The Zibby Awards

Welcome to the 4th Annual Zibby Awards!!

Finalists for the 4th Annual Zibby Awards 2024

Welcome to the 4th Annual Zibby Awards!! Launched in 2021, the Zibby Awards strives to celebrate the under-celebrated parts of a book. Best spine design, best acknowledgments, best table of contents, and more.

Zibby's Awards is happening in New York City, on January 27, 2025. 

Finalists for the 4th Annual Zibby Awards 2024

The Zibby Awards is pleased to announce the finalists of the 2024 year. Winners will be notified at an in-person event in New York on January 27.
Thanks to everyone for entering!

Best Book for the Parent

Nicole Pensak
Rattled: How to Calm New Mom Anxiety with the Power of the Postpartum Brain

Lori Sugarman-Li
Our Home: The Love, Work, and Heart of Family

Shelly Mazzanoble
How to Dungeon Master Parenting: A Guidebook for Gamifying the Child-Rearing Quest

Amy Betters Midtvedt
You’ll Make It (and They Will Too): Everything No One Talks About When Parenting Teens

Paige Peterson, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Jesse Kornbluth
The Secret Garden

Best Story of Overcoming

Dara Levan
It Could Be Worse

Bridey Thelen-Heidel
Bright Eyes: Surviving Our Monsters and Learning to Live Without Them

Karen Kirsten
Irena’s Gift

Rosie Sorenson
If You’d Only Listen: A Medical Memoir of Gaslighting, Grit & Grace

Gila Pfeffer
Nearly Departed: Adventures in Loss, Cancer, and Other Inconveniences

Best Book for the History Lover

Samantha Greene Woodruff
The Trade Off

Talia Carner
The Boy with the Star Tattoo

Lisa Barr
The Goddess of Warsaw

Katharine Schellman
The Last Note of Warning: A Mystery

Teri M. Brown
Daughters of Green Mountain Gap

Best Book for the Dreamer (Fantasy)

Judith Natelli McLaughlin
Summer on Butterfly Bay

Paige Peterson, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Jesse Kornbluth
The Secret Garden

Kris Faatz
Fourteen Stones

Sabine Ruh
Lumilore: The Original Story of the Dragon Who Glowed

Best Book for the Traveler

Lauren Martin
Night of the Hawk

Kirstin Vukovic
The Cheesemaker’s Daughter

Michael C. Higgins
Exploring Wine Regions - Mexico

Best Book for the Animal Lover

Cathryn Michon
I’m Still Here: A Dog’s Purpose Forever

Jenni Ogden
Dancing with Dragons

Stevie Lynne
The Accidental Animal Cop

Allia Zobel Nolan
Why Can’t My Brother Be More Like My Cat?

Judith Natelli McLaughlin
Summer on Butterfly Bay

Best Book for the Best Friend

Jenni Ogden
Dancing with Dragons

Jenifer Goldin
Moms Who Read Romance Novels

Samantha Greene Woodruff
The Trade Off

Sarahlyn Bruck
Light of the Fire

Best Coming-of-Age Book

Kelly McKenzie
Never, Never, Hardly Ever

Lorelei Darling
Somewhere Will Find You

Mimi Zieman
Tap Dancing on Everest

Anastasia Zadeik
The Other Side of Nothing

Cherry Lou Sy
Love Can't Feed You

Best Book for the Anxious

Allia Zobel Nolan
Harriet Hurry-Up and the Oh-So-Slow-Day

Michele Olson
Being Nancy (In a World Lost in Mystery)

Best Coming-of-Middle-or-Old-Age

Dara Levan
It Could Be Worse

Jessica Saunders
Love, Me

Jennifer Lang
Landed: A Yogi’s Memoir in Pieces and Poses

Suzette Mullen
The Only Way Through is Out

Renee Burns
We’re Sorry to Inform You that Your Forties Are Over

Best Health & Wellness Book

Laura Gabayan
Common Wisdom: 8 Scientific Elements of a Meaningful Life

Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer, Allison Gilbert, Pierre Lehu
The Joy of Connections: 100 Ways to Beat Loneliness and Live a Happier and More Meaningful Life

