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It works like this: Use the tabs above the bracket to zoom in on any region. Click on any of the 'View Matchup' buttons to see the details and vote for your favorite book. Voting for each round starts Tuesday afternoon and ends Monday morning, so vote now and come back every week to see if your picks advanced.
Although these are not the first two books ever to feature the Vietnam War or an alcoholic author, both do a fantastic job with their well-trod subject matters. Matterhorn, our latest Audiobook of the Year, weaves multifaceted plot elements-race, political ambition, grunts vs. greens-into one tight, powerful, and moving storyline narrated by battle-tested thespian virtuoso, and our first-ever Narrator of the Year, Bronson Pinchot. Lit offers listeners a glimpse into the harrowing drinking life of author Mary Karr, told by the author herself-and it must be said, it's one of the best author-read books we've heard in a long time. It's hard to cheer against either line-up. And so we leave it to the Tournament to work its coldblooded magic.
Prediction: Karr gets Lit by the Horn, Marlantes 67-33.
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The favorite must be Stewart and his comedic staff from The Daily Show, who deliver an insider's guide to our planet in Earth (The Audiobook). But don't count out Grissom's lesser known The Kitchen House which has two fabulous narrators who have helped secure Kitchen a victory in the ratings game on our site. The big question: will it be enough to counter Stewart's star power?
Prediction: Earth brings down the House, Stewart 53-47.
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One is a classic known to pretty much everyone with a pulse, given a facelift by the talented Elijah Wood, who matches Huck's youthful vivacity in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The other is a fantastic debut by an upcoming author that is performed effortlessly by Grayce Wey, who offers a sympathetic recounting of a girl trying to balance her old-world customs and family with her new-world school and friends in Girl in Translation. With the overall ratings on our site being almost exactly the same, this is a total tossup.
Prediction: Girl takes Finn for a ride, Kwok 51-49.
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Michael Lewis has been called a "master storyteller" and The Big Short proves nothing less. With Faithful Place, Tana French may just have her best story yet. The narrators here don't help in making a decision either…both are superb. Jesse Boggs nails Lewis' clear, precise, and humorous tone. And Frank Mackey is just about perfect on the gritty streets of Dublin. Short wins the overall ratings, but may have found its match in Faithful. Which book's eulogy will I be writing in next week's commentary?
Prediction: Short is put in its Place, French 52-48.
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Two tales of international intrigue brought to you by two masters, and even though their fans have been waiting a while, these literary superstars don't disappoint. Each brings us into the tumultuous times of nascent centuries-our own and the 20th. Listeners of Follett's historical fiction love the way he spins meticulous research into compelling drama, and much the same could be said of Clancy's ability to pack arcane military and political rhetoric into a fast-paced thriller. The narrators are old hands as well-John Lee is a Follett mainstay, and Lou Diamond Phillips shows he's come a long way since Donna broke Richie Valens' heart. For this #8 seed to upset the #1, Dead or Alive is going to have to attract Clancy's longtime fan-base to match Fall of Giants' already doubled number of ratings.
Prediction: It's close considering seeds, but the Giants don't fall and remain Alive for the next round, Follett 56-44.
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Rhonda Byrne made a big splash with her self-narrated The Secret-and fans showed up by the busload to rave about it on our site. That being said, The Power also has a high rating on our site, but not nearly as much fanfare. Will it be enough to topple The Confession and Grisham-whose star ratings are consistently in the 4+ with each new legal thriller? Only the tournament knows…
Prediction: Byrne can't Power through this matchup, Grisham 63-37.
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I don't know about you, but this commentator could listen to Keith Richards, Johnny Depp, and Joe Hurley narrate the phone book. But hear me out. Michael Connelly and Peter Giles, rock stars in their own right, upset Dan Brown last year. So, obviously, there's some Connelly-Giles love out there that probably hasn't dissipated, considering The Reversal has twice as many customer ratings-though almost the exact same overall rating-as Life. Call me a sellout. Call me what you will. I respect any of you who choose Life. But I smell another Connelly-Giles upset.
