2016 End of Year Survey

The Annual End of Year Book Survey is hosted by The Perpetual Page-Turner

1. Best Book You Read In 2016?
In chronological order read: The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater, Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, Fire and Thorns Trilogy by Rae Carson, Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas, and Vicious by V.E. Schwab. I read lots of great books this year, but these are the ones that ended up sticking with me weeks, months later.

2. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child had a ton of bizarre surprises in store and I'm still not really sure what to think of them...

3. Best series you started in 2016? Best Sequel of 2016? Best Series Ender of 2016?
Definitely The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater.

4. Favorite new author you discovered in 2016?
Rae Carson! I was blown away by her Fire and Thorns Trilogy.

5. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
I usually avoid depressing contemporary books like the plague, but I must admit that Me Before You by Jojo Moyes was a great reading experience.

6. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
The Fire and Thorns Trilogy by Rae Carson - these books are so fast-paced, they accomplish more plot-wise in a few chapters than the average book, which takes thrice as long.

7. Book You Read In 2016 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
I would love to do a series reread of The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater, probably via audiobook.

8. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2016?

9. Most memorable character of 2016?
Laura Ingalls from the Little House Series quickly won me over with her spunky tomboy spirit and I loved reading about her journey growing up as a pioneer in the Northwest US. Also: Marvin, the chronically depressed robot, from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

10. Most beautifully written book read in 2016?
The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater.

11. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2016?
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. I wouldn't say this book was life-changing, but it definitely gave me a ton to think about.

13. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2016 to finally read?
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams! That book was originally published in 1979, is a classic, and is right up my alley so I don't know what took me so long.

14. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2016?
Longest: Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas - 648 pages
Shortest: one of the numerous children's picture books I read to kids during my summer job

15. Book That Shocked You The Most
Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff had some insanely fun shocking moments!

16. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)
Yorick and Agent 355 from Y: The Last Man by Brian Vaughan.

17. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year
The Raven Boys + Blue, from the The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater.

18. Favorite Book You Read in 2016 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater. I had previously read The Scorpio Races - an all-time favourite of mine - so it is no wonder The Raven Cycle was a WIN for me in 2016.

19. Best Book You Read In 2016 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:
When I heard from Micheline of Lunar Rainbows that the audiobook of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was read by the inimitable Stephen Fry, I KNEW I had to have it!

20. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.

21. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?
For sure The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams!

22. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2016?
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.

23. Book That Crushed Your Soul?
The final volume of Y: The Last Man by Brian Vaughan.

24. Most Unique Book You Read In 2016?
Saga by Brian Vaughan and The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente. HELLO creativity!!

25. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2016 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2017?
Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5) by Sarah J. Maas

26. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2017 (non-debut)?
Throne of Glass #6 by Sarah J. Maas - the series ender!!

April Recap: Shadowhunters and The Raven King

April was a quiet month for me which was nice, especially because the upcoming months will be more busy than quiet as I start a full-time position at the museum. I'm definitely excited to finally be employed full time at an institution that I love, but I know I will soon be missing these lazy April weeks of watching TV and reading.

This month, I finally took the time to watch Season 1 of Shadowhunters, based off of The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare:

While a lot of people - myself included - were disappointed with the movie adaptation of the series that was released a few years back, I remained cautiously optimistic that they would do a better job with an episodic adaptation of the series. And thankfully, my optimism was not misplaced - the acting and writing still isn't great and I'm not sure what to make of all the changes that were made from the books... But it was still definitely more watchable than the movie. And is it weird that I was still kind of into it despite all its flaws? I don't know, it's easy entertainment (all episodes were made available on Netflix in Canada) and it's addictive once you get going. I will continue watching when they do a second season. Has anyone else watched Shadowhunters? I'm curious what the consensus is from fans.


Also in April, I was presented with the final instalment of The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater in all its glory:

Even though I only read the first three books last month, the series already has a special place in my heart and I was so sad to see it come to an end already. Nevertheless, I dug right into The Raven King as soon as I had a chance. I won't be posting my thoughts or a review anytime soon because a) I'm still processing it, and b) I'm worried that even my raw reaction might spoil the book for others in some way. But feel free to DM me if you've read it too and want to discuss!

