2015 End of Year Book Survey

 

This is my second year doing the End of Year Book Survey, hosted by Jamie at The Perpetual Page Turner!  She always puts together a great, fun, comprehensive survey that really gets me reflecting on my reading year!  This year, so far, I've read 98 books.  That means I have about 100 books to choose from for each category, which is just fantastic! I did far better, reading-wise, than last year.  Let's get to it!

Note: All of the credit for the images used in this post go to Jamie!  She has incredible design skillz.

Number Of Books You Read:

102 and counting!

Number of Re-Reads:

I didn't keep track, but it was really low this year.  I was so busy reading new books!

Genre You Read The Most From:

As always, Young Adult! Though I'm going to try to branch out in 2016.

 

1. Best Book You Read In 2015?

I have to go with Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo.  The book utterly captured my imagination.  I loved the characters, the plot, and the writing... Not to mention, I won a signed copy of the book for winning First Prize in a video contest hosted by the publisher! Click HERE to see the ridiculous video I made and HERE to read my gushing review.

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

Diplomats and Fugitives by Lindsay Buroker.  As my blog followers know, I am obsessed with the Emperor's Edge series.  So I was so excited for the book written from Basilard's perspective.  However, we didn't get nearly enough page time with old, beloved characters — the tedious and forgettable plot got in the way of that — and there were some problems with repetitive scenes. HERE is my review on Goodreads.

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

Believe it or not, Jim Kay's Illustrated Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.   I came at this book from a very critical, former-Art-major perspective and really forced myself to be objective.  I surprised myself by not being totally in love with the illustrations.  Don't get me wrong — most were amazing! But there were some definite problems there.

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

That would be my own manuscript, Dreamship.  I wrote 50,ooo words of it for NaNoWriMo — National Novel Writing Month — and had people read it as I went to keep me from writing sloppy.

 5. Best series you started in 2015? Best Sequel of 2015? Best Series Ender of 2015?

• Series Start: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo


• Series Sequel: Carry On by Rainbow Rowell (I count this as a Fangirl sequel)


• Series Ender: Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

 6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2015?

Naomi Novik, author of Uprooted. This book blew me away and Novik's style was like a mixture of Gail Carson Levine and Robin McKinley!

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

Slasher Girls and Monster Boys, an anthology edited by April Genevieve Tucholke. I don't typically read anthologies, but reading a story from this book every night in October was so much scary fun!

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

I wouldn't call it action-packed, but I read My Heart and Other Black Holes in one go, sitting on an uncomfortable, wooden, library chair! It was a heart-wrenching book, but it totally sucked me in.

 9. Book You Read In 2015 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

Black Orchid by Celine Jeanjean.  This book hasn't been published yet... in fact it was my first official beta reading experience!  I will definitely want to read the finished project to see how much the book changed from its manuscript form.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2015?

Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman was a so-so read with an absolutely incredibly amazing cover. I love how saturated with detail it is.  And the typeface? Swoon!

11. Most memorable character of 2015?

Kaz Brekker, from Six of Crows. Kaz is definitely my book boyfriend of 2015.  I found him to be really dishy and a fascinating character! I loved every piece of dialogue he had.  Such a distinct, well thought-out character.

 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2015?

Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy was written with stunning and flowing prose.  It was almost antique in feel, so I was surprised to find that the books were published relatively recently.

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2015?

Him by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy was my first M/M Romance I ever read, and I think that's pretty cool!  It definitely broke down I barrier I didn't know I had in place.

 14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2015 to finally read? 

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion.  I put it off because I thought it would be way to cutesy.  But I was so wrong!

 15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2015?

The first official Boy Scouts of America Handbook, published in 1911, is chock-full of hilarious quotes.  I re-read the guidebook in 2015, so I count it!

On the chief business of boys:

“The chief business of a boy is to grow. He may have other affairs, but this is his chief concern.”

On deformity:

"One can scarcely think of a round-shouldered scout. Yet there are such among the boys who desire to be scouts.”

and On jizz:

In the body of every boy, who has reached his teens, the Creator of the universe has sown a very important fluid. This fluid is the most wonderful material in all the physical world.”

 

16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2015?

Um.  This is so embarrassing.  I really didn't read beefy books this year.  My longest was Carry On by Rainbow Rowell.  (Update, December 18: I hope to finish The Name of the Wind within the next few days.) What was I doing where I didn't read any long books?? My shortest was Saga Volume 4.

