via GIPHY

It’s time for the 2018 end of year survey!

This is an annual survey by Jamie from The Perpetual Page-Turner for books read in 2018. I always have a good time working on this, going back through the books I read and getting excited for next year’s reading!

(Note: I’ve left off the questions that I didn’t answer, but you can check out all of the survey questions on Jamie’s blog)

2018 Reading Stats

via GIPHY

Number of Books You Read:

At the time of working on this post, I’ve read 101 books – but of course I’m hoping to try and read more before the end of the year!

Number of Re-Reads:

I feel like this year I did more re-reading than I’ve done in any other year, since I’ve been tracking my books read. I re-read four books, which I know isn’t a ton, but I really really rarely re-read anything.

This year I re-read two books on audio that I had previously read as e-books (White Tears by Hari Kunzru and Faithful Place by Tana French).

I also re-read Victoria Schwab’s Vicious (one of my favourite books), in preparation for the release of Vengeful.

And early in the year, I re-read The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, which is another of my favourites.

Genre You Read the Most From:

I think I read more mysteries/thrillers this year than anything else.

Best In Books

via GIPHY

Best Book You Read in 2018

Like I did last year, I read so many great books this year that I’m going to have to break this down a bit.

Best YA read in 2018: I didn’t read as much YA this year as I have in other years, so I didn’t have as many to choose from as I have before. I think I have to go with Dread Nation by Justina Ireland. It was one my highly-anticipated books, and I loved it as soon as I started reading.

Best non-YA fiction read in 2018: This was very tough to answer, because I read some great adult fiction this year, but I am going to say Megan Abbott’s Give Me Your Hand. I loved this book so much, and gave it as a Christmas gift. I also purchased a physical copy for myself, which I really only do these days when I truly love a book.

Book You Were Excited About and Thought You Were Going to Love More But Didn’t

I was super excited to read Morgan Matson’s Save the Date, because I’ve loved her last few books, but I didn’t love it.

Book You “Pushed” the Most on People to Read

Definitely Give Me Your Hand by Megan Abbott.

Best Series You Started in 2018
Best Sequel of 2018
Best Series Ender of 2018

Best series started: City of Ghosts, Victoria Schwab

Best sequel: Definitely Victoria Schwab’s Vengeful!!!

Best series ender: I don’t think I finished any book series this year (although I guess I could say Vengeful again, if that was the end of a duology – but I’m holding out hope that there will be more!).

Favourite New Author You Discovered in 2018

Maybe Jennifer Wolfe. I really loved her book Watch the Girls and I’m excited to see what she writes next.

Best Book From a Genre You Don’t Typically Read / Was Out of Your Comfort Zone

I don’t read much non-fiction and I never read true crime, but I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara was very good.

Most Action-Packed/Thrilling/Unputdownable Book of the Year

I feel like I read sooooo many unputdownable books this year, but I think the one I’d have to choose for this question is Hari Kunzru’s White Tears. I simply could not stop read reading it.

Book You Read in 2018 That You Would Be Most Likely to Re-read Next Year

Vengeful and Give Me Your Hand are the only ones that jump out at me right now as books I want to reread already.

Favourite Cover of a Book You Read in 2018

I’m picking two! I loved the covers for The Truth Lies Here by Lindsey Klingele and Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand.

• 

• 

Most Memorable Character of 2018

Marcella from Vengeful.

Most Beautifully Written Book Read in 2018

John Larison’s Whiskey When We’re Dry was really lovely.

Book You Can’t Believe You Waited Until 2018 to Finally Read

I think was the last person of all of my bookish friends to read Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli.

Shortest and Longest Books You Read in 2018

Shortest: Any of the Lumberjanes I read (I read four, and according to Goodreads they’re all 112 pages).

Longest: The Terror, Dan Simmons (769 pages)

Book That Shocked You the Most

Linwood Barclay’s A Noise Downstairs was fairly predictable at times (but a fun read), but it had one jaw-dropping moment that definitely shocked me.

OTP of the Year

Elle and Damien from Ashley Poston’s Geekerella.

Favourite Non-Romantic Relationship of the Year

I loved Kat and Meg’s friendship in Kat and Meg Conquer the World by Anna Priemaza.

Favourite Book You Read in 2018 From an Author You’ve Read Previously

Definitely Victoria Schwab’s Vengeful and City of Ghosts.

