Thursday 31 December 2015

2015 End of Year Book Survey


Meme created by Jamie @ The Perpetual Page Turner




Number of books I read: 257
Number of re-reads: 30
Genre I read the most from: I'm just going to assume New Adult. Again.

2015
257




5 out of 5 stars
                                                                                        

4 out of 5 stars
                                                                                                   

3 out of 5 stars
                                         

2 out of 5 stars
                  

1 out of 5 stars
 


1. Best book you read in 2015? Carry On by Rainbow Rowell. Read it. Now.

2. Book you were excited about & thought you were going to love more but didn’t? It breaks my heart that this was the cause, but Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas. You guys know my love of that series, but I was/am upset and mad over events that took place, the way the plot went and how two of my favourite characters were portrayed.

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read? Carry the Ocean by Heidi Cullinan. The elements of this book(sexuality and mental health) spoke to me as soon as I heard about it. But still going in I was a little scared of the execution. Thankfully this book is amazing and was able to produce so much goodness.

4. Book you “pushed” the most people to read (and they did)? Being a bookseller for the later part of the year really helps my book pushing tendencies. So I have two answers for this one; the book I pushed the most on my reader friends is Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda because it is life. As a bookseller the book I've been recommending the most is actually Legend by Marie Lu. With parents and such coming in shopping for Christmas, they'd of course tell me their kids have read and loved the usual dystopians. For me Legend is just the most logical recommendation. Especially because I believe it's one of the better dystopian series.

5. Best series you started in 2015? Best sequel of 2015? Best series ender of 2015? The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. Salt & Stone by Victoria Scott. Winter by Marissa Meyer.

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2015? Krista and Becca Ritchie. They are twin goddesses who write the best most real characters.

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone? I'm not going to lie, I read a lot of my normal genres this year. So the only book I can really think of is The Blue by Lucy Clarke. I'm not one to really want to pick up an adult mystery thriller type book. But the cover and synopsis drew me in and didn't disappoint.

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year? I fear I might start sounding like a broken record, but hands down that's Illuminae. That book is impossible not to read in a sitting.

9. Book you read in 2015 that you are most likely to re-read next year? There's definitely a bunch of possibilities. Either because I'll re-read before the sequel comes out or because it's a favourite romance that I need to experience again. So I'll give two answers; The Wrath and the Dawn and Bad Romeo.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2015? The UK hardcover edition of A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston is just one gorgeous book. The cover, the book, the pages. EVERYTHING is stunning.

11. Most memorable character of 2015? Connor Cobalt from the Addicted and Calloway Sisters books. There is no way to describe him. As he says, he is his own God.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2015? The Wrath and the Dawn is a beautifully written book. The prose is spot on.

13. Most thought-provoking/ life-changing book of 2015? I wouldn't call any book I read life changing, but I did read a lot of books dealing with mental health in many different ways. So those are always thought provoking. For me the first one that comes to mind is Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2015 to finally read? Lost & Found by Nicole Williams had been sitting on my Kindle for at least a year. Until Samantha read it and told me to get on it. Can't believe I let that book go unread for so long.

15. Favorite passage/quote from a book you read in 2015?

“Just when you think you're having a scene without Simon, he drops in to remind you that everyone else is a supporting character in his catastrophe.” Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
“I’m attracted to people. To the words they speak, to the actions they take, to their full-bodied mannerisms and soulful gaits. I am attracted to people. To impassioned hearts that beat out of sync, the ones that skip a measure, heard in hushed places and violent spaces—I am attracted to people.” Fuel the Fire by Krista & Becca Ritchie
16. Shortest & longest book you read in 2015? Shortest: It Was Always You by Brenna Aubrey = 37.
Longest: Oblivion by Jennifer L Amrentrout = 1009

17. Book that shocked you the most? Long Way Down gave me two massive heart attacks.

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)? Isn't this like picking a favourite child? Connor and Rose, Simon and Baz, Ethan and Cassie, Simon and Blue, any couple from Winter. This is a never-ending list.

19. Favorite non-romantic relationship of the year? Some amazing familial ones are The Calloway Sisters.

20. Favorite book you read in 2015 from an author you’ve read previously? The Start of You and Me by Emery Lord. This girl knows how to write YA contemporary.

