End of the Year Book Survey!

Jamie from the Perpetual Page Turner is running an end of year book survey. I was mentioned in Sarah of Saz101 survey and upon reading it, I thought "OMG this looks like so much fun!" Therefore, I thought it would be fitting for me to the do the end of the year book survey on the last day of the year! :)

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BEST IN BOOKS 2012

1. Best Book You Read In 2012?

Okay, picking just ONE is completely unfair so I'm going to limit myself to picking...5. 2012 was a great year for books and gosh, so many were just so great but out of the 130 that I finished reading, these were probably my favourite! In no particular order - 

The Gathering Dark by Leigh Bardugo (Review to Come)

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green (Review)

Skin Deep by Laura Jarrett (Review)

The Selection by Kiera Cass (Review)

Blood Red Road by Moira Young (Review)

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

I was really excited for Defiance by C.J. Redwine with all the hype that the book had going around, the blurb sounded epic but upon finishing the book I wasn't all that impressed! Another book that just didn't live up to my expectations was The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines, I just finished this one a few days ago and it was so lacking despite all the good reviews! Also have to mention Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood, Struck by Jennifer Bosworth and Instructions to a Broken Heart by Kim Culbertson! These books weren't "bad" but they definitely didn't live up to the hype and my expectations!

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2012?

Biggest one would have to be The Fault In Our Stars by John Green, I honestly didn't think I was going to enjoy it and I actually started out not enjoying it at all. I've never been drawn to YA books that were about drugs or illness or any kind of darkish contemporary but this turned out to be one of my favourite books of the year! It has also got me into reading other books for John Green! :) Also Beautiful Disaster by Jaime McGuire was a surprise! I was expecting a really badly written cringe worthy cheesy love story and while it was a little cliched, I surprisingly REALLY enjoyed it! 

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2012?

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green - HANDS DOWN. I recommend this to everyone! 

5. Best series you discovered in 2012?

The Elemental series by Brigid Kemmerer was one that I really enjoyed! Both Storm and Spark were brilliant! Also LOVED LOVED LOVED The Gathering Dark by Leigh Bardugo and I simply can NOT wait to read the sequel Siege and Storm which comes out in 2013!

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2012?

All the 2012 Debut Authors were brilliant but ones that stood out were Leigh Bardugo, Kiera Cass and Brigid Kemmerer. An author that I only discovered this year but EVERYBODY loves is John Green and I've officially joined the band wagon after reading The Fault In Our Stars.

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

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. As I mentioned earlier, this one didn't start out as my cup of tea but I ended up loving it to BITS!

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2012?

The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore was simply non-stop action and I completely devoured it! Beautiful Disaster by Jaime McGuire was also hard to put down because the chemistry and the romance in the novel was just so swoon-worthy! And it can't go unmentioned The Gathering Dark by Leigh Bardugo which was just OMGYOUMUSTREADTHISBOOK amazing!

9. Book You Read In 2012 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year:

Not really a re-reader but if I had to pick one probably The Gathering Dark by Leigh Bardugo because it was so freaking EPIC!

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2012?

I couldn't pick ONE so I picked a few! :P

11. Most memorable character in 2012?

Augustus Water - For his "looking on the bright side of life" approach to everything!

Gabriel Merrick - For being just completely and undeniable HOT!

Roar - For his manly charm! 

Andddddd for the girls - Merit from Chicagoland Vampires because this girl is so BADASS. 

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2012?

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. (Do you even have to ask?!?!)

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2012?

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. I bawled my eyes and that's really rare because usually I'm really unemotional. 

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2012 to finally read?

Looking for Alaska by John Green. Everyone always talks about it but until I read The Fault In Our Stars I had no interest in John Green and hence why I only JUST read Looking for Alaska! Which BTW, was good but it ain't no The Fault In Our Stars!

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2012?

"Some infinities are bigger than others infinities. A writer we used to like taught us that. There are days, many of the, when I resent the size of my unbounded set. I want more numbers than I'm likely to get, and God, I want more numbers for Augustus Waters than he got. But, Gus, my love, I cannot tell you how thankful I am for our little infinity. I wouldn't trade it for the world. You gave me forever within the numbered days, and I'm grateful." - The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

If you're not crying - WHO ARE YOU?