Blog Posts in April

Waiting On Wednesday: Penguin Summer 2016 Catalog
Muggle Monday: Chamber of Secrets Illustrated Edition
Muggle Monday: Fantastic Beasts Teaser Trailer Released
Muggle Monday: Career of Evil (Cormoran Strike #3) Review - 5 Stars
Series Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi - 2.5 Stars
Series Review: The Raven Cycle (#1-3) by Maggie Stiefvater - 5 Stars
March Recap: Little House, Raven Cycle, and Easter Weekend

Series Review: The Raven Cycle (#1-3) by Maggie Stiefvater

Publisher: Scholastic
Published: 2012-2014
Pages: 1,246
Source: Gifted
Rating: 5 Stars

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue never sees them--until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks to her.
His name is Gansey, a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.
But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul whose emotions range from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher who notices many things but says very little.
For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She doesn't believe in true love, and never thought this would be a problem. But as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she's not so sure anymore.

In short: The Raven Cycle proves once again that Maggie Stiefvater ranks up there with the most masterful storytellers and visionaries.

Finally. Finally! My reading of The Raven Cycle has been a long time coming. From the moment I learned about The Raven Boys, I knew it was a "me" book that I would love to death. But I also knew that my feelings about books can be heavily influenced by my current mood and because I had been a wee bit stressed the past few years, I put off reading it. Cut to years later, my schooling is done, and I have now finally read the first three books in The Raven Cycle - just in time for the finale, The Raven King! And the series was every bit as special as I was hoping it would be.

Having said that, I'm honestly having a hard time phrasing my thoughts in a way that would truly do the series justice. How would I even describe the premise?? It's hard because a) it's unlike anything I have ever read before and so it's hard to draw comparisons and b) The Raven Cycle is definitely a series best appreciated if you go into it knowing as little as possible. But suffice it to say, the conclusions you should draw from this are that a) The Raven Cycle is a wholly original tale with no comparisons and b) Maggie Stiefvater always keeps it interesting with one intriguing and unexpected twist after another.

I think where the series really shines for me though is in the characters, each more carefully drawn and complexly unraveled than the next. While the plot is wildly imaginative and the prose correspondingly artistic, it is the characters that bridge the gap between magic and reality and elevate the series to a wonderfully memorable saga. The Raven Cycle proves once again that Maggie Stiefvater ranks up there with the most masterful storytellers and visionaries.

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March Recap: Little House, Raven Cycle, and Easter Weekend

Oi, I haven't posted in a few weeks, sorry! I fell into a bit of a slump in which I just really did not feel like writing reviews and so my blogging suffered. But thankfully, the same could not be said for my reading habits, which were strong all month long! There were two series in particular that I read and LOVED in March.

First, the Little House Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder:

When I posted about my Anne of Green Gables obsession some years ago, some folks had asked me if I had ever read the American equivalent, the Little House books, which follow Laura and the rest of the Ingalls family growing up as pioneers of the northern midwest US in the 1800s. Well, I finally read the series this month and though nothing could replace my love of Anne Shirley, I adored spunky tomboy Laura Ingalls all the same! I think one of the best parts of the series is that it is autobiographical - all of the successes and hardships faced by the Ingalls family in the books really did happen. And in that way, I really felt that the series was a fascinating history lesson of a sort! I listened to the entire series on audiobook narrated by Cherry Jones and it was wonderful. Highly recommended!

Second series, the first three books in The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater:

This has been a LONG time coming. Since The Raven Boys was first published, really. I knew already from the blurb and reviews and previous works by Maggie that this series was for ME, but I put off the actual reading of it for years because I was so terrified that the prevailing stress of my life at the time would taint my reading experience of what I was sure would be a favourite of mine (does anyone else do this?). So I waited and waited and waited until I knew I was at a time in my life when I was at leisure to enjoy the books in my own time and own way. And that time was this month, FINALLY (and just in time for The Raven King in a few weeks!). I suppose I will save the bulk of my thoughts for a full review at a later date, but suffice it to say that it definitely IS the favourite I thought it would be. The characters, the magic, the writing - so much love!

