🏆Predicting the 2023 Mystery/Thriller Goodreads Choice Awards Nominees! 🏆

Hello friends, how are you all doing? Today I feel very nervous for this video. I feel like there's a lot of pressure riding on this video but today we're gonna be doing a video that a lot of my patrons have asked me to do and I'm gonna be predicting the books I think are gonna be nominated for the Goodreads Mystery Thriller Awards this year and I feel sick to my stomach. I've been like avoiding filming this for about an hour. I never do that. I feel sick to my stomach. This is like so much pressure. Take a deep breath, calm down. I'm gonna be trying to predict the top 20 that I think are going to be nominated and then maybe narrow that down to the top 10. A few things I want to say. I am not going to get this 100% right. It's impossible. Every year for every category there's like a few books that get nominated that have maybe like a thousand ratings that end up coming 20th in the voting but they're still nominated. The Goodreads isn't always the top 20 most popular books in a genre. Sometimes they are but there's always one or two that sneak in that like no one could have predicted, no one knew were gonna be there. So I think there's gonna be some of those, okay? That's number one. Number two, I do want to point towards Ashley's Little Library who does a very similar video. I know she's just posted her one for this year which I haven't watched because I didn't want my mind to be coloured. I've been planning on doing this since like the start of the year. Some of my patrons, Julia, shout out Julia, has asked me to do this. Ashley's a bit different in that Ashley has like a methodology, like she works it out mathematically. I'm going off on vibes. I have got no planning going into this. I have not thought, I've tried actually my very hardest not to think at all about this going into this. I want to go on this journey with you. So we'll start off going through the ones I can just think of at the top of my brain that I think are definitely going to be in there and then we'll go look at things like Goodreads lists that have come out this year of like top mystery thrillers, book of the month, what books have been part of book of the month because they always end up being on there, like some of them always end up being on there. So that's going to be our methodology, just vibes. Just vibes. So here is my nomination prediction sheet. The way we're going to format this is I'm going to put the ones that I think are definitely going to be nominated in the green and then as we start finding out more then I'll put some ones that I think may be nominated in the gold and then we'll try and narrow it down to a top 20 and then a top 10 is the way we're going to do this together. Are we ready? I feel... God, this is the most pressure I've ever felt for a video. No, I just don't think this is like great for me. I don't want to do it. I want to go home. Like, I can't take the pressure of it. Don't you think any job interview... Because I just feel like there's going to be one book, at least, that is like an obvious choice that I forget exists. But shall we just get into it? Okay, so let me think of some that I think are definitely going to be on there. First one that I want to say that I think is definitely going to be on there is The Only One Left by Riley Sager. I think this is absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt, going to be there. Riley Sager is almost always nominated and I feel like this could even be a good shout to win. Like, trying to think of what's going to win this year, I feel like this has had some of the best reception of a book that has come out this year for Mystery Thriller. I mean, let's look it up because I think it will have a pretty high rating still even though it's been out for a little while. 4.18, 94,000 ratings. I think Riley is up there with a shout. I don't know if Riley's ever won the Good... I don't think he has. No, I don't think he has ever won the Goodreads Mystery Thriller and I think... I think he's in with a shout. I think he's in with a shout for winning. I'm very excited. This is like one of the books I want to read the most but I'm now trying to save all the books that I think are going to be nominated for Goodreads Mystery Thriller for that video. I feel like my whole life now every year leads up to this video. I'm so excited for it. I think it's like the most fun video to do but, oh my god, I'm really trying to predict what is gonna, you know, be on there. Oh my god, this feels like too much pressure. Okay, controversial choice. One that I definitely want to put in there. Let's bring her in. There she is. Listen to what I have to say because I'm right. This one, I'm only saying it's a controversial choice because the first and second Thursday Murder Club books were not nominated for the Goodreads Mystery Thriller so there's always a chance it just won't be included again. There's always a chance it won't be included again but I believe it will, okay? The Bullet That Missed was nominated last year and it came third. Mimi, I'm first. Mimi, I'm first was number one in the voting. I could not believe it. The Bullet That Missed was third, rightfully so. It's what I voted for and I think The Last Devil to Die is absolutely gonna be nominated. I hope it is because I'm not reading it until the video and if it's not nominated then we've got a problem. I mean, again, let's look at this on Goodreads. I think it's already got something like, um, 20,000 ratings even though it's only been out for like a couple weeks. Maybe almost a month now and it's gonna have a ridiculously high rating. It's gonna be like 4.5 or something. 