Goodreads has recently released the final round finalist for the Goodreads Choice Awards. Each genre category began with 20 books but now contains just 10 nominates.  Before the winners are announced later this week, I thought it would be fun to predict possible future winners based on personal thoughts and readers’ reviews. Let’s look at the top 10 books in each genre and potential winners:  

Fiction: 

• I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue
• Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum
• Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
• Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors 
• Swan Song (Nantucket Series #4) by Elin Hilderbrand
• Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty
• Good Material by Dolly Alderton
• Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
• Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe

My prediction: Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum 

I haven’t read Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop, but recently I have been highly recommended to read it. If it’s not Bo-Reum’s novel, I would also choose Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand or Good Material by Dolly Alderton as marvelous novels to win the Fiction category. 

Historical Fiction:

• Anita de Monte Laughs last by Xoxhitl Gonzalez
• The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
• By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult
• James by Percival Everett
• The Women by Kristin Hannah
• The Briar Club by Kate Quinn
• The Booklover’s Library by Madeline Martin
• The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali
• The Husbands & Lovers by Beatriz Williams
• The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

My prediction: The Women by Kristin Hannah

I love Kristin Hannah’s writing, and many other readers do, too. Her ability to describe events is astounding and makes readers feel they are living with the characters. If you haven’t read any Kristin Hannah novels, I recommend them all (especially Firefly Lane or The Nightingale). 

Mystery & Thriller 

• How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin
• All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
• First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
• The Teacher by Freida McFadden
• Home Is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose
• The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley
• We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
• The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
• The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden
• Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

My prediction: The Teacher by Freida McFadden

Freida McFadden has been many bibliophiles’ favorite mystery author for several years. Her twisting stories always leave readers questioning till the end. McFadden won Mystery & Thriller in 2023 and had the opportunity to have two of her novels selected this year. With that, McFadden has an enormous chance to win again this year!

Romance: 

• Wild Love by Elsie Silver
• The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren
• Leather & Lark (The Ruinous Love Trilogy Series #2) by Brynne Weaver
• This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune
• The Cinnamon Bun Book Store (Dream Harbor Series #2) by Laurie Gilmore
• Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
• Bride by Ali Hazelwood
• Funny Story by Emily Henry
• King of Sloth (Kings of Sin Series #4) by Ana Huang
• Play Along (Windy City Series) by Liz Tomforde

My prediction: Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

This category is tough to pick one winner with names including Elsie Silver, Carley Fortune, Abby Jimenez, Ali Hazelwood, Emily Henry, and many more outstanding writers. Each year Romance readers get excited to read the new releases from each of these authors. However, this year, Abby Jimenez released a heartfelt love story about characters finding each other but also themselves. Just for the Summer is my favorite, but each finalist in this category deserves this award.  

Romantasy: 

• When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker
• House of Flame and Shadow (Crescent City Series #3) by Sarah J. Maas
• Apprentice of the Villain (Assistant of the Villain Series #2) by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
• The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
• Phantasma by Kaylie Smith
• Restless Stars (Zodiac Academy #9) by Caroline Peckham
• Born of Blood and Ash (Flesh and Fire Series #4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen
• Quicksilver by Callie Hart
• A Touch of Chaos (Hades X Persephone Saga Series #4) by Scarlett St. Clair

My prediction: House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas

As a reader, I pick up more Fiction, mystery, and Romance novels. I’m not as familiar with the genre as other readers. However, from talking to friends and reading online reviews, this book was a fan favorite. If it is anything like Sarah J. Maas’s other books, House of Flame and Shadow will win the Romantasy category. 

Fantasy:

• Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland
• The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
• The Black Bird Oracle (All Souls Series #5) by Deborah Harkness
• The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown
• The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett
• The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo
• The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer
• Somewhere Beyond the Sea (Cerulean Chronicles Series #2) by T.J. Klune
• Empire of the Damned (Empire of the Vampire Series #2) by Jay Kristoff
• Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands (Emily Wilde Series #2) by Heather Fawcett

My prediction: Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

Again, Fantasy is a genre I don’t pick up as often as others. However, from reading the description and recommendation, the Emily Wilde Series sounds entertaining. If you enjoy Fantasy, which book would you select as the winner?

Science Fiction:

• The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
• Annie Bot by Sierra Greer
• I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger
• The Family Experiment by John Marrs
• Orbital by Samantha Harvey
• The Stardust Grail by Yume Kitasei
• The Mercy of Gods by James S.A. Corey
• Extinction by Douglas Preston
• The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard
• Moon of the Turning Leaves (Moon Series #2) by Waubgeshig Rice

My prediction: The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

This novel has been on my wishlist for the longest time, it sounds amazing! From not even reading it yet, I know this one will win.

