Tournament of Books discussion

The spreadsheet for our bracket competition is available at:https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

If you see anything that looks like a mistake, please let me know! I could definitely have made some.

I will leave the spreadsheet open for entries until midnight Pacific Time on Tuesday, March 5. At that point, I will lock all of our entries.

I requested access

Nadine in NY wrote: "I requested access"
Apologies all. I believe everyone should now have access to the brackets spreadsheet and be able to input your choices without having to request permission.

Phyllis wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "I requested access"
Apologies all. I believe everyone should now have access to the brackets spreadsheet and be able to input your choices without having to request permission."

I have also requested access.

Phyllis wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "I requested access"
Apologies all. I believe everyone should now have access to the brackets spreadsheet and be able to input your choices without having to request permission."



No it still says ACCESS DENIED

I feel like a spy trying to hack into a super secret system LOL

One more time, and hopefully I've gotten it right this time:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

Phyllis wrote: "One more time, and hopefully I've gotten it right this time:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/..."


Yes! that works


But it keeps telling me I'm trying to edit a part of the spreadsheet that should not be edited. Either it's got a restriction that needs to be removed, or I'm doing something wrong. I enter my name in a cell in row 2, and then type in the titles? (For example, I'm in column P right now - am I doing this right?)

Hurray! This was making me feel very old and yearning for good ol’ excel.

Thanks so much for this, Phyllis!

Lauren wrote: "Thanks so much for this, Phyllis!"

Glad to do it, even if I was a little klutzy at it.

Thanks so much for setting this up, Phyllis! If anyone's interested in winning, just choose opposite to me, as I'm almost always in last place. :)

Thank you Phyllis!

Thanks Phyllis! Can’t imagine the effort that took to set up. I couldn’t even fill it out without my wife’s help.

Mark wrote: "... Can’t imagine the effort that took to set up. ...
I can't take credit for the set-up of the spreadsheet, which I agree is incredibly complex. Long-time moderator Amy is the whiz who set it up and managed it for us for many years. Since Amy became unavailable last year, I just used all her brilliant work to update it for 2023 and now for 2024. As long as I don't inadvertently delete a formula, all should be well!

I just realized I hadn't finished filling in my bracket - doing that now since it will close soon! (And posting here as a reminder to others :)

All - I have locked in our predictions! There are a couple of entries that are missing a few things, so everyone please check your entries. If a change needs to be made, please let me know.
- Someone made a prediction but didn't put their name in. This is column AF.
- Alison - you don't seem to have a prediction for the Final round.
- Jennifer K - you don't see to have any predictions for the semi-finals, zombies, and zombie rounds.
- Bryn - you seem to be missing a prediction for one of the opening rounds.
- bb - you seem to be missing a prediction for one of the opening rounds.
- Jen P - you don't seem to have any predictions beyond the play-in round.

Ack I forgot to finish my predictions! If it's too late, fair. I meant to put these (in order of the missing spots)
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store
Bee Sting
Monstrilio
Blackouts
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store
Bee Sting

Shoot. Now it’s too late isn’t it? It was supposed to say The Librarianist.

Well damn. I should've entered, if only so I could have followed my heart and bucked the Bee String trend to put my personal tourney fave The Librarianist through. I should have none ol' Rufi and I would have similar tastes.

Jennifer wrote: "Ack I forgot to finish my predictions! If it's too late, fair. I meant to put these (in order of the missing spots)
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store
Bee Sting
Monstrilio
Blackouts
The Heaven & Eart..."

Done!

Bryn wrote: "Shoot. Now it’s too late isn’t it? It was supposed to say The Librarianist."

Done!

Phyllis wrote: "- Alison - you don't seem to have a prediction for the Final round...."

Is it too late to add The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store? Fair if it's too late, my brackets are already broken.

Yeah, I had The Bee Sting going far, so womp womp...

Alison wrote: "Phyllis wrote: "- Alison - you don't seem to have a prediction for the Final round...."

Is it too late to add The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store? Fair if it's too late, my brackets are already bro..."

Done!

This is just a heads up for everyone. I have some life obligations this week, so I may be later in the day updating our prediction spreadsheet after each round’s result. I will get to it each day before I sleep, but do not worry or be surprised if it is not showing current at the time you happen to look at it.

It seems the spreadsheet has been updated but my score remains at 4 even though I've gotten 5 right...maybe I typed something in wrong?

Bob wrote: "It seems the spreadsheet has been updated but my score remains at 4 even though I've gotten 5 right...maybe I typed something in wrong?"

Likely not updated today, since Phyllis has been busy. (Nadine, you're killing it!)

Elizabeth wrote: "... (Nadine, you're killing it!) ..."


I have been SHOCKED by this, and afraid to even acknowledge it. In previous years I stayed solidly in the back of the pack. I feel certain in the second round I'll fall back. This cannot continue LOL!

Looks like it’s updated because Nadine is at 6 (incredible!). There are several others at 5 where I think I should be. Maybe it’ll get fixed tomorrow?

If you look at the winner column as of this moment 10 ET, she hasn’t updated the winner for that category. The people who have 6 and 5 are due to getting Lost Journals correct as the spreadsheet gave 2 points for that one? That being said I looked through the last few years and I have no idea how points are awarded? I believed it was based on seed but that is not consistent every year? Also there were some wild fluctuations in scoring last year? Why was Babel over Sea of Tranquility worth 16 points in the zombie round last year?

Okay, Bob's score (and everyone else's score) is now current through opening round 5. If you think there is something amiss with your score, please let me know. It will be mid-afternoon on Thur when I will update for Thur's opening round 6.

