2014 Statistics Survey

Thanks for Andi from Andi’s ABCs and Brittany from The Book Addict’s Guide for coming up with this great idea. (Graphics and categories from their original post. If you want to link up and join the statistics fun, you can link up at the original post.)

 

1. Number of books under 250 pages (not including novellas) (also not including picture books!): 5
2. Number of books read between 400-449 pages: 7
3. Number of books read between 450-499 pages: 4
4. Number of books read over 500 pages: 4 which still amazes me.
5. Number of books read over 1000 pages: 0
6. Number of novellas read: 0
7. Number of books that made you cry: 3
8. Number of books from a female POV: all of them . . . 88
9. Number of books from a male POV: 16
10. Number of alternating or multiple POVs: 18
11. Number of DNFs (did not finish): I don’t track this and I try to finish everything either by skimming or by reading backwards
12. Number of five star reads: 38
13. Number of one/two star reads: 37
14. Number of authors met in 2014: a lot
15. Number of book events attended in 2014: a lot
16. Number of books you read in one day: I never read more than one book in a day and I average 2-3 days per book so this is too many to list
17. Number of audiobooks: 0
18. Number of 2015 books you have on pre-order: 1
19. Number of re-reads: 0

1. Book with the highest rating on Goodreads: In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken
2. Book with the lowest rating on Goodreads: Beau, Lee, the Bomb and Me by Mary McKinley
3. Book read furthest away from home (vacation reads?): N/A
4. Book that took you the longest to read: Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman (one week to read)
5. Book that you personally connected with the most: Love and Other Perishable Items by Laura Buzo
6. Book that made you love the villain: Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater
7. Book you said you’d come back to but still haven’t picked up again: Mortal Fire by Elizabeth Knox
8. Book you read waaaay before it’s publication date: Ha. Everything I read this month! The Winner’s Crime by Marie Rutkoski
9. Book you read on your birthday: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
10. Book with a character who shares your name: Blind by Rachel DeWoskin and the Lovegrove Legacy books by Alyxandra Harvey
11. Book you weren’t entirely truthful about when rating (Fluff up any ratings? Rated even though you didn’t finish?): I’ll never tell ;)
12. Book you read in 2014 but already want to re-read: I don’t re-read!
13. Book you borrowed from a friend a long time ago and still have? I don’t borrow books because I’m too paranoid about it.
14. Book by a foreign author/originally published in another country: Love and Other Perishable Items by Laura Buzo
15. Book you wish you could go back and read for the first time again: The Ghosts of Heaven by Marcus Sedgwick
16. Most books read by one author this year: I read so widely the answer here is 2 each for books by Sarah Beth Durst, Alyxandra Harvey, Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner, Emery Lord, Marcus Sedgwick, Rebecca Serle, Andrew Smith, Nova Ren Suma

1. Happiest & saddest: Happiest-The Geography of Me and You by Jennifer E. Smith. Saddest-Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
2. Longest & shortest: Longest-Shadowscale by Rachel Hartman or Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld. Shortest-Poisoned Apples by Christine Hepperman
3. Best & worst: There is no way I can fairly answer this.
4. First & last reads of 2014: First-Belle Epoque by Elizabeth Ross. Last-All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
5. First & last books on your bookcase (1st book on the top left and last book on the bottom right): I have too many bookcases. I wouldn’t know where to start.
6. The most disappointing & the biggest pleasant surprise: Best surprise-This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales. Biggest Disappointment-A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray
7. Bandwagon/fandom you joined & one you abandoned: Joined-Starbound. Abandoned-I think I’ve outgrown the legions of Shadowhunter novels. Alas.
8. Most lenient & harshest ratings: Harshest-Struck by Lightning by Chris Colfer. Lenient-Shift by Jennifer Bradbury may have received a generous rating because I loved it so.
9. Most hyped & furthest under the radar that you read: Most hyped: The One by Kiera Cass or In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken. Most under the radar: Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White.

1. Book you read that is red: 17 & Gone by Nova Ren Suma
2. Book you read that starts with M: My True Love Gave to Me or Mortal Heart
3. Book you read that you may have hugged when you finished it: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han or Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg.
4. Book you read that you may have wanted to throw across a room: Struck by Lightning by Chris Colver
5. Book that has the letters Q, X, or Z in the title (bonus for one of the words in the title beginning with those!): Quest by Aaron Becker, Tea Rex by Molly Idle,  My Three Best Friends and Me, Zulay by Cari Best (thank goodness for picture books!)
6. Book that suffered some damage this year (food? water? ripped pages/cover? Ouch!): That never happens. I don’t even crack spines.
7. Food you craved while/after reading a certain book: Cookies while reading To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han.
8. First book you read in 2015: Jackaby since I doubt I’ll finish it tomorrow.
9. Number of books read that end with a 6 in the page count:  16 (Many books are 336 or 256 pages–did you know?)

