Pretty bland year || Goodreads Choice Awards Reaction 2024

[@KristinKravesBooks]

Horror continues to be the only category that excites me

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

It feels like the only one in genre that kinda gets the assignment. Maybe thriller does too but I don't know enough about thriller, atleast its not flooded by litfic

[@esmayrosalyne]

I truly am so whelmed by this year's awards lol. The fact that I have read 131 books published in 2024 and barely have anything to vote on is also just mindboggling to me 🤣 The only thing I have to say is, PLEASE read the new Tia Williams one because that is one of my faves of the year and I think it deserves so so so much more love. It has seriously flown under the radar. Also heck yes for the voting without reading, who freaking cares hahahah

[@AccipiterF1]

I voted for the Ta-Nahesi Coates book in nonfiction based on the way he handled being ambushed while doing his book tour on CBS Good Morning by Tony Dokoupil and his zionist agenda. It was unhinged, and Coates' response was perfect. The book is on my TBR, but the library hold is months away. James was great. The James audiobook was also great. The Friday Afternoon Club was entertaining just to hear Griffin Dunne's side of his great friendship with Carrie Fisher.

[@imaginary_oranges]

The Stardust Grail isn't a sequel to The Deep Sky. It IS a space heist with alien found family and I found it lovely! I don't think there's anything to the plagiarism accusations on Ministry of Time (which I loved); they're pretty much just based on the book having the same title as a Spanish-language series and both involving time travel, but the actual plots are different.

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

@@imaginary_oranges oh good to know about both! Basically all I knew about Ministry of time was the allegations and a friend’s dad who had seen the show and read the blurb going “huh that seems familiar” but good to know its not true.

[@BookChats]

​​@@LiteratureScienceAlliance I've only read Ministry of Time and haven't seen the other show but I honestly think it's a case of kind of generic concept independently written. In fact my biggest complaint about Ministry is that if you've considered much time travel media it feels a bit generic. It started so strong and seemed like it was going to do interesting things and then it just kind of bee-lined to tropes.

[@SarahAsYouWish]

James was so good! I really think you would like it. It’s definitely not too literary leaning to be enjoyable. Everett has a great sense of humor and adds some really interesting elements to the story.

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

He is on my list as an author to check out!

[@amyschmelzer6445]

I’m halfway through a reread of Huck Finn so I can read James next month. I had forgotten a lot since last time. I was excited by the premise of James when I first heard about it months ago. All I have heard is good but it’s so hard not to be spoiled when everybody is talking about it. I have had to back out of numerous videos when they started talking about James.

[@dobetterwithchristian4472]

Second this! James was pretty amazing

[@ChattieTheMadChatter]

Really fun hearing your thoights on these - usually a few things stand out or pull me in, but i am nkt really vibung with much this year. I miss the excitement of 2021 trifecta in fantasy not that they would or did beat Mass, but it was nice to see a variety of stories!

[@LoopsLorewithMeg]

So glad I found your channel again after my years of absence!! 💚💚

[@teaonarainyday5497]

I enjoyed the Invocations by K. Sutherland in the YA section, but like you haven't read anything else in the category, so I've no idea if it's a stand-out. I read Percival Everett's The Trees this year, and that definitely made me want to pick up James - it's both really funny and really gruesome, with super short chapters and the dialogue writing especially was fantastic.

[@mrbrightside719]

Black Bird Oracle is the 4th book in the Discovery of Witches “trilogy”, which I LOVED. I have Black Bird Oracle but haven’t read it yet. Plan to read it after the latest Vorkosigan book I have. Looking forward to both, tbh.

