2013 END OF YEAR BOOK SURVEY

I’m hopping on the 2013 End of Year Book Survey train with Jamie from The Perpetual Page-Turner! I gotta admit, I’m pretty excited about this one. It’s a chance for me to look back through the year and think about the best of the best. I love book surveys, and this one is a good ‘un!

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)

Contemporary YA – The Fault In Our Stars by John Green and Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic – Divergent by Veronica Roth (but NOT Insurgent)

Adult Fiction – The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

Thriller/Suspense – Agent 21: Codebreaker by Chris Ryan and The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Non-Fiction/Memoir – Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman

Science Fiction/Fantasy – Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

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

Going Bovine by Libba Bray. I was so stoked about this book. And for the first couple of chapters, I was in heaven. Finally, a YA book with my cynicism, sarcasm and a good dose of bad language and behaviour. You know, what I was like as a teenager. But then it pretty quickly devolved into deranged acid trip without much of a firm plot destination… and went downhill. I was so sad about this one.

But I also must include:
This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith and Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. Just… not good.

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

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. I thought a lot of it would be over my head because I wouldn’t get the context, plus I’m not generally a huge fan of futuristic sci-fi/fantasy. But I loved it. The story was great, the plot moved along quickly and the world made sense to me. Very enjoyable read.

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

Oh man. The Fault In Our Stars. Hands down. I absolutely loved this book. It crawled into my feels and curled up there to stay. Also? Of about 5 friends who read the book, they all loved it – and they’re very different people with very different interests and tastes. From my mom to a male co-worker (who was the one to recommend the book to me), to a very cynical & sarcastic buddy to a die-hard Harry Potter fan. So that’s some high praise for ya.

5. Best series you discovered in 2013?

Shades of London by Maureen Johnson. Though I didn’t enjoy the second book as much as the first, I did love the premise and the first book, The Name of the Star was amazing. So I’m holding out high hopes for The Shadow Cabinet and overall this is a series I’ll be sticking with.

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2013?

John Green, Rainbow Rowell and Matthew Quick – tied. I love all of them equally and could not choose.

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

As I mentioned in #3, Ready Player One is my pick for this question, too.

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2013?

The Fault In Our Stars and Eleanor & Park were both read-in-one-sitting books for me. Though for thrillers, The Naturals and the Agent 21 books were pretty good, too.

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

Okay, sorry to sound repetitive, but I’m gonna have to go with The Fault In Our Stars. Because it’s not just about the plot (which was awesome), the tone, characters and humour also totally got me, so it’s the sort of book I can read and enjoy even if I know what’s gonna happen.

10. Favorite Cover of A Book You Read In 2013?

11. Most Memorable Character In 2013?

Augustus Waters.

12. Most Beautifully Written Book Read In 2013?

The Silver Linings Playbook, The Fault In Our Stars, Eleanor & Park, The Raven Boys (by Maggie Stiefvater).

13. Book That Had the Greatest Impact On You In 2013?

Again, The Fault In Our Stars. Yeah, yeah, this is getting really boring now. But it’s just gotta be this one.

14. Book You Can’t Believe You Waited UNTIL 2013 to Finally Read?

Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin. I went to San Francisco for the first time this year, which prompted me to give the legendary series a try. It was so much fun to read, and such an endearing cast of characters. Made the ’70s sound positively inviting (despite the fashion).

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

“Sometimes people don’t understand the promises they’re making when they make them,” I said.
Isaac shot me a look. “Right, of course. But you keep the promise anyway. That’s what love is. Love is keeping the promise anyway. Don’t you believe in true love?”  John Green – The Fault in Our Stars

16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?

How I did this: Went to my read books on Goodreads and sorted by page number and just looked for what I knew I read this year that was the shortest and longest.

Shortest – The Survival Girls: A Nonfiction Novella by Ming Holden (196 pgs.)
Longest – Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (563 pgs, and painful for every single one of them)

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!

Hmm. I don’t honestly remember. Probably TFIOS, yet again.

