2014 End of Year Book Survey

The End of Year Book Survey is hosted by Jamie from The Perpetual Page-Turner. For more info on the Survey, check out her blog! 

Number Of Books You Read:

Jess: 100

Val: 164

Number of Re-Reads:

Jess: I actually started the year with a feature on my old blog called "Monthly Re-Reads" (SUCH a creative title, I know) so I actually did some official re-reads! And the Lux series for the read-a-thon, so... 8

Val: I re-read the Lux series for the read-a-thon.  And then I listened to Easy and Breakable by Tammara Webber...um several times.  Okay.  Um...see when I'm stressed or upset I need books but I can't take new ones.  I need something I already know.  AND I adore these two books.  AND I love the narrator in Breakable.  So, yeah.  I listen to them over and over.  No count that I'll admit to.

Genre You Read The Most From:

Jess: Contemporary Romance! I am SHOCKED because I am such a huge paranormal fan. But I read like three contemps for every one paranormal this year. Possibly more. Wow.
Val: Actually I think it was New Adult.  But towards the end of the year I started this NEED for paranormal. 

 

1. Best Book You Read In 2014?

Jess: Lady Luck by Kristen Ashley! I am OBSESSED with this book.

Val: Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I loved it beyond words.

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

Jess: The Boy Who Sneaks in My Bedroom Window by Kirsty Moseley. It sounded so sweet and cute! I thought I'd fall in love with their characters and their romantic story. Instead, I ended up rating it 2 stars. It was kind of a let down as a whole. I got some swoons, but that was pretty much it.

Val: Undefeated by Melissa Cutler.  The cover is HOT.  It involves HOCKEY.  It has a second chance at love premise.  I adore those things, a lot.  Not this one.  I just didn't like the hypocritical MC and some of it was just...um...strange.  Yeah, I thought I'd love it for sure from the blurb and cover but it ended up getting a 2 from me.

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

Jess: The Strange Maid by Tessa Gratton. I enjoyed the first book, but this sequel completely blew me away, which I did NOT expect. The world is so unique, I was skeptical about whether it'd work for me or not. But this one...Tessa's writing is gorgeous, and I fell in love with The Strange Maid.
Val: I've been loving the New Adult a lot this last year.  The one that surprised me the most was Pieces of Olivia by Melissa West.  This book breaks the NA mold with a unique story that was both emotional and incredible.

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

Jess: The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken. And the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout.
Val: I push peeps to read lots of great books all year long, so this is a hard choice for me.  I guess the one I've pushed the most is The Darkest Part by Trisha Wolfe.

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

Jess: Series started--Jennifer L. Armentrout's Wicked Saga. Sequel--King Cave by Scarlett Dawn. Series Ender--Sentinel by Jennifer L. Armentrout.
Val: Gotta agree with Jess on the best series I started.  Wicked by Jennifer L Armentrout is awesome.  Sequel would be All Broke Down in the Rusk University series by Cora Carmack.  Series ender would be Tempting the Bodyguard by Jennifer L Armentrout (only series ender I read last year). 

 6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2014?

Jess: Molly McAdams! This was the year I started reading her books and I. Am. ADDICTED.
Val: Brighton Walsh! Loved Caged in Winter so hard.

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

Jess: Landline by Rainbow Rowell. I usually don't read adult like that. Paranormal shifter stuff, yes. Maya Banks stuff, yes. But this one was kind of serious and deep and I usually don't read adult books of that type. But this was Rainbow Rowell so I picked it up. And I LOVED it. It was beautiful and amazing and I'm so glad I read it.
Val: I don't read a lot of fairy tales but Don't Fall by Rachel Schieffelbein really appealed to me.  Great read.

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

Jess: The first one that comes to mind for this is Accidentally Married to...a Vampire? by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff. So I'm going with that. It's humorous and has great romance, and there were some intense parts mixed in.
Val: Don't Look Back by Jennifer L Armentrout.  I so wanted to know what was going on that I just couldn't stop reading.

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

Jess: Lady Luck by Kristen Ashley, without a doubt.
Val: Breakable by Tammara Webber, no doubt.

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

Jess: 

Val: I agree with Jess.

11. Most memorable character of 2014?

Jess: I'm actually stuck between two right now. Tink from Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout (he was hilarious!) and Greyson King from Rogue by Katy Evans (goodness, I love him).
Val: Definitely Tink from Wicked by Jennifer L Armentrout

 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2014?

