It’s one of our favourite times of the year, The Perpetual Page Turner’s End of the Year Bookish Survey!
Number Of Books You Read:
Shelly: 179 woo woo!
Octavia: 43 Books Read! At first I was really sad but after looking at my year I’m really proud of this number!
Number of Re-Reads:
Shelly: I tend to re-read a few of my favourite scenes from books instead of the whole book instead but in terms of a full re-read, I think I only re-read Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda to get ready for The Upside of Unrequited!
Octavia: 3! I find I am ALWAYS re-read Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison, so I’m not really surprised. I also reread Archangel’s Kiss by Nalini Singh and Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost. Safe to say PNR was a fave genre of mine this year!
Genre You Read The Most From:
Shelly: I’m not even going to check my GR for this, I bet it’s contemporary. I read a lot of contemporary.
Octavia: Fantasy….not a big surprise there lol! What is surprising is romance/NA was super close! I mean an 3% difference between the two genres!
1. Best Book You Read In 2016?
(If you have to cheat — you can break it down by genre if you want or 2013 release vs. backlist)
Shelly: this is the worst question and I hate having to choose. BUT I will go with When the Moon Was Ours because that book is gorgeous and I love it so much.
Octavia: Hands down The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid
2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
Shelly: Beast by Brie Spangler, I DNFed it early on :/
Octavia: Armada byErnest Cline. I was so pumped for this! But I had to DNF! It was so…blah
3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?
Shelly: Look Both Ways by Alison Cherry definitely surprised me (in a bad way). I thought it would be pure bi fluff based on the cover and it was not.
Octavia: Touched by An Alien by Gini Koch. THIS WAS SO FREAKING GOOD! AND FUNNY!
4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?
Shelly: hm I yell a lot at people on twitter but I think Last Seen Leaving is definitely one!
Octavia: The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid. EVERY ONE should read this book. EVERY ONE!
5. Best series you started in 2016? Best Sequel of 2016? Best Series Ender of 2016?
Shelly: Crooked Kingdom was the perfect ending to a series and I’m thrilled that I started The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin because it was AMAZING.
Octavia: A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet | But I’m the worst at series (I plan to fix
6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2016?
Shelly: I discovered so many new authors, I’m honestly distraught trying to think about it.
Octavia: S.J. Kincaid!
7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
Shelly: I started reading more NA this year, my favourite being Fast Connection by Santino Hassell and Megan Erickson!
Octavia: Disaster Diaries: Zombies by R. McGeddon. I want this whole series! ALL OF THEM!
8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
Shelly: Crooked Kingdom for sure, I read it in one sitting!
Octavia: The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid….I think I’m starting to see a pattern here lol!
9. Book You Read In 2016 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
Shelly: When the Moon Was Ours, duh!
Octavia: Hunter by Mercedes Lackey
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2016?
Shelly: SO MANY GOOD COVERS but I’m going to have to go with Iron Cast by Destiny Soria!
Octavia: Kingdom of Ash and Briars by Hannah West! The beauty is in the detail. And once you read the story it’s even more beautiful.
11. Most memorable character of 2016?
Shelly: The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin has a great character but it would be a bit spoilery to share which one?
Octavia: Ezra of Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2016?
Shelly: When the Moon Was Ours. I WILL NOT SHUT UP ABOUT THIS BOOK.
Octavia: Kingdom of Ash and Briars by Hannah West. I am not a fan of retellings but this one
13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2016?
Shelly: Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay totally fit that bill! I loved reading it as I can totally see why it got its deserved critical acclaim and I did disagree on a few points (really minor ones that I can’t remember opps) which I liked because I felt like I was engaging in discourse just by reading.
Octavia: And The Trees Crept In by Dawn Kurtagich. I realize this book is marketed as horror but the overall story is so….gritty. It really made me sit there and think, completely in shock, once I finished it. ok
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2016 to finally read?
Shelly: I finally read Watchmen (… and it was not that good opps).
Octavia: Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff! The audiobook was UN-BE-LIEVABLE!
15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2016?
Shelly: “Closets are for clothes, not for that part of yourself that you loathe”- Another Word for Happy by Agay Llanera
Octavia: “The Emperor wants me to send my innocent little lamb to the slaughter. No. Instead, I’ll send him my anaconda” – Matriarch Von Impyrean The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid
16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2016?
How I did this: Went to my read books on Goodreads and sorted by page number and just looked for what I knew I read this year that was the shortest and longest.
Shelly: Longest: Crooked Kingdom! Shortest: Princess Princess Ever After
Octavia: Longest: Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff 600 pages!
Shortest Shortest: Taken by the Billionaire Werewolf by Mina Carter 42 Pages
17. Book That Shocked You The Most
(Because of a plot twist, character death, left you hanging with your mouth wide open, etc.)
Shelly: The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin, the twists weren’t super twisty but I loved them. The twists in Iron Cast were also not that twisty plot-wise but I remember yelling while reading it.
Octavia: Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff. I don’t know if it’s because I was listening to it instead of reading but there were actual moments when I realized I was clenching my seat gasping at all the things going on. ALL THE STARS TO THE AUDIO!
18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)
(OTP = one true pairing if you aren’t familiar)
Shelly: Miel/Sam from When the Moon Was Ours. I JUST LOVE THIS BOOK
Octavia: Cat and Griffin from A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet
19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year
Shelly: I loved all the friendships in Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde and Iron Cast by Destiny Soria!
Octavia: Nemesis and Sidonia from The Diabolic (yes I KNOW but that was not the end all so take that!)
20. Favorite Book You Read in 2016 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
Shelly: ….. is it cheating to say When the Moon Was Ours?
Octavia: Dirty by Kylie Scott! What can I say?! This woman knows how to make a darn good story with great sexy times!
