End of 2012 Bookish Survey

1. The best book I read in 2012 –
Deity by Jennifer L. Aremntrout

      This
book put me in a reading slump for a looooonnnngggg time. I wanted nothing more
than to re-read it over and over again. It was just sooooo good! I was
entranced by the mythology and all the action had me sitting on the edge of my
seat and chewing my nails.

2. Book I was excited about but didn’t
love – Starling by Lesley Livingston

      I
was excited about the different type of mythology but it wasn’t all that I
expected it to be. Not saying that it wasn’t good, but I think I had just hyped
it up too much.

3. Most surprising in 2012 – Cinder
by Marissa Meyer

      OMG I
was NOT supposed to like this. I
remember reading the book blurb and thinking “Cyborgs?! Uhhh no thanks.” But I
waited until there were alotttt of reviews out and I read them. And they were
all good. So I gave it a shot. And I’m so glad I did!

4. Book I’ve recommended the most in 2012 – Half-Blood
by Jennifer L. Armentrout

      It’s
really the entire Covenant series, but I recommended this one to about 5 people
and they wanted to read the rest afterwards. It makes me happy when people like
some of my favorite books.

5. Best series I discovered in 2012 – Ugh
again with the Covenant series! Lol Clearly you can see what my favorite series
is! I also enjoyed reading The Hundred Oaks companion novels by Miranda
Kenneally and the companion novels by Stephanie Perkins. Also, the Lunar
Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer.

6. Favorite new authors I discovered in
2012 – Tamara Ireland Stone, Trish Doller, and Katie
McGarry.

      I loved
Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland
Stone. It was such a great romance with such amazing characters. Something Like Normal by Trish Doller was another
of my favorites! She wrote a contemporary from a male’s POV and that is no easy
feat. But Doller made it seem easy. Also I loved that it features the military.
Lastly, Pushing the Limits, was amazing too. I love a good contemporary with a tortured
girl and an even more broken boy. They just seem to fall even more in love with
each other. McGarry provided just that for me.

7. Best book out of my comfort zone –  Cinder
by Marissa Meyer
See above (#3)!

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book – The
Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

      Guys,
this book has 3095736285606372 twists and turns. I was gipping the edge of my
seat! If you haven’t read this series yet, you need to!

9. Book I’m most likely to re-read – Deity
by Jennifer L. Armentrout

      Yes another time with Armentrout. Get over
it because I cannot get enough of Aiden The Covenant series! I just love
mythology that much!

10. Favorite cover –  Sweet
Evil by Wendy Higgins,  Cinder by Marissa
Meyer, and Embrace by Jessica Shirvington

    

11. Most memorable character(s) –
Parker from Stealing Parker and Jordan from Catching Jordan. If you’ve read my
reviews of both, you know that I loved those characters because in all of Miranda
Kenneally’s books there is a lesson to be learned and the character is taken on
a journey that shows them that lesson. Much like what would happen in real
life. I loved that they were teaching something but they weren’t any less
enjoyable.

12. Most beautifully written – Time
Between Us by Tamara Ireland
Stone. Everything just flowed. I felt like I was in the middle of the story.
And the romance between Bennett and Anna was so amazing. It all just “went.”

13. Book that had the greatest impact on
me – Speechless by
Hannah Harrington

      I had actually never read a book that
featured bullying and it was a real eye opener. Most people want to think that
there aren’t people out there that would act like that, but don’t be fooled.
There are crazy people everywhere.

14. Book(s) I can’t believe I waited UNTIL
2012 to finally read – The Hunger
Games and Catching Fire by
Suzanne Collins and Shade by Jeri
Smith-Ready.

      I
always wait until all they hype around a book has disappeared before I read it.
And in doing so, it sometimes causes me to miss out on some really good books
sometimes. I’m so happy I went back and got caught up though!

15. Favorite Passage – Man,
from just 2012? Geez umm ok….

      “I
don’t know how to say it exactly. Only…I want to die as myself. Does that
make any sense?’ he asks. I shake my head. How could he die as anyone but
himself. ‘I don’t want them to change me in there. Turn me into some kind of
monster that I’m not.”
― Suzanne
Collins, The
Hunger Games

      “Happy
Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor.”
― Suzanne
Collins, The
Hunger Games

      “I
can’t keep pretending that I don’t want this – that I don’t want you. I can’t.
Not after what happened to you. It thought… I thought I’d lost you, Alex,
forever. And I would’ve lost everything. You are my
everything.”
― Jennifer
L. Armentrout, Deity

      “You
know why I want you? I didn’t know I was lost until you found me. I didn’t know
what alone was until the first night I spent without you in my bed. You’re the
one thing I’ve got right. You’re what I’ve been waiting for, Pigeon.”
― Jamie
McGuire, Beautiful
Disaster

16. Shortest & Longest book I read –
Shortest: Elixir by Jennifer L. Armentrout. 75 pages. (It was a novella… Does
that count?)

      Longest:
The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin 544 pages

17. Scene that had me reeling (WTF
Moment, Epic Revelation, Steamy Kiss, etc.) – 

      Swoon worthy: Alex & Aiden moment in
Deity. Anytime Travis and Pidgeon were happy together in Beautiful Disaster.

      WTF moment: Ending of Insurgent by
Veronica Roth, ending of Deity by JLA. Ending of Catching Fire by Suzanne
Collins.

      Steamy Kiss: I JUST read it a few minutes
ago in Easy by Tamara Webber. Lucas and Jacqueline together always made me have
to take a break and cool down.

18. Favorite Relationship – Anna
& Bennett in Time Between Us, Anna & St. Clair in Anna and
the French Kiss, Travis and Harper from Something Like Normal.

19. Favorite book from an author I read previously – The
Lost Hero by Rick Riordan.

      I told you how much I loved mythology! And
Riordan’s books never disappoint me.

20. Best book read based on a
recommendation from someone else – Of Poseidon by Anna Banks. I was looking for a good summer read because
I went to Panama City, Florida for Spring Break and I was going to be on the
beach so I wanted to read something that was either on the beach or something
dealing with water. And this one was amazing!

Looking Ahead
1. One book I didn’t get to but will be a priority in 2013? Ahhhh,
so many…
If I Lie by Corrine Jackson
In Honor by Jessi Kirby
Carnival of Souls by Marissa Marr

Slammed by Colleen Hoover

Shadow and Bone Leigh Bardugo

2. Book I’m most anticipating in 2013? Again,
so many…
Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
Third book in the Divergent series by Veronica Roth
Pivot Point by Kasie West
If He Had Been With Me by Laura
Nowlin

Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Just
One Year by Gayle Forman

Scarlet
by Marissa Meyer

The
Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

Apollyon
by Jennifer L. Armentrout

My Life
After Now by Jessica Verdi

Things
I Can’t Forget by Miranda
Kenneally

3. One thing I hope to accomplish or do in
my reading/blogging in 2013? I just hope to be a better blogger, in
general. I just applied to a new school to open up more possibilities in
my Library Science career, so I’ll have way more time to blog since I’ll be
surrounded by books. Yes I know Library Science isn’t all about reading, but
since I volunteered at a library since I was 16 and now have a book blog, I
know mostly the in’s and out’s. I just need to “fine tune” some things!