End of the Year Book Survey

The annual End of the Year Book Survey is hosted by Jamie from The Perpetual Page Turner and you can find out all about it here. I didn't get to read as many books as I'd hoped this year because college, but I thought I'd take part anyways to highlight the great books I did get to read this year.

Best in Books 2013

1. Best Book You Read In 2013? (If you have to cheat — you can break it down by genre if you want or 2013 release vs. backlist)

Favorite contemporary: This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales - everything about this one is SO GOOD.

Favorite non-contemporary: Every Day by David Levithan - I still have that book stuck in my head.

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

Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles - I just didn't think this one was as good as her previous books.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013? 

Take Me There by Carolee Dean - this looked like just another romance (not that that's a bad thing!), but it turned out to be surprisingly dark and serious, which I loved.

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

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein - not to bloggy people since everyone had already read it, but to IRL people once I finally saw how great this book is.

5. Best series you discovered in 2013?

I only started a couple of series this year, and I didn't lovelovelove any of them. I did really like The Lying Game by Sara Shepard though!

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2013?

Jessica Verdi - My Life After Now is so good.

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

Fall from Love by Heather London - this one is new adult, a genre I've been hesitant to try, but I loved Fall from Love!

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2013

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein.

9. Book You Read in 2013 That You Are Most Likely to Re-Read Next Year?

I almost never reread. Some of the only books I've really loved rereading have been Sarah Dessen's books, so I know I'd enjoy reading The Moon and More again!

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2013?

11. Most memorable character in 2013?

James from Dr. Bird's Advice for Sad Poets.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2013?

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr. Because Sara Zarr.

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

Every Day by David Levithan - that book made me question my thoughts on so many things.

14. Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2013 to finally read?

Code Name Verity.

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From a Book You Read in 2013?

If there's one thing I've learned, it's this: We all want everything to be okay. We don't even wish so much for fantastic or marvelous or outstanding. We will happily settle for okay, because most of the tie, okay is enough.

- David Levithan (Every Day)

16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read in 2013?

Longest: Fire with Fire by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian.

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!

The big relevation in Code Name Verity.  

18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2013 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).

James and Beth from Dr. Bird's Advice for Sad Poets by Evan Roskos.

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2013 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales.

20. Best Book You Read In 2013 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:

I honestly don't really read books solely based on another person's recommendation because not many of the people I know IRL read the same books as me. I did listen to my then-boyfriend, though, when he insisted I'd read The Da Vinci Code - something I wouldn't normally read - and I ended up liking it a lot.

21. Genre You Read The Most From in 2013?

Contemporary YA. Always.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2013?

Gyver from Send Me a Sign by Tiffany Schmidt.

23. Best 2013 debut you read?

My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi. I can't wait for more from this author!

24. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2013?

I didn't read a lot of dystopian or paranormal, so I don't have many books with worldbuilding to go off of. But one book that made me feel like I was in the MC's place and that had very vivid descriptions of her world is The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider.

25. Book That Was The Most Fun To Read in 2013?

A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger. Kody's books are always fun.

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2013?

I cry at lots of books, so this doesn't really narrow it down enough for me. But the one that made me cry the most was Code Name Verity.

27. Book You Read in 2013 That You Think Got Overlooked This Year Or When It Came Out?

Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia by Jenny Torres Sanchez. 

Looking Ahead...

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2013 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2014?

Allegiant by Veronica Roth. (Actually, I'll probably read that one within the last couple of days of 2013.)

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2014 (non-debut)?

What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick, The Museum of Intangible Things by Wendy Wunder, and The Summer I Wasn't Me by Jessica Verdi.

3. 2014 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy.

4. Series Ending You Are Most Anticipating in 2014?

I don't think there's a series ending coming out in 2014 that I'm dying to read, but I'm looking forward to finishing the Divergent and Delirium trilogies.

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2014?

I'm going to try to get better at managing my time in college so that I can actually read during the semester and become more active in the blogosphere again. 

What were your favorite books of the year?