2014 End of Year Book Survey
The End of Year Book Survey is hosted by Jamie at The Perpetual Page-Turner. Go here to link up your own answers!
I also thought I would really enjoy Famous in Love by Rebecca Serle, but the book was nothing like I was expecting and I really ended up not liking it at all.
3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read in 2014?
The WondLa series by Tony DiTerlizzi. I had wanted to read them for so long and while I thought I would enjoy them, I wasn’t expecting to LOVE them as much as I did. That first book, The Search for WondLa, has one of my favorite endings OF ALL TIME and that series, as a whole, is now one of my favorite series of all time. It’s THAT GOOD.
4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did) In 2014?
I got a few people interested in Changers Book One: Drew by T Cooper and Allison Glock-Cooper, but I wouldn’t say I really pushed it to that many people. I also recommended I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson, but many people had already read that or already had it on their TBR lists. I fangirled all over the place about the WondLa series by Tony DiTerlizzi but I never really pushed it because I know not everyone loves Middle Grade books. That series is totally me but might not be amazing to everyone else.
5. Best series you started in 2014? Best Sequel of 2014? Best Series Ender of 2014?
6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2014?
Tony DiTerlizzi and Jandy Nelson
7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
9. Book You Read In 2014 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2014?
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2014?
13. Most Thought-Provoking/Life-Changing Book of 2014?
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2014 to finally read?
15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2014?
Shortest: Destroy Me (Shatter Me #1.5) by Tahereh Mafi – 109 pages.
17. Book That Shocked You The Most (Because of a plot twist, character death, left you hanging with your mouth wide open, etc.)
The Search for WondLa by Tony DiTerlizzi. I know I sound like a broken record, but THAT ENDING. My mouth definitely hung wide open, I fangirled to myself, to the book, online, etc. It was definitely my favorite shocking moment in a book this year.
18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!) (OTP = one true pairing if you aren’t familiar)
Cress and Thorne from the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. They’re one of my major major OTPs.
19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year
Eva Nine and Otto from the WondLa series by Tony DiTerlizzi. And also Iko and, well, anyone from the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer.
20. Favorite Book You Read in 2014 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
Landline by Rainbow Rowell. And it’s my 2nd favorite of hers, although I still haven’t read Attachments.
21. Best Book You Read In 2014 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:
Hmmm, well, I think I finally read part of the Shatter Me series based on peer pressure (or perceived peer pressure because EVERYONE has read those books and many have LOVED them) but I didn’t really enjoy those books very much, so…
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2014?
I really don’t get many fictional crushes. My only book boyfriends are Cricket from Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins and Hale from the Heist Society series by Ally Carter, and I didn’t read any books with those two in it this year. But I love Thorne from the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer, so maybe he’s close to a book boyfriend? But of course I was introduced to him in Scarlet, which I read in 2013, so I don’t know if he counts…
23. Best 2014 debut you read?
I didn’t read many 2014 debuts, but the best would be Zodiac by Romina Russell.
24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
Oh, this is a hard one because there were so many good ones! I’ll just name a few: Vicious by V.E. Schwab, the WondLa series by Tony DiTerlizzi (of course), My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century by Rachel Harris, Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld, Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis, and of course A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin.
25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?
The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson. I love how her humor translates on the page!
26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2014?
Fifteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton. I hardly ever cry at books but there were these parts about the main character’s grandmother and it made me really miss my grandmother. :(
27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?
I’m going to take this as kind of the most underrated book of the year, and I’d say there were a few that were really fantastic and more people should read them: Changers Book One: Drew by T Cooper and Allison Glock-Cooper, My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century by Rachel Harris, Destruction by Sharon Bayliss, and Evil Librarian by Michelle Knudsen.
28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?
The end of The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken was pretty soul-crushing.
29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2014?
Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis.
30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
Well, I had some DNFs this year that made me mad, and also a 1-star that made me mad, too, but as far as a book that I enjoyed that also made me mad, I’d have to go with Get Even by Gretchen McNeil. I was NOT happy about the open ending, even though it’s a series. I’ve got to have at least a little bit of closure.
