End of the Year Survey 2013

This is the 4th year that Jamie @ The Perpetual Page Turner has hosted. I love surveys and I think this survey is a great way to look back and look forward into 2014. This is my first of hopefully many year participating in this wonderful survey and this wonderful blogging community.

I have had a great year in 2013. I'm happy to be able to share with you all the books I have fall in love with this year.

1. Best Book You Read in 2013?

I would have to give this one to Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah, but I had so many books that I fell in love with this year that it is hard to limit it to just one. I did a Top Ten Tuesday post in June sharing my favorite books so far this year and I have one coming up on the 31st to share my Top Ten Books for the Second Half of the Year. 

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

I was excited to read Splintered by A.G. Howard. I thought that I would love this book because everybody else did. I have to admit the idea was great, but I never knew what was happening while reading the novel. I look at everybody else end of the year posts and this book seems to top the list so that is why it is hard for me to put this down as my biggest disappointment of 2013. 

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013? 

I will have to give this category to Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. I initially was only reading this book to complete one of my reading challenges and I fell in love with the characters and the novel. I often had a hard time putting the book down when homework needed to be completed. 

4. Book you read in 2013 that you recommended to people most in 2013? 

This one would probably also have to go to Firefly Lane and Fly Away by Kristin Hannah, but I have also recommended Cinder by Marissa Meyer quite a bit this year. 

5. Best Series you discovered in 2013? 

I read so many great series in 2013 and so many series I'm excited to finish in 2014. I really wish this was a Top Ten Tuesday post idea to be honest because I think I would be able to come up with that many. Firefly Lane series, which featured Firefly Lane and Fly Away by Kristin Hannah, The Lunar Chronicles: I read Cinder and Scarlet this year. I also read The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare this year. I can't believe I waited until 2013 to read this year. I read City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, and City of Lost Souls this year. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins was another of my favorites for this year. I also can't believe I waited until this year to read the Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth. I read Divergent and Insurgent this year. Last, but not least The Cedar Cove Series by Debbie Macomber. I read 16 Lighthouse Road, 204 Rosewood Lane, 311 Pelican Court, 44 Cranberry Point, 50 Harbor Street, and 5-B Poppy Lane this year. 

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2013? 

I discovered many authors this year, but I'm going to have to give this category of Marissa Meyer. I fell in love with the Lunar Chronicles and have been anxiously awaiting Cress. I shared my nine Favorite New to Me Authors in a Top Ten Tuesday post. 

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

I read so many books that were out of my comfort zone this year that really it is hard to pick one I haven't mentioned. I would have to sayDivergent and Insurgent tby Veronica Roth.

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2013?

This one would have to go to City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. I read this chunkster in five days and stayed up late into the night to finish the last 100 pages. Some honorable mentions would go to  Insurgent by Veronica Roth and Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. 

9. Book You Read in 2013 That You Are Most Likely to Reread Next Year?

I want to reread Firefly Lane and Fly Away by Kristin Hannah. I also want to reread The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak which I read in 2012 for school. 

10. Favorite Cover of a Book you read in 2013?

11. Most memorable character in 2013? 

I feel like a broken record right now, but I would have to give this one to Kate and Tully of Kristin Hannah's Firefly Lane. These are characters that I grew deeply attached to through reading this novel and characters that I fell in love with. 

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2013? 

This one would have to go to If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman. Forman has a writing style that is expressive and beautiful. 

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2013?

Two words, Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah. I'm sorry to repeat so many times, but this book was the book that has most effected me in 2013. It is the book that I can't stop thinking about and the book that changed my outlook on life the most this year. 

14. Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2013 to finally read?

Divergent by Veronica Roth. I put off reading this book because of the hype and I wish I read it sooner. 

15. Shortest and Longest Book You Read in 2013? 

My shortest book (not counting novellas) was Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie, which I then followed reading Barrie to read my longest book of the year, which was The Host by Stephanie Meyer. 

16. Book that had a scene in it that had you reeling and dying to talk to somebody about it? 

This probably would have to go to The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult. The ending was so surprising I was dying to talk about it with somebody, anybody really, but nobody else had read the novel yet. 

17. Favorite Relationship from a book you read in 2013? 

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. I fell in love with Anna and St. Clair's relationship and couldn't wait to find out the ending of this novel. Another relationship I loved was one between friends in Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu between Hazel and Jack. 