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

I was wondering why that author name looked familiar, but my brain could only think of agatha harkness for some reason

[@katieg2449]

It’s the only new memoir release I’ve read this year so take my opinion with a grain of salt, but There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension is absolutely fantastic, love for bball not required

[@auqua6477]

I'm voting for A Crane Among Wolves despite not having finished it yet and despite/because of how June Hur always manage to kill of my favorite side characters in her books. And we honestly need more asian historical novels represented. Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop has my vote for both categories it's in as it made me think about work and happiness in a way I did not expect. It's one of my favorite books this year and the only one I feel like recommending to my family. I'll probably vote for Salman Rushdie for memoir because I want to read it and because what it's about. If you are not aware, it's about the murder atempht on him in 2022 while he was going to give a lecture about keeping author safe from harm. This is an author who had the leader of a country call for his execusion because of religious backlash of his writings.

[@MultiWar22]

I don't know almost any of the books in any of the categories, but people here in the comments seem to like what was chosen for horror, so I think I'll take a closer look into that category and see if I can find any that seems up my alley

[@kartik3719]

18:07 I've heard nothing but rave reviews for Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here, it examines about various aspects of the American immigration experience and based on the rhetoric of the past week, that seems like a timely discussion

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Thanks for putting it higher on my radar

[@katiethibodeau7386]

You should check out Sweet Sting of Salt! It's a retelling of the selkie wife. One of my favorites of the year!

[@lauras9071]

I didn't know Yume Kitasei released a new book. That might be one to check out when I need entertainment. I also think horror has been way stronger than anything else this year. We Used to Live Here was so twisty. I felt it was a little long, so it might be perfect pacing for you. Also Bury Your Gays was amazing and tropey. Andddd don't waste your time with Faebound. My reading friend really liked Book of Doors so I am planning on reading it in December.

[@saturnhas-rings5611]

I was happy that several books made it on here (Defiant, The Mercy of Gods, Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands, The Spellshop, Ali Hazelwood in general, Intermezzo, The Stardust Grail, etc), though I wish the sci-fi list was better even if I did like it more than last year's. Glad you are enjoying The Spellshop, it is a cute book! :) The Song to Drown Rivers is actually based on a Chinese legend and while I haven't read that book, I do like the author of it, so it should be a good read.

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Glad you were happy with the lists! Yea its still in the retelling vain but hopefully an enjoyable time!

[@beccabee8439]

I was torn between We Used To Live Here & Incidents Around the House in the horror category because I loved them both. Ended up voting for Incidents since We Used to Live Here was in Best Debut Novel. Also, yay, I also voted for T. Kingfisher in Fantasy

[@Katiedora122]

I'm very curious how the Audio category will turn out, since it's multi-genre like Debut, but I only listen to nonfiction audio and of that selection, I've only listened to Whoopi Goldberg, lol (although I'm betting on The Third Gilmore Girl winning). And somewhat related, I'm conflicted about Humor being dropped as a category because while there was always a baffling selection of memoirs that were only included because the author would be known for comedy, I feel like there were usually a few gems in there. Plus, I was hoping Graphic Novels would make a comeback. Also, the only official Romantasy book I've read was The Spellshop, which I loved, but it wasn't all that romance-forward? But while a couple more are on my TBR that I will definitely be picking up this month (Apprentice to the Villain and The Veiled Kingdom), I feel like a LOT are books in ongoing series and I am simply not getting into them, lol. But for my other votes: Fantasy - The Lost Story (unless I get a of other reading done, lol) Scifi/Debut - The Ministry of Time YA Fantasy - Dragonfruit

[@JohnSaxon-vw5vi]

I love it 🥰 when you do this video and we get to see who you vote for and you explain why you voted for it I really enjoy it prayers and blessings to you and your family love your Aussie family friend John xxx

[@paperbacksgalore]

Martyr! Is great, if you wanna vote for that in debut novel 👀👀

[@witchymary5246]

As always, horror is the saving grace. I'm very happy I've got to vote for both The Eyes Are the Best Part and We Used to Live Here (thanks debut category), they were both 5 Stars for me

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

That's awesome! I am excited to try We Used to Live Here after hearing such great things

[@zinaak4194]

Yours For the Taking!!! I'm so curious what you would think of that book!

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Good to know! Is it more literary scifi or straight scifi? I like both but want to have the right expectations

[@zinaak4194]

@LiteratureScienceAlliance it's very literary, distopian but heavy literary I'd say!

