2013 End of Year Book Survey

1. Best book you read in 2013 (If you have to cheat, you can break it down by genre)?

Contemporary YA: Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

New Adult: Before Jamaica Lane by Samantha Young

Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic: Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Historical Romance: Lord of Darkness by Elizabeth Hoyt

Classic: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Contemporary Fiction: Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Raey

2. Book you were excited about and thought you were going to love more but didn't? 

Theirs to Keep by Maya Banks. I absolutely love Maya Banks, but this one just didn't do it for me like her other ones did. 

3. Most surprising (in a good way) book of 2013?

That would definitely have to be Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson. I hadn't even heard of the book when I accepted it for review and it wasn't normally a genre I read. But once I got into it, I just couldn't put it down! I've already given it to my dad to read and my sister is going to read it after him. And it wasn't even a romance, which is saying a lot to what kind of books I find myself obsessing over…

4. Book that you read in 2013 that you recommend most to people? 

Wow, there are so many! If I had to pick one, though, I'd have to go with Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. That books was just so quirky and unlike anything I've ever read. If you haven't read anything by Rainbow Rowell, you definitely have to soon!

5. Best series you discovered in 2013? 

I think I have to go with Samantha Young's On Dublin Street series. I read On Dublin Street, Down London Road, and Before Jamaica Lane. All three were absolutely phenomenal reads and I can't wait for the fourth one to come out! 

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2013? 

I did a Top Ten Tuesday post where I picked the top ten authors I discovered, but if I had to narrow it down to one I'd have to go with…Rainbow Rowell. But John Green and Cora Carmack are close seconds! 

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre to you?

Like I said, Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson was way out of my usual genre but it was one of my favorite reads of the year. It's kind of the same genre as my favorite kind of movies, so I don't know why I haven't checked out more books like it before!

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2013?

While it wasn't exactly "thrilling," Just One Day by Gayle Forman was definitely an unputdownable book. And I also read Crash Into You by Katie McGarry in only one day because it was such an addicting story. 

9. Book you read in 2013 that you are most likely to reread next year?

Hands down Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2013?

11. Most memorable character in 2013? 

Oh there are so many! I absolutely loved Olivia from Before Jamaica Lane by Samantha Young. And while not my favorite person, Emma from Emma by Jane Austen was definitely a memorable character.  Ooooh and let's not forget Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice!

12. Most beautifully written book in 2013?

I'd have to go with The Language Inside by Holly Thompson. It was written in verse and it was such a beautiful read. 

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2013?

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover. This book seriously blew my mind! I was reading it while I was in London and I would read it walking to class and riding the tube…it was literally all I wanted to do because the book was SO GOOD and not at all what I was expecting. 

14. Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2013 to finally read?

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. Well, I'm reading it right now but I think it still counts. It's been on my TBR list since it came out in 2010 and I'm FINALLY reading it. 

15. Favorite passage/quote from a book you read in 2013?

16. Shortest and longest book you read in 2013?

Shortest: Attitude by Robin Stevenson (144 pages)

Longest: The Heavenly Twins by Sarah Grand (736 pages…it was for an English Lit class!)

17. Book that had a scene in it that had you reeling and dying to talk to someone about?

Haha, that's definitely the last couple of chapters of Before Jamaica Lane by Samantha Young. I was dying to tell my sister about what was happening, but she's planning on reading it so I couldn't spoil anything. It was so hard keeping what happened to myself!

18. Favorite relationship you read from a book in 2013?

Seeing as almost everything I read is romance, this is such a hard question! I loved Sky and Holder from Hopeless by Colleen Hoover, Derek and Ashtyn in Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles, and Rachel and Isaiah in Crash Into You by Katie McGarry. 

19. Favorite book you read in 2013 from an author you read previously?

I really loved Golden by Jessi Kirby and Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally. 

20. Best book you reading 2013 that you read solely on a recommendation from someone else?

I read Just One Year by Gayle Forman only because of the reviews on Goodreads. I'm so glad I did because it was amazing!

21. Genre you read the most of in 2013?

YA Contemporary…did you really have to ask?

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2013?

Only one??? Haha, I think I'll go with Holder from Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover. 

23. Best 2013 debut you read?

Dear Mr. Knightly by Katherine Raey. This book was so good and I couldn't believe it was her debut novel!

24. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2013?

Hmmm I'm going to go with Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson. The world he created was so cool!

25. Book that was most fun to read in 2013?

Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt. I thought the whole concept of "going vintage" today was really fun and I enjoyed reading the story!

26. Books that made you cry or nearly cry in 2013?

Hands down The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. 

27. Book that you read in 2013 that got overlooked this year or when it came out?

Of Beast and Beauty by Stacey Jay. I loved this book but it seems like no one in the YA community read this one. I loved Stacey Jay's Juliet Immortal series and couldn't wait to read this one. It was great, but is so overlooked!

Looking Ahead…

1. One book you didn't get to in 2013 but will be your number 1 priority in 2014?

Insurgent and Allegiant by Veronica Roth! I still haven't read either of them, but I'm absolutely dying to find out what happens next and how it ends. 

2. Book you are most anticipating for 2014?

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins! I have been waiting for over a year for that one!

3. 2014 debut you are most anticipating? 

Defy by Sara B Larson. I already have a copy of it from net galley and can't wait to read it!

4. Series ending you are most anticipating in 2014?

Wow, I actually don't have an answer. I'm way behind on the series I do read, so it's not like I'm eagerly waiting for the newest release to come out. I've been reading a lot of stand-alones or series that are far from being over. So no series that are ending that I'm anticipating for next year yet. 

5. One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/blogging in 2014?

I blew my reading goal out of the water this year (I set a goal of 132 and currently have read 171), so I hope to read at least 170 books again next year. And keep up with my blog! I hope that blogging can continue to be something I love and enjoy, and that I don't burn out. I couldn't imagine that happening to me, but it's happened to so many people that I can't help but fear it could happen to me. Let's hope this blog is still something I love come next year!