16. Shortest and Longest Book You Read In 2012?

Shortest - The Little Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff (which was a picture book that added up to 33 pages and it was a total cheat for my GR challenge but SUE ME, I was SO BEHIND)

Longest - Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James ( well that's embarrassing as I didn't even *really* enjoy this series but I wanted to be kewl like everybody else. That's 579 pages I will never get back)

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It?

The eulogy reading scene ( where my quote comes from) in The Fault In Our Stars was so beautiful and basically every scene in The Gathering Dark because it was so so so beautiful!

18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2012

Hazel and Augustus - The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
Alina and The Darkling - The Gathering Dark by Leigh Bardugo
Avery and Kerrick - Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder
Aria and Perry - Under the Never Sky
Abby and Travis - Beautiful Disaster

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2012 From An Author You Read Previously

Out of Sight, Out of Time by Ally Carter. Ally Carter just writes the most amazing books and this one was no different. I absolutely love both her Gallagher Girls series and her Heist Society series. The whole idea of spies and con artist fascinate me to no end!

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

I read Perks of Being A Wallflower after watching a review of it on Youtube, unfortunately I can't remember which Booktuber it was but it was such a fantastic review I HAD to pick it up! I also picked up The Fault In Our Stars because Brodie @ Eleusinian Mysteries told me I just HAD to read it and I am SO thankful that I did because I LOVED IT!

BOOK BLOGGING/READING LIFE IN 2012

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2012?

Gosh! There are so so so many but one that really stood out to me was Rachel's blog Fiktshun. What a brilliant blog not only does Rachel write the most amazing reviews but she also hosts THE best giveaway not to mention she's a incredibly nice blogger! :)

3. Best discussion you had on your blog?

I've done a few discussion posts on the blog through my feature Breakfast with the Bookie which is basically a discussion feature that is held on Wednesday on the blog. However the best ones that I've done this year are probably - Is YA Fiction "Trashy"?,  E-Book Piracy: A Felony and Giveaways: Are We Buying Our Followers?. Yeah, that's more than one but I liked them! :D

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

Anna @ Literary Exploration has the most amazing Discussion post!

5. Best event that you participated in? 

Probably the 2013 Debutante Event which I host every year! It's actually still going on right now! I'm featuring 12 of 2013 hottest YA debutantes! Learn more about your debutantes, their books and enter to win a copy of their debuts! Also a random assortment of blog tours etc!

6. Best moment of book blogging in 2012?

Mmmmm there were some many wonderful moments but not one that stood out! Ahaha, totally taking the cheat way out but 2012 was just a GREAT year altogether!

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

Most Clicks: Happy Release Day Stealing Parker Giveaway 
Most Views: Happy Release Day Stealing Parker Giveaway
Most Comments: Stormdancer US Cover Reveal + Giveaway

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love? 

Probably any one of my reviews! All my giveaway posts get alot of love but the reviews - not so much! Special mention to my bookish mom - Saz @ Saz101 who leaves the LOVELIEST comments on pretty much all my reviews! She's such a sweetie.

9. Best bookish discovery?

THE BOOKTUBE COMMUNITY. OH LORD. Why did no one EVER tell me there was a completely different species of book lovers on the INTERNET? Best. Discovery. Ever.

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

I *just* finished the 2012 Goodreads Challenge this morning and I'm so GLAD I DID because it would have killed me to fail my challenge of not reading 130 books this year! I take my Goodreads challenge very seriously! :P I also completed the 2012 YA Debut Challenge although I don't think I finished the TBR Challenge or the 2012 YA Contemporary Challenge. Oops!

LOOKING AHEAD…

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2012 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2013?

Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. This is probably going to be my first read of 2013. I was initially going read this at the end of 2011 and then in 2012 and then now 2013! I refuse to push it back any further. Large books don't scare me anymore! ( They really do...)

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2013?

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter
The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd
My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi

And so many more!

3. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2013?

To find a balance between reading, blogging and life! I probably won't be blogging as much next year as I really have to start concentrating on my school work but I plan to be more time efficient when I AM updating my blog! :P

Badass Bookie xx