Prediction: After decades of fate-flaunting invincibility, Life ends, Connelly 55-45.
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First trip to the dance? Not for these mighty contenders. Last year Flynn and his Mitch Rapp were a #8 seed, standing tall against the perennially dominant Dan Brown. Jordan/Sanderson pulled through to the end, and The Gathering Storm was crowned champion. As it stands, the number of customer ratings for these two tournament mainstays is almost equal, but Towers of Midnight holds a slightly higher and almost chart-topping 4.75 rating to American Assassin's otherwise impressive 4.34. But remember, the Jordan/Sanderson voting bloc grew exponentially throughout the tournament last year, and this is just the beginning, so Flynn has a chance.
Prediction: Rapp is Assassinated at Midnight, Jordan/Sanderson 59-41.
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Heavyweight authors. Seasoned narrators. This is a match for the ages, or at least a great matchup for Round 1 in the Critically Acclaimed region. The Windup Girl has slightly more ratings and a Hugo under its belt. But Unbroken has a higher rating on our site and an author whose first book, Seabiscuit, won the hearts of critics and listeners alike…who all seem to be championing Hillenbrand's new book as well.
Prediction: Girl winds up broken, Hillenbrand 59-41.
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Mukherjee's The Emperor of All Maladies is an insightful account on cancer-and given the subject matter, unbelievably grand on every level. Franzen's Freedom tackles family life, environmental issues, and infidelity in a book that's already been called the next "Great American Novel" (Esquire). So, what separates these two contenders? The narrators. In Franzen's novel, David LeDoux was given so much to work with-men and women of multiple ages and varying backgrounds-and completely nails the performance. Stephen Hoye, in his take on narrative nonfiction, does a superb job as well, but without the luxury of interpreting multiple characters. Freedom has the higher number of ratings and the backing of Oprah, but The Emperor of All Maladies has a better overall score, making this matchup one to watch.
Prediction: The Emperor is free from the next round, Franzen 64-36.
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Although The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks and Will Grayson, Will Grayson are very different; they both deal with some very big themes and characters struggling with racism and ethics, youth and love. Both were also on just about every "Best of 2010" list, and both have won awards, not to mention the hearts of listeners-and not just for top notch content, but for stellar performances. Will has plenty of cross-over appeal, but will it be able to rock the teen vote to tip the scales in its favor?
Prediction: Henrietta remains immortal for now, Skloot 60-40.
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Both of these books represent literary fiction at its finest, as proven by the awards and honors they have received. Donoghue's Room was on almost all the "Best of 2010" lists and was a Man Booker Prize nominee. Egan's A Visit from the Goon Squad also held court on those same year-end lists, and just won the National Book Critics Circle Award in fiction. And that's all before we even mention the outstanding narrations! It really is a tossup, but based on the overall ratings on our site, Room may have a good chance at dominating the squad.
Prediction: The Squad has no Room to move, Donoghue 62-38.
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Some wannabe fans will tell you that a competition is only worth watching in the final minutes. And though this commentator doesn't subscribe to that practice, this matchup throws a bone to those who do. Which author-narrator duo will beat the buzzer in the final installment of their trilogy? Stieg the Swede and Simon Vance heat up the brackets every year with one of the most popular series on our site, but will The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest prove its worth as a #1 against the Suzanne Collins and Carolyn McCormick tag-team on Mockingjay? The protagonists in both novels are heroines who defy death by the skin of their teeth. Which will survive the first round?
Prediction: Bees sting birds, Swede 69-31.
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The narrators of these two books are all about versatility. Joshua Swanson is a young actor who steps up to the mic for any role required. Shannon Cochran, while less well-known in the audiobook world, was the woman whose mirror-gazing presence in a black-and-white scene of The Ring gave this commentator nightmares for three weeks in 2002. In Rick Riordan's fantasy-adventure The Lost Hero, Swanson embodies Greek demigods fighting to survive. Cochran introduces us to bridezillas and a familiar bridegroom in Suzanne Elizabeth Phillips' lighthearted romantic-comedy Call Me Irresistible. In this battle of genre opposites, which all-purpose narrator has the edge?
