2014 End of the Year Survey

Jamie @ The Perpetual Page Turner is host her end of the year survey for the 5th year and I’m actually participating!

Number Of Books You Read

As of December 29th, I’ve read 74 and have two books I’ve started and believe I will finish by the end of the year.

Number of Re-Reads

Unknown but in the triple digits. I only like to read new books when I know I can sit down and read them cover to cover in case I get enthralled.  When I just have a few minutes here and there I reread.

Genre You Read The Most

For the least shocking answer on this survey – Contemporary Young Adult

Best Book You Read In 2014?

Young Adult Non Contemp: Cress by Marissa Meyer – the books in this series just keep getting better!

Women’s Lit: Unsticky by Sarra Manning – Elizabeth at Don’t Take my Books Away recommended this to me and I bought it, but every time I read the description I chose to read something else.  I finally picked it up earlier this year and read it about 5 times in a row. Love, Love, Love this book, these characters, and this relationship!

Humor: Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things that Happened by Allie Brosh – I laughed so hard at these stores that I had to take breaks to recover and breathe.  I literally could NOT read all at once.

Mystery: The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line (Veronica Mars, #1) by Rob Thomas – Get the audio!  More Kristen Bell is always awesome!

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

Ten Tiny Breaths by KA Tucker – this was super highly reviewed on Goodreads and I hated it.  I basically thought the relationship was supremely unhealthy for both parties.

Don’t Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski

She is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick

Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read in 2014?

I knew We Were Liars by E Lockhart had a twist at some point but I still wasn’t prepared.  Also Burned by Ellen Hopkins broke my heart on a day I just was not in the mood to have my heart broken. 

Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did) In 2014?

Successfully – Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Unsuccessfully – Unsticky by Sarra Manning

Best series you started in 2014? Best Sequel of 2014? Best Series Ender of 2014?

 Started: Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas 

 Sequel: Cress by Marissa Meyer

 Ender: Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi &

Ruins by Dan Wells

Favorite new author you discovered in 2014?

I read three books by Sarra Manning this year.  I left myself a few for next year!  Also Sarah J. Maas although I’m wishing I’d held out on the Throne of Glass series til the end like I did with Harry Potter.  Too much waiting.  Side note – I read lots of books by authors named Sara/Sarah/Sarra.

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

I’ve hit a fantasy kick here at the end of the year. A month ago my answer was Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardulo, but since then I’ve devoured four Throne of Glass books by Sarah J Maas. It’s weird for me because I haven’t read a lot of fantasy in the past and when I’ve tried it previously I’ve been disappointed.  (I did not like Daughter of Smoke & Bone or The Girl of Fire and Thorns).

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

The Living by Matt de la Pena is terrifyingly real. Yikes.

Book You Read In 2014 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Favorite cover of a book you read in 2014?

Most memorable character of 2014?

Sara from Tease – It was a different experience to be inside the head of the bully and have empathy for her.

Celaena Sardothien from Throne of Glass – teenage assassins tend to be memorable.  Add that she’s a female YA protagonist who’s a little full of herself – Celaena definitely stands out. 

Most beautifully written book read in 2014?

Burned by Ellen Hopkins

Most Though-Provoking/Life-Changing Book of 2014

Tease by Amanda Maciel

Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2014 to finally read?

Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by Ann Brashears

 

Favorite Passage/Quote from a Book You Read in 2014?

I’m terrible about noting quotes from books, but I did mark this one from Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

“In a novel, you always knew the moment when something Happened, when someone Changed.  But real life was full of gradual, piecemeal, continuous transformations.  It was full of accidents and undefinables, and things that just happened on their own.  The only certainty was "It's complicated".”

Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?

Shortest: Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern (159 pages)

Longest: Afterworlds by Scott Westerfield (599 pages)

It’s really sad that my longest this year is under 600 pages. Usually I have at least one in the 800 range.

OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

I think it will be a REALLY long time before I get as excited about a couple as I am about Grace and Vaughn from Unsticky.  I think it’s because they are both totally flawed characters but so perfect together. 

Favorite Book You Read in 2014 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

Cress by Marissa Meyer

Best Book You Read in 2014 Base SOLELY due to Peer Pressure

As I said before, the description to Unsticky by Sarra Manning didn’t do anything for me.  Without peer pressure I wouldn’t have read it and it’s my most mentioned book in this post.

Newest fictional crush from a book read in 2014?

I don’t think I have a new crush this year.  As much as I love Grace and Vaughn together it’s because THEY are an OTP – I would end up punching Vaughn in the nose or at least throwing a book at him.  (I love this gif)

Best 2014 debut you read?

Tease by Amanda Maciel

Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

Smoke & Bone by Leigh Bardugo and The Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas both had really impressive world building.  I didn’t have any trouble picturing what was happening even though the world was so foreign.

Also Landline by Rainbow Rowell was impressive.  The concept of a magic phone that communicates with the past sounds a little hokey, but Rainbow made it work SO well!

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

Boomerang by Noelle August.  I think this is one of those books where I read it when I was in the perfect mood for it.  I just wanted a fun romance and this delivered.

Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2014?

Books make me emote so tears are frequent. These are books I KNOW I cried reading, but it’s not exhaustive. I’m sure other books made me cry.

 

Book That Crushed Your Soul?

Burned by Ellen Hopkins

We Were Liars by E Lockhart

Most Unique Book You Read In 2014?

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

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

Made me mad still loved it – Burned by Ellen Hopkins

Made me mad ended up hating it – Ten Tiny Breaths by KA Tucker

Since I’ve been a negligent Blogger this year I’m going to answer these a little differently

New favorite book blog you discovered in 2014?

Hmm – it’s hard to remember exactly when I started following certain blogs. Technically I discovered Paperiot last December, but I officially started following in January.

Favorite review that you wrote in 2014?

I wrote exactly two reviews this year and they were fine but not especially inspired.

Best discussion/non-review post I read on a blog?

Since I didn’t blog much this year I changed the working of this question a bit. I really enjoyed and identified with Jamie’s post on being a Mood Reader.

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

I’m annoyed with Goodreads inconsistent review/shelf policy, so I’m hoping Leafmarks takes off…although if/when it does it will probably also get purchased by Amazon.

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

I have an arbitrary goal to read 100 books in a year, but it’s not going to be this year.

I did improve my male/female author ratio from 12% last year to 22% this year (goal was 25%)

One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2014 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2015?

Right now my top priorities are books 2 and 3 in the Grisha Trilogy and then The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith. 

Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2015 (non-debut)?

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Girl Before a Mirror by Liza Palmer

2015 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

No Place to Fall by Jaye Robin Brown (technically Dec 2014)

Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2015?

Winter by Marissa Meyer – pushed back til December and I have this terrible feeling it’s gonna get pushed to 2016 (whimper)

One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2015?

Resume Blogging