21. Best Book You Read In 2016 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:
Shelly: I believe I picked up Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho based on hearing about it on a podcast and I loved it so I’m so happy!
Octavia: Storm Front by Jim Butcher. Can not believe I hadn’t heard of this book before this year! I AM A FAILURE!
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2016?
Shelly: Alyssa from Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde!
Octavia: Cat from A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet. What can I say! I love a strong and sassy woman!
23. Best 2016 debut you read?
Shelly: A tie between Iron Cast and Last Seen Leaving! I just love those books so much.
Octavia: Kingdom of Ash and Briars by Hannah West! I’m not a fan of retellings but this story was so well done! I have to give it that credit.
24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
Shelly: gahh I read so many good ones, I can’t answer this.
Octavia: Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff! I again attribute this to the unbelievable quality of the audiobook!
25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read
Shelly: The ending of Coffee Boy by Austin Chant was just so happy that I need everyone to read it and be super invested in the characters like me
Octavia: The Player by Claire Contreras. Ugh this book! *heart eyes*
26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2016?
Shelly: If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo definitely made me cry, but I am honestly such an easy crier that I will sob at happy parts too.
Octavia: Nothing….I have an ice cold heart that can not be penetrated?
27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?
Shelly: Last Seen Leaving by Caleb Roehrig, THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD Y’ALL.
Octavia: Touched by An Alien by Gini Koch. The title alone was reason for it to be passed but y’all! THIS BOOK WAS SO FREAKING FUNNY AND GOOD!
28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?
Shelly: Hmm. I’m drawing a blank here.
Octavia: Nothing?
29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2016?
Shelly: The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin. I AM PREDICTABLE
Octavia: If I say Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff will you guys throw things at me?
30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
Shelly: I don’t get really mad at books, more disappointed. Wow, I sound like a parent.
Octavia: Mercury Striking by Rebecca Zanetti. When I say something is too cliché believe me when I say those words! I think I set myself up for it honestly though. My hopes were too high so I crashed pretty darn quickly.
1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2016?
Shelly: The Book Voyagers are just lovely and their diverse book aesthetics are amazing
Octavia: Word Contessa. Not only is Nuzaifa’s blog beautiful her reviews are AWESOME!
2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2016?
Shelly: I’m terrible at reviews gah!
Octavia: Touched By An Alien by Gini Koch. Writing this review filed me with the same feels I had when I first started blogging and that means everything to me.
3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?
Shelly: ………. i need to start writing more discussion posts I guess?
4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?
Shelly: BEA was awesome but I did also love writing a few posts in the summer for Pride 2016 (which can be found here on my personal blog).
Octavia: BEA! It is always a pleasure but this year our group was so big and it was full of people I love so hard!
5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2016?
Shelly: I think in general my blogging life was just amazing, I’m so grateful for everything I did this year and I’m hoping to make 2017 better!
Octavia: Best bookish/blogging moment was co-hosting a panel at BEA! It was beyond surreal and I am unbelievably grateful for the chance.
6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?
Shelly: balancing all the commitments I have and blogging! I do have lots of other things going on besides blogging (not just school) so it gets hard sometimes when blogging takes a backseat.
Octavia: I gotta piggy back off of Shelly and say balancing everything! I work 40 (sometimes 50) hours a week. I have A, PTA, nonstop custody hearings, and a slew of other things going on in 2016! It was pretty impossible for me to find balance and blogging definitely suffered because of it.
7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?
Octavia: ARC August is always the biggest hitter when it comes to our post. But I want to shout out Shelly for having the highest viewed review with Famous Last Words by Katie Alender which is especially interesting since this review published TWO years ago!
8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?
Octavia: My And The Trees Crept In by Dawn Kurtagich review! It took me so long to write this and I was so pumped but it just fell flat. 🙁
9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?
Shelly: Nothing from me :/
Octavia: I got nothing.
10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?
Shelly: Yes! I’ve finished my GR challenge and I’ve read over 70+ diverse books, and I think over 30 LGBT+ books so I’m pretty happy with my reading.
Octavia: Nope. I didn’t finish a single challenge I set and for reason unbeknownst to me I feel completely at peace with this! I’m going to work hard in 2017 to read books I already own or books that aren’t ARCs in general. And I really want to explore more diverse books! Shelly is always raving about the best books and I want to get in on that action.
1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2016 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2017?
Shelly: All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brandon Kiely, I really need to read it already
Octavia: Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo. I LOVED Six of Crows so hard and I swore I’d read it as soon as I bought it but did I? NOPE. I am the worst.
2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2017 (non-debut)?
Shelly: The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee! Whoops I already read it before this survey was complete but IT WAS AWESOME. I’m looking forward to reading How to Make a Wish by Ashley Herring Blake.
Octavia: I’m going to cheat and pick two because HOW CAN I CHOOSE JUST ONE!? The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco and Long May She Reign by Rhiannon Thomas
3. 2017 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
Shelly: So many! But I am looking forward to When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon!
Octavia: Wicked Like A Wildfire by Lana Popović!
4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2017?
Shelly: There are so many great sequels arriving but I read Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho at the beginning of the year and I’M STILL THINKING ABOUT IT. I need book 2 ASAP.
Octavia: Into The Fire by Jeaniene Frost! I NEED TO FINISH THIS!
5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2017?
Shelly: While I attended BEA this year, I’d love to go again in 2017 because I haven’t gone to BEA in NYC yet.
Octavia: I really want to finish all the series I’ve started and own! There are like 12 (?) and that’s my big goal for 2017!
6. A 2017 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:
Shelly: Queens of Geek by Jen Wilde!
Octavia: Nothing here.
I guess I need to check out Touched by an Alien!
Happy New Year, ladies! 😀