Prediction: Hero Calls the shots, Riordan 58-42.
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With these two contenders, it's a fantasy showdown with mystery and bite. Will Ward's vamps in her eighth book of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, Lover Mine, be able to take down Moning's fae in the fifth installment of her Fever series, Shadowfever? Both have devoted fans, and the number of customer ratings and overall scores are almost equal. Leave it to the Tournament of Audiobooks to be the judge.
Prediction: Fae catches Fever during warm-ups and Lover upsets, Ward 53-47.
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How do you measure success, in land conquered or books written? Genghis Khan dominated more landmass and humanity in 25 years than the Roman Empire did in four centuries. But Changes is the twelfth book in the Dresden Files series, which attracts the kind of loyal fandom that led one Audible customer reviewer to label it "Dresden crack". Genghis Khan features a mighty backcourt combination in veteran narrator Jonathan Davis and author Jack Weatherford. Changes is performed by Dresden File warhorse James Marsters, whose voice is as synonymous with the series as Jim Butcher's writing. The question: can Khan surmount a foe whose 4.75 customer rating is near perfect, when his is a respectable yet secondary 4.19?
Prediction: Dresden Butchers Khan, Jim 62-38.
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Jon Stewart and Bronson Pinchot. One wrote and narrated his own book, Earth. The other has been performing audiobooks so long, one day we'll stop bringing up the Balki from Perfect Strangers reference. Karl Marlantes' Matterhorn stomped its opponent and clocked a higher rating, but Earth topped the overall votes category. Who sees the third round?
Prediction: Matterhorn brings Stewart back to Earth, Marlantes 57-43.
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Take it from this commentator, never underestimate a 19th-century American icon coupled with narrator Elijah Wood. Huckleberry Finn came out swinging in the first round, proving it has staying power in this tournament. Meanwhile, Lewis' The Big Short squeaked past the competition in a buzzer beater, and is looking a little worse for the wear. Okay, okay, you see where I'm going here.
Prediction: Big comes up Short, Twain 61-39.
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Most of us assumed Follett would see the second round, but now it gets interesting. Grisham just ran a clinic on the Byrne squad. It was the type of matchup where victors actually feel bad for their opponent. That's why Fall of Giants is looking a little nervous coming into this one. The Confession has snatched the mental edge, and that could be all they need.
Prediction: Giants say penance in Confession, Grisham 55-45.
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Jordan/Sanderson better rev up that fanbase, because Connelly-Giles came to play. Towers of Midnight received more matchup votes, but the win was subpar for a #2 seed against a #7. On the other side of the court, we have The Reversal coming off a major upset with a respectable vote count. Could round 2 be a longshot lollapalooza in the Best Seller bracket?
Prediction: Harry Bosch reverses Tower's dominance, Connelly 53-47.
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Freedom beat cancer in the first round, and that's not easy. But Unbroken is about survival at all odds, and this time, the odds are once again in Hillenbrand's favor. Unbroken's high customer rating is almost the exact same-to a hundredth of a percentage point-as it was when the tournament began, and yet it's almost doubled its overall votes. Freedom scored a nice upset, but can it repeat the feat against a foe this fierce?
Prediction: Freedom's just another word for nothing left to LOSE, Hillenbrand 60-40.
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Two seeds at the top of the pack narrated by multi-casts. Which drums up support necessary to go on? Each received the vast majority of the vote in their respective first round matchups. So we look at what they brought to the tournament: Henrietta's rating was higher than Room's, but Donoghue almost tripled Skloot's number of customer ratings.
Prediction: Looks like Henrietta isn't the only Immortal, Donoghue 52-48.
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Stieg-Vance enjoy home field advantage wherever they decide to play. Fans just turn out every year, voting early and often. Riordan-Swanson's The Lost Hero sailed to an easy W in the first round, and is looking confident in warm-ups. But its overall vote count wasn't nearly as high as The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest's, and as I look around the arena, Salander costumes are outnumbering Greek demigod getups already.
