Hello again, everyone! Today I’m… recapping the gazillion-and-two books I read in 2014! At the end of each year, Jamie @ The Perpetual Page-Turner assembles a ginormous list of questions about the previous twelve months of reading. And this year, I’m finally taking part in the survey!
Linking up with the survey by January tenth also makes you eligible for a book giveaway, so you should totally do your own bookish wrap-up post! For more details, check out Jamie’s post.
Enjoy!
P.S. Seeing as how A) it’s only December twenty-ninth and B) I read very quickly, please be aware that this list is only final-ish. As in, the answer to the “number of books read this year” question is bound to be different by December thirty-first, and so on. But honestly? It’s close enough to the end of the year that I’m just going to go ahead and do this post right now.
2014 Reading Stats
Number of books I read in 2014: 193
Number of rereads: 0
Genre I read the most from: Contemporary (!)
Best in Books
1. Best book I read in 2014?
I LOVED Malinda Lo’s Ash and gave it five stars! I rated only three other books that highly this year, but they deserved exactly five out of five stars. This one deserves, like, ten out of five stars. BRILLIANT.
2. A book I was excited about and thought I would love more but didn’t?
…anything I read by David Insert-Expletive-Here Levithan. That isn’t his real name, of course. That’s just what I call him. Boy Meets Boy, Two Boys Kissing, Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, and Will Grayson, Will Grayson were all so BORING. And poorly written. And I could go on, but I won’t.
3. Most surprising book (in a good way or bad way) I read in 2014? 
In a good way: I wasn’t sure if I’d like My True Love Gave to Me (edited by Stephanie Perkins) because it’s about romance. But it was very cute! Except for the short story by Levithan.
In a bad way: Um. Gosh, this is going to sound really mean, buuuuuut… Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan. It wasn’t TERRIBLE, but it WAS average, and I’d been led to believe it was SFSDDSAGDSGSGAGSGDG AMAZING. So after I finished it I was like, “That’s it?”
4. Book I “pushed” the most people to read in 2014 (and they did!)?
Oh. Um. I don’t know. It’s probably a tie between Ash and The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth. (It makes me very gleeful when my friends finally read a book and rate it five stars and cry because sadness. And then we fangirl.)
5. Best series I started in 2014? Best sequel of 2014? Best series ender of 2014?
Best series: I ADORED Derek Landy’s Skulduggery Pleasant series, although I still haven’t finished it yet. (I’m going to devote tomorrow to reading the final three.) Many thanks to Orphu @ A Mirror Made of Words for recommending it!
Best sequel: I rated Blue Lily, Lily Blue, the third and penultimate book in Maggie Stiefvater’s Raven Cycle, five stars. I can’t wait for the final installment!
Best series ender: Probably The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan.
6. Favorite new author I discovered in 2014?
Derek Landy, Malinda Lo, James Dashner.
7. Best book from a genre I don’t typically read/was out of my comfort zone?
I didn’t read many graphic novels before 2014 (this year I read seventy-three!) and I certainly didn’t read superhero comics. But I really loved Captain America: The Winter Soldier by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark! Definitely as good as or better than the movie. 
8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
OMG. That would have to be The Maze Runner by James Dashner! I LOVED IT.
9. A book I read in 2014 that I am most likely to reread next year?
REREAD ALL THE BOOKS.
Um, probably Ash. Again.
10. Favorite cover of a book I read in 2014?
The cover of Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater! So far, all the books in that series have had the most glorious, gorgeous covers.
11. Most memorable character of 2014?
SKULDUGGERY PLEASANT! Who could ever forget a walking, talking, wisecracking, impeccably-well-dressed skeleton detective?! I just want to give him a big hug. And then go kick villain butt with him.
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2014?
Well, I would say Ash again, but I really should diversify my answers, sooooo… I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai. I know that seems like a strange choice because it’s nonfiction, 
but I love her writing style: It’s simultaneously chatty and eloquent.
13. Most thought-provoking/life-changing book of 2014?
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. I loved both of these classics.
14. A book I can’t believe I waited until 2014 to FINALLY read?
V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd! It’s a classic graphic novel, set in a dystopian Great Britain, and is darkly beautiful. Easily worth five stars from me…
15. Favorite quote from a book I read in 2014?
“Our integrity sells for so little, but it is all we really have. It is the very last inch of us, but within that inch, we are free. It seems strange that my life should end in such a terrible place, but for three years, I had roses, and apologized to no one.
