I have to admit that I totally surprised myself with the number of books I was able to read this year! Looking at my book count on Goodreads, it seems so unreal.
I’ve never done an end of the year survey so when I saw this post floating around Books Amino, I was immediately interested. I am going to try very hard not to have any duplicates here, but we’ll see how it goes!
End Of The Year Book Survey- 2016
*Created by The Perpetual Page Turner*
Number Of Books You Read: 281
Number Of Re-Reads: 12
Genre You Read Most From: Fantasy
Part 1: Best in Books
Best Book You Read in 2016?
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
I cannot believe I took so long to start this book, but what a great year it was to become hooked! I was so in love with this story that I went out and bought the next two books so I could read them right away. I also purchased the graphic novels for the first two books as well as Tales of the Peculiar. And of course, I was quick to see the movie in theaters and purchased the DVD the day it came out. I’m slightly obsessed…
Books You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
Conversion by Katherine Howe
I picked up this book because the description sounded really awesome. But this book was a complete and total miss for me. I should have added it to my DNF list, but I had so much hope that it was going to pick up…. It didn’t.
Most Surprising (In A Good Or Bad Way) Book You Read?
Good Way- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by John Tiffany & Jack Thorne
After the immediate reaction from the HP community, I bumped this book down on my TBR list. When I finally got into the right mood so I could keep an open mind with this book, I dove in. I was very pleasantly surprised! Of course I had a number of issues with it overall, but I did end up really enjoying the read.
Bad Way- The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
Since I kept hearing about how awesome the idea of a literal underground railroad was, I was really surprised that we really didn’t learn much about it. I really disliked the characters in this story and I didn’t find the storyline to be very interesting so I ended up adding this to my DNF shelf.
Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?
Hm…I can’t say I really “push” people to read books. If I read a book and think any of my friends will enjoy it, I just recommend it to them using goodreads.
Best Series You Started In 2016?
The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
My friend gave me a copy of Cinder and I was hooked from the very beginning. I absolutely loved this series.
Best Sequel of 2016?
A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2) by Sarah J. Maas
I thought the first hundred or so pages of this book were very slow. But I’m so glad I stuck with it because I ended up enjoying it a lot more than the first book in the series.
Best Series Ender of 2016?
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
I started re-reading the Harry Potter series with a friend at the end of 2015 and finished them up in 2016. I absolutely loved book seven and thought it was the prefect series ender. (And yes, I am aware that technically The Cursed Child is the eighth book of the series…but I’m still in denial about that. I prefer to view the books as 1-7, then a fan fic bonus book.)
Favorite New Author You Discovered In 2016?
V.E. Schwab
I read Vicious by V.E. Schwab this year and I loved her writing style! I cannot wait to read more from her in 2017.
Best Book From A Genre You Don’t Typically Read/Was Out Of Your Comfort Zone?
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
I very rarely read Historical Fiction. While I can’t really say I enjoyed this book, it did have a great affect on me. I definitely need to read more historical fiction in the future.
Most Action-Packed/Thrilling/Unputdownable Book Of The Year?
Bird Box by Josh Malerman
It was wonderfully creepy from cover to cover. This book made me feel anxious (in a good way) that only a good horror story can do. I couldn’t put it down. I really enjoyed the organization of the chapters that switched back from past to present, showing us more and more about the world they were in.
Book You Read In 2016 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald
The second I put this book down, I felt the urge to re-read it. Unfortunately it was a library book and it was due back the next day. My mom bought me a copy for Christmas, so I will definitely be re-reading in 2017!
Favorite Cover Of A Book You Read In 2016?
And I Darken by Kiersten White
I thought the cover of this book was absolutely stunning! Unfortunately I didn’t like the book itself.
Most Memorable Character Of 2016?
John Rookwood from The Fireman by Joe Hill
From the first time we meet John Rookwood, I found his character intriguing. I was so happy to slowly learn more about his character as we followed him through the story.
Most Beautifully Written Book Read In 2016?
The First Time She Drowned by Kerry Kletter
The story itself was beautifully written and incredibly descriptive. However, this was a very tough read for me. I found myself taking a lot of breaks just to distance myself from the story.
