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!!

Review: Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) by Sarah J. Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Published: September 2, 2014
Pages: 562
Source: Bought
Rating: 5 Stars

She was the heir of ash and fire, and she would bow to no one.

Celaena Sardothien has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak—but at an unspeakable cost. Now she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth...a truth about her heritage that could change her life—and her future—forever.

Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. To defeat them, Celaena must find the strength to not only fight her inner demons but to battle the evil that is about to be unleashed.

In short: I loved every piece of Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas, just like I KNEW I would.

At this point, anything I say about the Throne of Glass Series is just going to be incredibly repetitive, I think. Because how many different ways can I write about how much I love fierce-yet-vulnerable Celaena and Sarah J. Maas' knack for writing intense heart-pounding action scenes and prose that puts me through an insane roller coaster of emotions? That's how it's been for all the previous books, that's how it was for Heir of Fire, and that's how it's going to be for every sequel to come, I'm sure.

So this review is going to be short. But I still feel the need to make it known: I loved every piece of Heir of Fire and Sarah J. Maas is a downright genius in my mind for continuing to pump out such completely engaging stories with some of the most memorable characters and the ability to evoke such a wide array of passionate feelings. What's more is, at no point will this ever feel repetitious because Sarah also brings MORE new mythology and heightened intensity and enigmatic characters to every subsequent book. Case in point: Rowan Whitethorn and Manon Blackbeak, as first introduced in Heir of Fire, are two of my most favourite characters of the series now (don't worry though, no one will ever replace Celaena).

So yes, I mean OF COURSE I loved Heir of Fire. There was never any doubt in my mind that I wouldn't love it as I've now reached the point where I really don't think Sarah J. Maas could do wrong in my mind. I am a Forever Fan of hers and the Throne of Glass Series now. And I'm so excited that I only have a few more months until I get to read Queen of Shadows!!

Previously, my reviews of The Assassin's Blade, Throne of Glass, and Crown of Midnight.

Other Reviews:
Lunar Rainbows
My Precious
Where the Writer Comes to Write

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Review: Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah J. Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Published: August 27, 2013
Pages: 418
Source: Gifted
Rating: 5 Stars

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.
Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.
Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie...and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.

In short: I loved Crown of Midnight to pieces. And it just about destroyed me...

I'm not sure there's much point to me writing a review for a book that has seen many MANY reviews already, especially when my thoughts don't differ from the consensus in the slightest and besides - other people can write much more eloquently than I could dream to anyways. But I guess, For The Record, just so that I remember this and everyone else knows this: I LOVED this book to PIECES. And it just about destroyed me...

I mean, of course I loved Throne of Glass when I first read it years ago, and then when I read the prequel novellas, I truly grew to love Celaena and this world that Sarah J. Maas has created. But then there was Crown of Midnight. And Crown of Midnight has all the fantastic elements of the first novels, but just takes everything to a WHOLE new level. There was more intensity, more action, more character development, more mythology, more of EVERYTHING.

And more emotions. I can't recall the last time a book brought me on such a rollercoaster of feelings. I alternated between feeling utterly ELATED to feeling wretchedly HEARTSICK in what was seemingly the space of a few pages. Scene after scene just flew by and though I was super busy at the time, my head and heart were fully consumed in the pages of Crown of Midnight even when I wasn't reading it.

It's kind of insane that I waited so long to read this considering I was pretty much chomping at the bit to read it when it was first released a few years ago. I am so glad to have finally read it now though. And this way, I still have Heir of Fire to enjoy (and I will be getting to that one SOON!) and then not too long to wait until Queen of Shadows!! Yup, I am SUPER stoked this!!

Previously, my reviews of The Assassin's Blade and Throne of Glass.

Other Reviews:
Lunar Rainbows
Small Review
YA Book Queen

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Top Ten Books I've Read So Far In 2014

The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass #0.1-0.5) by Sarah J. Maas

Review | Goodreads

Most series novellas I have read just seem inessential and underdeveloped. But Sarah J. Maas breaks the mould with The Assassin's Blade. Now THIS is how novellas should be done. Each of the prequel Throne of Glass novellas are not only significant to the overall series story, but they are also each as strong as an actual full-length novel. Sarah J. Maas excels as a storyteller: tension-ridden romances, no-holds-barred action scenes, gut-wrenching heartbreak and feels. This woman is a genius!

Scarlet and Cress (Lunar Chronicles #2 and #3) by Marissa Meyer

Review of Scarlet | Goodreads | Review of Cress | Goodreads

I was a bit late to the party with this series, but now I'm all caught up and ready for Winter! THIS SERIES, GUYS. As with Cinder, Scarlet and Cress were both compulsively readable, thrilling, and altogether awesome. I don't know how Marissa Meyer does it, because you would think the multi-layered storyline and numerous POVs would feel convoluted, and yet it never does. It's like each instalment has more and more to offer than the one before it and that is impressive indeed!

Night of Cake and Puppets and Dreams of Gods and Monsters (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #2.5 and #3) by Laini Taylor

Review of NoC&P | Goodreads | Review of DoG&M | Goodreads

Oh, Laini. I bow down to you. Laini Taylor took the finale of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy to a whole new, unexpected, and brilliant level in Dreams of Gods and Monsters. And though I was left wanting so much MORE (I need a spinoff!) after the close of Dreams of Gods and Monsters, I was also pleased that I got the sense of closure that I craved for this series ending. Also, shout out to the Zuzanna/Mik novella Night of Cake and Puppets, which was simply WONDERFUL!

