Created by Jamie @ The Perpetual Page-Turner
I love these posts! They're so much fun to write and reflect back on what I've read the past year. I can't believe 2016 is over but, to be honest, I'm glad it's almost over. Personally, it's been a good year but there's been so many devastating things happening around the world that have been so upsetting, so I'm really looking forward to leaving 2016 behind!
If there is an * by a question, it's my own one and not a part of the original survey!
Number Of Books You Read: 72, which I'm super proud of! It's my second highest amount of books read the past four years so GO ME.
Number of Re-Reads: 0, I don't generally reread books!
Genre You Read The Most From: YA contemporary (no surprise there) but I also read a decent amount of urban fantasy and sci-fi, genres I don't normally read. LOOK AT ME STEPPING OUTSIDE MY COMFORT ZONE.
*Where Were My Books From? (bought/library/publisher: 22 copies were from the library, 45 copies were review books and only FIVE books were books that I had bought myself. WHAT?! Okay, firstly, can we just give me a round of applause for how many review books I read this year? Thank you. But I'm appalled that I'd only read 5 of my own books...definitely need to work on that in 2017!
*How Many 2016 Releases Did I Read?: 21 new releases, 51 backlist titles...not bad. There's still so many 2016 releases I need to catch up on, though!
1. Best Book You Read In 2016?
(If you have to cheat — you can break it down by genre if you want or 2013 release vs. backlist)
As per usual, I'll break it down because I've read far too many good books in each genre to only list one!
YA Contemporary: Am I Normal Yet? By Holly Bourne, Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon, The Moonlight Dreamers by Siobhan Curham and The Museum of Heartbreak by Meg Leder. OKAY FINE, I cheated. I can't even narrow it down per genre because my 2016 reading year was so good. Am I Normal Yet? Was a brutally honest portrayal of mental health struggles and I almost didn't finish it because of how real it was but I'm so glad I did. Everything, Everything I devoured in a few hours, it made me laugh and it made me cry – definitely one of my top contemporary reads this year! The Moonlight Dreamers meant so much to me and I read it when I needed it the most.The Museum of Heartbreak was SO ADORABLE...I kind of feel like rereading it because it was just so adorable.
As per usual, I'll break it down because I've read far too many good books in each genre to only list one!
YA Contemporary: Am I Normal Yet? By Holly Bourne, Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon, The Moonlight Dreamers by Siobhan Curham and The Museum of Heartbreak by Meg Leder. OKAY FINE, I cheated. I can't even narrow it down per genre because my 2016 reading year was so good. Am I Normal Yet? Was a brutally honest portrayal of mental health struggles and I almost didn't finish it because of how real it was but I'm so glad I did. Everything, Everything I devoured in a few hours, it made me laugh and it made me cry – definitely one of my top contemporary reads this year! The Moonlight Dreamers meant so much to me and I read it when I needed it the most.The Museum of Heartbreak was SO ADORABLE...I kind of feel like rereading it because it was just so adorable.
YA Mystery/Thriller: Does The Rithmatist by Brandon Sandersen count? It's got a murder mystery in so...I'll take it. I really enjoyed it, it was incredibly unique and I had no idea who the culprit was even though looking back it should've been obvious but I'm an oblivious porcupine.
Middle-Grade Contemporary: The Boy Who Sailed the Ocean in an Armchair by Lisa Williamson. It was so adorable.
Middle-Grade Adventure: Bad Magic by Pseudonymous Bosch – I LOVED IT. His books are so brilliant and I felt so incredibly sucked into the story. 'Twas magical, I tell you.
YA Fantasy: This is hard. The Darkest Part in the Forest by Holly Black (dark, glittery fairies and brave, lovely characters), An Ember in the Ashes (I read it in a day and I LOVED IT SO MUCH AND I TOTALLY NEEDED THE SEQUEL, LIKE, YESTERDAY), the Splintered series by A.G. Howard (IT WAS GLORIOUS) and the Curseworkers trilogy by Holly Black (does that count as fantasy? I LOVED IT SO MUCH).
