Best Books of the Year Revealed: Yellowface Tops Goodreads Choice Awards, While TikTok Sensation Emily Henry Picks Best Romance (But Britney Beats Harry for Best Memoir!)

A satirical thriller about the publishing world has been voted the best book of the year by Goodreads readers.

Yellowface, by RF Kuang, has won more than 200,000 votes in the world’s largest reader and book recommendation site’s poll, voted on by users around the world.

The novel tells the story of Athena Liu, a young darling of the literary world and Juniper Hayward is her jealous friend.

When Athena suddenly dies in a freak accident and Juniper steals Athena’s newly completed manuscript. She publishes it under a different name.

Exactly how far Juniper will go to defend its project is the danger of the highly regarded satire.

Kuang, who had previously written fantasy books, received praise for the novel, with the Daily Mail’s review praising her “talent for one-liners and being alarmingly convincing about the murderous hypocrisy in the publishing industry, which will go to any lengths to be seen with a virtuous approach. position on race and everything woke up no matter how many lies they have to tell.”

More than 5.8 million readers voted for various books in 15 categories for the prizes. Previous winners include Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, Sally Rooney’s Beautiful World, Where Are You and Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library.

Emilia Hart’s Weyward topped the best historical fiction category and won best debut novel.

Weyward follows three desperate women across three timelines – separate but related – in 1619, 1942 and 2019. Hart’s story moves back and forth in time as the women encounter an enduring feminine force, deeply rooted in the land.

One reviewer called it ‘Sublime – a beautiful exploration of three women and their deep connection to the natural world and to each other.’

Elsewhere, Britney Spears beat Prince Harry in the Best Memoir category, receiving 132,867 votes, compared to 71,461 votes for Spare.

In the moving book, the pop superstar opens up about growing up with an alcoholic father, being exploited in the music industry and having an abortion while becoming pregnant while dating Justin Timberlake.

Tiktok sensation Emily Henry won the best romance award for her novel Happy Place, the third year in a row she has won the honor.

It tells the story of a ‘perfect couple’ who break up and don’t want to tell their friends, to enjoy a group holiday.

The Housemaid’s Secret, a sequel to the best-selling Housemaid, wins the Mystery & Thriller category.

Written by practicing physician Freida McFadden, the novel finds girl-with-a-secret Millie Calloway in another dodgy situation as author McFadden delivers her patented blend of psychological tension and regressive plot twists.

Fourth Wing, a romantic epic fantasy full of very steamy scenes, sarcastic dragons and a resilient protagonist, won best ‘Romantasy’.

The sequel, Iron Flame, became Waterstones’ fastest-selling pre-order title in history after the first book in the series went viral on TikTok.

The book, the first in the planned Empyrean series, has become a huge success on Tiktok, with nearly 200 million views on #fourthwing.

One reviewer described it as ‘cheeky games, grumpy dragons, sizzling sexual tension, a fantasy like you’ve never read before’

The novel is set in a ‘war college’ and tells the story of Violet Sorrengail.

Violet was destined to become a writer, but was instead forced into her school’s brutal “rider’s quadrant,” where students train to become dragon riders—or die trying.

Along the way she meets fellow student Xaden, a tall, dark and handsome wing leader; (the equivalent of a general) who has it out for her because of the dark and bloody history between their families.

However, as the novel grows, the relationship between Xaden and Violet becomes increasingly strained, resulting in furniture-breaking sex scenes and, ultimately, love.

The book ends on a huge cliffhanger, leaving many fans desperate for more.

Speaking with the BooksellerGaby Lee, genre fiction buyer at Waterstones, explained that Iron Flame had become the fastest-selling pre-order title in a single day on the Waterstones website.

In the pure Best Fantasy category, Leigh Bardugo won with Hellbent.

According to Goodreads Bardugo’s beloved series has blazed a new trail for books from the dark world of academia, promising Ivy League aspirants a world of secret societies, occult rituals, and interdimensional portals.

Best Science Fiction went to In the Lives of Dolls by TJ Klune.

Goodreads says the book is a skillful blend of fantasy with science fiction elements.

Rebecca Ross’s Divine Rivals won best science fiction for young adults after going viral on BookTok.

Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood won the prize for best youth fiction.

Meanwhile, horror godfather Stephen King took the prize in the horror category for Holly.

The book pits longtime favorite character Holly Gibney, a private investigator, against a pair of “uniquely depraved antagonists.”

Poverty, of America, won best non-fiction.

Goodreads said sociologist and Pulitzer Prize winner Matthew Desmond’s book “will be cited by future historians for generations.”

Journalist and veteran researcher David Grann portrays the bloody fate of an 18th-century British warship that wins Best History with the story of The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder.

While Henry Winkler rounds out the nonfiction category with Being Henry: The Fonz. . . and further.