Tag Thursday

The 2016 End of Year Book Survey

2016-end-of-year-book-survey

Hi guys! Since it’s the end of the year, I thought it would be fun to do a sort of survey summarizing the year. Because just listing my favorites does not seem enough somehow, and you know is pretty much impossible anyway

This survey is hosted by Jamie at The Perpetual Page Turner. All banners below are also hers.
Header banner background: Designed by Freepik

Let’s do this!

reading-stats-2016-1024x278-768x209

Number Of Books You Read: 81
Number of Re-Reads: 4
Genre You Read The Most From: Fantasy

best-ya-books-2014-900x244

1. Best Book You Read In 2016?

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas a-gathering-of-shadows-by-v-e-schwab Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

It’s a tie between A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas and A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab. Please don’t make me choose between the two! Oh wait, Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo is definitely also up there… Hey, I never said I was good at making decisions, did I?

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

Starflight by Melissa Landers

I was really excited about Starflight by Melissa Landers but I ended up a bit disappointed. It was not a bad book at all, but I guess my expectations were just too high. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Maybe I should re-read it…

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

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

I was cynical going into Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare. Though I loved The Infernal Devices, I was rather disappointed by the final 3 books in the Mortal Instruments series. I thought that maybe I had had enough of the Shadowhunter world. But then came Lady Midnight and OH BOY, THERE IS MY SHADOWHUNTER OBSESSION AGAIN!

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

Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat Prince's Gambit by C.S. Pacat Kings Rising by C.S. Pacat

I guess this would have to be the Captive Prince trilogy by C.S. Pacat. I mention it in pretty much every blog post I write and I kind of forced my best friend to read them as well (She liked them too so she doesn’t mind 😉 )

 5. Best series you started in 2016? Best Sequel of 2016? Best Series Ender of 2016?

Ah crap, this is a difficult one because I read A LOT of great series this year…

Let’s go with:
Best series started: A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
Best sequel: A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
Best series ender: Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

 6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2016?

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab a-gathering-of-shadows-by-v-e-schwab a-conjuring-of-light-by-v-e-schwab

I have to go with V.E. Schwab. The Darker Shade of Magic series is PHENOMENAL and I can’t wait to read A Conjuring and Light and then continue with her other books.

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

anna-dressed-in-blood-by-kendare-blake

I don’t usually read a lot of horror (because I am a huge scaredy cat #truefact), but I read a bit out of my comfort zone for the Halloween Readathon (hosted by Lauren at Wonderless Reviews) and discovered Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake. AND IT WAS AMAZING! Definitely happy I took a chance on it and I’ll even give horror a chance again (probably next Halloween though…)

 8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo. I mean, what this crew pulls off is crazy and had me on the edge of my seat for the entire read. I almost read each of these in one sitting.

 9. Book You Read In 2016 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

Simon vs the Home Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. Because reading this put me in such a good mood. I’ve been wanting to re-read it ever since finishing it, so chances are I’ll cave soon.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2016?

Uprooted by Naomi Novik

I LOVE this cover of Uprooted by Naomi Novak. It is gorgeous. Also, the book itself is pretty good too 😉

11. Most memorable character of 2016?

manon_by_charlie_bowater

(Art by Charlie Bowater)

Manon Blackbeak from the Throne of Glass series. Manon is my queen. I love her since Heir of Fire, but Empire of Storms is where she really has a chance to shine <3

 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2016?

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets of the Universe

A tie between the Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater and Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. They are both so gorgeously written I want to tattoo my body full of quotes.

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2016?

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera definitely ranks pretty high on the thought-provoking scale. I’m still thinking about it on a daily basis.

 14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2016 to finally read? 

A Darker Shade of Magic and A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab. Seriously, why did I wait so long? Oh well, at least now the wait for A Conjuring of Light is just sliiightly more bearable.

 15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2016?

Well, I love pretty much every single chapter in the Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater. Can I pick just one quote? Nope. Never. But I can give you a small, random selection that can hopefully entice you to read it if you haven’t yet…

“Blue was perfectly aware that it was possible to have a friendship that wasn’t all-encompassing, that wasn’t blinding, deafening, maddening, quickening. It was just that now that she’d had this kind, she didn’t want the other.”