4.6! That's pretty impressive for 22,000 ratings. Now, of course there's always the caveat that with, um, series they get higher and higher rated as the series goes on because it's only people who have liked the other ones reading it. However, what if The Last Devil to Die wins? So many people, all the reviews I've been seeing of this are people sobbing. I know what it's gonna be about. Lots of people saying it's their favourite in the series so far. I'm not ready! But I'm definitely hoping that The Last Devil to Die is gonna be on there. Um, what else do I think? Let me go... Okay, I think this is definitely gonna be on there. This has been one of the ones I've heard the most people talking about this year and that is None of This is True by Lisa Jewell. I feel like Lisa Jewell tends to always be nominated but, um, this has been a big release this year I think in terms of, uh, mystery thriller that people are enjoying. It's got that podcast element everyone seems to be speaking really highly of. I think it's been really highly rated. Again, let's go have a look. 4.23 with a hundred- ooooh! That's got more ratings and a higher average rating than the Riley Sager. Interesting! Okay, I think this is definitely gonna be nominated. It's got really high ratings and everyone loves a podcast. It's a crowd favourite! Everybody loves a good jazz square! And I think this is the most successful release I've seen from Lisa Jewell for a while in terms of public opinion. So I think this is going to be there. I've got a few more that I think are definitely going to be there. This one, All the Dangerous Things by Stacey Willingham. I think Stacey Willingham's debut came, I want to say, fourth last year and so I think she's definitely going to be nominated again. And this is- Stacey Willingham just seems to appeal to, like, the baseline thriller reader. Like, the person who reads, like, 10 books a year and reads through this and, like, doesn't read a ton of books. I think she appeals to that kind of readership. 4.11 with 118,000. So this is the most rated that we've seen so far. The highest readership. Granted, it did come out in January, so, like, it's had a lot of time to build that readership. But, I mean, that plays to its advantage. So I don't know if I think this will win. I don't think it will, but I think it will be top five in terms of average rating. I read this. I gave it a four star. I thought it was, like, a pretty good basic thriller. Now the next one I think is controversial, okay? This one is a little bit of a risk, but we're gonna go do some research because I've had this thought and I think this is gonna be- I think this has to be nominated and I think it has to be top 10. I think it'll be, like, ninth maybe in the voting. I think it'll make top 10 and that is Zero Days by Ruth Ware. Why would you say something so controversial yet so brave? I think this is gonna make top 10 and here's why, okay? You may be thinking, Megan, I haven't heard a ton of people reading this and those who have been reading it, I don't think have been loving it. I agree. I agree. I agree. But I ask you, when was the last time a Ruth Ware book didn't make top 10? Crickets. Crickets. I need to go look this up, okay? Because I feel like Ruth Ware has such a name recognizability now that she is always gonna make top 10. Pretty much. Unless, like, her books start falling off a cliff. I feel like a basic thriller- again, this isn't being basic thriller readers. Bit mean. But, like, your average thriller reader who doesn't read a lot is gonna read Miss Ruth Ware. They're gonna read Miss Ruth Ware, you know? So I think Zero Days is gonna be nominated. Let's go do some research on this because I don't think this is gonna have a very high rating. Average rating. I haven't heard the best things. I don't think it will have a ton of readers yet. It hasn't come out. Okay, 40,000. It's got 3.68. Now that is dangerously veering on- I think a book has to have above a 3.5 to be nominated on Goodreads. That's, like, the requirement. So it is starting lowly rated, but I still think it's gonna make top 10. Let's go look at Miss Ruth Ware and see the last time a book did not make top 10. Let's go- let's sort them by