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 5th Wave (The Fifth Wave #1) by Rick Yancey

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Published: May 7, 2013
Pages: 480
Source: For Review from Penguin
Rating: 5 Stars

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.
Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

In short: Combining an intriguing plot, intelligent prose, and vivid characters, The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey is an absolutely gripping story and one that is not to be missed.

"If aliens ever visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Christopher Columbus first landed in America, which didn't turn out very well for the Native Americans."
- Stephen Hawking

So begins the most gritty and realistic post-apocalyptic alien invasion story I have ever read. There have been four waves of terror and mass murder by the billions leading up to the titular event, The 5th Wave. This is not a story for the lighthearted. The 5th Wave presents a realistically bleak - and thus TERRIFYING - post-apocalyptic future ruled by aliens, paranoia, and desperation. The terror is palpable and the story is somehow all the more gripping for it.

I thought I knew exactly what to expect going into The 5th Wave; I have read my fair share of post-apocalyptic novels and I know how they always play out. Very rarely am I surprised by the direction the story goes. But as it turns out, I was completely wrong about The 5th Wave. Rick Yancey somehow manages to take an old tried and true plot and turn it into something that somehow felt more original and much more intriguing. It's no wonder to me that the movie rights for The 5th Wave have already been picked up. The 5th Wave is utterly compelling.

I was already a huge fan of Rick Yancey's writing from his historical horror series, The Monstrumologist, and that, combined with the mountain of hype surrounding this book, meant I knew I was going to be getting something special with The 5th Wave. And of course he delivered. BIG TIME. Rick Yancey is such an amazing storyteller - whether it's a heart-pounding, life-or-death action scene or an intensely poignant emotional scene, he handles it all skillfully and thoughtfully.

Told through multiple interwoven perspectives, Rick Yancey proves that not only can he create a fast-paced and compelling plot, but that he can craft vivid and intriguing characters, as well. The 5th Wave's protagonist is Cassie, who is a spitfire of determination and bleak humour with a M-16 for a best friend. I loved her entirely. Rick Yancey captured her voice perfectly in his prose, bringing to life a memorable teen survivor to rival the likes of Katniss Everdeen. The other perspectives - Zombie, the Silencer, and Nugget - all bring an interesting view of a well defined character, as well.

The 5th Wave is the best sci fi novel I've ever read and is one of the best post-apocalyptic reads I've read (alongside The Road). Combining an intriguing plot, intelligent prose, and vivid characters, The 5th Wave is an absolutely gripping story and one that is not to be missed. For folks who are wary of sci fi: this is your chance to try one that is guaranteed to enthral you and leave you wanting for more!

Other Reviews:
Alice Marvels
More Than Just Magic
The Page Turner

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