The Best Books of 2011: Announcing the Goodreads Choice Award Winners!
Posted by Jessica on December 06, 2011
Congratulations to our winners in 22 categories from poetry to paranormal romance »
Voting has concluded for the 2011 Goodreads Choice Awards, the only major book awards chosen by readers, for readers. Thank you to everyone who voted, and a big round of applause for our winners!
In a result that reinforces the crossover power of Young Adult titles, Divergent, the debut novel by Veronica Roth, won Favorite Book of 2011. The critically-acclaimed 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami, a 900-page masterpiece of mystical realism won Best Fiction of 2011. Definitely not in the loser category is the winner of Best Nonfiction—The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth by Alexandra Robbins, which demonstrates how outcasts thrive after high school. Our other big winners include The Paris Wife, Steve Jobs, Two Kisses for Maddy, and many more—see all the winners here!
We had a tremendous voting turnout for 2011, the third year we've run the Goodreads Choice Awards (view 2009 and 2010 results). Thanks for sharing your passion for your favorite books. However, we're guessing you haven't read every single book among our 440 nominees, so view the full results to see the vote breakdown for 20 nominees across 22 categories. Discover tons of new books to add to your to-read shelf and find great holiday gift ideas for every kind of reader on your shopping list!
If you have friends who love reading, please share this blog post using the Facebook or Twitter links at the end. Spread the word about great books!
See the full results »
Finally, we're thrilled to share this video from 2011's big winner, Goodreads Author Veronica Roth, newly decorated with both Favorite Book of 2011 and Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction for Divergent, her debut novel. That's right; the first-time novelist beat out heavy hitters like George R.R. Martin and Tina Fey. Kudos to Veronica for a huge year—first book published, movie deal, and now two Goodreads Choice Awards!
Congratulations to our winners in 22 categories from poetry to paranormal romance »
Voting has concluded for the 2011 Goodreads Choice Awards, the only major book awards chosen by readers, for readers. Thank you to everyone who voted, and a big round of applause for our winners!
In a result that reinforces the crossover power of Young Adult titles, Divergent, the debut novel by Veronica Roth, won Favorite Book of 2011. The critically-acclaimed 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami, a 900-page masterpiece of mystical realism won Best Fiction of 2011. Definitely not in the loser category is the winner of Best Nonfiction—The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth by Alexandra Robbins, which demonstrates how outcasts thrive after high school. Our other big winners include The Paris Wife, Steve Jobs, Two Kisses for Maddy, and many more—see all the winners here!
We had a tremendous voting turnout for 2011, the third year we've run the Goodreads Choice Awards (view 2009 and 2010 results). Thanks for sharing your passion for your favorite books. However, we're guessing you haven't read every single book among our 440 nominees, so view the full results to see the vote breakdown for 20 nominees across 22 categories. Discover tons of new books to add to your to-read shelf and find great holiday gift ideas for every kind of reader on your shopping list!
If you have friends who love reading, please share this blog post using the Facebook or Twitter links at the end. Spread the word about great books!
See the full results »
Finally, we're thrilled to share this video from 2011's big winner, Goodreads Author Veronica Roth, newly decorated with both Favorite Book of 2011 and Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction for Divergent, her debut novel. That's right; the first-time novelist beat out heavy hitters like George R.R. Martin and Tina Fey. Kudos to Veronica for a huge year—first book published, movie deal, and now two Goodreads Choice Awards!
Comments (showing 1-50 of 85) (85 new)
Haruki Murakami is so cool!!!But seriously... Lover Unleashed?!?! That book was horrible! I can't understand that!
Shadowfever was okay but I don't think that good.
Don't know the rest. But defo want to read the Song of Ice and Fire series!
Congratulations to all the winners-they are all so well deserved. I loved Shadowfever, Lover Unleashed, Where She Went, and Cassandra Clare's Immortal Instruments.
Yay! Congrats to Veronica Roth! DIVERGENT is amazing and it totally deserve to won 2 categories! Also, congrats to Cassandra Clare for winning Best Author (although I don't get why in one comment it said something about her and plagiarism..)
Sarah wrote: "But seriously... Lover Unleashed?!?! That book was horrible! I can't understand that!"
