Book Survey

This is a survey that's been going around online. I filled it out for a swap-bot swap.

2014 Reading Stats

• Number Of Books You Read: 139


• Number of Re-Reads: 6 (included as part of the above number)


• Genre You Read The Most From: Picture Books! Ha! 21 of those read, followed by Juvie Fiction at 18 and then Young Adult Fiction at 17.

Best in Books 2014

1. Best Book You Read In 2014?
   11/22/63 by Stephen King was definitely the best I read. It was so compelling that it started to feel real to me. It’s got time travel, great characters, moral dilemmas, action, drama, and even some romance. It’s one of the best Stephen King books I’ve read, and I am so glad I made a point to read it this year.


2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
   Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz should have been perfect for me. It’s YA and has LGBT content. One of my good friends, a librarian at one of the libraries in which I volunteer, recommended it. So I really wanted to love it and was looking forward to reading it. Only it just didn’t grab me. I couldn’t get into the characters heads, so it felt flat to me. Therefore, disappointing.
   Actually, there were a few other books that were disappointing this year, including Boston Boys Club, which I had been looking forward to reading but didn’t even finish because it wasn’t very good.


3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read in 2014?
   The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling). I didn’t really love The Casual Vacancy and I don’t read a lot of mysteries. But it was incredible how quickly I fell in love with the characters and Strike’s “world” in this book. I even wrote a fanfic about it right after reading the book. It restored my faith in JKR’s writing abilities. It was also surprising to read plot-wise. I never saw the big reveal coming. At one time or another, I pretty much suspected everyone, so the ending definitely came as a surprise—and a good, clever one!


4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did) In 2014?
   Probably, Outlander by Diana Gabaldon; I got two people to read that. I think two people read 11/22/63 thanks to me pushing it on them as well. But there are a dozen or so books I got at least one person to read. A lot of time at BookCrossing meetups, we’ll bring books we’re finished with to give/exchange with each other, so many times we will lightly endorse books we particularly enjoyed. I also hosted a book recommending meetup for my Harry Potter group and gave a bunch of recommendations to people.


5. Best series you started in 2014? Best Sequel of 2014? Best Series Ender of 2014?
   Series I started: Hawkeye, Volume 1 by Matt Fraction
   Sequel I read: The Avengers, Volume 2 by Brian Michael Bendis
   Part of a series I read: The Scottish Prisoner by Diana Gabaldon
   Series I finished: Either the Divergent series by Veronica Roth or the Star Wars: Jedi Apprentice series by Jude Watson


6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2014?
   Matt Fraction. His Hawkeye is AMAZING!!! I love his realistic dialogue and compelling stories. Maybe also Wendy Mass? I really loved her 13 Gifts book and look forward to tracking down the others in the series that come before and after. And I read my first Terry Pratchett this year, so I think I will definitely have to try some of his discworld novels in the future.


7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
   Beatrix Potter’s Gardening Life: The Plants and Places That Inspired the Classic Children’s Tales by Marta McDowell. I don’t read a lot of memoirs and even fewer biographies, but this one was amazing. It was part biography and part garden tour. Having been to Hill Top, this book was even more meaningful to me, especially as it was filled with Beatrix Potter’s illustrations and photos.


8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
   11/22/63 handily wins this award as well. It was one of those books I had to keep finding reasons to get into the car for, so that I could listen to it as I drove around. I felt addicted to it while reading.


9. Book You Read In 2014 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
   The Tales of Beedle the Bard by JK Rowling. I read bits of many of the Harry Potter books every year when organizing meetup events or when I need to look something up for a fanfic. I don’t reread a lot of books, but if I’m sure I’ll pick this one up throughout the next year.


10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2014?
    A Circle of Cats by Charles De Lint & Charles Vess. I have met Charles Vess, the illustrator, several times before and have heard him discuss/analyze his art, so that makes the art more meaningful to me. I love the collection of cats gathered around the old tree and the yellow from the sun warming them with hope and something more.


11. Most memorable character of 2014?
    I will not soon forget O (Orchiee Fairchild), exorcist, pogo stick rider, sex fiend from Exorcisms and Pogo Sticks Volume 1 & Volume 2 by Stephen Doerr. I liked Volume 1 the best, story-wise and character-wise. But O is really pretty darn memorable! LOL


12. Most beautifully written book read in 2014?
    A Separate Peace by John Knowles. This was a reread. I remembered the characters I loved and the story that I found to be powerful. But I hadn’t remembered how beautiful the wording of that book was. There’s some gorgeous word choice, amazing descriptions, and beautiful wording.


