The Best Books of 2018 as announced by the 10th Annual Goodreads Choice Awards are “the only major book awards decided by readers.” There were 5,027,741 votes gathered from three voting rounds for 21 categories. Winners were recently announced. Did any of your choices make the grade?
Because I read a majority of the Mystery and Thriller genre, that is the first category I checked out and was astounded to see a total of 328,570 votes of which 62,170 votes went to category winner The Outsider by Stephen King. He also won the category in 2016 for End of Watch and came in second in 2015 with Finders Keepers and number one in 2014 for Mr. Mercedes.
Apparently, it is possible to win against Mr. King in the category as proven in 2015. I thought, however, Mr. King was a horror writer and yes, he also took a number one spot in that category with Elevation. That would be his eighth Goodreads Choice Award.
Number two winner in the Mystery and Thriller category is The Woman in the Window by A J Finn at 55,003.
Number three winner is Lethal White by Robert Galbraith at 39,2987 who also trailed at #3 right behind Stephen King in 2015 and a winner before that in 2014 with The Silkworm. Galbraith is a pseudonym for J.K. Rowling. 
Number four winner is The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen at 26,711 votes.
Another book that caught my eye is Indianapolis, No. 18 with 1,105 votes in the History and Biography category. I mention that as it came in No. 1 for Best History Book of 2018 on Amazon. This was also a 2016 movie with Nicholas Cage, USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage, based on a true story of the worst sea disaster in U.S. naval history.
By the way, The Woman in the Window was also named Best Mystery and Thriller of 2018 on Amazon.
How many of these winners had I read?
Zero, Nada, Ništa, Nula
Was I living under a rock or busy reading cozy mysteries? I saw two of the books above listed on NetGalley during the year. I coulda, woulda, shoulda, and didn’t. Evidently, I need to start paying more attention. But Robert Galbraith? How many of you also knew that was from the pen of J. K. Rowling?
How did you fare? Any of your winners here? I appreciate your heads’ up suggestions. Obviously I need them.
©2019 V Williams 
Ha! I’d read none of them either and mostly didn’t want to! I don’t know why but I never seem to be in tune with the Goodreads awards and even when I’ve enjoyed one or two in the past I never feel I can vote because I haven’t read enough of them to say which is best…
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Exactly, maybe I have a narrow range of genres but I don’t try to vote either.
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