1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2014?
To be honest, I’ve been so bad at visiting other blogs that I don’t really remember which blogs I just discovered this year. I’m sure there were at least a handful and I’m sure I really like them, but I’m drawing a blank. I really hope to visit blogs more often in 2015.
2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2014?
I really love my Blind Reads feature, where I read a book without knowing hardly anything about it, and I write these pre-posts where I share what book I’ll be reading as a Blind Read, and share my theories on what the book will be about. And then when I write my actual review I add in whether my theories were correct or not. I love my pre-post for my Summer 2014 Blind Read, which was Evil Librarian by Michelle Knudsen. You can also see my final review here.
3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?
I had a couple favorite discussion posts this year: I Like Big Books and I Cannot–Wait, I’m Lying and Reading Order: Strict Schedule or On A Whim?
BEA, of course! And my favorite parts: the BEA Book Blogger Picnic and BEA Book Blogger Meet & Drink. You can read all about my time at BEA this year in these posts: NYC/BEA 2014 Highlights and 2014 BEA Book Blogger Picnic/Meet and Drink Recap!
5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2014?
Finally meeting my BBFFL (Best Blogger Friend For Life), Jessie from Jessie Marie Reads, in real life!!
6. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?
My 2014 BEA Giveaway was definitely the most popular, and other than that, my 2nd Blogoversary post was pretty popular, along with the post announcing the 2014 BEA Blogger Picnic, and some of my discussion posts.
7. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?
Any post, really. My stats went way down this year, but I only have myself to blame–when you take big hiatuses and also fail to comment on other blogs it just doesn’t help you keep up your followers and commenters. But I will be fixing that in 2015!
8. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?
I’m not really sure. I have lived in my new town for over a year now and although we have some great bookstores like Hastings and Barnes & Noble, I have yet to find something that is anything like Half Price Books (I miss that place). But maybe 2015 will be my year to find a great used bookstore here!
Yes. I only completed one of the challenges that I attempted, but I did pretty good on most of the others. You can check out my 2014 Reading Challenges Attempted post for all the details!
1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2014 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2015?
Um, how about 3? This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner, Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor, and Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas.
2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2015 (non-debut)?
Fairest and Winter by Marissa Meyer, and A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab.
3. 2015 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
I really haven’t looked through the 2015 debuts yet (although I hope to visit some bloggers’ TTT posts from yesterday and find some more to add to my TBR!), but I think the one that sounds the most intriguing to me so far is The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes.
4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2015?
Fairest and Winter by Marissa Meyer.
5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2015?
Basically at this point I’m just hoping to stick with it, because I’ll be having a baby in March, and I want to make sure to stick with it as much as I can so that I don’t completely quit! I don’t actually think I’d really completely quit but I can see myself taking a huge hiatus and I don’t want to do that either. So I’m trying to make sure to stay on top of things before I have my baby so that I’ll hopefully be able to somewhat keep it up after the baby comes.
6. A 2015 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:
So far the only 2015 release I’ve read is Alistair Grim’s Odditorium by Gregory Funaro and I really liked it a lot! It came out yesterday (Jan 6), and my review will go up next week!

Micheline D
January 7, 2015 at 6:07 pmYay I love that you did this survey too! This was my first year participating but I had way too much fun with it :D Loved reading your answers here, I still NEED to read Landline, Scarlet, Zodiac and Not a Drop to Drink but seeing them here is motivation enough! I couldn't agree with you more on Cress and Vicious, those were amazing ♥ SO MUCH LOVE for Cress and Thorne!!
Yes you MUST read Heir of Fire this year! Oh and I'm also ying to read ADSoM, Fairest and Winter! And clearly BEA was a MASSIVE highlight for me this year as well – it was awesome meeting you there too ♥
Angela's Anxious Life
January 8, 2015 at 6:37 amI keep seeing people mention I'll Give You the Sun. Sounds like I really need to pick that one up. Congrats on having a baby…. I hope you get to keep blogging and reading too. It can be hard to make the time. My sister does make time to read still though so I suppose it can be done. Good luck! LOLOL!
Angie
End of Year Survey