Very Long Post Ahead. Here it is - that time again. This End of the Year Survey hosted by The Perpetual Page-Turner has remained a favorite of mine to look forward to every year. It's enjoyable to reflect back on the past twelves month and what I've read, picking out my favorites, the quirks, the hit or miss moments. If you're curious on my answers from previous months, check out 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.
2016 has been another excellent year with reading.
I passed my Goodreads goal (the highest set yet), and although I doubt I can do it every year depending on what's going on, for the first time I went over 200 books. I remember when I barely made 100, then 150, now this. I focused on trying to get a number of books done per month (17) and making up for months when I was short of the goal other times. As always it was a fun year of reading - I discovered new favorite authors, finished some series I wanted to get through, discovered some new 2016 reads, and had general fun participating in some team challenges on GR.
Yearly Challenges Participated In: On the blog, 13. On Goodreads, four team challenges and multiple individual challenges.
I can never, ever name just one. I read several five stars this year - I'm not including re-reads for this one.
Book you were excited about and thought you'd love more but didn't?
With this book's classic reputation and plot synopsis, I thought it would be a sure thing to enjoy this book. Sadly I ended up irritated part of the time, bored the other, and only intrigued a few snatched chapters in between. The writing style is fine, but the characters were a turn-off, the pacing too slow, and I didn't like the message or themes of the story.
Legacy of the Demon by Diana Rowland - after enjoying the last sequel so much, I was excited about the new release in 2016. It was a three star rating, but not as much oomph as some of the others in the series. Strangewood by Christopher Golden looked fascinating but it wasn't a fun intro to the author. I was walking along Robert McCammon's horror trail and enjoying myself, but The Night Boat sunk my expectations. The Nightingale didn't live up to the hype and reputation either. Another disappointment was how much I loved the other books in the December People series, but the 2016 release of A Taste of Death and Honey didn't satisfy me nearly as much as the ones that came before it.
Most surprising (in a good or bad way) book you read in 2016?
In a good way, The Lord of the Flies ended up being an excellent classic that impressed me with its heavy themes, well-done writing and thought-provoking ending. It has mixed reviews, but I have to say I'm a fan and the book hasn't left me since I've read it.
A re-read was 'The Exorcist', which I tried to re-read last year after over 15 years since my last read. I found the writing style dry and didn't pick up again until this year. Once I got past the distant first quarter, the book became excellent and hard to put down.
A book you "pushed" the most people to read in 2016?
I convinced a few people to give the book Dead Sea a chance, and sort of funny, but a book I read two years ago (Evil by Richard O'Brien) was picked up by my review and comments for two new people this year, who bought and reviewed the book afterward.
I also pushed two people toward the Kelley Armstrong Bitten series as I was discovering and gushing over it myself this year.
HARRY POTTER - Yes, I finally read this series and became a huge fan. Even bought its box set and a Harry figurine.
WOMEN OF THE OTHERWORLD - Purchased and read all of these this year, excellent series with an unique premise.
THE INNKEEPER by Ilona Andrews - Read these three this year (fun series with Andrews' usual talented style, humor, and well-crafted scenes.
BURN FOR ME by Ilona Andrews - Let's just say the book was so good it blew me away as a top favorite in that genre, and it may rival my love of the Kate Daniels series if it keeps going as strongly.
Best series ender in 2016?
That would be the final book in the Society of Gentlemen by K.J. Charles as mentioned above.
Also I have to give major kudos to Spook Squad, which ended the long-running PsyCop series by Jordan Castillo Price. It wasn't released in 2016, though, so it may not count for this category other than personal experience and new-to-me stuff.
Favorite new author in 2016?
Edward Lorn impressed me with his writing style in Bay's End, and I'm excited to read more of Greg Gifune's work in the near future. Both are dark drama, thriller and horror authors I'm itchy to read more of. T.J. Klune's writing style blew me away in the M/M romance Wolfsong, although I won't gravitate toward all her works because some of the themes aren't up my alley the way her other paranormal stuff is. Newcomer Katherine Arden gives me high hopes for her future novels, of which I'll definitely read, especially if they involve surreal concepts and fairy tales again. Sam Argent delighted me with her writing style as well in Family of Lies: Sebastian.