1. Number of posts in 2014: 280
   
2. Number of reviews posted this year: 50
   
3. First post of 2014: Winter Break Book Blogger Challenge 12: New Year’s Day!
4. First review of 2014: Champion: A Chick Lit Wednesday Review
5. Last post of 2014: This one!
   
6. Last review of 2014: Now That You’re Here by Amy K. Nichols
7. Least coherent review: Maybe We Were Liars because I had to be so vague to avoid spoilers.
   
8. Review with the most views (regardless of post date): Diary of a Wimpy Kid: A (book and movie) Review
9. Post with the most comments: Top Ten Tuesday: 2014 Goals
10. Post you wish you could re-write: My review of Sabriel–but I went ahead and did rewrite it this year.
    
11. Most popular post this year (that was posted in 2014): What to read after or instead of: The Fault in Our Stars
    

Top Ten Tuesday: 2015 Resolutions

2015 Resolutions!

(While you’re here, I’m also giving away some arcs to other reviewers/bloggers!)

1. Read 150 books (up from 125 last year)
2. Try to put a dent in my “put up or shut up” shelf and maybe be a little more proactive with books to read in general.
3. Another round of purging my owns books at home.
4. Keep up the blogging regularly. I can really see the growth I’ve had as a blogger over the last year and I want to keep that going in 2015.
5. I want to be aware of the things that are in my control and do my best to make those things work well.
6. I want to be able to let go of the things that are out of my control.
7. I want to continue being a little kinder than I have to be.
8. Creative writing!
9. Querying!
10. This last one isn’t a resolution but I’d like for 2015 to be a year of happiness and good health for me and mine (and for you and yours!).

If you want Santa to bring YOU an advance copy of This Shattered World, be sure to entire my giveaway!

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. (Image made by me.)

Blog Book Giveaway: Review Copies![CLOSED]

In sorting through my books, I’ve been forced to admit I am not going to get to everything I have to read in a timely manner. That’s where you come in!

I’m giving away a few review copies of books including:

• All Fall Down by Ally Carter (Jan. 27, 2015)
• The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma (Mar. 24, 2015)
• Cut Me Free by J. R. Johansson (Jan. 27, 2015)
• Save Me by Jenny Elliott (Jan. 2015)
• Dream a Little Dream by Kerstin Gier (Jan. 2015)
• All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven (Jan. 2015)

This giveaway is open to BLOGGERS (in the US) only. I want the books to go to someone who will read them in a timely manner and hopefully get a review up on or near (within a month of) the release date.

Giveaway will run from now until midnight January 4. Winners will be notified January 5. If I don’t hear back from the winners by January 6, I will pick a new winner from the entry pool.

TO ENTER: Leave a comment below (with a valid email in the email field) including the URL of your blog and your first and second choices for books you’d like to receive.

Monday Memories: Blackfin Sky

Monday Memories is a weekly feature hosted by Miss Print and the Book Bandit. Monday Memories will be ending today on December 29 after which this weekly feature will no longer be active.

This week for Monday Memories I’m talking about Blackfin Sky by Kat Ellis

At first I wasn’t sure what book I should talk about for this last Monday Memories. But then I realized Blackfin Sky was the just right choice because I almost never read (or even heard of) this book.

I’m a member of the YALSA’s 2015 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults committee. Because of that I have been getting a not-insignificant number of books in the mail. Some are books that are not eligible or books I don’t need to read for my sub-lists. Some are books I’ve already read.

Then some of them are gems like this one.

It’s easy as a blogger (and librarian) to think you must be finding all of the books worth seeing. But aside from being physically impossible, that also misses the point sometimes. As a blogger and librarian reading can often feel like work. Because it is work. I read for professional development and collection development and to do my job better. I read so that I’ll have things to talk about on this blog.

But I also read because I love it.

There was something magical about this strange supernatural mystery landing in my hands and there is something magical about finding those just-right books.

Even if I won’t be sharing more memories here on Mondays, I hope everyone makes time for a little whimsy in their reading lives.

If you want to join the fun one last time, just add your link below.

Week in Review: December 28

This week on the blog you can check out:

• Monday Memories: The Winner’s Curse
• Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Wouldn’t Mind Santa Bringing This Year

This week I also took part in another special features as well.

You can head to Nicole’s blog where I’m talking about one of my most favorite books from 2014, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, and some gifts I’d give with it this holiday season.

I’m also still giving away an arc of This Shattered World!

Happy holidays, dear readers! I can’t believe this is the last Week in Review I’ll be writing in 2014. A lot has changed for me as a blogger and in real life this year–largely for the better. I am incredibly grateful for that. To everyone who has been having a hard time either in general or because of the holidays, I hope things improve soon for you too.

