The results are in for the 2021 Goodreads Choice Awards! I’m so excited to see what other readers chose as the best books of 2021 in 17 categories.
Check out the full list on Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-books-2021
How many winners did I read?
The big question for many readers is: How many of the Goodreads Choice winners have I read?
My answer this year is 2.
I was thrilled to see that Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary won the Science Fiction category.
I loved this book so much it was one of my very first reviews when I started this blog. Weir really did deserve this win because this was the perfect follow-up to The Martian that so many fans were desperate to read.
The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman received the honor of winning the Goodreads Choice Award for Poetry.
This is a tough category, but Gorman scored 33% of the total vote. Pretty impressive and very much deserved.
How many nominees did I read?
Nonfiction:
- Chatter by Ethan Kross
- Think Again by Adam Grant
Fiction:
- The Wish by Nicholas Sparks
- Bewilderment by Richard Powers
Historical Fiction:
Humor:
- Where the Deer and the Antelope Play by Nick Offerman
Debut Novel:
- The Push by Ashley Audrain
What will I be reading next year to get caught up?
I missed out on John Green’s The Anthropocene Reviewed.
I’m not sure how this one got away from me, but hey it’s been a weird year.
Most readers know him from The Fault in Our Stars, but this nonfiction will be very refreshing. I’m looking forward to hearing his take on the Anthropocene era.
A Court of Silver Flames is Sarah J. Maas’s 4th book in her series A Court of Thorns and Roses.
I can’t believe I’ve never read any of this series and it will absolutely be on my 2022 TBR list. I’ll start with book 1 of course, but it looks like I’ll be binge-reading over 725,000 words.
What was missing from this year’s list?
I wish I would have seen a personal favorite of mine on the list… Enemy at the Gates by Kyle Mills and Vince Flynn. The Mitch Rapp series has been an amazing burst of action and energy for me. I know not everyone was looking forward to the 22nd installment as much as I was, but it’s going on my choice awards list for sure.
My thoughts…
I’ve very happy with the 2021 Goodreads Choice Awards. There were quite a few that I was pleased to see got so many votes, even if they didn’t win the category. Also, great job to Goodreads for making this a fun and inclusive event!
I was surprised at myself for reading only 1 book from the science fiction category and absolutely none from the fantasy category. Those are my favorite genres, but I guess it goes to show that not everyone likes the same books.
This list has motivated me to keep reading more new releases. It’s good to keep up with the newest crazes to support the authors as much as possible. But, there’s still something rewarding about digging up that 15-year-old book hidden in the library stacks that hasn’t ever been loaned out. I’ll keep looking for those special books and hopefully be able to share them with others.
So that’s 2021!
I hope everyone has a very pleasant 2022. Thanks to everyone for reading and supporting me as I grow Spine & Leaf Books! Happy reading!
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