The Goodreads Choice Awards bring out some passionate opinions every year. While I won’t rehash the usual critiques, there’s a conversation worth having about what these awards represent. Goodreads, with its vast data, tends to capture what’s popular across its user base. But as we know, popular doesn’t always equate to the “best,” which brings me to some of my biggest frustrations with the GoodReads Choice Awards 2024.

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My Thoughts on the GoodReads Choice Awards 2024

Sometimes it feels like a broken record when you see the same things happening over and over again and you keep getting upset all the same. I really should know better by now, but I think it bears repeating at times. And when it comes to shout about the books you love the most that you think more people should be reading, then it’s always a good cause.

Here are some of my instant thoughts about the GoodReads Choice Awards 2024 and what I think they can still improve to serve actual readers best instead of just publishers.

Popularity vs. Quality

The Goodreads Awards often miss out on hidden gems, especially with their lack of indie book representation. With a strong focus on widely read titles, deserving indie and self-published books often go unrecognized. It’s a system that naturally favors major publishers and bestsellers over more nuanced works that might not have the same promotional reach. And this also goes for how we don’t see a lot of books by BIPOC authors on these lists. Although I will give them the credit that this year it’s a little better I think than I’ve seen, so it seems we may be making some progress.

Genre Limitations and Categorization Challenges

Romance, for instance, sees an overwhelming number of contemporary novels and particularly rom-coms among this year’s picks. This overlooks the richness within the genre, from historical and paranormal romances to romantic thrillers and beyond. How can we compare these varied genres under the same umbrella? And often, we don’t even get the chance because of the disparity in popularity of some of those sub-genres.

To their credit, Goodreads added romantasy (romantic fantasy) as a separate category this year—a welcome addition and a sign of hope for other subgenres. Mystery and thriller categories, too, could benefit from clearer subgenres for cozy and historical mysteries, which often get overshadowed in broader categories.

Misplaced Books and the Need for Transparency

Books still appear in questionable categories, with women’s fiction titles making their way into romance and literary fiction categories. Romance readers may occasionally enjoy women’s fiction, but the genres aren’t interchangeable. Additionally, more transparency in the selection process would be refreshing. The New York Times’ 100 Best Books of the 21st Century list this year set a new standard by clearly explaining how selections were made—even if the list itself was debatable in my opinion.

Our Thoughts on the 2024 Nominations and Predictions

Now, onto the actual Goodreads Choice Awards 2024 nominations! Victoria from Bibliolifestyle and I will be sharing our thoughts on the nominated titles, along with predictions on which books might win. We’ll dive into everything from popular picks to underdogs that deserve a shot.

Starting next week, tune in to our YouTube and Substack channels for a series of videos covering the books, our predictions, and reactions. Make sure to follow along and let us know your thoughts on the nominees!

Introducing the 2024 Novel Nights Readers Choice Awards

In response to some of the limitations we see in these awards, Victoria and I are thrilled to launch our own award experience: the 2024 Novel Nights Readers Choice Awards! Here, readers have a say in which books deserve recognition from a more inclusive list.

We’ve battled it out between ourselves and narrowed down a selection of eight books within specific categories also featured in the Goodreads Choice Awards, and now it’s up to you to pick the winners.

Cast your votes in our survey to enter a giveaway!

Three winners will be chosen to receive a free one-month upgraded subscription to both the Under the Covers and Bibliolifestyle Substack communities.

Ready to make your voice heard? Dive into our nominations, and let’s celebrate the books we love! The books are listed below in no particular order.

Romance

Here are the books that Victoria and Francesca picked for the best of romance. We tried to give more variety from the genre than all the contemporary romcoms you can find on GoodReads choices.

• A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams
• In a Not So Perfect World by Neely Tubati Alexander
• Lights Out by Navessa Allen
• Legacy of Temptation by Larissa Ione
• Let the Games Begin by Rufaro Faith Mazarura
• You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian
• Best Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi
• Isabel and the Rogue by Liana De la Rosa

Mystery/Thrillers

In this category we feel that GoodReads left out some big standouts of the year that were also hugely popular!

• Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson
• The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean
• The New Couple in 5B by Lisa Unger
• One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware
• The Unwedding by Ally Condie
• The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak
• Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra
• Daughter of Mine by Megan Miranda

Historical Fiction

One of the categories that we struggled a little more in finding books to add, but still some amazing successful books and some hidden gems for your reading pleasure here.

• The American Daughters by Maurice Carlos Ruffin
• Becoming Madam Secretary by Stephanie Dray
• Finding Margaret Fuller by Allison Pataki
• The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier
• The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson
• The Briar Club by Kate Quinn
• The Outlaw Noble Salt by Amy Harmon
• The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali

Sci Fi/Fantasy

We decided to combine the Science Fiction and Fantasy categories into one here and yes, I also included romantasy here.

• Quicksilver by Callie Hart
• Phantasma by Kaylie Smith
• The Sky on Fire by Jenn Lyons
• The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown
• The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman
• Sun of Blood and Ruin by Mariely Lares
• The Mars House by Natasha Pulley
• The Stardust Grail by Yume Kitasei

Memoir

We actually feel that GoodReads did a pretty decent job with picking out Memoirs (and also Horror) for the GoodReads Choice Awards 2024. But here are our offerings with some edits.

• The Wives by Simone Gorrindo
• Mother Island by Jamie Figueroa
• Another Word for Love by Carvell Wallace
• Woman of Interest by Tracy O’Neill
• My Roman Year by André Aciman
• Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten
• From Here to the Great Unknown: A Memoir by Lisa Marie Presley, Riley Keough
• Knife by Salman Rushdie

Thank you for joining us in celebrating the books that shaped our reading year. We can’t wait to see which titles you choose as winners in the Novel Nights Readers Choice Awards! Don’t forget to cast your vote by filling out the form here and stay tuned for our upcoming videos where Victoria and I will dive deeper into our thoughts and predictions on the Goodreads Choice Awards 2024 nominees.

Whether you’re cheering on your favorites, discovering new reads, or joining the conversation on our channels, let’s keep the book love going strong. 

Read more:

• Best Kindle Unlimited Books of 2024
• November 2024 Most Anticipated Book Releases

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