2018 Goodreads Choice Awards: 10th Annual Opening Round Nominees + My Picks
1:26 PM
First things first: for those of you who don't follow me on Twitter--I was on a hiatus and I'm sorry for being MIA! I didn't mean to disappear but I had to take a step back from the blog due to the fact that my father unexpectedly lost his job of 22 years. The stress of it all was a bit much and because of my issues with anxiety, I just wasn't in the right state of mind to be blogging.
While I'm still not 100% back to myself, and probably won't be until this entire situation is over, I am trying to get back on my blogging game. Goodreads provided a nice kick in the butt recently, though, with their 10th annual Goodreads Choice Awards. Can you believe it's time for the opening round nominations already?
(I can't!)
As the year dwindles down, it's time for us readers to put together our favourite releases of the year. So many good books have been published this year and while many of the ones I adored didn't make the cut on Goodreads, there were plenty of options to pick from.
I thought it'd be fun to put together a little post discussing my picks. So, here we go!
BEST FICTION
It's probably not even remotely surprising that I voted for You Think It, I'll Say It. Curtis Sittenfeld is one of my favourite writers of all time and this collection of short stories really hit all the right marks for me.
BEST MYSTERY & THRILLER
I had to remind myself that this book did technically come out this year. I was definitely confused at first: I read it late last year when the galley was sent to me! #BOOKBLOGGERPROBLEMS
BEST HISTORICAL FICTION
The Immortalists was one of my favourites this year--and one that I only just read last week! How can anyone say no to that cover?
BEST FANTASY
This was another one of my more recent reads. After seeing so much praise surrounding it on Tumblr, I picked it up--and boy, was it totally captivating!
BEST OF THE BEST
This category was super surprising for me. Not only that, it was bloody difficult to even begin to pick between... well, literally half of these books. It was like picking a favourite child. But, I managed. After a three hour debate. It came down to City of Heavenly Fire vs. A Court of Wings and Ruin, so consider COHF the official runner up.
BEST ROMANCE
This was the easiest category for me. Only because I only read one of the options. Even if I had read all of the other releases, I'm pretty sure I'd have still picked All of Your Perfects.
BEST SCIENCE FICTION
Another very recent read. I am fairly certain that I inhaled this book. I picked it up and blinked and then it was over. I couldn't put Red Clocks down!
BEST HORROR
I loved both Baby Teeth and Dracul for what they were but Baby Teeth takes the cake in this category. I'm still positively horrified and have thought about the book no less than thirty times since reading the galley. If I had wanted children before this book (I didn't*), I certainly don't want them now!
BEST NONFICTION
It's very possible that I'll Be Gone in the Dark is my favourite release of the year. It's even more possible that it is my new favourite True Crime novel. There's this inexplicable sense of gratitude, too, after reading this book and knowing that the killer was captured earlier this year after decades of searching. If only McNamara had lived to see the day.
BEST POETRY
This was beyond hard for me because I love nearly every title nominated. But, I have to give The Poet X a massive nod because it was one of the best YA releases not only this year but this decade. It was brilliant, thought-provoking and deeply moving. I haven't loved a story told in prose so much since Burned by Ellen Hopkins.
BEST DEBUT
So much love for this novel--but you guys already know that, based on the fact that it's on this list twice.
BEST YOUNG ADULT FICTION
Imagine thinking I'd pick anything else. Honestly, though, I read only four of the books in this category this year. But, well, we all know that Charlotte Holmes is my girl.
BEST YOUNG ADULT FANTASY & SCIENCE FICTION
The only author to have two books on this list is Sarah J. Maas! Now, I know that this wasn't everyone's favourite book of the year but I really, really, REALLY enjoyed it. Which is why it beat out all the rest. I have a feeling that Kingdom of Ash would have been the book to beat, but I haven't read it yet--I just can't afford it right now while I'm helping my parents financially!
BOOKS I WISH WERE IN THIS ROUND OF NOMINEES
Because I didn't vote in every category, and I didn't discuss all of the categories nominations, I felt like something was missing from this post. And that was all of the books that were great but not nominated! I'm actually kind of glad some of these releases weren't included but only because it would have made picking who to vote for that much more difficult!
Have you voted in the opening round yet? If so, what were some of your picks? What books do you wish were nominated?
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