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Roundtable

One book.
Several readers.
No referee.

A Roundtable happens when two or more RNKD readers review the same book, each writing before they've seen the others. We show every take, note where they agree, and don't pretend they do when they don't.

Split Decision 8 READERS · ROMANCE

Cover of Beard on Tap by Willow Sanders

Beard on Tap Willow Sanders Eight readers agree this mountain romance is at its best when its chef is actually working, and the four who would not recommend it land on the same objection: she rebuilds a bar she does not own, and the book never once shows the numbers.

Ashley Miller DEPENDS Avi Mizrahi YES James Wilson DEPENDS Noa Levi NO Oliver Evans DEPENDS Omer Friedman DNF Sarah Williams NO Sophie Taylor NO

All Roundtables

Cover of Beard on Tap by Willow Sanders

8 READERS Romance SPLIT DECISION Beard on Tap Willow Sanders ASHLEY DEPENDS · AVI YES · JAMES DEPENDS · NOA NO · OLIVER DEPENDS · OMER DNF 1 would recommend, 3 say it depends, 3 wouldn't, 1 did not finish.

Cover of Bits and Pieces by Nichole Severn

7 READERS Crime & Thriller SPLIT DECISION Bits and Pieces Nichole Severn DAVID YES · EMILY NO · JESSICA DEPENDS · MICHAEL YES · OLIVER DEPENDS · OMER DNF 3 would recommend, 2 say it depends, 1 wouldn't, 1 did not finish.

Cover of Blindness by José Saramago

10 READERS Literary Fiction Blindness José Saramago AVI YES · DANIEL YES · EMILY YES · JAMES YES · JESSICA YES · NOA YES 8 would recommend, 2 say it depends.

Cover of Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

10 READERS Literary Fiction Demon Copperhead Barbara Kingsolver ASHLEY YES · EMILY YES · JAMES YES · JESSICA YES · MICHAEL DEPENDS · NOA YES 8 would recommend, 2 say it depends.

Cover of His Secret Child by Leslie North

7 READERS Romance SPLIT DECISION His Secret Child Leslie North JAMES NO · NOA DEPENDS · OLIVER DNF · OMER DEPENDS · ROBERT DNF · SOPHIE YES 1 would recommend, 2 say it depends, 1 wouldn't, 3 did not finish.

Cover of Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

7 READERS Nonfiction Into Thin Air Jon Krakauer AVI YES · DANIEL YES · DAVID YES · EMILY YES · MICHAEL YES · OLIVER DEPENDS 6 would recommend, 1 say it depends.

Cover of Kingdom of Thorns by Katherine Macdonald

8 READERS Romance SPLIT DECISION Kingdom of Thorns Katherine Macdonald AVI DEPENDS · DANIEL YES · EMILY NO · JAMES DEPENDS · JESSICA YES · OLIVER DEPENDS 2 would recommend, 4 say it depends, 2 wouldn't.

Cover of Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

9 READERS Historical Fiction ONE DNF Lonesome Dove Larry McMurtry AVI DEPENDS · DANIEL YES · DAVID YES · JAMES YES · JESSICA YES · MICHAEL YES 6 would recommend, 2 say it depends, 1 did not finish.

Cover of Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

3 READERS Crime & Thriller Mad Mabel Sally Hepworth EMILY YES · JESSICA YES · SARAH DEPENDS 2 would recommend, 1 say it depends.

Cover of May We Feed the King by Rebecca Perry

8 READERS Literary Fiction ONE DNF May We Feed the King Rebecca Perry ASHLEY DEPENDS · AVI YES · DAVID DNF · JAMES DNF · MICHAEL YES · NOA DNF 2 would recommend, 3 say it depends, 3 did not finish.

Cover of Not Your Average Earl by Eliza Lloyd

8 READERS Romance SPLIT DECISION Not Your Average Earl Eliza Lloyd EMILY YES · JESSICA DEPENDS · MICHAEL YES · NOA NO · OMER DNF · ROBERT DNF 2 would recommend, 1 say it depends, 2 wouldn't, 3 did not finish.

Cover of Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson

6 READERS Literary Fiction Now Is Not the Time to Panic Kevin Wilson ASHLEY YES · JESSICA DEPENDS · MICHAEL YES · NOA YES · SOPHIE YES · YAEL YES 5 would recommend, 1 say it depends.