I shall die here. Every inch of me shall perish. Every inch, but one. An inch, it is small and it is fragile, but it is the only thing the world worth having. We must never lose it or give it away. We must never let them take it from us.
I hope that whoever you are, you escape this place. I hope that the world turns and that things get better. But what I hope most of all is that you understand what I mean when I tell you that even though I do not know you, and even though I may never meet you, laugh with you, cry with you, or kiss you. I love you. With all my heart, I love you.”
– V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd
16. Shortest and longest books I read in 2013?
Shortest: Rapunzel – The Graphic Novel by Stephanie True Peters was only thirty-three pages long. And it wasn’t that great, either…
Longest: Derek Landy’s seventh Skulduggery Pleasant novel, Kingdom of the Wicked, is six hundred and seven pages.
17. A book that shocked me the most?
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, because I didn’t expect it to be that good. I supposed it is a classic for a reason, though…
18. OTP OF THE YEAR?! (I will go down with this ship!)
Ash and Kaisa from – you guessed it! – Ash. THOSE GIRLS ARE SO CUTE TOGETHER AND I CANNOT EVEN HANDLE THE ADORABLENESS.
19. Favorite non-romantic relationship of the year?
Ooh, definitely Skulduggery Pleasant and Valkyrie Cain from you-know-what-books. They have a LOVELY uncle/niece type of relationship. It’s so refreshing to read middle-grade/YA
books that aren’t solely focused on child characters – the characters in these books have friendships with people of all ages.
20. Favorite book I read in 2014 from an author I’ve read previously?
I finally read Rick Riordan’s Heroes of Olympus series and wished I’d started it sooner, because I loved his Percy Jackson books.
21. Best book I read in 2014 that I read based SOLELY 
on peer pressure/a recommendation from somebody else?
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by David Levithan and John Green. UGH.
22. Newest fictional crush from a book I read in 2014?
Tanith Low, from the Skulduggery Pleasant books! She kicks butt, has a sword, is super gorgeous, and has a dorky sense of humor. PERFECTION.
23. Best 2014 debut I read?
Since You’ve Been Gone by Morgan Matson is contemporary, which isn’t my usual thing, so I almost ignored it. I’m so glad I didn’t! Four out of five stars, to
be sure!
24. Best worldbuilding/most vivid setting in a book I read this year?
I LOVED the dystopian world from Malice and Havoc by Chris Wooding. Pretty terrifying for middle-grade stuff!
25. A book that put a smile on my face/was the most FUN to read?
Huh. Well, literally all I have shelved on my Goodreads “humor” shelf are the Skulduggery Pleasant books. Hmmm.
26. A book that made me cry or nearly cry in 2014?
Falling into Place by Amy Zhang, which is about a teenage girl who tries to commit suicide. Very sad stuff.
27. Hidden gem of the year?
Malinda Lo’s Imrian Duology, consisting of Adaptation and Inheritance. Science fiction with aliens, love triangles, and bisexual protagonists? Yes, please.
28. A book that crushed my soul?
I am still not over the endings of Mortal Coil and Death Bringer, the fifth and seventh books of the Skulduggery Pleasant series.
29. Most unique book I read in 2014?
Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles! I’ve never read any other books about a cyborg Cinderella from dystopian China, how about you?!
30. A book that made me the most mad (but doesn’t necessarily mean I didn’t like it)?
Probably the graphic novel adaptations of Rick Riordan’s The Lightning Thief and The Sea of Monsters. I didn’t know it was possible to ruin those books, but the artwork was absolutely TERRIBLE and so many important plot bits had been edited out. Ugh, why?!
My Blogging/Bookish Life
1. New favorite book blog I discovered in 2014?
Well, it’s not strictly a book blog – it does talk about other forms of media – but I really, really love the co-run blog Lady Geek Girl and Friends. It’s the reason my to-read and to-watch lists are constantly increasing.
2. Favorite review that I wrote in 2014?
I enjoyed discussing Chris Wooding’s Malice and Havoc together in the same post.
A bi Pride flag created using YA books with LGBTQ+ characters!
3. Best discussion/non-review post I had on my blog?
I’m quite fond of the following posts:
- My Hero Monday: Laverne Cox
- 7 Reasons You Need To Watch Carmilla, Like, Right Now
- Reading The Rainbow
- 32 Things Not To Say When I Come Out To You
- Bi The Way, It’s Bisexual Visibility Day!
I guess I like writing posts about LGBTQ+ stuff, because all those posts are tagged and categorized as such!
