End of Year Book Survey

This is my version of the end of year book survey from over at The Perpetual Page Turner. I left out the whole category about my blogging/bookish life because, my blogging life is pretty unremarkable.

2014 Reading Stats

Number of Books You Read: 36
Number of Re-Reads: 2
Genre You Read The Most From: YA Fiction (and I feel no shame)

Best in Books

1. Best Book You Read In 2014?

First of all, I don’t think it’s fair to start off with such a difficult question. Ultimately though, I’ve settled on The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. If you still haven’t read it, get on that!

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

The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn't bad, I just didn't love it as much as I anticipated.

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read in 2014? 

Dracula by Bram Stoker. I thought I knew what this was all about, but it wasn't quite what I expected it to be.

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did) In 2014?

Obviously, it’s The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. Seriously, read it.

5. Best series you started in 2014? Best Sequel of 2014? Best Series Ender of 2014?

I loved the entire Divergent series by Veronica Roth and I think Allegiant was the best series ender I read this year. The Revenge of Seven (from the Lorien Legacies series) was the best sequel I read this year. The best series I started, but have not yet finished, was Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card.

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2014?

John Green. Wow, I sound like a John Green fangirl. Whatever, I’m on that bandwagon and I’m not getting off anytime soon.

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

Haunted Mesa by Louis L’Amour. My dad read a lot of Louis L’Amour while I was growing up, but I never really got into that genre. I read Haunted Mesa this summer and I enjoyed it WAY more than I expected to. Turns out, it’s a pretty great book.

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

I finished The Fault In Our Stars in less than 24 hours, so definitely unputdownable, but not exactly thrilling or action-packed. That honor goes to Allegiant.

9. Book You Read In 2014 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. I am also likely to finally see the movie.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2014?

I really don’t pay very close attention to the covers of books I read, so don’t hate me if you disagree with this answer, but I’m going with The Maze Runner by James Dashner—NOT the one with the movie cover. Movie covers make me sad.

11. Most memorable character of 2014?

Augustus Waters from The Fault In Our Stars. (I’m kind of obsessed with the book. Clearly).

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2014?

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. It was just so lovely.

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2014?

The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengestu. It wasn’t my favorite, but it was new and different (for me) and made me think about things.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2014 to finally read? 

There were actually a few Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson (how did I never read this as a child?), The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (it’s been my favorite movie forever), and The Help by Katherine Stockett (I may actually see the movie now).

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2014?

"My thoughts are stars I cannot fathom into constellations.” The Fault In Our Stars—and I was really upset when I didn’t hear it in the movie

16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?

 Longest: Third Kingdom by Terry Goodkind. Shortest: Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

17. Book That Shocked You The Most

The Help by Kathryn Stockett. Possibly because YA fiction isn’t typically all that shocking, and possibly because I have lived the majority on my lifer in Idaho. Most likely some combination of the two.

18. OTP of the Year (I will go down with this ship!)

Richard and Kahlan from Third Kingdom (and the rest of Goodkind’s Sword of Truth series). They are perfect and I will never change my mind about them.

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

Will, Nick, and Ajay from The Paladin Prophecy. If I were a teenage boy, I would hang out with them.

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2014 From An Author You've Read Previously

O! Pioneers by Willa Cather. I read My Antonia years ago, but never bothered to read anything else. I think I like O! Pioneers better.

21. Best Book You Read In 2014 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

The Divergent series by Veronica Roth. Totally worth it.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2014?

Augustus Waters forever! (In the pretend world where I am not 15 years his senior).

23. Best 2014 debut you read?

I don’t think I read one.

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

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

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

The Paladin Prophecy by Mark Frost, and Paper Towns had its moments.

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2014?

This, my friends, is a VERY long list. 11 made me ugly cry, 5 provoked less disruptive tears, and 6 came really close.

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

 I just can't decide.

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

I’m interpreting this to mean the book that I hated so much I wanted it to not exist. Given those parameters, the book that crushed my soul was Hawkes Harbor by S.E. Hinton. I only finished it because we needed the state of Delaware for the summer reading challenge and this was the only book I could find. It was awful. So awful. I almost cried about how awful it was.

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2014?

Icy Sparks by Gwyn Hyman Rubio.

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

In addition to Hawkes Harbor (grrrrrr!), I was excessively angry about the ending of The Spectacular Now.

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 Looking Ahead

1. One Book You Didn't Get To In 2014 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2015?

 Legend by Marie Lu. It was at the top of my to-read list for most of the year and I even bought a copy, but then I lent it to someone and never actually got around to reading it myself.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2015 (non-debut)?

The Country of Ice Cream Star by Sandra Newman

3. 2015 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

 I got nothing…

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2015?

The as yet untitled next (and last) installment in the Lorien Legacies series.

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2015?

This challenge 

6. A 2015 Release You've Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:

Nope.