2014 in Review- The End of Year Book Survey

So, I wanted to do a roundup of this (rather quiet) year.  But I didn’t know how I’d put it together. And then I remembered that there was a giant survey from Jamie (The Perpetual Page Turner). Anyone can do it and I’m sure I should have started earlier as it’s 5 pages spaced and empty, but hey. Let’s try!

---

2014 Reading Stats
Number Of Books You Read: 110
Number of Re-Reads: 6 (Harry Potter & The Philosopher’s Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Frankenstein,  The Huger Games, Mockingjay, and The Hobbit)
Genre You Read The Most From: I don’t know because I don’t keep track. I plan to work it out some day though, so watch this space.

---

Best in Books

1. Best Book You Read In 2014?
Out of a shortlist of Adaptation, Delete, and this, my favourite this year was probably A Kiss in the Dark by Cat Clarke.  

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
 Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith.  I’d heard many great things about it, but the writing style slowed it down and I couldn’t get into it as much as I wanted.

 3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read in 2014? 
Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare.  I knew it was bloody, but four deaths within a few lines... well.

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did) In 2014?
 Either This Book is Gay by James Dawson, or Persepolis by MarjaneSatrapi.

 5. Best series you started in 2014? Best Sequel of 2014? Best Series Ender of 2014?
 Series: Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens. Sequel: Inheritance by Malinda Lo. Ender: Delete by Kim Curran.

 6. Favourite new author you discovered in 2014?
 Joe  Hill. I’d seen good things about him, but never bothered to read anything. Then I read Heart Shaped Box and really enjoyed it.

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
I read mostly within my comfort zone, but I think I’ll put down Phillip Larkin’s poetry from The Whitsun Weddings, which I read (and analysed) for school. initially thoroughly depressing, but it grew on me.

 

 8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
Delete by Kim Curran. Another of my “cannot put down” reads J 

  9. Book You Read In 2014 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley for school? Eh, I don’t know. Reread love comes and goes. But maybe Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, in preparation for Carry On.

10. Favourite cover of a book you read in 2014?
This Book is Gay by James Dawson. It’s bold, eye catching, simple, and it works exceedingly well.

 11. Most memorable character of 2014?
Laureth Peak from She Is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgewick.  It’s such a good book and so much more than it seems and fuller explanation will follow.

  12. Most beautifully written book read in 2014?
Persepolis, again.  Also, More than This by Patrick Ness, even if I really didn’t get on with the book as a whole.

 13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2014?
Persepolis, again.

  14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2014 to finally read? 
Persepolis, again *will try not to use this again*  Also, The Princess Bride by William Golding.

  15. Favourite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2014?
From Fanny and Stella by Neil McKenna, “French male prostitutes in drag... wore false bosoms made from boiled sheep’s...lungs... “One of the prostitutes complained to me the other day” the Parisian doctor François-Auguste Veyne reported “that a cat had eaten one of his breasts which he had left to cool down in his attic.”

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?
Shortest: The Card Sharp or The Snake Charm by Laura Lam.  Longest: Winter of the Worlds by Ken Follett.

   17. Book That Shocked You The Most
Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan because it was SO MUCH BETTER than my expectations that were based on Boy Meets Boy. Does massive improvement count as shock? I don’t know, but it was definitely unexpected.

18. OTP OF THE YEAR
Reese/David/Amber from Adaptation by Malinda Lo.

19. Favourite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year
Daisy and Hazel from Murder Most Unladylike. So much love and fun.

 20. Favourite Book You Read in 2014 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
Delete by Kim Curran.

 21. Best Book You Read In 2014 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:
Can’t think of one.

 22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2014?
Amber from Adaptation.

 23. Best 2014 debut you read?
Trouble by Non Pratt. Looking forwards to Remix!

 24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
Best worldbuilding: The Wall by William Sutcliffe. Most vivid: The Mirror Empire by Kameron Hurley.

