Every year Goodreads gives readers around the world the chance to vote for books in various categories (fiction, horror, and cookbooks to name a few) to determine the best in each one. And every year I recap the results. Why? Because I love to see what other people enjoyed reading as well as finding more books to add to my TBR pile. If you are interested in learning more about any of the books here, simply click on the title of each one and it will take you to the Goodreads page for that book. Here are the results:
Best Fiction:
Winner: The Testament by Margaret Atwood
Picking up fifteen years after the end of The Handmaid’s Tale, this sequel received 98,291 votes.
Runner Up: Normal People by Sally Rooney – 40,081 votes
Purchase The Testament on Amazon
Purchase Normal People on Amazon
Best Mystery & Thriller:
Winner: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
A criminal psychotherapist must try to unravel a murder mystery featuring a famous painter who won’t say a word. This book received 68,821 votes.
Runner Up: My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite – 52,097 votes
Purchase The Silent Patient on Amazon
Purchase My Sister, The Serial Killer on Amazon
Best Historical Fiction:
Winner: Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
A focus on the world of rock and roll in America during the 60s and 70s. This book received 82,483 votes.
Runner Up: Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead, 29,362 votes
Purchase Daisy Jones and The Six on Amazon
Purchase Nickel Boys on Amazon
Best Fantasy:
Winner: Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
A university freshman must investigate the secret societies at Yale University. This book received 53,430 votes
Runner Up: The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern – 35,351 votes
Purchase Ninth House on Amazon
Purchase The Starless Sea on Amazon
Best Romance:
Winner: Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
The first son of the White House and a British Prince who don’t like each other… or do they? This book received 76,688 votes.
Runner Up: Verity by Colleen Hoover – 35,868 votes
Purchase Red, White, & Royal Blue on Amazon
Best Science Fiction:
Winner: Recursion by Blake Crouch
A neuroscientist who believes she can create memory saving technology and a cop investigating the strange phenomena of “False Memory Syndrome”, Crouch’s novel received 41,261 votes.
Runner Up: Dark Age by Pierce Brown
Purchase Recursion on Amazon
Purchase Dark Age on Amazon
Best Horror:
Winner: The Institute by Stephen King
The Insitute: “You check-in, but you don’t check out”. Six children with supernatural gifts are trapped inside with no way to escape. King’s novel received 75,717 votes.
Runner Up: Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky – 22,865 votes
Purchase The Institute on Amazon
Purchase Imaginary Friend on Amazon
Best Humour:
Winner: Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets, & Advice for Living Your Life by Ali Wong
A series of letters Wong writes to her two daughters on all the things they’ll need to know to get through life.
Runner Up: Life Will Be the Death of Me by Chelsea Handler – 17,229 votes
Purchase Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets, & Advice for Living Your Life on Amazon
Purchase Life Will Be the Death of Me on Amazon
Best Nonfiction:
Winner: Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-Free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals by Rachel Hollis
Rachel Hollis’ latest book focuses on the different ways women can reach their full potential in life. Her book received 31,276 votes.
Runner Up: Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark – 29,382 votes
Purchase Girl, Stop Apologizing: A Shame-Free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals on Amazon
Purchase Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered: The Definitive How-To Guide on Amazon
Best Memoir & Autobiography:
Winner: Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love by Jonathan Van Ness
Van Ness is well known for his work on Queer Eye, and his autobiography now gives fans an in-depth look at all he endured in his rise to fame. Over the Top received 28,977 votes.
Runner Up: Know My Name, Chanel Miller – 23,817 votes
Purchase Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love on Amazon
Purchase Know My Name on Amazon
Best History & Biography:
Winner: The Five: The Untold Lives of the Woman Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold
Rubenhold’s book tells a story that is well known all over the world, but tells the other side of the story. Rather than looking at Jack the Ripper, Rubenhold tells the story of his victims. This book received 31,783 votes.
Runner Up: Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham – 19,711 votes.
Purchase The Five: The Untold Lives of the Woman Killed on Amazon
Purchase Midnight in Chernobyl on Amazon
Best Science & Technology:
Winner: Will My Cat Eay My Eyeballs? Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death by Caitlin Doughty
A book that answers all the death-related questions you’re afraid to ask. Doughty’s book received 29,594 votes
Runner Up: Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado-Perez – 28,859 votes
Purchase Will My Cat Eay My Eyeballs? Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death on Amazon
Purchase Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men on Amazon
Best Food & Cookbooks:
Winner: Antoni in the Kitchen by Antoni Porowski, Mindy Fox, and Ted Allen
Queer Eye’s, Antoni Porowski, created a cookbook full of healthy, simple meals. This cookbook received 23,387 votes.
Runner Up: The Adventurous Eaters Club: Mastering the Art of Family Mealtime by Misha and Vicki Collins – 21,108 votes
Purchase Antoni in the Kitchen on Amazon
Purchase The Adventurous Eaters Club on Amazon
Best Graphic Novels & Comics:
Winner: Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell and Faith Erin Hicks
Two friends reunite every year for two months to work on a pumpkin patch – the best pumpkin patch in the whole world. But now this year is their last year as the two friends are seniors, how will they spend their last season together? This graphic novel received 29,624 votes.
Runner Up: Heartstopper: Volume Two by Alice Oseman – 28,460 votes
Purchase Pumpkinheads on Amazon
Purchase Heartstopper: Volume Two on Amazon
Best Poetry:
Winner: Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson
A poetry book and a powerful memoir, Anderson uses free verse to call for action for a necessary change in our society. This book received 18,911 votes.
Runner Up: the mermaid’s voice returns in this one by Amanda Lovelace – 18,710 votes
Purchase the mermaid’s voice returns in this one on Amazon
Best Debut Novel:
Winner: Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
McQuiston received two Goodreaders Readers Choice awards this year: Best Romance and Best Debut Novel. In the category of Best Debut Novel, McQuiston received 60,565 votes.
Runner Up: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides – 44,936 votes
Best Young Adult Fiction:
Winner: Five Feet Apart by Rachel Lippincott, Mikki Daughtry, and Tobias Iaconis
Two teens fall in love, but can never be within five feet of each other. Can they make their love work? This novel received 36,232 votes.
Runner Up: On the Come Up by Angie Thomas – 34,932 votes
Purchase Five Feet Apart on Amazon
Purchase On the Come Up on Amazon
Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction:
Winner: The Wicked King by Holly Black and Kathleen Jennings
The second book in The Folk of the Air saga follows Jude as he continues on his journey in the High Court of Faerie. This YA novel received 48,181 votes.
Runner Up: Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell – 39,909 votes
Purchase The Wicked King on Amazon
Purchase Wayward Son on Amazon
Best Middle Grade & Children’s:
Winner: The Tyrant’s Tomb by Rick Riordan
The fourth book in The Trials of Apollo series, The Tyrant’s Tomb, Apollo must learn how to become a true hero or forfeit his life. This book received 33,333 votes
Runner Up: Tunnel of Bones by Victoria Schwab – 30,557 votes
Purchase The Tyrant’s Tomb on Amazon
Purchase Tunnel of Bones on Amazon
Best Picture Books:
Winner: A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood: The Poetry of Mister Rogers by Fred Rogers, Luke Flowers, and Josie Carey
Do you remember all those songs you used to love to hear on Mister Roger’s TV show? Well, now you can read them over and over again as they have been reimagined in poetry and put together in this beautiful children’s book. A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood received 29,860 votes.
Runner Up: Sulwe by Lupita Nyong’o – 26,891 votes
Purchase A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood on Amazon
Purchase Sulwe on Amazon
J. Carson Writes 