D&J BOTM Books of the Year 2016

[Kirsty, Jedi Master]

The polls are open to vote for your BOTM Book of the Year 2016!

Fantasy Poll

Sci Fi Poll

Votes are anonymous and will be revealed on the 9th Jan.

Feel free to talk here about your picks :)

[Paul, A wanderer in unknown realms]

Hard choicea as there were a lot of the books I loved.
My least favourite all round was Stranger in a Strange Land which I found awful , my only 1 star review all year.

[Roger, Knight Radiant]

Gardens of the Moon in both polls?

[Kirsty, Jedi Master]

Oh crap really, give me a min

[Kirsty, Jedi Master]

Edited. Sorry, I had gardens of the moon on both instead of the other january book which was The Man in the High Castle. Sorted now!

[Margo]

I'd find it hard to chose between Uprooted and The Fifth Season. But then their were 5 I didn't read including Age of Myth which I expect to like a lot!

[Margo]

In the Sci-Fi category I only managed 2: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet and both were excellent. I enjoyed the second one slightly more as I didn't know what to expect - I have listened to the Guide many times.

[Melanie]

Six of Crows! Engaging characters and perfectly paced plot.

Long Way to a Small angry Planet. Some of the best ensemble writing I've seen.

[Rinn, (Retired mod) Captain of the SSV Normandy]

I found the fantasy one hard to vote for, as quite a few of our fantasy BOTMs were outstanding to me. However, SF was easy - The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet is a book that will stay with me forever. Warm fuzzies!

[Shawnie]

Rinn wrote: "I found the fantasy one hard to vote for, as quite a few of our fantasy BOTMs were outstanding to me. However, SF was easy - The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet is a book that will stay with me fo..."

Rinn, it gives me the warm fuzzies too! :) So looking forward to the next one.

[Cupcakes & Machetes, Hybrid Creature]

This made me realize that I didn't participate in too many BoTMs this past year. I'll try to do better this year. :)

[Rinn, (Retired mod) Captain of the SSV Normandy]

Hybrid Creature (devours books instead of brains) wrote: "This made me realize that I didn't participate in too many BoTMs this past year. I'll try to do better this year. :)"

Me neither, bad for a mod! :/ They may be easier to get this time round though, as I didn't want to pay library charges when I was living in Oxford.

[Fannie]

This made me realize that I am more jetpack than dragon. I'm curious to see what will be the results.

[Melanie]

I read all but 2 of the fantasy picks and 8 of the sci-fi picks. I'm kinds of proud of how well I've kept up. I definitely was happy with the quality of the fantasy books books in general.

But I'm still confidently saying Six of Crows was my favorite book of the year.

[Melanie]

Fannie wrote: "This made me realize that I am more jetpack than dragon. I'm curious to see what will be the results."

I'm definitely more dragon...but dragons can fit on starships right?

[Rinn, (Retired mod) Captain of the SSV Normandy]

Yes, particularly if we have a TARDIS :P

[Margo]

:-D

[Roger, Knight Radiant]

Both of these where tough choices for me, for Sci-Fi it was down to A Long Ways to a Small Angry Planet and Armada, (I think I ended up going with Armada, even though it had its faults it was a real fun read for me) and for Fantasy it was between Black Prism and Uprooted. I went for Uprooted, that was one of my favorites of the year.

[Carolyn]

Melanie wrote: "Six of Crows! Engaging characters and perfectly paced plot.

Long Way to a Small angry Planet. Some of the best ensemble writing I've seen."

My thoughts exactly!

[Kirsty, Jedi Master]

The Results are in!

Sci-Fi
Winner: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet 43 votes
2nd: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 22 votes
3rd: Cinder 18 votes

(all votes can be found here)

Fantasy
Winner: The Fifth Season 26 votes
2nd: Six of Crows 25 votes
3rd: Uprooted 23 votes

(all votes can be found here)

Runaway winner for Sci Fi but definitely a close run thing for Fantasy!

[Carolyn]

Very cool! I haven't read The Fifth Season - another to the list. :)

[Lel]

Wow the fantasy was close!

[Lancer, Warden of the Slums]

Cinder surprises me. Would not be anywhere near my best of anything lists.

[Carolyn]

I love the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder is the weaker of the books. But I can see the love for it. It is the beginning of the adventure.

[Lancer, Warden of the Slums]

YA is just not my cup of tea but I understand how many would like it.

[Roger, Knight Radiant]

sir Lancer wrote: "Cinder surprises me. Would not be anywhere near my best of anything lists."

It would come in the best book to use to start a fire list....

[Kirsty, Jedi Master]

Roger, you were the only person I thought of as I wrote that list. Lolling away to myself how much you were gonna love it

[Rinn, (Retired mod) Captain of the SSV Normandy]

I'm quite surprised it made it to number 3. I did enjoy it, but I definitely wouldn't consider it to be any kind of masterpiece. But each to their own, of course, and the group (and Goodreads) is a diverse place! I'm sure there are people out there for whom this group is a nightmare, reading SFF left, right and centre ;)

[Susie]

The polls reminded me of BOTM's that I missed, I haven't read either of the 1st place winners yet! Both are beginnings of trilogies that aren't done yet, right? Oh, why bother trying to limit the series I'm reading now... xP

[Sandy]

sir Lancer wrote: "Cinder surprises me. Would not be anywhere near my best of anything lists."

I did very much enjoy Cinder - but felt I really could not vote because I hadn't read enough of the BOTM to form an opinion. New Year's resolution to read more this year - especially the fantasy.

[Fannie]

I read all the sci-fi winners and couldn't agree more with the 1st and 2nd places, but I didn't read any of the 3 fantasy. I will try to balance that this year.