Asti’s End of Year Survey

End of Year Book Survey 2014

End of Year Book Survey 2014It’s that time of the year again where we said goodbye to the old and prepare ourselves for the new. For me, this means completing Jamie @ The Perpetual Page-Turner‘s End of Year Book Survey and deciding whether or not I want to take on any Reading Challenges (and, spoiler alert: I don’t. I’ve even deleted my Reading Challenges page from the blog because I just don’t care).

If you’re curious to see what books impacted me last year, make sure to check out my End of Year Book Survey 2013 post. Oh, and I confess: I totally copied and pasted the formatting of this post from Kelley’s End of Year Book Survey because I’m that lazy. So maybe go check hers out if you get a chance too. ;)


2014 Reading Stats


  • Number Of Books You Read: 45. Which is quite sad because my Goodreads goal was originally 50 and quite a few of the books that make up that number are novellas. Whoops.
  • Number of Re-Reads: Four! I’m actually quite proud of this. Re-read the entire Chaos Walking trilogy and Cathy’s Book. Go me!
  • Genre You Read The Most From: Either sci-fi or fantasy. I’m not crazy cool like other bloggers and make a spreadsheet of such things. ;)

Best In Books


Best Book of 2014 - Stormdancer by Jay KristoffDisappointing book of 2014 - Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini TaylorMost Surprising Book of 2014 - The Raven Boys by Maggie StiefvaterMost Pushed Book of 2014 - Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff

1. Best Book You Read In 2014?

I actually added four books to my “Favorites” shelf on Goodreads this year (Stormdancer, The Raven Boys, All Our Yesterdays, and Vicious), but I think the one that came out on top for me was Stormdancer. I fell hard for that book, and can’t believe I haven’t read the rest of the series yet. [Stormdancer review]

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

I am so sad to admit this one. The book I was definitely the most excited about this year, but was then ultimately disappointed by, was Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor. I loved Daughter of Smoke and Bone, but didn’t love it’s sequel. I was relying on this last book to redeem the series and make me fall in love with it again. And while it wasn’t horrible, it definitely didn’t deliver like I wanted it to. Sadface. [Dreams of Gods and Monsters review]

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book you read in 2014?

If there’s one book that I ended up loving this year in a completely unexpected way, it’s The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. I had been avoiding Maggie’s books after her Wolves of Mercy Falls series, which wasn’t my cup of tea (at all), and wasn’t convinced it was worth it to give her a second chance. Boy was I wrong. The Raven Boys is something else. [The Raven Boys review]

4. Book you “pushed” the most people to read (and they did) in 2014?

Usually Patrick Ness takes this spot, but he didn’t publish any new books in 2014. Instead, I’m giving this to Stormdancer. I can’t recall exactly who read this book after I pushed it on them, but I do know my fangirling over someone other than Patrick Ness was noted by my followers and some decided to give it a second chance.

Best Series Started in 2014 - Stormdancer by Jay KristoffBest Sequel Read in 2014 - Cress by Marissa MeyerBest Series Ender in 2014 - Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

5. Best series you started in 2014? Best Sequel of 2014? Best Series Ender of 2014?

  • Best series I started in 2014: Well, not to be overly repetitive, but I’m going to say the best series I started in 2014 is The Lotus War. My goal for 2015 is to read the rest of the series. Hopefully the sequels do not disappoint!
  • Best sequel: I actually didn’t read many in-the-middle books this year (or that many books, in general), but even if I did I think Cress would get this title. It pretty much gave me everything I wanted from it.
  • Best series ender: The best series ender for me is Ruin and Rising. While I understand the complaints provided by other bloggers, I felt that it ended in a satisfactory way for me. It’s the first series I’ve finished this past year that I actually found myself satisfied with the conclusion. [Ruin and Rising review]

Favorite New Author Discovered in 2014 - Jay KristoffBest Book Outside Comfort Zone - Death NoteUnputdownable Book of 2014 - Vicious by V.E. Schwab

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2014?

