Sign in with Facebook
Meet the Winners of the 2023 Goodreads Choice Awards
With more than 5.8 million votes counted, the results of the 15th Annual Goodreads Choice Awards are now official. Launched in 2009, the Goodreads Choice Awards honor the year’s best books as decided by you, the readers. This year’s awards feature 15 categories with 300 nominated books in the mix.
In 2023, we saw a handful of returning winners, including Emily Henry (notching her third Best Romance win in a row with Happy Place), Leigh Bardugo, and Stephen King. R.F. Kuang (previously a multiple-time nominee in Fantasy for her Poppy War trilogy and last year's Babel) took home the prize for Best Fiction with Yellowface, her keenly observed and wickedly sharp satire of the publishing industry. Landslide victories this year included books that had readers everywhere abuzz: Fourth Wing, the unstoppable romantasy that has supercharged this subgenre, Rebecca Ross' Divine Rivals, and pop princess Britney Spears' heartfelt memoir, The Woman in Me.
Congratulations to all the nominees—thank you most sincerely for giving us another year of great reading. Thanks, too, to the global Goodreads community and everyone who voted. And now, the winners of the 2023 Goodreads Choice Awards…
In 2023, we saw a handful of returning winners, including Emily Henry (notching her third Best Romance win in a row with Happy Place), Leigh Bardugo, and Stephen King. R.F. Kuang (previously a multiple-time nominee in Fantasy for her Poppy War trilogy and last year's Babel) took home the prize for Best Fiction with Yellowface, her keenly observed and wickedly sharp satire of the publishing industry. Landslide victories this year included books that had readers everywhere abuzz: Fourth Wing, the unstoppable romantasy that has supercharged this subgenre, Rebecca Ross' Divine Rivals, and pop princess Britney Spears' heartfelt memoir, The Woman in Me.
Congratulations to all the nominees—thank you most sincerely for giving us another year of great reading. Thanks, too, to the global Goodreads community and everyone who voted. And now, the winners of the 2023 Goodreads Choice Awards…
R.F. Kuang continues her astonishing ascent from genre specialist to literary sensation with Yellowface, a lacerating parable about the publishing industry itself. A combination of satire, metafiction, and slow-burn thriller, the book ultimately delivers a sly cultural critique concerning race and tokenism in the book business.
See all of this year's Fiction nominees here.
See all of this year's Fiction nominees here.
An artful variation on the historical fiction novel, Emilia Hart’s Weyward follows three desperate women along three timeline threads—separate but related—in 1619, 1942, and 2019. Hart’s story stitches back and forth in time as the women encounter an abiding feminine power, deeply rooted in the land. Bonus tip: Look up the definition of weyward for some witchy etymology.
See all of this year's Historical Fiction nominees here.
See all of this year's Historical Fiction nominees here.
Sequel to The Housemaid—a nominee last year in the Mystery & Thriller category—The Housemaid’s Secret is the first Goodreads Choice Award for author (and practicing physician) Freida McFadden. The new novel finds maid-with-a-secret Millie Calloway in another dodgy situation as author McFadden delivers her patented blend of psychological suspense and switchback plot twists.
See all of this year's Mystery & Thriller nominees here.
See all of this year's Mystery & Thriller nominees here.
Emily Henry clocks her third straight victory in the category with this tale of a couple who have broken up but don’t want to harsh the vibe on an upcoming trip with friends. The result is a clever variation on the old fake-dating trope. Henry’s three-in-a-row streak is extra impressive when you consider that she’s published only four adult romances in total.
See all of this year's Romance nominees here.
See all of this year's Romance nominees here.
This year’s most unstoppable book, Rebecca Yarros’ dragon-rider fantasy/romance surfed an atmospheric river of BookTok support straight to the bestseller stratosphere. Yarros’ astonishing success has earned the author a massive fandom of devoted readers, and the book helped popularize the emerging consensus term for 2023’s hottest hybrid genre: romantasy.
See all of this year's Romantasy nominees here.
See all of this year's Romantasy nominees here.
Leigh Bardugo is back on top with Hell Bent, the winner of this year’s Fantasy category. Not coincidentally, the book is the sequel to Ninth House, 2019’s winner in Fantasy. Bardugo’s beloved series has established a new trajectory for dark academia books, promising Ivy League hopefuls a world of secret societies, occult rituals, and interdimensional portals.
See all of this year's Fantasy nominees here.
See all of this year's Fantasy nominees here.
With its skillful mix of fantasy and science fiction elements, T.J. Klune’s innovative novel brings the core concepts of the Pinocchio legend into the notional environs of the 21st century and beyond. Androids! Anxieties! Found families! Klune has an intuitive feel for this kind of modern mythmaking, bringing contemporary resonance to this classic tale.
See all of this year's Science Fiction nominees here.
See all of this year's Science Fiction nominees here.
As elder statesman and genre godfather, Stephen King is a familiar name in the Horror category. He returns this year with Holly, which pits an old fan-favorite character—private investigator Holly Gibney—against a pair of uniquely depraved antagonists. King’s book is part character study, part thriller, and part cautionary tale concerning octogenarian academics.