Most Thought-Provoking/Life-Changing Book Of 2016?
On Living by Kerry Egan
This book is a must read for all. It’s hopeful. It’s heartbreaking. It’s beautiful. And it’s jam-packed with lessons that hit me harder than I was expecting them to.
Book You Can’t Believe You Waited UNTIL 2016 To Finally Read?
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Why in the world did it take me so long to read?! This book is now one of my all time favorites.
Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2016?
The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer
“I’ve never been drawn to someone the way that I am to you, and I have been from the first moment I met you. It’s like the difference between…between reading about gravity and falling for the first time.”
Shortest & Longest Books You Read In 2016?
Shortest– X-Force #4 by Fabian Nicieza (20 pages)
Longest– Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (870 pages)
Book That Shocked You The Most?
Welcome to Deadland by Zachary Tyler Linville
I have to choose this book for the most shocking based solely on the abrupt ending.
Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year?
The family relationships Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley
The characters in this book were so lovable, and the family dynamic in the Reed house was absolutely lovely and real.
Favorite Book You Read In 2016 From An Author You’ve Read Previously?
Horseradish: Bitter Truths You Can’t Avoid by Lemony Snicket
A must-read for any Lemony Snicket fan!! I’m very happy to have purchased this book on a whim. It’s a very welcomed addition to my shelf! I absolutely LOVED this collection. The selections are hilarious, thought provoking, touching, and sometimes a mix of the three!
Best Book You Read In 2016 That You Read Solely On A Recommendation From Somebody Else?
Relief Map by Rosalie Knecht
I read this book after hearing about it on the All The Books podcast. I absolutely loved this book. The writing was beautiful. The storyline was quick and followed a very simple path. The characters were interesting and I really enjoyed the anxiety that this book provoked because while it was a bit it wasn’t over the top.
Newest Fictional Crush From A Book You Read In 2016?
Northing seems to come to mind here…I don’t normally crush on book characters.
Best 2016 Debut You Read?
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
This was an amazing read! The story itself was fast paced from page one. It was another case where I either absolutely loved or despised each character. And oh my goodness was this book dark. The things that the commandment does and says were insane.
Best World Building/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
Your Heart Is a Muscle the Size of a Fist by Sunil Yapa
This book is about the conflict of Seattle’s 1999 WTO protests and the writing was so descriptive that I had a really hard time reading it. I’m so glad I pushed through my discomfort. This is a very important read.
Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most Fun To Read?
Cable & Deadpool, Volume 1: If Looks Could Kill (Cable & Deadpool #1) by Fabian Nicieza (Writer), Mark Brooks, Patrick Zircher
This comic collection was so fun! It made me want to get my hands on as many Cable & Deadpool comics as I could!
Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry In 2016?
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, Jim Kay (Illustrator), Siobhan Dowd (Conception)
This book is a very important read. It’s heart-wrenching, it’s beautiful, and it’s extremely captivating. The artwork was also absolutely stunning. I loved that the artist used different techniques to create the dark images that complimented the storyline perfectly.
Hidden Gem Of the Year?
The Pier Falls: And Other Stories by Mark Haddon
I picked this one up when I saw it on the new shelf at my local library. I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t heard anything about it! It is a very captivating collection! Mark Haddon is an incredible writer. Each story totally sucked me in and didn’t let me go until the last sentence. The themes varied but I felt an underlying horror vibe in each.
Book That Crushed Your Soul?
Still Alice by Lisa Genova
This is a books that will stick with me for a very long time. The storyline was incredible-it was heartbreaking and difficult to read but also hopeful, filled with love, and just plain amazing.
Most Unique Book You Read In 2016?
Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography by Neil Patrick Harris, David Javerbaum, Antony Hare (Illustrator)
What a clever way to write an autobiography! I used to love choose your own adventure books when I was younger so when I saw this book, I knew I had to check it out! I wasn’t disappointed- this book was so much fun!!
Book That Made You The Most Mad?
Dreamstrider by Lindsay Smith
Don’t even get me started with this one…
Part 2: Your Blogging/Bookish Life
(Since this blog is new, for this section I will be using some things from my Books Amino account.)