Best book from a genre typically out of your comfort zone?
I rarely read non-fiction about a biography of animals or cats (despite being a huge animal lover), but it was a delightful new experience to read Dewey's story.
Most..action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
Ultimately I'm going to give the gold star to Children of Chaos by Greg Gifune, a hard to book down novel that kept the tension high, the scenes dark, and the outcome brutally powerful, and a second gold star to Bait by J. Kent Messum - excellent books with sharks battling addicts on an island controlled by madmen. Excellent and a rush.
I already had to re-read A Boy and His Dragon, which delighted me with it's slow build-up and sweet love story. The big winner for a re-read that WILL happen soon in anticipation for the next of the series release is Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews. Love that book and have a feeling I'll be re-reading a few times.
Favorite Book Cover of a book you read in 2016?
Most Memorial Character of 2016?
Harry Potter and the crew stood out with their series for good reason.
Peter Pan, the boy who will never grow up, impressed me with his hope and tragedy.
For new releases, definitely The Bear and the Nightingale.
For releases before 2016 but new to me, I'm going to throw kudos out to Bay's End by Edward Lorn for haunting nostalgic feel with poetic impressions, Algernon Blackwood's The Willows, Khaled Hosseni's The Kite Runner, TJ Klune's Wolf Song, and Naomi Novik's Uprooted.
Most thought provoking book read in 2016?
The Kite Runner opened my eyes to different aspects of life I'm not used to - I think it's the first time I've read a book from the point of view of an Afghanistan. The Pearl irritated me because it reiterated that you should try for what makes you happy; you only live once.
Book you can't believe you waited till 2016 to finally read?
Longest is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix at 870 pages. Shortest is Blackwater Lake by Maggie James at 98 Pages.
Actually, not really any this year. No shock endings or twist surprises. I was saddened and dismayed by a death at the end of The Cabinet of Curiosities that I didn't see coming. Through the Grinder had a heartbreaking and surprise ending.
There can never be JUST one.
I loved the bond between Clay and Jeremy, as well as Elena and Jeremy. One close-knit created family.
Bait by J. Kent Messum - not peer pressure, but seemed like most of my friends were suddenly reading and review it at the same time.
I don't realize half the time that a book is an author's debut. Ones I do know are Family of Lies: Sebastian and The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden. Both well written.
I like how involved and varied the supernatural world is in the Women of the Otherworld series.
I like the use of ghosts, necromancy and ghouls in the Night Huntress series.
Of course, the creepy world building for the Dead Sea was imaginative and chilling.
/the most fun to read?
The ending of The Cabinet of Curiosities depressed me with a character death. I cried during a death scene in Wolf Song. I got a teary-eyed in The Kite Runner. A little bit of tears at the end of my re-read of Seeds of Yesterday. I found the end of Through the Grinder the most depressing. Saddest was probably the end of Bay's End, although the author warned of what was coming.
Falling Angel is an oldie but unique book in the hardboiled detective genre.
I was annoyed at some deaths at the end of Children of Chaos.
I joined a few team challenges on Goodreads that I had a lot of fun with - W.O.B.B.L.E.S. was the winner for the most enjoyable, long-running team challenge.
I didn't have a huge moment offline like I did in 2014 (meeting a favorite author) and 2015 (visiting Goodreads office on free San Francisco trip), but I did enjoy myself reading. I was accepted as a moderator for the first time on a few Goodreads groups - A Million More Pages and Got Books?
Post you wish got more love?
Best bookish discovery (sites, stores, etc)?
One book you didn't get to in 2016 but will be a priority in 2017?
Book you are most anticipating in 2017 that is a non-debut?
Definitely the next of the Burn for me series - supposed to be two of them!
I don't keep track of debuts, I just run into them.
One thing you hope to accomplish/do in blogging or reading life in 2017?
I want to start setting a special night aside to review books every week and not get so behind.