2012 End of the Year Survey Part 1

MERRY ALMOST CHRISTMAS, Y'ALL!

I didn't want the blog to be empty this week, but I also am running a bit low on reviews, and I wanted to participate in Jamie's survey SO, I decided to split it into a few parts this week, to give me a bit of breathing room and to have some fun wrapping up this year.  This is the "best books of..." part.  If you want to participate, the survey questions are located HERE.  Anyone who links up by January 10th, 2013 is in the drawing for a book of their choice from Jamie, too!
 

1. Best Book You Read In 2012? (You can break it down by genre if you want)

There's no possible way I can pick just one...okay I probably could, but that wouldn't be very fun at all.  I've read SO many fantastic books this year.  So I'm doing this by genres.

Young Adult Contemporary: Send Me A Sign by Tiffany Schmidt (my review).
Young Adult Fantasy: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (my review).
Young Adult Paranormal Romance: Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock (my review).
Young Adult Sci-Fi: Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone (my review).
Young Adult Dystopian: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi (my review).

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

That would have to be Starters by Lissa Price. I honestly thought this book would blow me away, but it left me VERY under-whelmed. 

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2012?

Probably...Lucid by Adrienne Stoltz/Ron Bass.  I originally wasn't planning to read this one at all, but then I ended up on an ARC tour for it, and it really blew me away - kept me guessing, made me care about the characters, even made me cry.  I never would have thought I'd love it like I did!  

Runner-up: The Diviners by Libba Bray.  I knew I was going to love this one, but man, I LOVED it a LOT.  It almost gave me nightmares, which is awesome.  I don't scare easily, but Libba's book scared me!  It was so awesome - the characters, setting, story. 
  
4. Book you recommended to people most in 2012?

If you've been to my blog much this year (or worse, if you know me) I couldn't STOP talking about Shadow and Bone.  Fantasy is my "comfort zone" genre, the genre I feel like is my reading "home" and Leigh Bardugo's debut novel really made a huge impact on me.  It broke my heart in ways I wasn't sure I COULD be broken - and then it put me back together.  I fell in love with the characters...hard.  I've stalked Goodreads since then, and squee'ed embarrassingly loudly over the title, cover, and synopsis.   

5. Best series you discovered in 2012?

I read a great many debuts that are the first book in a series, but I didn't get to read many sequels/second books IN a series.  Which is a bit sad, but really not, because I'm more of a fan at times of stand-alones...and this way I know which series (of the ones I read/wanted to read) are worth continuing and which aren't.

So Miranda Keneally's Hundred Oaks series gets to be my favorite.  I read Catching Jordan (finally) AND Stealing Parker this year, and am really looking forward to Things I Can't Forget next year.  Miranda is a fabulous writer who tells amazing stories!
  
 6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2012?

Wow, SO many...I almost don't know where to start.  I'd say...NOT counting debut authors:

• Miranda Keneally 
• Alyssa Rose Ivy
• Sarah Rees Brennan
• Stephanie Perkins

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

Since although I like it, I don't read a great deal of historical fiction, I'd have to say Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers.  It.  Was.  Mind.  Blowing.  SO SO good.  I'm ready to do bad things for a galley of Dark Triumph, because...the world-building, the characters, the subtle-yet-intense romance...GAH.     

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2012?


Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi!  I was GLUED to the pages, to see what happened next, where the characters went.  I loved, loved, LOVED the characters and relationships.  I'm actually re-reading it now!
  
9. Book You Read In 2012 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year:

Well, the problem is there are SO MANY.  But MOST likely...probably Defiance by C.J. Redwine.  It gave me ALL THE FEELINGS and I want to re-read it to let a lot of the details and finer points really sink in.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2012?

 I read a lot of books with beautiful covers this year but Sweet Evil wins.  I remember almost crying when I got this galley - I wanted it SO FLIPPING BAD.  Then I got my hands on it, and WHAT a book.  WOW.  And that cover.  *swoons*

 

Check back on 12.27.12 for part 2 and 12.28.12 for part 3!  In the meantime, if you're doing this survey, link me to yours so  I can check out YOUR answers!