Winners of the 2017 Goodreads Choice Awards

This is it! The winners of the annual Goodreads Choice Awards have been determined. After three rounds of voting, you the readers have made your voices heard as to which books have been your favorites for 2017. So let's get to it.

Unfortunately no DSNs took home the top prize for Best Fiction, but when it comes to Best Mystery & Thriller, Paula Hawkins has done it again with Into the Water, two years after winning it for The Girl on the Train. Honestly, I am surprised, as I figured Dan Brown's Origin had it for sure. 

Although I was really pulling for Dot Hutchison's The Roses of May, I cannot say I am surprised at Sleeping Beauties by Stephen and Owen King taking home the win for Best Horror. When it comes to horror, it's hard to beat that guy, who has had many wins over the years for Goodreads Choice Awards. But this is his son Owen's first win. 

I could not be more excited for Kate Moore and her win for The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women in the Best History & Biography category. This is a truly fascinating book, though it can be hard to read as many of the women literally fall apart before their loved ones' eyes after continuous and sustained contact with radium. This is truly a well-earned win and I am excited for those readers that will discover this book as a result. 

Sarah Andersen has won the award for Best Graphic Novels & Comics for the second year in a row. Last year she won for Adulthood is a Myth, and this year it is Big Mushy Happy Lump that takes the category. Clearly her observations about life as an introverted artist and bookworm resonates with people. 

If someone asked me what I would name as the book of the year, I would have to answer with The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. This book absolutely smashed the competition in the Best Debut Goodreads Author category, while also taking a second win in the always incredibly competitive Best Young Adult Fiction category, beating out usual regulars and favorites such as John Green (Turtles All the Way Down) and Sarah Dessen (Once and for All). Add the fact that it spent nearly a year on the top of the New York Times bestseller list, and you have one powerhouse of a book. Congratulations to Ms. Thomas!

And there you have it. Four DSN books took home wins in five different categories, and I could not be more pleased. And of course, more than anything, these awards help to introduce to me other books and authors that I may have missed. So until next year's awards, I will be reading and discovering more books. I know I will never be able to read and cover every book that ends up being nominated, but I will have a hell of a fun time trying.