They’re a popularity contest, but I don’t think there’s any way to change it short of gate keeping who gets to vote (ie must have read 5 noms for a category etc)
Yeah, I can probably agree. Although I think that it’s more if you also consume other media such as bookstagram, booktube,.. if not, probably this is a main source to discover books
As an old grump who hasn't been happy with any of the book awards this year I won't get too caught up in this. I voted in nine categories for nine books I hadn't read and declared my duty to society done. 😇 (I bought at least two that I voted for.). I miss the poetry category. I use GR to track my books and sign up for the occasional giveaway. The recs can be wonky, but I occasionally check them. Anyway, I enjoyed this video. Well done!
I am not a middle grade or poetry reader so I hadn't even noticed they weren't there until you mentioned it lol, also I am not huge on romance so I am very glad romantansy was added :)
I agree that Goodreads awards feels like someone did not really set down and made proper rules for it. There were so many good books left out! Is # of shelved the best indicator or actually read and reviewed or average rating? I also believe this awards should be done in the beginning of the next year - like march for example, so the books that came out October and November will have enough time to appear there as well! I also feel like book should have better categorizing. Fantasy so fast expanding and there are so many sub genres where it is huge difference (for example as you said fantasy with romance subplot and romantasy and fantasy smut! - very different demographics). I know a lot of subgenres and categorizing could spoil someone but it would be so much better to actually get better recommendation and to more properly categorize for awards (I don't think Fourth wing, especially Iron Flame should be in romantasy - it does have heavy romantic subplot, but also heavy plot with politics and so on). :D not sure if it makes all sense :D great video (as usual) ! a lots to make you think about!
Loved your comment Zuzka!! Yeah, it makes sense! I agree awards should start at a different time. I don’t know how many books are actually picked up from the “last part of the year”. That’s what I heard with Iron Flame as well!! It is very complex to differentiate it!
Middle grade is a shame, as a mother. It helped me. If the separation is between romance+fantasy and fantasy it is ok (as a romance reader) Now… if romantic fantasy without an actual proper HEA is romantasy then I have a problem 😡
@@FunFantasyBooks The selling point of romance is the focus on relationships between characters and the fulfilling/empowering HEA (romance was very important to quietly!! empower women back in the day, now is used to empower LGBTQ+ too, right?). Also, many of us do not care about contemporary romance. This last is a huge market, right? They also normally sell erotica romances too (this was very important for women empowerment back in the 90's) But nanny romances? No thank you. We romantasy readers want a full escape, but still a romance. Do not give me a romantic fantasy where the character development, relationships and plot do not go hand in hand. Then I prefer no romance. Or like in Game of Thrones where the romance is used to teach us a lesson (like is bad to fall in love, this is to me a message against women since romance has been a tool to makes feel empowered for decades). Of course is not against women! Was just to explain my point and my frustration of the ending 😅😂 SORRY! You asked for it 😂
Look, if nonfiction can have four categories, we can have three 😆 I actually agree with not having both Yumi and Tress even if I'd have preferred Yumi to be nominated, just because I'm afraid they would have split the votes and Tress would've won anyway! I'm actually more curious to see who gets to the finals rather than the winner, especially in regards to the myth retellings I knew nothing about!
Hahah noooo Yumiii 💔!! I can’t wait to see what happens with those retellings, although I was surprised some were shelved a fair amount of times! Which ones you think will get into the final list?
Thank you for the video, this was super interesting! I actually almost didn't vote this year because I read like, what, 3 books in the fantasy category? So I do agree that it's not really an objective thing here, but at the end of the day I honestly don't really care anymore which books win 😂
Hahaha I totally understand. Honestly, it is so complex to believe that we would have read a lot of books to vote unbiased. So for me it’s to get to know what books other people are enjoying, which is a good thing! Thank you for watching Eli!!
I think the Goodreads awards are aimed at Goodreads participants, who tend to choose female over male authors. So it makes sense that female authors are heavily represented. It is also refreshing after so many awards go the other way! I am really sorry that they eliminated Middle Grade but am happy about adding Romantasy. I was able to easily vote in some categories but am scrambling to read books in some others so I can vote.
Thank you for this! I agree, it’s very interesting. I do follow good reads at times but don’t always agree with their ratings. I must say I found a lot of great books this year by following you and for that I am very grateful! 💜
I am also concerned about the possible gatekeeping about what is fantasy within the community. I already see it in some aspects already. I am a reader that likes both fantasy (with no romance), romantasy, and fantasy romance, as well as romance in general. I think it is part of the perception that romantasy is just a romance with fantasy as a back drop. Plus, the added sometimes side eye, people give romance readers. Which is strange, as it is the most widely read genre, but gets the least amount of respect, I think. I personally think it may have something to do with the fact that women are primarily romance readers, and that fantasy has been perceived as the "guy only" space for so long. Gotta love the patriarchy 🙄. Unfortunately, it does come does to marketing by the publishers. For me, personally, I think there is a key difference. Romantasy is equal parts fantasy world building, etc and the romantic plot. Either of those removed, the book would suffer. Fantasy romance, is where the romance is the main part and the fantasy world could be there or not. At the same time, fantasy can still have a romantic subplot, but is not the focus of the story. Ultimately, it is up marketing that determines unfortunately. With that said, I hope there is a way to coexist in the same space and recognize each others genres, without tearing each other down.
I really think they should restructure how the voting is done. Personally, I've read maybe one in each category, maybe as much as two or three. But all, or most, of them in the first round of voting? I don't think it's fair to vote for a book just because it's the only one in that category that you've read. I think that's why romantasy dominated the fantasy category for so long- people were voting for it because they'd actually read it, not because it subjectively actually deserved to win. (Since romance tends to appeal to a wider audience of readers, like literary and thriller readers. So those genre readers were voting in a category they hadn't read anything else from) I don't know how they'd fix it. I'm just tired of seeing books win because they were the only books someone read in a category, not because they actually deserved it. I ended up not voting for anything this year, because I hadn't read enough for it to feel like a fair opinion. (I read a lot of indie or older novels instead of new releases)
It means that you've added a book to your GR profile, whether is to be read, currently reading, wishlist... each of these categories are "shelves" that help you organize your book lists
@pollys6192 Appreciate you explaining what the GR definition is for “shelving”. I do not go to GR to get recommendations for books. I follow 3 book tubers whose book recommendations closely match what I like to read.
I left Goodreads because it never changed to reflect its user's wants and every year when the awards come around, people are never happy and always find something to complain about as though it ever changed. I honestly believe the nominees have paid to be on the list somehow cause it's Amazon owned, I highly doubt they're doing anything for free 😅😅
Hahaha after the research I don’t believe anymore it is paid, but definitely biased by the demographics and the time the boook was released (in my opinion)
The ratings problem: 90% of reviews are copy and paste. GR also supports people that have spoilers in their reviews and actively promote them. Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk: One "top reviewer's" take was all spoilers for this book and he actually just made up things that didn't take place in the story. Spoilers , regrettably , are acceptable in today's world. Like the Hugo and other awards, it's meaningless.
"we will conquer the world" LOL yes Do people check the author's gender? I don't think i ever have and just kind of learn it months or years later when someone else makes a mention of it. It's just never been important to me. Am I weird?
