Goodreads Choice Awards 2023 Final Round

The day that the final round of voting opens for the Goodreads Choice Awards can often contain its own surprises as the nominees for each category are cut in half, from 20 down to ten. In past years, it has been interesting to see which books move forward, and which ones are no longer in consideration, and 2023 is no exception.

There are no changes to report in Best Fiction, but only two of the four DSNs that were originally nominated in the Best Historical Fiction category have made it through. It seems neither River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer nor Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward made the cut. 

There is one change in the Best Science Fiction category, but instead of a book being removed, there is a new DSN to be considered. I recently finished reading In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune (review will be posted on December 8), and enjoyed it so much that it will now receive my vote. 

With Best Horror Fiction remaining the same as far as the one DSN that was nominated, Best Young Adult Fiction has lost two nominees, with both Suddenly a Murder by Lauren Munoz and Thieves' Gambit by Kayvion Lewis not getting enough votes. And it seems River Sing Me Home suffered the same fate in Best Debut Novel as it did in Best Historical Fiction, and will not be moving on into the top ten. 

As for Best Nonfiction, Best Memoir & Autobiography, and Best History & Biography, which each had one DSN nominated, only Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond remains. They Called Us Exceptional by Prachi Gupta and When Crack Was King by Donovan X. Ramsey have both been eliminated in their respective categories.

With six DSNs not making it into the finals, that still leaves 14 books still in consideration. The final round of voting closes on Sunday, December 3, with the winners being announced on Thursday, December 7. As always, I am excited and curious to see the results, as there is always at least one upset. In the meantime, I am happy to continue researching all of the nominees I failed to take notice of before and schedule them for a spot on this blog in early 2024. 

Graphic Memoir: In Limbo by Deb JJ Lee

Picking up a graphic novel or memoir is always incredibly exciting for me. Every artist has their own style, and the experience can differ so much from reading a traditional book of only words. I was curious about Deb JJ Lee's In Limbo, which chronicles their high school years as someone who emigrated from Korea as a child, and struggles to fit in as a teenager in New Jersey.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a graphic memoir that is told in five parts, and starts with Lee's freshman year of high school. While often feeling invisible, Lee also feels they stand out too much. If it isn't their Korean name, Jung-Jin (which teachers struggle to pronounce before Lee tells them to simply use 'Deborah'), then it is their looks, specifically the eyelids. High school is difficult enough without the tense and strained relationship Lee has with their mother, and after trading in orchestra for art classes, things do seem to get better, before they end up getting worse. The sense of belonging that many teenagers crave is what Lee hopes to find. With a focus on identity and mental health, Lee's four-year journey through high school is told in 300+ pages of carefully drawn illustrations and text.

My Verdict: Most of us do not need further evidence and proof that high school is hard, but Lee's unique perspective and story adds another dimension to what teenagers often go through during those four years. Feeling different enough from the other kids to feel isolated at school, but also not feel safe at home because of a volatile parent, Deborah seems to have nowhere to go. And the struggle of working through changing friendships and social dynamics felt all too real, as every situation is beautifully depicted through Lee's artwork. The pages without text still tell the story just fine, carrying with them all of the weight and emotion that comes with being a frustrated high schooler, and everyday seems harder than the last. It is honest and engaging and worth picking up.

Favorite Moment: I appreciated Lee's choice of placing the words that are spoken in Korean in angle brackets (< >), and leaving the words they did not understand as they would appear if written using the Korean alphabet. 

Recommended Reading: Robin Ha's Almost American Girl is still one of my favorites. 

Nonfiction: They Called Us Exceptional by Prachi Gupta

Confession: I struggled with the decision to read They Called Us Exceptional: And Other Lies That Raised Us by Prachi Gupta as the next nonfiction book to write about. There are many options out there, as there always is, and I was not sure if I was up for the challenge that I knew this book would present. The extremely positive buzz and reviews did help make the decision easier, but it still took me longer than usual to get there. Gupta's book was promised to be 'searingly honest,' a commonly used phrased to describe a lot of things that often makes me both curious and scared. But of course, there are many things I have done that I was scared to do that I am glad for, and reading difficult books has often brought delightful surprises.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a nonfiction book in which Gupta tells the story of her life as the oldest child and only daughter in an Indian-American household. While her father was born in Canada, her mother is originally from India and moved to the U.S. to be with her husband. Prachi and her younger brother Yush moved around with the family as their father pursued a career as a medical doctor, believing that to be one of the best and most prestigious routes to success in this country. While telling the story of what it was like to grow up in a family whose constant aim was to project a picture of American success, Gupta addresses her mother, relaying the pressure she felt to be a high-achieving student and perfect daughter, while the perfect image of the family that the outside world was seeing was the opposite of the truth. It would take years for Gupta to assess the truth about what was happening with her family, which meant exploring and confronting issues of mental health, the immigrant experience, postcolonial theory, and even feminism.