year. Let's go back in time. Original publication year. Okay. The It Guy and I- I know that made top 10. I don't need to look that up. One by one, did that make top 10? Yeah. Okay, that was eighth. That came eighth. See, I think she's always gonna make top 10. I think we're gonna have to go back to, like, The Death of Mrs. Westerway or maybe even further back to find one that didn't make the top 10. Turn of the Key will definitely be top 10. Third. That came third. Yeah, that is one of her best. Agreed. Death of Mrs. Westerway? Now this could not have made top 10, but then we still got- we've still gone back to 2018. Okay, it was nominated. That came seventh. You see what I mean? I don't think Ruth- The Lion Game. Okay, this one maybe. Okay, that one doesn't appear to have been nominated. That's interesting, but I think The Woman in Cabin 10 will have been. So The Woman in Cabin 10 came- came third. Are we sure The Lion Game wasn't nominated? Let's just double check. Yeah, okay. The Lion Game wasn't nominated. So that's how far we have to go back. We have to go back to 2017. We have to go back six years for a Ruth Ware book to have not been nominated and I just- I just think she will be and I think it'll make top 10 because people- you gotta remember, people vote in this who have not read a single book in this category. And so names like Riley Sager, Lisa Jewell, Ruth Ware, I think are always gonna get a baseline number of votes from people who haven't read a single book in a category but vote for them because they liked The Turn and The Key or they liked Lock Every Door. Do you know what I mean? So I think she's gonna make top 10. That's a controversial one, okay? And then I've got one more that I think I can think of off the top of my head that I think will definitely be there. It's an earlier release this year, but that is Vera Wong's Unsolicited Guide for Murderers. I just feel like this has to be there. I've seen it on so many Goodreads lists, I've seen so many people talking about it. In the UK it's been a really big release, like it's one of those books that gets into the supermarkets in the UK and you have to be doing something right to get into the supermarkets in the UK. It would be a very popular book. Let's look this one up. 40- okay, that has less ratings than I thought it would have considering it came out in March, but I still- I still think this will make top 10. I still think this will make top 10. 4.06, not a bad average rating. I think this will be nominated. So those are the six that I can think of straight up off the top of my head, okay? I would be very surprised if any of these six didn't make the top 10. I'm saying that now. I know that's- that's a bit of an iffy statement, but I'd be very surprised if any of those didn't make top 10. I am like 90% sure they will all make top 10. It won't be a flop. I'm confident. No, the truth is- I wonder how right I'll be, but I really think they will. I think they're the biggest, biggest books. And in terms of what could win, I think these three have the best- I mean, The Last Civil To Die, I don't know. I don't know if it has a chance of winning, but I do- I think it will be up there. It came third. The Bullet That Missed came third and I think The Last Civil To Die is a more popular book in terms of like reception and rating that I've seen than The Bullet That Missed. Okay, let's go look. What should we look at next? Let's quickly go check. I want to go check the, um, awards from last year and see if there's any other authors who were nominated last year that have got a new book coming out that I haven't included. So, Nita Prose, she has got the sequel to The Maid coming out, which won, but, but it comes out late November, so I think it will- I'm not including it because I think it will miss, unless they push the Goodreads awards back, which like, please don't. I've got it planned in my content calendar for a very specific day. I think it will be in next year's awards, which is an interesting choice. Lucy Foddy doesn't have a book, Richard Osman I've included, Stacey Willingham I've included, Simone St. James doesn't have one. Okay, Gillian McAllister. Interesting. So, Just Another Missing Person. Oh, I'm very excited for it, but I feel like this had so much hype leading up to it. It was like a fairly, like, it was a bit of a rogue- when you compare it with other books, I feel like a lot of these were pretty established authors, but this was one that kind of came out of nowhere and was popular. I don't think Just Another Missing Person is having the same reach or the same reaction that that had. It's got a lower average rating with much less ratings, it's only got 15,000 ratings. I think- okay, I don't know. This one's tricky. I'm gonna go ahead and put that as our first one that I am- I'm unsure of it. I'm unsure. I don't know. It could be nominated, I'm not convinced it will be, and I think if it is, I don't think it will make top 10 because