18.  Favorite book you read in 2013 from an author you've read previously? 

I really don't want to repeat in this question because by now every by knows how much I love *cough cough* so I'm going to give this category to The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks. A couple honorable mentions go to The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen and Just Listen by Sarah Dessen.

19. Best book you read in 2013 that you read based soley on a recommendation from somebody else:

 Divergent by Veronica Roth and Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

20. Genre You Read The Most in 2013?

Probably- Contemporary YA, but I think I did a good job this year of reading several different genres. 

21. Newest Fictional Crush from a book you read in 2013? 

I have always said if I could marry fictional characters I would have been married a long time ago. My newest fictional crushes would have to go to Prince Kai from Cinder and St. Clair from Anna and the French Kiss. 

22. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2013?

Doomed by Tracy Deebs and The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. 

23. Book that was the most fun to read in 2013?

Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstilskin by Liesl Shurtliff and Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

24. Book that made you cry of nearly cry in 2013? 

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green and Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah and Looking for Alaska by John Green

25. Books you read in 2013 that you think got overlooked this year or when it came out? 

The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick and Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2013? 

This was my first year of book blogging so obviously all blogs I discovered were new to me because it was also my first year reading blogs. Some of my favorite blogs are Jamie @ The Perpetual Page Turner,  Mel @The Daily Prophecy, Deb @ Debz Bookshelf, Judith @ Paper Riot,  Sarah @ Flood of Books, Kelly @ Belle of Literati, and Kristilyn @ Reading in Winter.

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2013? 

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen and Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. I really have developed my reviewing style this year and I'm proud to continue another year of book blogging. 

3. Best discussion you had on your blog? 

My Love for Libraries and Setting Limits. 

4. Most Thought-Provoking review or discussion you read on somebody else's blog? 

Copy and Pasting Comments.  I try not to do this, but there are times when I feel I'm writing a generic comment on somebody else's blog. Another interesting one I read was by Angela's Anxious Life who pondered if people actually read replies on comments.  I write replies to every single comment I get on my blog, but rarely do I ever get a reply back on the reply. I will continue to write the replies because it shows that I appreciate the comments and I hope there is one person that is coming back to check that I replied to their comment. Flip That Page wrote about When Is It Okay to reread?  I often feel pretty guilty about reread since there are so many books that I have never read and my TBR pile continues to grow. When I find a book that I really love it always proves to be worth it to reread. The three books I mentioned above are my hopes to reread in 2014. 

5. Best event that you participated in?

All the readathons I participated in this year were so much fun. Some of my favorites are Bout of Books and Dewey's 24 Hour. 

6. Best moment of book blogging/ your book life in 2013?

My blog gaining followers and people starting to really pay attention to what I was posting. I love comments and sure I would still love to get more comments, but I'm excited even if I only get one comment on a post. 

7. Most popular post this year on your blog? 

I really don't even check my stats because I don't want that to be what running this book blog is about, but my most popular post goes to Project Disney: Robin Hood a post I personally worked a long time on. It won in views, but I still only received a couple comments on the post. 

8. Post you wished got a little more love? 

I would love if more people read and commented on my reviews. They are the posts that I enjoy writing and posting the most. I love sharing my opinion about books. Also my Authors I Love Posts. These post take me a long time to write and I would love for people to share the love of these authors with me. 

9. Best bookish discover?

A Novel Challenge

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

I completed my goal of reading 50 books this year. So far I have read 63. I completed most of my reading challenges and the ones I didn't complete I don't mind not completing. I will wrap those up soon. 

1. One book you didn't get to in 2014, but will be your number 1 priority in 2014? 

Allegiant. I really wanted to read this right after I finished Insurgent, but my library wasn't quick enough. It will be next year's priority. 

2. Book you are most anticipating for 2014? 

Cress by Marissa Meyer

3. Series Ending You Are Most Anticipating in 2014? 

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

4. One think you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/blogging in 2014?

My biggest goal in 2014 is going to be coming up with my own theme for my blog. The default blogger background has been great for my first year, but I want to set forth to make my blog more unique and I will be asking for ideas in 2014 on how to go about doing just that. I also want to continue to enjoy blogging. I hope to host more events on my blog in 2014 and participate in more events in the blogger community. I hope to have a great year in 2014. The New Year always feels like a great time to start new for me.