My Verdict: I will go ahead and acknowledge this one thing: this book is stressful. And yes, 'searingly honest' is an accurate description. As Gupta addresses her mother and tells her story of what it was like growing up with a father who routinely made her feel small and wanted his daughter to fit into the kind of life he felt was best, the reader is brought along on a journey filled with tension and unease, as well as discomfort and pain. Even the positive moments that do not involve conflict or abuse are tough to navigate and appreciate, especially as Gupta gets older, and the family relationships become more strained. The author's insights into what she has realized when it comes to her experiences are invaluable, as are the stories themselves. And the overall journey may be difficult for many, but hopefully worth it.

Favorite Moment: Closer to the end of the book, Gupta will have a conversation with her grandfather that is not only incredibly touching and sweet, but gave me an immense feeling of hope and comfort that I did not see coming, which can only pale in comparison to what the author may have felt.

Recommended Reading: Both Hollywood Park by Mikel Jollett and Ducks by Kate Beaton are difficult reads, but are also two of my favorite memoirs of all time. 

Goodreads Choice Awards 2023

It is November, which for this book dragon means three things: the Thanksgiving holiday, National Novel Writing Month, and the Goodreads Choice Awards. 

The voting has once again opened for readers to select and vote for their favorite books of the year. As always, I expect the competition to be close in more than a few categories, and I am always hopeful that a DSN or two will grab the final win.

For the Best Fiction category, both Maame by Jessica George and Yellowface by R.F. Kuang are up for consideration, and honestly, both of these books blew me away with their raw honesty while confronting tough subjects. I will personally vote for Maame, but I can see Yellowface making a strong showing. 

The Best Historical Fiction category includes four DSN's from 2023, starting off with the book that was named the Barnes & Noble Book of the Year, The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride, and I believe it is certainly worthy of the honor. The other three books are River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer, The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende (for which a review is coming in December), and Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward. My vote goes to McBride, but it will be tough going up against both Allende and Ward in the same category.

Only one DSN made it into the Best Science Fiction category, though I am in the middle of reading one of the other nominees. I hope to complete T.J. Klune's In the Lives of Puppets soon, but until then, I am content to vote for Lily Brooks-Dalton's The Light Pirate, which looks at what the future could be should our infrastructure fail, while following a young girl with an extraordinary and unexplained gift. 

While it is an often neglected category on this blog, I managed to read one novel that has been nominated in the Best Horror category, and that is Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Silver Nitrate. Lovers of old Hollywood and the history behind cult classics will most likely enjoy this novel set in Mexico. 

Oh boy...well, I knew this was coming. I usually have the most DSNs show up as nominees in the Best Young Adult Fiction category, but somehow I am always surprised. For 2023, there are seven total, and (deep breath in) here they are: Suddenly a Murder by Lauren Munoz (review coming in early December), Immortality by Dana Schwartz, Thieves' Gambit by Kayvion Lewis, Five Survive by Holly Jackson, Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert, One of Us Is Back by Karen M. McManus, and finally, Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley. My vote goes to Warrior Girl Unearthed, though this is far from being an easy decision. 

Three DSNs have been nominated as the Best Debut of 2023, including two books that have already appeared in other categories. Both Maame and River Sing Me Home made the cut, along with The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff. I will once again be voting for George's Maame, and I am so pleased to see it gain enough recognition to make it into two categories.

The Best Nonfiction category contains one DSN, and I believe it is one that could absolutely win. Matthew Desmond's Poverty, By America does not pull any punches, while still being short, to the point, and with incredible insight. I am not at all surprised by its appearance in the awards. 

Prachi Gupta's They Called Us Exceptional is one of those books that took me by surprise, and also one I almost did not read. I am glad I did (the review will be published this Friday), and its inclusion in the Best Memoir & Autobiography category is more than fitting. 

And for Best History & Biography, When Crack Was King by Donovan X. Ramsey has gained a spot, and rightfully so. It is a creative, but still honest look at the crack epidemic, following four individuals and their own experiences during an interesting time in U.S. history. 

The voting is open and will close on Sunday, November 26, with the final round of voting opening on Tuesday, November 28. There have been a few times in the past years when the numbers were extremely close between first and second place, so be sure to make your voice heard. 

Young Adult Fiction: Thieves' Gambit by Kayvion Lewis

When searching for new books, seeing that a title is the first in a new series can often make me hesitate. If I read the first book and love it, then I am locked in and eagerly waiting for the follow-up, which is great. But if I end up less than interested in what the book offered and where the story is heading, it can feel weird to stop there with no intention of finishing the series. It is a gamble, but I took the chance of Thieves' Gambit by Kayvion Lewis. An elite competition between some of the world's best thieves sounds like a lot of fun, and the promise of more books to follow allows for a wide range of possibilities.

The Situation: Right now, 17 year-old Rosalyn Quest only wants one thing, and that is to save her mother. Before this, she wanted nothing more than to escape from her mother's grasp and live her own life, but that was before things went terribly wrong in the middle of a job. The Quests are legendary and are known for being the best thieves in North America. But that legacy may fall apart if Ross cannot come up with the insane ransom her mother's kidnappers are demanding. There is only one hope, and that it the Thieves' Gambit: a competition where the winner is granted one wish, for literally anything they want. Ross knows that winning will not be easy, but she has to try. What other choice does she have?