Best Book Read in 2018 that You Read Based Solely on a Recommendation

I read and loved She Rides Shotgun, by Jordan Harper.

Best 2018 Debut You Read

I was going to say Watch the Girls, but I think that author has published YA books under a different name. So I’ll go with Geekerella.

Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting

The Terror made me feel cold and claustrophobic nearly the whole time I read.

Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most Fun To Read

I read Kevin Kwan’s China Rich Girlfriend this year and it was super fun!

Book That Made You Cry/Nearly Cry

There was a scene in She Rides Shotgun that made me tear up big-time. And Whiskey When We’re Dry made me tear up a bit as well.

Hidden Gem of the Year

Devils Unto Dust by Emma Berquist was a book that I read and loved, but didn’t really hear anyone else in my corner of the bookish world talking about.

Book That Crushed Your Soul

You by Caroline Kepnes crushed my soul because reading it was such an unpleasant experience.

Most Unique Book You Read in 2018

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, by Stuart Turton, had a pretty unique premise.

Book That Made You the Most Mad
(doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)

Sadie by Courtney Summers was a fantastic book, but it made me mad at the world.

Your Blogging/Bookish Life

via GIPHY

New Favourite Book Blog/Bookstagram/Youtube Channel You Discovered in 2018

I enjoyed Rincey Reads this year (I’ve listened to her on the Book Riot Read or Dead podcast but hadn’t watched any of her Youtube videos before this year).

Best Bookish Event You Participated In

I think the Raincoast Teens Read book preview is the only bookish event I participated in this year, but it was a good one.

Best Moment of Bookish/Blogging Life in 2018

My summer vacation, where I tried to read 10 books in my week off (and came very close!).

Most Challenging Thing About Your Blogging or Reading Life in 2018

I always struggle to balance my reading with my other interests. I got really into some great TV shows this year and some video games, which ate into my reading time. But when I got really into the reading zone, I neglected my shows and my games. I don’t seem to be able to do a bit of several things – I can only do one thing at a very intense level.

I’ve also stopped doing posts like Waiting on Wednesday or Top Ten Tuesday this year. It wasn’t intentional, but beyond my slow Supernatural rewatch that I blog about, I’ve really only posted book reviews here. I like reading WoW and TTT posts, and when I think about it, I enjoy writing them, but I didn’t set aside time to prepare many of those posts this year, unfortunately.

Best Bookish Discovery in 2018

Using my mini Happy Planner as a brief reading journal / tracker has been fun for tracking my reading and jotting down initial thoughts when I finish a book, which has helped me when it’s time to write an in-depth review later.

Did You Complete Any Reading Challenges of Goals that You Set for Yourself at the Beginning of 2018

I just managed to complete my Goodreads goal of 100 books read for the year, and towards the end of the year, I started to get back into using my library.

Looking Ahead

via GIPHY

One Book You Didn’t Get to in 2018 Which Will Be Your Priority in 2019

I think every year that I’ve done this survey, I pick a book that I never end up getting around to reading, so we’ll see if I can improve my track record in 2019! In 2018, I was really excited to read Maurene Goo’s The Way You Make Me Feel but I didn’t get around to it. I will try and read it early in the new year!

Most-Anticipated 2019 Book (non-debut)

YA: Courting Darkness by Robin LaFevers. I love her His Fair Assassin series, so I’m really excited to read this book!

Adult: JoAnn Chaney’s As Long As We Both Shall Live. I really loved her book What You Don’t Know when I read it last year and I’ve heard great things about this upcoming book!

Most-Anticipated 2019 Debut

I’m really looking forward to reading Emily Duncan’s Wicked Saints, which I think is a 2019 debut.

Most-Anticipated Series Ending or Sequel in 2019

I’m looking forward to the next book in Julie McElwain’s Kendra Donovan series, Betrayal in Time.

One Thing You Hope to Accomplish in Your Reading or Blogging Life in 2019

I’m not aiming too high in 2019. I just hope to read at least another 100 books, and maintain a review schedule of at least 2 per week.

A 2019 Release You’ve Already Read and Recommend

I haven’t quite finished it yet, but I’m really loving Kiersten White’s Slayer, which comes out January 8, 2019.

There you have it – a look back at another year in books and reading. On to 2019!