It’s that time of year again where I get the chance to reflect on my year of reading. Thanks to Jamie for hosting this survey again!
Best In Books 2013
1. Best book you read in 2013?
The BEST of the best was Cress by Marissa Meyer. OH MY. But since I love all the books, I am breaking down some more bests of their genre so nobody feels left out.
YA Contemporary: Just One Day by Gayle Forman, Golden= by Jessi Kirby, Time After Time by Tamara Ireland Stone, and Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill.
YA Dystopia: Into the Still Blue by Veronic Rossi and Scarlet by Marissa Meyer.
YA Fantasy: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo.
Adult Fiction: Starry Night by Debbie Macomber
2. Book you were excited about & thought you were going to love more but didn’t?
Triangles by Kimberly Ann Miller. It was just no good on multiple levels.
3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013?
Renegade by J.A. Souders. SO GOOD! Amazing world, beautiful writing, unique premise. Loved this book.
4. Book you read in 2013 that you recommended to people most?
Starry Nights by Daisy Whitney. It’s so artsy and lovely. And misunderstood.
5. Best series you discovered in 2013?
Ruby Red Trilogy by Kerstin Gier. I read the entire series this year, and just loved it!
6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2013?
Ally Carter. I just discovered the Heist Society series, and love it!
7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?
Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini. I am not a fan of angel and afterlife books, because I usually do not like the author’s take on the subject matter. This book was wonderful, though.
8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2013?
Cress by Marissa Meyer. OH MAN.
9. Book you read in 2013 that you are most likely to re-read next year?
I have never re-read a book in my life, but if I could read a book all over again for the first time, it would be Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill. It was just so sweet!
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2013?
Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill.
11. Most memorable character in 2013?
Captain Thorne in Marissa Meyer’s Cress. I loved him before, but I am so smitten with him now!
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2013?
Starry Nights by Daisey Whitney. I’m an art lover, what can I say? Daisy turned art into magic.
13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2013?
Just One Day by Gayle Forman
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2013 to finally read?
Heist Society by Ally Carter
15. Favorite passage/quote from a book you read in 2013?
This is from Starry Nights by Daisy Whitney:
“When the paintings come out for you, it’s what people have meant all along when they talk about artists being immortal. In a way, their work can live forever. When the art comes alive it’s like the immortal version of the painting, like a little bit of the person painted has gotten to live forever.”
16. Shortest & longest book you read in 2013?
Shortest: Mistletoe in Manhattan by Talli Rolland at 60 pages.
Longest: Cress by Marissa Meyer at 506 pages.
17. Book that had a scene in it that had you reeling and dying to talk to somebody about it?
Pretty much all of Cress and Into the Still Blue. And this sucks, because neither are out yet. That’s probably why I want to talk about them so bad.
18. Favorite relationship from a book you read in 2013?
Perry and roar in Into the Still Blue. Very tender. I also loved Perry with Talon. Just SO SWEET.
19. Favorite book you read in 2013 from an author you’ve read previously?
I’m not going to count sequels here, because those are just a given. I’d have to say Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano. I did not like Wither, and actually did not even continue with that trilogy. I LOVED Perfect Ruin, though, and can’t wait for the next installment!
20. Best book you read in 2013 that you read based SOLELY on a recommendation from somebody else?
Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway is the only book I read this year because someone told me to. I ended up really liking it!
21. Genre you read the most from in 2013?
I read a very eclectic mix of books this year, but I think the genres I read the most of are YA dystopias and contemporaries.
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2013?
Tarver from These Broken Stars.
23. Best 2013 debut you read?
All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill.
24. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2013?
Renegade by J.A. Souders.
25. Book that was the most fun to read in 2013?
Camp Boyfriend by J.K. Rock was so much fun! It was light and sweet and the perfect escape.
26. Book that made you cry or nearly cry in 2013?
Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi.
