2020 End of Year Book Survey

HAPPY NEW YEAR’S EVE!

I missed quite a few things this year in the blogging world, and I’m all the more sorry for it, but I’d be damned if I didn’t do the end of year survey hosted by Jamie @ Perpetual Page Turner!

Quarantine has messed me up just a little bit, and that’s saying much, considering how much of an introvert I actually am. That being said, I think it messed most of us a little bit, and I’ve come to terms with the fact that 2020 just wasn’t a year I’d been in much of a mood for reading.

Until recently, that is.

I’ve been trying to get back on the groove, and even with the hiccups and my inability to reach my 72-book goal for the year, A hefty 58 seems decent, even when I practically stopped reading between September to early November, heh.

I have goals for next year! But with work AND school AND writing eating up much of my time, who knows, right?

The TL;DR:

** 2020 READING STATS **

Number of Books Read: 58

Number of Re-Reads: 2

Genre I Read the Most From: Non-Fiction

BEST IN BOOKS

1. Best Book You Read In 2020?

Stand-Alone:

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Series:

Dr. Stone series by Riichiro Inagaki, Boichi

Mid-Series:

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

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

The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel

I enjoyed Station Eleven, which felt very similarly written to The Glass Hotel. But for me, TGH didn’t hold as much charm, and the main character wasn’t very endearing at all.

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

The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez

I had no expectations going into this book. And what a book it turned out to be!

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

Among the Beasts and Briars by Ashley Poston

Technically the conversation between me and my students went along the lines of: “Remember that lady author who wrote Geekerella? Yeah, she totally just wrote a fantasy book.” And two of my students went: “I WANT!” It was a great feeling, to know I have students who enjoy the same books I do!

5. Best series you started in 2020? Best Sequel? Best Series Ender of 2020?

Started:

Small Spaces by Katherine Arden

Sequel:

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

Ender:

One of Us Is Next by Karen M. McManus

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2020?

CASEY MCQUISTON

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

Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow

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

Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs

9. Book You Read In 2020 That You Would Be MOST Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

Monstress by Marjorie Liu, Sana Takeda

Seriously, when do I never not re-read this series?

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2020?

Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs

Dan Dos Santos will always trump much of the covers I’ve seen. I am that biased.

11. Most memorable character of 2020?

CITRA TERRANOVA

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

Honestly, all the Scythes were memorable. But the first person to pop up in my head is her. Because definitely Citra.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2020?

The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2020?

Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2020 to finally read?

A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

Although I could have stood to wait longer, to be honest. The book took what could have been a lovely journey through the Grand Tour and made it a monotonous slog across the countryside.

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2020?

“Your death is certain. Nothing will change that. You only prolong the pain with your stubbornness. Unless you can break the sky, what use is there in remaining?” A third fire bloomed down the shore. The young man understood.

“Then I will break the sky,” he said.

The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez

16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2020?

Shortest:

Wayward, Vol. 3 by Jim Zub (128 pages)

Longest:

Rangers of the Rift by River K. Scott (514 pages)

17. Book That Shocked You The Most
(Because of a plot twist, character death, left you hanging with your mouth wide open, etc.)

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

For a book about death and assassins, I should have expected all the dying to happen. But NOPE. I did not expect it at all.

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

(OTP = one true pairing if you aren’t familiar)

ALEX CLAREMONT-DIAZ and PRINCE HENRY
(Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston)

Seriously, they’re just too adorable for words.

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

ALEX STERN and PAMELA DAWES
(Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo)

I don’t even think they’re really friends, but I do love their mutual goal and the fact that Alex and Dawes kind of just have to interact amuses me.

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2020 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

21. Best Book You Read In 2020 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure/Bookstagram, Etc.:

The Princess and the Fangirl by Ashley Poston

I feel like my friend always keeps getting me to read the Poston books, and it’s not even something I would resist!

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2020?

HAYATE RYUSAKI
(My Dear Cold-Blooded King by Lifelight)

Quite possibly those luscious dark locks did me in. Or his tendency to lose his shirt almost every other chapter. Excuse me while I douse myself in ice water. Phew.

(Though to be fair, second place went to ISHIGAMI SENKU because geeky is the new sexy, really…)

23. Best 2020 debut you read?

Shine by Jessica Jung

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

The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez

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

Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2020?

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

When a book makes you laugh and cry in the same pages…

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

Rogue Invasion by Marjorie King

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

To be fair, I thought the characters put themselves in their pitiable situations. But it was occasionally soul-crushing just to hear their plight anyway.

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2020?

Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

It was definitely an interesting take on a fictional rock n’ roll band, narrated into several parts according to the band members’ POVs.

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

She Said by Jodi Kantor, Megan Twohey

I liked the book enough; what made me angry is that this is the kind of shit you wouldn’t expect in the 21st century to be happening, and yet it still is, and it’s just frustrating.

BLOGGING/BOOKISH LIFE

1. New favorite book blog/Bookstagram/Youtube channel you discovered in 2020?

Honestly, I haven’t been doing much following of anything lately. I do randomly keep up with most of my bookstagram friends, and occasionally check in on Owlcrate and Orbit Books news on FB.

2. Favorite post you wrote in 2020?

Making hotteok from scratch because of Shine by Jessica Jung!

3. Favorite bookish related photo you took in 2020?

Some Fourth of July recommendations, especially when most of the summer was spent in quarantine!

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

Attending BookConline panels and being able to sign up for giveaways was actually pretty cool! (Winning an ARC of Shine was even better…) Tor also did an online session at some point over the summer, and it was fun listening to the panels when I had the chance of logging in.

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2020?

Getting back to completing a few Food and Fandom posts!

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

Pretty much everything about 2020 has been a challenge. I’m sure many people can attest to that. I also ended up moving in the middle of October, so between quarantining and apartment-hunting at the same time…and then moving to a new place in the middle of a pandemic took up a majority of my last half of the year. Don’t even get me started on having gotten sick in the first half of the year.

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

Twice in a row now, my Dazzling Heights review has been getting constant traction. For something I wrote this year? My Shine review.

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

I mean, I barely wrote much this year compared to my other years, so I’m not actually sure? I did enjoy writing my Red, White, & Royal Blue review, so that could use more love.

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

I discovered that the world could benefit from more book-related puzzles. Owlcrate has actually provided exclusive puzzles from different designers, so shoutout to Atalienart and Tiara L’Hommedieu for the gorgeous Remus Lupin and Elias x Laia art–respectively!

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

Hahahahahahaha. I suppose I at least got through reading 1 book a week?

LOOKING AHEAD

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2020 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2021?

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

Halfway through, actually! High fantasies are so well done in the world-building…which is why it takes a long while to get through them.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2021 (non-debut)?

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

3. 2021 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

Wings of Ebony by J. Elle

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2021?

Winterkeep by Kristin Cashore

Let’s not lie. Whenever Kristin Cashore comes up with another Graceling novel, she can take all my money.

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2021?

Actually get my blogging in order, but mostly I really just want to get back to reading again. We’ll see, though. Grad school–and work–is going to be rough.

6. A 2021 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone (if applicable):

Been slacking on ARC reviews, but I’ve got a few that’s meant to be released next year I need to get through!

I think we’ll try it again with my Goodreads goal for 2021. Hopefully I’ll hit it this time, but we’re never really sure what the year brings, are we?

How did you do on your reading goals?