New Favorite Book Blog You Discovered in 2016?
the well-thumbed reader on WordPress
I recently stumbled across the well-thumbed reader on Books Amino. When I saw that they also had a wordpress blog, I bookmarked it immediately. I think this blog is so well done! The blog name is creative, the blog cover image is wonderful, the individual blog images are the same style, and the content and writing is great. I highly recommend checking out this blog!
Favorite Review That You Wrote In 2016?
Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige
Interestingly, my favorite book review that I wrote in 2016 was for a book that I didn’t like. The GIF’s I found to sprinkle through my post on Books Amino were just too perfect.
Best Discussion/Non-Review Post You Had On Your Blog?
Questions about book blogging/booktube
I also made this post on Books Amino. While only one person commented, this person gave me a link for a book blogging amino (thanks, Jessica!). Joining this new amino gave me the push I needed to start my own blog.
Best Event That You Participated In?
I didn’t attend any book events, so for this prompt I am going to use a book tag that I had a great time filling out with my ideas as well as following along to see other bloggers posts. The tag was called The Peculiar Book Tag and it was created by JesseTheReader.
Best Moment of Bookish/Blogging Life In 2016?
Creating my book blog account on blogger and publishing my first post!
Most Challenging Thing About Blogging Or Your Reading Life This Year?
DNFing
Before this year, I had never DNFed a book. This year, I decided that I really need to be less stubborn about my reading and ended up adding 3 books to my DNF list. I need to make sure to stick to remember this quote: “Life is too short to read bad books!”
Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog?
12 Favorite Books That I Read In 2016
This post was so much fun to put together! And man, was it difficult! I read some really great books this year! When I posted this on Books Amino it was bumped to the main page almost immediately and ended up getting 129 likes and 6 comments (as of 12/29/16).
Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?
The Twelve Days of Dash and Lily by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Mostly because I was really pumped about the photo I took to go along with my review. This post only got 23 likes on Books Amino (as of 12/29/16).
Best Bookish Discovery?
Frostbeard Studio
There are a ton of bookish candle sellers out there, but I am SO glad I purchased from Frostbeard first. The candle I got is beyond amazing. I cannot wait to purchase another!
Did You Complete Any Reading Challenges Or Goals That You Had Set For Yourself At The Beginning Of This Year?
Yes! My friend and I created a reading challenge (the 2016 Restricted Reading Section Reading Challenge) that had 50 prompts that we put together to push ourselves to read a wider variety of books. We both finished that challenge. I also completed my goal of reading 100 books on Goodreads (comics included).
Part 3: Looking Ahead
One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2016 But Will Be Your Number One Priority in 2017?
To Be Or Not To Be by Ryan North
I picked this up on a whim at a bookstore and couldn’t wait to dive in. Unfortunately, it kept getting bumped and it is still sitting on my TBR list.
Book You Are Most Anticipating for 2017 (Non-Debut)?
Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin, Megan McDowell (Translator)
This books sounds SO creepy! I heard Liberty talk about it on All The Books and immediately added it to my TBR list.
2017 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
A List of Cages by Robin Roe
The description of this book sounds really interesting! I can’t wait to check it out.
Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating In 2017?
Vengeful (Vicious #2) by V.E. Schwab
I cannot wait to get my hands on this book! I will probably purchase Vicious #1 and re-read it before the second book comes out.
One Thing You Hope To Accomplish or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life in 2017?
My book blogging goals:
- Create a “real” blog (done!).
- Increase the number of followers on Books Amino and Listy (and now also Blogger).
- Complete a few fun book tags.
My reading goals:
- Read all the ebooks on my Kindle.
- Complete multiple TBR takedown weekends.
- Complete a series I own.
- Don’t be so stubborn with DNFing.
A 2017 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommended To Everyone?
Unfortunately, none.
Thanks for reading!
I hope you enjoyed this post! If you completed the End of the Year Book Tag, I would love to read it! Just throw the link down in the comments and I will check it out.
If you haven’t yet been tagged, but would like to do this one; consider yourself tagged!
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