Friday, December 20, 2024

Discussion - The Goodreads Choice Awards

This Week's Topic

The Goodreads Choice Awards

The results are in! So, what did you think? I know these awards always tend to come with some drama and unhappy readers, but I always take them with a grain. Of course, the categories are packed with popular books - it's a popularity contest. These are not books selected for their contribution to literature. These are books that a great number of people read and enjoyed. 

I always like seeing which books make the cut. There are a LOT of categories where I will not have read any books, but I am still always curious to see which books I did read were in the awards race. I like voting and seeing if my choice wins. I will admit, I won't pick what I think the most popular book is, and sometimes, I throw my vote behind a book that wasn't necessarily my favorite, but rather a book I would love to see get more love. 

So, let's take a look at the books I read. 

Fiction

I read four books in this category with Good Material being my favorite, though I Hope This Finds You Well was close behind. The winner was The Wedding People by Alison Espach which I have on my TBR but have yet to read. I have heard wonderful things about the book, and it has shown up in my feeds frequently attesting to its popularity. This win was not surprising to me. 

Romance

It will probably come as no surprise to you that this was my most heavily ready category. I am pretty sure every book on this list received 4.5 - 5 stars from me, and though I voted for Swift and Saddled, there was no doubt in my mind that Henry would win again. I have been a fan of Henry's since her young adult debut. I think her books are brilliant and am happy to see her enjoying so much success in the adult realm. 

This was a case of me voting for the underdog. I just wanted that book to know they were worthy of my vote and this list. Maybe it's silly, but it makes me happy to throw my support behind the "little" book on that list. The slate was packed with major players, though I was glad to see some new ones in the mix. Again, I would have been glad to see any of the books I read win the title. 

Fantasy


I only read one book in this category, and it was not my favorite by the author. I liked it but not as much as The Wishing Game. I wasn't shocked to see a book by Klune take the title. I had read one book by the author which was just ok for me, but I know how many people adore Klune's work.




Debut Novel

I always try to read some debuts every year as I seek out new authors to love. I read three that were nominated, and look at that! My favorite was the winner! There was definitely something special about How to End a Love Story, and I was overjoyed to see it take home the title. I also know I will read more from Kuang and can't wait to see what else she has in store for us. 

I don't really read many young adult books these days, though I will always read Painter. At this point, her books are still a delight. My choice was Dungeons and Drama which I was actually was hesitant to read. I had read Boyce's debut which was fine but nothing special to me, but I great review after great review for D&D, I couldn't resist picking it up. So glad I did as it was delightful, and I am eager to read the follow up set in this world when it comes out next month. This was another case where I was compelled to vote for a book I knew would not win. There were way too many heavy hitters up there, and although reviews were great, this was not a book I saw being read by the masses in the way some of the others were. Still, I was happy to see it make the list. 

Alas, I did not pick or read the winner which was Heartstopper: Volume 5. This is a beloved series which spawned a beloved TV show, so it's not some big shock or upset. The category was stacked with popular YA authors and books.

Now it's your turn!

Were you surprised by the winners? Did you read any/many of the books that were nominated? 




Did any of your favorites make the cut?
Let us know in the comments!
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2 comments:

  1. AngelaDecember 20, 2024 at 9:14 AM

    I only voted in the categories that I had actually read one of the nominees in, so that wasn't many! I think I voted for Jimenez in the romance category, but agreed, not surprising that Henry won. I still need to read The Wedding People, too!

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    1. Samantha@WLABBDecember 20, 2024 at 12:16 PM

      Same. I think I used to just pick books, but I stopped doing that. My loan came through for The Wedding People, but I was in a mood and didn't think I could handle the subject matter. I will try again!

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