Hmm… I wonder who that could be? While I have a great appreciation for Cristin Terill and V.E. Schwab, both new-to-me authors in 2014 who produced favorites of mine, I’m going to have to give this one to Jay Kristoff. I actually felt like I had found my new Patrick Ness after finishing Stormdancer. Not that I need a new Patrick Ness. It’s just nice to have more than one author to push sometimes. ;)

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

I very much like to stick to my YA fantasy/sci-fi comfort zone, but this year (thanks to the Bookish Games) I decided to try my first manga! I had no idea what to expect when reading Death Note, but I absolutely loved it. It was evil, smart, and left me wanting more. I’m actually quite disappointed in myself I haven’t read the next volume yet, especially as it’s been sitting on my shelf. Whoops. [Death Note review]

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

I don’t know if I would say it was action-packed, but the one book that I didn’t want to put down this year was Vicious by V.E. Schwab. I really got sucked up into this twisted world with superpowers that Victoria created, and couldn’t want to see how it all ended. It didn’t disappoint.

ReReadable Book of 2014 - The Raven Boys by Maggie StiefvaterBest Cover of Book Read in 2014 - Ruin and Rising by Leigh BardugoMost Memorable Character of 2014 - Thorne Beautifully Written Book of 2014 - Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor

9. Book You Read In 2014 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

Let’s be honest, I don’t think I’m going to actually re-read any book next year. I did well by re-reading the Chaos Walking trilogy in 2014, but I don’t feel an overwhelming urge to do it again. That being said, if there’s one book I’m likely to re-visit and flip through, it’s The Raven Boys. It’s hard not to feel that Maggie has sprinkled clues about what will happen in each book in the prior ones, and I love going back and spotting the hints she snuck in.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2014?

It doesn’t take a lot to impress me when it comes to covers (I am such a cover whore). If I had to choose my favorite though, I’d go with Ruin and Rising. That whole series has such gorgeous covers. I want to marry them.

11. Most memorable character in 2014?

I have to admit, I was torn on this one. Buruu or Captain Carswell Thorne? In the end I went with Thorne from Marissa Meyer’s Cress, as I find that he has somehow made me fall even more in love with the latest book than I did previously.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2014?

Well, as much as I was disappointed by Dreams of Gods and Monsters, I still must confess that Laini Taylor has an absolutely beautiful way of writing.

Thought-Provoking Book of 2014 - Parasite by Mira GrantWaited until 2014 to read - The Raven Boys by Maggie StiefvaterFavorite Passage from a book in 2014 - Cress by Marissa Meyer

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2014?

I didn’t read any life-changing books, but if I had to choose one that made me think I would go with Parasite by Mira Grant. It’s sort of one of those disturbing sci-fi books that freaks you out by how logical it all seems, and makes you wonder what it really means to be human. [Parasite review]

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2014 to finally read?

There’s no book that I really have waited forever to read. Most of the books I read this past year were those published within the past three years, so I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. I guess if I had to choose one I’d say The Raven Boys? I can’t believe I fought off the hype monster for so long, especially since for once they were right! ;)

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2014?

I don’t really highlight or pay attention to specific passages/quotes while reading, unfortunately. But I do have this vivid memory of reading a passage from Marissa Meyer’s Cress and just being in love with it. I don’t think this is a spoiler, but just in case: View Spoiler »

Longest Book Read in 2014 - Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini TaylorShortest Book Read in 2014 - Warm Up by V. E. SchwabBook That Shocked Me the Most in 2014 - Half Bad by Sally Green

16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2014?

  • Longest: Going by Goodreads, the longest book I read in 2014 is Dreams of Gods and Monsters with 613 pages. (Another reason I didn’t love it, unfortunately. Nobody has time to read such massive books! :P)
  • Shortest: The shortest book I read according to Goodreads, goes to Warm Up by V.E. Schwab with 15 pages. It isn’t actually a book though, just a novella. Still, I’m counting it.

