Bookish Academy Awards Tag

Hey all, Dani here.

So today I have a non-Middle Grade March post, and that’s because I do this tag every year at this time. I don’t know why I wait to do it until March, when the Academy Awards took place last month. I tell myself that it’s so I can go over all my reads from the previous year and narrow down my contenders until I have my winners. In any case, it has become my tradition to literally do this post now on March 7 each year, so here we are.

The rules are pretty simple. You have a list of categories, similar to those at the Academy Awards, and you choose the winner from the books you read the previous year. That being said, I always make it harder on myself by giving myself the extra rule that I can only pick a book for one award, not multiples.

Oh, and this tag was originated by BOOKadoodles on YouTube, so you can find her video here.

I read 231 books in 2019, so I’m thinking that this tag could either be fairly easy or rather difficult. There’s really only one way to find out. Let’s get started.

Best Actor: Best Male Protagonist

I had a few good options for this category, but ultimately I had to go with Robert Weekes, because I couldn’t help but think about his growth and determination to succeed in a job that has only been open to women before his journey begins. The fact that I’m still thinking about this book well over a year later speaks to the impact it had on me.

Best Actress: Best Female Protagonist

Again, I had a few options for this one, but a lot of those books ended up being selected for other categories. Plus there is just something about Sal the Cacophony that I couldn’t stop thinking about. She is a fierce bad-ass who has been through a hell of a lot. I also admire that she doesn’t take crap from anyone. This was a lengthy read but totally worth it, and I am so excited about picking up the sequel later this year.

Best Cinematography: Best Plot Twist

So…I’m not going to talk about the specific event that is the plot twist in My Hero Academia Volume 17, but it really jaw-dropping and it might have made me tear up a bit. When I was looking through the categories this is the only read from 2019 that stood a chance at winning this particular category. If you watch the anime then this plot twist takes place in episode 74.

Best Costume Design: Best Book Cover

So…I love both versions of this cover (original hardcover and OwlCrate Exclusive Hardcover), plus it’s one of my favorite books, so I had to include it somewhere in this post.

Best Supporting Actor and Actress: Best Male and Female Sidekick

Mitch and Stacey were two of my favorite secondary characters in this novel, so knowing that Stacey is the leading lady in the second book and Mitch will be the leading man in the third book makes me super happy. Plus, I just adored the whole concept of this Ren Faire romance story. It was nerdy and adorable.

Best Original Screenplay: Most Unique Plot/World

The magic system in this was just fascinating. And again, it was one of my favorite reads of 2019, so I just needed another excuse to talk about how much I loved this awesome and slightly weird plot and world and characters and magic.

Best Adapted Screenplay: Best Book-to-Movie Adaptation

The only possibilities I had for this category were manga-to-anime adaptations, and since I already talked about MHA in the plot twist category, it means I can talk about one of my other absolute favorite series. I love Black Clover so much. The Black Bulls are just a fantastic group of misfits who get drawn together and then grow and learn and surpass all of their limits because of the bonds they’ve built together.

Best Animated Feature: A book that would work well in animated format

I know this book is pretty much a novel version of a K-Pop Drama, but I think it would be great as a Studio Ghibli type movie or series. The focus on food alone makes it a good fit, but then there’s also the colliding of worlds with a “normal” person running in to something other, whether that is a talking creature, a supernatural being, etc.

Best Director: A writer you discovered for the first time

This is a loose definition of a winner. I first read Robert Jackson Bennett in 2019, but I had picked up a couple books of his in 2017 and 2018, so it still counts. I’m super glad that this was the first of his books that I read. The world was fascinating (this could have won the best plot/world category) and the characters are great as well. The political intrigue and heist elements of the story are also intriguing.

Best Visual Effects: Best action in a book

Gideon is an amazing wielder of a sword. The rest of the book is amazing too. Seriously, if you haven’t read this yet, then please just go pick it up.

Best Short Film: Best novella or short book

I think I only read a couple shorter books in 2019, but this was an easy decision to make. The Wayward Children series is amazing, and I think this may be my favorite book in the series so far, so if you want a quick venture into a portal fantasy read, I definitely recommend this series.

Best Picture: Best standalone

The only category to end in a tie, but I’m totally okay with that. They are both contemporary reads and I related strongly to each of them, although in very different ways.

Best Documentary: Best Historical Fiction or Non-fiction

I read a few non-fiction books, all of them focused on the craft of writing, but this book by Felicia Day definitely ranks as one of the best book releases of 2019. It is immensely helpful for any person who wants to pursue a hobby or career involving creativity.

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Well all right, that is all from me today. Let me know if you decide to do this tag because I would love to check out your winners for each category. I’ll be back soon with more bookish content.