2014 End of Year Book Survey

Number Of Books You Read: 60

Number of Re-Reads: Unsure. I re-read Twilight, but I also read the EverWorld series from my childhood, and I’m not sure how many of them count as re-reading because I can’t remember which ones I read as a child. Maybe about 4 or 5?

Genre You Read The Most From: Young Adult

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1. Best Book You Read In 2014?

See review here

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

I couldn’t even finish it.

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read in 2014?

I thought it was just going to be another poorly-written self-published book, but it was really excellent. Review here.

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did) In 2014?

I didn’t do much pushing this year. I don’t think anyone read anything based purely on my recommendation.

5. Best series you started in 2014? Best Sequel of 2014? Best Series Ender of 2014?

Best series started: The 2nd Freak House Trilogy #1: The Memory Keeper by CJ Archer

Best sequel: Silver Shadows: Bloodlines #5: Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead

Best series ender: Shift #3: Delete by Kim Curran

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2014?

 I would say Bettie Sharpe, author of Ember, but she seems to have dropped off the face of the internet. So I’m going with Adi Rule.

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?

 Oh my god, all the feels!

 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?

 A pity the book was so bad.

11. Most memorable character of 2014?

A bad-ass witch who refuses to fall under Prince Charming’s spell. Thinks she’s evil. Ugh. Perfect.

 

 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2014?

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2014?

 It was like holding up a mirror and seeing myself.

 14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2014 to finally read?

None.

 15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2014?

“No matter how long or how difficult, we will undo whatever that Moroi boy has done to you.”

I managed a wavering smile, tasting blood in my mouth. “You sure about that, Dad? Because he’s done everything to me.”
― Richelle Mead, The Fiery Heart

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?

Shortest at 70 pages:

 

Longest at 498 pages:

 17. Book That Shocked You The Most(Because of a plot twist, character death, left you hanging with your mouth wide open, etc.)

There were so many shocking moments in this because of all the short stories. It was excellent.

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

Yes yes, I am FINALLY on the Sydrian bandwagon.

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

 Midnight and Bea. I DON’T EVEN CARE THAT HE IS A HORSE I LOVE HIM OKAY?

 

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2014 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

ALL THE FEELS. AND THE SPOILERY STUFF I CAN’T MENTION.

21. Best Book You Read In 2014 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

 Here’s a tip:: Don’t read stuff due to peer pressure or because eveyrone else loved it.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2014?

Oh god, this is embarrassing. HE WAS REALLY SWEET AND HOT OKAY? He gave her a safe word and respected her boundaries.

23. Best 2014 debut you read?

 

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

 I just want to fall into this world!

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

 

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2014?

Huh. Apparently this was the ONLY book that made me cry in 2014. That’s weird, because I cry at EVERYTHING.

At 15% I wrote: Ellie being criticised for being too straight and uptight and stressing out about everything reminds me of the parts of myself I think other people criticise, too. Way too close to home. Ouch.

I had to set it down and have a bit of a cry because it all got a bit too personal.

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

Don’t let the cover deceive you. This was an excellent book – a perfect balance of Young Adult, romance, and paranormal.

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

From my review: “ I felt very early on that my heart might get broken whilst reading this book and from the very start I trusted Schindler to flay my soul and relished in all the emotions I experienced during Claire’s horrific backstory. I gladly offered my heart to be broken and I wasn’t disappointed.“

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2014?

Because bisexual love triangle and aliens.

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

Oh, I wanted to love it SO MUCH and it just annoyed me.

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1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2014?

Bibliodaze.

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2014?

 Ugh, I don’t know. Maybe for Grim?

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

I had a lot of comments on my Musing by Moonlight post about how we shouldn’t feel bad for abandoning a series and no one should shame us, but they frequently do. It even got a mention on Parajunkee’s Book Bloggerista News and Tempest Books’ weekly wrap up.

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

 Aussie YA Bloggers and Readers Secret Santa Blog Hop. It was fun! Thanks, fellow Aussies, I love you!

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2014?

 I had two this year!

I had a pretty cool moment where Sara Raasch, author of Snow Like Ashes, tweeted me when she saw my pre-review for Book #2 on Goodreads:

I also had an epic moment of awesome when debut author Mary Weber contacted me to ask if I would like a review copy of her YA high fantasy Storm Siren as thanks for all my early promotional work. I WAS SO EXCITED.
And then she said she’d run out of ARCs but SHE WOULD SEND ME A FINISHED COPY.
IN HARDBACK.
ALL THE WAY TO AUSTRALIA.
AND THEN IT ARRIVED JUST BEFORE MY BIRTHDAY.
AND IT WAS SIGNED.

The stars could not have aligned more perfectly for the book I was MOST excited to read.

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

I had over 100 views on my Musing by Moonlight post on Sansa Stark being a strong character because of her femininity.

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

I guess anything that’s not a meme… which is why come 2015 I’m shaking up my schedule and will be writing more original content.

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

Someone let me know that Ashley of Nose Graze/Creative Whim has her own Book Host hosting service specifically for book bloggers, and that was the reason I decided to go self-hosted. I do not regret this decision and it was as painless to switch over as it is possible to be.

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

I started out with some Reading Challenges but ended up quitting them because I think the whole idea was to interact with other bloggers (entering giveaways for writing reviews or some such bullshit) and I just wasn’t feeling it. I thought it would be cool to have reading challenges but I’ve come to realise I hate being dictated to on what to read. So fuck it.

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1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2014 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2015?

 I am so sorry my precious. I love you and one day I will open you and devour you and we will ride off into the sunset and get married and have lots of beautiful little babies.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2015 (non-debut)?

 *runs excitedly in tiny circles*

3. 2015 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

 

 4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2015?

 

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2015?

 Get all of my review books under control. Seriously. I need to stop running away from them.

6. A 2015 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:

I’ve not read any 2015 books yet! I still have too many 2014 ones to get through!