Goodreads Choice Awards Voting starts today - read any?

[ufcasey]

Here's the voting link: www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-books-2017

Have you read any of the books on it? If so, how did you like it? What did you vote for?

Keep in mind for the voting that for this round you can write in your book choice too! It just has to be published between November 16, 2016, and November 15, 2017 (which I feel really screws over any books published in Oct of this year because there won't be enough people to have read them compared to others, and the November 1-15 books haven't even been published yet during this first round of voting!)

[ufcasey]

Usually I have read very few of the books that are nominated but this year I made a specific effort to read more new releases so I've read surprisingly quite a few. I'm currently reading three of the books right now, which is a funny coincidence:

Historical Fiction
The Stars Are Fire by Anita Shreve - currently reading, too early to have an impression
The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne - currently reading, really good so far, will probably vote for it

Fantasy
A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab - good ending to the series
The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen - TERRIBLE ending to the series
One Fell Sweep by Ilona Andrews - wanted to vote for it but wrote in a different book instead
Etched in Bone by Anne Bishop - TERRIBLE ending to the series
Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson - release date is 11/14/17 so I haven't read it yet but I did a write in vote for it because I am 100% positive it will be amazing based on the two previous books in this series

Romance
White Hot by Ilona Andrews - pretty good
Devil in Spring by Lisa Kleypas - eh, only ok
Wildfire by Ilona Andrews - did a write in vote for it!

Science Fiction
All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai - loved it, but voted for it in a different category
Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel - voted for it!

Non-Fiction
We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates - currently reading it, pretty good so far, will probably vote for it

Memoir/Autobiography
Hunger by Roxane Gay - pretty good!
What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton - voted for it!

Debut Goodreads Author
All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai - voted for it!
Caraval by Stephanie Garber - only ok
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas - loved it, but voted for it in a different category

Young Adult Fiction
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas - voted for it!

Young Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas - I was disappointed in this one, maybe due to too high expectations
Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh - only ok
Warcross by Marie Lu - could have been great but I didn't like the ending
Caraval by Stephanie Garber - only ok
I refuse to vote for any of these LOL

[tcu2003]

I haven't reviewed the list yet, but I've probably one read 1-2 books on it. I do like using the list to add books to my to-read list, though. :-)

[Nonny]

You are being generous by describing Caraval as "OK."

[ufcasey]

Oct 31, 2017 10:51:21 GMT -5 Nonny said:

You are being generous by describing Caraval as "OK."

Hahaha true.

[snshne322]

Fantasy
Eleventh Grave in Moonlight

Romance
White Hot
Silver Silence
Blood Vow
Royally Matched

Humor
Talking as Fast as I Can

Debut Author/YA
The Hate U Give

YA Fantasy
Crystal Storm
ACOWAR



Lol. You can see where my focus was this year.  Escapisim.  

[litskispeciality]

I was just going to post this. I need at least 4 or 5 more for the year so I'm going to steal your recommendations. I don't read a lot of new books, I think the only one I've read so far is the Hate U Give which I enjoyed. I want to read the new Celeste Ng. Have to review the list for more ideas.

[rainbowchip]

Do the write ins ever become nominees? I guess I assumed it was like writing in your mom for president or something.

I wanted to read more of the noms this year but it didn't work out that way.

Mystery/Thriller
Origin - currently reading and it's good. I don't know if I would vote for it or not at this point
Into the Water - not good enough for me to vote for

Romance
Blood Vow - I didn't love it but it will probably get my vote
Without Merit - least favorite CH book. Won't vote for it.

Science Fiction
Artemis - have this on hold but I don't think I'll get it before voting is done.

History & Biography
On Tyranny - have this one on hold as well and might get to it before voting is done

Debut Goodreads Author
Caraval - good but not great
The Hate U Give - excellent voted for this one

YA Fiction
The Hate U Give - voted for this in this category too

YA Fantasy
Caraval - voted for this here because it's the only one I've read

[ufcasey]

Oct 31, 2017 13:33:21 GMT -5 rainbowchip said:

Do the write ins ever become nominees? I guess I assumed it was like writing in your mom for president or something.

I don't know for sure how often it happens but I know that this absolutely terrible book (linked and not naming so it won't be search-able on google, sorry to be annoying) won second place last year under the Romance category and was a write-in. It was also done via cheating by the author and the author's super-fans creating multiple accounts to vote for it more than once (some of them got banned for it). So it's possible, but it might only be possible if you cheat LOL. I'll be interested to see if the third book in that terrible book's series all of a sudden appears in the next round of voting as a nominee from write-ins. It's definitely not listed there now in this opening round.