Jess: Oh, this is hard! It's a toss up between Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally and The Strange Maid by Tessa Gratton, with a close runner up of Landline by Rainbow Rowell.
Val: Vengeance by Megan Miranda

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

Jess: Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally. Best Kind of Broken by Chelsea Fine was a big one for me, too.
Val: Damaged Goods by Nicole Williams

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

Jess: I didn't read too many really old titles this year. Most was published in 2013-2014. But I did read a few, and one I'm glad I FINALLY picked up was From Ashes by Molly McAdams. Forgiving Lies is what started my Molly McAdams addiction, but From Ashes was the first of her books I branched out from that series with. So yay!
Val: Unchained by Jennifer L Armentrout

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

Jess: My stomach fills with longing, but not the sad kind. The meaningful kind. The kind of longing you feel when you think about your first roller coaster or your first perfect game. The longing that makes you wish you could experience it again, but so grateful that you had it in the first place. --Best Kind of Broken by Chelsea Fine

Val: "Don't touch me," I gritted out.  His eyes met mine again, and for a moment, he didn't move, and I was struck again by his handsomeness.  I wasn't often one saw a mortal male that rivaled the beauty of the fae.  Then he easily slipped his hand free and rocked back on the lower step, kneeling.  He raised his hands to his sides.  "Not something I usually hear from the ladies, but your wish is my command."  Wicked by Jennifer L Armentrout

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?

Jess: Shortest--Fall by Scarlett Dawn. Longest--Tiger's Quest by Colleen Houck.
Val: Shortest - Can't Wait by Jennifer Ryan.  Longest - In Your Dreams by Kristan Higgins

 17. Book That Shocked You The Most

(Because of a plot twist, character death, left you hanging with your mouth wide open, etc.)

Jess: I'm gonna say Tiger's Quest by Colleen Houck because REN!
Val: Inspire by Cora Carmack - that ending!

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

(OTP = one true pairing if you aren’t familiar)

Jess: Ezra and Lily from the Forever Evermore series by Scarlett Dawn! And Greyson and Mel from Rogue by Katy Evans. Also Seth and Josie from the Titan series by JLA. And Ren and Ivy from Wicked by JLA. IT'S HARD TO JUST CHOOSE ONE, OKAY?
Val: I agree with Jess on this one.  Ren and Ivy from Wicked by Jennifer L Armentrout.

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

Jess: Tink and Ivy from Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout.
Val: Tink and Ivy too from Wicked or Katy and Dee from the Lux series both by Jennifer L Armentrout.

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

Jess: Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally and Stay with Me by Jennifer L. Armentrout.
Val: Wicked by Jennifer L Armentrout.

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

Jess: The Darkest Part by Trisha Wolfe. (Thanks, Val!)
Val: Pieces of Olivia by Melissa West

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

Jess: NEWEST would be Ren from Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout. But there's also one from my favorite book of the year, Lady Luck by Kristen Ashley which I keep going back to, and his name is Ty.
Val: Wilder from Inspire by Cora Carmack.

23. Best 2014 debut you read?

Jess: Upside Down by Lia Riley. Or Twelve Steps by Veronica Bartles. I CANNOT CHOOSE.
Val: I'm pretty surprised that I couldn't a debute on my read list for 2014. Go figure.

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

Jess: The Strange Maid by Tessa Gratton. 
Val: Inspire by Cora Carmack

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

Jess: Accidentally Married to...a Vampire by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff.
Val: Wicked by Jennifer L Armentrout. Tink had me laughing out loud.

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

Jess: The Warrior by Victoria Scott. Ahhhh my feels.
Val: Agree with Jess - The Warrior by Victoria Scott (And I avoid books that do this to me)

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

Jess: Twelve Steps by Veronica Bartles! It was sweet and I loved it. Also, Scary Modsters ...and Creepy Freaks by Diane Rinella because she has some great writing and this story was so quirky in the most delightful way. READ THESE BOOKS, MY FRIENDS. 
Val: Business as Usual by Denise Grover Swank. Love all the books in this series and they don't really get the attention they deserve. 

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

Jess: Reclaiming the Sand by A. Meredith Walters. The book was so, so good, but my heart and my soul...IN. PIECES.
Val: The ending of Inspire by Cora Carmack had this effect on me.  I screamed, NO.  And now we wait.

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2014?