17. Book That Shocked You The Most

I’d say the book that shocked me the most was Half Bad by Sally Green. Why? It was just so disturbing violent at times! I think while reading YA you sort of come to expect that things won’t get too graphic, but this one didn’t shy away from going into the details when explaining the horrible life the MC has. [Half Bad review]

OTP of 2014 - Mik and ZuzanaNon-Romantic OTP of 2014 - Yukiko and BuruuFavorite Book from Returning Author - The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

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

There’s two main competitors for this title (the other being Finn and Em from All Our Yesterdays), but for me this has to go to Mik and Zuzana from Night of Cakes and Puppets. I don’t think it’s possible to NOT love these two, and reading their initial encounter via this novella? Just perfection. I think it’s my favorite Laini Taylor writing to date. [Night of Cake and Puppets review]

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

I didn’t even have to think for this one! My favorite non-romantic relationship of the year goes to Yukiko and Buruu from Stormdancer. Obviously Buruu is carrying this relationship, but Yukiko is pretty awesome herself. And I just love when books portray relationships between humans and animals (even if this one started off a bit rocky). So much love.

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2014 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

I have to give this one to The Raven Boys. Not only is it my favorite book from an author I’ve previously read, but it’s one in which an author pretty much did a 360 in my books! I went from avoiding Maggie Stiefvater to wanting more of her work. I’m not sure if I’m willing to try her other stuff yet (such as The Scorpio Races), but look forward to reading the rest of The Raven Cycle.

Best Book Read Based on Peer Pressure - The Raven Boys by Maggie StiefvaterFictional Crush of 2014 - Finn from All Our Yesterdays by Cristin TerrillBest Debut of 2014 - Red Rising by Pierce BrownBest Worldbuilding in 2014 - The Diviners by Libba Bray

21. Best Book You Read In 2014 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

I feel bad adding The Raven Boys so much to this list, but I think many of you will appreciate it’s inclusion. The Raven Boys is a book I fell in love with that I read SOLELY because of recommendations. You can actually thank Aditi and Sana for this, as I’m pretty sure I only read it after striking a deal with them that I would read The Raven Boys if they read Stormdancer.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2014?

I’m giving this one to Finn from All Our Yesterdays! I’m usually not big on fictional crushes, but that boy definitely won me over. He is sort of everything I go for in a boy in real life – protective, caring, loyal, but also somewhat broken. [All Our Yesterdays review]

23. Best 2014 debut you read?

I don’t think I read many books from authors that debuted in 2014. I know, I know. Bad blogger. Out of the two that I think I have (Half Bad and Red Rising), I’m going to give this one to Red Rising. I didn’t love this book, but I really enjoyed it and look forward to seeing what happens next. [Red Rising review]

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

Without a doubt this has to go to The Diviners by Libba Bray. If you want to read a book where you can just tell the author did tons of research and worked hard to create a believable world (one that was once real, as it’s historical fiction), read this book. I loved learning about New York in the 1920s through this book. So good.

Fun to Read in 2014 - Night of Cake and PuppetsMade Me Cry - The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick NessHidden Gem of 2014 - In the Shadows by Jim Di Bartolo and Kiersten White

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

I’m going to have to give this to Laini Taylor’s Night of Cake and Puppets. It’s the most feel-good, smile-inducing novella I’ve ever read. If you’re looking for something that makes you remember what it’s like to fall in love again, with all the shyness and uncertainty it involves, with a dash of magic, read this! (Though you should probably read the other Daughter of Smoke and Bone books first.)

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2014?

