2011 End of Year Survey

The Perpetual Page-Turner

1. Best Book You Read In 2011? 

• Adult Fiction: Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
• YA Fiction: Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey; A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness; Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
• Nonfiction: The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America by Timothy Egan
• Audiobook: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglass Adams, read by Stephen Fry

2. Most Disappointing Book/Book You Wish You Loved More Than You Did?

• The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman---The story was all over the place and not enough about the actual cookbooks!
• Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen---This was my first Dessen novel and I liked the book OK but wanted to be blown away.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2011?

• The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster---Yes, I know everyone read this in Elementary school except me.  But honestly this book is so fabulous everyone should reread it with some regularity.

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2011?

• Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (YA)
• Stolen by Lucy Christopher (YA)
• Blink and Caution by Tim Wynne-Jones
• Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

5. Best series you discovered in 2011?

•  Tiffany Aching (Discworld) by Terry Pratchett---I read Hat Full of Sky and want to read the whole series now.

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2011?

• Stephanie Perkins (Anna and the French Kiss)
• Lucy Christopher (Stolen)
• Blythe Woolston (Freak Observer)
• Terry Pratchett (Discworld series)

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

• My comfort zone must be enlarging because I can't really identify any book I read that was too far outside it. 

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2011?

• The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
  

9. Book you most anticipated in 2011?

•   A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness---I am a big Ness fan and I was very eager for this book.  It is fabulous, too!

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2011?

11. Most memorable character in 2011?

• Karou in Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor.
• Charlie Bucklin and Jeffrey Lu in Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey
• Zaphod Beeblebrox in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Adams
  
• Tiffany Aching in Hat Full of Sky by Pratchett 
• Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2011?

• The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan
• A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2011?

• Professionally: Brain Rules by John Medina; Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
• Literature: The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan; The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Making by Cathrynne M. Valente

14. Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2011 to finally read?  

• Anne of Green Gables
• The Phantom Tollbooth
• Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
• The Giver
• The Lord of the Flies
  

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2011? 

• "Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job." ---Douglass Adams, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
• "For a moment, nothing happened. Then, after a second or so, nothing continued to happen. " ---Douglass Adams, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
• “You must never feel badly about making mistakes ... as long as you take the trouble to learn from them. For you often learn more by being wrong for the right reasons than you do by being right for the wrong reasons.”  -Norton Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth

16. Book That You Read In 2011 That Would Be Most Likely To Reread In 2012?

• The Phantom Tollbooth.  I am going to reread this every five years! (For sure!)

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling /Dying To Talk To Somebody About It?

•   Stolen by Lucy Christopher
  

18. Favorite review that you wrote in 2011? 

• The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

19. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?

• The All-Pierce County Reads Book Event for The Big Burn by Timothy Egan. Hosted by the Pierce County Library system, Timothy Egan spoke about writing The Big Burn and what he learned along the way.  I attended this with my husband and his excitement really rubbed off on me.

20. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

• My review of the book Stolen
• Favorite Holiday Books, a Top Ten posting.

21. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

• I always hope that my book reviews will draw more attention than they seem to but sometimes I am shocked when I only get a comment or two on a review like the one I wrote for for Jane by April Lindner. 

22.  How did you do on reading challenges or goals?

• I had a successful year with my reading challenges.  Take a look at my update here.

Looking Ahead...
23. Books You Didn't Get To In 2011 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2012?

• Inheritance by Christopher Paolini
• Stick by Andrew Smith
• Blood Red Road by Moira Young
• Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

24. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2012?

• Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore (#3 in The Seven Kingdoms series) [May]
• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green [January]

25. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2012?

• I am making a commitment to writing my book reviews within 24 hours of finishing the book.
• Complete my challenges, whatever they are.  (I haven't signed up for any of them yet!)