[@ThatsSoPoe]

I voted for Just for the Summer too. I'm in the middle of We Solve Murders by Richard Osman and definitely enjoying it, so that got my vote. The Warm Hands of Ghosts is one of my absolute favorites of the year, so that got my vote even though I also thoroughly enjoyed Dead Cat Tail Assassins.

[@amusicalbookworm]

The Bullet Swallower was one of my favorite books of the year! That might be the only new release I’ve read 😂

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Hey but atleast its one you loved!

[@bonniestevens4329]

I have not read a single book on any of these lists. I ended up voting on a few things because I was interested, and the T Kingfisher on your recommendation. Everything else I just tried to choose books by/about marginalized communities.

[@emryborge7027]

Pretty sure that’s not how this voting should work😂

[@bonniestevens4329]

@@emryborge7027 maybe not, but since it's a popularity contest anyway I figured "why not?".

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Yea that's typically what I do. Might vote for the debut indigenous romance since that was a big deal publication wise according to Mara

[@shift9894]

I’m pretty sure the category they got rid of this year was the graphic novels category, which I noticed because Heartstopper is now under young adult fiction

[@BookChats]

I thought that was part of the big category massacre last year?

[@Jillybeanzxo]

Exactly Like you said, I look forward to the GRCAs every year strictly for all the coverage by booktube that comes out 🥳 Way to go SGJ with two horror nominations 💪

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Right?? I am so proud of him!

[@BookChats]

The best justification I've heard is that Bride is paranormal romance instead of fantasy romance BUT given that GR puts any book with even a SNEEZE of fantasy/magic in fantasy and that the put a contemporary lit fic book in Sci-fi simply because it's set on the ISS i think the bigger answer is that GR does what they want and it doesn't make sense.

[@orladdin]

If I can read it in time, my vote for debut will probably be Masquerade by O. O. Sangoyomi. It is loosely based on the myth of Persephone, if Persephone was a revenge story steeped in West African history and mythology. Bethany raved about it back in her May mid-month wrap up so definitely check that out or her Goodreads review if you want more details!

[@TiffReadsBooks]

I was so torn in the Horror category. I loved Teenage Slasher, and Angel of Indian Lake, as well as Diavola. But the whole category was fantastic.

[@bentheoverlord]

Its an interesting list in the sense Ive not heard of most of these. I still find it really funny that Richard Osman is known worldwide as an author as I'll always know him as part of double act Quiz show host haha. If you ever wanna buddy read Emily Henry give me a shout as after Evie adoring it, Im now really really intrigued. Was very let down by Faebound, but yeah Id class it as Romantasy, the world building isnt great and the main focus is the two insta love romances. You'll love I Was A Teenage Slasher, it was a pretty excellent followup/take on slashers to his Indian Lake Trilogy.

[@RodgersReads]

Truly baffled by Bride being placed in regular romance...I saw that and was so confused.

[@jessicaclouthier]

They actually reduced the non-fiction categories from 4 to 3 by removing Humor which I think is a good thing

[@annaswanangel91011]

I loved We Solve Murders! I haven't read any of his other books but they quickly moved to the top of my tbr

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Is it a standalone or start of a series??

[@annaswanangel91011]

@LiteratureScienceAlliance The way it ends makes me think it's the start of a new series but you could totally read it as a standalone

[@davidrosenthal5050]

I will also note that I have only read two of the fantasy books (Somewhere Beyond the Sea and Book of Doors) and I rated both pretty low. :(

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

I feel like the genre fantasy category has gotten worse the last few years, lots of fantasy adjacent works that are not quite genre and not really a highlight of what’s been coming out

[@SoundFuryBookReviews]

Great overview! :) I don't put much stock in the GRCA, especially after last year when they had books on there that weren't even out yet (I mean, I'm an ARC reader myself, but that doesn't seem fair). For Sci-Fi, I've read a few of them. I loved Ministry of Time, Mercy of the Gods, The Other Valley, and I Cheerfully Refuse, and I enjoyed Yours for the Taking, Absolution, and Orbital. Agreed that most are lit-fic with sci-fi elements. For Horror, I voted for My Darling Dreadful Thing, as I thought that one was fantastic. While I read a lot of fantasy this year, I actually didn't read any on the list. 🤷‍♀

[@rusereviews]

The Fox Wife was definitely magical realism.