27. Book you read in 2013 that you think got overlooked when it came out?
Instructions for a Broken Heart by Kim Culbertson. I heard NOTHING about this book when it came out, and would not have even found it if I were not so hungover from my trip to Italy last spring that I went searching for any and all book that took place in Europe. And hardly ANY of my friends have read it. It deserves more attention!
Book Blogging/Reading Life
1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2013?
Pop! Goes the Reader – Jen is just awesome.
The Book Addict’s Guide – Britney was my Broke and Bookish Secret Santa last year, and I am SO glad because she has such a fun blog, and I had never heard of it before!
2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2013?
All Our Yesterdays is the first review I wrote that required a GIF to explain my thoughts. I was speechless!
3. Best discussion you had on your blog?
I wrote a quick little thing on the fact that I suffer from blogging anxiety while I sat in my hotel on the way to grad school orientation in Georgia. (Yeah, my mom and I drove from Utah to Georgia and back this past summer.) I was feeling super overwhelmed by becoming a student again and having no time to blog, plus my trip was really long and I felt like I was ignoring my readers. It was a very helpful post for me, and I loved reading what others had to say! I had comments coming in on Twitter and Facebook in addition to the blog, so it was nice.
There was also quite a bit of chit chat on my post asking if people check back for follow-up comments on blogs they visit. I wrote this back before I was on WordPress, so I had no idea how to make sure my readers and commenters knew I was responding to them. Now that I’m on WordPress, I don’t have to worry anymore!
I also confessed that I can’t read while I’m sick, which really sucks. Many people understood my frustration, which was nice to read as I laid in bed wanting to die.
4. Most thought-provoking review or discussion you read on somebody else’s blog?
Oh wow… I honestly can’t remember any specific discussion this year. I know there were tons, but I just can’t think of one in particular that stood out more than the others.
5. Best event that you participated in?
Armchair BEA was fun, but not as much fun as it was last year. I think it’s because a lot of the questions and writing prompts were re-used and I had nothing new to say. That’s really the only event I participated in this year, other than blog tours.
6. Best moment of book blogging/your book life in 2013?
I discovered that I was mentioned by name in the acknowledgements section of Uncharted by Tracey Garvis-Graves, which is the sequel to On the Island! I about lost it all! I am still so honored and floored. :)
I also switched from Blogger to self-hosted WordPress this year, which was pretty wonderful. I have not looked back once!
7. Most popular post this year on your blog?
This is hard, since my stats got all messed up/lost in the move to WordPress. If I look at comments alone, the most popular post was my Top Ten Favorite Book Covers (on Books I’ve Read) post.
8. Post you wished got a little more love?
In all honesty, I wish my reviews got more love! I spend a lot of time writing those, and I know they are being read! I wish I could discuss these books with my readers more. :)
9. Best bookish discovery?
Wordpress, Ashley’s Tweak Me theme, and Ashley’s Ultimate Book Blogger Plugin! This change has been the BEST. Oh, and I bit the bullet and joined Edelweiss, which I should have done so much earlier!
10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?
I surpassed my goal of reading 52 books this year! My other goals are still ongoing.
Looking Ahead
1. One book you didn’t get to in 2013 but will be your number one priority in 2014?
Requiem by Lauren Oliver. I’m so scared about what others have said about it, but I really think I need to just do it and finish the series.
2. Books you are most anticipating for 2014 (non-debut)?
Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
Infinite by Jodi Meadows
Second Star by Alyssa B. Sheinmel
3. 2014 debut you are most anticipating?
The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings
Wish You Were Italian by Kristin Rae
4. Series ending you are most anticipating in 2014?
I would have said Into the Still Blue, bust since I read that already AND LOVED IT, I’m going to have to say Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo! I am SO excited to see how The Grisha trilogy ends. Or maybe Of Neptune by Anna Banks. Or Infinite by Jodi Meadows. OH WOW. My heart can’t handle saying goodbye to these characters and worlds!
5. One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/blogging in 2014?
I’d really love to get a blurb in a book one day. :) Other than that, I want to just keep doing what I’m doing… only better. And I really need to work on more discussion posts! I want to get to know all my readers better!
