Sunday Salon - 5th Annual End of Year Book Survey – 2014 Edition!

Jamie from The Perpetual Page Turner has done her End of Year Book Survey and while this is a little late, I am doing this nonetheless.

So here we go...

Best of Reading in 2014

1. Best Book You Read In 2014?

• The Children Act by Ian McEwan

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

• The Word Exchange by Alena Graedon

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read in 2014?

• The Martian by Andy Weir

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did) In 2014?

I don't know if I pushed anybody to read a book and they read it in the end, but I did push Burial Rites towards the end of the year and I hope that those who I "pushed" to read it did read it.

5. Best series you started in 2014? Best Sequel of 2014? Best Series Ender of 2014?

I don't generally read series, but the best one that I read was the Boxer & Saints series.  The best series that I started was The Chronicles of Narnia, which I started in December.  The best sequel that I read was Speaking from Among the Bones by Alan Bradley.

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2014?

Hannah Kent; loved Burial Rites and look forward to seeing what else she has in store.

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

The Martian by Andy Weir; don't typically read Sc-Fi, but really enjoyed the book.

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

For me the most unputdownable book was The Children Act and Burial Rites.

9. Book You Read In 2014 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

If I were to re-read something, it probably would be The Children Act.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2014?

It really evokes the book really well.

11. Most memorable character of 2014?

Fiona from The Children Act and Anges from Burial Rites (yes, I know Anges was a real person...)

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2014?

Its a tie between Burial Rites and The Children Act.

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2014?

The Circle by David Eggars. Really made me think about the connected world that we live in and really how far we can go and how intrusive technology can be.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2014 to finally read?

The Remains of the Day.  Such an amazing read and really thought provoking; sort of is like seeing Thomas in Downton Abbey 3o years down the road.

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2014?

Grief makes your stomach turn, snatches the breath from you, cuts off the blood supply to the brain; mourning blows you in a new direction. (88) - Levels of Life by Julian Barnes

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?

The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly  by Sun-mi Hwang (144 pages)
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton (848 pages)

17. Book That Shocked You The Most
(Because of a plot twist, character death, left you hanging with your mouth wide open, etc.)
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith

18. OTP of the Year
(OTP = one true pairing)
Jamie and Claire from Outlander

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

Jules and Ethan from The Interestings.

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2014 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

Ian McEwan; the language in The Children Act didn't disappoint, just as in Atonement.

21. Best Book You Read In 2014 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

Quite a number of them.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2014?

Don't have one, but maybe Cormac from The Cuckoo's Calling

23. Best 2014 debut you read?

A tie between The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry and All the Light we Cannot See.

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

The Martian by Andy Weir.

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simison.

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2014?

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, The Interestings, The Children Act, and All the Light We Cannot See.

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

Mrs. Hemingway by Naomi Wood

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

The Interestings

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2014?

Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Kinsey

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

Can't think of one that made me the most mad.

31. Books that I Abandoned?

None that I can think of.

Books Read in 2014

• Starry Night by Debbie Macomber (Jan. 2014)

• Villette by Charlotte Brontë (Jan. 2014)

• Christmas Bliss by Mary Kay Andrews (Jan. 2014) 

• Great Game, A by Stephen J. Harper (Feb. 2014)

• How to be a Good Wife by Emma Chapman (Feb. 2014)

• Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin (Feb. 2014)

• Luminaries, The by Eleanor Catton (Mar. 2014)

• Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley (Mar. 2014)

• Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen (Mar. 2014)

• Labor Day by Joyce Maynard (Apr. 2014)

• Reason that I Jump, The by Naoki Higashida; translated by K.A. Yoshida and David Mitchell (Apr. 2014)

• Somewhere in France by Jennifer Robson (Apr. 2014)

• Interestings, The by Meg Wolitzer (Apr. 2014)

• Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup (Apr. 2014)

• Shopping, Seduction, & Mr. Selfridge by Lindy Woodhead (Apr. 2014)

• Whole Golden World, The by Kristina Riggle (Apr. 2014)

• Orenda, The by Joseph Boyden (July 2014)

• Princess Elizabeth's Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal (July 2014)

• HHhH by Laurent Binet (July 2014)

• Boxers by Gene Luen Yang (July 2014)

• Saints by Gene Luen Yang (July 2014)

• Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly, The by Sun-mi Hwang (Aug. 2014)

• Ocean at the End of the Lane, The by Neil Gaiman (Aug. 2014)

• Mysteries of Udolpho, The by Ann Radcliffe (Aug. 2014)

