Based in Australia, The Chrysalis BREW Project is an award-winning book hub dedicated to bibliophiles and knowledge mongers around the world. Not only has it made its way to Feedpost’s list of top book blogs in Australia and Detailed’s list of top book blogs in the world, The Chrysalis BREW Project has also been hailed as one of 2022’s Best Review Blogs by Reedsy. BREW, as it is fondly called, has made it its mission to bring the best books to the purview of myriad readers. It always makes sure that its plethora of audience gets their hands on the best reading materials.
The Chrysalis BREW Project has been hosting a number of prestigious awards to celebrate the various amazing books out there. The BREW Readers’ Choice Award is proffered to books every month and year based on the readers’ choices. The BREW Book Excellence Award is awarded to books based on the decision of a prestigious panel of critics, readers, and writers. Any book that gets awarded perfect 5-star ratings from all BREW reader reviews is presented with the distinguished BREW Seal of Excellence.
Let us have a look at the amazing books that have been the recipient of the varied BREW Book Awards to date.
“Bunky and the Walms” by Aleksandra Tryniecka
Awards: BREW Readers’ Choice Award (Book of the Year 2021, New Book of the Year 2021, Children’s Book of the Year 2021); BREW Seal of Excellence; and, BREW Book Excellence Award for 2021
Aleksandra Tryniecka’s Bunky and the Walms teleports us to the magical Christmassy world of Walmland. We are invited to join our noble yet quirky hero, Bunky Hippo, and his cohorts, Rodney and Plum, as they go on an all-important quest to save Christmas. Along the way, the wholesome novel brings home the power of believing and following one’s dreams. The beautiful illustrations add an edge to this beautiful children’s tale.
“RAT” by Priscilla B Shuler
Awards: BREW Readers’ Choice Award (Coming of Age Novel 2021/2022)
RAT is a historical fiction book that portrays that everyone, no matter how insignificant they seem, has a story to tell. Priscilla B Shuler’s story follows a young and nameless London urchin as he slowly finds his way into the world.
From the streets of England to the shores of the Americas, our protagonist does his best to realize his destiny. Full of intriguing characters and unexpected turns, Rat is a novel that is bound to have your attention long after finishing it.
“Kuimba” by Priscilla B Shuler
Awards: BREW Readers’ Choice Award (African American Fiction of 2021/2022)
Priscilla B Shuler makes us ponder the power of forgiveness and redemption in her novel, Kuimba. The book revolves around a blue-eyed black boy named Kuimba. In the close-knit and racially segregated town of Barnfield, the miraculous child becomes an enigma. His mother, Ophelia, loves him unconditionally. Yet the love of Lucy, the wife of their overlord, Charles Bernard, makes him the arch nemeses of R.E. Bernard, Lucy’s son. Through the story of this enigmatic boy, Shuler portrays the age-old rivalry between good and evil.
“Friendship Matters” by Rona D Drinkard
Awards: BREW Readers’ Choice Award (Women’s Fiction 2021/2022); BREW Seal of Excellence
The bond among friends is a special thing. Friendship Matters by Rona D Drinkard depicts the sanctity of female friendship through the story of Euniqé, Saisha, and Kandace. While Euniqé is the sincere single mother dedicated to her son, Saisha is the headstrong one on a quest to replace her first love. Kandace, on the other hand, has to deal with a philandering husband, a man for whom she had sacrificed all her dreams.
Though diagrammatically opposite in most things, the women always look up to each other as they try to navigate their own course in life. This is one novel that will make you value your own friends.
“Daddy Jack’s Place” by Priscilla B Shuler
Awards: BREW Readers’ Choice Award (Christian Fiction of 2021/2022)
Daddy Jack’s Place is a book that highlights that one can never embrace the present if one runs away from the past. A shocking secret prompts Jack to leave his post as a pastor and his newlywed wife. After spending years on the run, he finally decides to open up a store in Netsuke, Louisiana. One thing leads to another, and he decides to face his past. Priscilla B Shuler’s Daddy Jack’s Place is an intriguing look into racism and faith.
“Project Tau” by Jude Austin
Awards: BREW Readers’ Choice Award (SciFi Realism of 2021/2022)
Jude Austin’s Project Tau is a rare blend of genres. The first book in the Project series follows Kalin Taylor as his life is unexpectedly changed right at the beginning of his college career. The aspiring scientist agreed to break into GenTech’s facilities and get a photo of the elusive Project Tau as part of a pledge to join a fraternity. Little did he know that this decision would be catastrophic for his life. Set thousands of years from now, the action of Project Tau takes place in a multi-planetary universe that can very well be humanity’s future. Jude Austin’s book is sure to make you introspect. I would not be surprised if this series turns out to be an award-winning movie franchise in the near future.
“Two Can Play” by Priscilla B Shuler
Awards: BREW Readers’ Choice Award (Romantic Comedy Novel of 2021/2022)
Two Can Play by Priscilla B Shuler definitely brings a twist to the idea of a femme fatale. The book starts off with Carolyn finally having enough of her cheating husband and wanting to get out of her sham of a marriage. However, he refuses as he is adamant to keep up the façade of the perfect family. To trick her husband into divorcing her, she embarks on a course of transformation. She decides to make her husband fall in love with her in order to leave him forever. Though it might seem improbable, Shuler weaves a story where it makes absolute sense. This book is perfect for romance lovers who believe in second chances.
