End of Year Survey: 2017

LORDY THIS IS GOING TO BE LONG SO I'M SKIPPING AN INTRODUCTION. As always, link to Jamie's original post here, and yay team! We survived 2017! *collapses in exhaustion*




Number Of Books You Read: 98


Number of Re-Reads: 19 (!!! So many! Including the entire HP series and entire Hunger Games series which is basically non-fiction at this point)


Genre You Read The Most From: Fantasy (quelle surprise)




1. Best Book You Read in 2017? (not counting rereads)

Fantasy faves:

Contemporary faves: 

This was definitely the year that I tried my hand at grief books, something I have historically avoided. Some of them were too much for me (looking at you, Nina LaCour), but the ones I loved, I LOVED. I normally lean towards the flufftastic when it comes to contemps, but some of the years heavier hitters made it on my faves.

Classics faves: 

I'd been meaning to read The Princess Bride since FOREVER, and I finally tried my hand at a non-Anne L.M. Montgomery and absolutely loooved it.

Adult romance faves:

 2017 was the year I discovered JULIA QUINN! I read her entire Bridgerton series, which I looooved (for the most part. One or two of them were not my faves and DAMN THOSE BEES), but my favorite was Colin and Penelope's book. MY BAES. But my favorite Julia book by far is Because of Miss Bridgerton which is just f l a w l e s s. But I think my favorite romance novel of the WHOLE YEAR was Bet Me. I JUST LOVED IT SO MUCH.

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



Waste of a perfectly good library, alas.

3. Most Surprising (in a good way or bad way) 

Surprised me in a good way: 





Surprised me in a TWISTY way:

Honestly I should have seen the Warcross twists coming but I did not and definitely muttered an impressed, "Oh, snap" at my book and nodded in gentlemanly appreciation.

Surprised me in a bad way: 

 Three Sides of a Heart is an anthology of short stories about love triangles (I like love triangles when done well, SUE ME) and I was expecting a lot more contemporary, and romance, and cuteness...and mostly got spec fic? Like why was this mostly sci fi? Truthfully, I didn't GET some of them (and I outright HATED one or two) but there were some gems in here.

4. Book You “Pushed” the Most People to Read (And They Did)?




5. Best Series You Started in 2017? Best Sequel of 2017? Best Series Ender of 2017?


Best series started:





(started AND FINISHED The Bridgertons all in one year, HELLZ YEAH go me woohoo)

Best sequel:




All of these upped the ante of their respective series in a major way. I was hooked all the way through them, and a few of them are major chunksters so that's no mean feat. BUT THEY'RE ALSO ALL LIFE RUINING IN EXACTLY THE WAY A SERIES SHOULD BE. Foaming at the mouth for the third installment in all these series.

Best series ender: 

 Deathly Hallows and Mockingjay were the only series enders I read besides the last Bridgertons book, which tbh I did not like at all, even though I loved (nearly) all of the previous books in the series.


6. Favorite New Author You Discovered in 2017?

Julia Quinn! Sarah Tolscer! Angie Thomas! Stephanie Garber! Katherine Arden! Kristen Ciccarelli! Honestly, tons more, even the ones whose books I haven't read yet.

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


The audiobook of Pride and Prejudice? I mean, Pride and Prejudice is obviously incredibly in my comfort zone considering I have read it eleventy times, except i have only finished one audiobook IN MY LIFE and I was totally obsessed with this version and even got Gaby obsessed yisss victory

Oh and Princess Academy! I don't read nearly as much MG as I should, and only read one this year, YIKES. So even though Princess Academy is, on paper, SQUARELY within my wheelhouse subject-wise, age category-wise it's a stretch, so GO ME again.

I did stretch myself when it comes to my narrow contemporary wheelhouse (fluffy romance ftw) and read a lot more ISSUE-Y books, which I usually avoid like the plague. Like everyone in 2017, I read and was blown away by The Hate U Give, even though it's super not a Gillian kind of read, but that's definitely the point of the book.


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


 



 9. Book You Read in 2017 That You Are Most Likely to Re-Read Next Year?





I tend to lean toward rereads that'll make me happy (see exhibit: entire Harry Potter series) (though I did reread The Hunger Games and there is NOTHING HAPPY THERE), or I reread to indulge in ship feelings because I AM WHAT I AM.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2017?

and a special shout out to the Owlcrate edition of Foolish Hearts, which I absolutely ADORE:


A post shared by Liz (@lizetleslivres) on Jan 6, 2018 at 10:12am PST

11. Most memorable character of 2017?


Starr Carter from The Hate U Give . ELLIOT SCHAFER MY LOVE from In Other Lands. Monty from The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue. He and Elliot are my favorite bisexual disaster boys, I will read 40 books about them please. Gideon Prewitt, TOTAL DREAM BOY from Foolish Hearts. I love him infinitely. Adorable weirdo.


12. Most beautifully written book read in 2017?

 

THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGAAAAAAAAAAALLLEEEE. Second place goes to An Enchantment of Ravens which is also DIVINE.