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

Both Augustus Waters and Hazel Grace from TFIOS and Eleanor & Park. Though more the former by the end of the book. Their love for one another was just so beautiful and real. And their humour, despite their circumstances… how could you not love them?

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

I didn’t read a lot of books that fit in this category this year, unless you count books I read by an author I first read in 2013. In this case it would be Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. Loved, loved, loved that book.

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

TFIOS. Again.

21. Genre You Read The Most From in 2013?

Surprisingly, contemporary YA!

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

Augustus Waters and Park.

23. Best 2013 debut you read?

Hmmm. Not sure if I even read any debuts this year. Was Eleanor & Park one? Because if so, then that one.

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

Probably Ready Player One. Felt like I was right there.

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

Oh wow. Hmmm. I had a lot of fun reading most of the books I read this year (with the noteable exception of Beautiful Creatures, BLECH). Probably The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. Maybe also Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout, though overall it wasn’t great – it certainly was enjoyable.

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

OMG. TFIOS takes it again. By a landslide – whole box of Kleenex, here. But also Eleanor & Park. Fangirl elicited the odd sniffle as well.

27. Book You Read in 2013 That You Think Got Overlooked This Year Or When It Came Out?

Hmmmm. I read a lot of books this year that were very popular because I wanted to know what the fuss was about. Maybe Orange Is the New Black, because it came out ages ago, but I hadn’t heard of it until the show aired.

Check out menu at the top – there’s a whole page of blogs I follow, regularly updated.

There’s a list of the blogs I like best.

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2013?

I didn’t like it much at the time, but now probably my review of Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I put a lot of re-writing into that one!

3. Best discussion you had on your blog?

I am still getting into blogging on a regular basis and linking up with other bloggers. So there have been some excellent comments, but not so much discussions. I’m hoping to get some more interaction going in the coming year, though! And seriously? Every single comment makes my day.

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

A discussion about what are “appropriate” topics for YA books that originated on Book Riot. Check out my post (with relevant links) here.

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

Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon. SO MUCH FUN!!!

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

Again, probably the Readathon. But I also started a book club called The AWESOME Book Club Adventure on Goodreads that was intended as a place for myself and a couple of international friends to keep on track with reading, and ended up with close to 30 members. I’m enjoying moderating it, and there have been some fun bookish discussions!

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

The post from #4, entitled “What are ‘Inappropriate’ Topics for Teens to Read?” I had a lot of fun writing it, and it also had the most views of any post I published in 2013.

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

Hmmm. Probably my reviews. They rarely get more than one comment, so I never know if people are actually reading them and/or finding them helpful. They take a lot of work and consideration – and are often nerve-wracking because with the accessibility of authors these days, I’m aware they might see a review and it’s hard for me to criticize something I know someone has spent literally YEARS of their life on. Even if it didn’t work for me.

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

Bookish recommendations. Seriously, it’s awesome. You put in the title(s) of up to three books you really liked, and it’ll find others you’re likely to enjoy based on those.

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

Well, I didn’t start reading again until midway through the year – around the end of May. So I set a goal of reading 32 books between June and the end of the year, and so far I’m up to 34!

Oh man. SO MANY!! Here’s a list:

• The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
• The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow by Rita Leganski
• Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
• Reality Boy by A.S. King
• Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding
• Shadowlands by Kate Brian
• Winger by Andrew Smith
• Enclave by Ann Aguirre
• Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple
• Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
• And so many more…

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

Hmmm. Probably Landline by Rainbow Rowell.

3. 2014 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy, Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira and Dear Killer by Katherine Ewell.

4. Series Ending You Are Most Anticipating in 2014?

I don’t read a ton of series, so I suppose I’ll go with City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare. I mostly just want it over.

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

Read more books! I did okay this year, considering it took awhile for me to get back into reading and blogging. So there’s that, plus catching up on some of the books everyone talks about I haven’t read yet, and ticking off some of those books I really want to read but just haven’t gotten to. Particularly the ones that are also a little intimidating!

Phew! So that’s 2013 for ya. Your turn!