“It wasn’t that Henry was less of himself in English. He was less of himself out loud. His native language was thought.”

“On the outside, the three Lynch brothers appeared remarkably dissimilar: Declan, a butter-smooth politician; Ronan, a bull in a china-shop world; Matthew, a sunlit child. On the inside, the Lynch brothers were remarkably similar: They all loved cars, themselves, and each other.”

“There was something unfamiliar about him. Something ferocious about his eyes, some sort of bite in his faint smile. Something altogether hectic and unsettled. She stood on the ledge of his smile and looked over the edge.”

“One moment, she was wearing clothing, and the next moment, she was wearing a bikini. Fifty percent of the world was brown skin and fifty percent was orange nylon. From the Mona Lisa smile on Orla’s lips, it was clear she was pleased to finally be allowed to demonstrate her true talents.
A tiny part of Gansey’s brain said: You have been staring for too long.
The larger part of his brain said: ORANGE.”

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2016?

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Longest:
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (896 pages)

we-should-all-be-feminists-by-chimamanda-ngozi-adichie

Shortest:
We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (49 pages)

 17. Book That Shocked You The Most

Half Lost by Sally Green

Half Lost, the finale in the Half Bad trilogy. THAT ENDING! Brilliant, but brutal.

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

Where do I even begin?

Damen/Laurent (Captive Prince)
Cress/Thorne (The Lunar Chronicles)
Gansey/Blue (The Raven Cycle)
Ronan/Adam(The Raven Cycle)
Feyre/Rhys (ACOMAF)
Nathan/Gabriel (Half Bad)
Kaz/Inej (Six of Crows)
Jesper/Wylan (Six of Crows)
Kell/Lila (Shades of Magic)
Laia/Elias (An Ember in the Ashes)

There. Ten OTPs. Not too bad right? Oh no, I’m probably forgetting so many!

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

I’m a sucker for beautiful friendships and these are a few of the ones that are standing out to me this year:

Blue and her Raven Boys.
The Six of Crows crew.
Feyre and the Night Court.
The entire Lunar Chronicles squad.

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2016 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

A Torch Against The Night by Sabaa Tahir

A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir. I already loved An Ember in the Ashes and this sequel was JUST. AS. AWESOME.

21. Best Book You Read In 2016 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

The complete Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. Sooo good! I was skeptical about this series, but I’m so happy I caved in to peer pressure and just read them because OMG, they are amazing.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2016?

I don’t know if it counts as new exactly, since I already had a small crush in book one, but book two took that crush and turned it into full-blown adoration: Rhys from A Court of Mist and Fury.

Honorable mentions:
– Elias from A Torch Against The Night
– Thorne from The Lunar Chronicles

23. Best 2016 debut you read?

The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye

I really enjoyed The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye. A fantasy version of tasrist Russia? Yes, please!

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

I adore the Grisha world. So Six of Crows / Crooked Kingdom it is. Am I getting repetitive? Oh well, that’s because these books are JUST THAT GREAT!

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

Simon vs the Home Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli the-hating-game-by-sally-thorne

Tie between Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli and The Hating Game by Sally Thorne. They were both so cute and fluffy and made me so happy!

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2016?

Half Lost by Sally Green More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

I bawled my eyes out while reading Half Lost by Sally Green. Still not over it.

Honorable mentions:
– More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
– All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

The Half Bad series by Sally Green. It is amazing and way too underrated.

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera. Consider my soul crushed.

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2016?

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff. The writing style and use of footnotes is really different and unique. Though tough to get into at first, it ended up being one of my favorite reads of theyear!

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

paper-princess-by-erin-watt broken-prince-by-erin-watt twisted-palace-by-erin-watt

The Royals trilogy by Erin Watt. I liked it fine, but the never-ending drama was really annoying me.

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1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2016?