“The Medallion” by Priscilla B Shuler
Awards: BREW Readers’ Choice Award (Historical Romance Novel of 2021/2022)
Priscilla B Shuler’s Victorian novel, Medallion, follows a young girl named Teresa as she tries her best to fit in. The illegitimate child of a nobleman, Teresa always thought her mother to be a scar-faced gypsy. She starts her career as a lowly servant in a manor at the age of ten. When the young master of the house falls ill, Teresa uses her gypsy mother’s ways to cure him. As time passes, the people of the manor become her family. However, the arrival of her biological father changes everything. In Medallion, Shuler depicts the importance of love and family. She shows that family is never only determined by blood. There is much more to it.
“Favored” by Priscilla B Shuler
Awards: BREW Readers’ Choice Award (Christian Historical Fiction of 2021/2022)
Favored is a small town mystery that emphasizes the value of forgiveness. Life in a small town in South Carolina is upended when a beloved community member is assaulted and left for dead. Sheriff Boyd Custer gathers up a team to find the culprit. This is one story that makes you question what is right and wrong. Priscilla B Shuler takes you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions with Favored.
“Avoiding Aiden” by Chris Cole
Awards: BREW Readers’ Choice Award (LGBTQ Fiction of 2021/2022)
Avoiding Aiden by Chris Cole follows Aiden Lawrence as he finally begins to face his feelings. Being sexually assaulted by his ex-boyfriend and having unresolved feelings about his parents, have made him emotionally unavailable for a long time. Everything changes when Jude enters his life. Chris Cole beautifully portrays the fear of exposing our vulnerabilities to the world. His amazing writing style makes this book relatable to even those who are not from the LGBTQ community. Avoiding Aiden would be a treat to anyone who likes reading coming-of-age novels.
“A Time to Forget in East Berlin” by CG Fewston
Awards: BREW Readers’ Choice Award (Spy Thriller Fiction of 2021/2022); BREW Book Excellence Award for 2021
CG Fewston’s A Time to Forget in East Berlin is an unforgettable spy thriller. It follows John Lockwood as he is compelled to reconcile his love life with his dangerous persona as a spy. This book is highly recommended to fans of espionage novels and love stories.
“The Chimerical War: Destiny of India” by Digisha
Awards: BREW Readers’ Choice Award (Historical Fiction of 2021/2022)
Digisha’s The Chimerical War: Destiny of India presents to us an alternate history of India. Her book gives us a glimpse of the reality that might have been if Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and his Indian Independence League had succeeded. The fast-paced story and vivid writing style make you feel all kinds of emotions and invigorate your inner patriotism.
“Deliveries” by Paul Smith
Awards: BREW Readers’ Choice Award (Action Thriller Fiction of 2021/2022)
Deliveries by Paul Smith follows bush pilots, Paul Jackson and Dave McMurray, as they get stranded during a storm without even the basic supplies. Smith fully uses his experience as a pilot and makes the reader feel like Paul and Dave’s co-passengers. The well-developed characters and fast-paced writing make this a perfect book for fans of action thrillers.
“Gifted Love” by Solstice Kahale
Awards: BREW Readers’ Choice Award (Clean Romantic Fiction of 2021/2022)
Solstice Kahale weaves a beautiful tale of opposites attract in her romance novel, Gifted Love. While Bella is someone who likes to find happiness in the little things of life, Ramsey Feldweller is a profit-minded man who has made his father’s business the primary focus of his life. When these two meet during the magical season of Christmas, the sparks inevitably fly. Kahale’s novel is a must-read for people who like a dash of romance in their lives.
“Taking Action for a Better Tomorrow” by Jeremy P Boggess
Awards: BREW Readers’ Choice Award for July 2022
Taking Action for a Better Tomorrow by Jeremy P Boggess gives us a detailed insight into today’s world. Boggess presents to us his views on all the changes and advancements that are taking place today in six engaging chapters. This non-fiction book would be a treat to intellectual readers who like to be aware of the happenings around them.
“Stay Safe with Ruby and Reuben” by Sneha Sabu
Awards: BREW Readers’ Choice Award for May 2022
Stay Safe with Ruby and Reuben is a must-have for any child. With this illustrated children’s book, Sneha Sabu aims to teach children the importance of remaining safe at all times. Sabu’s interactive writing style engages children as she shows them the myriad ways to stay safe. Sneha Sabu’s pledge to donate the proceeds from the sale of her book in order to protect children from abuse is admirable.
“Black, White, and Gray All Over” by Frederick Douglass Reynolds
Awards: BREW Readers’ Choice Award for April 2022
Frederick Douglass Reynolds has had an incredible life. From being a troubled teen in Detroit to becoming a respectable cop in Compton Police Department, Douglass had seen both the sides of the law. In his memoir, Black, White, and Gray All Over: A Black Man’s Odyssey in Life and Law Enforcement, he chronicles the ups and downs of being a police officer of color. Through his eventful life story, Douglass emphasizes that anything is possible in life.
Conclusion
The Chrysalis BREW Project has the motto of lifting each other up and onward to greater heights. In a short amount of time, with sheer determination and dedication toward book lovers all over the world, it has managed to secure its spot among the best of the best today. Rest assured, BREW Award-Winning books are bound to enthrall you and satisfy your reading urges. Do comment and let me know which of these amazing books piques your curiosity.
Note: The above list includes awardees up to July 2022 only.
The World's Best 
Great post!
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