End of 2012 Bookish Survey


Best in Books 2012
1. The best book I read in 2012 – Deity by Jennifer L. Aremntrout
      This book put me in a reading slump for a looooonnnngggg time. I wanted nothing more than to re-read it over and over again. It was just sooooo good! I was entranced by the mythology and all the action had me sitting on the edge of my seat and chewing my nails.

2. Book I was excited about but didn’t love – Starling by Lesley Livingston
      I was excited about the different type of mythology but it wasn’t all that I expected it to be. Not saying that it wasn’t good, but I think I had just hyped it up too much.

3. Most surprising in 2012 – Cinder by Marissa Meyer
      OMG I was NOT supposed to like this. I remember reading the book blurb and thinking “Cyborgs?! Uhhh no thanks.” But I waited until there were alotttt of reviews out and I read them. And they were all good. So I gave it a shot. And I’m so glad I did!

4. Book I’ve recommended the most in 2012 – Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout
      It’s really the entire Covenant series, but I recommended this one to about 5 people and they wanted to read the rest afterwards. It makes me happy when people like some of my favorite books.

5. Best series I discovered in 2012 – Ugh again with the Covenant series! Lol Clearly you can see what my favorite series is! I also enjoyed reading The Hundred Oaks companion novels by Miranda Kenneally and the companion novels by Stephanie Perkins. Also, the Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer.

6. Favorite new authors I discovered in 2012 – Tamara Ireland Stone, Jamie McGuire, Trish Doller, and Katie McGarry.
      I loved Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone. It was such a great romance with such amazing characters. Jamie McGuire blew me away with Beautiful Disaster. It was my first New Adult novel that I’ve read and I was excited because with me being 23, the characters were closer to my age and I was able to connect with them on a better level. Something Like Normal by Trish Doller was another of my favorites! She wrote a contemporary from a male’s POV and that is no easy feat. But Doller made it seem easy. Also I loved that it features the military. Lastly, Pushing the Limits, was amazing too. I love a good contemporary with a tortured girl and an even more broken boy. They just seem to fall even more in love with each other. McGarry provided just that for me.

7. Best book out of my comfort zone –  Cinder by Marissa Meyer
See above (#3)!

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book – The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
      Guys, this book has 3095736285606372 twists and turns. I was gipping the edge of my seat! If you haven’t read this series yet, you need to!

9. Book I’m most likely to re-read – Deity by Jennifer L. Armentrout
      Yes another time with Armentrout. Get over it because I cannot get enough of Aiden The Covenant series! I just love mythology that much!

10. Favorite cover –  Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins,  Cinder by Marissa Meyer, and Embrace by Jessica Shirvington

Sweet Evil (The Sweet Trilogy, #1)  Cinder (Lunar Chronicles, #1)  Embrace (The Violet Eden Chapters, #1)
11. Most memorable character(s) – Parker from Stealing Parker and Jordan from Catching Jordan. If you’ve read my reviews of both, you know that I loved those characters because in all of Miranda Kenneally’s books there is a lesson to be learned and the character is taken on a journey that shows them that lesson. Much like what would happen in real life. I loved that they were teaching something but they weren’t any less enjoyable.
12. Most beautifully written – Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone. Everything just flowed. I felt like I was in the middle of the story. And the romance between Bennett and Anna was so amazing. It all just “went.”
13. Book that had the greatest impact on me – Speechless by Hannah Harrington
      I had actually never read a book that featured bullying and it was a real eye opener. Most people want to think that there aren’t people out there that would act like that, but don’t be fooled. There are crazy people everywhere.

14. Book(s) I can’t believe I waited UNTIL 2012 to finally read – The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins and Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready.
      I always wait until all they hype around a book has disappeared before I read it. And in doing so, it sometimes causes me to miss out on some really good books sometimes. I’m so happy I went back and got caught up though!

15. Favorite Passage – Man, from just 2012? Geez umm ok….
      “I don't know how to say it exactly. Only...I want to die as myself. Does that make any sense?' he asks. I shake my head. How could he die as anyone but himself. 'I don't want them to change me in there. Turn me into some kind of monster that I'm not.”
― Suzanne CollinsThe Hunger Games
      “Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor.”
― Suzanne CollinsThe Hunger Games
      “I can’t keep pretending that I don’t want this – that I don’t want you. I can’t. Not after what happened to you. It thought… I thought I’d lost you, Alex, forever. And I would’ve lost everything. You are my everything.”
― Jennifer L. Armentrout, Deity
      “You know why I want you? I didn’t know I was lost until you found me. I didn’t know what alone was until the first night I spent without you in my bed. You’re the one thing I’ve got right. You’re what I’ve been waiting for, Pigeon.”
― Jamie McGuireBeautiful Disaster
     
16. Shortest & Longest book I read – Shortest: Elixir by Jennifer L. Armentrout. 75 pages. (It was a novella… Does that count?)
      Longest: The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin 544 pages

17. Scene that had me reeling (WTF Moment, Epic Revelation, Steamy Kiss, etc.) – 
      Swoon worthy: Alex & Aiden moment in Deity. Anytime Travis and Pidgeon were happy together in Beautiful Disaster.
      WTF moment: Ending of Insurgent by Veronica Roth, ending of Deity by JLA. Ending of Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.
      Steamy Kiss: I JUST read it a few minutes ago in Easy by Tamara Webber. Lucas and Jacqueline together always made me have to take a break and cool down.

18. Favorite Relationship – Anna & Bennett in Time Between Us, Anna & St. Clair in Anna and the French Kiss, Travis and Harper from Something Like Normal.

19. Favorite book from an author I read previously – The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan.
      I told you how much I loved mythology! And Riordan’s books never disappoint me.
     
20. Best book read based on a recommendation from someone else – Of Poseidon by Anna Banks. I was looking for a good summer read because I went to Panama City, Florida for Spring Break and I was going to be on the beach so I wanted to read something that was either on the beach or something dealing with water. And this one was amazing!

Book Blogging/Reading Life
1. New favorite book I discovered in 2012? Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone
2. Best event I participated in? Armchair BEA.

Looking Ahead
1. One book I didn’t get to but will be a priority in 2013? Ahhhh, so many…
If I Lie by Corrine Jackson
In Honor by Jessi Kirby
Carnival of Souls by Marissa Marr
Slammed by Colleen Hoover
Shadow and Bone Leigh Bardugo
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
     
2. Book I’m most anticipating in 2013? Again, so many…
Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
Third book in the Divergent series by Veronica Roth
Pivot Point by Kasie West
If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin
Just One Day by Gayle Forman
Just One Year by Gayle Forman
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett
Apollyon by Jennifer L. Armentrout
My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi
Things I Can’t Forget by Miranda Kenneally
     
3. One thing I hope to accomplish or do in my reading/blogging in 2013? I just hope to be a better blogger, in general. I just applied to a new school to open up more possibilities in my Library Science career, so I’ll have way more time to blog since I’ll be surrounded by books. Yes I know Library Science isn’t all about reading, but since I volunteered at a library since I was 16 and now have a book blog, I know mostly the in’s and out’s. I just need to “fine tune” some things!


Soooooo, 2 hours later I’m finally done with this survey -__- I know you probably won’t read it all, but if so, I hope you enjoyed! What’s some of your answers?!