Well, since I started only this year, I pretty much discovered all my favorite book blogs this year. I’m sorry in advance because I’m so certain I will forget people, but here are a few of my favorites, in no particular order:

The Perpetual Page Turner (my very first blog and the one that inspired me to start blogging myself) — The Fictional Reader —  Freyja Eats BooksTransported by BooksDrizzle & Hurricane BooksWonderless ReviewsPaper FuryA Dance With BooksMidnight Book Girl —  Lauren’s Page TurnersRebel Mommy Book BlogBroc’s BookcaseBook ComaBook HavenLatte Night ReviewsShe LatitudeScintillating ReadsWatch Game ReadPure ImaginationQuite The Novel IdeaThe Bookish Libra4th House On The Left —  The SFF BookshelfReading Every NightChapter AdventuresNight Owl Book Cafe500 BooksFreadom LibraryBrittany’s Book RamblesWord WondersHappy IndulgenceSparkling LettersWhispering WordsGreen Tea and PaperbacksBooks Are LifeCornerfoldsYA Book NerdBook Reviews by DiGirl About LibraryReading With JadeIt Starts At MidnightFinding WonderlandRead At MidnightBooks. Bags. Burgers.Chrissi ReadsGlittering ReadsBlackcatkaiKourtni ReadsA Thousand Times OverFaerily BookishbookslayerReads — …

And you. Anyone who has ever visited my blog and/or commented. I love you all. You’re my favorite part of 2016

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2016?

I love my flailing reviews, because it means that I read a book I loved SO MUCH. Some examples that come to mind are:

Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

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

Umm, so my Pokemon Go Book Tag was apparently my most viewed post this year Gotta catch ’em all!

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

My favorite events were the two readathons I participated in this year: The Tome Topple Readathon back in spring and the Halloween Readathon this October.

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2016?

Starting this blog and discovering so many amazing book bloggers <3 Seriously, I’m so happy I made the decision to start this blog after sooo much deliberation. Being able to come home and bloghop and read your comments has gotten me through so many bad days, you have no idea. So thank you!

6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?

Time. I never knew how much time goes into a blog. It’s like there’s never enough time and there’s always some aspect from blogging that is suffering: consistency, quality, originality, graphics, comments, social media, blog hopping, reading,…

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

Again, the Pokemon Go Book Tag has had the most views this year.

Runner-ups:
My Top Ten OTP’s &
My Most Anticipated Releases For The First Half of 2017

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

My LGBTQ book recommendations. Though I have since discovered so many more great LGBTQ books and still have so many to read, I feel like this is still important to talk about and share recommendations.

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

Well, I know this is not new to most of you, but I fell in love with Kindle and eBooks in general this year.

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

The only bookish challenge I set for myself in 20146 was my Goodreads Challenge to read 70 books. I ended up reading 81, so yay, go me!

looking-ahead-books-2015-900x244

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2016 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2017?

illuminae-by-amie-kaufman-and-jay-kristoff

I know I need to get to this series, because practically the entire internet is recommending it and I still have not read it yet. I have no excuse anymore. Illuminae and Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2017 (non-debut)?

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

I am sooo looking forward to The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco. Also, look at that cover <3

3. 2017 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

the-love-interest-by-cale-dietrich

Oh, so many, but I think I’m most anticipating The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich. It just sounds so fresh and unique and fun and I can’t wait!

 4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2017?

a-conjuring-of-light-by-v-e-schwab

A CONJURING OF LIGHT! A CONJURING OF LIGHT! A CONJURING OF LIGHT! A CONJURING OF LIGHT! A CONJURING OF LIGHT! A CONJURING OF LIGHT! A CONJURING OF LIGHT! A CONJURING OF LIGHT!

Also, A Court of WIngs and Ruin.

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2017?

Readingwise, I hope that I’ll be able to enjoy just as many amazing books in 2017 as I did this year.

Bloggingwise, I hope to get better at bloghopping regularly and posting some more original content.

6. A 2017 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:

I am not that lucky to have read any 2017 releases yet, so I couldn’t recommend any. But I’ve heard great things already about Caraval by Stephanie Garber and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.

That’s it! Did you do this survey or are you planning to do it still? If so, please link me to your posts, I’d love to find out about your reading years.

26 Comments

  1. Looks like a great reading year !! Ok you are making me need to get to the rest of the Half Bad trilogy! I agree Simon and The Hating Game are definitely books to put a smile on your face. I just finished Illuminae and you so need to read it!!

