2014 End of Year Book Survey

Created by Jamie at The Perpetual Page Turner

I am SO excited to do this survey and reflect back on all the amazing books I've read this year! I'm going to try SUPER hard not to make EVERY answer The Bronze Horseman because it knocked down every book I've previously read in life (with the exception of Harry Potter because that is just another level) to become my favorite book of all time.

2014 Reading Stats

Number Of Books You Read: 177
Number of Re-Reads: 17...and so many more next year when Hannah and I do our Re-Read Challenge!!
Genre You Read The Most From: Probably Historical Fiction...way too lazy to go and figure it out exactly but glancing through all the books I read historical fiction is prominent.

Best in Books

1. Best Book You Read In 2014?

The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons...OBVIOUSLY

Other main contenders are Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas, The Marked Men series by Jay Crownover, EVERYTHING by Jojo Moyes, Love, in English by Karina Halle, and The Original Sinners by Tiffany Reisz.

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon...this just...didn't work for me...at all...

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read in 2014?
Love, in English by Karina Halle is NOT a book I thought would resonate with me so deeply and it just blew me away. It, to this day, has a quote in it that feels like it came from own soul. It was that powerful.

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did) In 2014?

The Bronze Horseman...you are welcome, Hannah, Erin, Wendy, Alexa, Rachel, Steph, Bascia, Nikki, and Erin. And I know I gifted that book to Betty and Rebecca also bought it as well as a few others who told me that I can't remember now...
Quite a few people also read Love, in English by Karina Halle based on my pushing a lot of non-blogging friends loved that book.
The Sea of Tranquility is also the GO TO book I tell any and all people to read.

5. Best series you started in 2014? Best Sequel of 2014? Best Series Ender of 2014?
Best Series I Started: The Queen of the Tearling by Ericka Johansen & Lailah by Nikki Kelly
Best Series: The Original Sinners by Tiffany Reisz & The Artists Trilogy by Karina Halle

Best Sequel: The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski

Best Series Ender: Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi & The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness & The Boleyn Reckoning by Laura Andersen

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2014?
Jay Crownover!!! I LOVE her Marked Men series something fierce AND her Point series is just as awesome and sexy!

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. I have never read Christian Fiction before and Hannah gifted this to me for my birthday and I LOVED it. It was so poignant and beautiful and just the PERFECT book for me. 

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
Oh man...there are so many...but...The Bronze Horseman...sorry!!! But it's true! Wait, no I change my answer to Tatiana and Alexander by Paullina Simons. That book maybe moreso made me want to have a super power of fast reading because it was so.fucking.amazing. 

9. Book You Read In 2014 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
Probably The Original Sinners series...The Marked Men series...The Sea of Tranquility is a yearly re-read...The Throne of Glass series hands down...aaaaaand A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas will be at the top of that list as well.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2014?

The One by Kiera Cass. Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor. OH OH OH NASH by Jay Crownover because I had to turn the book over as to not be distracted by the hot man on the cover...no, seriously. 

11. Most memorable character of 2014?
Saint from Nash. Tatiana from The Bronze Horseman. Celaena from Heir of Fire. Kestrel from The Winner's Crime. Feyre from A Court of Thorns and Roses...what?! I have a thing for strong and selfless heroines. Sue me.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2014?

Shit, man. SO MANY. Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas and Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor are the first two that come to mine. Epic writing. So poignant it rips your friggin' heart out.

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2014?

Life-Changing?...The Bronze Horseman & Tatiana and Alexander...sorry not sorry. Those books gave me a piece of their immortal life blood...yeah, I went there.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2014 to finally read? 

Probably The Original Sinners series because I had heard of it forever and I have NO IDEA why the FUCK I was so stupid and never read it sooner.

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2014?

"It was hard for me to admit this because I liked to have people think I was happy-go-lucky, that I devoured life, that I got up every day feeling good and excited and hopeful. But I didn't.

'No,' I told him, my gaze locking on his. 'I am not happy.'

'Why?' he asked quietly.

'Because...I am lonely...'

'You are lonely, but you say you like to be alone.'

I nodded. 'I do. I prefer it. But...it doesn't mean
I don't want someone to love me.'
My eyes stung, as if tears were on their way. I bit my lip, debating if I should say more.
'It doesn't mean that I don't have a lot of love in me to give someone.'"

--Karina Halle, Love, in English

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?
Longest--810 pages with The Bronze Horseman (I'M NOT KIDDING)...um, and I kind of read it twice this year...so maybe technically 1620 pages...eep

Shortest--110 pages with Beyond Temptation by Kit Rocha

17. Book That Shocked You The Most
The Boleyn Reckoning BLEW ME AWAY with stuff that happened!! And how The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson was written was just AMAZING!

