2013 End of Year Book Survey: Part 1

I wasn't sure I'd write an end of year book post, but, I've been inspired by Books and Movies (who got this from Avid Reader).

Number of books read in 2013: 143

1. Best Book You Read In 2013? The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (my review here).  It was so good that, when I got 3/4 of the way through, I started over so I could have another experience of reading it without knowing the ending. 

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?  Tongues of Serpents - Naomi Novik (#6 in the Temeraire series).  I've loved all the others in this series (which is sort of Master and Commander with dragons), but this one, which takes place in Australia, didn't strike me as much.  

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013?  I didn't know anything at all about The Night Circus before I read it.  My daughter gave it to me for Christmas last year so I thought it would be good, but I had no idea that I'd love it as much as I do.  

4. Book you read in 2013 that you recommended to people most in 2013? The Night Circus

5. Best series you discovered in 2013?  Bartimaus series by Jonathan Stroud

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2013?  Erin Morgenstern.  I read her blog while waiting for her next book.

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you? I didn't read any that really fit this.  The closest I came was Summerland by Michael Chambon.  It's fantasy, but it includes baseball, and I'm not a sports person.  Still, I enjoyed it, and baseball was woven in well.

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2013?  Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

9. Book You Read In 2013 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?  Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.  This one's kind of cheating because I read it about once a year.    

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2013?  Do you know how difficult it has been to NOT answer every question with The Night Circus?  It is now my favorite book.  Ever.  

11. Most memorable character in 2013? Bartimaeus from the Baritmaeus series

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2013?  Guess.  It is beautiful. [Clue:  #'s 1, 3, 4, 5, and 10]

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2013? Yes.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2013 to finally read?  Twisting the Rope by R.A. MacAvoy.  It's the sequel to one of my favorite books, Tea With the Black Dragon, which I first read many years ago.  I'm not sure why it took my so long to read the sequel.  

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2013?  I don't have the book in front of me, but I love the quote from Good Omens about all tapes left in the car long enough metamorphose into Queen's Greatest Hits.  

16.Shortest and Longest Book You Read In 2013?

Shortest:  Mount Mitchell:  Its Railroad and Toll Road (86 pages)

Longest:  The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers (704 pages)

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? There were lots of these, but I'll choose the climactic scene in City of Dark Magic by Magnus Flyte.

I will post the rest tomorrow (hopefully).

 

Comments

[Carrie K.]

Okay, between my sister raving about the audio edition, and you answering just about every question with The Night Circus, I will definitely be reading it (or listening to it) in 2014!

[M Light]

And I still have almost half the questions to go! I haven't looked ahead to see how many more times I'll answer that way. :)

[Laurie]

Well, I guess I know which book I'll bump to the top of my reading list - LOL!

[M Light]

Enjoy! :)