End-of-the-Year Survey – 2015

I enjoy filling out surveys, and I (obviously) love books, so this end-of-the-year survey hosted by Jamie (Perpetual Page Turner) is right up my alley! Read on for my answers :)

Number Of Books You Read: 111 + about 10 manuscripts during my internship (Jan-April)
Number of Re-Reads: 18
Genre You Read The Most From: probably urban fantasy (YA is NOT a category!)

1. Best Book You Read In 2015?
It’s a cross between Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (Becky Albertali) and Every Word (Ellie Marney).

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
The Bane Chronicles. I mean, I wasn’t really surprised because I haven’t liked the last four Cassandra Clare books I’ve read, but Magnus was always my favourite character.

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?
When Everything Feels Like the Movies (Raziel Reid) – it got a lot of buzz when it was chosen as one of the finalists for Canada Reads, and that in itself was surprising (in a good way!).

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?
I’m going to say Every Breath a) because I recommend it on pretty much a monthly basis (technically I read it in 2014, but it was literally the last book I read – I finished it on December 31!) and b) my sister read it and become just as obsessed!

5. Best series you started in 2015? Best Sequel of 2015? Best Series Ender of 2015?
Best series started: Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Laini Taylor)
Best sequel: Every Word (Ellie Marney)
Best series ender: The Wondrous and the Wicked (Page Morgan)

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2015?
Susin Nielsen. I read literally all her books (including one that’s not even published yet!) this year.

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
Unbearable Lightness – Portia de Rossi

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
Every Move (Ellie Marney). I could not move while reading it.

9. Book You Read In 2015 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
Cinder (Marissa Meyer) because I haven’t picked up the rest of the series yet, and I’ll probably have to re-read it before I continue.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2015?
The Singular and Extraordinary Tale of Mirror and Goliath – Ishbelle Bee

11. Most memorable character of 2015?
Nimona – Noelle Stevenson

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2015?
The Book Thief (Markus Zusack) is gorgeous, but it was a re-read. “New” book that was beautifully written: Magonia (Maria Dahvana Headley)

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2015?
The Universe Versus Alex Woods – Gavin Extence.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2015 to finally read?
Soulless – Gail Carriger. It has so many things I love in it!

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

I have seen the aftermath of death, the incredible mechanism of the body laid bare, and I know now that each person is a kind of miracle. A spark nestles like a bird inside our chests, so deep that we can’t find where it lives, but it is everything. It’s what makes us dream and think and feel and laugh and sing. And it is a mystery, and it is mundane, and, above all, it is fragile. Any moment could be our last. – Rachel Watts, Every Word

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2015?
The shortest (not including picture books or comics) was The Little Prince with 98 pages and the longest was the Complete Blooming Goddess Trilogy (Tallulah Darling) with 1080 pages total (it was all one ebook, so if I was counting individual books, it would be Outlander with 850 pages).

17. Book That Shocked You The Most
The Hollow Boy – Jonathan Stroud. THAT ENDING. I NEED THE NEXT ONE LIKE NOW.

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)
Wattscroft forever!!! Ellie Marney is in charge of writing all the kissing scenes forever.

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year
Flavia and Dogger from Alan Bradley’s Flavia de Luce series.

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2015 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
Why We Broke Up – Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket!)

21. Best Book You Read In 2015That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:
My sister told me repeatedly to read a Gail Carriger novel and I’m SO GLAD I read Soulless (and the sequel, Changeless!).

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2015?
Technically he’s from the end of 2014, but who doesn’t love James Mycroft??

23. Best 2015 debut you read?
Mad Miss Mimic – Sarah Henstra

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
Daughter of Smoke and Bone – Laini Taylor

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

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2015?
I flat out sobbed at the end of The Wondrous and the Wicked (Page Morgan).

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?
Not published in 2015, but I really enjoyed Knightly and Son – Rohan Gavin

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?
In terms of being sad, I’d say Why We Broke Up, but if you’re talking about one that beat me down until I finished it, I’d say Neil Gaiman’s American Gods.