I can't stand that series but it's still miles better than the runner-up: 50 Shades of Grey. What I want to know is how the hell it can get 3800 votes when ONLY 2200 rated it in the first place and I know not every 2200 voted for it since I was one of them. Can we say ballot stuffing?
Pee-thetic.
The Paris Wife? Seriously? Of the close to 90 books I read this year, that book was top 2 worst books.And I agree with the above comment - Where is Delirium? That was a great book.
Happy The Paris Wife won... I voted for it too. Even if I'm not sure it was best historical fiction out there, it was certainly enjoyable and it led me to read A Movable Feast which led me to some previously unread Fitzgerald so it was a good deal all around. Now I need to add Divergent to my list apparently.
There will always be negative opinions but the readers chose and the readers have spoken. Congratulations to all the authors. I hope now with Shadowfever winning a category it will get that movie! Moning Maniacs are waiting patiently =)
A gazillion books, a gazillion readers, a gazillion opinions and all are welcome. Some of the books that readers loved but weren't selected will lead me to check out some of those too!
The Gwyneth Paltrow won best cookbook? you must be kidding. Just shows the ridiculous power of celebrity in this country. A real chef should have won. Disgusting.
Well, darn. Nothing I voted on won. I'm particularly disappointed at the absence of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Better luck next I year, I suppose :)
Just goes to show how different people's tastes are. I found DIVERGENT to be just okay. Thought DELIRIUM was a far superior book. I do agree with WHERE SHE WENT for best YA fiction. I didn't like IF I STAY, but WHERE SHE WENT was excellent.
Adam 'Archer' wrote: "Wait... Whoa... Cassandra Clare won best goodreads author??? Do we award plagiarists now?"Most people here probably don't know about Cassandra Cla(i)re's shenanigans in the HP fandom before she became a published author.... Well, if anyone's curious, you can always look her up on Fan History. ;)
On topic, I'm very happy that ADWD won in the Best Fantasy category.
seton wrote: "I can't stand that series but it's still miles better than the runner-up: 50 Shades of Grey. What I want to know is how the hell it can get 3800 votes when ONLY 2200 rated it in the first place and I know not every 2200 voted for it since I was one of them. Can we say ballot stuffing?Pee-thetic..."
Exactly. I've long thought a lot of those ratings were sock accounts anyway. This just seems to prove it.
Melodie wrote: "Just goes to show how different people's tastes are. I found DIVERGENT to be just okay. Thought DELIRIUM was a far superior book. I do agree with WHERE SHE WENT for best YA fiction. I didn't like..." i haven't yet read delirium, do you think it was really awesome? I LOVED LOVED LOVED DIVERGENT! i don't know how anything could be better than divergent, but hey, everyone has their own opinions! Anyway i will certainly check delirium out if its so good! THANX!
Megan wrote: "Can't wait to read Divergent. Heard so many good things about it."YES, YES, YES! DO! I'm an avid reader, Since sept. ive read 17 novels, but i finished divergent in a pleasent 3 days and LOVED IT!
The only book I'm sad not to see in that list, that I've read, was Ghost Story by Jim Butcher. Awesome book. Awesome series. Awesome author. Congrats to the winners though! :D
seton wrote: "Sarah wrote: "But seriously... Lover Unleashed?!?! That book was horrible! I can't understand that!"
I can't stand that series but it's still miles better than the runner-up: 50 Shades of Grey. ..."
I didn't realize readers were so petty and judgmental. Artist gets inspiration from a million places and probably start new stories from their own private reading (of other authors works) all the time. Bunch of conspiracy theorists, sheesh. If there's illegal activity afoot, let the legal system deal with it and just enjoy yourself.
Alicia wrote: "Exactly. I've long thought a lot of those ratings were sock accounts anyway. This just seems to prove it."
Yep. They are not fooling anyone.
I personally wasn't a fan of Divergent by any means, and think Delirium was much more superior dystopian novel. All I have to say.
I'm really surprised Delirium didn't win any awards, but at least it got close. And I'm really glad Billy Collins won in the poetry category. He's one of my favorites.Congrats to all the winners. :)
Adam 'Archer' wrote: "Wait... Whoa... Cassandra Clare won best goodreads author??? Do we award plagiarists now?"Why do you say that?
Congrats to the winners! I was really hoping When She Woke would have won for best SciFi but I guess it is hard to compete with Steven King.I look forward to checking out a bunch of the winners & nominees for myself.