I don't think it's had the same reaction that, um, Wrong Place, Wrong Time had. I don't think Dianna Rae Bourne has had one come out. The It Girl and the- Are you sure? Do you want to just give it a go? Alice Feeney has had another one come out. She's had another one come out. Oh, I really don't want it to be nominated. Okay, how many ratings has it got? It's got a 3.69 with only 13,000 ratings and it came out in August. That's not huge in comparison to the other average- I mean, like, how many ratings did Zero Days have? It had like 40,000, right? Like, it's much lower- I don't know. I only read the top 10. I think this will be- okay, I think this would make the top 20. Maybe we'll end up making it so that I think- I put what I think is going to be the top 10 at the top and what I think is going to be the bottom 10 at the bottom and we'll have to get rid of some at the end. Maybe that will be how we do this. But I fucking hope that this does not make the top 10. I don't want to read it. I don't want to read it. I like- there's nothing I want less in this world than to read Good Night. If you don't know, I've hated, like, every Alice Feeney that I've read. Ever. So. And then we've got another interesting one. The Housemaid. I- when this made the- when this was in the first 20 nominated, I was certain this was going to make top 10 because it had so many ratings, right? A sequel has come out to this. I mean, this had, like, five- this had so many ratings and was such a high rating. But, like, even then- I mean, obviously this has a lot now, but a year ago it had so many ratings and such a high rating and it didn't make the top 10. And I just wonder if the readership for this are the readership who vote. I don't know. So the sequel, I mean, let's go look at it. Fucking hell, like, it has 252,000 ratings and a 4.29 average rating. But I'm still tentative to put it in my top 10. I don't trust her. I think it will be nominated again, but I'm still tentative to put it in my top 10 because it didn't make the top 10 last time, like, inexplicably when it should have done. Okay, do you know what? I'm gonna do something controversial. I'm gonna put this in the top 10 for now. Like, it has to. Surely the readers of it will have to be, like, oh, we're outraged it didn't make the top 10 last time and make it get there this time. Surely. Like, it was such a shock to me. It's got 200- that's, like, the highest rate that we have come across. But for some- it was the same last time and it didn't make the top 10. But I'm gonna put it in there this time and we shall see how that goes. Okay, I don't think we need to look much lower because any- I mean, uh, Sarah Pekkanen has had a book come out. I just don't know. I mean, again, Lisa Jewell, The Family Remains was not highly voted for, but I think none of this is true. We'll make it. Okay, interesting. Let's go look. Let's actually look at my reading tracker. I want to go through- this is where I put- oh, Age of Bias. Okay, all right, immediately. This is where I put, um, all of my books I'm excited for that come out this year and the way that they're colour-coded. If you're wondering about the colour coding, uh, yellow is that I own it, green is that I've read it, and orange is that a publisher sent it to me. So really, I should read it quicker than I am anyways. Okie dokie, Age of Vice is one that I think has been really popular. Let's look at- I mean, that came out in January, so it's had a long time to build up a readership. Oh, oh, oh, interesting. This was a book of the month pick, which works in its favour, but it's only got 23,000 ratings and a 3.62 average rating, so not super high. Okay, okay, do you know what? I'm gonna put this in the top 20 for now, but I don't know if I think it will- it won't make the top 10, I don't think, and I- I reserve to- I reserve the right to remove this one. Okay, what else have I got on here that is a mystery thriller? I don't think Janice Hallett will be nominated because it's not out in the US still, I think, or if it is, it's only just come out. Oh, The Drift by CJ Tudor. I think that if it's nominated, I think that might be nominated under horror. Oh, I've just had a thought of a book. Okay, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. We have to discuss this one. Oh, this is one that I've been thinking about lots in relation to this. Okay, I knew there was a book I was gonna forget. Holly by Stephen King. This one's tricky. Under genre, I mean, these genres here are just, to my understanding, still are just generated by what people shelve it as, okay? So people tend to shelve Stephen King as more horror. However, the Holly Gibney series, Mr. Mercedes, won the mystery thriller award. Finders Keepers came second. End of Watch won the mystery thriller award. The Outsider won the mystery thriller award. So everything bar, I think, If It Bleeds was nominated under horror, but I think that's like short stories and Holly's only in one of them. Everything else in this series has been nominated for the mystery thriller award, and three of them have won it. I'm a little bit scared of Stephen King infiltrating this award. Much rather it stays a horror, but I think this should probably be in the mystery thriller category. It's like a detective- she runs a detective agency. Don't read this synopsis too badly if you don't wanna- if you wanna be spoiled for the Mr. Mercedes trilogy. It's a detective story. I think this should be nominated under mystery thriller. I'm gonna put it in there and I'm gonna put it in the top 10. Wait a minute, I'm figuring this out. I'm like Scooby and Shaggy, I'm solving a mystery. I will be so surprised if this is under horror because I really- I don't think it should be. Everything else in Holly's story as a character has been under the- oh wait, I put it on the wrong side. No, sorry, I was kidding myself. Can you imagine Stephen King nominated and doesn't make the top 10? Um, I think- I think it will and I think it'll make top 10. Oh, that's a bit scary though, isn't it? That's a bit scary because then it will probably win. And listen, I think I'll probably- I will be happy if I have to read this because I enjoyed, to some extent, the other Stephen Kings that I read when I read all the winners. But um, I just don't really like when Stephen King wins. It's a bit boring in it, you know? It's a bit boring. It's not very exciting for Stephen King to win. So we'll see. We'll see if that's under horror but I think it should be under mystery thriller even though it's the same as horror as its first genre. This- this series from Stephen King is mystery thriller. Oh, what lies in the woods? Probably will be nominated. 3.98 was 75,000. I- oh, okay, interesting, interesting, interesting. Came out in January. This was another book of the month pick. Oh, I think this will make top 10. How many- how many have I put in the top 10 already? How many spots have we got left? One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, shit. Okay, I am kind of building my ideal top 10 because I am putting books in there that I'm most excited to read. I'm feeling pretty right about this. The ones that I think could make- not make top 10, these three, I think, are the ones- I mean, I know that's crazy to say about Howl May Secret but The Housemaid didn't make top 10. These three, I think, are the ones that are least likely to make top 10 but everything else here, I think, will unless they put Holly in horror. Oh gosh, okay, right, we're filling up. Oh, I've just had a thought. I've just had a thought. I've just had a thought. I don't even have this in my reading tracker but I think this- I think this will have come out- yeah, so this came out last year but it's been successful this year. So, what about the sequel? When does this come out? Okay, it comes out in time to be nominated. Interesting. Oh, everyone on this train is a suspect. This one's tricky. This one's tricky because it doesn't have long. To my understanding of the Goodreads Awards, when was it last year? It had to come out by November 15th, 2022. So, it only has a month to, like, build up a readership and maybe get nominated but things- I mean, like, Brandon Sanderson brought out a book that came out on the last day that got nominated last year. I think this will be nominated. I don't think it will make a top 20 because it doesn't have long to build up a readership but I think this will be nominated to reflect the success that the first book has had this year. I know, by the way, that you guys have all told me to read this. I do want to read this series, okay? I know it's my kind of thing. Let's put her in top 20 but I don't think it will make top 10. We've only got one spot left in the top 10. That's, like, dangerous. You in danger, girl. Let's, like, I mentioned earlier, let's just, like, do a cursory check at the set. Is it Sarah Pekkanen or is it Greer Hendricks that's come out with a book? I think it's Sarah Pekkanen. Is it this one, Gone Tonight? Yes. 10,000 ratings, 3.87. I feel like they're always nominated but I don't- if it is nominated, it won't make top 10. Shall I put it in there for now? Let's put it in there for now. I think this, like, it's a- but, I mean, they're famous as the duo. I don't know. Let's put it in there for now and I can always take it out again. Okay, I feel like we're looking all right so far. I feel like I'm pretty spot on. I mean, I think I'm a genius. I think I'm gonna get this one right. Oh, how can I forget? The Writing Retreat. Oh, shit. The Writing Retreat could be nominated. Oh, no, it can't. It can't. Right now, it can't. It's got a 3.44 average rating. I'm not gonna include it then. That is so rude, guys. That's a five star if I've ever seen one. 3.44. Okay, right. So now, unless its rating was to go up dramatically by November, which I don't think it will having been out since February, I think it's probably found its kind of average rating, it won't be nominated. I think that's the wrong choice. That's a five star. Oh, The Golden Spoon could be nominated. I feel like this is the kind of book they like to throw in. 3.5. Oh, I'm not gonna put it on there. It's skirting. It's skirting the low rating. I'm not gonna put it on there then. With 22,000 ratings, I don't think that will get on there. Okay, Death of a Bookseller. I feel like that's more of a UK release than a US one and usually, yeah, they don't get nominated. Yeah, no, that's not getting nominated. Oh, The Chateau I just read. I feel like that's gonna have a low rating again though. 