And lastly of significance this month, the Easter Long Weekend:

Easter for me means three things: painting Easter Eggs (a tradition every year since I can remember), eating loads of chocolate, and spending time with family. And thankfully, one of the benefits of now living close to home is that I was able to make the trip up to Edmonton to be with my family! And so I had a nice weekend, indeed :)


That's it for me and March! I hope everyone else had a good March as well, and I hope to get back to regular blogging for April!

Blog Posts in March

Waiting On Wednesday: Macmillan Spring 2016 Catalog
Waiting On Wednesday: Simon & Schuster Spring 2016 Catalog
Muggle Monday: 7 New Facts About the History of Magic in North America
Review: Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4) by Marissa Meyer - 4 Stars
Review: The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord - 4.5 Stars
February Recap: Blogilates, Sleepovers, and Graphic Novels

A Very Belated 2013 End of Year Book Survey

The End of Year Book Survey is hosted by Jamie at The Perpetual Page-Turner

Previously, my 2012 End of Year Book Survey and my 2011 End of Year Book Survey.


1. Best book you read in 2013?
Five books really stand out in my mind from 2013 (way too hard to narrow down!): Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (this book was my JAM!), The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey (absolutely gripping!), The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (brilliant and memorable!), Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (story of my LIFE!), and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (beautiful and impactful - review to come!).

2. Book you were excited about and thought you were going to like more but didn't?
I was so excited for the finales of two of my favourite series (Delirium and Divergent), but was sad to find that Requiem by Lauren Oliver and Allegiant by Veronica Roth were two major let downs for me.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013?
Pantomime by Laura Lam! But I can't tell you why because that would ruin the surprise!

4. Book you read in 2013 that you recommended to people most in 2013?
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey, The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, and Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.

5. Best series you discovered in 2013?
The Grisha Trilogy and the Lunar Chronicles.

6. Favourite new author you discovered in 2013?
SO MANY. Leigh Bardugo, Maggie Stiefvater, Rainbow Rowell, Marissa Meyer, Markus Zusak, Gail Carriger, Victoria Schwab, and Robert Galbraith.

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?
I don't normally "do" Adult Fiction or strict Whodunnit type books, but if there is anyone who can get me to take a step outside my comfort zone, it's Queen Rowling. So I'm definitely going to have to go with The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith.

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book of 2013?
Shades of Earth by Beth Revis! Now THIS is how you do a thrillingly epic and climactic finale!

9. Book you read in 2013 that you are most likely to reread next year?
Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor is not a book I read in 2013, but it's one I most definitely want to reread in 2014 to prepare for Dreams of Gods & Monsters!


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

11. Most memorable character in 2013?
Cormoran Strike from The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith, the Darkling from Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, and Death from The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2013?
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2013?
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

14. Book you can't believe you waited until 2013 to finally read?
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card! I finally caved and read this one around the time that the movie came out. Unfortunately, the experience wasn't a positive one (review to come...).

15. Favourite passage/quote from a book you read in 2013?
Can I just copy the entirety of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak here?

16. Shortest and longest book you read in 2013?
Shortest: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness - 206 pages
Longest: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare - 570 pages

17. Book that had a scene in it that had you reeling and dying to talk to somebody about it?
These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner! You KNOW the scene I'm talking about if you've read this book!

18. Favourite relationship from a book you read in 2013?
Liesl and Max from The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Cath and Levi from Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, and Puck, Dove, Sean, and Corr (yup, horses too) from The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater.

19. Favourite book you read in 2013 from an author you've read previously?
I can always count on Rick Yancey and Patrick Ness (two of my MOST favourite authors) to produce good content and The 5th Wave and A Monster Calls were no exception.

20. Best book you read in 2013 that you read based solely on a recommendation from someone else?
Seems like everyone in the book blogging community has read and loved The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Finally in 2013, I was able to see what all the raves were about!


21. Genre you read the most from in 2013?
Fantasy, of course.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2013?
Levi (and his eyebrows and great hair) from Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. True fact: at the Rainbow Rowell book signing that I attended in 2013, Rainbow described Fangirl as "eyebrow erotica" due to the detailed descriptions of Levi's eyebrows in almost every scene that he is in.

23. Best 2013 debut you read?
These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner!

24. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2013?
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo and The Archived by Victoria Schwab.