Cover of One Death at a Time by Abbi Waxman

7 READERS Crime & Thriller SPLIT DECISION One Death at a Time Abbi Waxman ASHLEY YES · AVI DNF · DANIEL DNF · JAMES NO · JESSICA YES · ROBERT NO 3 would recommend, 2 wouldn't, 2 did not finish.

Cover of Only to Sleep: A Philip Marlowe Novel by Lawrence Osborne

5 READERS Crime & Thriller Only to Sleep: A Philip Marlowe Novel Lawrence Osborne DAVID YES · JAMES DEPENDS · JESSICA DEPENDS · MICHAEL YES · ROBERT DEPENDS 2 would recommend, 3 say it depends.

Cover of Perfect Remains by Helen Fields

7 READERS Crime & Thriller SPLIT DECISION Perfect Remains Helen Fields AVI DEPENDS · DANIEL YES · DAVID NO · EMILY YES · MICHAEL DNF · OMER YES 3 would recommend, 2 say it depends, 1 wouldn't, 1 did not finish.

Cover of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

9 READERS Classics Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen ASHLEY YES · EMILY YES · JAMES YES · JESSICA YES · NOA YES · OLIVER YES 9 would recommend.

Cover of Queen by Birgitta Trotzig

4 READERS Literary Fiction Queen Birgitta Trotzig ASHLEY DEPENDS · NOA DEPENDS · SOPHIE DEPENDS · YAEL YES 1 would recommend, 3 say it depends.

Cover of Set This House in Order by Matt Ruff

4 READERS Literary Fiction Set This House in Order Matt Ruff DANIEL DEPENDS · EMILY YES · JAMES YES · SOPHIE YES 3 would recommend, 1 say it depends.

Cover of Shadow Assassin by Elle James

8 READERS Romance ONE DNF Shadow Assassin Elle James ASHLEY DEPENDS · DANIEL YES · DAVID DNF · EMILY DEPENDS · JAMES YES · OLIVER DNF 3 would recommend, 3 say it depends, 2 did not finish.

Cover of Some Like It Psychic by Ruby West and Ella Winters

7 READERS Romance SPLIT DECISION Some Like It Psychic Ruby West and Ella Winters ASHLEY YES · DAVID DEPENDS · JAMES DNF · NOA DEPENDS · OLIVER NO · SOPHIE NO 1 would recommend, 2 say it depends, 3 wouldn't, 1 did not finish.

Cover of Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty

7 READERS Science Fiction Station Eternity Mur Lafferty ASHLEY YES · EMILY DEPENDS · JESSICA YES · MICHAEL YES · NOA DEPENDS · OLIVER YES 4 would recommend, 3 say it depends.

Cover of Swan Song by Robert R. McCammon

6 READERS Horror Swan Song Robert R. McCammon AVI YES · DAVID YES · MICHAEL DEPENDS · OLIVER YES · OMER YES · ROBERT YES 5 would recommend, 1 say it depends.

Cover of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon

7 READERS Literary Fiction The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay Michael Chabon DANIEL DEPENDS · JAMES YES · JESSICA YES · NOA YES · OMER YES · SOPHIE DEPENDS 5 would recommend, 2 say it depends.

Cover of The Broken Bow by Larry D. Sweazy

8 READERS Western SPLIT DECISION The Broken Bow Larry D. Sweazy ASHLEY NO · AVI DNF · DANIEL YES · JESSICA NO · MICHAEL YES · OMER DEPENDS 3 would recommend, 1 say it depends, 3 wouldn't, 1 did not finish.

Cover of The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett

4 READERS Literary Fiction The Calamity Club Kathryn Stockett ASHLEY YES · JESSICA YES · MICHAEL YES · NOA YES 4 would recommend.

Cover of The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

9 READERS Literary Fiction The Covenant of Water Abraham Verghese DANIEL YES · EMILY YES · JAMES YES · JESSICA YES · MICHAEL YES · NOA YES 7 would recommend, 2 say it depends.

Cover of The Fall of Iris Henley by Jennifer Graham

2 READERS Crime & Thriller The Fall of Iris Henley Jennifer Graham NOA YES · SARAH DEPENDS 1 would recommend, 1 say it depends.

Cover of The Forgotten by David Baldacci

7 READERS Crime & Thriller SPLIT DECISION The Forgotten David Baldacci AVI NO · DANIEL NO · MICHAEL YES · OMER NO · ROBERT NO · SOPHIE YES 3 would recommend, 4 wouldn't.

Cover of The Gospel of Z by Stephen Graham Jones

8 READERS Horror SPLIT DECISION The Gospel of Z Stephen Graham Jones DANIEL NO · DAVID NO · MICHAEL YES · NOA YES · OLIVER DNF · ROBERT NO 2 would recommend, 2 say it depends, 3 wouldn't, 1 did not finish.

Cover of The Magician's Nephew by C. S. Lewis

8 READERS Classics SPLIT DECISION The Magician's Nephew C. S. Lewis ASHLEY YES · AVI YES · DAVID YES · EMILY NO · JAMES DEPENDS · JESSICA YES 5 would recommend, 1 say it depends, 1 wouldn't, 1 did not finish.

Cover of The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

6 READERS Historical Fiction The Name of the Rose Umberto Eco AVI DEPENDS · DAVID YES · JAMES DEPENDS · ROBERT DEPENDS · SOPHIE YES · YAEL YES 3 would recommend, 3 say it depends.

Cover of The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

9 READERS Historical Fiction The Nightingale Kristin Hannah ASHLEY DEPENDS · EMILY YES · JAMES DEPENDS · JESSICA DEPENDS · MICHAEL DEPENDS · NOA DEPENDS 2 would recommend, 7 say it depends.

Cover of The Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham

5 READERS Classics The Razor's Edge W. Somerset Maugham AVI YES · DAVID YES · JAMES YES · MICHAEL YES · ROBERT YES 5 would recommend.

Cover of The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal

3 READERS Science Fiction The Spare Man Mary Robinette Kowal DANIEL DEPENDS · EMILY YES · SOPHIE YES 2 would recommend, 1 say it depends.

Cover of The Value of Rain by Brandon Shire

7 READERS Literary Fiction SPLIT DECISION The Value of Rain Brandon Shire ASHLEY DNF · NOA DEPENDS · OLIVER YES · OMER YES · SARAH NO · SOPHIE YES 3 would recommend, 2 say it depends, 1 wouldn't, 1 did not finish.

Cover of Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

9 READERS Literary Fiction Theo of Golden Allen Levi DANIEL DEPENDS · EMILY DEPENDS · JESSICA DEPENDS · NOA DEPENDS · OLIVER DEPENDS · OMER DEPENDS 9 say it depends.

Cover of Unspoken Truths by Liz Mistry

8 READERS Crime & Thriller SPLIT DECISION Unspoken Truths Liz Mistry DANIEL DEPENDS · DAVID YES · EMILY YES · JESSICA NO · MICHAEL NO · ROBERT DNF 4 would recommend, 1 say it depends, 2 wouldn't, 1 did not finish.

Cover of Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

4 READERS Poetry Where the Sidewalk Ends Shel Silverstein ASHLEY YES · EMILY YES · JESSICA YES · YAEL YES 4 would recommend.

Cover of Wyoming Cowboy Marine by Nicole Helm

7 READERS Romance SPLIT DECISION Wyoming Cowboy Marine Nicole Helm AVI YES · DANIEL NO · DAVID DEPENDS · EMILY DNF · JAMES YES · JESSICA DEPENDS 2 would recommend, 2 say it depends, 1 wouldn't, 2 did not finish.

Cover of Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

2 READERS Literary Fiction Yesteryear Caro Claire Burke OLIVER YES · OMER YES 2 would recommend.

Cover of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig

10 READERS Nonfiction Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance Robert M. Pirsig AVI DEPENDS · DANIEL DEPENDS · DAVID DEPENDS · JAMES DEPENDS · JESSICA DEPENDS · MICHAEL DEPENDS 10 say it depends.

How a Roundtable happens

01

Two or more readers pick the same book. Nobody is assigned it.

02

Each writes their review before seeing the others'. Reviews lock.

03

An editor notes where they agreed and where they split, using only what the readers wrote.

04

Nobody scores the book out of five. The verdict is a word, and the argument is the page.