readers choice awards

Every year Goodreads allows its registered members to vote on the best books of the year in a variety of genres and categories. The votes are done in three rounds, each round lasting about a week. This years voting for the final round ended on November 24th. The winners in each category are:

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Fiction: Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Mystery & Thriller: Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King

Historical Fiction: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Fantasy: The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

Romance: Written Down in My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon

Science Fiction: The Martian by Andy Weir

Horror: Prince Lestat by Anne Rice

Humor: Yes Please by Amy Poehler

Nonfiction: The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan

Memoir & Autobiography: This Star Won’t Go Out by Esther Earl

History & Biography: The Romanov Sisters by Helen Rappaport

Business Books:#Girlboss by Sophia Amoruso

Food & Cookbooks: Make it Ahead by Ina Garten

Graphic Novels & Comics: Serenity: Leaves on the Wind by Zack Whedon

Poetry: Lullabies by Lang Leav

Debut Goodreads Author: Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Young Adult Fiction: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Young Adult Fantasy: City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

Middle Grade & Children’s: The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan

Picturebooks: The Pigeon Needs a Bath! by Mo Willems

Every year Goodreads lets its users nominate and vote on their favorite books of the year. This is the only major book award that I know of which is decided by the public rather than publishing and the media. I will admit to being a member of Goodreads, and having voted for my favorites in a number of categories. I am happy to say that I voted for a few of the winners. Here is a list of the best books of 2013 according to Goodreads and its membership.

Fiction: And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

Mystery & Thriller: Inferno (Robert Langdon #4) by Dan Brown

Historical Fiction: Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

Fantasy: The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Niel Gaiman

Paranormal Fantasy: Cold Days (The Dresden Files #14) by Jim Butcher

Science Fiction: MaddAddam (MaddAddam Trilogy #3) by Margaret Atwood

Romance: Lover At Last (Black Dagger Brotherhood #11) by J.R. Ward

Horror: Doctor Sleep (The Shining #2) by Stephen King

Memoir & Autobiography: I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb

History & Biography: Jim Henson: The Biography by Brian Jay Jones
Nonfiction: The Autistic Brain: Thinking Across the Spectrum by Temple Grandin and Richard Panek

Food & Cookbooks: Tequila Mockingbird: Cocktails with a Literary Twist by Tim Federle ; illustrated by Lauren Mortimer

Humor: Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened by Allie Brosh

Graphic Novels & Comics: Beautiful Creatures: The Manga by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl; adaptation and illustration by Cassandra Jean and lettering by Abigail Blackman

Poetry: The Fall of Arthur by J.R.R. Tolkien; edited by Christopher Tolkien