2012 End of Year Book Survey

The End of Year Book Survey is hosted by Jamie @ The Perpetual Page Turner and it's a really fun way to look back at your year in books :)

Best In Books 2012

1. Best Book You Read In 2012? (You can break it down by genre if you want)

If I was pushed, I would have to say Across the Universe by Beth Revis. I read a lot of great books this year but I was totally blown away by Across the Universe. I'm not sure if part of that was because I don't generally read sci-fi books or that I didn't expect to like it that much but either way it stands out from the other books I read this year. A Million Suns was awesome too :)

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

Don't shoot me but Divergent by Veronica Roth did not live up to my expectations. I did enjoy it but with all of the hype I'd seen before I expected to love it and it just wasn't quite there for me. Not a huge amount happens until the very end of the book so I also gave Insurgent a shot thinking it would be more action packed...and figured out the big twist at the end of the book about 100 pages in :(

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2012?

Enclave by Ann Aguirre really surprised me. I usually don't bother with anything with zombies in. They creep me out and just don't appeal as subject matter for me. I kept seeing Enclave mentioned and the trailer (viewable here) blew me away so I picked up a copy still not really expecting to enjoy it that much...until I read it. I loved Deuce, adored Fade and was blown away by the action packed writing and twisted storyline.

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2012?

Looking book over recommendation challenges on Goodreads, The Kitchen Witch by Annette Blair stands out. It's a really sweet contemporary adult romance with a touch of magic and is one of my favourite books so it doesn't surprise me I recommended it so often.

5. Best series you discovered in 2012?

Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter series was new to me this year, although it took me until the second book to really fall in love. I was already a big fan of her Psy-Changeling books so to read a slightly darker story from her was excellent. I love the world building and how she has remade our world with Archangels in power, angels flying through our skies and vampires roaming the streets. It is a great series and I really recommend it :)

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2012?

I tried a bunch of new authors in 2012 but the ones that have become new favourites for me are Ann Aguirre, Beth Revis, Maureen Johnson and Bailey Cates.

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

Hands down it has to be Across the Universe by Beth Revis. I don't read sci-fi so just picking up a copy of this was a big step for me, but when I read it I fell in love with the world and the characters. It is a little bit of a cheat pick though as while I don't generally read sci-fi I do love a good dystopian and Across the Universe features a really creepy dystopia!

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2012?

In an attempt not to repeat myself too much I'm going with Kelley Armstrong's The Gathering for this. I was glued to the page throughout, and then picked up and read The Calling straight after...in a single day.

9. Book You Read In 2012 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year:

I'm a big re-reader (42 books this year!) so a lot of books will likely get re-read next year. On my definites list are Across the Universe and A Million Suns, Wither and Fever, First Grave on the Right and Darkfever.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2012?

Just one? Grumble grumble. Okay well I think I'm going to go with Archangel's Consort by Nalini Singh. It's beautifully drawn and looks exactly like a scene in the book. I'm really impressed by both it's prettiness and accuracy.

Honourable mentions for Enclave, Possess and Brownies and Broomsticks.

11. Most memorable character in 2012?

Bluebell I mean Illium from Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter series :) I first read the series this year and Bluebell is a stand out character for me. He is an angel with blue wings tipped in silver and is a supporting character in the books but I'm desperate for him to get a book of his own. There have been hints at his backstory and some heartbreaking scenes of him with his mother so I'd love to see his character fully explored.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2012?

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. The writing in this book is so beautiful you just get sucked right into the world. It's like you are right there with the characters and can experience everything, right down to the smells and sounds of the circus.

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2012?

Diana Killian's Mantra for Murder series. I read all of these this year and I absolutely adored them, and they had a surprising impact on me. They reminded me why I love yoga and how anyone, no matter how their health is, can take part. A regular yoga practice is one of my 2013 goals.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2012 to finally read?

I've been recommended Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning a lot since I joined Goodreads a few years ago but I never picked it up. This year I stumbled across a copy in my local library so I gave it a shot after another mass of recommendations and really enjoyed it. One benefit of having waited is that the series is complete (although I think the author will be continuing it in the future) so no waiting for the next book!

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2012?

“Power isn’t control at all — power is strength, and giving that strength to others. A leader isn’t someone who forces others to make him stronger; a leader is someone willing to give his strength to others that they may have the strength to stand on their own.”
     ~ Across the Universe by Beth Revis

This quote just sums up not only the book, but a basic truth that is all too easily forgotten by leaders in our world.

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2012?