The Books of John Green

Review | Goodreads

And finally, in the month of May I read all five of John Green's novels for the first time, back-to-back, in chronological publication order, in what I have dubbed, The Great John Green Read of 2014. It was a fantastic experience and I can honestly say that all of John Green's novels were memorable and meaningful to me in their own way. John Green has a way of writing profoundly thoughtful books that make you THINK and stay with you long after the book has ended. Loved this experience!

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

Review: The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass #0.1-0.5) by Sarah J. Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Published: March 4, 2014
Pages: 448
Source: Bought
Rating: 5 Stars

Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan's most feared assassin. As part of the Assassin's Guild, her allegiance is to her master, Arobynn Hamel, yet Celaena listens to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam. In these action-packed novellas - together in one edition for the first time - Celaena embarks on five daring missions. They take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, where she fights to liberate slaves and seeks to avenge the tyrannous. But she is acting against Arobynn's orders and could suffer an unimaginable punishment for such treachery. Will Celaena ever be truly free? Explore the dark underworld of this kick-ass heroine to find out.

In short: The Assassin's Blade shows that Sarah J. Maas excels as a storyteller, even in novella format.

Now THIS is how novellas should be done. Too often when I read series novellas, the characters are underdeveloped, the story is superfluous, and I'm left thinking, "What is the point?"; I could easily read the series and skip the novellas and it would make absolutely no difference because the novellas are inessential and unimportant. But THESE Throne of Glass prequel novellas!! They are not only relevant and significant to the overall series story, but they are also each as strong and entertaining as an actual full-length novel.

I don't know how Sarah J. Maas does it, but somehow she is able to give the reader a feel for what Celaena is all about within the first few pages of the first novella, The Assassin and the Pirate Lord. Those who were turned off by Celaena's cockiness and inactivity in Throne of Glass should definitely give these novellas a read as Celaena demonstrates another side of herself as a gutsy and tenacious heroine with a heart of gold. And then there's Sam. Following Throne of Glass, I was firmly Team Chaol, but even I was swayed and swooned by Sam and his hate-turned-love relationship with Celaena.

Sarah J. Maas excels as a storyteller, not only when it comes to tension-ridden romances, but also no-holds-barred action scenes and gut-wrenching heartbreak and feels. And the fact that she is able to accomplish all this in short novella format when you would normally have to turn to novels to get this much depth? Well, that's just genius. My only regrets are a) that I didn't read these prequel novellas before reading Throne of Glass, and b) that I haven't read Crown of Midnight yet (seriously, what am I waiting for?!).

Previously, my review of Throne of Glass.

Other Reviews:
Looking for the Panacea
Lunar Rainbows
YA Book Queen

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Review: Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Published: August 7, 2012

Pages: 416

Source: For Review from Bloomsbury USA/NetGalley (Thank you!)

Rating: 4.5 Stars

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.
Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.
Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.
Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

In short: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas was an absolutely absorbing read with numerous elements that will keep the reader riveted to the story.

It seems as though there has been a great influx of books in the historical high fantasy genre these days - presumably due to the popularity of Game of Thrones - and I'm loving it. I love the historical setting with the political intrigue combined with the incongruously fanciful elements of a fantasy. Last year, my obsession was with dystopian novels - I devoured every one that came my way. Now I have a new obsession: historical fantasies with expertly combat-trained female protagonists and enthralling romances. Yes, I'm thinking of course of Grave Mercy by R.L. LaFevers, and now Throne of Glass can join that group too.

Thankfully though, Throne of Glass wasn't exactly like Grave Mercy, despite having a few significant similarities. It was distinguishable enough in plot and characters that I didn't dwell on any likenesses. It certainly helps that books with trained assassins are super fun to read. Celaena and Ismae were both tough, life-hardened girls, but Celaena was more girlish. At times, I found her to be annoyingly cocky and lacking in common sense, but for the most part, I liked her and admired her spirit and mettle.

There is a love triangle in Throne of Glass and I was prepared to be annoyed by it, as I usually am with love triangles, but surprisingly I found that not to be the case. I feel like the romance was well done and definitely a compelling part of the story. Though I am solidly Team Chaol in the choice between the handsome and arrogant Prince Dorian and the serious and level-headed captain of the guard, Chaol Westfall, I can appreciate that the love triangle was definitely one that will leave the reader with conflicting feelings in support of either love interest. The chemistry between both pairings felt tangible, truly enticing and effective.

Overall, I think the thing that stood out the most to me about Throne of Glass was just how darn compelling it was. It was a definite page-turner and I was never bored. There are so many elements that make Throne of Glass a truly alluring read. Besides the likeable protagonist and the powerful chemistry between love interests that I already mentioned, an entertaining competition, riveting action scenes, interesting court intrigue, an enchanting masked ball, and a curious mystery, all kept me absolutely absorbed in the story. I cannot wait to read more from the Throne of Glass universe, including the four prequels already available as ebooks.

Other Reviews:
Alexa Loves Books
Novel Sounds
Musings of a YA Reader

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