Blogmas day 19– Goodreads Choice Awards 2021– results *reaction* 🏆😱

Hello lovelies!

Welcome to day 19 of Blogmas!! This month is FLYING BY and Christmas is only a few days away!!

The Goodreads Choice Awards 2021 results came in and I wanted to talk about the results, who I voted for and what I think of the winners in the following categories: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult Fiction, Debut Novel, Graphic Novels & Comics and Young Adult Fantasy.

I’m really happy about the number of diverse books that were nominated this year. It truly shows a shift in the books that people are paying attention to and the voices that are being uplifted. However, I must express my disappointment over the fact that the same authors seem to win all the time, which isn’t to say that they don’t deserve it but it’s a shame that in the end there is no real change.

Historical Fiction

I voted for:

Winner:

Taylor Jenkins Reid is one of my all-time favourite authors and even though I haven’t even read her Malibu Rising (I think my sister got it for me at Christmas), I just know that it is is nothing short of amazing and that I’m going to love it!

Fantasy

I voted for:

Winner:

The Fantasy category was one of the most diverse categories in years and I was thrilled to see so many new and upcoming authors nominated. I am also a seasoned reader and I am aware of SJM’s fanbase (which I used to be a part of) and I admit that I loved A Court of Silver Flames so it comes as no surprise that SJM won, but I would have loved a different outcome.

Romance

I voted For:

Winner:

It’s funny because I read most of the books nominated in the category except People We Meet On Vacation and another one. Act Your Age, Eve Brown is one of the best romance books ever published, I’m not even convinced that we, as a society, deserve it so I am incredibly sad that it lost. I’m sure People We Meet On Vacation is good but it benefitted from the hype of Beach Read (one of my favourites too) and the hype of booktok and it’s a shame Act Your Age, Eve Brown doesn’t (even if it is popular in its own right too). I am very disappointed.

Graphic Novels & Comics

I voted for:

Winner:

I WAS SOOOO HAPPY. SO SO SO HAPPY LORE OLYMPUS WON!! One of the best graphic novels out there. It deserves everything; The characters and themes are dealt with wonderfully, with care and it’s so comforting.

Debut Novel

I voted for:

Winner:

So The Spanish Love Deception was one of the popular romance books I still haven’t read. I was frankly a little sick of seeing this book recommended left and right (even if I’m happy for the author and I like the tropes the book contains) but I just wanted to step away and read more diverse romances. Honey Girl was so deep, emotional and honest and sincerely broke my heart. I think the synopsis is a little misleading because this is a complicated “adult coming-of-age” book which pulls at your heartstrings and makes you really think about what it means to live your life, love and come into your own. I was in awe that this was the author’s debut so I was also a little disappointed.

Young Adult Fiction

I voted For:

Winner:

Fire Keeper’s Daughter is the only book I was happy to see win, because it’s a story by an indigenous author and it deserves to be heard. Of course, I would have been thrilled if Ace of Spades had won too but this was still satisfying.

Young Adult Fantasy and Science-Fiction

I voted for:

Winner:

Okay I read neither of these books so it’s fine. The Gilded Ones has been sitting on my TBR since February, when it was first released, and I’m going to make it a priority to read it in 2022. I also haven’t read The King of Scars duology because I don’t want to say goodbye to the characters. I love Leigh Bardugo and I’m happy she won.

What did you think of this year’s winners? Were you happy or mostly disappointed like I was? Let me know in the comments! 🥰