25. Book that was the most fun to read in 2013?
Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger was simply a delightful read! Gail knows how to get whimsy just right.

26. Book that made you cry or nearly cry in 2013?
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (obvs), The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (that ending), and Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (happy tears!).

27. Book you read in 2013 that you think got overlooked this year or when it came out?
Pantomime by Laura Lam. Pantomime was a highly original and profound read.

28. One book you didn't get to in 2013 but will be your number 1 priority in 2014?
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (reading now!!), Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas, The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater, and Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell.

29. Book you are most anticipating for 2014 (non-debut)?
DREAMS OF GODS & MONSTERS by Laini Taylor. Without. A. Doubt.

30. 2013 debut you are most anticipating?
Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne sounds right up my alley!

31. Series ending you are most anticipating in 2014?
Daughter of Smoke & Bone Trilogy by Laini Taylor and The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo.

32. One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/blogging in 2014?
Keep up this no pressure/stress blogging and reading thing I've got going on because it suits me and I'm loving it.

Review: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Publisher: Scholastic
Published: October 18, 2011
Pages: 404
Source: Bought
Rating: 5 Stars

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.
Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

In short: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater is a brilliant and memorable story with fantastic characters and beautifully descriptive prose.

Maggie Stiefvater, where have you been all my life? Okay, I know, it's totally my fault for only clueing in now and finally caving to peer pressure after reading countless reviews that have raved about her books and her writing. You guys were SO right. I loved The Scorpio Races entirely. And I couldn't be more impressed with Maggie Stiefvater's writing and her mastery at utilizing imagery to craft the most beautiful sentences and scenes. Plus, growing up I was one of the horse-crazy girls who wanted nothing more than to spend her time frolicking with ponies (I still do, really). So naturally, I was pretty crazy about a storyline revolving completely around horses.

Maggie Stiefvater's genius wasn't immediately apparent to me, however. The Scorpio Races is a quiet book, one that kind of snuck up on me. At first the pacing seemed slow and it felt like nothing was happening. At some point though - not sure exactly when - it just hit me: this book is BRILLIANT. The Scorpio Races has a quiet grace to it. The story, the characters, the setting - they were all understated, yet completely impactful and memorable in retrospect.

I had a hard time wrapping my head around the water horses at first. As someone who has once witnessed a horse become spooked by a bit of floating plastic, it was hard to picture horses as predatory and vicious. It didn't help that these water horses apparently looked much the same as regular horses, with no predatory morphological characteristics whatsoever. Evolution be damned! But I digress... I'll just call it pure fantasy and be done with it.

And it wasn't long until I was lulled and convinced into believing in the concept of killer horses thanks to Maggie Stiefvater's descriptive prose. I don't know much about her or her interests, but it was immediately apparent to me that she knows what she's talking about when it comes to horses. Not only did she get the terminology right, but she completely captured the personality and quirks of horses that are so uniquely equine. As a horse-crazy and detail-oriented girl, this was SO important to me. If I had read a description that wasn't at all in line with how I know horses to act, it would have taken me completely out of the story. Thankfully, this never happens. Maggie Stiefvater NAILED it.

But horse personality isn't the only thing she got right. Nor is it hardly the most important aspect of the novel - The characters were fantastic. Puck is my favourite kind of protagonist: very flawed and not immediately likeable until you get to know them and you realize they have a heart of gold and a fierce spirit hidden behind their faults. I also loved Sean, the novel's other narrator, for his quiet, no nonsense demeanour. And I ESPECIALLY loved the bond between Puck and Sean and the bond between them and their horses. Just perfect. The antagonists are definitely note-worthy, as well. They were truly horrible and intriguing and memorable and did I mention HORRIBLE? There are very few thing that get me riled up quite as much as animal cruelty, so I was sufficiently repulsed and enraged by the novel's baddies.

Alright, I could go one and on about all that I loved about The Scorpio Races, but this review is getting quite long (for me anyway) so I'll stop here. I just loved it a lot, you know? I loved the understated yet powerful story, the moving characters, the gorgeous prose. AND THE HORSES!!

Other Reviews:
Alison Can Read
Courtney Reads A Lot
Poetry to Prose

Author Links:
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