4th Annual End of Year Survey – 2017

Posted December 31, 2017 by Lillian in Features / 3 Comments

 

Hosted by: Jamie @ the Perpetual Page-Turner

I can’t believe that 2017 will be over today. This year has flown by. I think I say that every year 😉 2017 wasn’t the best reading year for me….or blogging year for that matter. There was drama that pulled me away from blogging and broke my reading spirit. I even nearly quit altogether. I’m happy to say that I’m now learning to love it again and slowly finding my way back onto social media. With that said, thank you all for sticking with me, supporting me, and encouraging me this year. Here’s to a better 2018!

2017 Reading Stats

Number Of Books You Read: 114
Number of Re-Reads: 9
Genre You Read The Most From: Young Adult, Fantasy

Best in Books

1. Best Book You Read In 2017?

Book Cover for "A Court of Wings and Ruin" by Sarah J. Maas

The final book in ACOTAR did not disappoint. Feyre and Rhys ❤️ The war….😭 Seriously this book has all the feels and it was fantastic. At 699 pages, I read it in less than 2 days….I didn’t sleep but I loved it anyways.

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

Book Cover for "Wintersong" by S. Jae-Jones

Wintersong was my most anticipated debut for this year. I was SO looking forward to it. I LOVE Labyrinth and as this is a loose retelling I was really looking forward to it. I don’t know if it was my high expectations or the fact I was expecting more YA romance than new adult but I did not love this book….I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either.

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

Book Cover for "The Killing Jar" by Jennifer Bosworth

So I’m not sure what I was expecting when I picked up The Killing Jar to read. In all honestly I’m not sure if I liked it or hated it….either way it was a creepy read that left me looking over my shoulder. AND I will never look at moths the same again.

4. Best series you started in 2017? Best Sequel of 2017? Best Series Ender of 2017?

Book Cover for "Truth or Beard" by Penny ReidBest Series I Started in 2017

Contemporary Romance is not my normal go-to read, but I do love rom-com and the Winston Brothers is a new favorite!

Book Cover for "A Strange Hymn" by Laura ThalassaBest Sequel of 2017

Y’all!!!! This book is fantastic. I need more Des 🖤

Book Cover for "Shattered Stars" by Theresa KayBest Series Ender of 2017

I waited two years for this book and it did not disappoint! Heart-breaking, gut-wrenching, scream and cry while you read kind of book and it was all worth it in the end!

5. Favorite new author you discovered in 2017?

I know that technically Ryan Graudin isn’t a new author, but she is new to me. I read her newest release Invictus this year and fell in love. I’ve purchased The Walled City and I’m hoping to read it soon.

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

Book Cover for "Never Apart" by Romily Bernard

I finished Never Apart in one sitting, during one night. It was the most heart-breaking read of the year, but also was fast-paced and I just couldn’t set it down. I literally can tell you nothing else about the book for fear of spoiling it so I’ll leave it there 😉

7. Book You Read In 2017 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

Book Cover for "Cinder & Ella" by Kelly Oram

Yes I realize this is the same book I picked last year and yes I will most likely read it next year as I tend to re-read it at least once a year 😀

8. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2017?

Book Cover for "Zero Repeat Forever" by GS Prendergast

9. Most memorable character of 2017?

Abel from Defy the Stars by Claudia Gray is someone I won’t soon forget. He’s an android and to be honest reminded me a lot of Cylons from Battlestar Galactica but he is unforgettable. His character is heart-breaking and really makes you think.

10. Most beautifully written book read in 2017?

Book Cover for "The Ghost of You and Me" by Kelly Oram

I believe that Kelly Oram can write anything and I’d love it! But this book The Ghost of You and Me is utterly heart-breaking and touches on a subject that most shy away from. Following the main character as she grieves the loss of her boyfriend, the story slowly unravels and I found myself grieving with her and cheering her on.

11. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2017?

Book Cover for "Odd & True" by Cat Winters

I don’t even know what to say about Odd & True without spoiling the book. The chapters are told from alternating POV and the timeline is different…one is in the present, the other in the past til finally they catch up to one another. It is really a beautifully written book that deals with psychological abuse and stereotypes of the time period.

12. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2017 to finally read? 

Book Cover for "And I Darken" by Kiersten White

 

13. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2017?

14. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2017?

Book Cover for "In All My Life" by Ciara KnightShortest: 141 pages

Book Cover for "A Court of Wings and Ruin" by Sarah J. MaasLongest: 699 pages

15. Book That Shocked You The Most

Book Cover for "The Savage Dawn" by Melissa Grey

I have no words for The Savage Dawn. It is truly as savage as the title suggests. The ending….I saw it coming. I really did, but my heart just wasn’t prepared for it. To say it broke me is an understatement.

16. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

My one true pair of the year is….

Jax and Lir from Shattered Stars

I have rooted for these two from the first meeting in Broken Skies. And now two years after the start of the series I could bask in the afterglow as my ship sailed off into the sunset.

17. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

Tara and Finn in Michelle Bryan’s New Bloods Trilogy. This isn’t the first time or even the second time I’ve read these books and Tara and Finn never cease to amaze me. I love these two! They have a brother-sister relationship and I love the dynamic and banter that occurs.

18. Favorite Book You Read in 2017 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

Book Cover for "When It's Real" by Erin Watt

19. Best Book You Read In 2017 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

Book Cover for "Truth or Beard" by Penny Reid

20. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2017?

