Bloggin' 'bout Books: 12/31/12

I saw this fun end-of-the-year book survey over at The Perpetual Page-Turner and decided to try it on my own blog. Did you do the same? Leave me a link and I'll check it out!

1. Best Book You Read In 2012? (You can break it down by genre if you want)

Adult (any genre): Bones Are Forever by Kathy Reichs

YA Dystopian/Sci Fi/Fantasy: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi and Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Ya Contemporary: How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr and The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Middle Grade: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

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

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray—I was expecting more of a action/adventure and survival story and got a satire, which I would have still liked except that it got very raunchy. The raunch really got in the way of the story for me. Hate that.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2012?

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green—I've read a million cancer stories and was expecting this to be the same kind of predictable, melodramatic tearjerker as all the rest. It wasn't. Not melodramatic and predictable, anyway.

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2012?

Probably The Fault in Our Stars by John Green or Cinder by Marissa Meyer

5. Best series you discovered in 2012?

Gosh, there are so many, but here are my Top 3 (in no particular order): Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi; The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer; and The Shades of London by Maureen Johnson

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2012?

Maureen Johnson, John Green, Veronica Rossi, Marissa Meyer, N.C. Allen

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

Nothing's coming to mind, although I started Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand yesterday. It's a non-fiction book about war, which isn't something I read often, but it's really holding my interest.

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2012?

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

9. Book You Read In 2012 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year:

I very, very rarely re-read books, so probably none of them.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2012?

I don't pay that much attention to covers, but I thought the one for How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr was particularly striking.

11. Most memorable character in 2012?

Augustus Waters from The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I adored him.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2012?

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr—it made me laugh, it made me cry ...

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2012?

Impactful? Hmmm ... Probably The Girls Who Went Away by Ann Fessler. Very eye-opening book about teenage pregnancy and adoption before Roe v. Wade.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2012 to finally read?

The List by Melanie Jacobson

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2012?

Uh, does everything that came out of Augustus Waters' (The Fault in Our Stars) mouth count?

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2012?

Longest — Probably Nightingale by David Farland. It was HUGE and totally not worth the read.

Shortest — The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate maybe?

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

Totally the surprise twist in Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. I did not see that coming! Also, the very ending of Defending Jacob by William Landay. Didn't see that coming either.

18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2012 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).

Augustus Waters and Hazel Lancaster from The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Aria and Roar from Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2012 From An Author You Read Previously

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult or Bones are Forever by Kathy Reichs

20. Best Book You Read That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:

Probably Defending Jacob by William Landay

Book Blogging/Reading Life in 2012 (optional)

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2012?

Too many to name, but a few that come to mind are: Under a Gray Sky; The Perpetual Page-Turner; Pretty Books

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2012?

Drawing a blank here ...

3. Best discussion you had on your blog?

My Mormon Mentions feature often sparks some good discussion.

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

Um, gosh ... I can't think of anything. I've stayed WAY out of all the recent book blogging drama, so not that. I guess I'd have to say the Unpopular YA Opinions post over at YA Librarian Tales. I didn't agree with most of what Sarah said, but it was interesting to read everyone's responses.

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

Probably the LDS Storymakers Conference. I got to spend time with awesome authors like Kimberley Griffiths Little and Melanie Jacobson. I also attended classes/lectures by more great writers: Elana Johnson, Kiersten White, Janette Rallison, etc.

6. Best moment of book blogging in 2012?

Getting to meet some of my favorite book bloggers in person.

(From l to r): Melissa from One Librarian's Book Review; Me (I'm about 60 lbs. skinnier in real life—okay, in my dreams); Suey from It's All About Books and Gaye from Inside A Book

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

This is kind of sad, but my most popular posts are those that include giveaways. The one for Smart Move, Melanie Jacobson's newest, was especially well-visited.

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

Um, how 'bout all of them? I love reading comments :)

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

Definitely my Kindle Fire. I held off getting an e-reader, but I'm so glad I finally did.

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

I failed at the only goal I set (reading 200 books). Oh well, there's always next year!

Looking Ahead…

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2012 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2013?

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. I started it yesterday.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2013?

Orleans by Sherri L. Smith. I've got the ARC, but am waiting to read it until closer to the book's pub date.

3. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2013?

Well, I really, really, really want to reach my goal of reading 200 books in a year, just so I can say I did it. Besides that, I just want to keep writing reviews, entertaining my readers and finding awesome new book blogs to read.

How would you answer these questions?

As 2012 slowly slips away, I've been looking back at my year here at BBB. It's been a good one and I thank all of you for that. I appreciate all the comments, recommendations, laughs and love you've given me over the last 12 months. You are the reason I enjoy blogging so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Oddly enough, this has not been a stellar year for me numbers-wise, even though I feel like I've spent every spare moment of 2012 reading. Although I vowed to conquer 200 books this year, I only managed to read 157. That's 29 less than last year! I know. It's weird. I've been racking my brain trying to figure out what happened and I think I've figured out the problem—my Kindle Fire. Yes, it has helped me finish books, but it's also hindered me. Why? In a word, apps. I'm totally addicted to Words With Friends, Scramble With Friends, DropWords, etc. They're very distracting. Oh well. They're fun and I'm not giving them up. So there.

Here's how my 2012 reading broke down:

I read 157 books. Of those:

147 (94%) were fiction; 10 (6%) were non-fiction
76 (49%) were adult books; 62 (39%) were YA; and 19 (12%) were middle grade
89 (57%) were review books; 38 (24%) were borrowed from the library; 17 (12%) came from my own bookshelves; 11 (7%) were sent to me for contest judging; and 2 (1%) were manuscripts I read for friends
34 (22%) were e-books; 1 was an audiobook
111 (71%) were written by females; 39 (25%) by males; and 6 (4%) by teams of both females and males
49 (31%) were written by LDS authors

Reading Challenges at which I Failed Spectacularly:

Reading Challenges at which I Didn't Do So Terribly:

50 States Challenge 2012

(Because I was doing this challenge, I kept track of the states where each of the books I read this year took place. Just for fun, here's the Top 5: California (9 books); Utah (6 books); Iowa (4 books); Tie between Arkansas, Florida, New York, North Carolina and Washington (3 books); Tie between Virginia, New Mexico, Minnesota, Michigan, Massachusetts, Illinois, and Arizona (2 books)

Reading Challenges at which I Totally Rocked:

Read 'Em All 2011 Finalists Challenge (Whitney Awards)

Before I list all the books I read this year, I wanted to let you know what will (hopefully) be happening around here in the next few weeks. I'm going to be catching up on reviews (I'm 13 behind—gulp!); updating my Pages (All Reviews, LDS Authors, Baby Steps, etc.); joining a couple of challenges (because I'm so dang awesome at completing them); and cleaning up my sidebars (so they'll look all pretty for the new year). I'm going to have lots of fun stuff coming up in 2013, so stick with me, won't you?

Happy New Year!

BOOKS READ IN 2012 (ASTERISKS DENOTE FAVORITES)

157. MIND GAMES BY KIERSTEN WHITE
156. THE IMPLOSION OF AGGIE WINCHESTER BY LARA ZIELIN
155. THROUGH THE EVER NIGHT BY VERONICA ROSSI*
154. The fire horse girl by kay honeyman*
153. BAKER TOWNS BY JENNIFER HAIGH
152. NUTCRACKER BY E.T.A. HOFFMAN
151. LONE WOLF BY JODI PICOULT*
150. SPEECHLESS BY HANNAH HARRINGTON
149. IBOY BY KEVIN BROOKS
148. THE LOVELY SHOES BY SUSAN SHREVE
147. DISTANT WAVES BY SUZANNE WEYN
146. THE MADNESS UNDERNEATH BY MAUREEN JOHNSON*
145. THE 13TH DAY OF CHRISTMAS BY JASON F. WRIGHT
144. THE RITES AND WRONGS OF JANICE WILLS BY JOANNA PEARSON
143. ON THE ROAD TO MR. MINEO'S BY BARBARA O'CONNOR
142. ALL FALL DOWN BY JULIE COULTER BELLON
141. BEAUTY QUEENS BY LIBBA BRAY
140. THE NAME OF THE STAR BY MAUREEN JOHNSON*
139. DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: THE THIRD WHEEL BY JEFF KINNEY
138. THE RENT COLLECTOR BY CAMRON WRIGHT
137. NIGHTINGALE BY DAVID FARLAND
136. THE EPIC TALES OF A MISFIT HERO BY MATT PETERSON
135. SCARLET BY MARISSA MEYER*
134. CINDER BY MARISSA MEYER*
133. IDEAL HIGH BY VALERIE IPSON (MY FRIEND'S W.I.P.)
132. BREATHE BY SARAH CROSSAN
131. NINTH WARD BY JEWELL PARKER RHODES
130. OUT OF THE EASY BY RUTA SEPETYS*
129. BREAKING STALIN'S NOSE BY EUGENE VELCHIN
128. SMART MOVE BY MELANIE JACOBSON
127. ONE CRAZY SUMMER BY RITA WILLIAMS-GARCIA
126. SHADOWS BY ILSA J. BICK
125. STORY OF A GIRL BY SARA ZARR
124. TEN BY GRETCHEN MCNEIL
123. SISTER BY ROSAMUND LUPTON
122. HOW TO SAVE A LIFE BY SARA ZARR*
121. PRIMAL BY D.A. SERRA
120. BROKEN HARBOR BY TANA FRENCH*
119. VICTORIOUS WOMAN! BY ANNMARIE KELLY
118. TRANSCENDENCE BY C.J. OMOLOLU
117. THE TURNING BY FRANCINE PROSE
116. THE INFINITY RING: A MUTINY IN TIME BY JAMES DASHNER
115. THE AGE OF MIRACLES BY KAREN THOMPSON WALKER
114. DITCHED: A LOVE STORY BY ROBIN MELLOM
113. THE FAULT IN OUR STARS BY JOHN GREEN*
112. DEFENDING JACOB BY WILLIAM LANDAY
111. NEVER ENOUGH BY DENISE JADEN
110. UNWHOLLY BY NEAL SHUSTERMAN*
109. COME AUGUST, COME FREEDOM BY GIGI AMATEAU
108. REAL INTIMACY BY KRISTIN B. HODSON, ALISHA B. WORTHINGTON & THOMAS G. HARRISON
107. SULAN; EPISODE 1: THE LEAGUE BY CAMILLE PICOTT
106. DON'T TURN AROUND BY MICHELLE GAGNON
105. STANDING UP IN A SIT-DOWN WORLD BY MERRILEE BOYACK
104. ELIZABETH AND HAZEL: TWO WOMEN OF LITTLE ROCK BY DAVID MARGOLICK
103. SAFEKEEPING BY KAREN HESSE
102. ARTICLE 5 BY KRISTEN SIMMONS
101. THE HOMECOMING OF SAMUEL LAKE BY JENNY WINGFIELD
100. WAR HORSE BY MICHAEL MORPURGO
99. GONE GIRL BY GILLIAN FLYNN*
98. WONDER BY R.J. PALACIO
97. THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ME BY KAREN RIVERS
96, THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN BY KATHERINE APPLEGATE*
95. THE ART FORGER BY B.A. SHAPIRO*
94. A NEST FOR CELESTE BY HENRY COLE
93. TWITTERPATED BY MELANIE JACOBSON
92. THE HOLLOW CITY BY DAN WELLS*
91. AMERICAN GHOST BY JANIS OWENS*
90. AMELIA ANNE IS DEAD AND GONE BY KAT ROSENFIELD
89. THE LINE BETWEEN HERE AND GONE BY ANDREA KANE
88. HOMESICK BY KATE KLISE
87. THE COVE BY RON RASH
86. THE DEADLY SISTER BY ELIOT SCHREFER
85. THIS IS NOT A TEST BY COURTNEY SUMMERS*
84. ORIGIN BY JESSICA KHOURY
83. ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD BY KENDARE BLAKE*
82. THE SOLDIER'S WIFE BY JOANNA TROLLOPE
81. AN UNMARKED GRAVE BY CHARLES TODD
80. THE KEEPER OF THE CHRISTMAS TREES BY TAMARA PASSEY (MY FRIEND'S WIP)
79. BONES ARE FOREVER BY KATHY REICHS*
78. BUTTER BY ERIN JADE LANGE
77. THE MISADVENTURES OF MAUDE MARCH BY AUDREY COULOUMBIS (AUDIOBOOK)
76. SAFE WITHIN BY JEAN REYNOLDS PAGE
75. ONE BREATH AWAY BY HEATHER GUDENKAUF
74. WAITING BY CAROL LYNCH WILLIAMS
73. A BITTER TRUTH BY CHARLES TODD*
72. SLIDE BY JILL HATHAWAY
71. THE WAY WE FALL BY MEGAN CREWE
70. AN IMPARTIAL WITNESS BY CHARLES TODD*
69. A DUTY TO THE DEAD BY CHARLES TODD*
68. SAVING RUTH BY ZOE FISHMAN
67. PARTIALS BY DAN WELLS*
66. BECOMING BAYLEY BY SUSAN AUTEN
65. CODE NAME VERITY BY ELIZABETH WEIN
64. BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY BY RUTYA SEPETYS
63. MY NEW AMERICAN LIFE BY FRANCINE PROSE
62. FEAR BY MICHAEL GRANT*
61. KEEPSAKE BY KRISTINA RIGGLE
60. PANDEMONIUM BY LAUREN OLIVER
59. 13 CURSES BY MICHELLE HARRISON
58. 13 TREASURES BY MICHELLE HARRISON
57. ASHEN WINTER BY MIKE MULLIN
56. ASHFALL BY MIKE MULLIN
55. ACCEPTABLE LOSS BY ANNE PERRY
54. BLOODBORNE BY GREGG LUKE
53. SMOKESCREEN BY TRACI HUNTER ABRAMSON
52. REARVIEW MIRROR BY STEPHANIE BLACK
51. ISABELLE WEBB: PHARAOH'S DAUGHTER BY N.C. ALLEN*
50. ISABELLE WEBB: LEGEND OF THE JEWEL BY N.C. ALLEN*
