Updated with results for 2021: Let’s pick the best, together!

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%	❌