• Pursuit of Mary Bennet, The by Pamela Mingle (Aug. 2014)

• Frog Music by Emma Donoghue (Aug. 2014)

• Bear, The by Claire Cameron (Aug. 2014)

• Tale of Two Cities, A by Charles Dickens (Aug. 2014)

• Fault in Our Stars, The by John Green (Aug. 2014)

• While Beauty Slept by Elizabeth Blackwell (Aug. 2014)

• Clash of Kings, A by George R.R. Martin (Aug. 2014)

• Enchanted, The by Rene Denfeld (Aug. 2014)

• Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (Aug. 2014)

• Perks of Being a Wallflower, The by Stephan Chbosky (Aug. 2014)

• Remains of the Day, The by Kazuo Ishiguro (Aug. 2014)

• His Majesty's Hope by Susan Elia MacNeal (Aug. 2014)

• Rosie Project, The by Graeme Simison (Aug. 2014)

• Summer House with Swimming Pool by Herman Koch (Aug. 2014)

• Light Between Oceans, The by M.L. Stedman (Aug. 2014)

• Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The by Douglas Adams (Aug. 2014)

• Speaking from Among the Bones by Alan Bradley (Aug. 2014)

• Levels of Life by Julian Barnes (Aug. 2014)

• Road Ends by Mary Lawson (Aug. 2014)

• Goldfinch, The by Donna Tartt (Aug. 2014)

• Empty Mansions by Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell Jr. (Sept. 2014)

• We Were Liars by E. Lockhart (Sept. 2014)

• Circle, The by Dave Eggars (Sept. 2014)

• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (Oct. 2014)

• Cuckoo's Calling, The by Richard Galbraith (Oct. 2014)

• Word Exchange, The by Alena Graedon (Oct. 2014)

• Mrs. Hemingway by Naomi Wood (Oct. 2014)

• 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, The by Jonas Jonasson (Oct. 2014)

• Under the Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan (Oct. 2014)

• Martian, The by Andy Weir (Oct. 2014)

• Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (Oct. 2014)

• Guns of August, The by Barbara Tuchman (Oct. 2014)

• Invention of Wings, The by Sue Monk Kidd (Oct. 2014)

• Story Hour, The by Thirty Umrigar (Oct. 2014)

• Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (Oct. 2014)

• Children Act, The by Ian McEwan (Oct. 2014)

• All the Lights We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (Oct. 2014)

• Storied Life of A. J. Fikry, The by Gabrielle Zevin (Oct. 2014)

• Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The by Robert Louis Stevenson (Oct. 2014)

• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (Oct. 2014)

• Bridge to Haven by Francine Rivers (Oct. 2014)

• Rosie Effect, The by Graeme Simison (Oct. 2014)

• Discovery of Witches, A by Deborah Harkness (Nov. 2014)

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling (Nov. 2014)

• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (Dec. 2014)

• Burial Rites by Hannah Kent (Dec. 2014)

• New York Christmas, A by Anne Perry (Dec. 2014)

• Mistletoe Promise, The by Richard Paul Evans (Dec. 2014)

• Sudden Light, A by Garth Stein (Dec. 2014)

• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (Dec. 2014)

• Magician's Nephew, The by C.S. Lewis (Dec. 2014)

• Texts from Jane Eyre by Mallory Ortberg (Dec. 2014)

• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (Dec. 2014)

Best of Reading 2013

I was thinking of doing this earlier, but after seeing this on a number of blogs that I subscribe to, I thought it might be time to do this.  Jamie from The Perpetual Page Turner has offered the 4th annual end of year book survey and here is my attempt at this.  I will link up where I can.

1. Best Book Read in 2013
That is a difficult one to determine as there were a number of books that could qualify, but it would have to be a tie between The Book Thief and A Game of Thrones.

2. Book you were excited about and thought you were going to love but didn't?
This is one is a little easier because I have had some time to think about it and it would have to be Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple.  I had heard so many good things about this book, but I was a little disappointed in the book; felt confused by the nature of the book.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013?
The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty and Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell.

4. Book that you read in 2013 that you recommended the most in 2013? 
It probably was The Book Thief and A Game of Thrones.

5. Best series that you discovered in 2013
Even though I have only read the first book in the series, I would have to say A Song of Fire & Ice and the Flavia de Luce series.

6. Favourite new author you discovered in 2013
As with most people in the blog world, I would probably have to say Rainbow Rowell, but a close second would have to be George R.R. Martin.

