Goodreads, the free online book review and recommendation site, announced the winners of the 2017 Goodreads Choice Awards on December 5. This year, 3,887,950 readers cast their votes in twenty categories. Books considered had to be published in the United States in English between November 16, 2016 and November 15, 2017. Works in translation as well as other significant rereleases were also eligible.
Of special note, women authors won in 16 of the 20 categories this year. One of these authors, Angie Thomas, was awarded two prizes, the Debut Goodreads Author Award, and the Young Adult Fiction Award for The Hate U Give. Her bestselling novel is about a teenage girl who witnesses a police shooting and is pressured into testifying. A film adaptation is to be released next year.
Currently showing in theaters is the movie Wonder, based on R.J. Palacio’s bestselling children’s fiction book. Wonder did not win a Choice Award when it was published in 2012. Rick Riordan’s The Mark of Athena was the title chosen that year for Middle Grades and Children’s. He is again the winner for that category this year with The Ship of the Dead. Palacio did, however, win the 2017 the Picture Books Award for We’re All Wonders. Inspired by her original book, she transmits to younger readers the message of expressing kindness toward a child with extreme facial abnormalities.
With most book awards determined by panels, committees, book reviewers and publishers, the Goodreads Choice Awards are the only major awards decided by readers. Anyone may access the Goodreads website, but voting is open only to registered members. To join, a person must be age 13 and above. Those who are under 18 need legal parental or guardian consent.
Goodreads was launched in January 2007, with the Goodreads Choice Awards first presented in 2009 in fifteen categories. The All-Time Favorite Award for the year was Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2) by Suzanne Collins. A Chick Lit Award was also presented in 2009, but has since been eliminated. New categories have been added including Humor, Memoir & Autobiography, History & Biography, Poetry, Science & Technology, and Food & Cookbooks.
The All-Time Favorite Award has also been eliminated from the Choice Awards, but the Goodreads website instead offers a Best Books Ever list as well as Books That Everyone Should Read At Least Once. Other lists of interest on the website include Best Books of the Decade going back to the 1800s, and Best Books by Century, going back to the fourth century. There is even a list of Best Books That Should Be Made into Movies. This following book list contains Goodreads' award winning titles that we have at the Los Angeles Public Library:
Goodreads Choice Awards Best Books of 2017
Fiction
Historical Fiction
Fantasy
Romance
Science Fiction
Horror
Humor
Non Fiction
Memoir & Autobiography
History & Biography
Science & Technology
Food & Cookbooks
Graphic Novels & Comics
Poetry
Debut Goodreads Authors & Young Adult Fiction
Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction
Middle Grade and Children's
What are your top picks for new books in 2017?
Let us know in the comments.