 17. Book That Shocked You The Most

Tampa by Alisa Nutting.  The protagonist was a female predator of underage boys and it was just terrible to read about.

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

Kaz and Inej from Six of Crows.  I seriously need to write a blog post on this couple because there is so much to them.

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

IV and Marko in Saga Volume Four.  IV's disgust with and begrudging admiration for Marko was hilarious.

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2015 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

Six of Crows — Yes, I'm aware that I'm beginning to sound like a broken record. And I'm also realizing 100 books isn't nearly enough books to read in a year.

21. Best Book You Read In 2015 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

Amour Amour by Becca and Krista Ritchie, thanks to My Guilty Obsession's Favorites pages.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2015?

DUH! Kaz Brekker, the crazy, PTSD-ridden, wicked genius!  You can play magic tricks on me all... ahem.

23. Best 2015 debut you read?

Nicola Yoon's Everything, Everything was impressive!  Not only was it well written, it was also hilarious AND heart-wrenching.

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

Pardon me for my repetitiveness, but Six of Crows had an amazing setting.  I could picture Ketterdam perfectly in my mind's eye. The whole book was... dim, like it had a David Fincher filter on it. (I love David Fincher's style, btw) Basically, the setting was like Girl With a Pearl Earring, directed by Fincher.  Awesome.

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

That honor goes to all of the hockey romances I read this year by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy.  Between both of them, they have SO MANY HOCKEY ROMANCES! I loved them!

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2015?

The Uninvited by Cat Winters made me want to throw something, in a good way.

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

I don't think I've read it yet... but I still have half a month! (December 18, Update: Nimona was a great graphic novel that I hadn't heard of!)

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

Half a War by Joe Abercrombie.  I wanted to drop-kick this book. RAGE!

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2015?

I'm going to go with Poisoned Apples:Poems For You, My Pretty even though I'm currently reading it.

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

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven pissed me off for a number of reasons.  I thought it was wannabe-ing The Fault In Our Stars and that it portrayed mental illness in a really problematic way.

 

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2015?

I did so badly this year with seeking out new book blogs to read.  I mostly just stayed in my existing comfort zone. :( Something to improve upon.

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2015?

My review of Karin Slaughter's Pretty Girls. I broke up my usual review format and wrote "A Day In the Life of the Author." ...I thought it was funny. :)

3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?

My article, Banned Books: "Should I Let My Kids Read This, came from a very frustrated place, but I tried to write it as fairly and cogently as possible.  Not everyone agreed with me, but that's perfectly okay.

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

Most definitely participating in the Fierce Reads Six of Crows Video Contest.  That video was so much fun to make!

Second place goes to NaNoWriMo, which I won this year!

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2015?

Winning "First Prize" in said video contest.  Worst moment: Finding out that "First Prize" and "Grand Prize" are different things. *cries fresh tears*

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

Going on a 2 month hike really wrecked my blogging momentum, I'd say.  I'm getting over the slump, though!

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

A non-book review! I posted my review of Yo-Kai Watch on GameFaqs and my site was flooded with gamers! Although they didn't leave any comments!!

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

My review of Shay Savage's Transcendence. 

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

Definitely Bookstagram!  Where people take on the unique challenge: "How do I make this picture of a book visually interesting?"

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

I'm two books away from finishing my Goodreads Challenge, so I'm pretty certain I have it in the bag! (December 18, Update: I won the challenge!)

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2015 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2016?

Oh my gawd.  Too many to count! But...

• The Buried Giant 


• The Goldfinch


• A Little Life


• The Paying Guests


• All the Light We Cannot See


• Me Before You


• Me After You

I'm gonna stop now...

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2016 (non-debut)?

Crooked Kingdom, the sequel to Six of Crows. ICANNOTWAIT! I will enter every giveaway. Every contest. I will.

3. 2016 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn sounds intriguing in a lurid way.  It's about a girl with a bit of an unhealthy sex habit.

 4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2016?

The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski.  I am read-aaaay!

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2016?

Become friends with more bloggers.  I think this was my resolution last year... oops. AND I'd also love to do more beta reads!

6. A 2016 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:

Black Orchid by Celine Jeanjean! (Shameless Plug)