21. Best book you read in 2015 that you read based SOLELY on a recommendation from somebody else/peer pressure? I remember Charnell raving about The Anatomical Shape of A Heart(or Night Owls in the UK) back in the summer. So of course I added it on Goodreads. A few months later when I got Raincoast's ARC newsletter I saw it there and knew I needed it. Charnell was not wrong, it instantly drew me in and is now a favourite of 2015 and life.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2015? Again, how does a girl pick just one? Connor Cobalt, Oliver, Ethan, Patrick, Ren. To name a few.

23. Best 2015 debut you read? First and Then by Emma Mills. That is a book that does not feel like a debut.

24. Best worldbuilding/most vivid setting you read this year? The Martian may not have a new or made up world, but I definitely could imagine being trapped on Mars with Mark.

25. Book that put a smile on your face/was the most FUN to read? Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda still has me smiling. It is all the happiness you need in a book.

26. Book that made you cry or nearly cry in 2015? As we know, I am as close to a robot as possible. But a few books were able to break my eyes; Long Way Down, The Last Time We Say Goodbye, All the Bright Places and I'll Meet You There.

27. Hidden gem of the year? I've got a few. Can't narrow it down; Lost & Found series by Nicole Williams, Bad Romeo & Broken Juliet by Leisa Rayven, Rites of Passage by Joy N. Hensley, Things We Know By Heart by Jessi Kirby and How to Say I Love You Out Loud by Karole Cozzo.

28. Book that crushed your soul? Queen of Shadows you nasty confusing book.

29. Most unique book you read in 2015? Illuminae because of it's format. And A Thousand Nights because of the lack of character names(one person has a formal name throughout the whole book).

30. Book that made you the most mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)? Something Real; absolutely love this book. That mom is the most selfish selfish person. She's all about the spotlight. Cares nothing for her children's feelings and lives.


1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2015? Being a bad blogger, I didn't do as much visiting new bloggers as I should of. But Tanya @ Girl Plus Books is wonderful. We also love our NA.

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2015? Challenger Deep is an important book and I tried my best to get that across.
Also After because I couldn't help but be super snarky.

3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog? I still fail at doing anything creative enough as a discussion. Although I have done some TAGs; the most fun one for me was the Unpopular Opinions Book TAG.

4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)? 2015 was another year filled with bookish events. More virtual previews with Raincoast. I ventured downtown to HCC Frenzy Presents. As well as going to some author signings; like Fierce Reads.

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2015? Just continuing to interact with other book nerds

6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year? My challenge has been keeping a regular blogging schedule. I have been so up and down this year. Hopefully 2016 will see me getting back into it.

7. Most popular post this year on your blog (whether it be by comments or views)? Unsurprisingly, it was my Fierce Reads Blog Tour post. 

8. Post you wished got a little more love? That really means nothing to me. I'm just thankful when anyone stops by the blog.

9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)? Owlcrate is really cool subscription box. Unfortunately I had to cancel it a few months ago. But I still check out what every monthly box holds.

10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year? I didn't really set many. I completed my Goodreads challenge and also how many re-reads I set for myself. Samantha and I also set up a challenge for each other(Brittany vs Samantha 2015 Challenge), which we both failed at and will continue into 2016 because of that.


1. One book you didn’t get to in 2015 but will be your number 1 priority in 2016? Well this was also my answer last year. Clearly I failed. It's more two authors than a book; Brandon Sanderson and Victoria Schwab. Victoria's A Darker Shade of Magic will be read in January. No excuses.

2. Book you are most anticipating for 2016 (non-debut)? Do you have a few hours to spare to read ALL of them? To name a few; It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover, The Trials of Apollo by Rick Riordan, Heartless by Marissa Meyer, Wicked Heart by Leisa Rayven, When We Collided by Emery Lord, The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh and everything and anything by Jennifer L Armentrout, Jay Crownover and Christina Lauren.

3. 2016 debut you are most anticipating? There's a bunch of debuts I have my eyes on. But The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry and The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig.

4. Series ending/a sequel you are most anticipating in 2016? I needs A Court of Mist and Fury now. By the time it's released in May I'll have had to wait a year and a half. That's tooooo long. Oh and Saga Vol 6.

5. One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/blogging life in 2016? I just want to start blogging regularly, with at least two reviews a week. I also need to get out on the interwebs and discover more book blogs to follow and bloggers to chat with. 

