2018 End of Year Book Survey

Posted December 23, 2018 by Brin in Discussion Posts / 3 Comments

This will be my 6th year completing the End of Year Book Survey (you can see my 2017 post here). I thought that this year I would get an early start on it for once but I’m not quite as early as I would have liked due to business at work, illness et al.

Anyway, enough excuses! Onto my answers for the survey which was created and still hosted by Jamie @ The Perpetual Page-Turner (more details here).

end of year survey: 2018 reading stats

number of books you read: 120
number of re-reads: 18
genre you read the most from: fantasy

I’m never surprised that the genre I read the most from year-to-year is fantasy but I also read a lot of contemporaries this year too (and last year as well actually).

Not as many re-reads this year but still a fairly decent amount (I’m a big believer in re-reading your favourite books).

end of year: best in books

1. best book you read in 2018?

This is a really tough one because there are two books which are fighting for the top spot in my favourites so I am going to cheat a little and split it between favourite solo book (as in, only the first book is out – it’s not a standalone) and book series!

Best solo book: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black – Seriously such a blindingly amazing first book in what I just know is going to be an incredible series. So good. So very good.

Best series: All for the Game by Nora Sakavic – Why on earth did I wait so long to read this series?!? Honestly, it completely blew me away in the most unexpected way (hell, I don’t even like actual sports let alone a made-up one!)

2. book you were excited about & thought you were going to love more but didn’t?

Sophie by J.P. Barnaby – Now I did enjoy this book, just not as much as the rest of the books in this series which was a bummer because it’s going to be the last one the author releases as she has retired from writing.

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

The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic – I can’t stress this enough but I am still blown away by how much this book (and series) has come to mean to me. I had heard rumblings about it across the blogosphere (notably Tumblr) for years but for some reason even though I bought the books I wasn’t motivated to read them. Probably because of the sports/crime theme which sounded a bit of an odd mix and I’m allergic to anything resembling athleticism haha! Well, it’s now one of my most beloved series – go figure!

4. book you “pushed” the most people to read (and they did)?

Trick by Natalia Jaster – I have pushed so many people to read this book because it is just so darn good. Honestly, I will never, ever stop encouraging people to check this out.

5. best series you started in 2018? the best sequel of 2018? best series ender of 2018?

Series started in 2018: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black – I am on tenterhooks waiting for the sequel to release (next month – yay!) after trying (unsuccessfully) to obtain a review copy (Edelweiss hates me). 🙁

Sequel of 2018: More Than We Can Tell by Brigid Kemmerer – This one tends to get forgotten a lot (by me) since I read it right at the start of the year but it’s a real gem of a book and definitely deserving of so much love and praise (I’m a huge fan of the author – can you tell?) 😉

Series ender of 2018: Immortal Reign by Morgan Rhodes – This series has been a long (but amazing) journey for me. I’ve been with it since the first book was released in 2012. I’m still gutted the spin-off series will not be getting its final book. 🙁

6. favorite new author you discovered in 2018?

V.E. Schwab – Can you believe that before this year I hadn’t read a one of her books? Shame on me! After reading (and absolutely adoring) the Shades of Magic series, I have a goal to read each and every one of her books next year.

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

The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic – Again, I have to stress that I abhor sports (well, mostly – mainly because I’m as athletic as a wet noodle) so this book was not something I expected to love despite all the positive buzz. Happy to be wrong!

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

Stag’s Run by Zaya Feli – This book gripped me right from the start and I couldn’t put it down! The whole trilogy was the same – I zoomed through it in about a day and a half – not that it’s short – it was just that I had to keep reading to find out what happened next!

9. book you read in 2018 that you are most likely to re-read next year?

Lord of the White Hell by Ginn Hale – I’m already planning a re-read but I know I’m not going to get to it in 2018 so next year is definitely the plan!

10. favorite cover of a book you read in 2018?

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell – I absolutely love the redesigned cover by artist Kevin Wada. I re-bought this just because I love the artwork so much (plus, I love owning different editions of books). 😛 I have re-read Carry On so many times this year…

11. most memorable character of 2018?

Andrew Minyard from the All For the Game series by Nora Sakavic – Gah, I love this smol boi so darn much! Affectionately dubbed the “murder midget” (by moi!) he is a character like no other. I adore Neil but Andrew completely stole my heart.

*Runner up is definitely Elliot Schafer from In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan!*

12. most beautifully written book read in 2018?

Wolfsong by T.J. Klune – The writing for this book is so lyrical and beautifully evocative. You really feel swept up in the magic and it’s definitely my favourite of T.J’s books.

13. most thought-provoking/ life-changing book of 2018?

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara – Now, I already knew a great deal about EAR-ONS (East Area Rapist – Original Night Stalker) or the “Golden State Killer” as coined by McNamara but this book was certainly eye-opening and really gave an insight into the male victims who haven’t been given as much focus. The fact that they caught Joseph James DeAngelo not that long after the book was released – mind-blowing…

14. book you can’t believe you waited until 2018 to finally read?

The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic – I’m still mad at myself for not having read this book/series sooner. I am definitely very, very late to the party!

15. favorite passage/quote from a book you read in 2018?

“Thank you,” he finally said. He couldn’t say he meant thanks for all of it: the keys, the trust, the honesty and the kisses. Hopefully Andrew would figure it out eventually. “You were amazing.”

― Nora Sakavic, The King’s Men

I could pretty much quote this whole series but this particular quote from the third book is definitely ranking as one of my favourite quotes – ever!

16. shortest & longest book you read in 2018?

Shortest: Sophie by J.P. Barnaby – I’m not including short stories or novellas so the shortest actual book I read this year is this book at 116 pages.

