Thursday, December 20, 2018

2018 EOY Book Survey

Jamie, The Perpetual Page Turner created this EOY Book Survey. I've participated several years (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, & 2016), but I missed last year due to having a newborn and potty training a 2 year old. But I enjoy the survey so much that I am here again for 2018. I've discussed in the past how difficult narrowing down these are for me, but I'm going to try to do better keeping each category to one selection. Some of these get out of hand. Oh and feel free to join in and do your own survey. Just link back to Jamie.

2018 Reading Stats

84 books read so far (including a few children's books)
0 book re-read
Genre Read the Most From? YA Contemporary

Books

1. Best book you read in 2018?

Dance of Thieves (Dance of Thieves, # 1) by Mary E Pearson

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

The Curiosity Keeper (Treasures of Surrey, # 1) by Sarah E Ladd

3. Most surprising (in a good or bad way) book you read in 2018?

That Night by Amy Giles

4. Book you read in 2018 that you recommended to people the most?

Simple Wild by KA Tucker

5. Best series discovered in 2018? Best Sequel? Best series ender?


Series: Beautiful Hearts Duet by Emma Scott

Sequel: I didn't read many sequels this year and the ones I did were just 3 Star ratings.


Ender: Hero at the Fall (Rebel of the Sands, # 3) by Alwyn Hamilton

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2018?

Erin Watt

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

Verity by Colleen Hoover

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2018?


Bring Down the Stars & Long Live the Beautiful Hearts by Emma Scott

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

No time for re-reads probably.

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


The Beauty of Darkness (The Remnant Chronicles, # 3) by Mary E Pearson

11. Most memorable character in 2018?

Verity Crawford (Verity by Colleen Hoover)

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2018?


Bring Down the Stars by Emma Scott

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2018?


100 Days of Thanks by Thomas Nelson Publishing (helped get my perspective back in focus during the struggles of having a young baby and frequent lack of sleep)

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2018 to finally read?


Ruins (Partials, # 3) by Dan Wells

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


For you, I would
bring down the stars,
wreath their fire
around your neck
like diamonds,
and watch them
pulse
to the beat of your heart

For you, I would
capture the candlelight
in the palm of my hand
Give my breath
to give it life
A whisper,
"My love"
So that it may grow
Bright and hot
And burn me

For you, I would
drink the salted oceans
Until their depths
Were swallowed
into the depths of me
How deep it is, the life
This love, for you
I cannot touch bottom
I never will

For you, I would
mine the stony earth
Until it relinquished
The secrets of time
Cracks in the stone
wrinkles of the Earth
As she turns her face
to another new day
And so I wish to live
Every one of mine
With you

For you, I would
be myself
At long last
I would live in my skin
And breathe my words
in my own voice
Tinged with the accent
Of a child calling to a car
that will never stop
And in the fading echo
Nothing remains but the truth
of me
that is the love
of you

I have loved you with both
Hands tied behind my back
Bound with pen and ink
Paper and words
Sealed with someone else's name
until this moment
in which I am nothing
but a man
who loves a woman
There is nothing left to say
Except to give
all of my heart
For you

Bring Down the Stars by Emmma Scott

16. Shortest and longest book you read in 2018?


Longest: The Beauty of Darkness (The Remnant Chronicles, # 3) by Mary E Pearson 679 pages
Shortest (not including children's books): How to Teach Your Baby to Swim: From Birth to Age Six by Douglas Doman 120 pages

17. Book that had a scene in it that had you reeling and dying to talk to somebody about it? (Updated to: Book that shocked you the most?)


Verity by Colleen Hoover

18. Favorite relationship from a book you read in 2018 (romantic)?


Jase & Kazi (Dance of Thieves by Mary E Pearson)

19. Favorite relationship (non-romantic) from a book you read in 2018?


Kate & Alanna from Listen to Your Heart by Kasie West

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


Dance of Thieves by Mary E Pearson

21. Best book you read in 2018 that you read based solely on a recommendation from somebody else?


When It's Real by Erin Watt

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

Surprisingly none. I mean I liked a few of the guys I read, but none of them fall into the category of book boyfriend.

23. Best debut you read in 2018?


The Roses of Feldstone by Esther Hatch

24. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2018?