    1. It definitely was a great reading year 🙂 Here’s to an equally amazing reading year in 2017! I do love the Half Bad trilogy! I feel like it’s one of those underrated series, but it’s so good. And yes, Simon and the Hating Game were both such fun and fluffy books <3 Illuminae is for sure at the top of my TBR, I feel like I'm one of the only people who hasn't read it yet ;)

  2. GOO READ ILLUMINAE! I think I have shouted this at you quite a few times.. hehe. And I am sorry for my recent inactivity, missed you and your blog 🙂 THE RAVEN CYCLE IS THE ABSOLUTE BEST!! I love the friendship in that! And the Lunar Chronicles is squad goals!! WONDERFUL POST. As you already know, I love recaps 🙂 AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR INCLUDING ME <3 <3

    1. Haha, I know, I promise I’ll be reading Illuminae (and Gemina probably) in 2017 😉 That’s okay, sometimes life gets in the way, I’m happy to see you back! And of course I included you! 🙂 YES, THE RAVEN CYCLE! AND THE LUNAR CHRONICLES! Both books with such an amazing group of friends <3

  3. I loved reading all of your answers. You really did read a lot of amazing books this year. And you’re not alone in not having read Illuminae yet. I swear I’m going to get to it next year though, haha! I think I’m going to do this survey too — it’s a great end-of-year wrap up 🙂

    1. Thanks! It’s really been an amazing reading year! Here’s hoping 2017 will be equally awesome readingwise 🙂
      I’m so happy I’m not the only one who hasn’t read Illuminae yet 😉 Hope we’ll both get to it next year and enjoy it!
      This really is a fun wrap up survey – looking forward to seeing yours!

  4. V.E. Schwab has the best covers and I need to read the Pacat books! The Hating Game was so funny, I love it and I’m so with you on the Royals, I loved the first two books and the last one was a huge disappointment, there’s only so much drama a reader can take. I got an early copy of The Bone Witch and I was so exited, sadly I didn’t enjoy it but I hope you have a different experience!

    I totally agree, there’s not enough time to do all the blogging things I want to do, I need more time!

    The Love Interest is on my TBR and I’m so excited to read it!

    I wish I could do this survey, due to laptop issues I’m left with my tablet and it’s hard writing blog posts with this thing…

    Happy New Year!

    1. Yes, V.E. Schwab has some amazing covers! I like the US Shades of Magic, but I also really like the UK editions… Oh, I definitely recommend the Pacat books 😉 Haha, glad I’m not the only one who couldn’t take all the drama on The Royals! Oh, I’m sorry that The Bone Witch didn’t live up to your expectations – hopefully I’ll still enjoy it… Yes, The Love Interest, I’m so excited for that one too! I do hope it’ll live up to my expectations 🙂 And yes, blogging could easily be a full time occupation, there are so many things to do and so little time. Happy New Year!

  5. Starflight I’m hoping to read very soon as I’m on a SF kick. I’m afraid my expectations might be too high also, especially since I just read Long Way to a Small Angry Planet and it was phenomenal- I hope Starflight doesn’t suffer by comparison. 🙂

    Crooked Kingdom is another- not even on my radar until I saw all the love. Must be good!

    I didn’t realize you started blogging this year! I guess I thought you had been doing it longer. anyway great post and I agree about Illuminae- I need to get Gemina ASAP. 🙂 Have a happy New Year!

    1. Oh, I hope you’ll have a better reading experience reading Starflight than I did! I have heard some amazing reviews on Long Way To A Small Angry Planet, I hope to read it soon 🙂 And yes, I definitely need to get to Illuminae! 2017 will be the year 🙂 Happy New Year!

  6. I loved reading about your choices 🙂 I loved A Court of Mist & Fury as well, one of my favorite books last year. Sorry to hear you didn’t love Starflight, I really liked it. Thanks for sharing! Great post

    1. Thanks! A Court of Mist and Fury definitely deserves all the love, it was amazing! Glad to hear you still enjoyed Starflight, maybe I need to re-read and give it another chance 🙂

  7. Great year in reading, Lindsey!! There’s so many good books on this list. I’m so glad you loved Anna. I love when people love books from my fave genre ♥ Also totally with you on The Raven Cycle being beautifully written. I want to quote everything from those books. And of course Six of Crows was amazing (I need to read Crooked Kingdom) and Shades of Magic!! Thanks for the shout out too ♥ Your blog has been one of my favourites this year too!