Regarding scoring, here is how it works:
The play-in round is worth 1 point.
Each opening round is worth 1 point, plus when the underdog wins you get extra points equal to the amount of the difference in seed.
Each quarter round is worth 2 points, plus the difference in seed if the underdog wins.
Each semi-final round is worth 3 points, plus the difference in seed if the underdog wins.
Guessing a zombie correctly is worth 5 points, so 10 points if you guess both correctly.
Each zombie round is worth 4 points, plus the difference in see if the underdog wins.
The final round is worth 5 points.

I can't answer about last year's Babel v. Sea of Tranquility round without going back to look, and I can't do that tonight.

Thank you Phyllis! I know I helped with the spreadsheet last year so I could have messed something up too.

Thanks for the hard work and clarification, Phyllis! Really appreciate it!

Where do you find these scores?

arghhhh the instant I acknowledge I was doing well in the brackets, I fail. It was bound to happen eventually, and I know I'm not alone in this one.

@Bitterandmurky the link to the prediction spreadsheet is at the very top of this conversation/thread. On the first tab entitled “fill this in” is where everyone made their predictions, and if you scroll down to the bottom of that page you will see everyone’s points. Where people are tied, whoever made their entry first is listed first and so forth.

Thank you, Phyllis!

Oh, no, I didn't write "The" in front of Librarianist. Do I not get credit for it?

Bob wrote: "Oh, no, I didn't write "The" in front of Librarianist. Do I not get credit for it?"

Fixed!

Kip wrote: "...Why was Babel over Sea of Tranquility worth 16 points in the zombie round last year?"

I finally had a moment to go back and look at this, and it made me realize I had left out of my explanation a further intricacy of the scoring.

Regarding scoring, here is the more complete explanation of how it works:
The play-in round is worth 1 point.
Each opening round is worth 1 point, plus when the underdog wins you get extra points equal to the amount of the difference in seed.
Each quarter round is worth 2 points, plus the difference in seed x 2 if the underdog wins.
Each semi-final round is worth 3 points, plus the difference in seed x 3 if the underdog wins.
Guessing a zombie correctly is worth 5 points, so 10 points if you guess both correctly.
Each zombie round is worth 4 points, plus the difference in seed x 4 if the underdog wins.
The final round is worth 5 points, plus the difference in seed x 5 if the underdog wins.

So, for last year's zombie round of Babel v. Sea of Tranquility:
4 points for correctly predicting Babel as the winner of a zombie round.
3 x 4 points (12 points) because Babel was seeded 3 points lower than Sea of Tranquility.
Total possible points for that round = 16.

Looks like it is down to Alison, McKenzie M, or Janelle to take the prize (prize? is there a prize?) in this year's bracket competition! With only 5 possible points remaining, the rest of us appear to be out of the running. Way to go bibliophiles!

Hey, I've been meaning to ask, do we get points for getting the finalists right even though I got the path wrong (I had Blackouts Zombie and win the semi, while I had H&E winning every match)?

Bob wrote: "Hey, I've been meaning to ask, do we get points for getting the finalists right even though I got the path wrong (I had Blackouts Zombie and win the semi, while I had H&E winning every match)?"

Yes. Each round stands on its own, so you get points for each round that you correctly predict. But you don't get any points for correctly predicting which books go head-to-head in a given day; only for correctly predicting the winner of each day's round.

I do see, Bob, what I think you are talking about. In the two zombie rounds, you correctly predicted the two ultimate winners that will go into the finals tomorrow, but you didn't get them there correctly and you didn't have them in the correct zombie rounds. Historically, no points are earned that way (and I just used the same spreadsheet formulas that were always used). If folks think the bracket scoring should be different, we can try to change it next year.

Phyllis wrote: "Bob wrote: "Hey, I've been meaning to ask, do we get points for getting the finalists right even though I got the path wrong (I had Blackouts Zombie and win the semi, while I had H&E winning every ..."

Has no one in the past not complained about this or has it never happened (hard to believe)?

I don't think we should wait for next year to get this right because I always assumed if you predicted a correct finalist you got points.

Brock wrote: "Phyllis wrote: "Bob wrote: "Hey, I've been meaning to ask, do we get points for getting the finalists right even though I got the path wrong (I had Blackouts Zombie and win the semi, while I had H&..."

It looks like Bob did get credit for the finalist but nothing in the first four scoring areas of semis winners and zombies.

Brock wrote: "I don't think we should wait for next year to get this right because I always assumed if you predicted a correct finalist you got points."

I agree, but think it's probably too late to change it now. Plus I think the frontrunners are so far ahead it likely wouldn't make much difference.

It seems like it would be unfair to change the way points are tabulated here at the end of this tournament. If folks feel strongly about it, then next year I can add in rows where points are awarded for correctly picking the two books that end up in the finals round - say maybe 5 points for each correct prediction (without regard to side of the bracket) in the same way we do for the zombie predictions?

Yea, perhaps for next year.

Congratulations, Alison, for outpredicting us all in this year’s ToB! The quirkiness of this year’s shortlist made winning the prediction contest hear a real coup. You should update your want-to-read shelf here on Goodreads, as I suspect some of us may want to gift you a book in honor of your win.

Phyllis wrote: "Congratulations, Alison, for outpredicting us all in this year’s ToB! The quirkiness of this year’s shortlist made winning the prediction contest hear a real coup. You should update your want-to-re..."

What?! I counted myself out after the play-in round! As for the prize, if anyone is so inclined, choosing a book that you love/are excited about that isn't in my goodreads catalog, that would be perfect. Y'all have good taste in books.

The funny thing is that I came here today to congratulate Phyllis on all the work she did to make this so much fun for what Maeve calls the "hardcore group." And for winning the Fields Notes, which are notebooks I love to use because they fit so easily into a purse and never fall apart. Congratulations, Phyllis!