2013 End of Year Book Survey

 

This is my first year participating in The Perpetual Page Turner's End of Year Survey. I found this on a friend's blog and had to do this. I'm new to blogging and I haven't been doing it a year yet but this will be something I do every year now. 

1. Best Book You Read In 2013? (If you have to cheat — you can break it down by genre if you want or 2013 release vs. backlist)

There were a few that just blew me away this year but if it comes down to one book I would have to say The October List by Jeffery Deaver. This book was written in reverse and was tough to get used to for the first few chapters, but once I got used to it the suspense seemed even more impressive. 

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

The Passage by Justin Cronin It sounded good but I was not amused. 

 3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013? 

I didn't know what to expect when we read Invention of Hugo Cabret br Brain Selznick, I really liked it and can't what to read more by him. 

 4. Book you read in 2013 that you recommended to people most in 2013?

Well I have to mention it again, I am recommending The October List to everyone who loves a great mystery with lots of twist and turns. 

 5. Best series you discovered in 2013?

The only series I started this past year was The Walking Dead. I love the show and decided I had to try the graphic novels. These were great and I have plenty more to catch up.

 6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2013?

This year was the first time I read the Hannibal Lecter series, so I guess the author that I was glad to have read is Thomas Harris. I have Black Sunday to read still and then I will have read all his work. 

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

This year I really didn't venture to much out of my comfort zone. I am not a big fan of YA books but I was interested in the Divergent series. It was pretty good but the second book Wasn't as good as expected.  

 8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2013?

I really loved 14 by Peter Clines. This book was really good and I could not put this book down.  

 9. Book You Read In 2013 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

I usually like to put a year or two in between re-reads but Jenny Lawson's Let's Pretend this Never Happened will be one I re-read this year.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2013?

11. Most memorable character in 2013? 

I would have to say Abbra Stone from Doctor Sleep. Read it and you will know why. 

 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2013?

I can't say I read a beautifully written book this year. They all pretty much dealt with murder and mayhem with a zombie attack every once in awhile. .

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2013? 

I can't say there was one that really had an impact on me, but the book that got the most emotional response out of me was Doctor Sleep by Stephen King. There were a few things at the end that got me a little choked up. I won't say anymore. 

 14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2013 to finally read? 

I can't believe I had never read the Shining by Stephen King until winter of 2013. 

 15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2013?

I'm not sure if this is a quote by King or one he used, but I did like "Fear stands for F@#$ Everything And Run". That was in Doctor Sleep and I got a good laugh out of that one. 

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?

I read a bunch of short stories this year so the shortest I read was a children's book written for adults and that was Go the F@#$ to Sleep by Adam Mansbach. That was hilarious and so true is you have had small children. The longest book I read was Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

 17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

The October List and Doctor Sleep are books I just wanted to talk about right away but my wife hasn't read them yet and most of my Goodreads friends haven't read the October List so I am just bursting to talk about those still. 

18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2013 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).

I would have to say that the relationship between Dan Torrence and Abbra Stone in Doctor Sleep was the one I enjoyed the most.  

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2013 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

Jeffery Deaver is my favorite author and I will have to say October List again. I know I am a bit of a broken record with this book but it was a top 5 favorite of mine.

20. Best Book You Read In 2013 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:

Well I didn't get any good recommendations this year so I don't have a book for this question.

21. Genre You Read The Most From in 2013?

This year I found Net Galley and their comic section is great IDW and Diamond publishing have a ton that are read now that you don't have to request, plus my library has a huge selection of graphic novels so those are what I read the most of this year. 

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2013?

Can't say I have one this year.

23. Best 2013 debut you read?

I don't think I read any debut books in 2013..

24. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2013?

 For me the best art work was in Aquaman Vol 1. The sea scenes were amazingly drawn. 

25. Book That Was The Most Fun To Read in 2013?

Weird things Customers say in Bookstores by Jen Campbell was so much fun. I used to work at Barnes and Noble years ago and these things were so funny because I have heard similar. Still a hilarious read even if you have never worked in a book store. 

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2013?

I nearly cried at the end of Doctor Sleep by Stephen King. King wrote some touching scenes in that book.

 

(optional)

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2013? 

There are a few blogs I read off and on but I became a regular reader of my friend Angie's Blog Angela's Anxious Life. I also found two bloggers who do the Follow Feature meme that is a lot of fun. Alison Can Read, and ParaJunkee's View and the two who put this one and their blogs are fun to read. I also have really enjoyed Talk Stephen King, and Stainless Steel Droppings.

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2013? 

Right now I am most proud of my Doctor Sleep Review, it is a long one but I had a lot to say and put a little bit more about me in it. 

3. Best discussion you had on your blog?

I'm new so I haven't had a lot of people start up discussions on my blog. However, the post that got the most comments was a Follow Feature Funny Fav pick. That feature was all about putting your favorite books in a funny picture. I got a lot of people who liked my creative idea.  

4. Most thought-provoking review or discussion you read on somebody else’s blog?

I have read a lot of reviews this past year but I can't seem to think of one that stood out as the most thought provoking.  I know there has to be one but I am coming up blank. 

5. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?

This year I participated in the Readers Imbibing Peril challenge or R.I.P. for short. This was all about mysteries, horror, suspense, and thriller books and movies. It was around Halloween and revolved around all the genres I love. 

6. Best moment of book blogging/your book life in 2013?

I have only been blogging since July of this past year so the biggest moment for me other than posting my very first post was gaining my first follower and hitting 1000 page views. I was really excited to hit the 1000 mark. 

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

The most popular post on my blog since it posted is still Green Lantern Corps Vol 1: Fearsome by Peter J Tomasi. This post has 498 pages views and every week is the most veiwed post on my blog. I have no idea why because it has the least amount of comments but it is popular by what my stats say.  

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

I kind of wish all my posts got a little more love. I'm new to this and my followers are just starting to pick up. I have a wonderful group of people that regularly read my stuff I just wish there were a few more regular readers. 

9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

 NetGalley.com I loved joining this site and got a lot of amazing books to read for an honest review. 

10.  Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

I did achieve my Goodreads yearly goal of 80. I ended up reading 83 total for the year, which is less than the 102 I read last year but this year I had a lot of life changes that made it tough to read. I also surpassed my goals for the R.I.P. Challenge.  

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2013 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2014?

I wanted to start a re-read of all of Jeffery Deaver's books as well as catch up on the Dresden Files series. Well, I didn't do either so I am going to make those my goals for 2014.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2014 (non-debut)?

Right now I am most excited for Mr Mercedes by Stephen King, and Jeffery Deaver's newest Lincoln Rhyme novel. 

3. 2014 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

I don't have one. I usually don't seek out Debut novels. I more or less stumble upon those. 

 4. Series Ending You Are Most Anticipating in 2014?

None of my series are ending but I will be happy to be done with the Divergent series. I am still on the wait list for the final book that came out in 2013. I just wont finish the series till this year. 

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2014?

I want to be a better blogger. I'm sure this will be my goal every year, but I want to get a stronger following, and re-design my blog. I am using a template Blogger had and really want to make my own if I can figure it out. I also hope to start including my own short stories in my blog. Get some original stories out there for some honest feedback.

Wow, that was really long but a lot of fun. If you read it all, thank you so much for wanting to learn more about me.