Dance of Thieves by Mary E Pearson

25. Book that was the most fun to read in 2018?


Tricky Twenty-Two (Stephanie Plum, # 22) by Janet Evanovich

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


The Simple Wild by KA Tucker

27. Book you read in 2018 that you think got overlooked this year or when it came out?


Let Me List the Ways by Sarah White

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?


Verity by Colleen Hoover

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2018?


Bible Journaling Made Simple by Sandy Allnock

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


The Opposite of Innocent by Sonya Sones

Blogging

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2018?

These aren't exactly new discoveries, but I've really been trying to focus on the blogs that visit and comment on my blog regularly.

  • AJ @ Read All the Things
  • Sherry @ Fundinmental
  • Laura @ FUOnlyKnew
  • Mary @ Stacking My Book Shelves
  • Barb @ Booker T's Farm
  • Grace @ Rebel Mommy Book Blog
  • Eve @ Functioning Insanity
  • Jenea @ Jenea's Book Obsession
  • Jo @ Book Lover's Blog
  • Krystianna @ Downright Dystopian
  • Angela @ Musings of a Literary Wanderer
  • 2. Favorite review you wrote in 2018?


    All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover - Because this book touched me on a personal level and the review got to share a little bit of my personal connection to the characters.

    3. Best discussion you had on your blog?

    My review of All the Little Lights by Jamie McGuire got the most comments and discussion. I mean the number and quality of the comments on this review exceeds any other review I've ever done. I don't even know that my review is particularly good so much as the book sparked a lot of thoughts and discussion.

    4. Best event that you participated in (author signing, festivals, virtual events, meme’s, etc)

    N/A

    5. Best moment of book blogging/your book life in 2018?

    Exceeding my reading goal is always a good thing. I've been trying to keep things on kind of an even-kill until I move into a different season of life that allows for more focus on reading and blogging..

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

    Well at the beginning of 2018 my son was only 3 months old. The first twelve months are physically exhausting. Not that the other years aren't, but after the first year babies become more and more physically independent. Having a newborn and very young baby doesn't allow for much extra time for reading and blogging.

    7. Most popular post this year on your blog (views or comments)?

    See my response to question 3.

    8. Post you wished got a little more love?

    Really any of my discussion posts. I didn't do many this year, and I guess I'd rather them get no comments than to get into some heated debate. One in particular: Discussions Only We Know: Mountains Out of Molehills

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

    Again...no new real discoveries this year.

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

    My Goodreads challenge (84 books of 52), Series Enders Reading Challenge (I fell slightly short of my goal of 10-12 books), Reading the Bible in a Year (Succeeded)

    Looking ahead…

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


    Iron Gold by Pierce Brown

    2. Book you are most anticipating in 2019 (non-debut)?


    Only a Breath Apart by Katie McGarry

    3. 2019 Debut you are most anticipating?

    No debuts are currently on my radar I don't think. Or they might be, but I really don't make note of that when I'm adding to my TBR list.

    4. Series ending you are more anticipating in 2019? Sequel?


    Sequel: A Return of Devotion (Haven Manor, # 2) by Kristi Ann Hunter

    Ender: Vow of Thieves (Dance of Thieves, # 2) by Mary E Pearson (no cover yet)

    5. One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/blogging in 2019?

    This has been my main goal for the last two/three years...Just keep going. With dwindling time to read and blog I'm hoping to just hang tight and keep doing the best that I can until another season in life comes that will allow me more time to do both.

    6. A 2019 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:


    You'd Be Mine by Erin Hahn

    What would your answers be to the 2018 EOY Book Survey? Leave me your link so I can check out your post. Or just leave me a comment! Let me know!

    5 comments:

    1. I love this survey. The only answer I know offhand is that my favorite book of 2018 was All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover. And a few 2019 reads that I would recommend are: The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves and Heroine by Mindy McGinnis.

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    2. 100 Days of Thanks sounds like a good book for all of us.

      Happy New Year!

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    3. Aww so nice of you to include my blog in this! You seem to have had a great reading year, well done :)

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    4. Iron Gold was fantastic - I hope you enjoy it when you get there!

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    5. I always say I'm going to do this every year, then run out of time. I might try later to do this, if I get time. I guess I really need to get a hold of Verity! Great list! The closest I've done is a Challenge Wrap Up post that you can check out if you want HERE.

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