The next blog posts are pretty much going to be a look back on the books I’ve read in 2016 and what I plan to do as far as reading in the next year (and thensome). While the Top Ten Tuesday list does do a decent “top books” list for me, my favorite reflection-y post is definitely the End of Year Book Survey hosted by Jamie @ Perpetual Page Turner. This has been my third time participating in the survey (and she’s been doing it for seven years!), and it’s always contained such a comprehensive set of questions regarding the book and book blogging sense.
It does require a bit of a think, but that’s also what I love about it, because I do have to think about all the books I’ve read and rated over the year, which makes the survey also act as a personal record for me. I do love the two-fold usefulness of these things!
Be aware: this is graphics intensive. Mostly of books, but what can I say? I love looking at the covers, too!
2016 READING STATS
Number Of Books You Read: 91 (tentative 92)
Number of Re-Reads: 3
Genre You Read The Most From: Fantasy
BEST IN BOOKS
1. Best Book You Read In 2016?
Stand-Alone:

Series:
Mid-Series:

Graphic Novel:

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?
Definitely a surprisingly “good” way. I didn’t think I’d like this book as much as I eventually did, though I suppose it had lots to do with the Starz series and the fact that I read this as an audiobook.
4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?
Ohhh yes. And I’m going to continue telling people to read this so I can squee about it several more times. Yep.
5. Best series you started in 2016? Best Sequel of 2016? Best Series Ender of 2016?
Best Series Started 2016:

Best Sequel Started in 2016:

Best Series Ender in 2016:

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2016?
RENEE AHDIEH
7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
I was attached to way too many characters in this series, so I was just a wee bit anxious over their livelihoods and how they were going to get their asses in gear to fight Levana.
9. Book You Read In 2016 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2016?
11. Most memorable character of 2016?
Honestly, I was between Shazi and Cress, but while Shazi was super-feisty, I loved Cress because she was such a nerd. And a total MVP for Team Rampion.
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2016?
13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2016?
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2016 to finally read?
15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2016?
Sigh. Khalid, you smooth-tongued crazy cursed king, you.
16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2016?
Shortest

(32 pages)
Longest

(1258 pages)
17. Book That Shocked You The Most
(Because of a plot twist, character death, left you hanging with your mouth wide open, etc.)
I just…WHAT JUST HAPPENED THERE, BRAN?!
18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)
(OTP = one true pairing if you aren’t familiar)
Rhy Maresh and Alucard Emery (A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab)
Because it’s #RHYLUCARD. I’m still waiting for a lot of really good fanfiction to come out of this. Please? Please please?
19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year
Cinder Linh and Carswell Thorne (The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer)
They are hands down my favorite platonic relationship this year. Their sibling-ish banter is brilliant, and the fact that neither are really interested in each other is even better.
20. Favorite Book You Read in 2016 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
21. Best Book You Read In 2016 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2016?
Carswell Thorne (Scarlet by Marissa Meyer)
The minute he stepped into my life I knew he and I would be inseparable. Yes. This involvement is real, you guys. I love him.
23. Best 2016 debut you read?
24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?
26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2016?
27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?
28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?
This book occasionally got heavy and depressing at times. I’ve had to close it a few times for these reasons.
29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2016?
30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
The outcome of this story still angers me, actually. I was not a happy camper at the end of this book.
YOUR BLOGGING/BOOKISH LIFE
1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2016?
Victoria Schwab’s blog because why not.
2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2016?
Inner Mind Geekness || Cursed Child Review
3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?
Potterhead July: How I Discovered Ships and Why I Blame Harry Potter
4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?
5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2016?
Chasing Volcanoes: A Czech Translation
6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?
All that knitting! Honestly, I think I failed with balancing my time between hobbies, work, writing, and socializing. I put myself on a sticker system for next year, which hopefully should curtail the amount of time I spend doing things I shouldn’t be doing when there’s other work to be done.
7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?
Review: Last Call at the Nightshade Lounge
8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?
Food and Fandom: The Wrath & the Dawn
9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?
10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?
I’d set out to do two book blog challenges this year, which I pretty much completed. My Goodreads reading goal was also completed, though once again, my 25 Reads goal was not. I clearly can’t make myself read specific books within a given year -_-;; (Will discuss this more at a later date.)
LOOKING AHEAD
1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2015 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2017?
2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2017 (non-debut)?
3. 2017 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2017?
5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2017?
Finish a couple more reading challenges, redo my own 25 Reads challenge, read and review more ARCs, and actually trim down my TBR list for once. Hah, I’m getting ambitious in the latter, but it can happen.
6. A 2017 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:
You know what, this is probably the first time I’ve left this bit blank in the three years I’ve done this. I just didn’t really have time to read any ARC that would come out next year. I do have The Bear and the Nightingale and The Bone Witch on standby, and will probably recommend both because fantasy if nothing else.
Phew. This really was hard work. Feel free to share your own survey! I’d love to see them 🙂
“I clearly can’t make myself read specific books within a given year…” I so feel you with this – I’m a total ornery brat about it and I don’t know why:). Anyway, looks like it was a fun reading year! The one on here that keeps popping up on my radar lately is Dark Matter so interesting to see you have it labeled as thought-provoking. I was actually trying to track it down at the Library yesterday and they didn’t have it *grumble*. So glad Carswell Thorne made his way into your life this year and hope you find some better knitting-reading balance in 2017:)!
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Yeah, I kept seeing Dark Matter pop up whenever I went to browse for books, too. It was definitely something Goodreads recommended to me after I’d rated Sleeping Giants and Ready Player One pretty high up in the rating scale, so I figure I’d give it a go as an audiobook. Really did like it, and it can be a polarizing experience, depending on how gung-ho you are about multiverses and the infinite possibilities theory, haha. Hopefully you’ll find a copy somewhere!
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Looks like you had a great reading year! I can’t bring myself to do this, too time consuming. I give you major props for taking the time to do this.
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Haha, it was a bit time consuming. I managed to get sick during my vacation, so the combination gave me actual time to sit and blog about books. Funny how the world works. My reading year was pretty awesome, though! 😀
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Congrats on the translation of Chasing Volcanoes!! It was definitely a fun read in The Sea is Ours (which recommend left, right & centre to everyone seeking steampunk and/or Asian rep.) I’m sure my friend will make sure I read The Rose and the Dagger at some point in the new year too.
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*Oh and I also forgot to mention that I’m currently reading Hurricane Heels by Isabel Yap, which is like an adult take on Sailor Moon: http://thebooksmugglers.com/2016/12/hurricane-heels-hurricane-heels-1-isabel-yap.html I thought it might be of interest for a Lunar chronicles fan =)
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Adult take on Sailor Moon…totally in! *adds to TBR*
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Thanks! And yesssss read The Rose and the Dagger! So full of awesome Shazi-ness and more magic and Khalid and and…yeah. Just lots more fabulous stuff.
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I just added Monstress to my TBR. It looks so gorgeous. Renee Ahdieh is such a beautiful writer. I cannot wait for her next novel to come out. I really want to read Dark Matter, so many bloggers rave about it. Looks like your 2016 was filled with some amazing books. Have a happy New Year!
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Yes, Carswell Thorne is the best! 🙂
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I’m so keen to read some Schwab! And Renee Adelieh! And Brandon Sanderson! And to continue with the Lunar Chronicles! Gah, this post highlighted so many of the flashing lights in my TBR! XD Hopefully 2017 will be the year I conquer it … (as if!)
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