    1. Aww, thanks so much Lauren <3 Oh yes, Anna was amazing! Thank you for the recommendation ;) It definitely inspired me to read out of my comfort zone once in a while! It's been almost half a year since I read The Raven Cycle and I still can't get over how beautifully written it is <3 And how much I miss those characters. But yes, Six of Crows and Shades of Magic help definitely helped fill the amazing-crew-of-characters-shaped hole in my heart :)

  8. Awesome answers 🙂 Glad you read so many amazing books!
    Happy reading for 2017!
    New follower 🙂

    1. Oh hi Amy, and thank you <3 Hope you'll have a great reading year in 2017 as well!

  9. Looks like you had a great year of reading!! I’m always amazed – I think I read a lot, but there are still so many books out there I haven’t read! I think next year I need to try Victoria Schwab, Six of Crows, and Raven Boys because I see them everywhere and everyone seems to love them!

    1. Haha, I totally understand! It’s like for every book you get to read, 10 more get added to the TBR 🙂 Oh, I’d DEFINITELY recommend V.E. Schwab, Six of Crows and The Raven Boys! Hope you’ll enjoy them. And Happy New Year!

  10. I loved all the books on your top three lists! And hey… why pick one when you can have three… or more? Every time I do a Top 10 Tuesday I always end up with like 17 books so I totally feel you 😛 I’ve been planning to read Starflight for a while but outer space sci fi is a major hit or miss for me so I keep putting it off haha sorry you didn’t enjoy it as much as you wanted to! ALSO YES TO V.E. SCHWAB! I love everything she writes, though some less than the others, but still <3

    1. Haha, exactly! Why choose just one? I love them all so I can’t possibly choose 😉 Oh, I hope you’ll have a better reading experience reading Starflight than I did! I don’t think it’s a bad book at all, I just didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped I would. And V.E. Schwab! I only read the Shades of Magic series so far, so I can’t really talk about her other books, but I’ll definitely be trying them in 1017 😉

  11. Love all of your answers! Seems like it was a great reading year for you, and I can’t wait for 2017, especially if it means you’ll get to read Illuminae. I’m eager to know your thoughts about that book, it was such a crazy ride. Also, I’d be most likely to re-read Simon as well, that book was so cute, it’s the perfect story for when you need a pick-me-up 🙂 <3

    1. Thanks, 2016 definitely was great readingwise 🙂 I know, I’m so excited to read Illuminae! The time has come, haha 🙂 Simon is indeed such a nice pick-me up book, I could re-read it non-stop <3

  12. THE RAVEN BOYS AND NEVERNIGHT ARE SO FREAKING AWESOME!! Ok i’ll calm down! Amazing year end post! That’s an amazing number of books you’ve read! I’m so glad to see you liked most of your 2016 reads 🙂 May 2017 be an amazing bookish year for you!!

    1. YES THEY ARE SO COMPLETELY AWESOME!! <3 <3 2016 definitely was great reading wise :) Thanks, hope you'll have an amazing 2017 as well!!

  13. Such a great post, Lindsey. I saw this on another blog I read, and it was such fun! Wish I’d discovered it earlier, because it looks like something I’d have liked to put together. Ah, well. Next year!

    CONGRATS on your first year as a blogger. So glad you did join, because as you say, this community is fabulous. Wishing you many more years to come.

    I’m hoping 2017 is THE year I read “Cinder” and of course, the “Six of Crows” duo too. Those sound so fun. 🙂

    (Also, a million thanks for the Finding Wonderland shout out! It’s been fabulous meeting you and visiting your lovely corner of the Internet. I spy many favorite bloggers among your fabulous list. 😀 )

    1. Thanks so much Rissi! <3 I loved discovering your blog this year and wish you so many more amazing blogging years as well! Oh, and I hope you'll enjoy both Cinder and Six of Crows :)

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