2018 End of Year Reading Survey

I'm joining up again for the End of Year Survey hosted by The Perpetual Page Turner. You can join in too HERE.

2018 Reading Stats

Number Of Books You Read: 26 Books
Number of Re-Reads: 4 Books
Genre You Read The Most From: Classics

Best in Books

1. Best Book You Read In 2018?

• Fiction: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer 
• Non-Fiction: The Gospel Comes with a House Key by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield and I'd Rather be Reading by Anne Bogel, Total Truth by Nancy Pearcey, The Mortification of Sin by John Owen 
• Re-Read- The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery 

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

The White Company by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I liked Doyle's other adventure novel The Lost World by The White Company just was not as engaging for me.

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?

Escape by Carolyn Jessup. The book absolutely shocked me and I would highly recommend it to learn more about the FLDS cult. 

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery. I got my book club to read it. It's still one of my favorite books and it was a blast to re-read it.

5. Best series you started in 2018? Best Sequel of 2018? Best Series Ender of 2018?

Best series I started was the Tarzan of the Apes series by Edgar Rice Burroughs. I don't know when I'll have time time but I would really like to finish the series.  

Best sequel (and only sequel) I read was Shadows of the Workhouse by Jennifer Worth. 

I didn't finish any series this year. 

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2018?

Henry James. I really enjoyed The Portrait of a Lady by him and I'm really looking forward to reading more of his books in the future.

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

I read a few books I normally wouldn't this year actually. Probably most out of my comfort zone was Escape by Carolyn Jessop. I don't normally read memoirs and certainly not ones about the FLDS. Thankfully it was one of our choices for book club and I'm so glad I read it.

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

Hmmm... as mentioned above Escape really kept me turning the pages, mostly in shock. I read it a few days and probably would have finished it faster but it was the holidays so I was a little tied up. 

9. Book You Read In 2018 That You Would Be MOST Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

Hmmm... there's nothing that would really stand out to me as one I would be most likely to re-read next year. Maybe I'd Rather Be Reading just cause it makes me happy.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2018?

I'd Rather be Reading. It just invokes the cozy, feel good reading feeling.

11. Most memorable character of 2018?

I wouldn't say I had any SUPER memorable characters this year but overall I think I would've to go with Sophy from the Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer I think. She's so wacky and fun!

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2018?

I'd Rather be Reading by Anne Bogel.  It's such a lovely comforting books and it just draws you in with it's beauty and simplicity.

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2018?

The Gospel Comes with a Housekey by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield. It's definitely revolutionized my thoughts about hospitality and challenged me to become a more hospitable person even if it's in little ways.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2018 to finally read?

The Grand Sophy! Loved it!!! I've heard Georgette Heyer recommended before and I can't believe I only finally this year got around to reading one of her books!

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2018?

All of I'd Rather be Reading!!!! But here are a few of my favorite quotes from it. 

“A good book, when we return to it, will always have something new to say. It's not the same book, and we're not the same reader”

“We can’t know what a book will mean to us until we read it. And so we take a leap and choose.”

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2018?

Shortest: Mortification of Sin by John Owen
Longest: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

17. Book That Shocked You The Most

Escape by Carolyn Jessop for so many reasons but mainly the amount of abuse that goes on in the FLDS and still continues to go on. It's such a sad story!

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

Sophy and Charles from The Grand Sophy (opposites totally attract!) and Pierre and Natasha from War and Peace (I would have been so upset if they had not ended up together!).

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

I love Molly and Vivian's friendship in Orphan Train.

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2018 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope. I've loved all of Trollope's books so far and this was no exception.

21. Best Book You Read In 2018 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure/Bookstagram, Etc.:

All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda. One of the girls from book club chose it to read since she'd enjoyed it and I actually really enjoyed it... though there were aspects of it (language etc.) that I didn't love.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2018?

I don't think there were any guys in the books I read this year that I was crushing on.

23. Best 2018 debut you read?

I didn't get to any 2018 debuts this year.

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

I think Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs.  Maybe it's partly cause I listened to the audiobook but I really felt immersed in the jungle setting.

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

The Grand Sophy! I smiled and laughed the whole way through. It was FUN! 

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2018?

I don't think I had any crying books this year that I can remember.

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

I'd Rather be Reading for sure! I'd never even heard of it or it's author (now I love reading Anne Bogel's blog!) but I randomly got my hands on it and LOVED it!

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

I don't think there were any soul crushers this year.

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2018?

Intensity by Dean Koontz. The title says it all. It's definitely unique among Koontz's books but I'm not sure I loved it.

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

Escape by Carolyn Jessop. I HATED so many of the characters in the story and the sad thing is those characters are real people and they were doing real evil. 

Your Blogging/Bookish Life

1. New favorite book blog/Bookstagram/Youtube channel you discovered in 2018?

Modern Mrs Darcy which is a blog by Anne Bogel who wrote the aforementioned I'd Rather be Reading.

2. Favorite post you wrote in 2018?

You, Me and a Cup of Tea for sure!

3. Favorite bookish related photo you took in 2018?

I love these photos of Brian reading to Abby. 

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

My church's women's group had a book exchange for a Christmas party! So much fun!!!!

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2018?

I don't know if there were any best "moments". I'm just glad I was able to keep up with both blogging and reading this year even with having a baby. I know I've not been terribly consistent but I've kept with it! 

6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?

Besides what I just mentioned, it was also challenging to admit that I couldn't finish up my Classics Club challenge this year. Next year! 

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

By views You, Me and a Cup of Tea. By comments I think Our Hobbit. 

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

Let's Talk about The Paradise... I still want people's thoughts on this! 

9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

I already mentioned Modern Mrs Darcy as far as blogs go. If you haven't gone and checked out Thrift Books yet as I've told you all to before then do it! As far as books stores when we were in Asheville this summer I had fun randomly finding two different bookstores while we were walking downtown!

10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

I think the only reading challenge I completed this year was the Back to the Classics challenge and I only completed the lowest level of it. But at least I did that! Last year I'm not sure I completed any!

Looking Ahead

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2018 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2019?

At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon. Sadly this is what I said last year for this category and I still didn't make it to it. 2019 is the year!

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2019 (non-debut)?

I don't keep up enough with what new books are coming out unfortunately. 

3. 2019 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

I don't keep up enough with what new books are coming out unfortunately.

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2019?

I don't keep up enough with what new books are coming out unfortunately.

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2019?

Finish my Classics Club challenge. I didn't get it finished this year like I'd planned to but want and hope to in 2019.

6. A 2019 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone (if applicable):

N/A

It's always fun to fill this survey out and look back on my reading year. Be sure to join in on the fun!

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