Longest: A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab – coming in at a whopping 666 pages, this is my longest read by a rather wide margin this year!

17. book that shocked you the most

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black – So many twists and turns! Characters you are not sure if you are supposed to love or hate (maybe a bit of both?) This book has it all really. 😀

18. otp of the year (you will go down with this ship!)

I’m cheating with this one but I honestly cannot choose between these two pairings! I love them both (for very different reasons).

Jude and Cardan from The Folk of the Air series by Holly Black – I adore Cardan despite his many (many) flaws. Jude – I just love her – she’s a firecracker about to erupt in a hen-house. Together – they are so wrong but also so right… I’m so conflicted!!

Andrew and Neil from All for the Game series by Nora Sakavic – Neil and Andrew are perfect for each other and no one will convince me otherwise. Both so broken yet with inner strength that shines through. I will never ever stop shipping them!

19. favorite non-romantic relationship of the year

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan – The friendship between Elliot, Luke and Serene (even though there are romantic pairings that occur within this little trifecta!) Their friendship is goals.

20. favorite book you read in 2018 from an author you’ve read previously

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan – I personally think this book is her best yet (and I love her other books, well the ones that I have read).

21. best book you read in 2018 that you read based solely on a recommendation from somebody else/peer pressure:

Trick by Natalia Jaster – I saw an artist whose work I love raving about this book. Their artwork of the main characters from this book just cinched the deal for me and I immediately sought it out. I have never regretted it as this series is beyond amazing.

22. newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2018?

Poet from Trick by Natalia Jaster – I dare you to read this book and not be seduced by Poet! 😉 He is definitely in a league all of his own…

23. best 2018 debut you read?

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara – Sadly, this will be the only one I will be able to read by this author as McNamara died suddently several years ago and the book had to be finished by her colleagues.

24. best worldbuilding/most vivid setting you read this year?

Shades of Magic series by V.E. Schwab – The world-building for this series is on another level. I love setting for The Cruel Prince as well but this series just slightly edges it out. Fantastic world and setting.

25. book that put a smile on your face/was the most fun to read?

Falling Kingdoms series by Natalia Jaster – Eh, I’m not really known for reading angst-free books but this series had a lot of humour mixed in with the angst haha! 😀

26. book that made you cry or nearly cry in 2018?

Point of Contact by Melanie Hansen – I read a lot of books with high angst levels and heart-breaking situations but this one definitely put a hitch in my throat and left me less than dry eyed (if not outright crying).

27. hidden gem of the year?

Teeth by Zaya Feli – I really loved this book (so much I immediately went out and bought the author’s earlier series Iron Breakers). Such an underrated little fantasy novel.

28. book that crushed your soul?

A Light Among Shadows by Kelley York and Rowan Altwood – I’m not going to give away any spoilers but this book gutted me – although it’s Kelley York so I should have expected it to! 😉

29. most unique book you read in 2018?

Sadie by Courtney Summers – Courtney Summers’ books are always gut-wrenchingly amazing (seriously, check them out now if you haven’t already!) This book had a very different format from her others but it really worked for the story.

30. book that made you the most mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

The Devil’s Trill Sonata by Matthew J. Metzger – After getting to know the characters in book one Vivaldi in the Dark, I was especially irritated by how weak-willed and spineless Jayden was in the second book. He definitely made me angry many times reading this book.

end of year: your blogging/bookish life

1. new favorite book blog you discovered in 2018?

I have really been loving Austine’s blog Novel Knight – lots of great content and an interesting voice. I’ve visited her blog many times this year.

2. favorite review that you wrote in 2018?

My review of Lie by Natalia Jaster was a fun post to write and I was super-lucky to be given a review copy by the author so I wanted to make sure that this was as fair and analytical as possible. I think I did alright with it!

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

I rather like the post I did on Bookstagram themes (probably one of my favourite things about being a book blogger is posting photos of my books on Instagram).

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

I haven’t really taken part in much this year but memes are always fun. I have enjoyed taking part in Top Ten Tuesday, Top 5 Wednesday and Stacking the Shelves rather a lot.

5. best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2018?

I was really happy to be given a review copy of Lie by the author Natalia Jaster. I had loved Trick and Dare and Lie became my most-anticipated release of 2018 so to get it early was amazing.

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

I have really struggled this year with certain aspects of blogging, mainly interaction. I don’t know if it is my social phobia that is holding me back but I have struggled with commenting – both on here and other blogs. I need to try to get over this because it’s never going to get better unless I make the effort. I still feel ill about it all though…

7. most popular post this year on your blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

My most popular post this year was, without a shadow of a doubt, the post I did about the Santino Hassell situation. You can find it here. I went on a bit of a rant and the post went a bit viral… probably the most views I’ve gotten ever on a post, if I’m being honest. Crazy stuff. The whole thing still makes me mad all these months later.

8. post you wished got a little more love?

My review for Dare didn’t get a lot of views sadly. Actually, for being a book blog my reviews are nearly always my least viewed content… not sure what that says…

9. best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

I finally discovered The Book People who have some fabulous deals on books. I don’t know how it took so long – they even come to my work for flip sake!

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

The only challenge I took part in this year was the Goodreads Reading Challenge which I have just about completed. Only one book to go but I’m very nearly finished re-reading Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell so I’m well on my way there!

end of year: looking ahead

1. one book you didn’t get to in 2018 but will be your number 1 priority in 2019?

I’m keeping this the same as last year since I never actually got round to this series but I am finally going to read the Grisha trilogy and the Six of Crows duology. I want to get them both read before King of Scars comes out.

2. book you are most anticipating for 2019 (non-debut)?

The Wicked King by Holly Black – Be still my beating heart! I have been so excited for this book and it has been a long wait but it is finally out in January!