Sunday, December 22, 2013

End of the Year Book Survey 2013


It's time to scour our brains like crazy and post the answers to the 4th annual year end book survey created by Jaime from Perpetual Page Turner. Be sure to link up your answers over at her blog.

BOOKS

1. Best Book You Read In 2013? (If you have to cheat — you can break it down by genre if you want or 2013 release vs. backlist)

Best YA Contemporary: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Best YA Fantasy: Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta
Best YA Paranormal: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Best YA Romance: Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi (okay, so this is fudging on the genres!)
Best YA Dystopian: Legend by Marie Lu
Best YA Science Fiction: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
Best YA Historical Fiction: Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Best Adult Fantasy: Poison Study by Marie V. Snyder
Best Adult Historical Fiction: Fiesta of Smoke by Suzan Still
Best Adult Paranormal: Bellman and Black by Diane Setterfield
Best Adult Romance: Blackmoore by Julianne Moore
Best Adult Literary Fiction: And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
Best Non Fiction: The World's Strongest Librarian by Josh Hanagarne

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

Just One Year: Turned out to be not as awesome as Just One Day. Wilhem's story was interesting, but I wanted romance.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013?

Tiger Lily: Much more engaging and thought provoking than I expected.
Seers: Just plain good!

4. Book you read in 2013 that you recommended to people most

I feel like I recommended The Book Thief a lot this year... again. What with the movie and all.

5. Best series you discovered in 2013?

Legend: This one grabs you fast!
Shatter Me: I wasn't a huge fan until the second book ended and then bam!

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2013?

Rick Yancey and Rainbow Rowell

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

I don't see anything on my list that was out of my comfort zone really.

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2013?

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey...hands down.

9. Book You Read In 2013 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

I'm sure I'll re-read stuff, but not sure I'll re-read anything from this year that fast. Know what I mean?

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2013?

Pivot Point was a pretty cool cover.

11. Most memorable character in 2013?

Javier from Fiesta of Smoke
Bellman from Bellman and Black
Day from Legend
Evan from The 5th Wave

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2013?

Beautiful Ruins
And the Mountains Echoed
The History of Love

All of these are amazing in the writing.

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2013?

I never know how to answer this question!

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2013 to finally read?

Poison Study, and now I can't believe I'm waiting so long to get to get to more of them.

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2013?

“Hope is the most treacherous thing in the world. It lifts you and lets you plummet. But as long as you're being lifted you don't worry about plummeting.”
Elizabeth Wein, Rose Under Fire
16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?

Longest: Wolf Hall 650 pages
Shortest: Turning This Thing Around 118 pages

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

The end of The Eternity Cure! Oh my. Next book please!

18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2013 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).

June and Day from Legend
Calypso and Javier from Fiesta of Smoke
Kate and Henry from Blackmoore

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2013 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

Fragments
Through the Ever Night
The Runaway King
...and so many more!

20. Best Book You Read In 2013 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:

Poison Study... recommended by so many.

21. Genre You Read The Most From in 2013?

Probably YA fantasy and/or dystopian. What a party it is in that genre!

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2013?

Evan from The 5th Wave... reminds me of Samm from Partials and Fragments.
Day from Legend...my heart aches for him.

23. Best 2013 debut you read?

Insomnia
Transparent
Pivot Point

24. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2013?

Quintana of Charyn... I love this world.

25. Book That Was The Most Fun To Read in 2013?

Blackmoore... I loved the tension and the gothic-ness

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2013?

Between Shades of Gray.... heart wrenching story.

BLOGGING

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2013?

I don't know! I have been BAD with this this year! I met a bunch of new to me bloggers during the Book Thief read along, but I have not been good about keep up with them. I feel so bad. :(

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2013?

Probably Blackmoore, which you can find here.

3. Best discussion you had on your blog?

Remember the time I asked you all about reading emotions? That was a pretty good discussion!

4. Most thought-provoking review or discussion you read on somebody else’s blog?

I wish I had an answer for this one, but my mind is blank!

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

I think The Book Thief read along that we did in September was pretty fun!

6. Best moment of book blogging/your book life in 2013?

My best moment this year was when I got a personalized post card in the mail from Markus Zusak. So so awesome.

