Thursday, January 13, 2022

2021 Book Survey

Jamie, The Perpetual Page Turner created this EOY Book Survey. I've participated several years (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, and 2020). I enjoy the survey so much that I am here again for 2021. I've discussed in the past how difficult narrowing down these are for me, but since 2021 was such a difficult reading year for me, I'm not going to stress out about my choices and just go with my gut. Oh and feel free to join in and do your own survey. Just link back to Jamie.

2021 Reading Stats

46 books read so far (including a few children's books)
0 book re-read
Genre Read the Most From? Adult & Historical fiction

Books

1. Best book you read?


A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire (Blood & Ash, # 2) by Jennifer L Armentrout
Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, # 7) by Sarah J Maas
Decluttering at the Speed of Life by Dana K White

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


The Siren of Sussex (Belles of London, # 1) by Mimi Matthews
A Warrior's Heart (Brides of Laurent, # 1) by Misty M Beller
Layla by Colleen Hoover

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


After by Amy Efaw (mostly because I thought I was reading a different book entirely)

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


Decluttering at the Speed of Life by Dana K White

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



Series:

Never Fall for Your Fiancee (The Merriwell Sisters, # 1) by Virginia Heath
The Governess (Sisters of Woodside Mysteries, # 1) by Mary Kingswood
Manor for Sale, Baron Included (Romance of Rank, # 1) by Esther Hatch
Rescuing Lord Inglewood (Inglewood, # 1) by Sally Britton

Sequel:

A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire (Blood & Ash, # 2) by Jennifer L Armentrout

Ender:

Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, # 7) by Sarah J Maas

6. Favorite new author you discovered?


Alene Wecker, Virginia Heath, Mary Kingswood, Tiffany Odekirk, Sally Britton

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


The Chaperon (Sisters of Woodside Mysteries, # 2) by Mary Kingswood (I'm not normally a fan of mysteries.)

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book?



A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire (Blood & Ash, # 2) by Jennifer L Armentrout
A Court of Silver Flames (A Court of Thorns and Roses, # 4) by Sarah J Maas
Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, # 7) by Sarah J Maas
Rage and Ruin (The Harbinger, # 2) by Jennifer L Armentrout

In years passed, I've chosen books that I read in a day, but this year, I chose books that I got sucked into and didn't want to put down even though they might have taken longer to read.

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

Hardly any time for re-reads.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read?


A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire (Blood & Ash, # 2) by Jennifer L Armentrout

11. Most memorable character?

Nesta

12. Most beautifully written book read?

I don't think I read any particularly beautifully written books this year.

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you?


Decluttering at the Speed of Life by Dana K White

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


Beyond the Point by Claire Gibson (I got this for review several years ago.)

Rage and Ruin (The Harbinger, # 2) by Jennifer L Armentrout (I really enjoyed book 1 but didn't get approved for this one so it took me a while to get around to it.)

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


-Faith isn’t really faith until it’s beat up and put through a fire. When you’re crushed, you feel like you’re dying. But you’re actually coming to life. When you’re broken, that’s when the best of you comes out.” Beyond the Point by Claire Gibson

-“Hindsight is an unfair standard to use against yourself,” Beyond the Point by Claire Gibson

-When you allowed yourself to enter someone else’s trauma, there were so many benefits: a righted perspective, a deeper sense of friendship, a holy devotion to the sacredness of now. Beyond the Point by Claire Gibson

-The point of life isn’t to quench our thirst, it’s to realize we’re thirsty for something that we can’t find here.” Beyond the Point by Claire Gibson

-"How long can you wait?" "Until the stars burn out." Beguiled by Darynda Jones

-Father may control her life, but she controlled her perspective on it... To Marry an Earl by Karen Thornell

-“I am perfectly capable of having more than one friend, James. You need not enter into a rivalry with my horse.” To Marry an Earl by Karen Thornell

-“I imagine I would enjoy it more than an amputation of the foot but less than being drained dry by a score of leeches." An Engagement of Sorts by Alene Wecker

-I had come to expect flippancy and outrageous flattery from him, which was as painless for him to deliver as it was for me to cast aside. But I could not laugh away the flattery of being heard. Of being seen. Of being thought of. An Engagement of Sorts by Alene Wecker

-The image of my favorite stuffed rabbit, which I had adored into oblivion, came to mind. It would lose its tail, the beans spilling out while I shrieked and cried. Nurse would fix it, and I would love it again until I loved it with too much vigor and a seam would rip. An Engagement of Sorts by Alene Wecker

-“Oh, for pity’s sake, they’re ghosts, Gray! The kind who wake you up at night and steal your joy and make you pray to God for forgiveness. That kind of ghost.”...“Then you’re going to have to defeat them. Or turn them into something that inspires you to be a better man.” Prince of Spies by Elizabeth Camden