YA Paranormal: Half Lost by Sally Green. My heart will never recover.
YA Sci-Fi: GEMINA BY JAY KRISTOFF AND AMIE KAUFMAN. IT WAS SO AMAZING AND THE CHARACTERS WERE SO AMAZING AND THE PLOT AND THE WRITING AND THE ROMANCE AND I LOVED IT SO MUCH. BUT ALSO: The Chronicles of the Invaders series by John Connolly and Jennifer Ridyard – IT'S SO GOOD, GUYS. There's snark and a cute romance and there are so many plot twists and they are all intricate and I love it!
YA Apocalyptic: The Rain and The Storm by Virginia Bergin, I enjoyed them so much more than I thought I would, they were heartbreaking and funny and felt scarily realistic – I highly recommend them!
2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
We Were Liars by E. Lockart. Everyone and their mother seemed to love it and said it was one of the best books they'd ever read but I struggled to get through it and by the end of the book I was like “Is that it?” - I was sorely disappointed.
3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?
Most surprising in a good way: Unbreakable by Kami Garcia. I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did!
Most surprising in a bad way: Love Letters to the Dead. I thought I was going to love it, but I really didn't. So incredibly boring.
4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?
Am I Normal Yet? By Holly Bourne. Feminism and mental health done right. Also, The Chronicles of the Invaders trilogy because guys, so GOOD. The plot...I can't even. So intricate. So well-written. JUST READ IT ALREADY.
5. Best series you started in 2016? Best Sequel of 2016? Best Series Ender of 2016?
Best Series I Started: Splintered by A.G. Howard. So magical and dark! Also: MORPHEUS. AND JEB. I love them both so much, don't ask me to choose between them.
Best Sequel: GEMINA GEMINA GEMINA. I actually can't describe my love for that book. The romance and the plot and the humour and the format...I could literally squawk about that book for 500 years and never get tired of it because so amazing.
Best Series Ender: Dominion, the last book in The Chronicles of the Invaders trilogy. It broke my heart and it was so intense and I was just a flailing ball of feels.
Best Sequel: GEMINA GEMINA GEMINA. I actually can't describe my love for that book. The romance and the plot and the humour and the format...I could literally squawk about that book for 500 years and never get tired of it because so amazing.
Best Series Ender: Dominion, the last book in The Chronicles of the Invaders trilogy. It broke my heart and it was so intense and I was just a flailing ball of feels.
6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2016?
Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman – Illuminae and Gemina were just too good.
7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
Unrivaled by Alyson Noel, it was a mystery/thriller and I LOVED it. The ending was such a cliffhanger and I NEED THE NEXT BOOK NOW. I still don't know how you can end a book like that, it's just cruel.
8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
Gemina, I literally couldn't put it down. It was so amazing and I loved it so much!
9. Book You Read In 2016 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
I don't think I'll be rereading next year because I have so many other books to read but probably Gemina because it's so incredible and I love it so much!
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2016?
THEY'RE EVEN PRETTIER IN REAL LIFE.
11. Most memorable character of 2016?
Teva from More Than Me by Kathryn Evans. Her story was heartbreaking and I felt so bad for her and I adored her so much because she was so brave and her situation was so awful and EXCUSE ME WHILE I GO CRY BECAUSE THAT BOOK.
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2016?
Splintered by A.G. Howard! Her writing is so poetic and vivid, #goals.
13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2016?
The Giver by Lois Lowry. It was incredibly thought-provoking – would I choose to never feel fear, disappointment, inferiority or anger again and never have any individuality, never have a say in my life if it meant also never being able to feel joy, excitement, never be able to love or feel love? I loved it.
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2016 to finally read?
The Giver by Lois Lowry. I've been meaning to read it since I was like, fourteen. I FINALLY READ IT. GO ME.
15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2016?
*clears throat* Ready to be attacked with feels?
“You have me. Until ever last star in the galaxy dies.