Don’t tell me you’re surprised that a Patrick Ness book found it’s way on here. I re-read The Knife of Never Letting Go this year and even though I already knew what was going to happen, I cried again. Damn you Patrick Ness for messing with my feels! [The Knife of Never Letting Go re-read review]

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

If there’s one book I loved this year that I didn’t feel got enough attention, one that was sort of hidden away, it’d be In the Shadows by Jim Di Bartolo and Kiersten White. The illustrations in this book are absolutely beautiful, and I love how they worked together with the text to tell the story. [In the Shadows review]

Book That Crushed my Soul in 2014 - Teeth by Hannah MoskowitzMost Unique Book Read in 2014 - Half Bad by Sally GreenBook That Made me Mad in 2014 - When Mr Dog Bites by Brian Conaghan

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

One book that definitely crushed my soul this year was Hannah Moskowitz’s Teeth. It was just so hard reading the tragic lives of the characters in the story, and that ending just punched me with all the feels. I remember finishing that book and DMing Cayce right away because I needed someone to talk to who would understand what I was going through. Soul-crushing, indeed. [Teeth review]

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2014?

I’d say one of the most unique books I read in 2014 was Half Bad. It’s the first book I’ve ever read that include second-person narration, and included a couple of lists and other fun things that made reading it different from other books.

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

A book that made me mad? When Mr Dog Bites. It’s one of my few one-star ratings, and I just don’t know how to fully describe how wrongly it rubbed me. I may have just been oversensitive while reading it, but ugh. No thanks. [When Mr Dog Bites review]


Your Blogging/Bookish Life


1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2014?

Now this is a hard one to answer, primarily because I can’t remember when I discovered most of the blogs I love. One day they appear, and it just sort of feels like I’ve been following them forever. I’d say the two that stick out to me the most though are Cait @ Paper Fury (previously Notebook Sisters) who is absolutely amazing at encouraging discussion (even her reviews read like discussion posts!) and Jess @ My Reading Dress who writes such interesting and thoughtful discussion posts and includes the most gorgeous pictures of books in her posts. Lots of love to both these ladies!

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2014?

I don’t know. I always feel like all my reviews are just so-so. O.o I guess I’d go with my Stormdancer review? You should read it, and then read the book. ;)

3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?

I’m actually going to go with two non-book-related posts: My Past with Depression and My Present with Depression. There’s a certain sort of peace that comes with acknowledging your problems and sharing them with others, and receiving the love and support of the community you’re in. To each and every person who read and commented on those posts: thank you.

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

Gosh, is it bad nothing jumps out to me?? Honestly, I feel like I read so. many. discussion posts each week because of our weekly recap that it really becomes a blur. I’m going to take the easy way out here and follow Kelley’s suit by encouraging you to check out our weekly recaps.

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

Is it bad to choose an event I helped hosted? :P I’m going to say Sci-Fi November 2014! It was a lot of work, but I was amazed by the quantity and quality of posts our participants pulled together, and was excited by the opportunity to run my first ever Twitter chat.

6. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2014?

Seriously? I should think it’s no surprise that my best blogging moment of 2014 was starting Oh, the Books! with Kelley (and Leanne)! Having co-bloggers has been an absolute lifesaver, and I honestly feel like it’s only forged a stronger friendship between Kelley and myself. I love her constant acceptance and support, and it’s just nice knowing that she’ll always have my back. (Love you Kelley!)

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

Haha, I’m going to cheat and copy Kelley’s response here.

  • Most popular by views (blog-wide): Asti’s YA Sci-Fi Periodic Table – You have no idea how excited this makes me, just because it took a lot of work to put together. I think Tumblr and Twitter contributed a lot of views to this post as the graphic made it highly shareable, so thanks to everyone who retweeted/reblogged!
  • Most popular by comments (blog-wide): Our Grand Opening post – Aww, how awesome is it that everyone took the time to congratulate us on our new blog? I’m definitely okay with this being our most popular post. (Though does that mean we’ve just gone downhill since? :O)

Note: The Bookish Games posts (as well as Kelley’s Game of Thrones rant) were excluded.

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

I can’t say any posts have received too little love. If anything, I’ve been slightly saddened this year by the difficulty Kelley and I have been having when it comes to getting enough Bookish Games participants, but I understand life happens. I’m hoping that we can still continue to get enough though, even if they’re smaller games, so we don’t have to cancel the feature altogether.

