Annual End of Year Book Survey – 2014

Yes, I know we’re technically a day into 2015, but bear with me here. I’m doing The Perpetual Page-Turner’s 5th annual end of year book survey, looking back on the literary highs and lows of 2014. You can find more info about the survey here.

2014-end-of-year-book-survey

2014 Reading Stats:

Number Of Books You Read: 250
Number of Re-Reads: 3
Genre You Read The Most From: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy

Best in Books:

1. Best Book You Read In 2014? 

(I am cheating and making this my best books of the year, since picking one out of 250 is just impossible.)

  • Heir of Fire – Sarah J Maas
  • The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender – Leslye Walton
  • Love Letters to the Dead – Ava Dellaira
  • All The Truth That’s In Me – Julie Berry
  • The Deep End of the Sea – Heather Lyons
  • The Dream Thieves – Maggie Stiefvater
  • The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry – Gabrielle Zevin
  • Chimes at Midnight – Seanan McGuire
  • Dreams of Gods and Monsters – Laini Taylor
  • Murder of Crows – Anne Bishop
  • Cress – Marissa Meyer

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

The Body Electric by Beth Ravis. People were raving about it, but unfortunately the book and I just didn’t have any chemistry. Same goes for Splintered by A.G. Howard. I just didn’t see the appeal, even though so many people loved it. I was looking forward to it too!

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read in 2014? 

Love in the Time of Global Warming by Francesca Lia Block. I wasn’t expecting it to be as weird and enjoyable and diverse as it was.

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did) In 2014?

I shout about Melina Marchetta to anyone who will listen. Hopefully I’ve converted some people!

5. Best series you started in 2014? Best Sequel of 2014? Best Series Ender of 2014?

Best series started: October Daye – Seanan McGuire, Hidden Legacy – Ilona Andrews, The Young Elites – Marie Lu, Red Rising – Pierce Brown

Best sequels: Heir of Fire – Sarah J Maas, Blue Lily, Lily Blue – Maggie Stiefvater, Murder of Crows – Anne Bishop, Havoc – Ann Aguirre, Cress – Marissa Meyer, The Unbound – Victoria Schwab

Best series ender: Into the Still Blue – Veronica Rossi and Unmade – Sarah Rees Brennan were both satisfactory series-enders. Heaven’s Queen by Rachel Bach, Guardian by Alex London and Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers were also pretty great, but Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor was my favourite.

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2014?

Definitely Seanan McGuire! As well as Cat Winters, Danielle Jensen and Abigail Haas.

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

Song of Achilles – Madeline Miller. Historical fiction isn’t really my thing, but this was beautiful.

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

I Am the Mission – Allen Zadoff. I devoured it in a few hours.

9. Book You Read In 2014 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

I don’t generally reread unless its a series and I’m trying to refresh ahead of the sequel. But probably Blue Lily, Lily Blue – I read it in fits and starts, which led to a rather disjointed experience.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2014?

There were lots of pretties. Too many to name.

11. Most memorable character of 2014?

Celaena. DUH.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2014?

The Winner’s Curse – Marie Rutkoski

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

The Enchanted – Rene Denfeld

Tease – Amanda Maciel and The Truth About Alice – Jennifer Mathieu, for dealing with the issues of slut shaming and bullying.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2014 to finally read?

To be honest, there weren’t any that made me go “Wow. What took me so long?”

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2014?

She was not afraid. She would remake the world – remake it for them, those she had loved with this glorious, burning heart; a world so brilliant and prosperous that when she saw them again in the Afterworld, she would not be ashamed. She would build it for her people, who had survived this long, and whom she would not abandon. She would make them a kingdom such as there never had been, even if it took until her last breath. Heir of Fire – Sarah J Maas

&

Any one of us could be made to look a monster, with selective readings of our history. Dangerous Girls – Abigail Haas

&

‘Humans are in love with the idea of our persisting,’ he said. ‘We fetishize it, really. Our retirement funds, our genealogies. Our so-called ideas for the ages.’ Flight Behavior – Barbara Kingsolver

&

Every revolution believes it can return something that had been lost, but nothing is ever the same. The only thing that endures are people. Syd saw that clearly now, and perhaps so too did Marie. You could serve a revolution, an idea that ended up an echo if itself, or you could serve people, with their maddening contradictions. You couldn’t serve both. You had to choose. Guardian  – Alex London

&

Adam finally sat down on one of the pews. Laying his cheek against the smooth back of it, he looked at Ronan. Strangely enough, Ronan belonged here, too, just as he had at the Barns. This noisy, lush religion had created him just as much as his father’s world of dreams; it seemed impossible for all of Ronan to exist in one person. Adam was beginning to realize that he hadn’t known Ronan at all. Or rather, he had known part of him and assumed it was all of him.The scent of Cabeswater, all trees after rain, drifted past Adam, and he realized that while he’d been looking at Ronan, Ronan had been looking at him. Blue Lily, Lily Blue – Maggie Stiefvater

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2014?

Shortest: I’ve read quite a few novellas, so one of those.

Longest: 1Q84 – Haruki Murakami (1300 pages!)

17. Book That Shocked You The Most

  • Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas. I didn’t see that ending coming.
  • Testimony by Anita Shreve – just so, so disturbing (psychologically) on so many levels.

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

  • Toby/Tybalt
  • Meg/Simon
  • Ronan/Adam

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

  • Calaena/Rowan
  • Blue/Ronan

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2014 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

See #1 and #5.

21. Best Book You Read In 2014 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

None, but I have a whole lotta recs just waiting for me to get stuck into!

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

It’s a tie between Rowan and Tybalt.
 
23. Best 2014 debut you read?

Again, see #1 and #5.
 
24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

This survey is starting to become very Throne of Glass-heavy. Ahem.
 
25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

  • The Importance of Being Earnest – Oscar Wilde
  • A Little Something Different – Sandy Hall
  • Hyperbole and a Half – Allie Brosch 

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2014?

  • All the Truth That’s In Me – Julie Berry
  • Testimony – Anita Shreve
  • The Enchanted – Rene Denfeld

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

  • In the Shadow of Blackbirds – Cat Winters
  • I’ll Give You The Sun – Jandy Nelson
  • The Deep End of the Sea – Heather Lyons

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

See #26.
 
29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2014?

Grasshopper Jungle – Andrew Smith
 
30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

  • Plus One – Elizabeth Fama
  • Virgin – Radhika Sanghani

Looking Ahead:

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2014 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2015?

My TBR pile, let me show you it.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2015 (non-debut)?

  • A  Court of Thorns and Roses – Sarah J Maas
  • Raven Cycle #4
  • Throne of Glass #4
  • Vision in Silver – Anne Bishop
  • The Mime Order – Samantha Shannon
  • Shadow Scale – Rachel Hartman
  • Lair of Dreams – Libba Bray
  • Black Iris – Leah Raeder
  • A Red Rose Chain – Seanan McGuire

Yeah, it’s a long, long list. You can see the rest here.

3. 2015 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

Red Queen – Victoria Aveyard

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2015?

See #2.

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2015?

Get this lovely new baby blog up and running properly.

6. A 2015 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:

None of the Above – I.W. Gregorio

2 thoughts on “Annual End of Year Book Survey – 2014

  1. Angie says:

    WOW! Huge survey! LOL

    I haven’t read most of the books you mentioned, but I did read Burn for Me, and that was one of my favorites of the year, too!

    Like

    • fullybookedreviews says:

      I know! It took me forever to complete.

      I will read anything Ilona Andrews writes – they’re just that good. But Burn for Me was a particular favourite – UST, snark and heart make for a winning combination!

      Like

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