This end of year survey is hosted by Jamie over at The Perpetual Page Turner. Thanks Jamie! I've taken out the bit in the middle about my blogging life as I've not been as active in the blogging community as I've wanted to be (see above re. lack of time) but hopefully people might find some inspiration from my list.
Happy new year everyone! Here's to a bookish 2017.
Number Of Books You Read: 125
Number of Re-Reads: 9
Genre You Read The Most From: YA contemporary
Best in Books
1. Best Book You Read In 2017?
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee. The writing is genius. Genius, I tell you! I listened to this on audiobook and it had me laughing out loud and mushing with emotion in equal measure.
2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
My Lady Jane. This was my ‘Book I wanted to read in 2016 and didn’t get round to’ pick for last year’s end-of-year quiz and I was so excited for it, but it just fell flat for me. Totally gutted.
3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?
The Royals series (Paper Princess, Broken Prince, Twisted Palace). On the face of it, it’s a really trashy soap opera trilogy, but it was so, so good! I really couldn’t put these books down.
4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?
We Should All be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It’s a personal, eloquent essay (but don’t let that put you off) about how feminism is good for everyone, a definition of feminism that is rooted in inclusion and awareness. Everyone should read this book.
Well, it’s got to be A Court of Wings and Ruin, hasn’t it?? It wasn’t quite as good as ACOMAF, which I’m coming to think is actually the best book I’ve ever read, but it would have been hard to top perfection. Instead, we get a series ender that is merely excellent.
6. Favourite new author you discovered in 2017?
Gail Honeyman - author of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. This book was excellent - five stars. The characters were engaging, the plot kept me hooked and I can’t wait to read more by this author.
7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
The Thing around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I don’t usually read short stories and I avoid anything that has won prestigious prizes like a rabid cow, but this book was surprisingly good.
8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
Genuine Fruad by E Lockhart. It wasn’t the best book I read all year - I rated it four stars - but it easily had the most action in it, exacerbated by the screwed-up timeline.
I think I might go back to The Power by Naomi Alderman. Now I’ve had the chance to absorb it a bit more, I think it might make more sense the second time around.
10. Favourite cover of a book you read in 2017?
Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall. Just beautiful. And the book’s pretty darn good too.
11. Most memorable character of 2017?
Henry ‘Monty’ Montague, from A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue. I will never forget him.
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2017?
Moonrise by Sarah Crossan. Sarah Crossan has never put a foot wrong as far as I’m concerned, but this book was eye-wateringly beautiful and melancholy.
13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2017?
Turtles All The Way Down by John Green. I used to think I was ‘a bit OCD’ just because I find quiet satisfaction in having my computer keyboard lined perfectly parallel to the edge of my desk. I now realise that I am not OCD at all.
Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel. This book had been knocking around at home for at least two years and I finally picked it up a few months ago. So, so glad I did.
15. Favourite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2017?
“What we think to be our greatest weakness can sometimes be our biggest strength.”
― Sarah J. Maas, A Court of Wings and Ruin
16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2017?
Shortest book - They’re Made Out Of Meat by Terry Bisson. 5 pages.
Longest book - A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas. 699 pages.
17. Book That Shocked You The Most
The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis. It shocked me how good it was and also shocked me (in a good way) with the themes it covered - violence and rape culture. This was one of the best books I read this year!
18. OTP OF THE YEAR (I will go down with this ship!)
Oh, come on. It’s got to be Feyre and Rhysand.
19. Favourite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year
Probably the two girls in The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis - Alex and Peekay.
Tricky one. I actually tried quite a few new authors this year, but I guess my favourite book from an author I’ve read previously is turtles All The Way Down by John Green. ACOWAR was pretty amazing too, though!
21. Best Book You Read In 2017 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee. It was all over my Goodreads feed, and people seemed to love it so much that I was scared to pick it up at first - I don’t have a great track record with books that other people have raved about. So glad I read it, though. It was brilliant.
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2017?
Gotta say, I’m crushing hard on Monty from The Gentleman’s Guide To Vice And Virtue. I know he’s gay, and attached, and, you know, fictional, but I thought he was great.
23. Best 2017 debut you read?
Countless by Karen Gregory. It’s the story of a girl who battles her eating disorder when she finds out she’s pregnant. It was pretty poignant.
24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake. The creepy island the triplets live on was really brought to life.
25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?
Paper Princess by Paper Princess by Erin Watt. There’s a bit where the protagonist punches the school Mean Girl right in the face. It was hilarious.
26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2017?
ACOWAR. The bit at the end. You know the bit I mean.
27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?
Moonrise by Sarah Crossan. She’s a favourite author of mine and this is an amazing book. I don’t think it’s got a huge amount of exposure - only 800 Goodreads ratings - but I’d recommend to anyone.
28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?
Moonrise again. It’s a heartbreaking story, beautifully written.
29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2017?
Probably The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F Scott Fitzgerald. A really bizarre story, an unreliable narrator set about a hundred years ago.
30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
The Power by Naomi Alderman. The story centres around women gaining the ability to give an electric shock through their bodies and some women abuse their power, leaving men in fear of their safety and ultimately living as second class citizens. The book is quite powerful and all of the atrocities committed by women to men are exactly the same as the things currently done by men to women, so it brought a lot into sharp focus.
1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2017 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2018?
Alex and Eliza by Melissa de la Cruz.
2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2018 (non-debut)?
Queen of Air and Darkness - the third Dark Artifices book. I hate waiting for the next instalment in series so I’ve been saving Lady Midnight and Lord of Shadows up and i’m planning to binge read all three when this comes out.
3. 2018 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
Love Hate and Other Filters by Samira Ahmed - it looks great!
Queen of Air and Darkness - see above!
5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2018?
For ages, I’ve wanted to go to YALC and haven’t managed to get my butt into gear. Maybe this will be the year J
6. A 2018 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone (if applicable):
I’ve just read The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton. It was kind of complicated but really good and the ending knocked my socks off.
Thanks for organising this round up Jamie and I hope everyone has a happy new year!