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

I honestly can’t think of any. :O I mean, there have been new book sites like Book Blogging and Literally, but I don’t really use either. Hm…

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

Let’s not even talk about reading challenges. I met my Goodreads one, but only because I dropped my goal by ten books halfway through the year and then read a bunch of novellas in November. I’ve decided I’m not doing reading challenges next year. Goodbye Reading Challenge page!


Looking Ahead


1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2014 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2015?

I’m going to say Kinslayer by Jay Kristoff. I want to read the sequels for series I’ve already started. (I have this bad habit of just starting more each year and never finishing them. Fail.) Let’s hope it doesn’t disappoint!

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2015 (non-debut)?

Like you had to ask? The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness, of course! I’m having withdrawal.

3. 2015 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

I actually don’t pay much attention to what’s coming out (I already have too many published books to read), but I’m going to go with Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard purely because one of the Goodreads reviews says “Two words: New Darkling”. Yes please!

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2015?

Oh, oh, oh! Fairest by Marissa Meyer! I’m actually anticipating it even more than Winter just because I love me some villains and am really curious to see how Marissa Meyer is going to explain Queen Levana’s cruelty. I hope she does it in a way that makes you empathize with Queen Levana and understand on some level why she is the way she is. I just. can’t. wait.

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2015?

Have my blog become a source of positivity in my life, instead of stress and guilt. I feel like during 2014 I made the first initial steps towards this as I slowly started to accept that I can’t do everything I used to, but I still feel like I have a long way to go. I want to get back into the groove of blogging for myself, and as a result, a sneaky little project I’ve been working on will be announced tomorrow. I’m hoping that it will help put me in a more positive place in 2015, and that my blogging at Oh, the Books! will benefit as a result.

6. A 2015 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:

Hahaha. This question assumes I’m a blogger that gets ARCs. I don’t. I’ve always been a blogger who is happy with reading the books that are already published and just trusting everyone else to do the dirty work for me. Sorry ;)


Did you complete the end of year survey? share the link! If you didn’t, let me know what some of your answers would be below!

Asti

Read 39 comments

  1. Your answers make me so happy because all I see is Vicious, The Raven Cycle, Stormdancer, Ruin and Rising and Dreams of Gods and Monsters . I pretty much love all of these books!

    I’m so excited to get to Kinslayer and the fourth (and final!) book of the The Raven Cycle.

    Also, I can’t believe I forgot to mention Fairest and Winter! I’m really torn but I’m anticipating them equally because I love me some villainy but then Snow White is my favorite princess. I’m happy that Fairest is releasing so soon, though! That quote/passage you mentioned made me realize (yet again) that I need to catch up on reading The Lunar Chronicles.

    Here’s to an awesome reading year!

  2. COULD THERE BE HINTS THROUGHOUT RAVEN BOYS, THIEVES AND BLUE LILY??? I kind of want to reread now but that may be detrimental to my “you’re on track” (mwahaha gotta love day one) sign on GR. And bah, why have I not read Stormdancer yet? Everyone raves on and on about it, I’ll add it to the list of things that must be read within 2015.

    And as much as I adore Stiefvater and her writing, I can’t bring myself to read any of her other works. The one with the werewolves is a no no for me because wolves and zombies are the two paranormal things that I can’t read, especially when there’s romance involved. I think I’m put off because well…they’d both give off a stink. And I’m really sensitive to scents. I’m kind of a hygiene freak and they’re both scream unhygienic.

    AND YES, SAY BYE TO READING CHALLENGES. I can’t Asti, I can’t commit to them. They stress the heck out of me. There’s absolutely no enjoyment at all because I obsess over the numbers and urgh.

    MWAHAHAHAHA SO YOU’VE SEEN THE NEW DARKLING SIGN I PUT UP. RED QUEEN. Oh god. That book was fantastic. Although, it was silly of me to read a 2015 book in 2014 because I spent the rest of the year pining for a sequel that’s coming in 2016. BUT NO REGRETS.