Woo! Divergent!!! Yay!! For once a book I voted for won! I'm so happeh! And Son of Neptune won something too! That's awesome! I'm very pleased, and Divergent was an AWESOME book, it's my all time favorite!
Well congrats to all the winners!! Too bad I didn't read a one of them. Nothing I voted for won, but Lover Unleashed??? really???
Sarah wrote: "Haruki Murakami is so cool!!!But seriously... Lover Unleashed?!?! That book was horrible! I can't understand that!
Shadowfever was okay but I don't think that good.
Don't know the rest. But def..."
I was PISSED when I saw that Lover Unleashed won when I was at work!! Fifty Shades was the best in that category!!
New York to Dallas almost won and is a better book that Smokin Seventeen! Neither of my choices won for paranormal fantasy but another author that I like won: j.r. ward for Lover Unleashed
Melodie wrote: "Just goes to show how different people's tastes are. I found DIVERGENT to be just okay. Thought DELIRIUM was a far superior book. I do agree with WHERE SHE WENT for best YA fiction. I didn't like..."I agree. I thought Delirium was better than Divergent, though it is too a good book. Delirium should have won something ):
You separate out Best Fantasy and Best Paranormal Fantasy....and yet History and Biography get lumped together??
Well, I guess I have to move Divergent up my reading list now. I've been hearing really great things about it and here it is winning the Favorite book of 2011! :O I hope I won't be disappointed. Congrats to all the winners :)
Congratulation to all the Winners...Some of the books that won I couldn't agree more, but some more, hmm... let me think... the other maybe better..
but hey, its all up to the voters then, right.. =D
Thanks goodreads
A lot of this is a mix of popularity and fandom. Some of the winners/nominees were deserving and others were a mix fandom. A lot of people I think voted just because they like an author or some people voted for a book that a lot of their friends like. The whole Goodreads vote is really a popularity vote as opposed to a vote of quality books. I know I personally hadn't read all of the books in some of the categories and voted in some of the categories of the lesser of two evils. In addition, I must admit that I feel that the GR engineers must re-work their categories, as 50 Shades of Grey and Lover Unleashed are EROTICA and not romance novels. They are actually CATEGORISED as firstly EROTICA by many companies.By putting them in the romance category is HIGHLY misleading, as I personally REFUSE to read those types of books at all.If GR is willing to split PNR and Fantasy or Romance, then be willing to exclude what many view as pornography from the Romance.
However, regarding the comment about the YA demographic :I'm an adult and read YA,the classics,NF, adult books etc. I've actually found some better writers and books in the YA market. The GR demographic being teenagers isn't the problem. The problem is how they're dividing the categories and how some of these categories have huge followings that can be divisive. E.g. Erotica is huge, but many people also can't stand it.
I'm honestly happy for Roth and have planned to read it and will read it sooner, as I know people who have read it and loved it. Congrats !
Lover Unleashed is NOT erotica!! Erotica is defined as NOT having a happy ever after (which is a requirement according to the romance writers of america) - and focused on the sexual gratification of the individuals, there was hardly any sex in LU and most of it was tepid at best. LU had a HEA. At the most it could be called erotic romance, but totally not as all compared to the vast majority of stuff in that category
Book wrote: "A lot of this is a mix of popularity and fandom. Some of the winners/nominees were deserving and others were a mix fandom. A lot of people I think voted just because they like an author or some peo..."Isn't this WHY we read books?? Our friends recommend books; we read reviews; we scan Amazon (or whatever) to see what other people are reading; we belong to author's websites because we want to know when their next book is coming out; we follow blogs; etc etc - I could probably go on indefinitely - so, yes, the whole reading of books is because of fandom and popularity - how else would we find new authors to read if this didn't exist? how else could we support our favourite authors?
Thank goodness we all choose differently - wouldn't it be boring otherwise?
BTW I don't think too many people regard Lover Unleashed as erotica, just a little bit hot.
AND then, why not pick out Hot Head as erotica too?? Or doesn't M/M romance qualify? and YES, it was definitely a romance!!
ETA [apologies before anyone complains about the last paragraph - just trying to be a little tongue in cheek here ]
I loved Hot Head and Damon is an awesome guy - I was so glad to see that it made it to the final round
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