Since 2013 really is over, I decided to go ahead an fill in the End of Year Book Survey hosted by Jamie at
The Perpetual Pageturner. I'm kind of OCD about best of posts and the like and don't want to fill those in in December, because who knows if I read that
One Special Book on December 31st and am unable to put it on the list? Zeh horror!
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)
I did a post on my
best books of 2013, which included
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (best contemporary),
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (best fantasy),
All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill (best sci-fi),
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (best adult fiction) and
Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill(best fluffy read). Also an honourable mention for
More Than This by Patrick Ness, for being the best WTF-ery book of 2013.
2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han, the final book in the Summer Series. I loved the first two books, but this one sucked donkeyballs. The book lacked the magic of its prequels, and to top it all off, all three main characters seemed to have had personality transplants (and not in a good way). Needless to say, the Summer Series is not among my favourite series anymore.
3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013?
All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill really blew me away. It was fan-frigging-tastic and made me go all fangirly. Love.
4. Book you read in 2013 that you recommended to people most in 2013?
Probably Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. My love for this book knows no boundaries.
5. Best series you discovered in 2013?
The Grisha series by Leigh Bardugo. I've read Shadow and Bone last year and it was amazing, so I went right ahead and ordered Siege and Storm even though I wasn't supposed to buy any books. I regret nothing.
6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2013?
I've read so many books from new to me authors! Leigh Bardugo, Rainbow Rowell, Samantha Shannon, Emily Murdoch, Kasie West, Cristin Terrill, George R.R. Martin..
7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?
Not necessarily out of my comfort zone, just something I didn't read often: fantasy. Like high fantasy, and not the urban fantasy I'm used to. There were so many books I loved this year that fit into that category. My favourite is probably Shadow and Bone or Graceling.
8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2013?
Definitely All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill. Though I also read Shadow and Bone in one sitting, so I'd say that's a close second.
9. Book You Read In 2013 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
Um.. I don't really reread books all that often anymore. There are just so many new to me books out there that look awesome so I really want to read those first.. But if I had to pick one, I'd say probably Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill. I listened to that one on audio and it was adorable. I'm planning to pick up a physical copy as well, that's how much I liked it.
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2013?
11. Most memorable character in 2013?
This is a really hard one. I'm thinking either Warden from The Bone Season, The Darkling from Shadow and Bone or Park from Eleanor & Park.
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2013?
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. These answers are starting to sound repetitive, I apologise. No actually, I do not. I regret nothing.
13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2013?
Eleanor & Park.
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2013 to finally read?
Either Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin or Graceling by Kristin Cashore. I spot a trend.
15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2013?
"Holding Eleanor’s hand was like holding a butterfly. Or a heartbeat. Like holding something
complete, and completely alive.
As soon as he touched her, he wondered how he’d gone this long without doing it. He rubbed his thumb through her palm and up her fingers, and was aware of her every breath."
~
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?
Shortest: Neverfall by Brodi Ashton (96 pages) or if novellas don't count: Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers (214 pages)
Longest: A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (807 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!
I don't think I had that moment? xD Maybe the entire We'll Always Have Summer book, since that book had me so frustrated, I wanted to bang my head against the wall.
18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2013 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).
Eleanor and Park in (surprise!)
Eleanor & Park. Julia and Jason in
Meant to Be. Page and Warden from
The Bone Season. Em and Finn in
All Our Yesterdays.
19. Favorite Book You Read in 2013 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
The Night Itself by Zoë Marriott and A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger.
20. Best Book You Read In 2013 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:
Um how about almost all the books I read? *snort* I am in the company of some of the best bookpushers of the blogosphere so almost all of my favourites were 'receommended' by bookish friends. My favourites of those are All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill, Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, Pivot Point by Kasie West and A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger.
21. Genre You Read The Most From in 2013?
Either contemporary or fantasy (though I think the latter wins).
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2013?
SO MANY! Warden, the Darkling, Finn, Trevor..
23. Best 2013 debut you read?
Why are these questions so impossible to answer with just one book? I'm going to go with Pivot Point by Kasie West. Or The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon. Or Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill. Or maybe All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO PICK JUST ONE?!
24. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2013?
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon and also More Than This by Patrick Ness.
25. Book That Was The Most Fun To Read in 2013?
Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan, though I must admit that I listened to those in 2013 and didn't actually read them, but whatevs.
26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2013?
A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger. BAWLING.
27. Book You Read in 2013 That You Think Got Overlooked This Year Or When It Came Out?
The Night Itself by Zoë Marriott -- I think it's a book that deserves more attention :)
Looking ahead..
1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2013 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2014?

Um, I don't think I have any. Only thing I can think of is finishing
Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff, but chances are that I've already finished this by the time this post goes live. There are some books on my shelves that seem to be high priority, if I go by my friends' suggestions, so I'll probably be reading
The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas,
The Distance Between Us by Kasie West,
Insurgent by Veronica Roth(though I'm nervous about that one) and
Requiem by Lauren Oliver. Oh, and I really really want (need!) to read
House of Hades by Rick Riordan and
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo. And
Blackout by Robison Wells. And
Vortex by S.J. Kincaid. And... (turns out I have plenty. Heh)
2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2014 (non-debut)?
The last installment of the Heroes of Olympus series, even though I haven't even read House of Hades yet. Also Split Second by Kasie West, All Our Yesterdays #2 by Cristin Terrill, Evertrue by Brodi Ashton, The Bone Season #2 by Samantha Shannon, Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill, all of Morgan Matson's new books, White Space by Ilsa J. Bick, The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski, Oblivion by Kelly Creagh and Shattered by Teri Terry. I'm pretty sure I forgot some.
3. 2014 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings, Faking Normali by Courtney C. Stevens, Open Road Summer by Emery Lord, Red Rising by Pierce Brown and Learning Not to Drown by Anna Shinoda.
4. Series Ending You Are Most Anticipating in 2014?
Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan, Slated by Teri Terry, Everneath by Brodi Ashton and Nevermore by Kelly Creagh.
5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2014?
Make this blog more of a personal outlet. This doesn't mean that I'm starting Dear Diary posts, it just means I don't want my posts to be, well, generic. My posts feel a bit void of emotion, or me, or something. I just want to make them stand out a bit more and do some other stuff besides reviews and some meme-like posts. It's something I struggle with, so it'll be a learning curve :) All these CAPSLOCK tweets and comments are part of that. I used to be afraid to be outspoken, whether my thoughts were positive or negative, but I've decided not to worry about that anymore. This means rants and FLAILING and gushing and incoherent posts. Sorrynotsorry.
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Whew! That was quite the list! Thanks to everyone who recommended me any of the books on this list, you were successful in your bookpushing practices ;)