I can’t believe the Perpetual Page-Turner has been doing this for a decade! You can find the questions on her blog here. For this I’m also including books from this blog and my romance blog, Romance and Sensibility.
**2019 READING STATS**
Number Of Books You Read: 60, which is a real record for me ! 28 were non-romance and 32 were romance novels/novellas
Number of Re-Reads: Just one. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. I wanted to read the rest of the series and needed a refresher.
Genre You Read The Most From: Contemporary Adult Romance
1. Best Book You Read In 2019?
I’m going to break it down:
Backlist YA: Jack of Hearts by LC Rosen
Frontlist YA: On The Come Up by Angie Thomas
Backlist Romance: Buns by Alice Clayton
Frontlist Romance: Well Met by Jen Deluca
2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
The Whole Packageby Marie Harte. Harte wrote two of my favorite romances of all time,but this one disappointed me. I am giving Harte’s newest book a change though…
Honorable mention: I listened to the book Fluffyby Julia Kent purely because I heard a snippet of it on the Sound Bites podcast that sounded funny. I ended up hating it.
3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?
I Wanna Be Where You Are by Kristina Forest. I was anticipating this book for a while and I was surprised how much I liked it. I usually have a hard time with YA romances. This is probably the best one I’ve read in recent years.
4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?
The only person I really push to read books is Jess and I pushed her to read Six of Crows. Our older brother is also (suddenly becoming) a reader and I think I’ll rec the series to him too.
5. Best series you started in 2019? Best Sequel of 2019? Best Series Ender of 2019?
Best series started: The Crown of Shard series by Jennifer Estep
Best sequel: I didn’t read a sequel that I liked
Best series ender: I didn’t read a series ender that I liked
6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2019?
Lucy Lennox is a new to me author who wrote King Me, a sexy art heist romance.
7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
This year I read two adult SFF novellas and I think of the two I liked This Is How You Lose The Time War best.
8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
Jack of Hearts by LC Rosen, I just wanted to know who the stalker was!
9. Book You Read In 2019 That You Would Be MOST Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
I don’t typically re-read but I can see myself re-reading This is How You Lose The Time War because I feel like it’s a book that makes more sense the second time around.
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2019?
I absolutely hated this book, but it has one of my favorite covers. It just really stands out:
11. Most memorable character of 2019?
Natalie Grayson in Cream of The Crop by Alice Clayton
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2019?
This Is How You Lose The Time War by Max Gladstone and Amal Eh-Mohtar
13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2019?
I don’t think I had one of those
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2019 to finally read?
The Grisha series. I had no idea how I’ve gone this long without getting spoiled.
15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2019?
I really like this passage from Suddenly One Summer between divorce lawyer Victoria Slade and her hero, journalist Ford Dixon because after the black moment the heroine does a “grovel” instead of the hero which is kind of subversive.
She lifted her chin. “Are you dating that woman who was with you in the elevator?”
Fuck that. All his frustration boiling to the surface, he took a step closer to her. She had no right to ask him that, not anymore. She had kicked him out of her life. “Would it make any difference if I was?” he asked sharply.
Victoria held her ground, peering up at him and taking a moment before answering. “No.”
His shoulders slumped.
Well. He’d asked.
“That’s what I thought,” he said tersely. He spun around and started walking toward his car.
“Because I’d fight for you anyway.”
He stopped.
His heart pounding, he turned around to face her.
She stepped toward him, speaking determinedly. “This was not supposed to happen. My whole adult life I have avoided exactly this happening. I had things all mapped out, I knew what I wanted, and I was set. But then you came along, and you messed up all of that, with your little quips, and your jaw that twitches when you get protective, and the way you somehow manage to always be so infuriatingly unfazed no matter what I throw at you. And now I’m stuck. I can’t get back to my old life and, even crazier, I don’t want my old life anymore.” She held his gaze. “Because that life doesn’t have you in it.”
16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2019?
Shortest: A Tale of Two Cities by Alexandra Warren at 60 pages
Longest: It was a tie. Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardguo and Mixtape: A Love Song anthology were both 536 pages.
17. Book That Shocked You The Most
I’m going to say Ruin and Rising. Because I read Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom first I was sure I knew what was going to happen at the end of the books and I was wrong.
18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)
Dirk Falcon and King Wilde (I know, the names are peak romance hero names) in King Me by Lucy Lennox
Bonus: This is not canon but I totally ship Nena and Inej from Six of Crows
19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year
The friendship between all the couples in Alice Clayton’s Hudson Valley series. I loved the scene when they were all running a marathon together.
20. Favorite Book You Read in 2019 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
Hmm… I read a lot of new to me authors this year. I did like both Alexandra Warren Tale of Two Cities novellas I read.
21. Best Book You Read In 2019 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure/Bookstagram, Etc.:
Timekeeper by Tara Sim…I pretty much only read it because Eric Smith kept bringing it up on the Hey, YA. Podcast
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2019?
Zavier Demons from Syncopation by Anna Zabo
23. Best 2019 debut you read?
Well Met by Jen Deluca
24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
All of the timelines and worlds in This is How You Lose The Time War
25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?
The Hudson Valley series by Alice Clayton
26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2019?
I didn’t have one this year
27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?
I wouldn’t necessarily call her a hidden gem but Alexandra Warren’s Tale of Two Cities series is great for quick romance reads.
28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?
I didn’t really have one
29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2019?
This is How You Lose The Time War
30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
Queen of Nothing by Holly Black–mostly because it didn’t go the way I wanted it to go.
1. New favorite book blog/Bookstagram/Youtube channel you discovered in 2019?
I got more into Booktube more this year. I just kind of leave it running in the background when I’m doing something. Some of my go to channels are:
2. Favorite post you wrote in 2019?
My post about reading The Grisha series out of order
3. Favorite bookish related photo you took in 2019:
I didn’t really take too many photos
4. Best bookish event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, etc.)?
ApollyCon ! It was kind of overwhelming but I’m glad I went.
5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2019?
I don’t have one, blogging has kind of taken a backseat for me so I’m just glad I can still do it.
6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?
I think just the usual…feeling some burn out and going weeks without publishing anything.
7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?
According to Blogger it is my Broken Things review ?
8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?
I don’t have one.
9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?
I’ve been using Libro.FM and it’s a great way to support local indies and it has pretty much all the same features as Audible
10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?
I always try to read more of the books I already have….I think I only got to two.
1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2019 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2020?
Midnight Beasties by Megan Shepherd…I wanted that book so badly last year and I never got to it!
2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2020 (non-debut)?
Now That I’ve Found You by Kristina Forest
3. 2020 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
A Sweet Mess by Jayci Lee
4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2020?
The Bride Bet by Tessa Dare
5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2020?
I….I may try a booktube video or two
6. A 2020 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone (if applicable):
I haven’t read any 2020 books
1/2 of the blogging duo at Books and Sensibility, I have been blogging about and reviewing books since 2011. I read any and every genre, here on the blog I mostly review Fantasy, Adult Fiction, and Young Adult with a focus on audiobooks.