 25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?
Fanny and Stella by Neil McKenna, or American Savage by Matt Whyman.

 26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2014?
Can’t think of one. Sorry.

 27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?
Or one for here.

 28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?
Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan because COOPER.

 29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2014?
Grasshopper Jungle by Alexander Smith.

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
More Than This by Patrick Ness. What feels like fifty pages of a character walking around and describing scenery with not much else happening just...ugh.

---

Bloggish/Bookish Life

1. New favourite book blog you discovered in 2014? 
I’ve mostly been keeping in contact with bloggers via means other than their blogs, and the people who I love, I can’t think of people who I definitely discovered in 2014. But down the side, there’s links to bloggers! Go check them out!

2. Favourite review that you wrote in 2014?
None of my book reviews stand out for me.  But I do quite like my theatre reviews, so if you’re interested, go have a look.

3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?
Mr. Gove, you are the UK's education secretary. Educate. #saveourbooks
With the help of Georgia’s graphics, there were many of us speaking about against Gove’s reforms to the GCSE and Alevel English syllabus.

4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?
Hmm... I loved the Ken Follett and Cat Clarke and David Levithan  and James Dawson talks and signings. Honourable mention for best event goes to the Divergent premier!

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2014?
Some of the many many conversations I’ve had with some people in the past year. You guys rock.

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?
I think my post on my We Need Diverse Books display counts by views, if you take into account its tumblr notes, after being reblogged by authors and the WNDB team!

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?
Ugh. Can’t think. Sorry.

9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)? Hmm...shops. Two in Edinburgh which I found on the last day of my trip. Word Power, which does independent things, books I’d never heard of and sadly didn’t have money to buy. And Transreal Fiction, which is all the fantasy/ssf/specfic/pretty books that I’d ever need.

10.  Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?
No. *laughs* (goodreads doesn’t count becasue I’d adjusted it halfway through the year!)

---

Looking Ahead

 1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2014 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2015?
 The many on my ex-to read pile of doom. Especially Look Who’s Back by Tim Viernes.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2015 (non-debut)?
Prudence by Gail Carriger because I can’t wait to go back and maybe get bits of Alexia and Maccon, as well as seeing the new things.

3. 2015 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
Tatum Flynn’s  D’Evil Diaries. Looks funny, and has been compared to Good Omens, which I love.

  4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2015?
Does Carry On count as a tie-in or sequel to Fangirl? It’s going here.

 5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2015? Review books once they’re read! A post with further 2015 plans will come soon.

6. A 2015 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:
None.

  

---

Other things: 
Thank you so much for sticking with me, even though it’s been relatively quiet around here. That goes to all of you-readers, publishers, bloggers, authors, everyone. I hope be blogging more soon, and interact with blogs, not just the bloggers behind them, more. I also hope to pick up some failed projects from earlier on in the year- anyone still up for Bard to Bookshelf? 

Throughout the year, I have  had really bad days. You won't have heard from me about them, because when that happens I take myself off the internet and curl up in my bed. But I get through them, and then I'm back, with the things I've done on my good ones. 

 I've gotten involved in theatre, and did Godspell and Lucky Stiff with two separate, brilliant groups. I got into a program called Pathways to Law. I went to some blogger events and met people. I tried teaching myself Spanish and can now understand basic pieces. I did exams and ended up with a batch of A and A* GCSEs that I'm proud of myself for.  

I have read a  lot  this year, if you take into account the fact that this year I discovered my kindle can download mobi files off the internet and so I read many novel length fanfiction pieces (such as a 280k piece by SaraNoH and the_wordbutler called 180 Days and Counting about the Avengers being teachers at a primary school which is cute and funny and brilliant, which I started at noon one day and finished at 5pm the next).

Thank you, everyone. I hope that 2014 wasn’t entirely awful for you (anyone who says it was entirely brilliant must have had an exceptional year –and- have been ignoring the news), and I hope that 2015 is better.