2017 End of Year Book Survey

This is a survey done each year by Jamie from the Perpetual Page Turner.  I won't be answering question on the survey, but I will pick and choose ones that I like to answer.

Number Of Books You Read: 57
Number of Re-Reads: 3
Genre You Read The Most From: Contemporary YA

Best Book You Read In 2017?

I think Emery Lord's 2017 release The Names They Gave Us is probably my favorite book that I read this year.  I read it twice within the year and there are several parts that I have reread other times since then.  I love the relationship between Lucy and her parents as they deal with her mom's illness.  I love the friendships she forms at camp as well as the slow burn romance with a guy there.  I just all around loved everything about this book.

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

Little Monsters by Kara Thomas was surprising in a plot twist way.  It was a very good mystery book that I enjoyed reading.

I think A Line in the Dark by Malinda Lo also fits in this category because I was surprised by the epilogue and I'm still not fully sure what the truth was in this book.

Favorite new author you discovered in 2017?

I really enjoyed Sandhya Menon's first book When Dimple Met Rishi, and her next two books that have been announced both sound really good so I'm glad I discovered her books.  I look forward to reading her 2018 book and her 2019 book.

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

I mostly stuck to my favorite genre which is contemporary.  I did read The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee which was historical.  Though I don't know how much it counts as out of my comfort zone since it had the character development and everything else that I typically enjoy about contemporaries.  I didn't really read any sci-fi or fantasy this year which is more out of my zone.

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

One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus was not necessarily action-packed, but I could definitely call it unputdownable.  I read most of it on an airplane ride and didn't put it down much at all.  It was a great mystery told from the perspective of four different characters who were all well developed.

Book You Read In 2017 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

I would really like to reread They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera since it was a really wonderful and emotional book with great characters.  I have to make sure I do that when I'm prepared for it though, since it definitely is a sad book that you need to be emotionally ready for.

Favorite cover of a book you read in 2017?

I really like the cover of The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord or They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera.  Both of these covers had colors that I liked.  And the books were just as good, probably better, than the covers.

Most memorable character of 2017?

I think one of the most memorable characters was Molly from The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli.  She was a very real teenage girl with real issues, and I loved getting to see the development of her cute romance.

Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2017?

I think The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas probably wins for this category since it really delves into issues of race and racism.

Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2017 to finally read? 

I have owned my copy of This Adventure Ends by Emma Mills since last fall (2016) but I didn't get around to reading it until this fall.  I'm not sure why I waited so long since it ended up being very good and I really enjoyed the characters and their friendships and relationships.  And then I followed it up by reading shortly after her 2017 book Foolish Hearts.

Book That Shocked You The Most

Little Monsters by Kara Thomas was a mystery with a lot of shocking plot twists, so I think it wins for this category.

OTP OF THE YEAR

I really loved the relationship between Eliza and Wallace in Eliza and Her Monsters.  They were both super cute and nerdy.  I loved the concept of the relationship between a webcomic writer and one of the main writers of her fanfiction.  Wallace was such a sweet guy and very good for Eliza.

This was a hard question because there are a lot of couples that I like so I'm just putting this one.

Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

I love the sibling relationships in Far From the Tree by Robin Benway.  This book was about three biological siblings who just found out about each other.  I enjoyed seeing them get to know each other and how they had some emotional connections and scenes.

I also really liked the relationship between Gabby and Ryan in Top Ten by Katie Cotugno.  Though they did consider being in a romantic relationship at some points, I still liked how the book showcased a strong (mostly) platonic friendship between a guy and a girl.

Favorite Book You Read in 2017 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

This one is probably a toss-up between Adam Silvera and Emery Lord's newest books.  Since I put Emery Lord's book as the best overall, I'll go with Adam Silvera's They Both Die at the End for this category.

Best 2017 debut you read?

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas was a really good debut novel.  Obviously, a lot of people agree since it was a New York Times bestseller and a movie is being made.  

Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

I didn't read very many books that involved typical "worldbuilding" since I stuck pretty much to contemporary, but there was one book I read that was very good called Dare Mighty Things by Heather Kacynzski.  This book took place in the future and had an interesting world.

But also, sticking to contemporary, A Map for Wrecked Girls by Jessica Taylor had a really good setting on a deserted island.  The island was a very vivid setting that was almost a character of itself that kept doing new and unexpected thing.

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

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli was a very good and enjoyable read.  There were some heavier parts but overall it was cute and had an adorable slow-build romance and I loved it.

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

This was definitely Now Is Everything by Amy Giles because I was mad at Hadley's dad in pretty much every scene that he was in.  He was just so awful and abusive and I wanted Hadley and her sister, Lila, to be protected from him.  And I didn't like the mom, either, because she let him keep doing bad things to them.

Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2018 (non-debut)?

I don't think I can put just one book for this category, so, sorry.  Two of my top ones are both of Ashley Herring Blake's 2018 releases, which are Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World and Girl Made of Stars.  Also I can't leave out Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli.  And I'm excited for Sandhya Menon's sophomore novel, From Twinkle, With Love.  And I don't really know what Angie Thomas' next book, On the Come Up, is even about, but I'm still excited to read it.

2018 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

I am really super excited for You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone by Rachel Lynn Solomon.  That is the only 2018 book that I have ordered so far.  Another notable one is People Like Us by Dana Mele, which is a mystery releasing in February.  A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena also makes it onto my list of most anticipated.  A couple other ones on the list are Nothing Left to Burn by Heather Ezell and Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles.  I will probably be preordering some of these debuts (as well as the non-debuts) soon and will be eagerly awaiting their release dates.

Katie