End of the year - Book survey
Just like last year, I decided to take part in the yearly End of the Year Book Survey, hosted by the Perpetual Page Turner.
General
1. Best book you read in 2012? (You can break it down by genre if you want)
Let's make it a top 5, in no particular order:
- Lynn MacDonald - The Roses of No Man's Land
- Jasper Fforde - One of our Thursday's is missing
- Suzanne Collins - The Hunger Games
- Luanne Rice - The Geometry of Sisters
- Lynn Austin - Wonderland Creek
2. Book you were excited about and thought you were going to love more but didn't?
I was a little bit disappointed by the last two books in the Auralia's Thread series by Jeffrey Overstreet. I absolutely loved the first two books, but Raven's Ladder and The Ale Boy's Feast were kind of vague and the ending of the series was too open for my taste.
3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2012?
The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. I was completely surprised by liking these books so much, as they are totally out of my normal reading 'comfort zone' (see answers to 7 and 8)
4. Book you recommended to people most in 2012?
I don't know about here on LJ, but I did lend my copy of Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin to a good number of friends and housemates
5. Best series you discovered in 2012?
Technically, I already discovered this series before 2012, as I had the books on my shelves already but the Swansea girls series by Catrin Collier was certainly the best series I read in 2012. Wonderfully realistic and engaging fiction about four girls growing up in the Swansea of the 50s.
6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2012?
Jody Hedlund and Lynn MacDonald
7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?
The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, really the first YA books I've read since I was a Young Adult myself and the first dystopian fantasy books I've ever read
8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2012?
The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins (I know, I'm being repetitive here), haven't read a book series that fast in ages!
9. Book you read in 2012 that you are most likely to re-read next year?
Probably none, as there are so many other books to read! But maybe Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins before the movie comes out in November
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2012?
The covers from these versions of Jasper Fforde's books are always great as they are funny and lively and it's a lovely game to try and find out which scene from the book is depicted on the cover!
11. Most memorable character in 2012?
Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. She is just so unlike any other character I've ever read before!
12. Most beautifully written book in 2012?
The Geometry of Sisters, as Luanne Rice's language is always beautiful, poetic and inspired. But also Shirley by Charlotte Brönte, as you just can't beat the classics for beautiful writing!
13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2012?
The Roses of No Man's Land by Lynn MacDonald, it was such a poignant account of the nurses of WWI. Realizing the circumstances they had to work in left me totally in awe of this ladies.
14. Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2012 to read?
The Swansea girls trilogy by Catrin Collier. I had these books on my shelves for at least two years already, before I read them this year. They were just so lovely, I don't know why it took me so long to pick them up in the first place!
15. Favorite passage/quote from a book you read in 2012?
I don't really keep track of quotes, but I really loved the passage in One of our Thursdays is missing by Jasper Fforde when Thursday goes to the Fanfiction island (where all characters from fanfiction live) and there meets her fellow Thursdays. The description is just so lively and original, that, even while it's quite a silly and outlandish idea, you can totally picture what's happening.
16. Shortest and longest book you read in 2012?
Shortest: the Christmas novella The Sound of Sleighbells by Cindy Woodsmall
Longest: Parade's End by Ford Madox Ford (though this is technically four books)
17. Book that had a scene in it that had you reeling and dying to talk to somebody about it? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc.) Be careful of spoilers!
I would really like to discuss the ending and all the nuances of the Auralia's Thread series by Jeffrey Overstreet with someone, but I don't know who else has read these books!
18. Favorite relationship from a book you read in 2012 (be it romantic, friendship, etc.)
Friendship: The friendship between Shirley and Caroline in Shirley by Charlotte Brönte
Romantic: A toss between Alice and Lesley from Wonderland Creek by Lynn Austin and Sean and Scarlett from From Notting Hill with Love...Actually by Ali MacNamara (funny, both leading ladies who start out with high romantic expectations, learn about reality, but still end up with a totally perfect guy in the end!)
19. Favorite book you read in 2012 from an author you read previously
The Geometry of Sisters by Luanne Rice, another wonderful novel by this, one of my favourite authors!
20. Best book you read that you read based SOLELY on a recommendation from somebody else?
Notting Hill with Love .. Actually by Ali MacNamara
Book blogging/reading life in 2012:
1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2012?
Rachel's blog A Fair Substitute for Heaven
2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2012?
Is that something I can say about my own reviews? Okay, if you insist ;-) I kind of liked my review of Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
3. Best discussion you had on your blog?
None really comes to mind
4. Most thought-provoking review or discussion you read on somebody else's blog?
I read a discussion about The Hunger Games at Yet Another Period Drama blog, which, although I didn't completely agree with the contents, gave me interesting food for thought about these books
5. Best event you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)
I met author Julie Klassen, had a really nice talk with her and she signed one of her novels for me!
6. Best moment of book blogging in 2012?
2012 in general was a good year book blogging for me as I started to really write reviews (as opposed to memes and favorite author posts), but I can't really pinpoint one moment.
7. Most popular post this year on your blog (whether it be by comments or views)?
Looking at comments, it is my very first book-related post of 2012: All about Dickens (part II)
8. Post you wished got a little more love?
My review of the great book The Roses of No Man's Land
9. Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?
NovelCrossing, the new interactive website all about Christian fiction, where you can keep track of all novels you've read and still want to read, post reviews and engage in discussions about bookish things.
10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of the year?
Ooh, confession time....
I had set myself two challenges this year, both of which I did not keep. I intended to read two Dickens novels this year, because of the Dickens bicentennial, but I only managed to read Little Dorrit. I also planned to read at least five non-fiction books, but I only read three of those... Guess I should stop setting myself challenges if they end this way!
Looking ahead:
1. One book you didn't get to in 2012, but will be your number 1 priority in 2013?
The book The taste of sorrow by Jude Morgan, which has been on my shelves for quite a while, but I've never yet read. It's a fictional account of the lives of the Brönte sisters and I'm really curious about it!
2. Book you are most anticipating for 2013?
I'm really looking forward to reading the new Lynn Austin novel All things new, which I got as a Sinterklaas present from my mum (just like I got the previous Lynn Austin novel from my mum for Sinterklaas last year. Looks like a nice tradition in the making!)
3. One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/blogging in 2013?
I hope to review more of my reads and I really really hope to make a big hole in my TBR list, at least in the books that are already on my shelves (What an impossible resolution for every booklover right? And still we keep trying...).