|End of the Year Book Survey| Part One - Best in Books

Actually I can’t believe this 2014 is going to be over so soon. I feel like I just started 10^th grade, but it’s I’m almost done with the first semester. In a one month I have to choose with subjects I want to do in 11^th and 12^th grade and in which I want to be examined. And after that I have to be an adult, I have to go to study and to get a job, live my own life. It’s kind of terrifying, but I think I have over two more years in school left, so I think I’ll have enough time to come up with some plans for the future.

But now I’m going to sum up my reading year 2014. I found some really good surveys, especially English ones, but a great German one as well. My favorite ones were those from A Daily Prophecy and Tanjas Rezensionen. If you want to see their original posts I’ll link them on their names. I think I’m going to mix it up, so that I’m able to answer all those questions I want to answer.

Number of books you read: 119. It was my goal to read about 120 books this year. I hope I can read 6 more books before the end of the year, because it would be awesome to beat my goal.

Number of Re-Reads: 7

Genre you read the most from: I think it was Fantasy. Or Dystopian. Maybe both.

I really had to stop myself to mention only the books I mentioned like a thousand times before *cough* Shatter me *cough*. So I hope I managed it to talk about as many different books as possible.

         Best Book You Read In 2014?

That’s the most difficult question ever. I read a bunch of good books in 2014, and even if I split it off into genres, like Mel did, it’s hard to find only one book

Fairytale: Cruel Beauty and Cress (It’s NOT cheating! :D)
Fantasy: Crown of Midnight and Siege and Storm (Again: NOT cheating!)
Paranormal: Vicious

Dystopian: Ignite me

Post-Apocalyptic: The 5^th Wave
Contemporary: Love Letter to the Dead
Middle Grade: Die Wahrheit wie Delly sie sieht

Historical: Devil on Horseback

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

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo. I loved the two previous books of the Grischa trilogy and was so excited how anything would end up. But unfortunately was very disappointed about the ending. I don’t think it was the best way to let this great trilogy end. I didn’t like the situation in the book when I said good-bye to the story.

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

Shatter me by Tahereh Mafi. I heard incredible things about this book but I always was like: Uh, I don’t think I would like that kind of book. Anyway, I end up reading and loving it. Shatter me was such a great trilogy, beautifully written and with great character (development). I recommend this book to everyone who likes well written books and great character.

4.       Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did) In 2014?

After I finally finished the Shatter me series I think I was quite eager to push as many people as possible to read it. My mom did and she didn’t like Warner AT ALL! I don’t know have this could have happened. I mean…we are talking about WARNER?!

You don’t know who Warner is? What are you doing here? Go to the next bookstore as soon as possible and buy this book and read it. Now. :D

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

The best series I started in 2014 was the Throne of Glass series. It was just another series everyone was talking about and when Heir of Fire came out I had to give this series a shot. And I really loved it!

The best sequel was Cress, book 3 in the Lunar Chronicles. I love the series so much and it turned out that Cress is my favorite book in the series. I’m so excited for Winter now!

The best series I started and finished in 2014 was the Shatter me series. It was just so good!

6.       Favorite new author you discovered in 2014?

That’s unfair! I loved the writing by Tahereh Mafi, but I was amazed by Sarah J. Maas’ great fantasy story. So I think I’ll name both of them, because they write amazing books and I can’t wait to get my hands on their new releases.

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

I don’t used to read Historical fiction, but The Book Thief is one of my favorite books of all the time. But when my mom got my an English Histrocial Novel with a very cheap looking cover (guys, the cover is horrible!) and a story that sounded very out of my comfort zone, I was like: “I’d never read a book like that!”. But when we visited my aunt last weekend it was the only books I had with me, because my kindle battery was low and I hadn’t took a charging cable with me. So I had to read “the Devil on Horseback” and it wasn’t bad at all! There were a lot of interesting facts about the French revolution, a strong story about friendship and a likeable female protagonist. The only thing that bothered me was the love triangle, because I didn’t like a single male person in this book.

All in all I think I’ll pick up a historical novel more often.

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

I’m not going to say Shatter me :D I think The 5^th wave was a very thrilling book, but I didn’t read it that fast. Books I read in like one sitting were Obsidian, Devil on Horseback, Cruel Beauty, Ignite me, Pawn, Cress and Light and Darkness, but they weren’t that action-packed at all. So, the 5^th wave was very thrilling, so I think I’ll choose this book.

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

I think when Winter will be released I might have been re-reading the Lunar Chronicles for another five times. And like every year I’m going to re-read a Harry Potter book or two and maybe the Book Thief around Christmas time.

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

Easy: Show me a cover that is more beautiful than this:

11. Most memorable character of 2014?

Warner from the Shatter me series. ;)

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2014?

Shatter me (again..). This book is so beautifully written!

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

Hmm… I don’t think there’s a book who changed my life that much…

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

Shatter me and Throne of Glass! Why didn’t I pick them up earlier? They were amazing!

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

“Books are easily destroyed but word will liveas long as people can remember them” and “And maybe what growing up really means is knowing that you don't have to be just a character, going whichever way the story says. It's knowing you could be the author instead“

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?

Shortest: The little android by Marissa Meyer (40 pages)

Longest: Cress by Marissa Meyer (652 pages)

17. Book That Shocked You The Most:

Der Kinderdieb by Brom was a very shocking book. It was very brutally and vulgar and although the story was brilliant, I think it was a bit too rough sometimes.

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

I think I’ll name 5 new OTP’s:

1.       WARNETT – Warner and Juliette from the Shatter me series

2.       Celaena/Chaol from the Throne of Glass series

3.       Cress/Thorne, Cinder/Kai and Scarlet/Wolf….all from the Lunar Chronicles

4.       Rose/Dimitri from the Vampire Academy Series

5.       Light/Dante from Light and Darkness

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year:

The friendship between Stormhond and Alina in the Grischa Series.

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

The only book I was able to read before it was released was The Queen of the Tearling and I liked it pretty much, so I’m going to pick this one.

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

WhittyNovels, one of my favorite Booktube Channels, is talking about Shatter me all the time, so I decided to give it a shot.

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

WARNER from the Shatter me Series!

23. Best 2014 debut you read?

I think it was Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge, although I hated the ending, the first 294 pages were s freaking good!

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

Without a doubt, Ravka from the Grischa Series. This world was so amazing and one of the main reasons why I loved this book some much. If I could visit one fictional world for a day, I would go to Ravka.

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

Nennt mich nichtIsmael was one of those books you read and you feel happy. It was so adorable and cute!

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

Call me sensitive but I think there are barely one or two books which didn’t made me cry. I cry in nearly every books I read, but Love Letter to the Dead was a book were I cried much more than I usually do.

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

I don’t, maybe “Devil on Horseback” :D I know it looks terrible, but it was really not that bad!

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. The ending destroyed me. It crushed me heart.

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2014?

I would say Shatterme because of the writing style.

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

Wo immer du bist. HATED THIS BOOK!

Thurday I'll fill out the second part!