You have me.”
You have me.”
“She is catalyst.
She is chaos.
I can see why he loves her.”
She is chaos.
I can see why he loves her.”
“You deserve every star in the galaxy laid out at your feet and a thousand diamonds in your hair. You deserve someone who'll run with you as far and as fast as you want to. Holding your hand, not holding you back.”
All from Illuminae. Excuse me while I go cry.
16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2016?
Shortest: The Dagger in the Desk by Jonathan Stroud (Novella) - 44 Pages
Longest: Harry Potter and the Order of a Phoenix by J.K. Rowling - 766 Pages
Shortest: The Dagger in the Desk by Jonathan Stroud (Novella) - 44 Pages
Longest: Harry Potter and the Order of a Phoenix by J.K. Rowling - 766 Pages
17. Book That Shocked You The Most
(Because of a plot twist, character death, left you hanging with your mouth wide open, etc.)
Illuminae and Gemina by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman had many, many moments that left me with my mouth hanging open because PLOT TWISTS. Also, Half Wild and Half Lost left me with my jaw on the floor due to character deaths. Still not okay people, still not okay.
Illuminae and Gemina by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman had many, many moments that left me with my mouth hanging open because PLOT TWISTS. Also, Half Wild and Half Lost left me with my jaw on the floor due to character deaths. Still not okay people, still not okay.
18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)
(OTP = one true pairing if you aren’t familiar)
Kady and Ezra. Nik and Hanna. From Illuminae and Gemina. I literally can't describe how much I ship those two couples. The banter. The kindness. The love. THE CHEMISTRY. I love them SO MUCH.
Kady and Ezra. Nik and Hanna. From Illuminae and Gemina. I literally can't describe how much I ship those two couples. The banter. The kindness. The love. THE CHEMISTRY. I love them SO MUCH.
Honourable mention: Alyssa and Jeb/Morpheus from the Splintered series. DON'T ASK ME TO CHOOSE BETWEEN JEB AND MORPHEUS THEY ARE MY BABIES AND I LOVE THEM EQUALLY. Annnnnd Hazel and Jack from The Darkest Part of the Forest. I can't choose because I'm an indecisive porcupine.
19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year
Frances and Aled from Radio Silence by Alice Oseman. They were so adorable I couldn't even.
20. Favorite Book You Read in 2016 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
All That Glitters by Holly Smale. I love the Geek Girl books even though they reduce me to tears because ~feels~.
21. Best Book You Read In 2016 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:
The Curseworkers trilogy by Holly Black. I never would've read it because I make bad decisions 98% of the time but then I saw Cait from Paper Fury fangirling about it and I was like “That actually sounds really good, let me give it a try” and I DID AND LOVED IT. Cassel Sharpe is my favourite slightly damaged cinnamon roll. THANKS, CAIT.
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2016?
CASSEL SHARPE. I LOVE HIM. He's born into a life of crime and he's got people pressuring him into making bad decisions 24/7 but he tries so hard to be good, it's adorable and I just want to wrap him in a big hug because Cassel Sharpe. I also LOVE Jeb and Morpheus from the Splintered series. Jeb is sweet and caring and Morpheus is teasing and has this darker side to him but AH, I love them both so much.
Honourable mentions:
- Darius Spratt from The Rain by Virginia Bergin – so nerdy and sweet and caring, I love him muchly.
- Jared and Lukas from Unbreakable by Kami Garcia. Jared emanates that bad, mysterious vibe and Lukas is so sweet and quiet. Please don't ask me to choose between them because I CAN'T.
- Hale from The Heist Society by Ally Carter. I LOVE HIM.
- Ephraim from The Museum of Heartbreak. He's so funny and caring and sweet and a good artist and I love him so much.
23. Best 2016 debut you read?
The Museum of Heartbreak. PLEASE GO READ IT.
24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
Wonderland from the Splintered series. Gorgeously grotesque – the vivid writing completely brought the world of madness to life!
25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?