13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2014?
    Accepting Me by Jo Ramsey helped me to see a new side of myself in a fictional character. It definitely gave me a lot to think about personally. I also found Mandela: An Illustrated Autobiography by Nelson Mandela quite enlightening and thought-provoking. I learned a whole lot I didn’t know about Nelson Mandela and the struggles he went through.


14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2014 to finally read?
    Good Omens! How did it take me this long to read it??? I’ve had a copy of this book for years and years and have had so many people recommend it to me. I wish I’d read it sooner. But I’m glad to have read it now finally. Also, I can’t believe I only just read The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. I think I’ve read so many dystopias that this one wasn’t so powerful to me, but I did really like it and wished I’d read it ages ago.


15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2014?
    I’m honestly not very good about writing down quotes or passages as I come across them. So I don’t have anything to draw from in choosing my favorite. So here’s one I like from a book I haven’t finished reading yet, but from a passage that I read in 2014 (just a few days ago):
    “Yeah, yeah, sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me. First of all, anyone who thinks that words can’t hurt you has obviously never taken sophomore P.E. And second, did it ever occur to whoever wrote that stupid adage that hurtful words might be a pretty good indication that sticks and stones are on the way? It’s not like it’s an either-or thing. I mean, has there ever been a case of sticks and stones that didn’t also involve at least some words? All I can say is that the writer of that adage sounds pretty damn blasé about getting his bones broken.” from The Order of the Poison Oak by Brent Hartinger


16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2014?
    I don’t keep track of pages read, so this one took me a while to calculate.
    Longest: 11/22/63 had 866 pages
    Shortest: A Pillow for my Mom by Charissa Sgouros; Good Night, Harry by Kim Lewis; Mr. Wuffles! by David Wiesner; Otto the Book Bear by Katie Cleminson; Picasso and Minou by P.I. Maltbie; Raf by Anke De Cries; Spells by Emily Gravett; The Grannyman by Judy Schachner; The Midnight Library by Kazuno Kohara; The Reader by Amy Hest; Wolf Won't Bite! by Emily Gravett all had 32 pages


17. Book That Shocked You The Most
    That would be the short story “A Very Tight Place” in Just After Sunset by Stephen King. EW EW EW. It was shocking how disgusting it was. I couldn’t believe any author would go there, but he did. EW!!!


18. Favorite Romantic Relationship of the Year
    Esa Saari and Michelle in Hip Check by Deirdre Martin. I don’t read a lot of romances, but these characters had chemistry! I loved the dynamics and the hockey and Esa’s new niece all coming into play. Enjoyable, believable, and satisfying—just how I like my romance stories to be.


19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year
    Picasso and Minou. Awww. A fictionalized story of Picasso and his actual cat. It was adorable to see their relationship build and little bits of what really inspired some of the artist’s best-known paintings.


20. Favorite Book You Read in 2014 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
    Still 11/22/63. I’ve read a lot of Stephen King, but I’m still making my way through all his works and am so glad to have earread this one! Lease favorite from the same author? Mr. Mercedes. It’s a pure mystery with no supernatural elements, so not King at his best. But the villain in the story is so horrible I felt dirty and disgusting when forced to read his chapters and get inside his head. Ick.


21. Best Book You Read In 2014 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:
    Your Love Sickness by Hayate Kuku was a book in a travelling bookbox, recommended by a BookCrossing friend who has recommended a lot of great books to me over the years. It was one of her favorites, so I gave it a read and definitely loved some of the stories in it. Overall, it was a great yaoi manga, and I’m glad I had the chance to read it.


22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2014?
    Hmm. I adored Nan from Tipping the Velvet, but I first met her in the BBC miniseries when I watched it years ago, so that’s not too new. I also love Four from the Divergent series, but I read Divergent last year, so it’s also not too new. Maybe Ender from Ender’s Game? I didn’t like the book, but I did like Ender as a character… but he’s too young for me to have a “crush” on. So I’m going with the fox-spirits in Your Love Sickness by Hayate Kuku. Oh, or Cormoran Strike! I love him! :-)


23. Best 2014 debut you read?
    Maybe Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix? I don’t tend to read many books the year they come out, but I’m glad I gave this one a read. I enjoyed the IKEA-like aspects that set the book up with a unique style but also the story and characters. I really, really wanted to choose Nonprofit by Matt Burriesci as the answer to this question, but technically I read an ARC and Nonprofit won’t be published until 2015. So I guess it doesn’t really qualify as a 2014 debut, does it?


