And the Book Madness winner is…
We started with 16 of Oak Park’s favorite titles competing for this year’s top prize. And after a close championship round, we have to 1 clear winner: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett!
Thanks to everyone who voted online these last two weeks; more than 300 votes were cast. Percentage breakdowns by rounds and individual pairings are available below. Funny to see how some contests were real nail-biters, and others, well clearly not!

The results
Want to know which title won by how much? See the breakdown of voting in each round below.
Championship Round
Title matchup | Percentage of votes | Winner |
A Promised Land by Barack Obama | 46% | ❌ |
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett | 54% | ✅ |
Round 3: Final 4
Title matchups | Percentage of votes | Winner |
1. How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi | 45.7% | ❌ |
1. A Promised Land by Barack Obama | 54.3% | ✅ |
2. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett | 60% | ✅ |
2. Caste by Isabel Wilkerson | 40% | ❌ |
Round 2: Elite 8
Title matchups | Percentage of votes | Winner |
1. Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid | 47.6% | ❌ |
1. How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi | 52.4% | ✅ |
2. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman | 28.6% | ❌ |
2. A Promised Land by Barack Obama | 71.4% | ✅ |
3. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett | 73% | ✅ |
3. All the Devils Are Here by Louise Penny | 27% | ❌ |
4. Caste by Isabel Wilkerson | 52.4% | ✅ |
4. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig | 47.6% | ❌ |
Round 1: Sweet 16
Title matchups | Percentage of votes | Winner |
1. Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid | 67.1% | ✅ |
1. Wow, No Thank You. by Samantha Irby | 32.9% | ❌ |
2. How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi | 67.8% | ✅ |
2. The Guest List by Lucy Foley | 40.2% | ❌ |
3. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman | 59.7% | ✅ |
3. Deacon King Kong by James McBride | 40.3% | ❌ |
4. Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano | 22.8% | ❌ |
4. A Promised Land by Barack Obama | 77.2% | ✅ |
5. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett | 68.5% | ✅ |
5. Untamed by Glennon Doyle | 31.5% | ❌ |
6. All the Devils Are Here by Louise Penny | 50.3% | ✅ |
6. The Splendid & the Vile by Erik Larson | 49.7% | ❌ |
7. Caste by Isabel Wilkerson | 74.5% | ✅ |
7. Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam | 25.5% | ❌ |
8. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig | 59.1% | ✅ |
8. The Searcher by Tana French | 40.9% | ❌ |