Year End Book Survey 2018

The annual year end survey from Jamie at the Perpetual Page Turner is still happening! I wondered if it had died along with so many other book blogger memories, but here it is! 

My reading was a bit better this year than the past couple of years, so maybe I can find answers for most of these. Let's so how it goes, should we?

I will have the annual number crunch later in a different post. 

1. Best Book You Read In 2018?

Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Every Falling Star by Sungju Lee for non fiction

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

This is for sure Hank Green's book, An Absolutely Remarkable Thing. I thought I'd totally love it. But nope. It was WAY too weird and agendy for me. Sadness!

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?

Well, so yeah I was surprised I didn't like Hank's book better. I was surprised that Orphan Keeper was so good. I was surprised that Every Falling Story was so good too. 

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

I didn't really push any books this year. Maybe I pushed the fun that is Kasie West books and people seemed to take me up on that a bit. 

5. Best series you started in 2018? Best Sequel of 2018? Best Series Ender of 2018?

I started the Shadow and Bone series, also it's companion series Six of Crows. Loved it! I hope to finish the Shadow and Bone books this year. 

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2018?

Probably Leigh Bardugo for this one. Also, I would love to read more Fredrik Backman books. 

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

I read a couple of Asian fairy tale books. Definitely something out of my normal. One of them, The Princess and the Beggar, I loved a lot and would love to rewrite as a YA romance. Yeah. Ha.

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

Probably Six of Crows for this one. It was a bit hard to catch one's breath during that book! One thing after another!

9. Book You Read In 2018 That You Would Be MOST Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

Probably none of this year's books, but I read Eliza and Her Monsters at the very end of 2017 and I have an inkling I might re-read this coming year if we vote it in for book club. :)

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2018?

I can't think of any favorite covers. Nothing stood out I guess.

11. Most memorable character of 2018?

Ove from A Man Called Ove is pretty memorable. I quite enjoyed him!

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2018?

There were actually a lot this year that I enjoyed the writing, but I think I'm going to go with A Gentleman in Moscow. Just the flow was so nice, the style, the wit. I really enjoyed it.

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2018?

Thought provoking probably goes to Every Falling Star by Sungju Lee. Wow, his story is crazy amazing. Also Please Look After Mom. LOVE YOUR MOMS PEOPLE!

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2018 to finally read?

I'm thinking this would be Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows both. I have been hearing about them forever and FINALLY I know why!

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2018?

“Only after Mom went missing did you realize that her stories were piled inside you, in endless stacks. Mom's everyday life used to go on in a repeating loop, without a break. Her everyday words, which you didn't think deeply about and sometimes dismissed as useless when she was with you, awoke in your heart, creating tidal waves.”
― Kyung-Sook Shin, Please Look After Mom

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2018?

Longest: Crooked Kingdom at 536 pages
Shortest: I read three books that are 32 pages long. The two Asian fairy tales and also Those Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula LeGuin. 

17. Book That Shocked You The Most

Okay, speaking of Those Who Walk Away from Omelas! The shocking thing in that book is... shocking! 

18. OTP OF THE YEAR 

Clay and Carrie, from Markus Zusak's Bridge of Clay.

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

The relationship between the Count and Nina (is that her name, I already forgot!) in A Gentleman from Moscow.

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2018 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak. Some people did find it very good, but I loved it. 

21. Best Book You Read In 2018 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure/Bookstagram, Etc.:

Not a specific recommendation, but just a another book that I had heard so much about and was a little leery about... but then, it was awesome. The Orphan Keeper by Camron Wright. Quite the story this one!

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2018?

I didn't crush on anyone particularly hard in any of my books this year. Sadness! I would have loved to know more about the dude in 36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You... and then I would have probably crushed! Paul. His name is Paul. 

23. Best 2018 debut you read?

I don't think I read any debuts this year!

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

Definitely the world from Six of Crows and Shadow and Bone. A beautiful, rich and scary world!

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

All my kpop romance books. They do make me smile if nothing else!

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2018?

I cried quite a bit when the two moms in Orphan Keeper met up.

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

Please Look After Mom by Kyung Suk Shin was a book I read sort of suddenly, spur of the moment, knowing nothing about and it was lovely. So glad this one ended up on the list! 

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

Bridge of Clay was soul crushing. WHY ALL THE SADNESS MR. ZUSAK????

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2018?

Probably Please Look After Mom just because of all the interesting POV changes.

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

I was kinda mad about how Crooked Kingdom ended. The yearning and longing in my heart!!! AH!!!

1. New favorite book blog/Bookstagram/Youtube channel you discovered in 2018?

BookTube channel is Emily Boone! YES!!! 

2. Favorite post you wrote in 2018?

Probably the Up10tion concert review. So fun to write and gush and remember that lovely experience.


3. Favorite bookish related photo you took in 2018:?

LOL, this one is easy!!! Talk about a highlight moment of the year!!!

4. Best bookish event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, etc.)?


See above!!! Meeting Markus Zusak again having him take MY picture and post ME on his Instagram??? Yeah. Not to mention just listening to him for an hour. Best. Thing. Ever.

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2018?

Okay. I sense a theme here. SEE ABOVE!!!! :)

6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?

Well, the challenge to keep posting is getting harder and harder. Not that I don't really want to. I do. But everyone is gone. The room is empty. It's echoing around here. There is no more interaction. The hey day is over. It's so sad. And so the motivation is slowly ebbing away.

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

I participated in Bloggiesta back in March and my post about blogging slumps got the most love this year. Surprising... a kdrama review is in second place! Who knew? :)

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?
 

Of course I wish my kdrama reviews got more love, but I'm not surprised. Though I knew there are tons of kdrama lovers out there, I just wish they could find me! Meanwhile, they get more views than my book reviews lately, just not any interaction or comments. And I love gushing about them, so for now, they will stay!

9. Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

Nothing really new for me this year in this category. 

10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

I lowered by Goodreads goal significantly it seemed to be the perfect number! I read 40 books this year and completed the goal!

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2018 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2019?

I have stacks and stacks to get to.. nothing in particular though.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2019 (non-debut)?

My mind is blank. I was looking up books the other day on Amazon and looking forward to so many! But now I can't think of what any of them were!!

3. 2019 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

I don't know the debuts! You tell me!

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2019?

Not a new series, but I look forward to finishing the Shadow and Bone series.

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2019?

Just keep reading and blogging, and hoping not dropping it all.


Well...for what it's worth, there are my thoughts on some books I read this year! Let me know if you fill this out and share thoughts too!