I voted based on length, choosing three or the four shortest books, all of which are on my potential list of reads for next year. I may not read this month's winner until next year some time,but it is a very strong list of candidates
I didn't vote for Hope as it doesn't strike me as from the region as much as the summary says it is about Moroccan's experiences in Spain. I'm finding that the hardest thing in finding books for next year that I want both the author and the subject to be from the country. In some cases, like the US I will skip that as I've read enough, but for most countries I want something that speaks of the country.
In the end, I will probably end up being a hypocrite. I look forward to vilolating my own rules on a daily basis.