I was a bit quiet on the blog this week because of Christmas and plan to do the same in the next week because of New Years but in January I am fully prepared to hit the ground running.

How was your week? If you celebrate Christmas did you get wonderful things? If you don’t did you at least get a nice day off?

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Wouldn’t Mind Santa Bringing This Year

1. Cart and Cwidder by Diana Wynne Jones
2. The Spellcoats by Diana Wynne Jones
3. Drowned Ammet by Diana Wynne Jones
4. The Crown of Dalemark by Diana Wynne Jones: Books 1-4 comprise The Dalemark Quartet. They are out of print. I have a very specific image in mind of the covers I want but I have also been having a very hard time finding them.
5. The China Garden by Liz Berry: This book is so out of print it doesn’t even seem to exist in any libraries. Maybe one day.
6. The Returning by Christine Hinwood: Haven’t read it yet but strongly suspect I’m going to love this book.
7. Winterspell by Claire Legrand: See above.
8. A Darker Shade of Magic by Victoria Schwab: I am kind of excited about this one and would not turn down the chance to read it early.
9. The Heir by Kiera Cass: See above :)
10. open spot for something Santa really thinks I would love :D

If you want Santa to bring YOU an advance copy of This Shattered World, be sure to entire my giveaway!

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

(Image made by me.)

Monday Memories: The Winner’s Curse

Monday Memories is a weekly feature hosted by Miss Print and the Book Bandit. Monday Memories will be ending on December 29 after which this weekly feature will no longer be active.

This week for Monday Memories I’m talking about The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski.

I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about this book before Monday Memories came to a close. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this books so I was able to read it early and had ample time to harass people to read it (even interviewing Marie on the blog tour which was a thrill).

It’s no exaggeration to say that this is one of my favorite books not only of 2014 but of all time. I am usually one of those horrible people who doesn’t buy books and instead holds onto ARCs (I just don’t have that much coin to spend on books, sorry) but this one I made an exception and bought a hardcover (something I plan to do with the rest of the series).

It’s thrilling to see a series I love so much getting so much attention with best of lists and good sales and I’m beyond excited to see how it all comes together by the end of the series.

The Winner’s Curse also reminds me a lot of Megan Whalen Turner’s glorious Queen’s Thief series so this one has the bonus of filling a Eugenides shaped hole in my heart now that I’m caught up with that series.

If you want to join the fun (until Monday Memories shuts down at the end of December), just add your link below.

Week in Review: December 21

This week on the blog you can check out:

• Monday Memories: Dearest
• 14 for 2014
• The Vanishing Season: A Chick Lit Wednesday Review
• Dynamic Duos Display (Library Life)
• Now That You’re Here: A Review
• 2014 Swap Reveals: In which I receive many wonderful things.

This week I also took part in two special features as well.

You can head to Nicole’s blog where I’m talking about one of my most favorite books Fire and Hemlock and some gifts I’d give with it this holiday season.

You can also head to Sarah’s blog where I share some tips for hosting a cookie swap (and share a delicious and easy cookie recipe too!).

I’m also still giving away an arc of This Shattered World!

This week I felt a lot better which was a huge relief. (I also slept a lot better which I have no doubt was a big help!).

As I mentioned yesterday, this was an epic mail week for me. In addition to my swaps I got some new dresses, a phone charger, a couple of gifts for Nicole for her birthday and a couple of Christmas gifts for my mom. (I am so on top of gifts right now that it’s not even funny. In other words: I am a rock star.)

I also received this beauty which was a fun surprise!

I love the cover and I’ve been wanting to read a non-Throne-of-Glass book of Maas’ to see how I feel about it. (ToG I must admit was not a favorite.) Honestly, though, I am most excited about the mask. Because it’s awesome. And because mine is coincidentally made with my favorite colors. If anyone has a line on a masquerade party I can crash, let me know because I am ready now!

Also as you read this I will be getting ready to exchange Christmas gifts with Nicole! Yay!

How was your week?

2014 Swap Reveals: In which I receive many wonderful things.

This year I participated in three holiday-ish swaps so I decided to wait until now and do the big reveals all at once.

First I took part in the Giving Thanks Box Swap that I hosted with the ever-lovely Nicole. This was a direct swap so I sent gifts to the person who sent to me. Happily Yvonne liked her gifts as much as I adored mine :)

I have wanted to read The Safe-Keeper’s Secret for years but it’s out of print and pretty hard to track down. I also got not one but THREE owl bookmarks, stationary, nail polish and a mix CD. Seriously, super thrilled.

My next two swaps came on the same day.

The first I opened was from the Secret Santa Book Exchange hosted by Meghann at Becoming Books. I already know that Julie was happy with her package (phew!) but I am not sure who sent mine along.