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2015?
Lair of Dreams – Libba Bray

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
Anne & Henry – Dawn Ius. I had such high hopes for it because it had such a great concept, but the characters infuriated me.

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2015?
This year was the first year I really paid attention to book blogs and really worked on my own reviews. Some of my favourite blogs include: Pop! Goes the Reader, The Broke and the Bookish, A Reader of Fictions, Snuggly Oranges, Cuddlebuggery, and, of course Perpetual Page Turner, plus a whole lot more! I also have to shout out to all the blogs I follow/who follow me here :)

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2015?
Probably my Simon vs review or my extensive review for Every Breath/Every Word.

3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?
The post with the most comments was my Top Ten Books of 2015 from a few weeks ago.

4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?
I helped out at OLA which was a really interesting experience, but I also got to meet Alan Bradley at Random House which was really cool (he’s such an adorable old man!).

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2015?
Interning at Tundra was definitely a highlight and I got to work on their blog, which was lots of fun!

6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?
Finding time to write the reviews in between writing for Mind the Gap/idobi!

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?
Every Word blog tour (most views on one particular day); overall, it was my Blurryface track-by-track review (in terms of views) and top 10 books of 2015 (in terms of comments).

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?
I’m quite proud of my UK in YA TTT!

9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?
Apart from all the blogs I mentioned earlier, I’ve also really enjoyed Book Riot and the read-iculously cheap Book Outlet.

10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?
I set 100 books as my Goodreads challenge and surpassed that goal!

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2015 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2016?
Good Omens (Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett) is going to be the first book I read in 2016.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2016 (non-debut)?
I don’t even know if it will come out in 2016, but I’m salivating for the next Lockwood and Co (Jonathan Stroud) book.

3. 2016 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
The Love That Split The World – Emily Henry. It’s been getting a lot of hype and it was the first book to come to mind.

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2016?
I’m really hoping that Every Move will be published in North America next year so I can complete my collection!

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2016?
I’m setting a goal for 120 books, plus one of my resolutions is to read more classics. And my sister and I (and possibly our nine year old niece) are going to do a full Harry Potter re-read which is really exciting.

6. A 2016 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:
The two 2016 books I’ve read so far have been The Serpent King (Jeff Zentner) and Vikki VanSickle’s If I Had a Gryphon (illustrated by Cale Atkinson), both of which I recommend (and will have reviews up in the next couple of months!).

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Best Books I Read In 2015

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week’s prompt is Top Ten Best Books I Read In 2015. I’ve narrowed it down to the best books I’ve read this year that were released in 2015 (I read some good ones that are at least a year old!).

Each one is linked to my review (the first three are in order).

Every Word – Ellie Marney
The Hollow Boy – Jonathan Stroud
The Wondrous and the Wicked – Page Morgan
Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda – Becky Albertali
Nimona – Noelle Stevenson
Mad Miss Mimic – Sarah Henstra
The Singular and Extraordinary Tale of Mirror and Goliath / The Contrary Tale of the Butterfly Girl – Ishbelle Bee
Dumplin’ – Julie Murphy
Library of Souls – Ransom Riggs
Alice Takes Back Wonderland – David D. Hammons

BONUS
Here are another five books that I rated 5 interrobangs that weren’t released in 2015 (and that don’t include any re-reads!):

Daughter of Smoke and Bone – Laini Taylor (review coming soon!)
The Universe Versus Alex Woods – Gavin Extence
The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen – Susin Nielsen
Soulless – Gail Carriger
Outlander – Diana Gabaldon

What were your top ten books this year?

BLOG TOUR: Every Word – Ellie Marney

Hello everyone and welcome to the Every Word blog tour!! I’m really excited to be kicking this tour off – I’ve been obsessed with the Every series since I picked up Every Breath last year during my internship at Tundra!

If there’s one thing I love just as much as amazing YA books, it’s music. I spend hours maintaining my collection so, even though Ellie has made some excellent playlists of her own, I’ve put together an Every Word playlist for your enjoyment.