24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
    The Divergent series had a great world I enjoyed exploring. I really love interesting and unique dystopias, so the world set up there with its many layers that get revealed during the series was a great read.


25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?
    Definitely Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. I haven’t laughed so much for so consistently through a book in years. FUN is definitely the best word to describe my experience with that book. There were some pretty hilarious moments in Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris as well, but there were a few fiction moments that weren’t as funny. Still, I did laugh so hard I cried at times.


26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2014?
    I cried a few times, but mostly at Titanic: Voices from the Disaster BOTH times I read it this year. I thought I knew enough about Titanic that I’d be fine with it, but I was so anxious, tense, and emotionally distraught while reading this book. I would pull the car over sometimes and just sob. I cried a lot during This Star Won't Go Out by Esther Earl & others as well, because of the loss everyone felt after Esther’s death and watching her die slowly of cancer on the pages was illuminating but painful.


27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?
    Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles. I really didn’t expect anything from it, but it was deep, beautiful, engaging, and enjoyable (even when there were some characters I wanted to kick). This story about a little girl whose family runs a funeral parlor is about so much more than death.


28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?
    Several fall into this category, but for the sake of choosing something I haven’t used for another answer, I’m going with Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. All the talk about harvesting vital organs still haunts me. And it’s literary fiction, which means I still don’t know if I got out of it what I was supposed to. All I know is that this was a BAD book to read a week before having gallbladder surgery. It kind of freaked me out and I still haven’t recovered from some of the images and emotions in this book or the idea that humanity could somehow create the situation these characters find themselves in.


29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2014?
    I was unprepared for how beautiful and amazing some of the art in Coffin: The Art of Vampire Hunter D by Yoshitaka Amano was. It was a wonderful collection of pieces.


30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
    Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo. It made me thoroughly depressed about the third world, but it definitely opened my eyes up to what’s really happening. It definitely made me think about human nature and poverty in a new way. I was angry that humans could treat each other like this, though.
    Also, Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates, but for a different reason. I HATED the book and was very mad to be reading it. I wish I’d given up on it and am mad at myself for sticking with it and earreading the whole thing.

Looking Ahead to 2015

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2014 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2015?
   For Christmas, I received Never Tear Us Apart, a Queer as Folk novel by Quinn Brockton. I’m really looking forward to reading it! It’s sitting by my bedside right now, but I have some other books in progress from the library that need to be read first, so I didn’t get to it in 2014.


2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2015 (non-debut)?
   Honestly, I don’t pay much attention to new books that are to come out. There are so many books on my TBR shelves already, that I pretty much only read new ones when I happen to stumble upon them at the library. So I don’t know what ones from 2015 I’ll want to read until I happen to see them in person in the new section of the library. I DO know that Sherman Alexie is coming out with a new book of young adult short stories. I heard him read one of the stories and really want to read the rest of the book, though I don’t know the title of it and his website doesn’t mention dates of publication yet. Xanthe Walters has been working on a series of books, one of which I think is going to be published in 2015. So I’m looking forward to that, especially because I’ve loved her other book & stories.


3. 2015 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
   Having read and loved Nonprofit, I’m looking forward to seeing how it does in sales in 2015 (I hope it does well; it’s such a great book). The author is a former coworker, so I’m also looking forward to seeing him at my conference in Minneapolis in April where he’ll be reading and signing.


4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2015?
   Again, I really don’t have a great answer to this. But, of course, I’m looking forward to any other Harry Potter goodness JKR feels like sharing with us online or in book form (a girl can hope).


5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2015?
   Only one? Here’s three… I have almost 1,800 books on my TBR shelves right now. I would love to make a huge dent in that and try not to add too much to it. I would also like to read some of the digital books I’ve been downloading lately. I’m not really into reading eBooks yet, so I’d like to get more comfortable with the apps and feel of reading eBooks. In addition, I hope to post more interesting non-reviews to my book blog this year.