This survey was put together by Jamie at The Perpetual Page Turner (as were the graphics). If you want to join the fun, you can join the link up on her blog.
Number Of Books You Read: 153
Number of Re-Reads: N/A
Number of Picture Books: ~20
Genre You Read The Most From: toss up between mysteries and fantasy/sci-fi
1. Best Book You Read In 2014?
Backlist Contemporary: Love and Other Perishable Items by Laura Buzo
Backlist Fantasy: The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud
2014 Publication Fantasy: The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski, All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill, The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson
2014 Publication Contemporary: And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
You can also check out my 14 for 2014 list to see what else I loved!
2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray–A sci-fi, parallel universe story with some romance? I expected to love this one. Instead I was left cold by the lackluster romance and world building.
3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read in 2014?
Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White–I didn’t even think I was a fan of White’s writing then I read this book and was completely blown away!
The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud–I was almost ready to give up on this book as unread. Then I did read it and found it was a favorite for the year!
These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner–another one I almost didn’t read!
4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did) In 2014?
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski, The Archived by Victoria Schwab, All These Things I’ve Done by Gabrielle Zevin, Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld
5. Best series you started in 2014? Best Sequel of 2014? Best Series Ender of 2014?
Series Starter: The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud (first book in the Lockwood & Co. series) or The Lost by Sarah Beth Durst (first book in The Lost trilogy), The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski (first book in The Winner’s Trilogy)
Sequel: The Unbound by Victoria Schwab (sequel to The Archived), Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater (book 3 in The Raven Cycle0, The Strange Maid by Tessa Gratton (sequel to The Lost Sun)
Series Ender: Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers (final His Fair Assassin book) or In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken (final The Darkest Minds book) or Bad Luck Girl by Sarah Zettel, The One by Kiera Cass, In the Age of Love and Chocolate by Gabrielle Zevin, Champion by Marie Lu
6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2014?
This one was really hard but I think Marcus Sedgwick, Stacey Jay and Marie Rutkoski. I hadn’t read any of them previously but I adored Midwinterblood, Princess of Thorns and The Winner’s Curse.
7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
It’s not entirely out of my comfort zone since I do read sci-fi but I had a really hard time with The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson
8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski, Champion by Marie Lu, Clariel by Garth Nix
9. Book You Read In 2014 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
I don’t re-read books but if I did: My True Love Gave to Me edited by Stephanie Perkins
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2014?
11. Most memorable character of 2014?
Signy from The Strange Maid, Kestrel from The Winner’s Curse, Em from All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2014?
In the Age of Love and Chocolate by Gabrielle Zevin
13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2014?
For its optimism: This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales
For its plot: The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski
For its world building: Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2014 to finally read?
There are a lot of ways I could answer this but probably the one most people would find surprising is The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.
Other surprises were A Spy in the House by Y. S. Lee which had been on my radar for a while but I somehow never read it until it was nominated for my committee work (I’m on YALSA’s Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults so I have been reading a lot of backlist!). Also Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma which I had owned since 2011!
15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2014?
“We are where we are.”
–In the Age of Love and Chocolate by Gabrielle Zevin
“Besides, I did not require heroism–I had been the hero of my own life for some time.”
–In the Age of Love and Chocolate by Gabrielle Zevin
“You think it’s so easy to change yourself. You think it’s so easy, but it’s not. True, things don’t stay the same forever: couches are replaced, boys leave, you discover a song, your body becomes forever scarred. And with each of these moments you change and change again, your true self spinning, shifting positions–but always at last it returns to you, like a dancer on the floor. Because throughout it all, you are still, always, you: beautiful, bruised, known and unknowable. And isn’t that–just you–enough?”
–This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales
16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2014?
Longest: Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld at 599 pages (Followed closely by The Book Thief by Markus Zusak at 55o pages and In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken as a close second at 535.)
Shortest: Poisoned Apples: Poems for You, My Pretty by Christine Hepperman at 128. (Not counting picture books or easy readers, of course.)
17. Book That Shocked You The Most
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill
18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)
Mac and Wes obviously. Also Callie and Jack.
Honorable Mentions:
Kestrel and Arin, America and Maxon, Em and Finn
19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year
This doesn’t quite count but Chris and Amelia from Love and Other Perishable Items by Laura Buzo.
20. Favorite Book You Read in 2014 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
Clariel by Garth Nix, Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld, Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins.
21. Best Book You Read In 2014 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:
These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner–thanks for the nudge Kayla!
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2014?
Ned from The Strange Maid by Tessa Gratton, Arin from The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski, Finn from Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White
23. Best 2014 debut you read?
Blackfin Sky by Kat Ellis–I didn’t read a lot of debuts this year because of my committee work but this one came to my attention thanks to Popular Paperbacks and I was completely blown away. It was a real delight.
24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay
25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?
Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson, Open Road Summer by Emery Lord, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2014?
Surprisingly it was My True Love Gave to Me edited by Stephanie Perkins. Several of the stories had me tearing up–especially “Welcome to Christmas, CA” by Kiersten White.
27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?
Backlist: The Space Between Trees by Katie Williams
2014 release: The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson
Series: The Lovegrove Legacy by Alyxandra Harvey
28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?
Love and Other Perishable Items by Lauro Buzo or The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson–I was gutted when I finished both.
29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2014?
Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick. I loved the way the stories intersected to complete a longer narrative. The fact that the stories can be read in any order is also fascinating to me.
30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
There were a few frustrating reads but Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers definitely made me the maddest.
1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2014?
The Thousand Lives and The Talking (Blogging) Bookworm and Blogging Between the Lines
2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2014?
Positive: The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski
Critical: Salt & Storm by Kendall Kulper
3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?
Let’s talk about book baggage (figurative not literal)
4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?
The launch party for In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken–of course!
5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2014?
My Gilmore Girls read-a-likes post got a lot of great attention this year which was fun as a blogger.
But if I’m being really, really honest with myself the best moment was being invited to dinner by Rachel Hartman (author of Seraphina) where I got to spend a lovely meal with her and one of the first librarians I ever worked with (as an intern and page) Karyn.
7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?
The Fault in Our Stars Read-a-Likes
8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?
I’m pretty happy with the love my posts have been getting. I have been making a real effort to comment on more people’s posts so I wish I was able to have more conversations on my blog :)
9. Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?
10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?
I read more than 125 books which was my Goodreads Challenge target!
1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2014 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2015?
I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2015 (non-debut)?
P. S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han and A Darker Shade of Magic by Victoria Schwab
3. 2015 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, Shutter by Courtney Alameda
4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2015?
I want to say the final book in the Winner’s Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski but that might not even come out in 2015 so I’ll also add Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman.
5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2015?
I really, really want to read more of the books on my shelves at home and also books that have been languishing on my “to read” list for years. I’ve been thinking of it as my “Put Up or Shut Up” challenge in my head.
6. A 2015 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:
The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black, The Ghosts of Heaven by Marcus Sedgwick, Dearest by Alethea Kontis, The Winner’s Crime by Marie Rutkoski
Miss Print 