Best Book That’ll Make You Cry

Jessica Fein
Breath Taking: A Memoir of Family, Dreams, and Broken Genes

Gila Pfeffer
Nearly Departed: Adventures in Loss, Cancer, and Other Inconveniences

Chelsea Ohlemiller
Now That She’s Gone: A Daughter’s Reflections on Loss, Love, and a Mother’s Legacy

Gina DeMillo Wagner
Forces of Nature: A Memoir of Family, Loss, and Finding Home

Michelle Cox
The Fallen Woman’s Daughter

Best Book for the Foodie

Kristin Vukovic
The Cheesemaker’s Daughter

Michael C. Higgin
Exploring Wine Regions - Mexico

Rachel Adina Mullen
Vegan Flavors of the World

Micah Silva
Nosh: Plant-Forward Recipes Celebrating Modern Jewish Cuisine

Best Book for the Strong Woman

Lisa Barr
The Goddess of Warsaw

Vanessa Miller
The American Queen

Suzette Mullen
The Only Way Through is Out

Samantha Greene Woodruff
The Trade Off

Mimi Zieman
Tap Dancing on Everest: A Young Doctor’s Unlikely Adventure

Best Book That’ll Make You Laugh

Bethany Turner
Cole and Laila Are Just Friends

Kristan Higgins
Look on the Bright Side

Lisa F. Rosenberg
Fine, I’m a Terrible Person

Leslie Anne Tarabella
We Don’t Push in Fairhope

Marissa Meyer and Joanne Levy
Let it Glow

Best Book for the Griever

Chelsea Ohlemiller
Now That She’s Gone: A Daughter’s Reflections on Loss, Love, and a Mother’s Legacy

Jessica Fein
Breath Taking: A Memoir of Family, Dreams, and Broken Genes

Gina DeMillo Wagner
Forces of Nature: A Memoir of Family, Loss, and Finding Home

Best Book That Made Your Escape

Ellen Meister
Divorce Towers

Mimi Zieman
Tap Dancing on Everest

Kirstin Vukovic
The Cheesemaker’s Daughter

Best Beach Read

Suzanne Kamata
Cinnamon Beach

Judith Natelli McLaughlin
Summer on Butterfly Bay

Andrew Knott
Love’s a Disaster

Sarahlyn Bruck
Light of the Fire

Best Book That’ll Make You Tremble

Madeleine Henry
My Favorite Terrible Thing

Maggie Smith
Blindspot

Julia Marie Davis
Catbird

Best Family Drama

Karen Kirsten
Irena’s Gift: An Epic WWII Memoir of Sisters, Secrets and Survival

Rachel McRady
Sun Seekers

Nayantara Roy
The Magnificent Ruins

Zelly Ruskin
Not Yours to Keep

Best Book for the Pop Culture Lover

Kristin Mulrooney
Barbie IRL

Piper Ferguson
Indie/Seen

Best Book for the Valentine

Ruth A. Casie
The Lyon’s Alliance

Best Book for the Sports Fan

Sarahlyn Bruck
Light of the Fire

Best Book for the Knowledge Hunter

Susan Blumberg-Kason
When Friends Come from Afar: The Remarkable Story of Bernie Wong and Chicago’s Chinese American Service League

This year, we’re changing things up. Our awards ceremony will be held in person!

We have 27 categories, all inspired by shelves in the bookstore.

Anyone can nominate a book or author they love (and yes, you can nominate yourself).

All nominees will be notified that they were nominated. Our team will select the finalists in each category. Winners will be in announced in person and via livestream.

Winners and Finalists will be announced December 11, 2024. 

Nominate a book you love
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Award Ceremony

To Be Announced.