[@rusereviews]

Glorious Exploits was AMAZING. It won the Waterstones debut fiction prize this year.

[@annina7786]

As someone who does not have audible or listens to audiobooks regularly, can someone tell me if the audiobook category has only audible exclusive books? I would really like to know 🤔

[@jasisreading]

No. James, which is readily available in print, is nominated for audiobooks. My guess is the nominees have received praise for the performance(s) and GR decided to make if their own category this year.

[@natasagajic1061]

I'm glad to see that we have an audiobook category now. I'm totally voting for the audiobook of Funny Story (and for the romance category as well). It was my first time listening to Julia Whelan and she blew me away with her narration! Also, I am sad to see that The Husbands by Holly Gramazio didn't make the Debut category 🥲(tho I haven't finished it yet). It was a Book of the Month book, so I was hoping to see it there. And yet again this year - me, who is first and foremost a fantasy reader, has not read a single book in the Fantasy category. Go figure 😅

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Isn't it fun how the fantasy and sci-fi largely don't represent what readers of those genres read???

[@natasagajic1061]

@@LiteratureScienceAlliance True 😅🥲

[@inarationalvein]

I loved I Cheerfully Refuse but in no world would I call it sci-fi. I guess it is set in a near future and there's a bit of a dystopia feeling, but it is 100% lit fic to me

[@rukbat3]

One of my coworkers just read the Black Box of Doom book, and she said that wasn’t sci-if either. Frustrating, because sci-fi is my favorite genre.

[@chrisalluna6733]

📖🚪Have the 'Book of Doors'. Will read after Sanderson. Probably Jan 25.

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

You will have to let me know how it goes!

[@davidrosenthal5050]

I have read a few of the things here that you didn't know, but the only ones I would really recommend is The Other Valley and Diavola.

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

What’s the elevator pitch for that one?

[@davidrosenthal5050]

The Other Valley is about a small community that exists in a valley, with the community on one side 20 years in the future and the other side 20 years in the past. It is definitely "lit fiction with a sci-fi setting", but I enjoyed it alot and it avoided what I thought from the start would be the obvious ending. Though, be warned that the author made the choice not to use quotation marks for some reason, and a lot of people hate that (I though it was fine). Diavola is a pretty straightforward haunted house (haunted Italian villa) story, but well-written and captured the mood of being stalked by an angry ghost well.

[@erinpatton]

The Blueprint is my favorite book of the year. It's amazing and nobody talks about it

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

What category was that in again?

[@Octobig]

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[@hannahandherstories]

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[@kiute.c]

I thought Heartless Hunter was a great YA romantasy! It mixed the two genres well and I really felt the tension. The adult romantasy picks were terrible imo 🥴

[@ChattieTheMadChatter]

If anyone is missing Middlegrade i have this: kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5WlXpWsoJ5lf5Ysi=q6JdsINO-1VElBeq

[@agob157]

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[@mardi3027]

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[@sgaston3969]

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[@CityGirlWriter]

📖📖📖Audiobook is such an unnecessary category and they made it worse by making it bland as hell. Horror continues to be the best category. I will not vote since I no longer have a Goodreads account, but I would have struggled with voting even if I could.

[@MLLatUtube]

📚📚📚 I loved The Grandest Game (young adult). I rarely read YA but this series really got me. I can't wait to read the next book, which came out today.

[@LiteratureScienceAlliance]

Hope its a fun read for you!

[@dandelions_97]

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[@thiadesg]

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[@brandim1230]

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[@TheFancyHatLadyReads]

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