A.J.’s Completely Random Book Awards: 2024

A lot of bloggers do top 5 or top 10 lists at the end of the year, and after having done that last year, I find I don’t particularly enjoy labeling books as my “top five/ten.” I like so much of what I read that it’s too difficult to narrow it down to a handful of books. And what I like best may not translate to what other readers like best…

So, I’ve been thinking about what I can do to highlight books that I loved without numbering or ranking them in any way.

Welcome to the Completely Random Book Awards post for 2024!

I’ve assigned awards based on some element of the story, plot, characters, or what have you that I really enjoyed. Maybe it’s crazy, maybe it’s not, but putting this sort of list together was a lot of fun.

Side Note: I read 75 books (so far) this year. There were plenty of books that I really enjoyed that didn’t make this list—either because I couldn’t think of a creative award for them, or because I decided I already had enough to fill up this post (mostly the former.)

The Completely Random Book Awards are listed in alphabetical order, and are for books I’ve read in 2024—the publication date may have been years prior. I’ve also added a few award categories about fungus because I’m a microbiologist and I think it’s cool, and I can honestly say these are all great reads.

So here we go…

Best Anti-Hero Main Character Award goes to: Nathan in BLACK MARKET HEART by Darby Harn

My review here

Best (or worst, depending on your perspective) Cliffhanger Ending goes to: RUIN by John Gwynne

My review here

Best Ghost Hunters Storyline Award goes to: BESTGHOST by C.J. Daley

My review here

Best Gladiatorial Fight Award goes to: Mia in GODSGRAVE by Jay Kristoff

My review here

Best Incorporation of Colorado Lore Award (because I’m from there) goes to: WHITE TRASH WARLOCK by David R. Slayton

My review here

Best Necromancer Grandma Award goes to: Gam-Gam in A NECROMANCER CALLED GAM-GAM by Adam Holcombe

My review here

Best Robot Main Character Award goes to: the caretaker in A STITCH BETWEEN WORLDS by Frasier Armitage

My review here

Best “They’re Finally Together!” Moment (after 5 books!!) Award goes to: THE EMPIRE OF DAMNATION by T.M. Kohl

(I’m not naming the characters due to spoilers, but if you’ve read the series, you know who they are)

My review here

Best Undead Side-kick Award goes to: Benjamin in HOPELESS NECROMANTIC by Shiloh Briar

My review here

Chonkiest Book Award goes to: Legacy of Brick & Bone by Krystle Matar

The paperback comes in at a hefty 751 pages!

My review here

Most Atmospheric Setting Award goes to: THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern

My review here

Most Bittersweet Ending Award goes to: SHATTERED FATE by Azshure Raine

My review here

Most Creative Use of Fungus Award goes to: MUSHROOM BLUES by Adrian M. Gibson

My review here

Most Deranged Fungus Award goes to: the biomass in THE SPORES OF WRATH by William C. Tracy

My review here

Most Endearing Sentient Spacecraft Award goes to: Void’s Shadow in EYES OF EMPIRE by J.C.M. Berne

My review here

Most Infuriating Deity Award goes to: Wisdom/Arrogance in AGE OF ARROGANCE by Timothy Wolff

My review here

Most Unhinged Villain Award goes to: Nammuor in THE GOD SPEAR by L.L. Stephens

My review here

Scariest Fungus Award goes to: MEXICAN GOTHIC by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

My review here

Scariest Sea Monster Award goes to: the octotusks in CALLUS & CROW by D.B. Rook

My review here

The Book That Required the Most Tissues Award* goes to: THE WARM HANDS OF GHOSTS by Katherine Arden

My review here

*I added this award category for one of my friends. Stories that make me cry will definitely do the same for her.

Unluckiest Main Character Award goes to: Vaz in UNFORTUNATE by Ayrton Silva

My review here

If you’re an author that I featured and you’d like an award “sticker” to put on your book cover for fun (or promo purposes), let me know. I can send you a .png image file of my silly award nomination for your book. It would look like this:

(I’m using A Necromancer Called Gam-Gam as the example because Adam didn’t mind.)

That’s it for this year’s Completely Random Book Awards. I may just do this again in 2025. It was fun!

A.J.’s Completely Random Book Awards: 2024

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