The shortest book I read this year was a tiny 82 pages and that was Immortality by Maggie Shayne. The longest book on the other hand was Lover Unleashed by J.R. Ward coming in at a respectable 573 pages.

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. I was very very disappointed by the ending (highlight to show spoilers I mean she doesn't pick anyone? At least Bella picked Edward, she didn't wait to see who moved in next door and say "well he'll do". Peeta deserved more! And don't even get me started on the people who got killed off :( end spoilers) and it lead to me asking my Mum if she'd ever read it and then proceeding to rant for a while.

18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2012 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).

I really liked the friendship between Cassel and Sam in White Cat. When I first saw this question I was sure I'd pick a romance but looking back over the books I've read this year, their friendship really stands out. The funny thing is at the beginning of the book neither really class each other as good friends -they're just roommates - but as the storyline progresses they soon become best friends.

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2012 From An Author You Read Previously

13 by Kelley Armstrong! It was an epic end to an awesome series but I wouldn't change a thing about it :)

20. Best Book You Read That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning. I'd been putting off this series for years because I'd heard Mac is annoying at the start and there is a rape scene later in the series. But I was chatting on Goodreads and got caught up in a conversation about how much everyone there recommended it so I finally picked up a copy. While I didn't go crazy for it, I loved it enough to pick up the whole series.

Book Blogging/Reading Life in 2012

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2012?

Ramblings of a Daydreamer really stands out to me as a favourite blog I discovered this year. I found it when she hosted her Canadian Reading Challenge and I found that I love her reviewing and writing styles. Marie is an awesome blogger and I'm so glad I found her blog :)

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2012?

Probably either 13 by Kelley Armstrong or Enclave by Ann Aguirre. Both were books I adored and it took me ages to write reviews that weren't OMG the amazings!!! 13 in particular was difficult to write as it has lots of plot points tying back into older books in the series and I didn't want to spoil those for new readers.

3. Best discussion you had on your blog?

I don't really end up having many discussions on my blog - something I'd definitely like more of - but I guess the best was about genres, which leads me to...

4. Most thought-provoking review or discussion you read on somebody else’s blog?

Definitely the genres discussions! This post at The Overstuffed Bookcase and these posts (one and two) at Book Soulmates discussed how we define genres. It really got me thinking as everyone seems to define genres in slightly different ways - like I class Angels' Blood as urban fantasy because it's not specifically about Elena and Raphael's relationship but the latest book in the series Archangel's Storm is definitely paranormal romance. I've seen the whole series classified as either and some people split it up. I prefer to keep series together, but some like this series change too much to be a single genre. I even ended up making a genres page on my blog to explain how I classify books.

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

Bloggiesta! I had a total blast taking part and managed to not only complete my to-do list but I went above and beyond. I even managed to take part in a twitter party and had a great time hanging out and chatting books and blogging with bloggers from around the world.

6. Best moment of book blogging in 2012?

The first time I saw someone had +1 a post. I had to google to find out what it meant but as soon as I did I was so thrilled. I didn't even know +1 existed but seeing someone had recommended one of my posts made my day!

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

My most popular post on the blog this year is Teaser Tuesday #39 (where I tease The Kitchen Witch) by views, and Top Ten of 2012: Monday (where I talk about my best books of 2012) by comments.

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

I don't know. Any of my reviews because I put my heart into them and comments there mean an incredible amount to me. I love any comments but memes always seem easier to get comments on, whereas reviews don't.

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

A slightly random cheat for Waterstones in the UK. Waterstones tend to charge the full cover price for books which is kind of a pain given the offers available in other stores (both physical and online) HOWEVER if you reserve a book at your local Waterstones using their website you pay the website price! This means you can save up to several pounds per book. When I tried this I got two £7.99 books for £5.59 each :)

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

Some. I lost track of a lot of challenges I joined (something on my resolutions list for next year) but I did complete a few on Goodreads as well as taking part in a round of Book Shelf Bingo which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Looking Ahead…

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2012 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2013?

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi as it's been on my TBR for waaaaaay too long.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2013?

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis! I read Across the Universe on a Friday, bought A Million Suns from my local bookstore as soon as they opened on the Saturday and had read the whole book and preordered Shades of Earth by Saturday evening. I'm desperate to see how everything concludes!

3. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2013?

I'm going to split this into one reading goal and one blogging goal for 2013. For reading I want to beat the number of books I read this year (even if it's just by one book) and in terms of blogging, my goal is to blog more regularly. I've been struggling with my health and so my blog has had huge gaps with no posts this year so I'm hoping to keep things more regular next year.


If you'd like to do the survey yourself, or would just like to see Jamie's original post, click here.