Is It March Yet?

Last year's Tournament of Books bracket.

This week, it's felt too much like March in my area of the country. The downside is that it brings to mind disturbing thoughts of global warming. The upside is that it reminds me that the 2013 Tournament of Books is just two months away. Let's focus on the upside.
Last year, I wasn't able to read all of the finalists before they squared off in a head-to-head showdown. I plan to read every one before this year's contest kicks off.
If you don't have a clue what I'm talking about, let's review.
Brought to you by The Morning News, and sponsored this year by Nook from Barnes & Noble, the Tournament of Books is a March Madness-style contest that takes 16 of the year's top books and has them face off in pairs on a bracket, with each contest judged by a member of an esteemed panel.
Or, as TMN says, it's the "granddaddy of highbrow bracketology."
I've read quite a few of the books on the list of 16, so I want to get the rest in before the contest kicks off. There also is a new twist this year, with a Pre-Tournament Playoff Round between Fobbit by David Abrams, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain, and The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers. Once that round finishes, I'll read the book that's left standing. Hey, I'm already committed to reading roughly 12 books in 6 weeks, so forget about going for 2 extras, ok? Do the math.
If you want to play along, here are the other 15 books that are ready to rumble. The ones with asterisks are those that I've finished already:

• HHhH by Laurent Binet
• The Round House by Louise Erdrich (not a fan, so this one will be tough)
• * Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (met her this year!)
• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
• * Arcadia by Lauren Groff
• How Should a Person Be? by Sheila Heti
• May We Be Forgiven by A.M. Homes
• The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson (reading this now)
• Ivyland by Miles Klee
• * Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel (I'm getting pom-poms to lead the cheerleading squad for this one)
• The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
• Dear Life by Alice Munro
• Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple
• * Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
• Building Stories by Chris Ware