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?
I am not a big fantasy fan, but I would have to say A Game of Thrones.

8. Most thrilling unputdownable book of 2013
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (read it in 3 days).

9. Book that you read in 2013 that you are going to reread next year
Northanger Abbey; its my bookclub's selection and I should refresh myself with the book and it won't take that long to read. 

10. Favourite cover of a book you read in 2013

11. Most memorable character of 2013
For me it would be Flavia de Luce; she's such a spunky gal and even when I am not reading one of the books, I still think of her.

12. Most beautifully written book of 2013
The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka; it was short and to the point.

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2013
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell.  While I didn't have the home life that Eleanor had (mine was more like Park's), I was teased and talked behind my back when I was in my teens.  In fact, somebody called me a fat pig in front of me, but I can imagine that there was worse that was said behind my back.

14. Book you can't believe you waited until 2013 to read
That would have to be The Book Thief by Markas Zusak.  I had purchased a copy of the book a few years ago and it had been on my TBR list and on my shelf for a number of years and I am so glad that I read it.

15. Favourite Passage/Quote from a book that you read in 2013
I think it was a passage in Dearie in which it mentioned how Julia Child loathed all the fat-free foods that were coming onto the market and that eating fatty foods in moderation was probably a good thing.

16. Shortest & Longest book you read in 2013
Shortest - A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens (about 100 pages)
Longest - A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (837 pgs; while Anna K was longer by one page, I read the vast majority of the book in 2012)

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? Other than Hilly eating the pie in The Help, there really wasn't, although the scene in which the bombs landed on Himmel Street in The Book Thief was pretty close.

18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2013 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).
For me it was the relationship between Eleanor & Park, but the second one was the relationship between Liesel and her foster father.

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2013 From An Author You Read Previously
Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen.

20. Best Book You Read That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else
This is a hard one, as there are a number of books, but I would have to say Longbourne by Jo Baker.

21. Genre You Read The Most From in 2013?
Historical Fiction

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2013
Robb Stark and Jon Snow (yes I know what happens to Robb in the end...)

23. Best 2013 debut you read?
I am going with Rainbow Rowell

24. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2013?
The world that George R.R. Martin created in A Game of Thrones; doesn't hurt that I love the show as well.  But the world created in Crime and Punishment would be a close second.

25. Book That Was The Most Fun To Read in 2013?
Probably the books in the Flavia de Luce series.

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2013?
The Book Thief and The Baker's Daughter by Sarah McCoy.

27.Book You Read in 2013 That You Think Got Overlooked This Year Or When It Came Out?
Can't think of one; sorry.

And then looking forward....
  
1. One Book You Didn't Get To In 2013 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2014?
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel; I was hoping to get around to it this year, but just couldn't.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2014?
See #1.

3. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2014?I hope to read a few more of the books that have been on my shelves for a number of years and finish War & Peace.

So what did I review in 2013?  (Links leads to posts)
•  Blizzard of Glass by Sally M. Walker
• Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
• The Chronicles of Downton Abbey: A New Era by Jessica Fellowes and Matthew Sturgis
• Persuasion by Jane Austen
• Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth
• The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley
• The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• The Giver by Lois Lowry
• Titanic : Voices from the Disaster by Deborah Hopkinson
• The Accursed by Joyce Carol Oates
• The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty
• A Red Herring without Mustard by Alan Bradley
• Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
• The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli
• The House Girl by Tara Conklin
• The Whole Truth by Kit Pearson
• The Gods of Heavenly Punishment by Jennifer Epstein
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett
• Where'd You Go Bernadette? by Maria Semple
• The Chalice by Nancy Bilyeau
• The Baker's Daughter by Sarah McCoy
• The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka
• Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare
• The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian
• Mr. Churchill's Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal
• The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
• The Life and Times of Call the Midwife by Heidi Thomas
• The Dinner by Herman Koch
• A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
• Dearie : the remarkable life of Julia Child by Bob Spitz
• Emma by Jane Austen
• Wives & Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell
• Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen
• Moby Dick by Herman Dick
• The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
• Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• Longbourne by Jo Baker
• Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
• The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
• Call Me Mrs. Miracle by Debbie Macomber
• Behind the Scenes at Downton Abbey by Emma Rowley
• I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley
• Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
• Lady Catherine and the Real Downton Abbey by Fiona, Countess of Carnarvon
• Thunderstruck by Erik Larsen
• The Dogs of Christmas by W. Bruce Cameron
• The Winter of Red Snow by Kristina Gregory
• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens