With the 2023 Oscars coming to a close, we can’t help but wonder who would win in each category if the ceremonial award show was for the book world. Wonder no more because at Bookstr we have all of our hot picks. Here are our favorites and what we considered the best of the best!
Best Book Cover Artist
Nominations
Kate Forrester: I love the combination of typography & illustration that Kate uses in the book covers she’s done. That style tends to give elements of the story, which in turn make you want to read in order to piece it all together.
– Jhade Gales, Graphics
Kuri Huang for Daughter of the Moon Goddess. Her use of textural elements is insightful. Her colors are vibrant and do justice to the cultural mythology utilized by Sue Lynn Tan, and the space utilization is so pleasing.
– Kristi Eskew, Editorial
Cliff Neilsen: The way Neilsen puts his illustrative elements together to create book covers for the fantasy/sci-fi genre really makes you believe these things exist in our actual world and not something that came from the imagination.
– Jaiden Cruz, Graphics
Best Children Books
Nominations
Beautifully Me by Nabela Noor; “Whatever your body looks like, beauty is how you make people feel and the kind things you do.”
– Jhade Gales, Graphics
The Year We Learned to Fly by Jaqueline Woodson, “‘Lift your arms, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and believe in a thing. Somebody somewhere at some point was just as bored as you are now.’ And before they know it, their imaginations lift them up and out of their boredom.”
– Kristi Eskew, Editorial
Sideways Stories From Wayside School, “‘Now, now,’ said Mrs. Jewls. ‘What’s easy for you may not be easy for Joe, and what’s easy for Joe may not be easy for you.’” This book will always be near dear to my heart for the simple fact it captures the joy being silly during your childhood.
– Sierra Jackson, Editorial
Best Thriller/Mystery
Nominations
Portrait of a Thief, Grace D. Li: “Once, he had thought diaspora was loss, longing, all the empty spaces in him filled with want…. But diaspora was this, too: two cultures that could both be his, history that was waiting to be made.”
– Griffyn Tijamo, Graphics
The Paris Apartment, Lucy Foley: “It’s not about where you came from. What kind of [things] might have happened to you in the past. It’s about who you are. What you do with the opportunities life presents to you.”
– Jenna Babick, Social
Best Romance Novels
Nominations
Book Lovers by Emily Henry. I mean, it won Goodreads Best Romance of 2022 for a reason. The connection between Nora and Charlie felt real and deep. There were human flaws in these characters that you don’t get in other romance books. I think the best kind of romance is the kind that you can relate to and let me tell you, I related to it.
Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley. Talia Hibbert described Jada and Donovan as a chaotic princess x uptight responsible hero pairing, and I don’t think that I’ve agreed with something more. I’m constantly reading fake dating tropes and this one is just as sweet as it sounds. Plus they’re also celebrities and public personalities so that adds yet another layer to their relationship that I don’t get to read a lot.
Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood. It’s not hard for Ali to get props from me. I love that she writes about women in STEM because that’s something that I don’t think is talked about enough. These characters have a habit of being the best and worst parts of me which makes them incredibly down to earth. Plus who doesn’t love an enemies to lovers trope?
You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi. This is a more recent read of mine which is why it isn’t higher on the list. Writing widows is hard and it gets even harder when you’re writing it in the situation that Feyi and Alim were in. That being said, it still deserves all the recognition that it gets and damn is it a good read.
– Gracie Lambright, Editorial (Resident Romance Redneck)
Best Memoirs
Nominations
Harder to Breathe A Memoir Making Maroon 5, Losing It All, and Finding Recovery by Ryan Dusick. “For those of us who are struggling through any sort of mental health challenge, whether it be addiction, anxiety, depression, or any form, there is absolutely no shame in surrendering to a program of recovery…We have nothing to lose and everything to gain from asking for help.
There is peace and freedom and purpose and connectedness and love and joy and serenity waiting for us on the other side of that journey. May you find peace and comfort in the hope of recovery. You deserve it.” It’s very raw and real. I really connected with it because I thought I was alone with my anxiety issues. I realize now that I’m not alone.
– Christina Hardesty, Graphics
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy – “The problem with this is that if we beat ourselves up after a mistake, we add shame onto the guilt and frustration that we already feel about our mistake. That guilt and frustration can be helpful in moving us forward, but shame…shame keeps us stuck. It’s a paralyzing emotion. When we get caught in a shame spiral, we tend to make more of the same kinds of mistakes that caused us shame in the first place”
– Cara Hadden, Editorial
Almost American Girl by Robin Ha. The illustrated format of Robin’s memoir allows the reader to visual experience how she felt during a major turning point in her life and it connects back to one of the things that kept her from falling into a pit of depression–comics.
– Jhade Gales, Graphics
Best Adaptations of All Time
Nominations
The Princess Bride by William Goldman, Directed by Rob Reiner
– Kristi Eskew, Editorial
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien, Directed by Peter Jackson
– Cara Hadden, Editorial
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, Directed by Francis Lawrence
– Sierra Jackson, Editorial
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, Directed by Mira Nair
– Anushe Engineer, Editorial
Best Adaptations of 2022
Nominations
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han. The casting and execution of the plot of the books was super accurate. The show also handled expanding on the other characters besides the protagonist really well while keeping the plot watchable.
– Griffyn Tijamo, Graphics
A Man Called Otto by Fredrik Backman, Directed by Marc Forster. While this American remake of the 2015 Swedish film based on Backman’s novel A Man Called Ove doesn’t quite live up to its source material, it is still alternately funny and heartwarming, with Tom Hanks delivering an excellent performance as the neighborhood’s most lovable grump.
– Cara Hadden, Editorial
Women Talking by Miriam Toews, Directed by Sarah Polley. This 2022 adaptation of the 2018 novel based on true events is truly remarkable in its writing, brilliant ensemble cast, and its portrayal of women with different mindsets coming together in hardship and finding faith and hope through their connection. The Oscar win for Best Adapted Screenplay was well-deserved.
– Cara Hadden, Editorial
Do you agree with our picks? No?! Let us know who would be your picks and if you agree! Out of the bunch, who’s the winner?
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