6th Annual End of Year Book Survey | 2015 in Review

This is an annual survey (doi) about all of the books that we as a community have read in the year of 2015. It is run by Jamie over at Perpetual Page Turner, who is lovely and wonderful.

*I did delete a few questions*

Number of Books You Read

Goodreads says 93, my spreadsheet says 95. Either way, I way surpassed my goal, and I am really excited about all the reading that I will be doing this year!

Number of Re-Reads

I reread six books this year! I reread the first four Harry Potter books as well as the first in both the Chronicles of Narnia, The Magician's Nephew, and A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Bad Beginning, in hopes of one day finally finishing both of these series.

1. Best Book You Read In 2015?

(If you have to cheat — you can break it down by genre if you want or 2015 release vs. backlist)

BEST IN ADULT: Outlander

BEST YA SERIES: The Raven Cycle (Favorite of the series: The Dream Thieves)

BOOK THAT MADE ME LOVE HUMANITY AGAIN: The Martian

BEST FIRST BOOK IN A NEW SERIES: Illuminae

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

These books are nowhere as good as the TV show. I ended up DNFing the second book because I just couldn't stand it anymore. The book has four different perspectives, but the book is only about 300 pages, which only gives us about 80 pages for each character. One of the four characters isn't even on Earth. If you are interested in this series, just watch the TV show because the show is amazing.

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?

I had tried reading this book multiple times right when the movie came out, and I just couldn't push through the writing. When I had to read it for school, I picked up the audiobook from my library, and it almost made my favorite books of 2015 list.

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness - This is one I recommend in real life about just as much as I rave about it online. Definitely pick up the illustrated version if you can.

5. Best series you started in 2015? Best Sequel of 2015? Best Series Ender of 2015?

BEST SERIES I STARTED (AND FINISHED): The Infernal Devices and Shatter Me

BEST SEQUEL: The Dream Thieves

BEST SERIES ENDER: Ignite Me

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2015?

Maggie Stiefvater, Tahereh Mafi, and Victoria Schwab

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

I don't typically read Adult Contemporary, but Attachments by Rainbow Rowell is amazing if you need a laugh, and Me Before You is amazing if you need a cry.

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

Despite how let down I was by the ending of Clockwork Princess (and despite the fact that it was about 200 pages too long), I spent an entire Saturday reading it. I almost finished it in one day . . . but then I fell asleep.

An overall better book was Illuminae which is the standout in this category for me. The first 200 pages are easily put downable, but after that point, you better be free because you won't want to stop reading.

9. Book You Read In 2015 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
The entire Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2015?

Here's a few of my favorites:

11. Most memorable character of 2015?

Ronan Lynch, by far.

(From The Raven Boys)

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2015?

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2015?

Vicious is another book that will stick with me, and it will probably be reread many times throughout the years. Pardon me while I go flail in the corner.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2015 to finally read?

Seriously though, I have no idea how I avoided this series for this long.

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2015?

Favorite of the Year (from The Martian by Andy Weir):

Honorable Mentions:

"Words, I think, are such unpredictable creatures.

No gun, no sword, no army or king will ever be more powerful than a sentence. Swords may cut and kill, but words will stab and stay, burying themselves in our bones to become corpses we carry into the future, all the time dinging and failing to rip their skeletons from our flesh."

— Juliette on the power of words, Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

"It was only after I made my exit that I realized I should have missed it."

― Marina Keegan, The Opposite of Loneliness

"We know that while we are flawed in a unique way, we are not unique because we are flawed."

― Veronica Roth, The Erudite Manifesto

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2015?

*Excluding Re-Reads and Novellas*

SHORTEST: The Sleeper and the Spindle

LONGEST: Outlander

17. Book That Shocked You The Most

(Because of a plot twist, character death, left you hanging with your mouth wide open, etc.)

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

(OTP = one true pairing if you aren’t familiar)

Like I could just pick one.

Warner and Juliette (Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi)

Rhysand and Feyre (A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas)
Blue and Gansey (The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater)

Levi and Cath (Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell)

Jamie and Claire (Outlander by Diana Gabaldon)

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

The Raven Boys--Ronan, Gansey, Adam, and Noah

Kenji and Juliet from the Shatter Me series

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2015 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

21. Best Book You Read In 2015 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2015?

Richard Campbell Gansey III

I don't understand why you expected anything different from this question.

I am going to be a wreck in April.

23. Best 2015 debut you read?

I didn't actually read too many 2015 debuts. The only other one that I think I read this year is Everything, Everything which wasn't my fave.

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

I never really liked Cinder as a character, so that definitely clouded how I feel about the series. While they aren't my favorite, I do commend Marissa Meyer for her stunning world building. It is literally the only reason I am continuing the series.

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

I love graphic novels and comics. While I did enjoy many a Marvel comic this year, these two series (and one standalone web comic turned graphic novel) definitely have been my favorites.

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2015?

Despite not liking Will, I cried during the epilogue. I almost made it through without tears. There is no way to escape tears from Me Before You.

If you do, I question your humanity.

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year

The Unlikely Hero needs more love than it gets. Guys, it was so good!

Missoula is just plain important and everyone needs to read it.

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

see number 26

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2015?

I don't know what you're doing if you haven't read this series. Please read them and let them crush your soul and feelings like they have crushed me.

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

Ghostwriting aside, this book shouldn't have been published. Quite frankly, I am shocked she paid someone to write this because she should get her money back.

Less agravting is The Elite by Kiera Cass. A summary of my thoughts while reading The Elite: GOD, AMERICA. THIS IS NOT A HARD DECISION. QUIT FOOLING AROUND WITH ASPEN. MAXON IS PERFECT.

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2015 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2016?

If I Stay by Gayle Forman as well as the rest of TMI series by Cassandra Clare (I am beyond determined to finish this series before Lady Midnight releases)

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2016 (non-debut)?

PASSENGER by Alexandra Bracken

3. 2016 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

THE GIRL FROM EVERYWHERE by Heidi Heilig
Also INTO THE DIM by Janet B. Taylor. It's "Outlander for teens" and blurbed by Diana Gabaldon. I need to know no more.