The songs are in alphabetical order, but scroll down to see the relevant lyric from each song that I associated with the book. Most of the songs are more Wattscroft-y than anything else, but I’ve made a note if I picture the song as the soundtrack for a certain scene.

It’s not really a dance-y playlist, but I have an addiction to Sherlock gifs.

Let me know in the comments if you agree/disagree with any of my choices, or if there’s another song that you associate with the books! And you can follow me on Spotify too, if you want :)

Bonus songs:

Safer to Hate Her – You Me At Six

I couldn’t find it on Spotify, but to me, this is how Mycroft’s mind works when it comes to Rachel. Important lyrics: “nobody knows what it’s like to be one of a kind”.

Theme song for Every Breath: Running from Lions – All Time Low

Admittedly, part of why I picked this song was for the title, but there’s something desperate about the lyrics that reminds me of Mycroft, especially in the first book.

Theme song for Every Move: Miles Away – The Maine

If I was making a movie for the series’ conclusion, this would be the song over the opening credits: it speaks to Rachel’s state of mind (“in my mind, I’m miles away”), and hints at the location for that book (no spoilers!).

You can click here to read my review of the books. And make sure you visit all the other blogs on the tour! I can’t wait to see what everyone else does!

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2015
Samantha at Bellsie Books (that’s me!)
Mandy C. at Forever Young Adult
Eri at Airy Reads
Heather at Books and Quilts
Nicole at Reading Lark

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015
Shelly at Books and Writing
Michelle at Michelle & Leslie’s Book Picks
Jen at The Starry-Eyed Revue
Amanda at Gun in Act One

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015
Gillian at Writer of Wrongs
Shilpa at sukasareads.com
Sabrina at Hiver et Café
Adrienne at Books and Bassets

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2015
Michelle at FAB BOOK REVIEWS
Marie at Ramblings of a Daydreamer
Liz at Midnight Bloom Reads
Amy at Tripping Over Books
Rachel at The Readers Den

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2015
Lauren at Love is not a triangle
Kristen at My Friends Are Fiction
Morgan at Gone with the Words
Leanne at Author Leanne Dyck

A lyrical explanation (an asterisk denotes an Australian band!):

Accident Without Emergency – Biffy Clyro [when Mycroft shows up to save Rachel]
Girl I should have told you but I’ve never been brave / Standing side by side, we’ll take this whole place

Can You Feel My Heart – Bring Me the Horizon
I’m scared to get close and I hate being alone. / I long for that feeling to not feel at all. / The higher I get, the lower I’ll sink. / I can’t drown my demons, they know how to swim.

Come Home – Tonight Alive* [when Rachel realizes Mycroft has left]
And if you can’t stay / I’ll wait for the day / When you can be all mine / Stay up with you all night / So don’t run away / I am your light, I will guide you home

Crash – You Me At Six [after Rachel’s torture scene]
I’ve said this all before, / But opposites attract. / We try and run away, / But end up running back.

Far Too Young to Die – Panic! at the Disco [while kidnapped]
Well I never really thought that you’d come tonight / While the crown hangs heavy on either side / Give me one last kiss while we’re far too young to die

A Fire On a Hill – Hands Like Houses* [when they figure out where the Folio is]
It starts with a spark, a breath and a moment of still

Follow You – Bring Me the Horizon [Rachel’s flight to London]
Come sink into me and let me breathe you in / I’ll be your gravity, you be my oxygen / So dig two graves cause when you die / I swear I’ll be leaving by your side

Heart & Desire – Mallory Knox [standing in front of Mycroft’s family home]
If I could light up the world for you I’d show you the things you’d always dreamed / About trust & time & heart & love & honesty

Hold On – Twin Atlantic [the flight back home]
Hold on, if you can, be strong.