The Problem: Before the competition even begins, it is clear to Ross that the mysterious organizers of the Gambit are in complete control, with access to money, resources, and information. That was to be expected, but what Ross did not expect was to have to go up against her longtime rival, Noelia Boschert. The other competitors are from all over the word, and include a tech-genius from Japan, an impulsive gambling trickster from Las Vegas, and a charming boy named Devroe who may be fun to look at, but Ross is still hesitant to trust him. Each challenge proves to be more intense, and seemingly impossible, than the last, but the cost of losing is simply too high.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult thriller/adventure novel that takes place in various locations all over the world. While the Quest family is mostly known for pulling jobs in North America, and the Boschert's seem to have cornered the market in Europe, the competitors are from all over. Every participant of the Gambit was chosen for a reason, and each one has skills and advantages that are unique to them. And while trusting people is usually not something thieves are used to doing, Ross finds herself having to do just that if she wants to win, while also questioning what she has always been told by the people who raised her.

My Verdict: This book is definitely for those of us who love stories that feature intense, if unconventional, competitions between an ensemble cast of characters, but are not necessarily too interested in watching it all go down in yet another post-apocalyptic or dystopian landscape. The Gambit takes their competitors to places like Egypt and Paris, and in style. But just because private planes are featured, it does not mean that things are more comfortable, less tense, or that the stakes are not still incredibly high. Questions of who to trust, who to believe, and and what is really going on are a constant, and little gets answered until the very last page. I am certainly excited for this series to continue. Anyone else looking for globe-trotting adventure and high-stakes heists with magnetic characters will love it.

Favorite Moment: It has been drilled into Ross that she cannot trust anyone unless they are family, and that she must be ruthless if she wants to survive. There is a moment early on when she decides to go against these lessons, which makes her character admirable and endearing.

Favorite Character: Kyung-soon is a competitor from South Korea who makes a habit of swiping silverware, and then selling it back to people when they need it to eat their meals. 

Recommended Reading: For some reason, I feel like recommending The Reader by Traci Chee. It is a completely different kind of book, but it has a similar fast-paced intensity and colorful cast of characters that was found in today's book. 

Historical Fiction: Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward

Two-time winner of the National Book Award, Jesmyn Ward, has come out with her first fiction novel since 2017's Sing, Unburied, Sing. This time, Ward moves to the past and reimagines American slavery, referencing Dante Alighieri's Inferno as the protagonist makes her journey from one plantation to another.

The Situation: Born into slavery, young Annis is taught how to survive by her mother, as she works in the house of the man who is her father. Occasionally, she is able to hear parts of the lessons that are taught to the master's twin girls - Annis' half-sisters - which include Alighieri's Inferno. After her master sells her and it is time for Annis to make her own journey, she becomes a different kind of guide downward, navigating the difficult journey from the Carolinas, all the way down to New Orleans. It is a difficult trek full of more than just rough terrain and turbulent rivers.

The Problem: As Annis gazes back into her history, to her mother and grandmother, what she often finds is not necessarily relief, answers, or even comfort. And while the long journey to New Orleans is hard, surviving at her new home of the sugar plantation proves to be even tougher. Being owned by a miserly and stingy woman is difficult enough, and when harvest season comes, things only get worse. And despite often being disappointed and frustrated with the world she seeks beyond this one, the one full of myth, history, and spirits, Annis continues to both seek and defy it in the search for real, true freedom.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a historical fiction novel with Annis as the first-person narrator. With many references and callbacks to Alighieri's Inferno, Annis becomes the reader's guide not only on the journey to Louisiana, but also through her time at both plantations. It is the stories of her mother and warrior grandmother that will help move Annis forward, even as she learns of the hardships and betrayals they had to endure, only to become slaves themselves. It is a search for freedom and joy that moves through grief and despair, with the long journey through the southern U.S. feeling like a real descent to a darker place.

My Verdict: No matter how it is approached, the subject of slavery is going to be a tough one to tackle, most likely for both the author and the reader. There is no shying away from the horrors Annis has to endure as a slave on a rice plantation, forced to daily face the reality that her father is her master, and her half-sisters know a life of luxury and education that she may never get to enjoy. Add in the grueling journey south, and the harsh reality of the sugar plantation, and what Ward offers is the kind of portrayal many may want to avoid, but becomes worth exploring due to the language and characters. Ward's work has been critically acclaimed for a reason, and it is easy to see why her writing has endured. 

Favorite Moment: After arriving in New Orleans, Annis learns of a group of slaves that managed to live free in the swamps. It is a story full of hope and tragedy, giving more depth to Annis' new home, rather than making it a new location with same (or worse) problems.

Favorite Character: Mary does not speak, but she works hard at the sugar plantation, and she contains more depth and layers for those that know to look.

Recommended Reading: I recommend The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead.