Erratic Project Junkie: My Favorite Book of 2011

Alrighty...here comes the big boy. We're on to the quarterfinals. Since I'm doing the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals all in the same post, I'm going to do things a little differently. I'll be working one side of the bracket down to it's final competitor and then follow that on the other side. After that...it's the big fight. I'm curious to see what happens. I'm a little afraid of who might get knocked off in this upcoming round. Just know that every book that has made it this far is definitely worth the read!

Quarterfinals - Left Side

vs.

and

vs.

I'd like to point out here that all four of these books have been or are being (Stieg Larsson) turned into movies. I know how to pick 'em.

Phew...okay. Here we go. Two very good books are about to get chopped.

Heat 1 :

Both The Hunger Games and The Time Traveler's Wife are great books. I enjoyed each of them for different reasons. The Hunger Games is a suspenseful fantasy novel that is easy to read and would probably hold the attention of anyone over the age of eight. The Time Traveler's Wife is also a fantasy novel, but it's more closely related to chick lit than suspense. But hey...I'm a chick...and we all know of my obsession for Audrey Niffenegger.

Winner : The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Heat 2 :

Again...two great books. This time though, very distinctly different genres. The Girl Who Played with Fire is a suspenseful action...think James Bond (there's a reason they picked Daniel Craig for the movies). There is never a dull moment and it's seriously hard to put the book down. Julie & Julia is a very cute memoir about a girl who seems to be a lot like me...setting her mind to a project that everyone thinks is crazy. But...I got sucked in by Stieg Larsson. I'm telling you...that series is crazy good.

Winner : The Girl Who Played with Fire by Steig Larsson

on with the show...let's see who takes the left side bracket...

Semifinals - Left Side

vs.

Okay...if you doubted how good the Millennium trilogy by Stieg Larsson is...this had better convince you. I wouldn't knock dear Audrey off the bracket for just anyone. I'm dying inside just a little by doing this.

Winner : The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

One side down, one to go...

Quarterfinals - Right Side

vs.

and

vs.

Heat 1 :

It's a classic vs. historical fiction. Northanger Abbey has the Austen name behind it. That's a pretty good source of strength. But Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants is a beautiful historical fiction novel with amazing characters and a good plot to boot. Both good choices, but an easy decision nonetheless.

Winner : Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Heat 2 :

It's a toughie. I'll give you that. The historical fiction of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet vs. Audrey's Her Fearful Symmetry. I'm sad to say that I am hurting myself once again, but there really isn't a competition here.

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

Semifinals - Right Side

It's getting awfully close now.

vs.

This is a pretty tough decision. I'll admit it. These two books are very closely matched. Water for Elephants has a playful, fun nature to it despite the darkness within the story. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is a beautiful love story under horrible circumstances.

There is no good way to pick this one. I can't really give you a definitive reason, but my gut is telling me who I need to pick...

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

Finals :

So after a long year of waiting and painstakingly filling the bracket a book at a time, we've finally made it to the finals. Now...let me remind you who accused me of stacking the deck (ahem...), not only did Anthony Bourdain not make it to the Sweet Sixteen, but I nixed TWO Audrey Niffenegger books. It pains me...

The final matchup is :

vs.

Two very different books are facing off here. Who would've thought that a sequel would beat out both the initial book and it's conclusion to make it here. And a sleeper cell has torn through some tough competition to more or less come out of nowhere. If you would've asked me a week ago, I never would've pegged these two for the bracket.

However, there has to be one clear winner in the end.

And so...the winner of my Favorite Book of 2011 is...

The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson

If Audrey had to lose, this is the one I would've wanted her to lose to...so it works out fittingly. I read some amazing books in 2011. I also managed to find a couple of duds. It's all in a day's work...there's bound to be some that just don't make the cut.

And for one last look at the bracket...