In the Rearview – The Academy Is…
There’s blood on the freeway / Painting a poisoned past / Kissed with a hard rain washed away

Jet Black Heart – 5 Seconds of Summer*
But these chemicals moving between us / Are the reason to start again

Lead Me Out of the Dark – Crown the Empire [when Mycroft finally opens up]
The only way out of here is the way I’ve avoided for all my life. / There’s so many things I wanna say, / but there’s too many things still in the way. / I’m lost, please help me find my place.

Limousine – Brand New [at the scene of the car crash]
Well I love you so much, but do me a favor baby, don’t reply. / Because I can dish it out, but I can’t take it.

No One Will Ever Get Hurt – A Rocket to the Moon
Well, I don’t know what’s wrong with me / You need somebody and I need some growing up

One Way Street – Bruce Springsteen
We’re walkin’ on the wildside, runnin’ down a one way street

Saved – Deaf Havana [end credits]
You came from a good home, and a family that helped you through. / Forever in the shadow of a brother you felt you could never live up to. / And I watched you tailor yourself to satisfy the mood, / I had you figured out, yeah, I had you figured out.

Settle Down – The 1975 [any time there’s a make out scene]
For crying out loud, settle down! / You know I can’t be found with you / We get back to my house / Your hands, my mouth / Now I just stop myself around you.

So Long Soldier – All Time Low
A little boy from just outside of London / Took a fated trip across the ocean

Sweep the Leg – Family Force 5 [Rachel’s roller derby match]
You can’t stop me. / You can’t drop me. / You can’t block me. / You can’t break me. / You can’t shake me. / Don’t make me.

Walk On – U2
And love is not the easy thing / The only baggage you can bring / Is all that you can’t leave behind

What if Sherlock Holmes was the boy next door? [re-direct to Mind the Gap]

I’ve talked about Ellie Marney‘s brilliant Every series more times than I can count on this blog. I’ve been obsessed with it since late December 2014, and if anything, my feelings for it have gotten stronger, especially after re-reading them. Click here to read my brief recap of the first two books, and keep an eye out for the North American Every Word blog tour, starting November 16 right here!

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Top Ten Tuesday: UK in YA 101

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week’s prompt is Top Ten Books That Would Be On Your Syllabus If You Taught X 101. Up until about half an hour ago, I was fully prepared to write “YA URBAN FANTASY 101”, but then I thought about how much I love the UK and books that take place in the UK and, well, here we are.

A couple of these are technically middle grade, but they work as transitional pieces.

Required reading (in no particular order):

1) Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll (London; Oxford to be precise); read my review here!
2) Harry Potter series – J.K. Rowling (London and some magical place in Scotland)
3) Gemma Doyle trilogy – Libba Bray (Victorian London); read my review of book 1 here!
4) Stardust – Neil Gaiman (“rural England”; though technically “adult”, I’ve seen it on YA lists)
5) Lockwood & Co series – Jonathan Stroud (alternate England full of ghosts!!!!) (also highly recommend his other series, The Bartimaeus Sequence); read my review of book 2 here!
6) Mad Miss Mimic – Sarah Henstra (Victorian London); read my review here!
7) Sorcery and Cecelia – Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer (Victorian London)
8) Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children – Ransom Riggs (Wales); read my review for books 1 and 2!
9) The Secret of Platform 13 – Eva Ibbotson (London)
10) Sally Lockhart series – Philip Pullman (Victorian London)

Recommended reading:

Every Word – Ellie Marney (takes places mostly in London, but you have to read the FANTASTIC first book, Every Breath, before tackling this one)
Artemis Fowl series – Eoin Colfer (I know Ireland isn’t actually part of the UK, but it’s close)

I really enjoy Victorian England, if you haven’t noticed. I can’t think of any YA or MG books that take place in Scotland (though technically Hogwarts is in Scotland). Does anyone have any suggestions/recommendations? What other UK-based books have I missed?

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I’ve Read So Far In 2015

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week’s prompt is Top Ten Books I’ve Read So Far In 2015. I’ve read a lot of great books so far this year, so it was hard to pick 10, but here we go (as always, it’s not in any particular order). Most are linked to my reviews, but the Ellie Marney ones link to Goodreads.