I decided to cave and fill in an end of the year survey. Not that I really needed to have my arm twisted (I do love a good survey). This ones comes from Perpetual Page-turner and I'm just going to focus on the Best in Books part that she created.
1. Best Book You Read In 2014?
I think this would be a tie between Patrick DeWitt's The Sisters Brothers and Carol Rifka Brunt's Tell the Wolves I'm Home. They're both books I'd put off reading even though everyone gave them brilliant reviews. I'm so glad I've finally read them both. They're such knock outs.
2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
Okay I didn't finish it (yet) but I'm probably going to have to nominate The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R Carey. It wasn't a book I had been eagerly awaiting the release of but I was definitely surprised that it didn't hook me in at all.
3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read in 2014?
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I didn't really know much about this book but most people who I'd spoken to about it really emphasised the romance elements so I was expected a lengthy Mills and Boon novel to be honest.
4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did) In 2014?
Oooooh I think this would be Yes Please by Amy Poehler. I may have only read it last month but I've been telling everyone I know about it.
5. Best series you started in 2014? Best Sequel of 2014? Best Series Ender of 2014?
Rat Queens! Kurtis J. Wiebe's kickass comic series is everything a D&D loving feminist could want in life.
6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2014?
Christopher Moore! I knew about him and had his books sitting on my shelf but it was only this year that I finally gave one a go and fell hopelessly in love. SO GOOD.
7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
Wicked isn't necessarily outside of my comfort zone generically, but rebooted stories (or films) isn't usually my cup of tea so I wasn't sure whether or not I'd like this or not.
8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
Going to go with The Sisters Brothers again here. There's definitely thrills and action in the book, but I'm mostly picking it because I basically read it non-stop from start to finish.
9. Book You Read In 2014 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
I'm terrible at re-reading books lately so honestly probably none. But if we're going theoretically which book is the most re-readable I'd choose either Lamb or Fool by Christopher Moore.
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2014?
The Martian by Andy Weir. Having bought the audiobook I don't have ready access to it, but it's probably one of the more iconic covers of the last year or two.
11. Most memorable character of 2014?
Maybe Frank from In the Miso Soup by Ryu (the other) Murakami. But not in a complimentary way - he still haunts me.
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2014?
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent was gorgeous.
13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2014?
Damn, I'm not really sure. I'm going to choose Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi because even with the problems it's probably the one that had me mulling over it the longest.
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2014 to finally read?
The Sisters Brothers and Tell the Wolves I'm Homes for sure.
15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2014?
I don't note down favourite quotes and I'm too lazy to go through all my copies of books to see if I highlighted anything so I'm just going to pick a line for The Sisters Brothers I know I loved.
“Your laughter is like cool water to me," I said. I felt my heart sob at these strange words, and it would not have been hard to summon tears: Strange. "You are so serious all of a sudden," she told me. "I am not any one thing," I said."16.Shortest and Longest Book You Read In 2014?
Shortest is one of the many comic issues I read in 2014. Longest was The Goldfinch which was a whopping 771 pages.
17. Book That Shocked You The Most
In the Miso Soup was amazing and I am still shocked by one scene in particular. If you've read the book you know the one I mean. *shudders*
18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)
I'm going to go with Georgie McCool and Neal from Rainbow Rowell's Landline.
19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year
Johanna and John Kite in How to Build a Woman. Do they count as non-romantic? There's definitely a romantic element but throughout a novel of her being abused and trodden on by countless men I loved that he was there when she needed him.
20. Favorite Book You Read in 2014 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
I read almost entirely new-to-me authors in 2014 which makes this question hard. I'm going to select Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes. Previously I've read her book Zoo City.
21. Best Book You Read In 2014 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:
Lamb and Fool. Alley has been telling me for YEARS to read Moore and I foolishly filed away her recommendations.
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2014?
ORC DAVE FROM RAT QUEENS. HE HAS BLUEBIRDS IN HIS BEARD.
23. Best 2014 debut you read?
Burial Rites and Tell the Wolves I'm Home.
24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
Guards! Guard! by Terry Pratchett.
25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?
Lamb. Or Fool. Or Lamb. Or Fool. DON'T MAKE ME PICK.
26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2014?
Tell the Wolves I'm Home. God that book had me bawling.
27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?
*shrugs*
28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?
Tell the Wolves I'm Home. (It's ridiculous how many of these questions can be answered by the same half a dozen books)
29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2014?
Amy Poehler's memoir purely because the audiobook is full of guest stars and different formats and craziness.
30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
I DNF Portraits of a Killer by Patricia Cornwell because it was the most miserable attempt at research I've ever seen. Almost offensive in how lazy and poorly written it was.