49. IF I SHOULD DIE BY JENNIE HANSEN
48. FIRES OF JERUSALEM BY MARILYN BROWN
47. DAUGHTER OF HELAMAN BY MISTY MONCUR
46. BEING LARA BY LOLA JAYE
45. MISS DELACOURT HAS HER DAY BY HEIDI ASHWORTH
44. LETTERS IN THE JADE DRAGON BOX BY GALE SEARS
43. EMERALD CITY BY ALICIA K. LEPPERT
42. BORROWED LIGHT BY CARLA KELLY*
41. COUNT DOWN TO LOVE BY JULIE N. FORD
40. NOT MY TYPE BY MELANIE JACOBSON
39. CAPTIVE HEART BY MICHELE PAIGE HOLMES
38. MISS DELACOURT SPEAKS HER MIND BY HEIDI ASHWORTH
37. THE LIST BY MELANIE JACOBSON
36. SHOWOFF BY GORDON KORMAN
35. A NIGHT OF BLACKER DARKNESS BY DAN WELLS*
34. I DON'T WANT TO KILL YOU BY DAN WELLS
33. NO ANGEL BY THERESA SNEED
32. THE ALLOY OF LAW BY BRANDON SANDERSON*
31. THE WEDDING LETTERS BY JASON F. WRIGHT
30. THE EVOLUTION OF THOMAS HALL BY KIETH MERRILL
29. BEFORE I SAY GOODBYE BY RACHEL ANN NUNES
28. GIFTED BY KAREY WHITE
27. THE HERO OF AGES BY BRANDON SANDERSON*
26. THE WALK: MILES TO GO BY RICHARD PAUL EVANS
25. THE WALK BY RICHARD PAUL EVANS
24. THE LOST GATE BY ORSON SCOTT CARD
23. PRIDE & POPULARITY BY JENNI JAMES
22. MY UNFAIR GODMOTHER BY JANETTE RALLISON*
21. SHIFTING BY BETHANY WIGGINS
20. SLAYERS BY C.J. HILL
19. WITH A NAME LIKE LOVE BY TESS HILMO
18. WHY I'M A MORMON BY JOSEPH A. CANNON, ED.
17. GIRLS DON'T FLY BY KRISTEN CHANDLER
16. BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP BY S.J. WATSON*
15. CINDERELLA ATE MY DAUGHTER BY PEGGY ORENSTEIN
14. THE BIRTH ORDER BOOK BY DR. KEVIN LEMAN*
13. ALL THE FLOWERS IN SHANGHAI BY DUNCAN JEPSON
12. FREEDOM STONE BY JEFFREY KLUGER
11. MAKING BABIES BY ANNE ENRIGHT
10. MICRO BY MICHAEL CRICHTON & RICHARD PRESTON
9. THE SECRET SISTERHOOD OF HEARTBREAKERS BY LYNN WEINGARTEN
8. THE GIRLS WHO WENT AWAY BY ANN FESSLER
7. PROMISE CANYON BY ROBYN CARR*
6. THE SIBLING EFFECT: WHAT THE BONDS AMONG BROTHERS AND SISTERS REVEAL ABOUT US BY JEFFREY KLUGER*
5. DEMONGLASS BY RACHEL HAWKINS
4. BLACK BOY, WHITE SCHOOL BY BRIAN F. WALKER
3. THE CRAZY THINGS GIRLS DO FOR LOVE BY DYAN SHELDON
2. UNDER THE NEVER SKY BY VERONICA ROSSI*
1. LOST IN THE RIVER OF GRASS BY GINNY RORBY

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2012: A BBB Year in Review (Part II)

I saw this fun end-of-the-year book survey over at The Perpetual Page-Turner and decided to try it on my own blog. Did you do the same? Leave me a link and I'll check it out!

1. Best Book You Read In 2012? (You can break it down by genre if you want)

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2012?

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2012?

5. Best series you discovered in 2012?

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2012?

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2012?

9. Book You Read In 2012 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year:

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2012?

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2012?

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2012?

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2012 to finally read?

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2012?

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2012 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2012 From An Author You Read Previously

20. Best Book You Read That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:

Book Blogging/Reading Life in 2012 (optional)

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2012?

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2012?

3. Best discussion you had on your blog?

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

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

6. Best moment of book blogging in 2012?

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

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

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

Looking Ahead…

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2012 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2013?

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2013?

3. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2013?

2012: A BBB Year in Review (Part I)

BOOKS READ IN 2012 (ASTERISKS DENOTE FAVORITES)

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2024 Reading Challenge

2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction

2023 - Middle Grade Fiction

2022 - Middle Grade Fiction

2021 - Middle Grade Fiction

2020 - Middle Grade Fiction