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2017?




Thought-provoking is easy: THUG. Life changing, personally? Hmmmmmm gahhh. I’m not counting rereads so obviously no HP. In Other Lands or Eliza and her Monsters were so personal to me and just MADE ME FEEL ALL OF THE THINGS. And Letters to the Lost, omggggggg. My heart.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2017 to finally read?

Where have I been for the last thirty years, huh? (I HAVE seen the movie thirty or so times, though, I'm not a total heathen)

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From a Book You Read in 2017?

Eek, I never write these down. Fail.

16. Shortest and Longest Books You Read in 2017?

Longest: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix at 870 pages, because I am twelve years old again somehow

Shortest: not counting short stories, The Tea Dragon Society at 72 pages

17. Book that Shocked You the Most
 (Because of a plot twist, character death, left you hanging with your mouth wide open, etc.)

TRAITOR TO THE THRONE, OMFG. OOOOOMFG.

The Dark Days Pact, I am SHOOKETH. SHOOKETH TO MINE CORE.

THESE RUTHLESS (MOTHERFUCKING) DEEDS HAS THE ENDING OF THE YEAR FOR ME. HOLY SHIT THE VERY ANGELS ON HIGH HEARD MY GASP OF SHOCK AND HORROR. THEY'RE STILL SCREAMING AND FANNING THEMSELVES AND COLLAPSING UPON THEIR CLOUD-Y FAINTING COUCHES.

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


Buckle up, kiddos, this is what the whole year is ABOUT in these bloggy waters.

ELLIOT AND LUKE AKJDHFSJKDGFLSIDHKFS from In Other Lands. READ THEM SHIP THEM LOVE THEM. - Vasya and Morozko from The Bear and the Nightingale. HOW WILL I BE HAPPY WITHOUT A FROST DEMON OF MY OWN? UNREALISTIC RELATIONSHIP GOALS, UGH. - Isobel and Rook from An Enchantment of Ravens. Cuuuuties. -  Zoe and Darien from Troubled Waters, slow burn EXCELLENCE and such a great meeting of equals. - Lady Helen and Lod Carlston from The Dark Days Pact. I DIE I DIE. Amore mio. I DIE AGAIN HELP. - Min and Cal from Bet Me!!!!!!!!!!!!! All the !!!! - Robert and Minnie from The Duchess War, what adorable baessss - List of Bridgerton OTPs: Hyacinth and Gareth, COLIN AND PENELOPE, Francesca and Michael, Anthony and Kate (ignore those damn bees), BILLIE AND GEORGE 5EVER. - Dylan and Jamie from the utterly perfectly adorable Prince in Disguise. So banterful! So literary! So inconceivably cute!- Gideon and Claudia from Foolish Hearts. WHAT PERFECTION. MY CONTEMPORARY OTP OF THE YEAR.

*sobs for a year*

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship of the Year

Starr Carter and her family. Molly and her family from The Upside of Unrequited. The Bridgerton siblings and their mother who is perfection. Elliot, Luke, and Serene as a golden trio (plus actual Golden lol) from In Other Lands. Stepmother Mina and stepdaughter Lynet from Girls Made of Snow and Glass, omg my heart. All the girls in Princess Academy. CLAUDIA AND IRIS BESTIES FOR LYFE from Foolish Hearts. 

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2017 from an Author You’ve Read Previously

This is a LOT, but I’m going to not count series continuations (so if the only previous book I’ve read is the first in a series, I can’t say the second in that same series.)

21. Best Book You Read in 2017 That You Read Based SOLELY on a Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure: 

(THANKS, CHRISTINA)

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2017? 

Oh dear. this is a lot. But I’m only going to do NEW ONES of this year (duh, that’s what the question said. Hokay then.)

Porter from Alex, Approximately, Rook from An Enchantment of Ravens, Morozko my frost demon winterking of my heart from The Bear and the Nightingale, Reid from The Upside of Unrequited, JAMIE FROM A PRINCE IN DISGUISE MY DREAM GUY, Markos from The Song of the Current who is a trope I just can't resist, Colin Bridgerton lord help me, Ethan from Tell Me Three Things, Oliver from Shuffle, Repeat, Gideon Prewitt MY OTHER DREAM GUY AND MY TRUEST LOVE

23. Best 2017 debut you read?

 24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

 

Russian-esque fantasy killed it this year *self-serving cough* *eyes dart away guiltily*

25. Book That Put a Smile on Your Face/Was the Most FUN to Read?

Bet Me! The Upside of Unrequited. Anything by Julia Quinn. All my rereads of my uber faves (except The Hunger Games bc who da fuq smiles during those books). Princess Academy. Queens of Geek. Tell Me Three Things. FOOLISH HEEEEEARTSSSSSS

26. Book That Made You Cry for THIRTY CENTURIES in 2017?

WE ARE OKAY RUINED MY WHOLE LIFE I'M PUTTING IT IN THE FREEZER FOR ETERNITY. (Mockingjay and Deathly Hallows too. But no surprised there) Letters to the Lost is also a doozy. Oh and Eliza and her Monsters, sweet good lord I finished this book in the bathtub and nearly drowned. I CRY A LOT BUT THESE WERE ALL EXTRA SUPER DUPER SAD OKAY.