Julian from Caraval by Stephanie Garber mainly because even though it’s been nearly a year since I read it, he is still on my mind. He is a complex character who by the end of the book I wasn’t sure I knew him but I wanted too.

21. Best 2017 debut you read?

Book Cover for "Caraval" by Stephanie Garber

I personally don’t think I need to explain why this book was SO good! I loved every word 😀 AND there’s a sequel coming. I CANNOT WAIT!!! I loved the mixture of carnival and mystical and mystery and romance and just everything about this book.

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

See number 21…no seriously!!! Caraval is one of those books that the imagery was so vivid it bled off the pages as I read. I could picture every minuet detail.

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

Book Cover for "Just One of the Boys" by Leah and Kate Rooper

Just One of the Boys was such a fun read! I had a big smile the whole time I was reading it. I enjoyed the banter, the girl pretending to be someone she wasn’t, and the inevitable confusion that ensued.

24. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2017?

See number 10 😀 The Ghost of You and Me destroyed me. I’m pretty sure I broke down in tears at least 4 times reading that book. It is such a beautifully written story about grief and love.

25. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

Book Cover for "Perfectly Oblivious" by Robin Daniels

I read a lot more YA contemporary than I normally do this year and this gem needs more love! It was such a fun, light-hearted read that reminded me of In Love and Basketball. Debut author too and has since released two more books in The Perfect series. So awesome!

26. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

Book Cover for "King's Cage" by Victoria Aveyard

So King’s Cage didn’t crush my soul in the sense that it left me devastated, rather it disappointed me and left me with more questions than answers. Questions I hope will be answered in the final book next year.

27. Most Unique Book You Read In 2017?

Book Cover for "The Last One" by Alexandra Oliva

I finally picked up The Last One and listened/read it this year. While I didn’t care for it, I also couldn’t put it down. It is unlike anything else I’ve ever read. The mix of reality show and an actually dystopia/apocalyptic event made it unputdownable.

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

Book Cover for "Empire of Storms" by Sarah J Maas

So I finally picked up Empire of Storms and read it prior to Tower of Dawn being released because I thought I’d want to binge them…that didn’t happen. I was really disappointed with this book. I think it was because the series has firmly been YA since the beginning and then this one….well it wasn’t.

My Blogging/Bookish Life

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2017?

A Weebish Book Blog

Technically this isn’t a new book blog, rather a book blog makeover. I followed Sarah when she was One Curvy Blogger and I’m happy to have found her again 😀

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2017?

My favorite review that I wrote in 2017 was for King’s Cage by Victoria Aveyard. It was the hardest review for me to write because while I love the series, I didn’t love this book and that was hard to put into words.

3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?

My favorite non-review post of the year was my return to blogging after a two month hiatus titled Hello Again…. For me it was cathartic to get the drama that had plagued me and stolen my love of reading away out in the open. To discuss it and write how it affected me down and then it was nice to see I wasn’t alone in how I felt.

4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?

Y’all I finally got to go to UtopiaCon!!! It was fantastic and I may have come home with more books than I can read 😉 To see more about my weekend there, see this post: My Experience at the Freakshow

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2017?

I think my best moment was at UtopiaCon during the signing. I stopped at one of the author’s tables (that sounds misleading as I stoped at all of the tables while I was there) and when she saw my name badge which had both my name and blog name on it, she recognized me. Talk about making my day!!! After the awfulness of the beginning of the year and then having an author recognize my blog and talk to me about some of my posts, that seriously made my day 😀

6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?

We moved again this year. Hopefully this will be the last time we move as we finally bought a house. This happened during the drama that occurred at the beginning of the year. So between the drama and moving it took me a long time to get my reading/blogging groove back.

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

Believe it or not, my most popular post this year was my first Waiting on Wednesday post of the year. The book was Etched in Bone by Anne Bishop and the person that runs her social media shared it. The post broke my website 😂 literally! It had over 500 views in just two hours….so thank you 😀

8. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

Kindle Unlimited….it’s not a new thing but I finally took the plunge and did a two month free trial that I ended up purchasing a two year membership. Why I thought I didn’t want to do this I’ll never know! It’s about all I read anymore!

9.  Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

So I’ll have a final update on my 2017 reading challenges this year but I can safely tell you that I completed only one challenge and fell short on the rest…including my Goodreads challenge this year. Sadly it wasn’t a good reading year.

Looking Ahead to 2018

 

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2017 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2018?

Book Cover for "Warcross" by Marie Lu

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2018 (non-debut)?

Book Cover for "These Rebel Waves" by Sara Raasch

3. 2018 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

Book Cover for "Children of Blood and Bone" by Tomi Adeyemi

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2018?

Book Cover for "War Storm" by Victoria Aveyard

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2018?

In 2018, I hope to catch up on my backlog of reviews, read past due ARCs and just in general blog more. I’ve missed it this year and I’m hoping to reestablish in 2018 😀

Your turn! What were your favorite reads from 2018? How would you answer some of these questions? Share below

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Divider
Got a Reading Problem?

Get your fix here. Sign up today to receive new posts straight to your inbox daily!

3 responses to “4th Annual End of Year Survey – 2017

  1. While I only met one of my goals (technically two – I need to go back and fix that), I made a lot of progress and I am proud of that and happy with my reading. This year I hope to do a little bit more.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.