2012 End of Year Book Survey

Hey everyone!  Here's my 2012 End of Year Book Survey.  This survey was created by Jamie at the Perpetual Page-Turner, and this is my first time doing it!

Best in Books 2012

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

There are so many books that I loved...but my absolute favorite was The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.  I read it one sitting and bawled like a baby for nearly a half hour when I finished.  A very close second favorite is Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout.  And there are so many other good books, so I'm breaking it down by genre too:

Fantasy:  Crown of Embers by Rae Carson, Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
Sci-Fi:  Obsidian and Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout, Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Contemporary:  The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Dystopian:  Fever by Lauren DeStefano, Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi, Insurgent by Veronica Roth, Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Historical:  The Luxe series by Anna Godbersen, Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
Steampunk:  Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin
Mythology:  Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout, Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson
Paranormal:  Hallowed by Cynthia Hand, Cursed by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Lol, that's quite a lot of books, but I seriously love them all.

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

Glitch by Heather Anastasiu.  I thought it would be amazing but it turned out to be very meh.

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

The Goddess Legacy by Aimee Carter.  I had read the other books in this series, and while I enjoyed them, they weren't favorites, so I was surprised by how much I loved The Goddess Legacy.

4. Book you recommended most to people in 2012?

My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century by Rachel Harris, and Divergent by Veronica Roth.  I could gush about those books all day.

5. Best series you discovered in 2012?

Okay, three favorites: The Gone series by Michael Grant, the Luxe series by Anna Godbersen, and, of course, the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout.  They are all such wonderful books!

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2012?

Yes!  Notice how the "authors" is plural?  I can list more than one without feeling guilty, haha!

Obviously, Jennifer L. Armentrout (in case you haven't noticed, I'm a huge fan of hers :P), and also Cynthia Hand, Beth Revis, and Jessica Khoury.

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

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry, for sure.  I normally don't read contemporaries and I was surprised by how emotional and heartbreaking this book was.

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2012?

Hmm...Variant by Robison Wells.  I read it one day and absolutely loved the nonstop action.  And Onyx by JLA.  It arrived in the mail on a Thursday afternoon, and I spent the entire evening reading.  I didn't stop until I finished it!

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

I plan on rereading Everneath by Brodi Ashton before the sequel comes out in late January!

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

Ugh, I literally can't choose just one.  Everneath, Hallowed, What's Left of Me, and Time Between Us all have really fantastic covers, though.

11. Most memorable character in 2012?

So many good characters!  But I have to say Katy from JLA's Lux series (she's a book blogger!  And she has the greatest sense of humor ever!) and the Merrick brothers in Brigid Kemmerer's Elemental series were very memorable.

12. Most beautifully written book in 2012?

Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale, Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin, and Origin by Jessica Khoury, to name a few.  They just had this lovely poetic feel to the writing.

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

Hm.  Unwind by Neal Shusterman was a book that was very thought-provoking.  Also, What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang was a very emotional, heartbreaking read.

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

I'm going to say Gone by Michael Grant.  I can't believe I've been missing out on that fantastic series for so long!

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

Just one???  Okay, fine, here it is, from John Green's The Fault in Our Stars:

"Some people don't understand the promises they're making when they make them," I said.

"Right, of course.  But you keep the promise anyway.  That's what love is.  Love is keeping the promise anyway."

16. Shortest and longest book you read in 2012?

According to Goodreads, Hunger by Michael Grant was the longest at 590 pages.  Not sure what the shortest was, though.

17. Book that had a scene in it that had you reeling in it and dying to talk to somebody about it?  Be careful of spoilers!

Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi.  It doesn't release until January, so I don't know anyone else who has read it yet.  But let's just say there was a scene that had me in tears...

18. Favorite relationship from a book you read in 2012?

Augustus Waters and Hazel Grace (The Fault in Our Stars), Daemon and Katy (Lux series), and Hector and Elisa (Crown of Embers).  Their relationships are so sweet and unforgettable.

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

Probably The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan.  He's a genius and I love everything he writes!

20. Best book that you read that you read based solely on a recommendation from someone else?

Umm...probably the Shadow Falls series by C. C. Hunter.  A good friend of mine loaned me her books and I really like them now!

Book Blogging/Reading Life in 2012 (optional):

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2012?

The Midnight Garden!  I really enjoy their thoughtful reviews.

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2012?

Hehe, I gotta say Half-Blood by JLA.  I had so much fun writing that review.  I was gushing about it pretty much the whole time.

3. Best discussion you had on your blog?

Honestly I don't know.  I've actually only had my blog since August so there hasn't been a ton of book discussion stuff yet.

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

I mentioned the Midnight Garden above, and I really do love all of their reviews, especially Wendy Darling's.  Her reviews are amazing!

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

This one's easy!  I got to go to the Baltimore Book Festival back in September and it was absolutely amazing!  I got to meet Jennifer L. Armentrout, Shannon Hale, Jessica Day George, Tiffany Trent, Alethea Kontis, and Leanna Renee Hieber.  Best.  Day.  Ever!

6. Best moment of book blogging in 2012?

Probably when people comment on my book reviews.  It's nice to know that people take time to read my reviews!

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

My book review of Through the Ever Night has gotten quite a lot of views!

8. Post you wished got a little more love?

All of my book reviews, to be honest.  I get lots of comments on memes like In My Mailbox, Waiting on Wednesday, and Top Ten Tuesday, but I wish my book reviews would get more comments!

9. Best book-ish discovery (book related sites, bookstores, etc.?)

Goodreads!  I joined back in March and now I spend almost as much time on it as I do on Facebook, lol!

10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals you set for yourself this year?

My goal for 2012 was to read 300 books.  Right now I'm at 297!  So by next week, I'll have read a few more books and reached 300! :)

Looking ahead...

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

Anna and the French Kiss.  I know, I know, everyone keeps telling me to read it.  I'll get to it soon, I promise!

2. Book you are most anticipating for 2013?

Everbound, The Madman's Daughter, The Elite, The Essence, Unravel Me, The Bitter Kingdom, and the last Divergent book, to name a few.

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

I'd really just like to keep up with my blog and keep posting book reviews regularly.


Okay, well that's it!  Man.  That took longer than I thought it would, haha, but it was fun!  Let me know what you think of my choices, and if you've done the book survey, leave a link in the comments so I can check it out!

P.S. My review of Time Between Us will be up tomorrow!

~ The Bookworm