3.53 with 6,000 ratings. Yeah, that's not going on. Although again, this is the kind of book they like to throw on that will come like 20th in the voting, but I'm not gonna put on there yet. Maybe if I'm running out of room for once, I think we'll make it. Oh, S.A. Cosby has come out with one. Is that in that category? All the Sinners Bleed? Shelved as a Mystery. 4.32 with 22,000 ratings. I think S.A. Cosby is usually nominated. I think this will be there. Is it gonna- I don't think it's- not right now. It's not gonna take my top 20 spot right now. My top 10. My last top 10 spot right now. Okay, so we've got nine in the top. We've got six at the bottom. So I'm looking for four more here and one more here. Looking for five more books, guys. I may end up moving one of these up to here, but I mean, there's none- none of these inspire me with top 10-ness right now. Oh, The Last Word by Ted Adams. 3.78. Oh, okay. I think this will be nominated. It's been a one that a lot of people have been talking about this year. Do I think it will be top 10? I feel like whatever makes top 10 is gonna be- what book am I gonna put? Oh, yeah, that'll make top 10 now. Like, we're this far down the list. I haven't thought of it. Do you know what I mean? I think it'll be nominated. Am I gonna put it in top 10? No, I'm not. Not right now, but out of the ones I've got in the bottom 20, I think this or All Sinners Bleed- All the Sinners Bleed are the ones that have the best chance of being in the top 10. Because I feel like this is one that a lot of people have been speaking about, but it doesn't have a very high rating. I do feel like this selection, based on just vibes, I feel like it's looking quite good so far. Oh, Shari Lapina. Miss Shari Lapina. Oh, Shari Lapina probably has to be nominated, right? 38,000 ratings. I mean, let's look at some of her previous books. Let's do what we did with Ruth Ware. Not a Happy Family. Did that make top 10? It would have been nominated, but I mean, it wasn't very well liked. No. Okay. Didn't make top 10, but that wasn't well liked. The End of Her? I feel like I haven't heard a few of those. No. Okay. Um, it could just not be nominated, but it's Shari Lapina. You know what I mean? I'm gonna put it there for now. That one's a tricky one. That might not be nominated. That might not be nominated, but I just- in my brain, I'm like, it's Shari Lapina. You know what I mean? Oh, what about- I've never read from her, but has Megan Miranda had a book that came out this year? Because maybe that would be nominated. Oh, interesting, interesting, interesting. 40,000 ratings, which I feel like is the kind of median we're seeing for a lot of ones that I think would definitely be nominated. I think it'll be nominated, but it's got 3.57. That's skirting dangerously close to me to feel comfortable putting it on the list. I'm gonna put it on there, but I don't think it's gonna make top 10. Oh, we have- like, I'm not putting anything in the top 10. I'm refusing to fill that last top 10 spot. I can't do it. My heart is saying no. God, guys, this is getting tense. We may have to start taking some off of here if I think there's other ones more likely to be nominated. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. They've each only got one more spot left. Okie dokie. Oh, shoot. Murder in the Family. That could be my last top 10 spot. Wait, what? In my brain, this has been so highly hyped. I thought it'd have more than 8,000. I mean, I know it's only just come out in the US, like, a couple weeks ago, but I feel like this has been so highly hyped. Oh, okay. I'm not putting down the list yet. I'm not putting down the list. Okay. Midnight is the Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead. I mean, that's literally come out, like, yesterday. Like, two days ago. Uh, so we won't have many ratings yet. It's only got a three point- I don't think that'll be- um, The Last Housewife, I really thought was gonna be nominated, and it wasn't nominated. Okay, let's look at some of these lists. So, if you guys remember, I did a whole vlog based off of this list. This came out in June, and it's the hit books of 2023 so far. So let's look at what was in the mystery category. So we've got that, we've got that, we've got that. I have some questions for you. 69,000 ratings, 3.66. Interesting. This