    AND OF COURSE, I’m getting teary, once again. I swear, that’s happened several times throughout today. Way to start of 2015 hahaha BUT SERIOUSLY. Asti, I’m so incredibly glad that I got to “know” you this year because YOU ARE AN AMAZING SOUL. And you have such a presence in the community and gah, let’s just hug this out <3

    • I don’t KNOW if there are hints, but I wouldn’t be surprised! Stiefvater seems to be quite tricksy. I’m sure there’s breadcrumbs all over that series for what will happen in the end. They probably just won’t be obvious until all is revealed! XP

      And yes, I do not blame you for reading her other books. I have heard good things about The Scorpio Races, so maybe someday I’ll give it ago, but I wouldn’t personally recommend The Wolves of Mercy Falls – ESPECIALLY if you do not like werewolves. It’s just ridiculous.

      YES! READ STORMDANCER! DOOOOOO IT! I am pretty sure I will have to disown you as a friend until you do ;)

      Yup, no reading challenges for me! I’m so over them. I even set my Goodreads goal for one book this year. :P

      Eek! As much as I want to read The Red Queen I probably will wait until later on in the year to give it a go just so I don’t have to suffer through the wait of the sequel like everyone else.

      And aw, you’re welcome! *hugs*

  3. Whew, four rereads, good for you :D I’m hoping to reread more books this year too.Key to that is being ahead with reviews so I don’t worry about all that stuff to much. Right now I’m ahead quite a bit, so I’m hoping to keep it that way (:

    I’m very excited about Fairest too! Honestly I just want the entire series to be out already so I can read them all after each other.

    Best wishes for the new year!

    • Haha thanks! If I weren’t so strongly set on rereading the Chaos Walking trilogy, I probably wouldn’t have made it, but I was determined to reread it this year since I felt awkward recommending it to everyone when I couldn’t remember most of it :P

      And yes, I’m ready for The Lunar Chronicles to be published in full! I’m excited to see how it will end. Such a good series :)

    • YES READ STORMDANCER ALYSSA! DO THIS FOR ME!

      haha. Okay. Got a little excited there.

      But yes, I do recommend it! I absolutely loved it. I will warn you that the first hundred pages or so may seem a bit slow, but once you get Buruu in the storyline it’s perfection.

  4. I cheated and did an abbreviated version of the survey: http://wp.me/p2ZSql-RV

    Some of those questions are just too hard! Especially the looking ahead section… like you, I don’t pay a ton of attention to what’s coming (unless it’s a favorite author), and then there’s the fact that I really don’t know what 2015 is going to be like for me! I just hope I’m still reading and blogging at all a year from now.

    (BTW, this is my first blog comment of 2015! So I guess the year is off to a good start!)

    • CHEATER! ;) Don’t blame you though. Between my inability to answer a question with one sentence and the length of this survey, this is quite a lot for readers to take in!

      I hope you’re still reading and blogging in 2015 as well! Though if for some reason you decide not to, I’ll support that to. Like you said, it’s hard to know what the year will bring! We just sort of have to roll with it.

      And aww, thanks for making your first comment of 2015 here at Oh, the Books! I think that’s the best way to start the year ;)

  5. I’m really keen to get a copy of Stormdancer this year because the Japanese parts of it seem right up my street. I’ve already got All Our Yesterdays on my shelf after your review of it!
    I agree with how awesome The Raven Boys is. I finished it on boxing day and loved all the twists and how confidant the writing is in terms of giving you all the clues right in your face.
    I love reading everyone’s answers to these surveys :3

    Happy New Year!!

    • Ooh yes! I hope you love both Stormdancer and All Our Yesterdays as much as I did! I do have to warn you on the Stormdancer end though: I loved the Japanese-inspired bits I read, but seeming as I’m pretty ignorant when it comes to Japanese culture I have no idea how representative it is. Hopefully it’s good though so you can fully enjoy it! :)

      Happy New Year Ren!