Horror: 

• Diavola by Jennifer Marie Thorne
• The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim
• Murder Road by Simone St. James
• I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones
• Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle
• What Feasts at Night (Sworn Soldier Series #2) by T. Kingfisher
• Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman
• Sleep Tight by J.H. Markert
• You Like It Darker by Stephen King
• We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer

My prediction: You Like It Darker by Stephen King

Stephen King is the king of Horror novels. He has won this category for several years, and will most likely win again this year.

Debut Novel: 

• The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown
• The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim
• Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar
• Voyage of the Damned by Frances White
• How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang
• The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava
• Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshops by Hwang Bo-Reum
• The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
• We Used to Live Here by Msrcus Kliewer
• Greta and Valdin by Rebecca K. Reilly

My prediction: The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley 

Audio Books:

• Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
• Somewhere Beyond the Sea (Cerulean Chronicles Series #2) by T.J. Klune
• We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
• First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
• James by Percival Everett
• The Women by Kristin Hannah
• Just For The Summer by Abby Jimenez
• The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement by Sharon McMahon
• Funny Story by Emily Henry
• 1984 by George Orwell

My prediction: Just For The Summer by Abby Jimenez

Young Adult Fantasy: 

• Ruthless Vows (Letters of Enchantment #2) by Rebecca Ross
• Wisteria (Belladonna #3) by Adalyn Grace
• Where the Library Hides (Secrets of the Nile #2) by Isabel Lbanez
• Heir by Sabaa Tahir
• Reckless (The Powerless Trilogy #2) by Lauren Roberts
• All This Twisted Glory (This Woven Kingdom #3) by Tahereh Mafi
• Don’t Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews
• The Prosoner’s Throne (The Stolen Heir Duology #2) by Holly Black
• Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli
• Defiant (Skyward Series #4) by Brandon Sanderson

My prediction: Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli

Authors made it challenging for readers to pick just one winner in this year’s YA Fantasy selection. All of these books have been given multiple five-star reviews. However, I believe Kristen Ciccarelli will take home the award this year.

Young Adult Fiction:

• The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson
• Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher
• Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Abike-lyimide
• The Grandest Game (The Grandest Game Series) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
• That’s Not My Name by Megan Lally
• A Thousand Broken Pieces (A Thousand Boy Kisses #2) by Tillie Cole
• Nothing Like the Movies (Better Than the Movies #2) by Lynn Painter
• If Only I Had Told Her (If He Had Been with Me #2) by Laura Nowlin
• Betting on You by Lynn Painter
• Heartstopper: Volume Five (Heartstopper #5) by Alice Oseman

My prediction: Nothing Like the Movies by Lynn Painter

I loved Lynn Painter’s new sequel to her bestselling novel, Better than the Movies. Has a reader fan of this book, I hope it wins this year’s best YA fiction. (If you haven’t read the series, Better than the Movies, I 100% recommend it). 

Non-Fiction:

• All in Her Head: The Truth and Lies Early Medicine Taught Us About Women’s Bodies and Why It Matters Today by Elizabeth Comen
• Disney High: The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel’s Tween Empire by Ashley Spencer
• Want: Sexual Fantasies by Anonymous by Gillian Anderson
• It’s Not Hysteria: Everything You Need to Know About Your Reproductive Health (But Were Never Told) by Karen Tang
• The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan
• Framed: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions by John Grisham
• The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates
• The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Caused an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt
• Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen
• One in a Millennial: On Friendships, Feelings, Fangirls, and Fitting in by Kate Kennedy

My prediction: Disney High: The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel’s Tween Empire by Ashley Spencer

Memoir: 

• Sociopath: A Memoir by Patric Gagne
• Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie
• The House of Hidden Meanings by RuPaul
• From Here to the Great Unknown: A Memoir by Lisa Marie Presley
• Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me by Whoopi Goldberg
• Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir by Ina Garten
• Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning by Liz Cheney
• The Third Gilmore Girl: A Memoir by Kelly Bishop
• Loud: Accept Nothing Less Than the Life You Deserve by Drew Afualo
• A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy by Tia Levings

My prediction: Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me by Whoopi Goldberg

History & Biography: 

• The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement by Sharon McMahon
• The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War by Erik Larson 
• Women in the Valley of the Kings: The Untold Story of Women Egyptologists in the Gilded Age by Kathleen Sheppard
• American Scary: A History of Horror, from Salem to Stephen King and Beyond by Jeremy Dauber
• The Lost Tomb: And Other Real-Life Stories Bones, Burials, and Murder by Douglas Preston
• Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI by Yuval Noah Harari
• The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore by Evan Friss
• Ask Not: The Kennedys and the Women They Destroyed by Maureen Callahan
• The Elements of Marie Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science by Dava Sobel
• Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space by Adam Higginbotham

My prediction: The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement by Sharon McMahon

Goodreads Choice Award winners will be announced on Friday, December 6. Until then, Which books do you predict will win your favorite genre?