My Favorite Book of 2011 - The Sweet Sixteen

Well the pool is distinctly smaller, but the competition is definitely going to be rougher. Taking a look at the bracket now, I am going to have some seriously tough decisions to make.

No sense putting it off...here we go...

Heat 1 :

 (rating of 5)  vs.  (rating of 5)

Nothing like starting out with a zinger, right? For those of you who have not read them yet, both of these books are amazing. They're the next Harry Potter. I'm really struggling to decide which one to choose, but ultimately I have to go with the one that got me hooked...

Winner : The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Heat 2 :

 (rating of 5)  vs. (rating of 5)

Geez...it just doesn't get easier. I really loved both of these books. Darn it! This random thing is so not working in my favor. I should've stacked the deck. Okay...I've got to go with my gut on this one...

Winner : The Time Traveler's Wife by Suzanne Collins

Heat 3 :

 (rating of 4)  vs.  (rating of 5) 

Yay! An easy one!

Winner : The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

Heat 4 :

 (rating of 5)  vs.  (rating of 5) 

Another tough decision. The Help was a really good historical novel and I got sucked in pretty quickly. Julie & Julia is a memoir and she's just so real I wanted to reach out and pinch her. By the end of the book I felt like we could be good friends. Both books have been turned into movies, so I must have decent taste. Going with my gut on this one...

Winner : Julie & Julia by Julie Powell

Heat 5 :

  (rating of 4)  vs. (rating of 4) 

The only "4" bracket remaining. But someone has to go down. I enjoyed Northanger Abbey's writing style - it was a less uptight Austen than had been present in Mansfield Park. Thank goodness. Salem Falls was a good Picoult. Not her best, but no where near as painful as Sing You Home. Unfortunately, I think it's the predictable use of Salem and witch hunting that will do Jodi in on this one.

Winner : Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Heat 6 :

 (rating of 5)  vs. (rating of 4) 

 Winner : Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Heat 7 :

 (rating of 5) vs. (rating of 5)

This year I discovered that I have a pretty profound love for historical fiction. More and more it's becoming my favorite genre. So it is with no surprise that the winner is...

Winner : Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

Heat 8 :

 (rating of 4) vs. (rating of 5)

No surprise here. Audrey comes out on top.

Winner : Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

And then there were eight...