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Thursday, December 31, 2020

Survey: End of the Year Survey || 2020 Edition

This survey was created by Jamie over at Perpetual Page Turner. I love doing this post, I haven't done it every year because sometimes life gets away from me. But since this year has been terrible in general, I've been waiting and checking every week of the month for the questions and the link up.



**2020 READING STATS**

Number Of Books You Read: ~70
Number of Re-Reads: 3
Genre You Read The Most From: Fantasy (this is unlikely to ever change)



1. Best Book You Read In 2020?
(If you have to cheat — you can break it down by genre if you want or 2020 release vs. backlist)
    New Release: The Burning God by RF Kuang. I read all three books in this series nearly back to back. Not sure if that was the best thing to do, as I was a little emotionally destroyed by the end of it all.
Backlist: Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas, it took me about half the year to read, because the physical book is so G.D. heavy and I have noodle arms. It wasn't until I borrowed the eBook from the library that I was able to finish it in a matter of days. 

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
I loved the first book in this series. And I loved the first half of this book, but when things started focusing a little too much on the romance between Molly and Fitz, I just didn't care anymore. There were other much more, in my opinion, important things going on. Pressing matters of betrayals and an outside threat. But all Fitz was thinking about was how to be with Molly... he was honestly being very selfish and I started to hate him a little for it. 

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?  
This book took a bit for me to get fully invested with what was going on. There was some narrative choices at that start of the book that felt like exposition. But once things picked up, they picked up. And I am very much looking forward to where this series goes.

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?
I only nagged one person to read this, a friend of mine who hasn't been reading in the past few years, she used to be a big fiction reader but when she started college a few years back she just stopped reading fiction... so for the past couple years I've been slowly trying to get her to read more again and I finally got her back into fantasy with Nevermoor. 

5. Best series you started in 2020? Best Sequel? Best Series Ender of 2020?
The cheating answer would be The Poppy War series, since I read all three books, but I'm not gonna do that. I read quite a few this year.

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2020?
    R.F. Kuang 
The way she writes fantasy, is so different from all other fantasy I've ever read. I can't wait to read what she writes next.

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
Since I still read around 90% fantasy, this is one of barely a handful of non-fantasy books I read this year. But it really was one of the best books I've read this year.

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
    Because this year has been a mess, I was in and out of so many reading slumps, the one that lasted all of October and into November was the longest and was finally broken after reading Legendborn (Legendborn #1) by Tracy Deonn

9. Book You Read In 2020 That You Would Be MOST Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
I kind of need to re-read it. I wasn't really in the right headspace to read it, when I did. 

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2020?
   Hands down 
I got an ARC of this, but I really want a finished copy. I need to know if that dragon is embossed, I hope it is.

11. Most memorable character of 2020?
    I'm starting to sound like a broken Record, but Rin from The Poppy War. She is by far the most interesting and complex character in any book I've ever read.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2020?
There is just something about Laini Taylor's writing that speaks to my soul. I will read anything she writes.

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2020?
This was the book that taught me that I actually do like Historical Fiction, I just need to search for authors who's writing that I like.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited until 2020 to finally read? 
There's a few, but...
I feel like this is a book I had on my shelf for the longest.

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2020?
    “There are other ways of showing someone you love them, such as fetching them out of Hell.”
― Laini Taylor, Lips Touch: Three Times    

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2020?
    Longest: Kingdom of Ash - 989

    Shortest: Little Birds - 48

17. Book That Shocked You The Most
(Because of a plot twist, character death, left you hanging with your mouth wide open, etc.)
    Everything in all three books of the Poppy War series did all of that to me.     

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)
    Never thought this would happen but, Jude and Carden
    
19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year
    Rin and Kitay

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2020 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

21. Best Book You Read In 2020 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure/Bookstagram, Etc.:
    The Poppy War, pretty much everybody was talking about it, so I had to know what was up. I don't get many direct recommendations, so sometimes I read books that I hear a lot of people talking about.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2020?
    Don't really have one.

23. Best 2020 debut you read?

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
    The Poppy War series. 
This book series works as the answer for so many questions...

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?
Some of the darker themes in this book aside, I adore Laini Taylor's writing so much that it fills me with joy when I read her books.

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2020?
I have a category on my goodreads for books that made me cry, and this was one of two books that made me cry. I don't remember what it was that made me cry though.

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?
I got this from NetGalley and on there it was labeled for being released this year, in November, but according to Goodreads, it came out in 2018. Either way, it doesn't nearly have enough reviews. It's really good.

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?
Just, that ending... I wasn't expecting that.

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2020?
I plan on re-reading this at some point. My reading experience wasn't great the first time around I had a lot going on at the time, and there was some mutilation involving eyes at the start of the book and it kind of freaked me out because that's a phobia of mine, but knowing that it's there might make it easier for me to read.

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
    Nothing really made me 'mad', but the sequel to Onyx & Ivory, Shadow & Flame, was such a massive let down that I donated Onyx and Ivory. For a two book series, book 2 felt like it should have been book three. With three time-jumps by the time Chapter one started... it just wasn't what I wanted the sequel to be. ( Looking for the first book's review, I seemed to have forgotten to write it initially. I read it back in late December/early January... oops)


1. New favorite book blog/Bookstagram/Youtube channel you discovered in 2020?
    Jess Owens, she does the Book CommuniTEA. There are others, but I think I started following them late 2019. This year feels like it's lasted a decade.

2. Favorite post you wrote in 2020?
    I never have an answer for this question...

3. Favorite bookish related photo you took in 2020?
    I don't take that many bookish photos, or photos in general.

4. Best bookish event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events,  etc.)?
    N/A

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2020?
    Any time I was able to post consistently felt like an accomplishment this year. 

6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?
    Finding the motivation to read. I had more time than ever to read this year, but almost no energy or motivation to read.

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?
    The post that got the most views is my review for Black Sun. 

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?
    Most of my reviews still don't get as many views as my other non-review posts.

9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?
    Juniper Books, their custom dust Jackets are something I wish were in my budget to get for some books that I own.

10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?
    I didn't really set any.    


1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2020 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2021?
I re-started Dresden Files this year, and started Game of Thrones, and want to continue.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2021 (non-debut)?

3. 2021 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
    Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart (April 20th, 2021)
It sounds amazing, and the cover is gorgeous. I requested this on NetGalley, but got denied.
This one also sounds amazing, and I cant' wait to read it.

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2021?
    
5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2021?
    More consistency. That isn't always something that's in my control, but I would like to try harder at being more consistent with reading and reviewing.

6. A 2021 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone (if applicable):
This book is just so good

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