27. Hidden Gem of the Year?

 

If you like funny, off-the-wall, inventive spec fic, PLEASE read What Goes Up. What a gem.

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

WHY ARE WE STILL TALKING ABOUT WE ARE OKAY, WE ARE NOT OKAY TAKE IT AWAY

besides Deathly Hallows and Mockingjay once again: These Ruthless Deeds, Eliza and her Monsters, DARK DAYS PACT GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HELP

*whispers*  amore mio

*dies*

29. Most Unique Book You Read in 2017?

30. Book That Made You the Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2017?

Oof, I was a disgraceful blogger this year (Am I even a blogger anymore? *waves hand vaguely*). I discovered nothing because I did nothing. I am nothing. But my beloved Morgan started her own blog, The Bookish Beagle, and it is as charming and funny and adorable as she is!

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2017?

Lololololololol

3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?

My Pitch Wars announcement post!

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

PITCH WARS!!!! The best thing I ever did ever in my whole life, basically

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2017?

GETTING AN AGENT AHHHH. NGL, I still can't believe it's reality. Sometimes I go look at my Twitter bio just to make sure it's still there.

6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?

Keeping up the motivation to do it AT ALL through an incredibly trying year, both politically and personally. As you can see, I mostly failed—though I don’t call it a failure, since a) I was able to keep up my efforts in my writing and made actual ENORMOUS progress on that front, b) I don't want to put too much pressure on myself for what is essentially a hobby (blogging, I mean). And though it’s always been my primary hobby, I never want it to cede precedence over my own creative writing and my real life. So while I’m sad I didn’t partake in the community or my own blog more this year, I AM glad I was able to focus on other things and actually achieve something in those arenas. And the blog is still here! Rusty in the corners but still chugging along. *pets blog fondly*

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

My sparkly shiny agent announcement post! *brief break to cry some more* Oh, and also my Anne with an E review (spoiler alert: I did not approve)

8. Post You Wished Got a Little More Love?

I wish my entire blog got more love FROM ME, oy, I’m sorry ole blog old sport

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

SUBSCRIPTION BOXES. Omg. I am addicted. It is a problem. but they are so prettyyyy. Right now I have Litjoy, Owlcrate, and Fairyloot, and they’re all lovely and costly and now I live off ramen and tears just kidding or AM I you decide

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

YES I READ A HUNDRED PLUS BOOKS AND THAT IS LITERALLY THE ONLY BLOGGY THING I ACHIEVED WAHOO GO ME GOLD START CROWN FOR ME QUEEN GILLIAN RULER OF HER TBR

1. One Book You Didn’t Get to in 2017 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2018?

Er. Like. Hundreds of them. Whoops. Fireblood, Strange the Dreamer, Tash Hearts Tolstoy, Renegades, Jane, Unlimited, Not Now, Not Ever, Retribution Rails, The Duchess Deal, Nightfall (god help me), Speak Easy, Speak Love, Whichwood, Far From the Tree, The Savage Dawn, The Book of Dust, and maaaany more

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating for 2018 (non-debut)?

No cover yet: Sawkill Girls by Claire LeGrand, The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White, Beneath the Citadel by Destiny Soria, The Half King by Melissa Landers

3. 2018 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE BY TOMI ADEYEMI, A COURT OF MIRACLES BY KESTER GRANT, NOTHING ELSE MATTERS.

okay other things matter. But those matter most. Because I say so.

No cover yet: A Court of Miracles by Kester Grant, The Nameless Queen by Rebecca McLaughlin, Bloodleaf by Crystal Smith, The Disasters by M.K. England, Not Even Bones by Rebecca Schaeffer, The Vanishing Kingdom by Laura E. Weymouth, Amber and Dusk by Lyra Selene. 

4. Series Ending/A Sequel/Companion You Are Most Anticipating in 2018?

No covers yet: Lady Helen #3, NO TITLE EVEN, SOB, The Lady’s Guide to Piracy and Petticoats by Mackenzi Lee, The Caged Queen by Kristin Ciccarelli, Dragonshadow by Elle Katharine White

5. One Thing You Hope to Accomplish or Do in Your Reading/Blogging Life in 2018?

I have many writing life goals for 2018 (*breathes into a paper bag*) but in regards to reading and blogging: just to keep at it, even if I’m busy or overwhelmed! doesn’t matter if i don’t post regularly. I just want to make sure I post AGAIN.

6. A 2018 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend to Everyone:

I’ve only read one 2018 release, but it was the deeply awesome FURYBORN by Claire LeGrand, and you all need to read it the moment you can. OMFG.

SO WOW. OKAY. THAT TOOK FOREVER. It's probably 2019 by now.