4. Best event that I participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, et cetera)?
Um, hearing about a Rick Riordan book signing from my friend Caroline? Ha ha, evidently I live vicariously through other people when it comes to bookish events. But I hope to go to some book signings/book festivals/author discussion panels sometime in 2015!
5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2014?
Bookish life: Reading Ash, definitely. I liked it so much that I counted reading it as one of my top ten memories from 2014.
Blogging life: I really enjoyed writing a bunch of posts for LGBTQ+ Pride month in June!
6. Most thought-provoking review or discussion I read on somebody else’s blog?
I really enjoyed Happy New Queer by Miriam Joy @ Miriam Joy Writes!
7. Most popular post this year on my blog (whether it be by comments or views)?
Evidently, it’s my post First Reactions To The Giver Film Trailer, which has received around five hundred views. Which is still about ten times less than what my most popular post has…
8. A post I wish got a little more love?
Probably Some Men Just Want To Watch The World Burn, which discussed villains who can’t be reasoned with – namely, The Joker and James Moriarty from the Sherlock Holmes books. I had a lot of fun writing it and analyzing those two characters.
9. Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, et cetera)?
AbeBooks.com, definitely. They sell used books quite cheaply – I was able to acquire the entire Skulduggery Pleasant series for about a hundred bucks. If I’d bought them new from Barnes & Noble or Amazon or wherever, I probably would’ve spent closer to three hundred dollars.
10. Did I complete any reading challenges or goals that I had set for myself at the beginning of this year?
Yes, yes I did! I set out to read one hundred books in 2014 and I’m currently at one hundred and ninety-three. Now I’m trying to see if I can read over two hundred before the year is out, because I want to push myself to continue reading even during these last few days.
Looking Ahead
1. One book I didn’t get to in 2014 but will be my #1 priority in 2015?
I meant to read Wicked by Gregory Maguire, but never got around to it. Oh, well. There’s always next year.
2. A book I am most anticipating for 2015 (non-debut)?
Erin Claiborne’s A Hero at the End of the World – it’s supposed to be, like, Harry-Potter-but-with-queer-characters, which sounds 300% better than than actual Harry Potter.
3. A 2015 debut I am most anticipating?
Marissa Meyer’s Fairest and Winter, which will be released in January and November, respectively!
4. A series ending/sequel I am most anticipating in 2015?
Winter! I. AM. SO. EXCITED.
5. One thing I hope to accomplish or do in my reading/blogging life in 2015?
This is so important to me that I’ll devote an entire post to it in early January, but: I want to read longer books, and more classics, and basically just focus on whittling down my massive to-read list. Although I read almost two hundred books in 2014, I barely even made a dent in my to-read pile.
I don’t read ARCs?????????
6. A 2015 release I’ve already read and recommended to everyone?
Um. I haven’t knowly read an ARC (advanced reading copy) or anything like that, so I’m afraid I can’t answer this question. Sorry about that!
-~-
Whoa. This ended up being a VERY long post, so I thank you for sticking with it! Or even just skimming it and then fangirling with me in the comments! (Hint, hint.) Don’t forget to take part in this survey on your own blog if you feel up to answering all the questions!
Tell me: What are you reading at the moment? I’m reading Carrie by Stephen King, Emily the Strange: The Lost Days by Rob Reger, Every Day by David Levithan (why do I do this to myself?!), and Beautiful Music for Ugly Children by Kirstin Cronn-Mills.
And in the last two days of 2014 I’m trying to cram in the final three Skulduggery Pleasant books, plus Where She Went by Gayle Forman, All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill, and Silhouette by Justin Richards. Will I succeed? We shall have to just wait and see.
Musings From Neville's Navel 
I just bought Ash at my local Indie bookstore. 🙂 It’s sitting on my TBR shelf right now, and I’ve almost broken down several times and dropped everything I’m reading to pick it up. But I’m working on exercising my self-control. No matter how hard it may be.
Oh, just go ahead and drop everything and read it. 😛 IT’S SOOOOOO GOOD OMG I LOVED IT.
HAHA. You are a bit of a beggar for punishment right now with David Leviathan, right?! 😉 I am so so glad I read Ash! I AM. IT WAS SUCH A SWEET STORY WITH A HEA FINALLY. Everything I read ends with death and destruction tbh. -_-
AND HA I READ MORE BOOKS. *small victory party* Although didn’t you say on facebook that you were going to reach 200 by the end of the year? And I laughed. I am not laughing now. o.O You are a reading speed machine.