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

Oh dude...seriously? Just one?!...don't hate me but Tatiana and Alexander are life. Immortal life blood.

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

Celaena and Rowan from Heir of Fire

Reagan and Dee from Open Road Summer

All the Brothers of the Black Dagger Brotherhood

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2014 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover was such an amazing book and I LOVE her books...with one exception...

The King by JR Ward...mmm the BDB

21. Best Book You Read In 2014 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

Rule by Jay Crownover and Scoring Wilder by R.S. Grey thanks to Betty :) The Marked Men is now one of my favorite series. Also, Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier because of Hannah and Alexa. LOVED it! Can't wait to further the series!

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2014?

Well this is a loaded questions...
Alexander from The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons

Nash from Nash by Jay Crownover
Rule from Rule by Jay Crownover

Soren and Kingsley from The Original Sinners

23. Best 2014 debut you read?

Open Road Summer by Emery Lord and I Shall Be Near To You by Erin Lindsay McCabe

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

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas AND Heir of Fire...by Sarah J Maas...are we sensing a pattern here?...But also, (sorry!) The Bronze Horseman brought the Siege of Leningrad to life (good or bad) before my eyes. St. Petersburg lived in my mind and my heart while in the middle of Africa when I was reading.

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

Sugar Kisses by Addison Moore is a fun, sexy, and totally grinning like an idiot read. Sarcastic, funny, sexy. Perfect read for something lighter with lots of sex appeal.

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2014?

Dude, this isn't even a fair question for me...le sigh...without looking up all the books I've read these come to mind immediately...

Love, in English by Karina Halle

Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas

Making Faces by Amy Harmon

The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons...while sitting in the Nairobi airport. I could practically hear "crazy white girl" being muttered by the Africans. 

The Mistress by Tiffany Reisz 

The Boleyn Reckoning by Laura Andersen (this one was especially ugly)

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?
Making Faces by Amy Harmon is a BEAUTIFUL book. Actually, anything by Amy Harmon is beauty in words.

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

Heir of Fire is ridiculously powerful. The Bronze Horseman as well is like the definition of soul crushing.

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2014?

The Kiss of Deception by Mary Pearson. Most uniquely written book I've ever read!

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover. I love her books, really I do but this book was just...wow. Unbelievable in a bad way and brimming with disrespect towards women. I was shocked that I felt this way but I cannot get behind this book. I'm convinced my copy was switched after I bought it.

Blogging/Bookish Life

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2014? 

No BS Book Reviews!!!! OMG I love both Steph and Brenna and their reviews and blog is just amazing!

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2014? 

Oh geez, I don't know. I'm gonna go with my Book Pushin' feature because I can flail over my favorites. I also really liked my Open Road Summer review. And all my titles for my Original Sinners reviews...I chuckle to myself every time I see them.

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

How Do You Treat Your Books? got a lot of buzz and comments. As well as this entry into my sporadic Why I Love Reading section. 

4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?
Oh my gosh, meeting Jojo Moyes in San Diego is HANDS DOWN the best thing I did this year! She is one of my favorite authors of all time and I NEVER thought I would ever get the chance to meet her. And not only that, she totally knew who I was from Twitter...WINNING!

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2014?

Besides the fact that my very best friends in life have come through blogging, I would say being asking to be the official blogger for the Fierce Reads San Diego tour stop was pretty freaking amazing.


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

My blog tour stop for The King by Tiffany Reisz which makes me so happy it's not even funny because I love that book so hard.

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

I am grateful for any page view I get so if you're on here reading this, know I love and appreciate your time in reading my ramblings.

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

Betty, Hannah, Cass, and Alexa. No, it's not just this year but they're the best :)

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

Yes! The Real Book Challenge hosted by Fiction Fare and Swoony Boys Podcasts! I LOVED this Challenge and I fell off a little bit at the end of the year due to traveling but I'm still coating it AND my Goodreads Challenge I blew out of the water. Woot woot!


Looking Ahead

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2014 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2015?

The Start of You and Me by Emery Lord is supposed to be fantastic! And I cannot wait to read it!

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2015 (non-debut)?

Asa by Jay Crownover...HAVE YOU SEEN THE COVER?!?...HI!!!!!!!!!!

3. 2015 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. I've heard amazing things and I can't wait to read!

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2015?

Throne of Glass. Duh.

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2015?

Continue to read great books. Connect with interesting people. Get to know my favorite authors. And love what I'm doing.

6. A 2015 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas...get ready, people. Spring is coming.