All About Romance Reader’s Poll Results Online
Publishing Newsall-about-romance / awards11 Comments
- Best Romance of the Year: Lover Awakened: A Novel Of The Black Dagger Brotherhood, JR. Ward
- Worst Read: On the Way to the Wedding (Avon Historical Romance), Julia Quinn
- Best New Author: Elizabeth Hoyt
- Best Buried Treasure: Jacob: The Nightwalkers, Jacquelyn Frank
- Best European Historical: Devil in Winter (Wallflower Quartet, Bk. 3), Lisa Kleypas
- Best Medieval: The Silver Rose: A Novel, Susan Caroll
- Best Contemporary: Drop Dead Gorgeous: A Novel, Linda Howard
- Best Romantic Suspense: Cold As Ice, Anne Stuart
- Best Paranormal: Lover Awakened: A Novel Of The Black Dagger Brotherhood, JR Ward
- Best Chick Lit/Wom Fiction: Hot Dish by Connie Brockway
Source: AAR-After Hours
I think in an effort to capture the blogging atmosphere, AAR posted the results in a smallish column on its blog site, After Hours, but the smaller column made for difficult reading (or maybe it was the formatting) and the two places to comment, at the blog site or on the message board, may serve to confuse people and split the commentary.
I didn’t even finish Jacob. I think the spine splintered as it hit the wall, with pages fluttering around till they rested on the floor.
I think that was the only book I ever wanted my $ back on.
The results are discussed in the new At the Back Fence article, which was posted earlier today on the AAR Web site. There is supposed to be a full list of them, but the link failed when I tried it. I hope it will be fixed soon.
Well I can’t bitch about the winners because I didn’t actually vote this year, but damn, i don’t agree with the majority of them. No Nalini Singh anywhere? What a crock of shite.
Coming from you, a non paranormal reader, that’s a big deal. I didn’t vote either because, well, I am lazy and the form takes too much effort to fill out. I do wonder how many responses that they get as the results seem a bit off to me as well. As much as I like Hoyt, I didn’t think she was the best “New” author” or even the best new historical author. It’s hard to get past the usual suspects as winners though.
Jane, me too:D
Like Karen, I didn’t voite so I can’t really bitch, but yikes, the Quinn wasn’t her best, but it was still better than a lot of books out there.
I voted. Not many of mine made it, but then I haven’t yet read the BDB series, and I don’t read that many contemps. Hmm, I don’t think that JQ’s was the worst historical I read, either (far from it) but I guess that’s actually more of a disappointed feeling from readers?
I do wish Nalini had won top billing in at least a couple of the categories — that really was a great debut and book.
I didn’t vote either, mainly because my favorites had no chance of winning, so I figured, why bother? I would be wasting my vote in any case.
I agree about the formatting of the results and having two places to comment, not to mention that the comments section in a blog post doesn’t seem like the best place to have simultaneous dicussions on several subjects. MUCH better to just have all commenting on the message board and be done with it.
I believe LLB stated they got well about 7500 votes this year. Well…hunh.
I voted, and like others, I am disappointed that my favorites didn’t win. I haven’t had time to go read either message board, so I don’t know what’s being said. But I wish we could see the top 5 or 10 entries in each category, complete with vote totals. I don’t know if having that information would be a good thing or a bad thing; I just would find it interesting to see the raw data. Sort of “if 350 people found this to be a good enough read to vote for it, maybe I should go pick it up.” Am I being weird? LLB’s honorable mention formula was something I don’t feel like wrapping my brain around right now. I guess I just like things to be straightforward.
I know so many readers love, love, love the BDB, but quite honestly, I’m waiting for the estrogen high to cool a little and for the series to stop dominating like it did in the AAR poll. NOT because I don’t think the books are entertaining (I’m still reading the series), but because I think there are many other books, quieter books, perhaps, but worthy books that get drowned out in the high-volume immortal whiteboy rap of the BDB.