Prediction: The Girl is the real Hero, Swede 62-38.
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People like Genghis Khan. There, I said it. What else explains the implausible but oh-so-Khan-like triumph of Weatherford's squad? Now, Moning's Shadowfever received a higher percentage of votes in its own matchup, so all is not easy village-pillaging coasting for Genghis. But with 2.5 times the number of overall votes, Moning has a steep steppe to climb.
Prediction: Shadow catches Khan Fever, Weatherford 58-42.
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This battle of celebrity narrators is an interesting one. Matterhorn's one of the top books of the year, big among the press and around the water cooler. Finn's a universal favorite-if you don't like this book you probably don't like books. There is, however, a catch. While Matterhorn has a high overall rating and respectful review count, Finn's rating is strong but it has only 192 reviews. Are people voting in the tourney for this Finn, or the legend of Finn? If you're Matterhorn, you're nervous either way.
Prediction: Finn continues the Adventure, Twain 52-48.
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The battle of former champions. Author-narrator combinations that make you want to roll out the red carpet on the sidelines. Follett's seen so many tourney matches, in one he even played against himself. But has he mastered the grass roots Internet campaign that Sanderson runs so well? Fall of Giants dispatched a worthy opponent in the last round, but with only half the votes Towers of Midnight and its competitor garnered in a game that wasn't even close.
Prediction: Giant Falls, Jordan/Sanderson 55-45.
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Which tale of cunning heroes toughs it out to see the next round? Neither was in a matchup last week that gained significant votes. But while Room narrowly won, Unbroken breezed by Freedom. Add to that the recent surge in reviews Unbroken's getting on the site, plus a higher overall customer rating, and you know what to tell the bookie.
Prediction: No Room left for Donoghue, Hillenbrand 60-40.
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It's pandemonium in this arena. Swede fans-regardless of gender-are rocking the Salander hairdo and tattoo needles while Khan-reenactors have smuggled live horses past security. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest is favored, but signs of trepidation appear on the sideline. Khan's squad is all smiles and bravado-nobody thought they'd make it this far, so they're just having fun out there. Will the Man-most-unlikely-to-ever-be-called-Cinderella push past the powerhouse Swede?
Prediction: Votes top 8,000 in favor of Khan, Weatherford 53-47.
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Each squad soundly defeated its opponent by almost identical percentages in the last round. Matterhorn had more overall votes and is the top seed, but Towers of Midnight can call upon the sixth man with a virtual bullhorn—and it just defeated Follett, which always earns tourney respect. The average customer rating and the number of ratings are higher for Midnight, but at this point in the tourney, it's all about the momentum built up by the rounds themselves, not what happened in the regular season.
Prediction: The Vietnam War is over, but the Wheel of Time spins on, Jordan/Sanderson 51-49.
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There's logic, and then there's the Tournament of Audiobooks. Where simple reasoning would tell you that Unbroken-one of the most talked about books of the year-has got this one locked down, I'm here to tell you something else. See, I'm privy to the scuttlebutt around the water coolers in Mongolia. And while we may vote for an audiobook here, an American Idol contestant there, the people of Mongolia are determined to send Khan all the way. Just look at the votes it's been getting recently, which together enter the five digits, and those of any other book including Unbroken.
Prediction: Khan breaks the mold, Weatherford 53-47.
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This year's final contestants feature two key elements: an Asian setting and bloodshed. Both Khan and Matterhorn have the prereqs, but which has what it takes to be crowned the Champ? Matterhorn isn't surprised to be here—it began the tournament as a #1 seed in the Editors' Picks bracket, and has proven its worth in all its matchups. Khan's a surprise, entering the dance through the Customer Favorites route in a #7 spot. Each book can rack up votes and sports a high customer rating. But the winner is…
Voting for this matchup is closed. Please stay tuned for the Champion of Audiobooks results which will be announced tomorrow, April 26.
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