has been the start of the year. This came out in February. This was super hyped, especially in the UK. It was, like, really pushed as, like, the mystery thriller of the year, but I have heard a lot of mixed things. But it's got 69,000 ratings, which will work in its favour. I mean, that's a lot. That's a lot. That's a lot. That's a lot. That's a lot. What am I gonna do? It has to be nominated. I'm not gonna put top 10, because it's really- it's rated low. But it's a popularity contest. At the end of the day, people will vote for, like, one book, if it's the only book they've read. This could be the only book some people have read. So that fills up our last- our bottom 10. I just need one that I'm gonna put in the top 10, apparently. I still think something like Murder in the Family, though, could be, like, a surprise entry. Do you know what I mean? Anything else? Kate Morton Homecoming, 43,000 ratings, 4.- I mean, that's highly rated, but I haven't heard anyone speak about that. Is it histo- I mean, I think that's more likely to be under historical, no? I feel like Kate Morton is more of a historical author. I'm not including that. Anything else here? Harlan Coben, 50,000- oh, this is getting difficult. And The Bandit Queens, I've heard a lot of people speak about. 21,000. Harlan Coben. Harlan Coben. Harlan Coben. You alright, Nicca? No, I'm not alright. Everything's just stressing me out at the moment. See, I don't know if Harlan Coben has, like, the, you know, same pulling power as he, they. I don't know who Harlan Coben is, if I'm honest. He once did, you know, like, in the early 2000s, or, like, but, I mean. His 2023- his 2020 release, where did that come on the list? Oh. I think I might have- okay. Oh, I hate it. Maybe I have to put- this is my last top 10. Okay, we're gonna put it in, and then we'll have to start moving things around if there's one that I think will make it. Because there's some here. Gone Tonight by Sarah Pekkanen, I think, could be goners. That is our top 20. Just, just, just starting off, okay? But things could move out of here, and things could move up. I'm not sure about that making- if it's Harlan Coben. Okay, I'm not gonna add either of these. Oh, 44,000. I haven't- I haven't heard people talk about that. Oh god, maybe that'll be nominated. Maybe. Okay, hang on. Let me look at some other lists. We've got this one, Discover the Biggest Mystery and Thriller Trends of 2020. I mean, this came out in February, but it will have books that are coming out this year. So these ones will be ones that have come out this year. I mean, these have only got hundreds of ratings. The Whispers? That's from the author of The Push. There's too many thriller- thriller mysteries. Let me explain. I actually give up. Do you know what we need to look at? We need to look at Book of the Month. We need to look at Book of the Month. I've decided. We need to look at Book of the Month. Okay, October, When I'm Dead. I haven't heard anyone speak about that. Oh, The Stranger Upstairs. I have heard a lot of people talking about that. I've heard a lot of people reading it. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit. I mean, that has only just come out. No, okay, we're not putting it on there. It's got a low rating and it's only just come out a couple weeks ago. Yes, it has got a lot of ratings, only having just come out like a week or two ago, but it's got a low rating and the rating usually slips over time. So I think that- I don't think it will be there. I'm really- this is- this is tense. Happiness Falls by Angie Kim. It says literary fiction, but I know that the other book by Angie Kim was nominated. No, I'm not gonna put it on there. Okay, we've got None of This is True. Okay, that would definitely be nominated then. July. Oh, Dark Corners by Megan Golding. I should have thought about that. Dark Corners. How many ratings has that got? Okay, not a lot. The Maid's Diary. Have any of my friends read this? Okay, the ones I'm most considering putting on there at the moment are The Maid's Diary, The Whispers. I don't think I'm considering Dark Corners. I don't think I'm considering Dark Corners. Moving on. God, this is tense. She Started It. I haven't heard anyone talk about that, but it probably will be nominated. The Last Word. Okay, The Last Word was a Book of the Month pick. Okay, I think The Last Word is gonna be nominated then. Okay, I'm standing by The Last Word. April. Megan Miranda won. Okay, that makes me think that I should keep Megan Miranda. The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth. I haven't had time to talk about her, but it's Book of the Month, you know what I mean? Oh, for God's sake. For God's sake. 86,000 ratings. That's just gotta go on there then. You alright? Just need a bit of space if that's okay. You alright? Yeah. I could feel, I could feel that that was gonna have to be an addition as soon as I read it. That's why I pulled that face. I could