End of the Year Book Survey

I’ve started some end of the year posts of my own, but then I found this one and it combines all the best of each into one! The end of the year survey is hosted by Jamie at The Perpetual Page Turner and I found out about it via Tara at The Librarian Who Doesn’t Say Shhh! I left a few questions out, so definitely check out Jamie’s original, if you want to do this yourself. It’s not too late!

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)

YA Contemporary-Eleanor & Park (Review here!) by Rainbow Rowell-If you really press me, this is my one favorite of the year.

YA Fantasy-Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices) by Cassandra Clare

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

Inferno by Dan Brown. So excited for it and then the ending sucked in a big way.

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

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. I was kind of thumbing my nose at it even as I picked it up and it wound up being one of my most favorite series of the year.

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

Hmm. Probably The Across the Universe series by Beth Revis (I read the first two last year but Shades of Earth only came out in January!) I recommended it to three friends. And one of those friends gave it to her grandma, who loves it too.

 5. Best series you discovered in 2013?

Almost everything I read is a series of some kind, so this is tough…Let’s go with the His Fair Assassin series by Robin LeFevres. Each book is its own story, focusing on a new character, but they all tie together. I enjoyed the concept as well as both of the books so far.

 6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2013?

Anne Bishop. I read some of two of her series this year (Ephemera and The Black Jewels) and I loved them both! Very interesting worlds and strong female characters.

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

I’d never read horror before this year and I started with The Shining after visiting the hotel that inspired it. I read Doctor Sleep (Review here!) as well and I really enjoyed that one also.

 8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2013?

So I was home alone for a weekend when I started The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson and I read it and the sequel, The Crown of Embers, in one 36 hour period. I barely ate or slept that whole day and then ran out and bought The Bitter Kingdom, only waiting ten hours to do so because bookstores aren’t open in the wee hours of the morning.

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

Honestly, Shatter Me and Unravel Me, because I need to remember the details before the final book comes out!

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

Mainly because I don’t think I’ve mentioned this series yet. Love it, and the covers are quite beautiful.

11. Most memorable character in 2013? 

Ummm…A from Every Day by David Levithan. Such a unique character, for sure.

 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2013?

Eleanor & Park. I’ve never swooned over hand holding so hard before.

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

There are a few answers to this spinning around in my head, but I’m going to go with Allegiant by Veronica Roth (Review here!). I was an emotional wreck over it and then I spent a very long time afterward thinking about it on a level I haven’t in a while.

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

The Lightning Thief (Review here!)! I’d heard of the series before, but I always thought it was just for kids! How naive.

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

In the serious/poignant category I have this from Dawn by Elie Wiesel:

“The night lifted, leaving behind it a grayish light the color of stagnant water. Soon there was only a tattered fragment of darkness, hanging in mid-air, the other side of the window. Fear caught my throat. The tattered fragment of darkness had a face. The face was my own.”

My favorite funny scene was this one from the short “Vampires, Scones and Edmund Herondale” by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan. Sketched here masterfully by the incomparable Cassandra Jean:

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?

Shortest-Dawn by Elie Wiesel (81 pages)

Longest-Doctor Sleep (Review here!) by Stephen King (531 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!

Allegiant for sure but I’ve mentioned that already so for this let’s go with the end of The Fiery Heart (Review here!). I had to wait a few days for my friend to finish it so we could freak out together.

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

Romance-Oh gosh so many. Let’s go with Beast and Sybella from Dark Triumph by Robin Lefevers. But also both of Rainbow Rowell’s: Eleanor and Park and Cath and Levi.

Friendship-Will and Jem from The Infernal Devices

Familial-Blue and her crazy mom and aunts in The Raven Boys.

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

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

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

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

21. Genre You Read The Most From in 2013?

YA Fantasy/Adventure and Paranormal Romance combined encompass like 95% of what I read this year.

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

Hector from Girl of Fire and Thorns. Also Adrian Ivashkov from Vampire Academy/Bloodlines. So different from each other, but I love both of them. Such good-hearted guys.

23. Best 2013 debut you read?

Oh man, I don’t think I read any authorial debuts from this year. The one and only series debut I read I didn’t like all that much, so I’ll just leave this one blank.

I did just start this blogging thing, so that’s my excuse.

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

Tough one. Maybe Throne of Glass (Review here!) by Sarah Maas. I love her descriptions and the size of the world she’s built.

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

Probably Fangirl (Review here!). Also, The Bane Chronicles short story series by Cassie Clare has been pretty fun.

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

Allegiant and Clockwork Princess both made me cry. I know I’m repeating here, but I think those are literally the only two that overwhelmed my tear ducts.

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

I must have heard about it somewhere before I read it, but I don’t think enough people are reading The Girl of Fire and Thorns. That series was spectacular, but I’m repeating myself again here so…Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan hasn’t gotten enough love either.

 

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

 Legend by Marie Lu. This series has my name all over it.

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

Cassandra Clare’s City of Heavenly Fire. I HAVE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO EVERYONE!

3. Series Ending You Are Most Anticipating in 2014?

Other than COHF, I’d have to go with Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor.

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

For blogging:  Branch out and write some posts that are thoughtful and thought-provoking, but aren’t reviews.

For reading:  Try some more adult contemporary and classics. I embrace my YA addiction, but I could use some fresh material. Also to read more than I add to my owned and unread pile, which contains quite a few classics and some contemporary, so both goals should work well together.

Some other survey takers are randomly linked below! (Thanks Related Content generator!)

Related articles

• 2013 End of the Year Book Survey (confessionsofabookninja.wordpress.com)
• Bookish Topic Tuesday – End of the Year Book Survey – 2013 (danielisreading.wordpress.com)
• End of year book servey, 2013 edition. (hardcoregeeks.wordpress.com)
• End of Year Book Survey (nadiareads1.wordpress.com)
• 2013 End of Year Book Survey! (littleonionwrites.wordpress.com)