With 59 voters, we have the following results . . .

BOMB . . . 14 (1st) + 12 (2nd) + 5 (3rd) = 125

SPLENDORS AND GLOOMS . . . 9 (1st) + 6 (2nd) + 9 (3rd) = 68

STARRY RIVER OF THE SKY . . . 3 (1st) + 11 (2nd) + 5 (3rd) =55

THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN . . . 4 (1st) + 7 (2nd) + 8 (3rd) = 53

LIAR AND SPY . . . 6 (1st) + 6 (2nd) + 5 (3rd) = 52

TWELVE KINDS OF ICE . . . 4 (1st) + 4 (2nd) + 8 (3rd) = 44

THE MIGHTY MISS MALONE . . . 3 (1st) + 4 (3rd) = 20

CHICKADEE . . . 2 (1st) + 2 (2nd) + 1 (3rd) =16

MR. AND MRS. BUNNY . . . 1 (1st) + 2 (2nd) + 3 (3rd) = 16

WONDER . . . 1 (1st) + 2 (2nd) + 3 (3rd) = 16

SUMMER OF THE GYPSY MOTHS . . . 3 (1st) = 12

SERAPHINA . . . 2 (1st) + 1 (3rd) = 10

CROW . . . 2 (1st) = 8

JAKE AND LILY . . . 1 (1st) + 1 (2nd) = 7

TITANIC . . . 2 (2nd) = 6

THE LIONS OF LITTLE ROCK  . . . 1 (2nd) + 1 (3rd) = 5

MOONBIRD . . . 2 (3rd) = 4

EACH KINDNESS  . . . 1 (2nd) = 3

NO CRYSTAL STAIR . . . 1 (2nd) = 3

THREE TIMES LUCKY . . . 1 (2nd) = 3

WOODEN BONES . . . 1 (2nd) = 3

BENEATH A METH MOON . . . 1 (3rd) = 2

CHILD OF THE MOUNTAINS . . . 1 (3rd) = 2

GOBLIN SECRETS  . . . 1 (3rd) = 2

JEPP WHO DEFIED THE STARS . . . 1 (3rd) = 2

WATER SINGS BLUE . . . 1 (3rd) = 2

These results offer up the opportunity for us to have a conversation about honor books.  I see three scenarios.

1.  We name SPLENDORS AND GLOOMS as the sole honor book.  This is truly the runner-up, but nobody likes only one honor book, especially in such a rich year.

2.  We could also take the next three titles clustered together–STARRY RIVER OF THE SKY, THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN, and LIAR & SPY.  This would mean four honor books, and it would make more people happy.

3.  We could reach even further down for TWELVE KINDS OF ICE.  Some people would feel like the prestige of the honor is significantly diluted with five honor books, but TWELVE KINDS OF ICE would give us a second outside-the-box title in our line-up.

What would you do?