feel. Right, what are we doing? What are we doing? We're getting rid of Sarah Pickernan. We're getting rid of Sarah Pickernan. Right, let's bring her in. Let's get rid of you. You're gone. You're gone. And let's put that bad boy in. Okay, right. Okay, but we still got a few that I'm debating putting in. Okay, any other ones that need to be added? February. The Writing Retreat. Okay, too lowly rated. Age of Vice in January. What lies in the words? We've got that. Okay, and then we've got this list that they just published today. Bloody hell. St. Irving's 50, one of this year's coziest mysteries. Now I think most of these, like if we scroll down, there'll be like a lot of like cozy cozies that I don't think can be nominated. But are there any? The Golden Spoon again. Mastering the Art. I've seen this one around everywhere, but it's only got 4,400 ratings. But again, like I said, they always throw in a few that have got really low rating, like low numbers of ratings. You know? Okay, I don't think any- okay, right, right, right, right. We've got to make a decision here. The ones that I haven't put in yet that I am debating putting in are The Maid's Diary and The Whispers. Is there anything that I think should be taken out for them? Maybe the Shari LaBeouf. Maybe the Shari- or maybe the Ginny McAllister. Oh my god, I feel sick. Okay, I don't know if that feels right to me, but okay. Like, I feel like The Push came second the year it was nominated. I feel like that- I feel like they're going to nominate the next- okay, all right, I've made my decision. I feel like I'm an X Factor judge on Judge's Houses. Like, I've made my decision. You're going home, sweetie. I've always wanted to use that. I'm so glad I can use that video. And you're going home, sweetie. You're going home, sweetie. Okay, The Maid's Diary is going in and just another missing person is coming out and The Whispers is coming in. Okie dokie. I mean, Alice Feeney in my- in my dreams would go as well, but I feel like Alice Feeney always tends to be nominated. I'm just like- it's going to come like 18th in the voting is what I'm telling myself. Okie dokie. I think that's it. I think that's my prediction for the Goodreads Mystery Thrill Awards 2023, and I think that is my prediction for the top 10. I don't know how I feel about it. Frick. Okay, I think that is my prediction. Now, in terms of what I'd like, ideally, I'd like The Housemaid's Secret not to be on there because then I'd have to read two books. Everything else- there's a series like Holly. I haven't read If It Bleeds, but I reckon I could read Holly without having read that. Nothing else in there is a series. I mean, obviously, there's my covers, but I've read that. I'd love The Last Word to go up there because I really want to read The Last Word. Maybe that will- I don't think that will happen. I think if anything's going to go up there, it's like The Housemaid. The Soulmate. The Housemaid. The Soulmate. But I think that's my final answer. I'm so excited to watch Ashley's and see how different our predictions are, but I think that is my final answer for top 10 and then the other 10 that are going to be nominated for the Goodreads Mystery Thrill Awards. This feels like a momentous moment, and I feel like this has been a bit of a fever dream of a video. It's going to be long as hell. I'm sorry. This was so much fun, and I'm very intrigued to see how close my prediction ends up being to this. So let me know what you think of my predictions. Are there any books that I really should have included and have missed out and have been so stupid? I'm sure there's one, at least, that should be in the top 10 that I haven't even put in there. But I think for the most part, I'm pretty solid with my prediction of this. There's a few that could be taken out, like everyone on this train is a suspect. I don't think we'll get- I think they'll be nominated in homage to everyone in this family has killed- everyone in my family has killed someone. But I think I'll have got at least- at least 10. I think at least 10 of these will be nominated, and I think I may have got 15. I think there'll be some here that aren't nominated, but I think I will have got 15. Let me know what you think I've done. This video was so much fun to do, and I am so excited to read the nominees for the Goodreads Mystery Thriller. I mean, I just feel like my whole purpose is leading up to that video now. I just want to do it. I'm so excited. I love watching Goodreads Awards content. It's like my favourite. I don't know why, it's like my favourite content to watch and my favourite content to make. So I love you guys. Let me know how you think I've done. If you got into the video, comment a mystery thriller emoji, a shocked face, a stabby stab, you know what I mean. Any mystery thriller-esque emoji. Comment that down below if you got to the end. This has been so tense. Thank you guys for watching, and I will see you very soon in another video. Bye!