-He smiled. She was becoming almost tired of his smile and the way it sucked in everyone around him. She wished he would be rid of it for a day and allow her to not dwell on whom else he had been smiling at. A Proper Scoundrel by Esther Hatch

-"But when he dropped his burden in the pond, he became happy for what he could be happy for--that he no longer had a burden. He didn't mourn the things he couldn't change." ..."He didn't want to lose his burden. It was only after it had slipped in that he rejoiced it was gone." A Proper Scoundrel by Esther Hatch

-You couldn't love a dragon, nor could you get close to one, but you wouldn't wish it to become a fish. A Proper Scoundrel by Esther Hatch

-“That’s the key, isn’t it? To know the darkness will always remain, but how you choose to face it, handle it… that’s the important part. To not let it consume. To focus upon the good, the things that fill you with wonder.” She gestured to the stars zooming past. “The struggle with that darkness is worth it, just to see such things.” A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas

-Next time he saw Kit, he was definitely going to frown at her. Winning the Gentleman by Kristi Ann Hunter

16. Shortest and longest book you read?


Longest: Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, # 7) by Sarah J Maas (989 pages)
Shortest (not including children's books): Forever Wild (Wild, # 2.5) by KA Tucker (156 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?)


After by Amy Efaw

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



Nesta & Cassian
Poppy & Casteel
Sunshine & Levi
Rowan & Aelin
Hugh & Minerva

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


Silas, Isaac, Jacob, Hope, Grace, & Esther
Sally & Victoria
Annabelle, Lucy, Margaret, Rosamund, & Fanny

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


A Kingdom of Flesh & Fire (Blood & Ash, # 2) by Jennifer L Armentrout
Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, # 7) by Sarah J Maas

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


The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel J Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read?

Damon Jennings

23. Best debut you read?


I can't ever tell (keep up with) what's a debut and what isn't.

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


A Kingdom of Flesh & Fire (Blood & Ash, # 2) by Jennifer L Armentrout
A Court of Silver Flames (A Court of Thorns and Roses, # 4) by Sarah J Maas
Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, # 7) by Sarah J Maas

25. Book that was the most fun to read?


Manor for Sale, Baron Included by Esther Hatch

26. Book that made you cry or nearly cry?


I don't have a note that any of the books made me cry this year. And looking back, I can't remember any of them making me cry. Maybe Kingdom of Ash.

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


Most of the historical fiction I've been reading is Christian fiction. I always think these are overlooked by the masses.

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?


A Court of Silver Flames (A Court of Thorns and Roses, # 4) by Sarah J Maas - the sheer amount that Nesta has to overcome is just crushing.

29. Most Unique Book You Read?


#StayMarried by Michelle Peterson
The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel J Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson

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


After by Amy Efaw

Blogging

1. New favorite book blog you discovered?

Honestly, I haven't had the time I'd like to visit other blogs. Again, it's the stage of life that I'm in. Perhaps soon, I'll have a new favorite blog to share with you guys.

2. Favorite review you wrote?


A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire (Blood & Ash, # 2) by Jennifer L Armentrout
A Good Day for Chardonnay (Sunshine Vicram, # 2) by Darynda Jones
The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood & Ash, # 3) by Jennifer L Armentrout
Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, # 7) by Sarah J Maas

3. Best discussion you had on your blog?

Maybe next year I'll have a better way of figuring this out. Or I won't wait until last minute to get this post completed.

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 this year?

Honestly, this year was all abour survival. I forgot to post more times this year than ever before.

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

See answer to # 5, but also having 3 kids 6 and under and not even being in our home for half of the year was just difficult all around. I didn't even have my kindle with me June through November.

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

Blogger's latest update has made this harder to determine. And for the sake of getting this post done, I'm going to skip this one.

8. Post you wished got a little more love?

Any of them? Reviews especially.

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

Chirp Audiobooks, a site for discounted digital audiobooks.

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

Reading the Bible in a Year is the only book related goal that I accomplished this year. I came under on both my reading goal for the year as well as my series enders goal.

Looking ahead…

1. One book you didn’t get to this year but will be your number 1 priority next year?


Gilded (Gilded, # 1) by Marissa Meyer

2. Book you are most anticipating next year (non-debut)?


The War of Two Queens (Blood & Ash, # 4) by Jennifer L Armentrout

3. Debut from next year 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 next year? Sequel?


Sequel: The War of Two Queens (Blood & Ash, # 4) by Jennifer L Armentrout

Ender: I honestly don't think any of the series that I'm currently in the middle of are ending in 2022.

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

This has been my main goal for the last seven 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 Release from Next Year You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:


Summerhaven by Tiffany Odekirk

What would your answers be to the 2021 EOY Book Survey? Leave me your link so I can check out your post. Or just leave me a comment! Let me know!

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