  6. I mentioned on my blog earlier today to you that just accepting that I can’t do everything I want, lifts the guilt for me. Hope it does the same for you too. It’s just not possible to comment on all the blogs; it is what it is!
    And yay for all the love for The Raven Boys! Sometimes the hype monster speaks the truth :)

    • Yes, we can only do what we can! It’s better to be proud of what we do achieve than hate on ourselves for what we don’t! As I’m done with school and work right now I’m taking the time to comment back and whatnot, trying to be better with it, but it won’t last. I’m still glad I’m at least giving it a go though!

      And yes, that hype monster was right this time, I can’t lie. I’m pretty excited to read the rest of the series.

  7. Funny, Dreams of Gods and monsters was my favorite installment from the series and I thought it was much better than the first book. I tried Stormdancer last year, but I wasn’t in the mood for it – I hope to pick it up again soon. Cress was so good and I can’t wait to read Vicious. Parasite was so creative and well researched, the author blew me away.

    • Yes, I think for many Dreams of Gods and Monsters was a crazy good book. I wanted it to be for me! But meh. It was just okay. But I guess that’s the beauty of being human. We all read books different ways and what works for one doesn’t always work for another!

      I hope if you try Stormdancer again you like it! I do think you have to be in the right mood to read it, especially as I don’t think it gets REALLY good until Buruu comes into the story about a hundred pages in.

      And yes! Vicious is so good! Can’t wait for you to read that either :)

  8. Looks like you’ve had a pretty good year of reading!
    I love The Raven Boys! I think I’m going to re-read it (as well as The Dream Thieves) before I dive into Blue Lily, Lily Blue. I haven’t read Stormdancer yet, but I really want to because I’ve heard so many awesome comments about it. I’m a sucker for any books involving Asian culture.

    • Ooh yes, enjoy your rereads if you do decide to reread The Raven Boys and The Dream Thieves! I think that is the best series to reread, just because you know Maggie is leaving breadcrumbs all over the books.

      And if you read Stormdancer I hope you love it! I have to admit I’m fairly ignorant of Asian culture so I really don’t know how well it represents it within the story, but I did like the bits that were inspired by the Japanese and thought it was awesome it wasn’t all western focused.

  9. I love that The Raven Boys shows up so much on your survey! :) I read The Raven Boys a while ago and recently started re-reading it so that I can read The Dream Thieves and Blue Lily, Lily Blue. Of course it is absolutely amazing and I adore it. Have you listened to the audiobook? I’m not someone who usually listens to audiobooks, but if you’re even considering giving them a try I strongly recommend it.

  10. So happy to see Vicious, Teeth and Death Note among your 2014 favorites. Most of the books you have listed are books I haven’t read (because fantasy books and me? ehem…) but it looks like you had a pretty good reading year :)

    Happy New Year, Asti! Hope 2015 will be a great year for you <3 (and I also hope that there will be many, many Games in 2015 :P

    • Yes, I think it was quite a good reading year! I only read like 40 books this year so to find 4 favorites out of 40 is pretty darn good in my book!

      I always forget you don’t like fantasy. Who are you? How can we be friends? haha.

      Happy New Year Cayce! Hope you have a great year too! And the Games? Well, I don’t know if there will be MANY of them, but there’s bound to be two or three. :P

  11. I have some of the books in your list ready to be read during 2015. I have great hopes for them. Specifically The Lotus War series, I own the first two. The Raven Cycle (I have all three that are out) and The Grisha. I also loved All Our Yesterdays which made my favourite lists as well. And I absolutely agree on Finn. I loved him. Great choice.

