This is my third time participating in the End of Year Book Survey, hosted by Jamie @ The Perpetual Page Turner. I'm picking and choosing the questions that I want to answer and skipping some...
Best Books of 2013
1. Best Book You Read In 2013? (If you have to cheat — you can break it down by genre if you want or 2013 release vs. backlist)
It is, as usual, very difficult to narrow it down to ONE book. I gave 28 books a "5 hat" rating (out of the 162 I read.)
One favorite for sure is Ready Player One. I just loved that book. To add to the dystopian list, I also have to mention The 5th Wave and The Trap. Simply amazing books... I also wanted to mention a contemporary by one of my favorite authors, Ask the Passengers. And as far as adult novels are concerned, you can't beat The Light Between Oceans.
Whew! First question, and that was HARD!!
2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
That would have to be Never Fade. I really enjoyed the first book, The Darkest Minds but couldn't get into the sequel at all!
3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013?
One that comes to mind is Rose Under Fire. Excellent book. I had a LOT of trouble getting through Code Name Verity, so I was shocked at how absorbing Rose Under Fire was.
4. Book you read in 2013 that you recommended to people most in 2013?
I read a lot of sequels that I have to recommend to kids who read the first book. The Benny Imura Series is a great example of this. But, really the book I want EVERYONE to read (because it was my first choice in question number 1) is Ready Player One.
5. Best series you discovered in 2013?
I'm really enjoying The Testing series. I recently read the second book and I'm loving it.
6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2013?
Because of the above question, the author of The Testing, Joelle Charbonneau, has to be mentioned.
7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?
Well, I read pretty much everything, but probably non-fiction is my least favorite. Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand, is one of the best books I've ever read. Once I got into it. That's why it got 4.5 hats instead of 5. But this is truly an amazing story that I would recommend to ANYONE.
8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2013?
I'd have to say The Trap. My goodness, I gripped that book so tightly that I could barely pry it out of my hands when I was finished.
9. Book You Read In 2013 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
No matter how badly I'd like to re-read some books, it just doesn't happen. Look at all the great books coming out in 2014! And all the already published books on my list! I just can't justify re-reading....
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2013?
I have to say Delia's Shadow. This is a beautiful cover that also PERFECTLY depicts the story inside. That's rare...
I also need to mention my second favorite, Going Vintage, just because it's so darn cute.
11. Most memorable character in 2013?
I love ALL of A. S. King's characters. That's why she's probably my favorite author. My favorite character this year is Astrid, from Ask the Passengers.
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2013?
This is a hard one. I wish I had read an Alice Hoffman book this year, because I love the way she writes. I usually pick an audiobook for this category. I tend to listen to more epic, detailed stories on audio, and I think these are the "beautifully written" ones. So, I'm choosing Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verghese. I really enjoyed this slow, detailed book.
13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2013?
Never Fall Down. This short book packs a huge wallop!
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2013 to finally read?
Most of the books I read this year are pretty current, and the ones that aren't really didn't do that much for me. I'll have to say And Then There Were None. One of the teachers at school has been telling me to read this, and I finally did and really enjoyed it.
16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?
I won't count novellas, so the shortest NOVEL I read was Twelve Things to Do Before You Crash and Burn. It's 121 pages long.
The longest book is Monsters at 688 pages. (And believe me, that was TOO MANY!)
18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2013 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).
Beatle and Destiny, from Beatle Meets Destiny. Second place to Eleanor & Park (I suspect that will be a popular answer for this question.)
19. Favorite Book You Read in 2013 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
I read both Ask the Passengers and Reality Boy by A. S. King. I'll read anything she wants to write!
20. Best Book You Read In 2013 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:
Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verghese.
21. Genre You Read The Most From in 2013?
I haven't counted, but I don't think I need to. I'm sure it's dystopian.
24. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2013?
Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verghese.
25. Book That Was The Most Fun To Read in 2013?
I ready two Flavia de Luce novels this year. A Red Herring Without Mustard and Speaking From Among the Bones. I love this series and this character. Great fun!
26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2013?
I don't cry much, but I'm sure there were a couple. The first one that comes to mind is The Light Between Oceans.
Looking Ahead
1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2013 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2014?
2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2014 (non-debut)?
5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2014?
Well, I really need to update my blog. It's had the same (boring) design for a long time. I hope to read AS MUCH in 2014 as I did in 2013. I'm not sure it's possible to read any more. I'm just hoping to keep up the reading/blogging pace that I've established.
Some great choices there Annette, and some I hadn't heard of to add to my list.
ReplyDeleteGood survey! I must add Trap to my TBR list now that I've read your results. I hope 2014 is starting out well for you with a working server!
ReplyDelete