslin
The Mistress of Tall Acre (Revell) by Laura Frantz
Luther and Katharina (Waterbrook Press) by Jody Hedlund
Through Waters Deep (Revell) by Sarah Sundin
2016 INSPY AWARD WINNER
Mystery/Thriller
2016 Shortlist
The Last Con (Thomas Nelson) by Zachary Bartels
A.D. 33 (Center Street) by Ted Dekker
Vendetta (Revell) by Lisa Harris
Falcon (Shiloh Run Press) by Ronie Kendig
The Bones Will Speak (Thomas Nelson) by Carrie Stuart Parks
2016 INSPY AWARD WINNER
Literature for Young Adults
2016 Shortlist
Season of Fire (Blink) by Lisa T. Bergren
Shades of Doon (Blink) by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon
The Choosing (Tyndale House) by Rachelle Dekker
An Uncertain Choice (Zondervan) by Jody Hedlund
Siren’s Fury (Thomas Nelson) by Mary Weber
2016 INSPY AWARD WINNER
Speculative Fiction
2016 Shortlist
The Methuselah Project (Kregel) by Rick Barry
Heir of Hope (Enclave Publishing) by Morgan L. Busse
The Shock of Night (Bethany House) by Patrick W. Carr
The Curse of Crow Hollow (Thomas Nelson) by Billy Coffey
Embers (Enclave Publishing) by Ronie Kendig
2016 INSPY AWARD WINNER
What about you? Which of the award winners have you already read? Which are still on your TBR?
I’m always surprised by how few I’ve read on these award lists. I’ve read Luther and Katharina & The Mistress of Tall Acre (both excellent) but have more on my shelves or kindle (Siren’s Fury, A Love Like Ours, The Wood’s Edge, Jaded, The Thorn Bearer) and the rest, well… let’s just say that my virtual TBR is an ever-growing colossus. 😉
Haha! Mine too!
Wow! How exciting that must have been. I have read a couple of books on the short lists, now I must add more books to my wish list.
I know the feeling haha!
Okay, so judging must be another of your Superpowers! I could absolutely not pick a winner from these books–there are just too many awesome ones and so many talented authors! I haven’t read more than 4 or 5 of them, but I have at least 17 more of them on my ever-growing, soon-to-bury-me-under TBR list, and I’ve heard so many great things about them. A lot of them are already either on my Kindle or in my pile of actual print books! I’m never going to get done–never, never, never! And all these fantastic authors just keep writing more amazing books. Must. Read. Faster. & Must. Do. Without. Sleep.
Sleep? What’s sleep? 😉
It’s that thing you’re supposed to do at night to refresh your mind and body. I remember doing it when I was younger–before kids, grandkids, aches and pains, insomnia, etc, etc! It’s highly overrated when you have books that need to be read! 🙂
Hmmm… I think I vaguely remember it…. Lol