2012 End of the Year Survey

End of the Year Survey

BEST BOOKS IN 2012

1. Best book you read in 2012? (You can break it down by genre if you want.)

• Insurgent by Veronica Roth
• Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
• Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
• Defiance by C.J. Redwine

This is a tough question because I read some amazing novels this year but these are some that stick out from my list. Insurgent is definitely my favorite of the year though.

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

I was very excited for The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda because it sounded like an awesome read. For me though, it was too slow and I couldn't connect very well with the characters.

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

The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke. I got this book and it was so small. I wasn't sure how it was going to have a lush world but then it so so did and wonderful characters to boot. I fell hard.

4. Book you recommended most to people in 2012?

Either Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi or Incarnate by Jodi Meadows. Everyone I know got an earful about both of these amazing novels.

5. Best series you discovered in 2012?

It's a four-way tie:

• Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
• Everneath by Brodi Ashton
• Incarnate by Jodi Meadows 
• Defiance by C.J. Redwine

I made this a tie because I'm dying for the sequels to all of these books and they all captured my mind in the way a good book does and stayed with me long after I finished reading them.

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2012?

I actually just did a Top Ten post on this which you can check out here. A few of them are Veronica Rossi, Jodi Meadows, Megan Miranda and Cassandra Rose Clarke.

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

Buffy the Vampire Slayer comics for sure. I never really understood how comics worked so reading them was a very different experience for me. I read them very slowly because I didn't want to miss any of the artwork. It is gorgeous!

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2012?

SUPER unfair question. I didn't read a lot of books this year but the ones I did were amazing and a half. I guess if I had to choose just one it would be Insurgent by Veronica Roth because I love that world and Tris and Four so stinking much.

9. Book you read in 2012 that you are most likely to re-read next year?

Probably Insurgent by Veronica Roth if the next novel comes out.

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

Probably either Incarnate by Jodi Meadows or Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi. I think it'd be the first though. That butterfly mask is amazing!

11. Most memorable character in 2012?

I would say Tris or Four from Insurgent but I met them the year before. So let's say Perry from Under the Never Sky for being so dang amazing and having a really cool skill set. Also Ananna and Naji from The Assassin's Curse because they are both so unique.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2012?

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson hands down. That book was a visual feast of words.

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

Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake because it made me say goodbye to several of my favorite characters and the ending was the perfect amount of heartbreak.

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

Switched by Amanda Hocking. I think her Wake series is better but I can't believe it took me this long to get acquainted with her writing.

15. Favorite passage/quote from a book you read in 2012?

The entirety of Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson. Visual feast guys. Just sayin'.

16. Shortest and longest book you read in 2012?

Shortest book was Dead to You by Lisa McMann.

Longest was Insurgent by Veronica Roth.

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) Be careful of spoilers!

Probably the entirety of Insurgent by Veronica Roth.

18. Favorite relationship from a book you read in 2012? (be it romantic, friendship, etc).

Obviously this one is going to be Tris and Four from Insurgent. I also loved Perry and Aria from Under the Never Sky and Ana and Sam from Incarnate as well as Rachel and Logan from Defiance.

19. Favorite book you read in 2012 from an author you read previously.

Hah, this one shouldn't even be a question if you've been reading this whole thing, Definitely Insurgent by Veronica Roth and I'd like to add The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting.

20. Best book you read that you read based SOLELY on a recommendation from somebody else.

Hmm, not sure I did that this year which is a shame. Next year I'll have a few from KM over at One Page at a Time YA Reviews though!

BOOK BLOGGING/READING LIFE IN 2012

1. Favorite review that you wrote in 2012?

I think my favorite review is probably the one on Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson. It was such a beautifully written book and a little of that stuck with me while writing up the review.

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

I thought a lot about KM's The Many Flavors of YA Boys even though I didn't comment on it. Mostly because I felt she captured every type and it made me question which flavor I liked. It effected the novel I was writing as well. It made me think about what I like and that reflected in my lead guy.

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

Angela from Reading Angel, my bestie Ashley
and I

Definitely YAll Fest. I had such an amazing time meeting all the authors and getting to see quite a few book bloggers too. Not only did the entire atmosphere inspire me to finish the second re-write of my novel in a little over a month but I cherish the time I got to spend with Angela (and Duke) over at Reading Angel.

I also really enjoyed the Tahereh Mafi and Veronica Rossi book signing. Two of my favorite authors in one place at the same time? And they were both hilarious!

4. Best moment of book blogging in 2012?

YAllfest and hanging out with all the cool book nerds there. It was an amazing experience I don't think I'll ever forget.

5. Most popular post this year on your blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

Either my RIP to The Secret Circle post or my Note on Buffy and Spike's Relationship. Both of those posts got a lot of views this year. All of my Doctor Who posts are picking up steam as well.


6. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

Definitely my Happily Ever Endings posts. This year I've been seeing more and more people use them but a lot of my comments are talking about how they wished they knew about them sooner. Happily Ever Endings are summaries of what happened in the last half of books. That way when you get a novel that is part of a series in a year later, you can go back and refresh yourself as to what happen. These are super useful and it'd be awesome to get more people involved so we could cover even more books. 

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

Maybe my Nook... I just got it two days ago so it's yet to be seen but just maybe...

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

No. How sad is that? This year though. This year I am totally going to do it!

LOOKING AHEAD...

1. One book that you didn't get to read in 2012, but will be your number one priority in 2013?

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. I promised KM I was going to read this series if she read Divergent by Veronica Roth so this book will get read!

2. Books you are most anticipating for 2013?

Hmm, pretty much all of the sequels... Everbound by Brodi Ashton, Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi, Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi as well as quite a few debuts.

3. One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/blogging in 2013?

I hope to read at least 50 books this year. I had a major lull in the middle of this year and then I was very busy writing the last half of the year. I hope I can make a bit more time for reading again.