GoodReads Choice final round - 2020

[cupiscent]

I got the notification email this morning and thought, "Hmm, do we want to play this game again in FF discussion?" but then I was rather amused to note that there is absolutely no paranormal-romance in the top ten fantasy finalists this year.

Another thing that's leaping out to me about the finalists this year is how many of them are very recent releases. Hasn't Rhythm of War only been out for five minutes? And both The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and A Deadly Education were October releases. Though, admittedly, all three of these books are from big names, whose reputation can be guaranteed to carry a new book without any specifics. But Alix E Harrow's star is still rising, and her October release The Once And Future Witches is also on there.

What does everyone else think? What's your favourite on there? Or, if you're like me and haven't read ANY of them, which one are you looking forward to reading the most. (For me, I think it's a tie between the SA Chakraborty, because I loved the first one of that trilogy, and Naomi Novik's latest, because I love her Harry Potter fanfic and this is reportedly very heavily derived therefrom... )

[hexa]

I read Crescent City by Sarah Maas.  I did not like it

I believe that the month of December will be better than the rest of 2020.  2020 was not an impressive year so far

[Elfy]

I've got 4 of them and read 2 and a half. Peace Talks, no surprise there. Novik's A Deadly Education, which was entertaining, but not especially memorable, and I'm reading The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue at present, and it is excellent, but I generally really like anything by Schwab. Piranesi is on Mt Toberead, but I haven't got around to it, just yet.

[ScarletBea]

I've only read Piranesi and loved it, but would have to check what the others are about.
You're right, it seems almost as if people voted for their most recent reads...

And now I feel bad I also noticed the absence of romance on the list, then saw a separate section for YA fantasy and assumed it would be there, but actually, from the names, there doesn't seem to be any (or little). Has the tide turned?

[eclipse]

Only read The Empire of Gold , I’m interested in the Dresden book none of the others jump out at me. I might check out Cinderella is Dead from YA fantasy as I like the cover haha.

From Blood and Ash along with In five Years are in the Romance category, are too many fantasy books clogging up the romance section?

When I read Romance books I don’t won’t to read about a dark lord conquering the world , I can read that elsewhere 

[Elfy]

I've only read Piranesi and loved it, but would have to check what the others are about.
You're right, it seems almost as if people voted for their most recent reads...

And now I feel bad I also noticed the absence of romance on the list, then saw a separate section for YA fantasy and assumed it would be there, but actually, from the names, there doesn't seem to be any (or little). Has the tide turned?

The Novik could actually qualify as YA. There’s a really good one in horror. Grady Hendrix’s The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires

[cupiscent]

I'm sure I've seen people (agents and editors) saying in the past few years that paranormal romances are a hard sell these days, though I'm sure there's still a core of dedicated readers who are enjoying them!

Paranormal romances wouldn't go to YA - they're usually quite spicy with their sex scenes!

Hexa's comments about 2020 (in books, at least, I'm never going to deny that it was a disappointing year in many other regards!) got me thinking: what "best of 2020" books are people surprised not to see on the list, or think should be there?

I voted for Megan Whalen Turner's Return of the Thief in an earlier round of this award, but that's in YA sci-fi/fantasy. I also nominated AK Larkwood's The Unspoken Name, which really was a corker of a book.

Looking at my 2020 books that I haven't read yet, has anyone got hold of The Tyrant Baru Cormorant yet? It's out in the US, at least, and I'm dying to read it, but not quite $50+ worth of dying!

[Magnus Hedén]

I've only read Piranesi , and I voted for that because it's amazing. The City We Became is high on my tbr list, and if I'd read it I'm guessing I would have voted for that because amazing is N.K. Jemisin's bottom line.

(And I secretly hope Sanderson doesn't win.)

[S. K. Inkslinger]

I just instantly voted for Rhythm of War for fantasy just because it's Stormlight and I'm a Brandon Sanderson fan, hahah.  Also voted Harrow the Ninth for Scifi despite having only read Gideon.

[ScarletBea]

The City We Became is high on my tbr list, and if I'd read it I'm guessing I would have voted for that because amazing is N.K. Jemisin's bottom line.

@Magnus Hedén , this ebook is currently at £1.99 through this link

[Magnus Hedén]

@Magnus Hedén , this ebook is currently at £1.99 through this link

Argh, doesn't seem it's out for Kindle yet, and the others only offer the epub format. Thanks for the tip, though, would definitely have gotten it but full price is too steep right now.