Our predictions for the winners of the 2024 Goodreads Choice Awards

While TV and movies have the People's Choice Awards, book lovers have their own awards season, and it has officially started! The 2024 Goodreads Choice Awards nominations have dropped, based on how many people have read and loved books on the website. Even though there will still be plenty of voting after this initial round, I am already predicting what books I think will win it all for 2024

1. Fiction: Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum

I'll be honest, I hadn't heard of any of the books on the fiction list, so I am basing this prediction on the one I want to read the most, and that honor goes to Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop. I related to the burned-out feeling of the narrator just from the book blurb, and the emphasis on building a community for lost souls sounds beautiful. I've really fallen in love with Korean fiction this year, and I honestly hope I can read this one before the year is out.

Here is the full list of Fiction nominees.

2. Historical Fiction: By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult

I am predicting this is going to be a close race between Kristin Hannah's The Women and Jodi Picoult's By Any Other Name. However, I think By Any Other Name is going to win based on its timeliness and its talks of how women are constantly erased from history. It shows how time and time again this continues to happen, and I feel like with that in mind, many people are going to vote for its message.

Here is the full list of Historical Fiction nominees.

3. Mystery & Thriller: The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

Rachel Hawkins has written some of my all-time favorite thrillers, and this one is no exception! It's twisty, shocking, and claustrophobic as everything seems to suffocate the characters. I love how weird this world is, and how intriguing all of the characters are. I am sad, however, that there weren't a lot of cozy mystery options in this category this year, because if there had been, I think I would have given my vote there - even if they weren't going to win.

Here is the full list of Mystery & Thriller nominees

4. Romance: Funny Story by Emily Henry

This is probably the easiest one to predict the winner because Emily Henry is a juggernaut in the romance world. And honestly, Funny Story is her best book so I feel like it's well deserved. However, I feel like Ali Hazelwood would have been her biggest competitor - if two of her books hadn't been nominated. I feel like this is going to split the Ali Hazelwood vote, making the way for an Emily Henry landslide. That being said, I had heard amazing things about so many of the nominees this year, I feel like there are a few dark horses nobody will see coming.

Here is the full list of Romance nominees.

5. Romantasy: House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas

Writing this down as my prediction hurt because two of my favorite books I read this year were nominated: The Spellshop and Apprentice to the Villain. However, neither of them has the popularity or fanbase Sarah J. Maas has - making her another easy prediction for the winner. However, I have seen Quicksilver by Callie Hart all over BookTok so if I had to pick a surprise upset, I would say it is that one. However, with how popular Sarah J. Maas is, I truly feel like the Romantasy category is going to be a race for second place.

Here is the full list of Romantasy nominees

6. Fantasy: The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman

I read about half the books that were nominated in the fantasy category this year, which I think is a personal record. However, while I want A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher to win, I logically know the win is going to The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman. I know so many people who read and enjoyed it, and it has the universal appeal I think some of the more niche nominees are lacking. As a result, I am pretty confident this one will end up the winner.

Here is the full list of Fantasy nominees

7. Science Fiction: The Family Experiment by John Marrs

Combining reality TV and virtual babies was a fascinating look into a modern family. However, the result was an amazing look into what makes up a family - while reading like an episode of Black Mirror. It is both haunting and thought-provoking making it the perfect winner for this year, so we will see if the readers agree.

Here is the full list of Science Fiction nominees

8. Horror: Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle

As someone who doesn't like horror, I did not read any of these books. In fact, some of the covers of this year's nominations were enough to make me flinch. So, I asked one of my horror-loving friends which one they thought would win the prize this year, and their answer was Bury Your Gays. It not only is great with body and psychological horror but also creates a commentary on corporate greed. So while I won't be reading it, I've been told if you like horror, you definitely should.

Here is the full list of Horror nominees

9. Debut Novel: The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown

This book reminded me a lot of The Midnight Library, which is one of my all-time favorite books. So anything with that book as a comp title is already a must-read for me. But it's a fun read, one which reminds us of the power of books. Of all the debut books, this one was my favorite - so I might be biased, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't win.

Here are the full list of Debut Novel nominees

10. Young Adult Fantasy: The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste

The YA Fantasy nominations were strong this year, and I am willing to bet BookTok is a huge driving factor behind this. However, I was shocked to see Where the Library Hides on the list as it came out last week, and that feels entirely too soon for it to be on a list like this. That being said, The Poisons We Drink is my favorite book I read this year and is incredibly timely and important. So everyone should not only read it but vote for it to win.

Here is the full list of YA Fantasy nominees

11. Young Adult Fiction: Under the Surface by Diana Urban

I tend to read a lot of YA fiction, just because I want to know what books to recommend to my students. And this one, well I recommended it the day it came out because of how amazing it is. It is peak spooky, an excellent introduction to the horror genre without being too gruesome, and gives such a great perspective into what goes on when teenagers go missing. Not to mention Diana Urban's research into the catacombs is amazing, leaving me determined to never set foot in them - even the part that's open to tourists.

Here is the full list of YA Fiction nominees

12. Nonfiction: Disney High by Ashley Spencer

I love reading about drama when it's not my own. And Disney High is just that. It shows what was going on behind the scenes of many of Disney Channel's biggest hit shows, and gives a lot of insight into it. And between this and the Quiet on Set documentary that focused primarily on Nickelodeon, there's been a lot of drama and rot that needed to be exposed so future child stars don't face it. It's got its highs and lows while showing a lot still needs to be fixed within the industry.

Here is the full list of Nonfiction nominees

13. Memoir: The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop

With Gilmore Girls' popularity seeming to never fade, I figured everyone who loves Stars Hollow would immediately vote for this book. Filled with behind-the-scenes talks about the show, Kelly Bishop talks about her amazing career. It's a fun and insightful read, that touches both on a pop culture touchstone and a fascinating life which makes it a hard one to beat in this category.

Here is the full list of Memoir nominees

14. History & Biography: The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore by Evan Friss

I love unique histories, and I love books about books. So Evan Friss was able to put these two things together into a fascinating book. While there are plenty of other books, most of them are political, and with how things are in the nation right now, I'm not sure anything about politics is going to win. This one touches on so many of the things bookworms love, making it an easy one to predict as the winner.

Here is the full list of History & Biography nominees

There is also an audiobook category, however, I didn't feel comfortable predicting that one because I am not an audiobook person! I don't know any of these narrators, and as I didn't want to completely throw things at a dartboard, I figured I would let the audiobook experts speak out!