Whoever had me sent along a beautiful hardcover of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer which I am very excited to read.

Which brings me to my last swap: The Broke and Bookish Secret Santa that Jamie put together. This swap was particularly fun because on the same day that I received my gifts I saw a lovely tweet from Magan from Rather Be Reading saying she had received my package and loved everything (I love when people love the gifts I give them!).

I knew who my TBTB Santa was as soon as I saw the box because this year my santa was a friend from Twitter!

After opening the box and the card inside, I knew my suspicions were correct and Gail from Ticket to Anywhere had sent me the lovely package.

Before talking about anything else I have to tell you that I couldn’t fit the stocking FILLED WITH CANDY into this picture but know that Gail sent me a ton of delicious seasonal chocolate (and Dots!). As for what’s in the photo: I’ve been hearing tons of good things about Forget Me and now have a beautiful signed copy all my own. A signed copy of The Winner’s Curse complete with companion eyeshadow (which I love!). A lovely hardcover of Loop, which according to many bloggers I trust is a must read. Hello Kitty earbuds! A Hello Kitty bookmark that even my mom liked (she got to watch me opening this package and was stymied that I had to stop to photograph everything before opening it). Nail polish! An owl ornament! A novelty deck of cards from UnRequired Reading (I collect decks of cards.)!

Needless to say, I am feeling very lucky after receiving these beautiful gifts. Thank you again, so much, to my three gift senders!

Now That You’re Here: A Review

“A boy shows up at my door and sets off a series of events that shatters everything I understand about the universe.

“And my place in it.”

Danny has spent his entire life pushing back against the totalitarian restrictions his government has put in place to monitor citizens in the name of law and order. Sometimes that means putting up coded messages in graffiti on city walls. Danny knows that this kind of tagging is dangerous, but he’s also positive that this will be the last time.

Then everything blows up.

When Danny wakes up he is still himself. But not quite. Longer hair, less muscle, and definitely not on the run. Things get even weirder when Danny realizes he recognizes the girl sitting next to him.

Eevee is calm, collected, and knows exactly what she has to do to get the best grades to get into the best college and then get the best job. She doesn’t know anything about Danny or why he seems to think he knows her as anything more than a classmate. She also doesn’t know why this new version of Danny is making her question everything she thought she knew about her life.

Thrown together by the most unlikely of circumstances, Danny and Eevee will have to work together to get Danny back home to his own universe before time runs out in Now that You’re Here (2014) by Amy K. Nichols.

Now That You’re Here is Nichol’s first novel. It is also the first Duplexity book. The second novel, While You Were Gone, will be a mirror image of Now That You’re Here. It is slated for a 2015 release.

Told in alternating chapters by Eevee and Danny, Now That You’re Here is an interesting addition to the sub-genre of alternate universe stories. With action, romance and lots of science, this story is a great introduction to the world of YA science fiction as well as a dramatic story for anyone looking for their next impossible romance.

Nichols populates the story with quirky characters including Eevee’s parents and her best friend Warren. While Nichols makes several nods to diversity with a disabled parent (not seen in this novel but perhaps they will feature more largely in book two) as well as parents who were never marries. Both points were unbelievably welcome and refreshing. Unfortunately an entirely different character is revealed to have no lower legs with no references made to any concessions needed for such a disability (to the point that no one knew this character was disabled and they didn’t even use a cane) which lowered the entire effort to lip service more than actual mindful inclusion.

It’s difficult to judge Now That You’re Here on its own knowing that it is the first part of a duet. Ideally, many of the flaws in this novel will be smoothed over in the second volume. It seems likely that these stories are more a case of one book in two packages rather than two distinct stories. Nonetheless, readers only have one half of the story here which leaves many plot points to develop off page as Danny catches glimpses of his home universe and later explains what is happening to readers.

The development of Eevee and Danny’s relationship is similarly jarring as it lacks a basic foundation and instead escalates to all-out love very quickly. This abrupt shift in both characters’ feelings also makes for some very murky character motivation as the story progresses.

Set in present-day Arizona, Now That You’re Here offers tantalizing hints of an alternate history and what it’s like for Danny to live in his own universe. The dual-narrative structure also offers readers a very faceted view of the story that will likely expand even more when the companion novel is punished. This book is an obvious choice for readers looking for a sweet romance with a lot of action in any genre.

Possible Pairings: I Remember You by Cathleen Davitt Bell, In Some Other Life by Jessica Brody, Little Brother by Cory Doctorow, Two Summers by Aimee Friedman, A Crack in the Line by Michael Lawrence, Hourglass by Myra McEntire, Parallel by Lauren Miller, Fair Coin by E. C. Myers, The Square Root of Summer by Harriet Reuter Hapgood, The Shadow Society by Marie Rutkoski,  Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone, All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill, Pivot Point by Kasie West