This survey is courtesy of The Perpetual Page-Turner. It's a fun way to look back at all the books I've read over the past year and highlight the highs and lows I had. I'm bad at picking just one book, so don't be surprised to see multiple answers to some of the questions. I've split this into 2 parts. Part 1 will focus on the books I read in 2017. Part 2 will focus on books for 2018.
Number Of Books You Read: 370
Number of Re-Reads: 4
1. Best Book You Read In 2017?
It's always hard picking a best book for the year because there are so many great books, but The Ruin of a Rake was the one that connected with me the most, so I'm going with it.
2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
I was excited about all three of these books and none of them worked out. New Romancer was easily the worst for me. Mask of Shadows and Queer, There, and Everywhere just ended up being disappointments.
3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?
Surprising in a bad way was Anna and the Swallow Man. I went in thinking it was a middle grade book, so I was surprised when the child protagonist sells her body for supplies. Most surprising in a good way was Star Wars: Rebel Rising. I didn't really like the Rebel One movie, so I didn't have high hopes for a book focusing on one of the leads, but I ended up really enjoying it.
4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?
I don't typically push books. When I do, it's usually only to a handful of people. But I did hand people Moxie and tell them to read it at the very end of 2017, so I think that one wins.
5. Best series you started in 2017? Best Sequel of 2017? Best Series Ender of 2017?
The best series I started (and finished) was The Turner Series by Cat Sebastian which began with The Soldier's Scoundrel.
The best sequels were Now I Rise for The Conqueror's Saga and Definitely Dead for The Southern Vampires Mysteries. Both series had been solid, but these books were the best so far.
The best series ender was Crooked Kingdom for the Six of Crows duology. It wrapped everything up well and brought in my favorite character from its companion series.
6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2017?
I blasted through Cat Sebastian's Turner Series and am already looking forward to reading more from her.
7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
I don't typically read memoirs, but Roxane Gay's Hunger was amazing and moving.
8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
I had the hardest time putting Big Little Lies down. Every time I had to stop to do something, my mind was on it until I could get back to it.
9. Book You Read In 2017 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
I can see myself rereading the Turner Series this year. I loved every book.
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2017?
11. Most memorable character of 2017?
Goldie Vance from the Goldie Vance books. She's clever, tough, kind, curious, and very awesome.
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2017?
I didn't expect it from the name, but A Monster Calls was a beautiful story about loss.
13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2017?
Some books just come to you at the right time which is exactly what The Ruin of a Rake did. Shortly before I read this, I was diagnosed with several things, one of which is an incurable, life-long condition that is likely the cause of the regular migraines I've had for the past few years that were growing more severe and frequent and were regularly putting me out of commission. One of the main characters in this has malaria and spoke about his frustration and sense of helplessness every time his health took a turn for the worse. Everything he said just resonated with me and reflected how I'd been feeling. That helped me with coming to terms with my health and moving forward.
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2017 to finally read?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower had been on my reading list for years. I finally got to it in 2017.
15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2017?
I'm usually not good at remembering quotes from books, but I did have 2 quotes that stuck with me from books this year. And they just feel appropriate for this year.
In my next life, I’m going to be an ass-kicking ninja warrior queen. And I will hunt shits like you down. Throw your ass in a dungeon and drop the key in my moat and my lady knights will be all, Huzzah! and I will sit on my throne like, Yes.
-Heather Demetrios, Bad Romance
Lena’s voice grew cold. “I don’t understand you. I don’t understand people like you, who always choose to blame the woman. If there’s two people doing something wrong and one of them’s a girl, it’s got to be her fault, right?”
“No, Lena, it’s not like that, it isn’t—“
“Yes, it is. It’s, like, when someone has an affair, why does the wife always hate the other woman? Why doesn’t she hate her husband? He’s the one who’s betrayed her, he’s the one who swore to love her and keep her and whatever forever and ever. Why isn’t he the one who gets shoved off a fucking cliff?”
-Paula Hawkins, Into the Water
16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2017?
- 80 pages
- 699 pages
17. Book That Shocked You The Most
New Romancer looked like a cute romantic comedy and had a scene where one character's eye gets stabbed through with a penis. Wasn't expecting that. Love is Love was advertised as a book to mourn the victims of the Pulse shooting by celebrating them and their community. It featured quite a few depictions of the victims' corpses lying in pools of their blood and also a short story celebrating Zeus and his many loves, completely glossing over the fact that he raped all the people depicted. Not what I expected with a cover like that.
18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)
The Soldier's Scoundrel - Cat Sebastian - Jack Turner and Oliver Rivington
The Lawrence Browne Affair - Cat Sebastian - Lawrence Browne and Georgie Turner
The Ruin of a Rake - Cat Sebastian - Lord Courtenay and Julian Medlock
A Court of Wings and Ruin - Sarah J. Maas - Feyre and Rhysand
Dating You / Hating You - Christina Lauren - Carter and Evie
My Love Story!!, Vol. 1 - Aruko,Kazune Kawahara - Takeo and Yamato
Goldie Vance Vol. 1 - Hope Larson,Brittney Williams - Goldie and Diane
19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year
My Love Story!!, Vol. 1 - Aruko,Kazune Kawahara - Takeo and Suna
The Nowhere Girls - Amy Reed - Grace, Rosina, and Erin
Girls Made of Snow and Glass - Melissa Bashardoust - Lynet and Mina
20. Favorite Book You Read in 2017 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
21. Best Book You Read In 2017 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:
This book wasn't on my radar at all until my mom told me I would like it. As usual, she was right.
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2017?
Goldie Vance Vol. 1 - Hope Larson,Brittney Williams - Goldie Vance
Bad Romance - Heather Demetrios - Grace
Honey So Sweet, Vol. 1 - Amu Meguro - Taiga
23. Best 2017 debut you read?
24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom are set in the same world while A Court of Wings and Ruin expands the world of its series even more.
25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?
26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2017?
The tears didn't really start for Your Lie in April until the end of the series. The tears for A Monster Calls came near the end of the book.
27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?
The Goldie Vance series is adorable and fun.
28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?
I will never be able to read this book again. It was hard to read about what the women went through there and how they were treated.
29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2017?
30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
Both books examine how rape cases were handled in 2 different college towns. I was so angry hearing how the women were treated by the officials at the schools and by the law enforcement of the cities.