  12. Wow, Stormdancer was the best book you read in 2014? I REALLY need to bump that higher on my list, don’t I?! I’m glad I’ll be reading Ruin & Rising soon, too, since it’s all over your survey here. I ADORE that spoiler you shared as a favorite quote from a book — Cress & Thorne are two of my favorites! <3 Dang, and I really DO need to read All Our Yesterdays soon! Suddenly my audiobook queue is way too long for my liking. >_< Awwwwwwwww your best blogging moment! Seriously, if that wasn't my answer then I'm an idiot. I guess it just all feels so natural and so a PART of me now, that I find it hard to remember a time when we weren't so close. <3 I hope that blogging becomes a super positive thing for you this year too. We can do it, Asti!

    • YESSSSS KELLEY! READ ALL THE BOOKS I LOVE, BUT ONLY IF YOU LOVE THEM TOO! If you don’t end up loving them then don’t tell me you did, because I don’t think we can be friends then. haha, just kidding. If only it were that easy to get rid of me. ;)

      Yup, you’re an idiot. Your best blogging moment was participating in some blog tours! haha. But no, I know you’re happy to be blogging with me too. You don’t have to say it <3

      Yes, we must dominate 2015! And if we can't, well, at least we can cry together. :P

  13. Rereading Chaos Walking is aweful! I cry even more than the last time every time I reread it. When I first reread it I thought I was prepared for all that’s going to happen, but NOPE!

    I definitely read Stormdancer because of you! :D And I’m SOO glad I did! I loved the whole series so much. Baruu is awesome with his sarcasm and Baruu + Yukiko are just <3 I can't wait to read more books of his. (hurry up with reading Kinslayer AND Endsinger! I need to talk! :D)

    You "only" started the blog in March last year? Feels like it has been there a lot longer (but it always feels this way with blogs I guess :D)

    THE REST OF US JUST LIVE HERE! YES! IS IT AUGUST YET??

    • Haha, no. It doesn’t matter that you know what’s going to happen next. It still packs ALL THE FEELS!

      Ooooh I love that you read Stormdancer because of me, but then also feel slightly like a slacker because you then went on to read the rest of the series and I haven’t! haha. Fail. Don’t worry, when I do finally read them I will definitely come to you with all my feels. I think I’m going to start Kinslayer in February. Have to wait until the move back home >.< IT NEEDS TO BE AUGUST NOW! I swear, Crini, you're like one of my bookish soulmates.

  14. I’m excited to see that you loved The Raven Boys so much :) I’ve been eyeing it up since I’ve seen it around a lot so I’m glad to see it’s one of your favorites of the year!!!

    I hope you have an awesome year in 2015 Asti, and I look forward to following your personal blog too <3

  15. fjsaklfds I FEEL SO HONOURED RIGHT NOW. *tackles hugs you* And I am a causality of your raves about Stormdancer. XD SO glad I read it…woah to that world building and I need to get myself a Baruu. Seriously. Why can’t I have a Baruu? Our humours would fit together so so well. *happy sigh*
    I JUST FINISHED RED QUEEN. x)
    I pretty much need Marissa Meyer’s books LIKE I NEED AIR.

    • You deserve it! Definitely a fan of your blog, even if you’re strong competition ;)
      And yayy, another Stormdancer convert! I agree, Buruu is awesome and has the GREATEST sense of humor. I would be BEST FRIENDS with him.
      Did you love Red Queen? I feel like I’ve only heard good things. I’m going to try and hold off on reading it until the end of the year though just so I don’t have to suffer while waiting for the sequel to come out like everyone else :P

  16. It’s too bad you didn’t find Dreams of Gods & Monsters to your liking. I read the second and third book in 2014. Thanks for reminding me about Night of Cake & Puppets, though. I still haven’t read that one; I need to break out my dictionary and remedy that (am I the only one who has to look up every second word in Laini Taylor’s books? I’m not complaining, though… she writes beautifully).

    • Ooh yes, if you love Laini Taylor’s writing you MUST read Night of Cake and Puppets. It’s my favorite companion story I’ve ever read! :) And haha, I don’t use a dictionary while reading Taylor’s work but I think that’s just because I assume my brain can figure out what she’s saying in the context of the rest of her sentence. I’m never patient enough to put down a book to look up a word :P

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