End of 2013 Book Survey

Happy New Year, everyone! As I said, I'm taking 2014 by storm and jumping right in after a much-too-long break from blogging. I thought I'd start the year off with The Perpetual Page Turner's Annual End of Year Survey! If you did this, leave me a link and I'll check it out!

 BEST BOOKS OF 2013:

1. Best Book You Read In 2013? (If you have to cheat — you can break it down by genre if you want or 2013 release vs. backlist)

CONTEMPORARY: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell OR Just One Day by Gayle Forman

FANTASY: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo OR Asunder by Jodi Meadows

HISTORICAL: Tarnish by Katherine Longshore

PARANORMAL: Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins

DYSTOPIAN: Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

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

The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider

 3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013? 

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell -- I had no idea about this beautiful book until I randomly picked it up in Coles one day and completely fell in love with it. 

 4. Book you read in 2013 that you recommended to people most in 2013?

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell OR Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

 5. Best series you discovered in 2013?

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi... I LOVE THIS SERIES!!!

 6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2013?

Daria Snadowsky!

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

Graceling by Kristin Cashore -- I don't read a lot of HIGH FANTASY but I loved this one!

 8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2013?

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi -- AHHHHHHHHH

 9. Book You Read In 2013 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2013?

11. Most memorable character in 2013? 

Liesel Meminger from The Book Thief by Markus Zusak! Liesel touched my heart in such a way that I can't imagine forgetting about her for a long, long time. 

 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2013?

Just One Day by Gayle Forman and Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2013? 

Eleanor & Park  by Rainbow Rowell

 14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2013 to finally read? 

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak!!! 

 15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2013?

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?

Longest: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak @ 552 pages

Shortest: A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest @ 152 pages

 17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

... I think you just need to read my review of The Elite by Kiera Cass, about that one point in the book where America gets all super jealous and confused about Maxon and Aspen... No one I know IRL had read this book yet and I JUST NEEDED TO TALK ABOUT IT.

18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2013 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).

Liesel and Hans's father-daughter relationship in The Book Thief by Markus Zusak!!! 

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2013 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

UNRAVEL ME BY TAHEREH MAFI HECK YEAH

20. Best Book You Read In 2013 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo - Shout out to Brad for recommending this to me!!! SO GOOD

21. Genre You Read The Most From in 2013?

Hmm... probably contemporary YA!

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2013?

PERRY from Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

23. Best 2013 debut you read?

... I-I don't know! I didn't really read many debuts of 2013 and those that I did... I didn't particularly enjoy. :(

24. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2013?

Hmm... I can't really think of one, so I'm going to go with Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, since I reread a few of them this year, as I do every year. 

25. Book That Was The Most Fun To Read in 2013?

Heist Society by Ally Carter

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2013?

...

I BAWLED MY FREAKING EYES OUT FOR A GOOD HALF HOUR IN THE CAR ON OUR WAY HOME FROM OREGON AND MY FAMILY THOUGHT I WAS DYING OR SOMETHING BECAUSE I DON'T CRY A LOT WITH BOOKS BUT FOR GODDESS' SAKE, THIS BOOK MADE MY CRY. 

27. Book You Read in 2013 That You Think Got Overlooked This Year Or When It Came Out?

Hmmm... maybe The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler. I mean, not that it's been super overlooked, since it IS Sarah Ockler, but I think it deserves a lot more recognition than I've seen it receive. 

BLOGGING LIFE:

1.  New favorite book blog you discovered in 2013? 

Hmmm... paperriot.com is a really great blog and I  LOVE annareads.com!

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2013? 

I suppose my review of Eleanor & Park is my favourite, as that was a book that I just felt. so. much. for and I tried as hard as I could to express that in my review and I think *crosses fingers* it came through. 

3. Best discussion you had on your blog?

 Definitely my post called Cutting Ties. I wrote a very personal post in August about a friendship I had that many of you responded to and I was so touched by the kind words and advice I received. It truly showed me just how kind bookish people can be and how close this vast blogging community is when one needs it to be.

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

WELL I only just read this one, thanks to Jamie's mention of it on her survey, but I thought it was super interesting: Has Book Blogging Fallen Out of Style?

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

I totally loved the 15 day book blogging challenge! ... but I didn't finish it, due to BUSY LIFE STUFF. UGH, story of my existence. However, other than that, I don't really know! I didn't get the chance to go to any book signings this year *sob* so... I guess the 15 day challenge!  

6. Best moment of book blogging/your book life in 2013?

OMG so many! Okay, welll:

1. A Little Shelf of Heaven turned 1!!!!!!

2. A Little Shelf of Heaven got a MAKEOVER!!!! Thanks so much to Evie for the incredible awesome design!

3. I made  BLOGGY FRIENDS!!! I was feeling kind of lonely and scared and shy and then all of a sudden I started tweeting with Eileen and Brad and then I realised, woah, I made FRIENDS! But now with my blog going awol due to school, I've kind of lost touch... so um, maybe 2014 can be the year of rekindle? And NEW friends??? 

4. I met Raeleen, aka padfootandprongs07 on YouTube, who is my favourite booktuber! She also happens to live in the same city as me, I go to school with her brother and her best friend is the sister of one of my good friends, so one day I was at said friend's house and she was there and I totally freaked out internally but on the outside I was... definitely not as calm and collected as I wanted to be. 

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

Alright, well, other than giveaways, there's a few I'll mention: 

Probably due to the pictures: My post on cool bookshelves

No idea why: My post on trying to save money 

Um, GIFs: Favourite Reaction GIFs

REVIEW: Tarnish by Katherine Longshore

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

Hmm, I think I'll go with just general reviews, because as Jamie said in her original survey, they take the longest to write and I try and put a lot of work in them. I really wish my reviews of Asunder, Eleanor & Park and Shadow and Bone had gotten a bit more love, but eh, what can you do? 

9. Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

I KNOW there's one, I just can't think of it at the moment, but if I remember, I'll let y'all know! 

10.  Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

NO. I'M SUCH A FAILURE WHEN IT COMES TO CHALLENGES. *Sobbing*

LOOKING AHEAD: 

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2013 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2014?

Cinder by Marissa Meyer!!!

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2014 (non-debut)?

The Museum of Intangible Things Wendy Wunder and Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson... BUT SO. MANY. MORE.

3. 2014 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira and Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

 4. Series Ending You Are Most Anticipating in 2014?

...OH. MY. GODDESS.

IGNITE ME BY TAHEREH MAFI

INTO THE STILL BLUE BY VERONICA ROSSI

INFINITE BY JODI MEADOWS

RUIN AND RISING BY LEIGH BARDUGO

SWEET RECKONING BY WENDY HIGGINS

I. AM. GOING. TO. DIE. OF. EXCITEMENT.

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2014?

I'd really like to make some new bloggy friends this year, as well as keep the blog running as regularly as possible with school and other activities. I love this blog with all of my heart and want to keep it up, so I think that'll be my big thing this year. 

 So, that's it for now! I hope you all have an incredible year in 2014 and read lots! Thank you all for sticking by me during the breaks and giving me a reason to come back to the blogosphere every time I got discouraged. I love all of you so much and can't wait to see what this year brings!

Happy reading and lots of love,

~Kristy