2016 End of Year Book Survey

Here it is again! In honor of one of my favorite bookish end-of-year traditions, I bring you my version of Jamie at the Perpetual Page Turner’s year end book survey. I’ve had such fun doing this the last couple years, and this is the first year that I’m actually going to complete (well, attempt to complete) the blogging and book life section.

If you decide to complete this survey on your own blog, leave me a note or a link in the comments and let me know. I’m always on the hunt for reading recommendations or awesome books that I might’ve missed.

2016 Reading Stats

Number of Books You Read: 97 currently, although that number might be slightly higher by year’s end.
Number of Re-reads: Too many to count, as per usual
Genre You Read the Most From: YA contemporary

1. Best Book You Read in 2016?
Once again, I’m going to have to do a genre breakdown. Because reasons.
YA Contemporary: Far From You by Tess Sharpe
YA Fantasy: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
YA Sci-Fi: Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
YA Dystopian: The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson
YA Magical Realism: The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton
NA: Him by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy
Adult: The Paris Key by Juliet Blackwell
2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going to Love More But Didn’t?
Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan
3. Most Surprising (in a good or bad way) Book You Read?
The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord. I expected to like it. I didn’t expect to feel all the feelings all at once.
4. Book You “Pushed” the Most People to Read (and They Did)?
Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
5. Best Series You Started in 2016? Best sequel of 2016? Best Series Ending of 2016?
Best Series: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Best Sequel: Either Empire of Storms or A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
Best Series Ending: Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
6. Favorite New Author You Discovered in 2016?
Either Becky Albertalli or Tess Sharpe
7. Best Book from a Genre You Don’t Typically Read/Was Out of Your Comfort Zone?
Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski. I don’t read much nonfiction and I read even fewer self-help books, but I will forever be grateful to a friend of mine for recommending this one.
8. Most Action-Packed/Thrilling/Unputdownable Book of the Year?
It’s a tie between Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo and Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff.
9. Book You Read in 2016 that You Are Most Likely to Re-Read Next Year?
Him by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy, because I’ve already re-read it at least half a dozen times to date.
10. Favorite Cover of a Book You Read in 2016?
The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson, in terms of both texture and appearance.
11. Most Memorable Character of 2016?
Kaz Brekker from Six of Crows.
12. Most Beautifully Written Book Read in 2016?
The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton. Her prose took fewer than two pages to blow my mind.
13. Most Thought-Provoking/Life-Changing Book of 2016?
Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnston, for its supportive, nonjudgmental portrayal of a teenage girl’s life post-sexual assault. The kind of book that makes you wonder why we don’t rally around survivors in reality the way these characters do on the page.
14. Book You Can’t Believe You Waited Until 2016 to Finally Read?
Far From You by Tess Sharpe and Open Road Summer by Emery Lord, which are both two freaking years old and WONDERFUL.
15. Favorite Passage/Quote From a Book You Read in 2016?
“I will have you without armor, Kaz Brekker. Or I will not have you at all.” —Six of Crows
16. Shortest & Longest Books You Read in 2016?
Shortest: We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Longest: Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
17. Book That Shocked You the Most?
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. Not for good reasons, either.
18. OTP of the Year (you will go down with this ship!)
Every canonical ship in Six of Crows. Sensing a trend, here?
19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship of the Year?
Hermione and Polly in Exit, Pursued by a Bear or Reagan and Lilah in Open Road Summer.
20. Favorite Book You Read in 2016 from an Author You’ve Read Previously?
Cam Girl by Leah Raeder. I love every single one of that author’s books.
21. Best Book You Read in 2016 that You Read Based SOLELY on a Recommendation from Somebody Else/Peer Pressure
Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski. Thanks, G!
22. Newest Fictional Crush from a Book You Read in 2016?
Grant, from Summer of Supernovas by Darcy Woods. He was incredibly swoony.
23. Best 2016 Debut You Read?
Summer of Supernovas by Darcy Woods or Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn
24. Best World-building/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
Once again, I’m going to have to go with Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo.
25. Book that Put a Smile On Your Face/Was the Most FUN to Read?
Simon and the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. No questions asked.
26.  Book that Made You Cry or Nearly Cry in 2016
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, and Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E.K. Johnston all came pretty darn close.
27.  Hidden Gem of the Year?
Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes
28. Book that Crushed Your Soul?
Hostage Three by Nick Lake
29. Most Unique Book You Read in 2016?
Illuminae, for updating the epistolary novel format, and then turning that format on its head.
30. Book that Made You the Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, for its infuriatingly honest take on rape culture and the way society both sexualizes teenage girls and condemns them for their sexuality.

1. New Favorite Book Blog You Discovered in 2016?
I discovered a bunch of good blogs, but none that were book specific.
2. Favorite Review that You Wrote in 2016?
Either this review or this one that I did for Disability in Kidlit.
3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?
Nobody really discussed these–not to my knowledge, anyway–but I was especially proud of the posts I wrote where I examined my creative routine or my views on creativity. You Can’t Rush Enjoyment and The Importance of Taking Breaks come immediately to mind.
4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc)?
I’ve done the YA Buccaneers Fall Bootcamp a couple years in a row now, but this was the first year where I took full advantage of all the awesomeness that they have to offer. My life was in turmoil this fall, and the YAB crew were one of the only things keeping me on task.
5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2016?
Going to the Wordsmith retreat in Virginia back in the spring. 10/10 would recommend and go again.
6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?
Taking the time and turning off the tech so that I could fully fall into the books I was reading. Also, shutting off the writer/editor part of my brain long enough to enjoy what I was reading.
7. Most Popular Post this Year on Your Blog (whether by comments or views)?
Uh . . .
8. Post You Wished Got a Little More Love?
Any of them?
9. Best bookish discovery (book-related sites, bookstores, etc)?
Either of the bookstores I visited while on vacation this summer. (Shout out to the Tattered Cover in Denver and the Boulder Book Store in Boulder.) Also the Iowa Writers House, which may not be strictly bookish, but has been an absolute blessing nonetheless. One of those brilliant non-for-profits that makes me love where I live.
10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?
I chose to abstain from the Goodreads Reading Challenge this year, and I still feel great about that choice. Personally, I was able to blog once a month every month with the exception of July, and I feel great about that too.

1. One Book You Didn’t Get to in 2016 that will be Your #1 Priority in 2017?
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh, and Truthwitch by Susan Dennard have all been on my priority list FOREVER.
2. Book You Are Most Anticipating for 2017 (non-debut)?
Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff shot to the top of the list as soon as I finished Illuminae.
3. 2017 Debut You are Most Anticipating?
Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones and The Girl with the Red Balloon by Katherine Locke. Also You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone by Rachel Lynn Solomon.
4. Series Ending/A Sequel You are Most Anticipating in 2017?
I’ll take ‘the last book in the Throne of Glass series’ for $500, Alex.
5. One Thing You Hope to Accomplish or Do in Your Reading/Blogging Life in 2017
Blog once a month at least all next year, and finally break the 100 books a year mark. Not that I’m going back to the Goodreads challenge, or anything . . .
6. A 2017 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend to Everyone:
Once again, I am not cool enough or on top of things enough to have read anything that releases in 2017 quite yet. What should I start with?

What books did you enjoy reading this year? Let me know in the comments, or link me to your own survey!