When not changing the order of Mount TBR or finding more time to read all the books I often find myself in that wonderful bit of twitter devoted to books and chat with other bloggers. Late last year C of Themiddleshelf.org proposed hosting an informal blog awards. A jury of us would put forward our favourites in certain categories an then over a few months in 2018 we would debate/argue/maim/bribe in public so you can say we are completely wrong in our ultimate choices but at the same time we give you a load of books you may still not have read yet!

It's not serious - we have not actually got an award or swanky event to host it but it sounded fun and I said I'd like to be involved!  I'm fairly certain there are books in 2017 I should have read and this would help that quest!

Subjective Chaos?

Have you ever tried to get bloggers to agree on rules? Lots of debate already had with fervent checking of publication dates and AGONISING choices have already taken place away from your sensitive eyes dear reader

This is JUST Fun

Its an informal experiment seeing if seven bloggers with differing tastes can agree on what we feel where the best in certain categories. This is subjective based on what we read collectively and happily it all means we have some new books to read too - our minds aren't yet certain that our personal choice for the best will be out final decision.

Who is taking part?

C of The MiddleShelf

@Eowyn

@Hammard

Bethan of bethanmaybooks.wordpress.com

David of bluebookballoon.blogspot.co.uk

Imyril of onemore.org

Plus little old me. 

The Categories?

Well we have to be careful of our day jobs and sleep so we limited ourselves to the following categories

- Best Fantasy Novel

- Best Sci-Fi Novel

- Blurred Boundaries (aka Best Speculative Fiction)

- Best Novella

- Best Series (published in 2017 but may be incomplete)

We have to read the shortlist in any category in order to award and we can opt out if time runs out!

So the Shortlist?

We all put forward one choice and often had a back-up which came in useful. Then there was discussion as to which group they fitted! We all agreed one book to one category only

Best Fantasy

The Court of Broken Knives by Anna Smith Spark

Godblind by Anna Stephens

Under the Pendulum Sun by Jeannette Ng

White Tears by Hari Kunzru

The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Metronome by Oliver Langhead

Strange Practise by Vivian Shaw

Chalk by Paul Cornell

Best SF

Raven Stratagem by Yoon Ha Lee

Places in the Darkness by Chris Brookmyre

The Rift by Nina Allen

The Dogs of War by Adrian Tchaikovsky

H(A)PPY by Nicola Barker

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

Blurred Boundaries

Hannah Green and her Unfeasibly Mundane Existence by Michael Marshall Smith

The Ninth Rain by Jen Williams

Winter Tide by Ruthanna Emrys

Jade City by Fonda Lee

Gnomon by Nick Harkaway

Rotherweird by Andrew Caldecott

The Prey of Gods by Nicky Drayden

Best Novella

Buffalo Soldiers by Maurice Broaddus

The Murders of Molly Southbourne by Tade Thompson

The Black Tides of Heaven/The Red Threads of Fortune by Jy Yang

A Divided River by Christian Ellingsen

A Song for Quiet by Cassandra Khaw

Passing Strange by Ellen Klages

Best Series

Food of the gods by Cassandra Khaw

The Divine Cities by Robert Jackson Bennett

The Memoirs of Lady Trent by Marie Brennan

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

The Split Worlds by Emma Newman

The Broken Earth by NK Jemisin

Stay tuned for updates as to how everyone agreed with me or not!