The readers have spoken and ranked the top 20 best books from 2016, and Harry Potter is − unsurprisingly − at the top.
Goodreads, a book recommendation sharing website, just released its 2016 Goodreads Choice Awards, chosen by readers.
Readers rated books published in 2016, casting more than 3.5 million votes across a range of genres.
Here are the top 20 books:
FANTASY: "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two" by Jack Thorne
Harry Potter is back and garnered more votes than any other book in Goodreads Choice Awards’ history with 128,543 votes. Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage.
List price: $29.99
Sale price: $17.98
You save: $12.01
NONFICTION: "Hamilton: The Revolution" by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jeremy McCarter
“Hamilton” has stolen headlines as one of the hottest musicals on Broadway winning both a Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award. “Hamilton: The Revolution” wins the nonfiction category garnering more than three-times the number of votes of the next closest book.
List price: $45.00
Sale price: $27.00
You save: $18.00
HUMOR: "The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo" by Amy Schumer
Comedian Amy Schumer won the humor category with nearly double the votes of the next closest book. In "The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo," Amy mines her past for stories about her teenage years, her family, relationships, and sex and shares the experiences that have shaped who she is—a woman with the courage to bare her soul to stand up for what she believes in, all while making us laugh.
List price: $28.00
Sale price: $16.80
You save: $11.20
MYSTERY & THRILLER: "End of Watch" by Stephen King
Stephen King’s New York Times bestselling trilogy has been a mainstay on the Choice Awards with the first of the series winning in 2014 while the second in the series was runner up in 2015. “End of Watch” puts the trilogy on the top of this year’s mystery and thriller category.
List price: $30.00
Sale price: $18.00
You save: $12.00
HORROR: "The Fireman" by Joe Hill
Stephen King is no stranger to awards, but in a Choice Award’s first, a father and son both won this year. Joe Hill, Stephen King’s son, takes the top spot in the horror category for “The Fireman.” Joe Hill is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of “NOS4A2” and “Heart-Shaped Box.”
List price: $28.99
Sale price: $13.28
You save: $14.71
FICTION: "Truly Madly Guilty" by Liane Moriarty
Liane Moriarty scored her first big Goodreads Choice Award this year with “Truly Madly Guilty” even though she’s been nominated before for bestselling books “Big Little Lies” and “The Husband’s Secret.”
List price: $26.99
Sale price: $16.83
You save: $12.16
HISTORICAL FICTION: "The Underground Railroad" by Colson Whitehead
Colson Whitehead’s “The Underground Railroad” is already an Oprah’s Book Club Selection and the winner of the National Book Award. Whitehead adds top historical fiction Choice Award’s to the list.
List price: $26.95
Sale price: $16.17
You save: $10.78
ROMANCE: "It Ends With Us" by Colleen Hoover
“It Ends With Us” is Colleen Hoover’s second consecutive Goodreads Choice Awards win for best romance. Her latest romance taps into the emotion of heartbreak with an even more intense read.
List price: $16.00
Sale price: $9.52
You save: $6.48
SCIENCE FICTION: "Morning Star" by Pierce Brown
Pierce Brown wins a Choice Award for the third straight year and won the science fiction category for the second straight year. “Morning Star” completes Brown’s exhilarating trilogy.
List price: $16.00
Sale price: $9.52
You save: $6.48
MEMOIR & AUTOBIOGRAPHY: "When Breath Becomes Air" by Paul Kalanithi
Paul Kalanthi’s autobiographical account of a doctor about to complete his training as a neurosurgeon only to be diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer has spent the majority of 2016 on the New York Times bestseller list.
List price: $25.00
Sale price: $15.00
You save: $10.00
HISTORY & BIOGRAPHY: "Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man" by William Shatner, David Fisher
Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner first crossed paths as actors on the set of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and filmed 79 Star Trek episodes together. This New York Times bestseller shares how they grew to know each other more than most friends could ever imagine.
List price: $25.99
Sale price: $15.76
You save: $10.26
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: "Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?" by Frans de Waal
Frans de Waal is a world-renowned biologist and primatologist who has been studying animal intelligence for more than 30 years. This Choice Award winner challenges our assumptions about what separates humans from animals, whether it’s our sense of selves or the tools we use.
List price: $27.95
Sale price: $18.11
You save: $9.84
FOOD & COOKBOOKS: "Cravings: Recipes for All the Food You Want to Eat" by Chrissy Teigen
Chrissy Tiegen loves talking about dinner. Or breakfast and even lunch. After years of collecting, cooking and Instagramming her favorite recipes, she’s compiled them in this year’s Choice Award winner for food and cookbooks.
List price: $29.99
Sale price: $17.99
You save: $12.00
POETRY: "The Princess Saves Herself in this One" by Amanda Lovelace
Amanda Lovelace grew up as a word-devourer and fairy tale lover so it’s no surprise she began writing books of her own. This originally self-published book won the Choice Award for poetry garnering more than double the votes as any other poetry book.
List price: $7.99
GRAPHIC NOVELS & COMICS: "Adulthood is a Myth" by Sarah Andersen
“Adulthood Is A Myth” marks Sarah Andersen’s first Choice Award. This Amazon bestseller is a collection of on-point and witty comics that capture the dilemmas of millennials.
List price: $14.99
Sale price: $10.39
You save: $4.69
DEBUT GOODREADS AUTHOR: "Rebel of the Sands" by Alwyn Hamilton
The critically adored young adult fantasy Rebel of the Sands secured Alwyn Hamilton as the Best Debut Goodreads Author. Alwyn Hamilton was born in Toronto and spent her childhood bouncing between Europe and Canada until her parents settled in France. She grew up in a small town where she attempted to read and write her way to new places and developed a weakness for fantasy and cross-dressing heroines.
List price: $18.99
Sale price: $11.16
You save: $7.83
YOUNG ADULT FICTION: "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys
This Amazon bestseller marks Sepetys’ third nomination after debuting with “Between Shades of Grey” in 2011. “Salt to the Sea” was inspired by a World War II maritime disaster that claimed 9,000 lives. Reviews and readers recognized the story as haunting, riveting, powerful, yet gorgeous.
List price: $18.99
Sale price: $11.72
You save: $7.27
YOUNG ADULT FANTASY & SCIENCE FICTION: "A Court of Mists and Fury" by Sarah J. Maas
Sarah Maas nearly doubled up the next closest competitor to win the 2016 Choice Award .“A Court of Mists and Fury” is part two of her charged hit series about a teen huntress in a dark, magical world. Maas has been nominated in this category every year since 2012.
List price: $18.99
Sale price: $11.16
You save: $7.83
MIDDLE GRADE & CHILDREN’S: "The Hidden Oracle" by Rick Riordan
Rick Riordan wins his sixth straight Choice Award beating the next closest title by more than three times the number of votes. This year he was a double nominee, winning for “The Hidden Oracle,” book one in his series “The Trials of Apollo.” “The Hammer of Thor” was also nominated.
List price: $19.99
Sale price: $12.19
You save: $7.80
PICTURE BOOKS: "The Thank You Book" by Mo Willems
Mo Willems, a number one New York Times bestselling author and illustrator, has been awarded the Caldecott Honor on three occasions and ends his long-running and beloved “Elephant and Piggie” series with this 25th book.
List price: $9.99
Sale price: $6.80
You save: $3.19
The AJC receives commissions for purchases made through links in this article.