Good luck with Wicked when you get to it. I’ve been reading it for like 30+ days and I still haven’t finished. Erm. Yes. I’m not really into it.
Yeah. Yeah, I guess I am…
IKR?! I read too much sad stuff so this was a nice change. 🙂
*strikes victorious pose* I am the ultimate reading machine… I mean, after YOU, of course. 😛
Ahaha, I’ve tried reading it not just once but twice before, and couldn’t get into it. But maybe next year will be the year? I hope so. 🙂
Awesome year Engie!
Ah David Levithan seems like such a great guy (some reviewers have described boy meets boy as a classic) so it’s a pity his books are boring (I’ll still give some of them a try, I guess).
V for Vendetta – first of all, THAT MASK. Second of all I’m so glad you recommended the book because I’ve been wanting to read something like that for ages (that quote is sad, but extremely well-written).
Ooh, have fun reading more classics (have you read The Picture of Dorian Gray? It was the first “easy” classic I’d ever read). Classics are cool I guess because they teach us a lot about ourselves (try Little Women and The Handmaid’s Tale too). 😀
Here’s to hoping that 2015 is equally brilliant (if not more)!
Pffft, I definitely wouldn’t describe it as a classic… Idk, that one felt especially flat and dull. And in general I’m just surprised by the averageness of his books? Like, they’re not completely atrocious, but I was sure they’d make me fangirl.
But they’re just like any other contemporary novels.
I LOVE THAT COVER. ❤ I hope you enjoy V for Vendetta!
Yeah, I loved The Picture of Dorian Gray – have you read The Importance of Being Earnest? Little Women and The Handmaid's Tale are on my TBR list! 🙂
Thank you, and same to you! 😀
Haven’t read The Importance of Being Earnest but I swear if I see anything written by Oscar Wilde I will just grab it!
He was such a brilliant, hilarious author, right?! ❤ He's probably my favorite classic author.
So you’re reading Carrie, eh? What do you think so far?
It’s really good! I’m impressed – wasn’t it his first?
Yep. Apparently, he almost threw the manuscript out, but his wife convinced him not to.
Yeah, I’ve heard that too. 🙂
You’re reading David Levithan to please me. [nods] I’m sorry you’re not that impressed by his books. I still like them, though they’re not my favorites–my favorites of his books are Wide Awake and Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares.
!!! I really liked Beautiful Music for Ugly Children because I have a weird soft spot for DJ stories. I hope you enjoy it as well.
I’ve just finished Gregory Maguire’s Egg and Spoon, which is a middle-grade book about Baba Yaga and Russian children. I liked it, but it was still loooooong and hard to slog through, though not nearly as heavy as Wicked.
Um, I haven’t been reading a lot of other things. I’ve been trying to read some HG Wells and lost one of the books for a while; I have Blue Lily, Lily Blue but haven’t gotten around to reading it… but I have been finally watching Season 8 of DW!
*boops your nose* Sure I am. 😛 Meh, I’m also kind of irritated that all he ever writes about are gay white boys. Hello, more diversity, please?!
I really like Beautiful Music for Ugly Children so far! I like the, well, all the music stuff. 🙂
I thought about reading Egg & Spoon, but now I’m not so sure… it seemed like most of my blogging friends didn’t like it.
Yay yay yay! What do you think of it? My fave episode was probably either ‘Flatline” or “In the Forest of the Night.” 🙂
[shrugs] Yeah. Maybe he thinks “well, they’re gay! enough diversity!”
I’m glad you like it. Yeah, Egg & Spoon isn’t a great book–it doesn’t have the most compelling plot, and it meanders quite a bit, so I wouldn’t give it a strong recommendation.
I like it so far! (I want to finish it before I give you a more definite answer.)
Yeah, probably. Eugh.
Yay! What episode are you on right now?
I also read Heart of Darkness for English this year. And it was interesting because my teacher gave us articles about Imperialism in the Congo, 19th Century attitudes towards race, who Mr. Kurtz might be based off of, and how the book might be considered racist, to help us see book in a broader light. And it made me really think. And in the end, I’ve concluded that the heart of darkness is this violence that everyone is capable of. As seen by the mistreatment of the blacks imposed by the whites. Also, that in the end civilization is nothing but a facade. As seen by the hollowness of Mr. Kurtz, by the time we get to meet him.
That’s a very interesting way to look at it – civilization is just a facade. Very true!
Thanks for reading and commenting!
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