Jess: Scary Modsters ...and Creepy Freaks by Diane Rinella. Also, The Strange Maid by Tessa Gratton.
Val: Inspire by Cora Carmack

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

Jess: Twisted Perfection by Abbi Glines. DON'T GET ME STARTED ON THIS BECAUSE I WILL RANT.
Val: Undefeated by Melissa Cutler. Um...the R word is thrown at a guy when it's so not true.  That really gets me mad.

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2014? 

Jess: Mary Had a Little Book Blog. Vilma's Book Blog is pretty darn cool, too.
Val: This is a problem for me.  I have so little time to look for new ones.  I adore Readers Live A Thousand Lives.

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2014? 

Jess: Um. I have no clue. Maybe my review of Sawyer by Lori Foster? Or Twisted Perfection by Abbi Glines? I DO NOT KNOOOOW. Oh, or Rogue by Katy Evans. Ahhhh that book. 
Val: The Write Stuff by Tiffany King - so excited that she wrote a New Adult book.

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

Jess: The post where I joined StuckInBooks because I FREAKING LOVE IT.
Val: Any swoon post is usually the ones I love the best.

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

Jess: I don't like this question because I loved ALLLLLL of the events I participated in. Our Lux Readathon. And going to Teen Book Con and seeing Victoria Scott. Chilling with Rachel Harris at Austin Book Fest. Seeing JLA at Book People in Austin. Getting to hang out with some of the nicest and coolest people at Texas Teen Book Fest and Texas Book Fest. And just getting to be a part of StuckInBooks! I LOVE IT ALL!

Val: Hands down, it was Book Bash where I got to play assistant to my favorite author, Jennifer L Armentrout.

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2014?

Jess: JOINING STUCKINBOOKS. Hands down. No doubt about it. *dances*
Val: Having Jess join StuckInBooks.  We are so joined at the hip.

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

Jess: I have no idea. But I bet it was an awesome one. Can we pretend it was the one where I joined StuckInBooks? Because that would be fun.
Val: The most popular are always the ones that involve JLA books (giveaways and reviews).

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

Jess: Well, let's say the one where I joined StuckInBooks. Because I'm REALLY liking this answer. 
Val: Any post that doesn't get any comment love.  Those always make me sad.

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

Jess: The Book Spot. It's a little indie book store near where my nephew does this tutoring thing, and it's GREAT to walk to and pass the time while he's, like, learning.

Val: There's this new store that moved into an old Borders store.  The whole second level is USED books.  Rows and rows of wonderful books at great prices.

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

Jess: NOPE. And I'm okay with that. My Goodreads goal was 115 books. I read 100. Pretty sure I had other goals (about finishing series, re-reading some stuff, etc.), but I'm doubtful I reached those. I have higher hopes for this year, though. So yay!
Val: I did.  I read 164 books and my goal was 150.

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

Jess: OPPOSITION BY JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT. It is so sad that this one slipped through the cracks, but IT WILL HAPPEN. SOON. 
Val: Ditto

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

Jess: The Heir by Kiera Cass! Ahhh, I can't wait. Also, Fall with Me by Jennifer L. Armentrout.
Val: Torn by Jennifer L Armentrout

3. 2015 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

Jess: The Night We Said Yes by Lauren Gibaldi! I just found this book a few days ago and I am DYING to get it in my hands. Cannot wait!
Val: Did I mention I didn't read any debuts in 2014?  Not sure I have one I'm gonna read in 2015.  I want to finish some series' that I've started and left the last one unread.  That's gonna be my focus.

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

Jess: Every Last Breath by Jennifer L. Armentrout!!!! *flails*
Val: Yes Jess has it.  I'm nervous and can't wait.  I love both boys and I just can't stand the thought that one is left brokenhearted.

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

Jess: Read more of what I WANT this year. I have so many books in my room waiting to be read. I want to take the time to read those! And don't even get me started on what's on my Kindle. I want to read this stuff I've been putting on hold for too long.
Val: What Jess said.  Mostly, I want to make sure my reading time goes to reading things that appeal to me.  I'm a moody reader and forcing myself to read something I don't want to at the moment is never good.  And there are so many books left behind that I'm tired of missing.

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

Jess: The Return by Jennifer L. Armentrout. SETHIE, Y'ALL. Oh, and Salt & Stone by Victoria Scott rocks, too. ;)

Val: The Return by Jennifer L Armentrout.  So good.  Smokin' HOT yum!

That's our End of Year Book Survey! What do you think? Did you do the survey? Leave us a comment!