6. A 2016 release you’ve already read & recommend to everyone? I've read a few early 2016 releases, only one can I whole heartily recommend; Night Study. Which is the 5th book in the Study Series. One of my absolute long time favourite series'.


Link me up to your survey.
Happy reading in 2016!

Brittany

18 comments:

  1. That's too bad about Queen of Shadows. I'm not a big reader of the genre but Maas has made it on my TBR just because everyone loves her books so much. I'll be wary when I get to that one. The Deep sounds interesting. I've been wanting to read it but I'm especially interested that you liked it. I love the idea of Owl Crate! I'm a huge fan of subscription boxes anyway (I have ipsy and Birchbox and used to have MyIreland, and have a LeTote subscription) and so a subscription box that's bookish is definitely my thing but most of what I've seen is more YA driven so I think it might be a little lost on me. You killed it with your book numbers! I hope 2016 is a great year and that we see more of you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think I'm in the minority with Queen of Shadows. But that's not what I wanted to happen! :( We'll see what happens within the next two books to come.
      That's true; all the bookish subscription boxes are YA centered. I love my make-up, and I've been thinking of trying out Birchbox(from all the unboxings I watch that one seems the most consistently good). But the shipping to Canada is so expensive. :/
      Thanks Katherine! Happy 2016!

      Delete
  2. Holy cats woman! I cannot believe you go through that many books! ROCKSTAR!
    Missie @ A Flurry of Ponderings Enter my 2nd Annual Blogoversary Giveaway

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha! Thanks lady! I surprised myself too. :)

      Delete
  3. Loved seeing all your answers, Brittany! 257 books... color me impressed! You're a reading machine. :) I really need to read Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda. Soon. Love that your favorite author discovery is Krista and Becca Ritchie!! :) I adore them. And even Connor got a shout-out. ♥ So happy to see I'll Meet You There mentioned. It was one of my favorites of the year. Made a huge impact on me. Oh my goodness! Thanks so much for the mention as favorite new book blog! Wow, that caught me by surprise! {huge hugs} And I'm super excited about A Court of Mist and Fury, too!

    Tanya @ Girl Plus Books

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha! I think 2015 will take the cake for my best reading year. 257 is an insane number. :)
      Yes, read Simon ASAP! You'll adore it.
      Can't not shout-out Connor. Just think what I'm doing to his ego. Lol.
      I'll Meet You There was one of my first reads of 2015 and no doubt it will be a re-read in 2016. It impacted me as well.
      *hugs* Thanks for checking out my blog! :)

      Delete
  4. 257 books is a VERY impressive number, I am rather envious. I have no idea how people manage to read so much. Probably because they don't spend as much time binge watching Netflix like I do. I have seen so much love for Carry On. I have no idea whether I should read it or not. Did you like Fangirl? I hated Fangirl, so that has just put me off reading it. Esepcially since the Baz books were just the authors version of Harry Potter. I don't know, I am torn when it comes to that book.

    QoS still confuses me. I was angry at so much of it. But loved so many aspects of it too, Just didn't like how characters suddenly changed, they weren't acting at all how they did in the last three books. I am still unsure how I feel about it. I know a reread is needed before I make up my mind for good.

    Illuminae is one I finished a few days ago, so didn't make my 2015 surveyr but will definitely make it to this years one. I LOVED IT!!! It is sooooooooooooooooo good!!!! I am now desperate to get my hands on the sequel. YAY!!! Also really happy to see that you enjoyed Night Owls and read it because of my raving/gushing! WOOP WOOP!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yea, I don't watch much TV. But this year I want to catch up on all the things I haven't been watching but been meaning to. So reading might be taking a bit of a backseat.
    I loved Fangirl. And I loved the Simon Snow parts in Fangirl. Carry On is different though. Yes, it wouldn't exist without HP but that's what makes it brilliant. Rowell does a fantastic job with her version of the chosen one. And it's really hard not fall in love with Simon and Baz. They are adorable! So of course I'm going to push you towards reading Carry On. :)

    QoS is super confusing. Like you there's parts I loved and parts I hated. That's why if I'm being honest with myself it's a 3* book. I just hated Aelin too much to thoroughly enjoy the book. Of course there's other parts that pissed me off. But you're also right, a few characters had completely different personalities and that is not allowed to happen.

    Illuminae is just brilliant. Hopefully we can score ourselves some ARC's of Gemini.
    Night Owls is my new baby. Thanks to you! :)

    ReplyDelete
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