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Announcing the Winners of the 2009 Goodreads Choice Awards
We are proud to announce the results of the inaugural Goodreads Choice Awards! We analyzed statistics from the 39 million books added, rated, and reviewed on the site in 2009 to create nomination lists in 13 categories. Books were categorized according to their popularity and how they were shelved (tagged). The candidates were announced in the December newsletter, and Goodreads members voted in droves until the polls closed on New Year's Eve.
See detailed polling results! »
All-time Favorite: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Also the winner of the Young Adult Series category, Collins's second book in The Hunger Games series was a huge favorite on Goodreads is 2009. Its average rating, 4.53 (out of a possible five stars), is remarkably high.
Fiction: The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Goodreads Author)
Stockett won handily with 17% of the vote. The Help is also one of the top-rated books of 2009 on Goodreads with a 4.51 average rating. Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol came in second with 10% of the vote.
Nonfiction: Columbine by Dave Cullen (Goodreads Author)
Also a strong favorite, garnering 18% of the vote. The runner-up was Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls.
Mystery/Thriller: The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
Larsson dominated this category with nearly 30% of the vote. Dan Brown was a distant second with The Lost Symbol earning 16% of the vote.
Fantasy: Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
The zombies of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies put up a good fight, but were bitten back in the final days of voting by the vampires of Dead and Gone, which won by a whisper-thin margin of 13 votes.
Science Fiction: Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Two very different authors vied for the top spot. Margaret Atwood's The Year of the Flood lost to Westerfeld's Leviathan.
Chick Lit: The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
This category generated some healthy controversy, since many readers disagree about what constitutes "chick lit." As mentioned above, we used shelving statistics to determine a book's genre. Nicholas Sparks won the category with almost a quarter of the votes.
Romance: An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon
Gabaldon is known for fiction that defies easy categorization. An Echo in the Bone is the seventh book in her popular Outlander series, which is shelved as romance, historical fiction, and time-travel fantasy.
Graphic Novel: Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author) and Andy Kubert (illustrator)
Gaiman’s capper to the epic Batman series won easily in this category, but Max Brooks’s The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks and Stitches were not far behind.
Young Adult Fiction: Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen (Goodreads Author)
This category pitted several Goodreads Authors against each other. Sarah Dessen edged out Laurie Halse Anderson (Wintergirls) for the win.
Young Adult Series: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Also the winner of the All-Time Favorite category, Collins led runner-up The Last Olympian by 20 percentage points.
Children's Book: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney.
Book 4 of Jeff Kinney's popular series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, won by a whopping margin.
Picture Book: Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess (illustrator)
Goodreads Author Neil Gaiman picked up his second award. Gaiman is one of the most-followed authors on Goodreads with nearly 5,000 followers.
See detailed polling results! »
See detailed polling results! »
All-time Favorite: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Also the winner of the Young Adult Series category, Collins's second book in The Hunger Games series was a huge favorite on Goodreads is 2009. Its average rating, 4.53 (out of a possible five stars), is remarkably high.
Fiction: The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Goodreads Author)
Stockett won handily with 17% of the vote. The Help is also one of the top-rated books of 2009 on Goodreads with a 4.51 average rating. Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol came in second with 10% of the vote.
Nonfiction: Columbine by Dave Cullen (Goodreads Author)
Also a strong favorite, garnering 18% of the vote. The runner-up was Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls.
Mystery/Thriller: The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
Larsson dominated this category with nearly 30% of the vote. Dan Brown was a distant second with The Lost Symbol earning 16% of the vote.
Fantasy: Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
The zombies of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies put up a good fight, but were bitten back in the final days of voting by the vampires of Dead and Gone, which won by a whisper-thin margin of 13 votes.
Science Fiction: Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Two very different authors vied for the top spot. Margaret Atwood's The Year of the Flood lost to Westerfeld's Leviathan.
Chick Lit: The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
This category generated some healthy controversy, since many readers disagree about what constitutes "chick lit." As mentioned above, we used shelving statistics to determine a book's genre. Nicholas Sparks won the category with almost a quarter of the votes.
Romance: An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon
Gabaldon is known for fiction that defies easy categorization. An Echo in the Bone is the seventh book in her popular Outlander series, which is shelved as romance, historical fiction, and time-travel fantasy.
Graphic Novel: Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? by Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author) and Andy Kubert (illustrator)
Gaiman’s capper to the epic Batman series won easily in this category, but Max Brooks’s The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks and Stitches were not far behind.
Young Adult Fiction: Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen (Goodreads Author)
This category pitted several Goodreads Authors against each other. Sarah Dessen edged out Laurie Halse Anderson (Wintergirls) for the win.
Young Adult Series: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Also the winner of the All-Time Favorite category, Collins led runner-up The Last Olympian by 20 percentage points.
Children's Book: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney.
Book 4 of Jeff Kinney's popular series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, won by a whopping margin.
Picture Book: Blueberry Girl by Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess (illustrator)
Goodreads Author Neil Gaiman picked up his second award. Gaiman is one of the most-followed authors on Goodreads with nearly 5,000 followers.
See detailed polling results! »
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WOO HOO you go Suzanne Collins!!! Well deserved!
Love Diana Gabaldon; Outlander and Pillars of the Earth created my historical fiction romance addiction!
The link with "detailed polling" isn't working. Is there some specific reason to it? Because I would very much like to see it.
And one question about The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, isn't it pretty much based on the Japanese cult classic Battle Royale? Just maybe not as violent. I have yet to read it so I was just wondering.