See all of this year's Horror nominees here.
See all of this year's Horror nominees here.
Another massive BookTok sensation, Rebecca Ross’ Divine Rivals introduces a genuinely fresh new fantasy world featuring vengeful gods, the horrors of war, and the power of love—all kinds of love. The book also extols the virtues of old-world correspondence (writing letters!). Good news for impatient readers: Book two of the series hits U.S. shelves on December 26.
See all of this year's YA Fantasy nominees here.
See all of this year's YA Fantasy nominees here.
Author Ali Hazelwood made her name in the book business by writing smart love stories for discerning adult readers. So, it’s an encouraging development that her first venture into the young adult aisles is proving equally popular. Check & Mate follows reluctant chess genius Mallory Greenleaf as she deploys gambits and strategies in the game of life. Smart kids need love too, you know.
See all of this year's YA Fiction nominees here.
See all of this year's YA Fiction nominees here.
Alert readers will note that debut author Emilia Hart is a double winner in this year’s GCAs, having also taken the prize in Best Historical Fiction. As first novels go, Weyward is both accomplished and ambitious, effectively blending elements of magical realism and historical conjecture to tell the stories of three amazing women in three different eras.
See all of this year's Debut Novel nominees here.
See all of this year's Debut Novel nominees here.
Sociologist and Pulitzer Prize winner Matthew Desmond earns this year’s prize with the kind of book that future historians will be citing for generations. Desmond asks some deeply uncomfortable questions about poverty in the United States, then persuasively argues for a bold new agenda of shared prosperity.
See all of this year's Nonfiction nominees here.
See all of this year's Nonfiction nominees here.
One of several high-profile celebrity memoirs to drop this year, Britney Spears' big book was ecstatically received by fans—and it did quite well with the critics, too. If you’re keeping score at home, Prince Harry’s memoir, Spare, came in second place in this category. Mathematically, that’s American Pop Princess > British Royal Scion—for Goodreads voters, anyway.
See all of this year's Memoir & Autobiography nominees here.
See all of this year's Memoir & Autobiography nominees here.
Journalist and veteran researcher David Grann profiles the bloody fate of an 18th-century British warship that generated two groups of survivors, each telling a different tale of What Really Happened. Perhaps this year’s most expansive book, The Wager crosses rigorous research with true-crime verve, peppered with elements of survival tale, legal thriller, and horror story.
See all of this year's History & Biography nominees here.
See all of this year's History & Biography nominees here.
In our increasingly divided culture, it’s nice to find one thing we can all agree on: The Fonz is, was, and shall forever be cool. This bedrock wisdom provides the unshakable foundation of Henry Winkler’s delightful memoir, which reveals the actor’s keen eye, big heart, and formidable writing chops. Sometimes the good guys finish first, after all.
See all of this year's Humor nominees here.
See all of this year's Humor nominees here.
Thank you to all of the readers who make the Goodreads Choice Awards such a success every year! Happy reading!
Comments Showing 51-100 of 106 (106 new)
message 51:
by
Lisbeth
(new)
Dec 07, 2023 04:26PM
I have read 3 of these. Adding a few more to my WTR list
flag
My only complaint is why on earth Wayward won, nevermind two categories. I couldn't stand it, maybe it's just me? Everything else is a fair win.
There are so many good memoirs, and Brittany won.
Lily wrote: "Does anyone know why Middle Grade/Children's Fiction and Graphic Novels weren't included as categories this year?"I was wondering the same! Maybe there were not enough books to qualify
Nancy wrote: "My only complaint is why on earth Wayward won, nevermind two categories. I couldn't stand it, maybe it's just me? Everything else is a fair win."it was a dnf for me- but highly recommended from a friend who loved it.
Happy Place was just meh for me. I didn't think it was heavy on the romance either...more women's fiction.
I saw fourth wing a million times on booktok I knew at the beginning of the year it was going to win. Great book! And I loved happy place too 😊
Bonnie wrote: it was a dnf for me- but highly recommended from a friend who loved it.I'll tell you, it was a rough time for me to actually finish it. Really rough, because of the so many triggers & just uninteresting characters. That's why it shocks me to see Weyward so highly rated & even win these categories. To each their own I guess...but highly disagreed.
I am genuinely not happy with the categories and the winners. Why did Goodreads not include Middle Grade when we had TWO new entries into the Percy Jackson series alone? Why no Graphic Novels category, when it is a legitimate form of storytelling?I voted with integrity and did not pick any books I did not read. So what if I didn't vote in most of the categories - those I would have voted for are on my TO BE READ list, not my HAVE ALREADY READ list. If I hadn't read it when I voted, I didn't pick it.
I only voted for britney spears book. It was the only one I read in the list.
Candice wrote: "Black authors didn’t win anything. Go figure. Smdh."Some books from Black authors that should've won:
Chaos Theory by Nic Stone
Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo
The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson
Maame by Jessica George
One Summer in Savannah by Terah Shelton Harris
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
Nic Blake and the Remarkables by Angie Thomas would've won if Goodreads didn't remove the Middle Grade and Children's Genre.
