2012 End of Year Book Survey

   I'm joining many other bloggers in taking Jamie of Perpetual Page Turner's survey. I've added some of my own questions and answered most of Jamie's questions. To participate in the survey, click here.

Total books read in 2012:  262 books. I exceeded my goal of reading 245 books this year. Yay!

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

Well, I completed 6 out of my 8 reading challenges, which isn't too bad but I still feel a bit guilty for not completing all of them.

 Best Book You Read In 2012? (You can break it down by genre if you want):

Adult Fiction: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Adult Nonfiction: Quiet by Susan Cain

YA Paranormal: Everneath by Brodi Ashton

YA Realistic Fiction: Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

YA Fantasy:  Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore and very closely followed by Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst

YA Dystopian: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

YA Retelling: Tiger Lilly by Jodi Lynn Anderson

MG/Children Realistic: Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper

Picture Book: Silent Music by James Rumford

Manga Series: Nana by Ai Yawaza

Graphic Novel: Drama by Raina Telgemeier *Review coming soon

 Book(s) You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

  I started the year on a rocky start. I've had several books that left me wanting and really disappointed me. The most memorable are:

• Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead- My biggest disappointment of the year. It eventually lead me to a reading slump for a few months.

• City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare- In my opinion, the worst book in the MI series thus far. I skimmed large chunks of it.

• Fracture by Megan Miranda- I was completely misled by the marketing of this book. 

• Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern- I think it's one of those few books that would be better as a movie.  

  Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2012?  

• Storm by Brigid Kemmerer- A great paranormal series that I think could easily be enjoyed by both girls and guys. 

• Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry- I really thought this book would not be for me. It was filled with issues and a cliched romance, but the realistic characters won me over and I got sucked into the book. I finished it in a couple of days.

• Cinder by Marissa Meyer- I really wasn't sure how a science fiction fairy tale retelling would work, but this book went beyond my eexpectations. Really looking forward to reading its sequel.   

  Book you recommended to people most in 2012?  Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

  Best series you discovered in 2012?

Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones, Alpha and Omega series by Patricia Briggs, Everneath series by Brodi Ashton, and Elementals series by Brigid Kemmerer, Agency series by Y.S. Lee, Lady Emily series by Tasha Alexander

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

I'm not a big horror fan or books that feature serial killers, but I was absolutely enthralled by I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga.

Favorite cover of a book you read in 2012?  

I actually have two:

 Book that I wished had more spotlight in the YA realm: Shadows on the Moon by Zoe Marriott- a very unique retelling of Cinderella featuring a very strong female protagonist.

Book(s) you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2012 to finally read: I have series not books that I can't believe I waited so long to read: The Lionness Quartet by Tamora Pierce and Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones.

Book(s) That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It?

I've had several moments that had me reeling while reading the manga series Nana by Ai Yawaza and I absolutely had to talk to someone about Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn when I finished it. Really excited to see what my bookclub thinks about the book.

 Books You Didn’t Get To In 2012 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2013?

I have lots of books that have appeared on other blogger's and best of lists from review journals that I read that I wish I had read, but unfortunately I ran out of time but these are my top priorities for 2013: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor, Everyday by David Levithan, The Diviners by Libba Bray, and Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater are just a few that I can think of on the top of my head.

 AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST.....

 Literary Crushes of 2012 (in no particular order): 

• Cricket Bell from Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
  

• George Cooper from the Lionness Quartet series by Tamora Pierce
  

• Jem Carstairs from Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare
  

• Lord Giddon from Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
  

• Michael Merrick from the Elemental series by Brigid Kemmerer

• Mr. Colin Hargreaves from the Lady Emily series by Tasha Alexander 

• James Easton from Agency series by Y.S. Lee

• Lucian Kiggs from Seraphina by Rachel Hartmann

• Jack Caputo from Everneath by Brodi Ashton

• Perry from Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

• Korbyn from Vessel by Sarah Beth Durst

• Gavrel Duval from Grave Mercy by Robin Lafevers 

•  Shadow from Graffiti Moon by Cathy Crowley

• Charles Cornnick from Alpha and Omega series by Patricia Briggs

• Garret Swopes from the Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones