The one big surprise for me was Catherine Mackenzie's "Spin" win over "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen. I haven't read "Spin", but I've heard really good things about it. On the other hand, I absolutely loved Gruen's book. "Elephants" was ahead most of the way, even when I checked last yesterday. Maybe fans of "Spin" pulled an all-nighter? Anyway, it's clear they voted their hearts out. Way to go! I'm going to have to pick up a copy to see what the excitement is about.
Now on to Round Two. Once again, there are some fierce matchups. To vote click here. As a reminder, if you play along you are eligible to win all 64 books, but remember to fill out the form at the end.
Here are my surviving favourites, in alphabetical order:
The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill. The tragic life story of Aminata Diallo, a slave girl. Just read the book. You will not forget her.
Deafening by Frances Itani. Set around WWI, it's about a deaf girl and her lover who goes off to war.
Library of the Dead by Glenn Cooper. Great debut mystery that will blow you away.
We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver. Fictional account of the life of a school shooter. Written from the mother's point of view. I love Shriver's work.
How did you do with your predictions? Any big surprises? Are your favourites still in the race?
I was surpirsed at how many of the books I had read. It still was hard voting.
ReplyDeleteI do have a copy of Spin that I bought a few weeks ago. Am looking forward to reading it shortly.
Off I go to vote in this round.
I too can't believe Water for Elephants didn't survive. I predicted it to be the overall winner. Now I don't know. I've never even heard of Spin. Other than Water for Elephants I don't think any of the others I was passionate about got knocked off. I'm delighted The Art of Racing in the Rain is still in the running.
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