Law wrote: "Candice wrote: "Black authors didn’t win anything. Go figure. Smdh."Some books that should've won:
Chaos Theory by Nic Stone
Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo
The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson
Me..."
Chain-Gang All-Stars deserved to win Sci-Fi imo!
Read only two books from the listed winners which I voted 😄
I mean Not what I expected
But at least the fourth wing is on the list, so I'll keep silent
Those who voted for books they didn't read You destroyed everything
This voting process is the most ridiculous and hilarious I have ever encountered in my life. No rules at ALL 😭💀
I’M SO HAPPY IN THE LIVES OF PUPPETS WON!!! That was one of my favourite reads of this year! TJ Klune is my favourite author of all time❤️🫶🏻🤖🌳
‘Weyward’ was such a mediocre book to me- like, skimmed the last half, mediocre.‘Our Share of the Night’ is my best horror of the year.
Forever part of the minority, I suppose.
It's so funny watching you guys get mad when you're book you voted for didn't win, like get over it
So proud of Weyward and In the Lives of Puppets! Very well deserved wins that I loved this year.
I genuinely cannot believe Happy Place won Best Romance. That was one of the most disappointing and worst romances I read all year.
soo glad Divine Rivals won best YA Fantasy🙌🏾
Fantastic! Agree with most all of these selections! Congratulations to all of the authors!
I’m always perplexed by the winners in most categories. I gave Yellowface 2 stars. I couldn’t understand the hype. I rarely expect my books to be nominated or even to win because most books by black, Caribbean, and African writers are overlooked and not read by most Goodreads readers. However, I look forward to reading some of the nominees.
I don't trust the results of anything where human beings vote for his or her favorite anything - from President of the trash collectors association to President of the United States. All I ever learn is how ignorant this country is.I do my own research and find the very best books to read, or listen to, in my case.
Diabetes has made me very thankful for audible.com. Happy reading, everyone.
Lily wrote: "Law wrote: "Candice wrote: "Black authors didn’t win anything. Go figure. Smdh."Some books that should've won:
Chaos Theory by Nic Stone
Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo
The House of Eve by Sadeq..."
Chain-Gang All Stars sounds like a promising read. I don't understand how only one Asian author won and the rest of the winners were white.
Shawn wrote: "Why does Stephen King always win horror? His stuff isn't even scary. Grady Hendrix should have won this year ib my opinion."While I have to admit I did not read King’s book, Hendrix’s was one of my DNF for the year.
I basically predicted all of these correctly. 😂🥴
Can’t believe Rebecca is still on this list after all the shit she said.
Fourth wing should not be here terribly predictable and whilst being completely unoriginal
I just ignore these results that seem meh and go with book reviews.
Yay, a couple of my faves won! Not sure why anyone is actually upset about any of the winners. All the nominees were worthy. Congrats to the authors and to those readers who have lived in their worlds for a little while!
Lily wrote: "Does anyone know why Middle Grade/Children's Fiction and Graphic Novels weren't included as categories this year?"Because Goodreads keeps making strange decisions with these awards. Because they added a new category, they took out other important ones and upset many about this. Poetry and Plays also removed.
As usual, I had not read many of the nominees so could not vote in most categories. I do have a few of them, but they are on the list to get to, hopefully in 2024.
None of the books I voted for won, which means I have a head-start on 2024's TBR list!
Laura wrote: "People saying they voted for books they didn’t read… no wonder this list is so bad. Only those who’ve read the book should be able to vote."I totally agree!
Ronja wrote: "I really disliked Weyward, but it won two categories!? Something wrong with me? Really excited to read The Wager though!"Same, same, and same!
How did Happy Place win best Romance? It was so dull and not at all what I would have expected from the author.
please bring back the Graphic Novels, Poetry, and Children's/Middlegrade categories next year 🙏
PainterSam wrote: "Great books, but The Many Regrets of Clover should have been on here! Read it."the "Collected" Regrets of Clover, surely
five read one TBR. The Woman in Me, Yellowface, Wayward, in the Lives of Puppet are some of my favorite reads of the year.
Tenzin wrote: "five read one TBR. The Woman in Me, Yellowface, Wayward, in the Lives of Puppet are some of my favorite reads of the year."I am listening to In the Lives of Puppets and really enjoying it.
Yuri wrote: "please bring back the Graphic Novels, Poetry, and Children's/Middlegrade categories next year 🙏"Same.
really disappointed in the lack of Graphic Novel and Poetry categories
Ada wrote: "I can't even. But yay for RF Kuang getting a win. Maybe more people should read that book."Yellowface was okay.
Amy wrote: "really disappointed in the lack of Graphic Novel and Poetry categories"Poetry is a valid form of storytelling, so why did Goodreads remove the Poetry awards?
this year was my best reading year with 76% completion. In Sha Allah in 2024 I'll achieve a 100!
I look forward to seeing these lists every year! I'd love it if there were a category for Magical Realism. Is there some way to vote for the addition of new categories?