[rainbowchip]

ufcasey I remember that drama! I didn't know it was a write in though. That is even worse!

[hurricanedrunk]

I read a lot more than I expected and have a quite a few on my to read list! However I hate voting if I've only read one book in the category. I usually use this as a guide on what to read next. I don't see myself finishing a ton before the 11/5 deadline.


Fiction
Bear Town

Mystery & Thriller - both of these were okay, nothing amazing
The Girl Before
Into the Water

Historical Fiction
Beneath A Scarlet Sky - enjoyed this one very much and the winner between the two I read in this category
Lincoln in the Bardo

Fantasy
Norse Mythology
A conjuring of Light - will vote for this one!

Debut authors
The Hate U Give - will vote for this one!
Caraval

Best YA
The Hate U Give - will vote for this one!

Best YA Fantasy
ACOWAR
Caraval
Tower Of Dawn - will probably vote for this one.

[aurora]

I've read more of these than I expected! I don't usually read a lot of new releases.

Fantasy
Fantastic Beasts screenplay - interesting, but not as much as reading a novel or watching a play/movie

Memoirs/Autobiography
What Happened -

Science and Technology
halfway through We Have No Idea, though not currently reading it as I gave it back to it's owner and am waiting to re-borrow. Entertaining and educational.

Debut
The Hate U Give - good!
Caraval - meh

[bex]

I think I've read 4 books on this list lol - Into the Water, the Hate U Give, ACOWAR, and Caraval. And I thought I was doing so well this year with reading!

Oh well, gives me ideas for next year lol.

[bex]

oh and What Happened! so 5! haha

[abs]

I have read a few of these!!

Fiction:
My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella: Nope. This book proved this is not my genre anymore.

Historical Fiction:
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate: I am trying to read it now but it's not grabbing me yet.

Debut Authors:

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas: Loved!
Caraval by Stephanie Garber: Meh.

Romance:
Without Merit by Colleen Hoover: This is one of the worst books I've read all year. So no.

YA Fantasy:
The King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard: Hated
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas: I liked it but it was not as good as the others in the series.
Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas: I actually really liked this.

Picture Books:
DD thinks The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors is hilarious.

[Vespasia]

The Bear and the Nightingale, under Fantasy and Debut, was absolutely fantastic. One of the best books I read this year. I didn't hate Fate of the Tearling like everyone else but this was a million times better.

The only other book on the list that I have read is What Happened, which definitely gets my vote.

[mrspez07]

I’ve only read 3-4.
I highly recommend This Is How It Always Is in the fiction category if you haven’t read it. One of my favorites this year. A friend is friends with the authors sister, so we did it for book club as soon as it came out.

[minzy]

Thanks for posting - I added a few to my holds.

I read: The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand; What Happened by Hillary Clinton; Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson; The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas; A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas.

[rainbowchip]

Nov 3, 2017 9:55:56 GMT -5 minzy said:

Thanks for posting - I added a few to my holds.

I read: The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand; What Happened by Hillary Clinton; Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson; The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas; A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas.

What did you think of the deGrass-Tyson book? I've been thinking about reading it because I watch and love his show.

[minzy]

Nov 3, 2017 10:24:55 GMT -5 rainbowchip said:

Nov 3, 2017 9:55:56 GMT -5 minzy said:

Thanks for posting - I added a few to my holds.

I read: The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand; What Happened by Hillary Clinton; Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson; The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas; A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas.

What did you think of the deGrass-Tyson book? I've been thinking about reading it because I watch and love his show.

I thought it was as advertised... it covers some meaty ground quickly, in a way that seems to make sense. There was not a lot of personality infused, but that's understandable because it's a book about science. You can probably read it pretty quickly, so maybe save for the end of the year if you want to add one to your count fast.

[ufcasey]

Today is the start of the Semi-Final round, so check the voting out again to see if there are new books listed that you may have read! There definitely were some changes because a book I did a write-in vote for is now in this round (Fantasy: Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson in case you were curious)!

New books that have been added to the voting, that I have read:
Fantasy - Silence Fallen by Patricia Briggs (I really liked it!)
Romance - The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare (good but not great)