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

The post with the most views is my questions for the first part of the The Book Thief. Have you used them in your discussions? I'm wondering if people are finding it and using them!

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

My Josh Groban concert review! I guess it's boring to all you bookish peeps?

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

Can't think of one really.

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

My Goodreads goal this year was 80 books and I easily did that. But, I have FAILED with all my classic goals. Ugh. All the new shiny books take over!

LOOKING AHEAD

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2013 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2014?

Days of Blood and Starlight
Fire Study (or Magic Study I can't remember which one is next!)
Howl's Moving Castle
Gah, there's so many really.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2014 (non-debut)?

Hmmm... there are many and I listed them for a recent Top Ten Tuesday. But mostly Into the Still Blue, Ruins, Ignite Me, Evertrue... and I can't remember what else.

3. 2014 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

I don't know the debuts until you all start talking about them! What debut should I be most anticipating guys?

4. Series Ending You Are Most Anticipating in 2014?

This answer would pretty much be a repeat of question 2.. those are all series endings as far as I know. Though series endings make me sad too.

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2014?

I hope to get back to commenting more. I hope to read more classics. I hope to keep the enthusiasm going for blogging in general. Lots of people are talking about losing the mojo and I'm feeling it. Seven years in March. I need to shake things up and keep it fun here.

Whew! I did it! Have you done YOUR year end survey yet? Get to it!

15 comments:

  1. It goes Poison Study, Magic Study, and then Fire Study. :) And then her Glass trilogy... I haven't read them all yet so can't remember the order. :)

    I am hoping to finish a couple things before I do my end of the year survey, but I think I might do this. I can't remember if I ever have before because normally I read so much and have so much to talk about... I didn't read quite so much this year and am not really sure what to talk about.

    This was my 7th year for blogging, I am into my 8th now, and it was a hard year for me. I got quiet... I am trying to get back into the swing of things for 2014 and so far so good... Good luck getting your mojo going!

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    Replies
    1. Kelly: Maybe there's a 7 year itch thing with the blogging? It sure sounds like it!

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  2. You read some awesome books this year! I'm so glad you read Poison Study and Legend! Now go read the rest of the series!!! Day is pretty dashing. If your heart aches now, just wait!

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    1. Kami: Ah, can my heart handle more aching for him?

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  3. Poison Study really is awesome, isn't it? I believe I'm due for a reread.

    And Tiger Lily . . . the beauty of that book continues to catch me unawares whenever my mind lights on it.

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    Replies
    1. Angie: I might have to do a Tiger Lily re-read.

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  4. I'm so glad I joined in on your Book Thief read-a-long. That book was so much more amazing than I ever imagined :) Blackmoore and The World's Strongest Librarian are both on my to-read list for next year.

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    Replies
    1. DoingDewey: Yep. It was so fun. Glad you enjoyed. Those other two books will be awesome for you too!

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  5. I loved Kate and Henry's relationship too. It was fun. Such a great book!

    I'm glad you did the survey. I enjoyed reading your answeres.

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    Replies
    1. Jenni: Glad you enjoyed! Thanks being such a great reader here and commenter. :)

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  6. I love all the stats and your answers.

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  7. So much to comment on here!! I will limit it to just a few though!

    I love that you plan on reading Howl's Moving Castle! That was one of my fave reads of the year for me!

    Of all your favorites, I have only read And The Mountains Echoed. I really enjoyed that one!!

    I need to improve on commenting as well. I've done better this year, but it only comes in spurts for me!

    I'm not doing the survey, but I will have a best of 2013 post coming this week ... as soon as I compile everything!!

    Lastly, I love reading your blog and I hope your mojo doesn't disappear!! I'm celebrating 7 years in 2014 as well. We've been around a LONG time!! :)

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    Replies
    1. Tif: I actually started Howls, but got distracted. And I love your commenting spurts! My ten best post will go up tomorrow. This was like a sneak peek I suppose. Thanks for reading!

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  8. You've mentioned a lot of great books on your list! I loved the Legend series, such a fun series and Champion was a great series ender. I can't believe I still haven't read any Rainbow Rowell, I've heard so many amazing things about her books. I will definitely be getting to them this year.

    Great answers. My End of Year Survey.

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