The Jessie Jefferson trilogy by Paige Toon! I binge read them this month and they were SO MUCH FUN. It's all about a normal girl from a small English town being catapulted into the limelight after discovering her biological father is one of the most famous rock stars on the planet. It's perfect for escapism! Hot rock stars, mansions and Hollywood parties
26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2016?
Most of them, probably. If there's a cute moment – I cry. If there's a sad moment – I cry. A declaration of love – I cry. Books emotionally ruin me okay. The one that stands out the most though is Half Wild and Half Lost by Sally Green. Sobbed is an understatement.
27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?
THE CHRONICLES OF THE INVADERS TRILOGY. They are so underrated, why has no one read them?! GO READ THEM PLEASE, YOU WON'T REGRET IT.
28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?
All of them...but if I have to be specific More of Me by Kathryn Evans. That ending. I was not okay. I may have cried pretty hard, but what's new?
29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2016?
MORE OF ME BY KATHRYN EVANS! It's about a girl and every year she splits in two, leaving the younger version of herself behind, meaning all those before her (fifteen, fourteen, thirteen etc have to stay inside the family's secluded house while the latest Teva lives out their life) The book starts as sixteen year old Teva splits away from fifteen year old Teva and it's intense, guys. So unique, I've never read anything like it before!
30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
We Were Liars by E. Lockart. My expectations were so high but the main character was so annoying and the ending was so...ugh. I really didn't like it.
1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2016?
I discovered A Thousand Words A Million Books when I was commenting on Top Ten Tuesday posts and I love the way she writes!
2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2016?
3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?
I really enjoyed writing “How to determine if you live with the magical creature called the reader” , "thoughts all library addicts have" and the post listing the top ten reasons for why reading is my favourite.
4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?
I won tickets to YA Shot in October and it was SO FUN! I met Holly Bourne, Holly Smale and Maggie Harcourt, I listened to some incredible panels and I got my books signed. It was amazing and I definitely fangirled way too hard meeting my favourite authors! I also met Jonathan Stroud (HE RECOGNISED MY BLOG NAME AND I NEARLY DIED) and Laini Taylor and it was so incredible!
5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2016?
Meeting some of my favourite authors and THEY KNEW MY BLOG. #famous
6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?
I've had a lot of blogging slumps this year. I've struggled to stay motivated and I've struggled to think up original content, but I'm hoping that will change in the new year as I'm going to try to assemble some sort of blogging schedule as I definitely think that will help!
7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?
My October library haul, it got 873 page views.
8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?
I quite like my post How to Survive a Book Buying Ban, if you want to go check that out. *WINK*
9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?
I discovered a LOVELY bookshop in Bath: Topping & Company Booksellers - IT HAS LADDERS IN IT. LIKE IN BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. And there are so many books. It's awesome and I highly recommend it!
10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?
The only reading challenge I participated in this year was the Goodreads one which I managed to reach! I read 72 books - my goal was 50. SO PROUD OF MYSELF IS I.
1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2016 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2017?
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas. I bought me a copy last week and I'm so reading it next year!
2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2017 (non-debut)?
UGH, SO MANY. If I have to choose four (I can't just choose one, don't be ridonkulous), I'd have to say Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor, Wonder Woman by Leigh Bardugo, Fall Boys & Dizzy in Paradise by Jandy Nelson and Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh.
3. 2017 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
So many, gosh. Caraval by Stephanie Garber, Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves, You Don't Know My Name by Kristen Orlando and Cold Summer by Gwen Cole.
4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2016?
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas and Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare. I haven't yet read A Court of Mist and Fury or Lady Midnight but I definitely will in 2017!
5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2017?
Create a blog schedule and stick to it!
6. A 2017 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:
I haven't read a 2017 release yet!
I had such a great reading year and I'm super excited for all the amazing books I'm going to read in the coming year! If you've done this, leave me your link!
I had such a great reading year and I'm super excited for all the amazing books I'm going to read in the coming year! If you've done this, leave me your link!