lost in translation

1. Best Book You Read In 2015? (If you have to cheat — you can break it down by genre if you want or 2013 release vs. backlist)

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

11/22/63 by Stephen King

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

After You by Jojo Moyes. Okay, I was already expecting to not like it, I was prepared for it but I was still excited. Then I read it and it was even more disappointing than I actually thought it would be.

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

Paradox Love by Dorothy Gravelle. I just didn’t expect almost everything that happened haha – the heaven-like place, THE DOGS, the way life works in the book – it was all so surprising but I loved them! I wish there would be a sequel, the story wasn’t finished yet.

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

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

5. Best series you started in 2015? Best Sequel of 2015? Best Series Ender of 2015?

Started: In Times Like These by Nathan Van Coops

Sequel: Stand Off (Winger #2) by Andrew Smith

Ender: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (what else would it be? I loved the Molly-Bellatrix battle here more because it was longer and more awesome haha!)

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2015?

Nathan Van Coops

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

14 and The Fold by Peter Clines. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything from the scifi/horror genre before; it was great.

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

In Times Like These and The Chronothon by Nathan Van Coops

9. Book You Read In 2015 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

Me Before You & the Harry Potter series

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2015?

11. Most memorable character of 2015?

Louisa Clark and Will Traynor from Me Before You, and the Harry Potter gang of course.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2015?

Station Eleven

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2015?

Replay by Ken Grimwood

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2015 to finally read?

The Harry Potter series, except for Sorcerer’s Stone which I read last year haha! Also, Replay by Ken Grimwood – that book was amazing.

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2015?

“I will never, ever regret the things I've done. Because most days, all you have are places in your memory that you can go to.” – Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2015? (As of Goodreads)

Shortest: Evidence of Things Not Seen by Lindsey Lane (224 pages)

Longest: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (870 pages)

17. Book That Shocked You The Most (Because of a plot twist, character death, left you hanging with your mouth wide open, etc.)

The Girl On the Train by Paula Hawkins and Departure by A.G. Riddle

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

Lou Clark & Will Traynor (Me Before You)

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

Friendship: Harry Potter, Hermione Granger & Ron Weasley

Familial: Weasley Family

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2015 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

Excluding the Harry Potter books, 11/22/63 by Stephen King

21. Best Book You Read In 2015That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

Holes by Louis Sachar. I rarely read something from just a recommendation, but I’m glad I did because I really loved this.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2015?

Will Traynor, duh.

23. Best 2015 debut you read?

The Chronothon by Nathan Van Coops

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

14 by Peter Clines and Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

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

Love, Rosie by Cecelia Ahern – storytelling through IMs, emails, snail mail and such is unique and fun.

26. Book That Made You Cry or Nearly Cry in 2015?

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, Between the Lives by Jessica Shirvington, and Hedwig in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

27. Hidden Gem of the Year?

When by Victoria Laurie – this book is really good. Not well-known. Read it earlier in the year, I guess it just got overshadowed by the action-packed, science fiction/fantasy heavyweights I read afterwards, but I remember that I really loved this. For fans of Death Note.

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2015?

Well, Andrew Smith books are always unique and incredible, so The Alex Crow.

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

Wayward Pines – I hated Pam and Pilcher so much, together with Dolores Umbridge from Harry Potter.

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

Yes, still the Goodreads Reading Challenge.

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2015 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2016?

I just finished book two of Wayward Pines by Blake Crouch, ended on a cliffhanger, so first will be The Last Town. I’ve already seen the Fox show, but the books have more storylines that I’m excited about.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2016 (non-debut)?

Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell

3. 2016 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

Where Futures End by Parker Peevyhouse

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2016?

In Times Like These #3 by Nathan Van Coops, The Last Star by Rick Yancey, Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics by Chris Grabenstein

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2016?

Write more reviews.

6. A 2016 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:

                                     Number Of Books You Read: 50 Number of Re-Reads: 5 Genre You Read The Most From: Young Adult Contemporary & Science Fiction

                                       1. Best Book You Read In 2014?

Contemporary YA – Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas, Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg

Science Fiction — Eleanor by Jason Gurley, Backward Glass by David Lomax, The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North

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

The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey – I loved its first book, The 5th Wave, but I think that about half of this book was unnecessary, that it was just to make Evan Walker fans happy.

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read in 2014? 

Forever Layla by Melissa Turner Lee – at first, you would think that this is just another time travel story cliché (add in the fact that I was annoyed by all the drama of the female protagonist in maybe the first half of the story), but it in the end, everything was justified.

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did) In 2014?

Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg

5. Best series you started in 2014? Best Sequel of 2014? Best Series Ender of 2014?

Started – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

Sequel – Wicked Little Secrets by Kara Taylor

Ending – The One by Kiera Cass (I'm considering this as the real ending of The Selection series, not the upcoming one/s about America & Maxon's daughter. By the way, not a really great ending, but from all series enders that I’ve read, this is probably the most okay.)

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2014?

Abigail Haas/Abby McDonald, Jason Gurley, David Lomax

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

Not really a book, but My Twisted World by Elliot Rodger, the Isla Vista massacre perpetrator, was definitely an unusual reading experience. We saw the way of thinking of an eventual murderer, recounting his whole life and how he came to be. That rarely happens. It was disturbing, but worth the read.

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

Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas. Read the book in one day. Then I read the whole book again on the following day.

9. Book You Read In 2014 That You Are Most Likely To Re-read Next Year?

Probably Better off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg if I want to read something cute. Most definitely The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey so my mind will be refreshed once the third (and final?) book comes out.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2014?

      11. Most memorable character of 2014?

(I’ve excluded characters from book-to-TV and –film adaptations, because obviously they’re memorable). I’m not sure if I will remember her in a few years, but for now the character that I remember the most is also my absolute favorite this year: Madeline Martha Mackenzie from Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. She may be superficial most of the time, but she’s a real friend and so fiercely loyal and protective of the ones that she loves. She’s the most realistic character that I've read in a while.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2014?

Eleanor by Jason Gurley – the writing, the story, everything about it was beautiful.

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2014?

Eleanor by Jason Gurley – the part where Eleanor first went into the rift just hit me so much. What would it be like when we die? What happens to us and where do we really go? What would it feel like?

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2014 to finally read? 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling. I know. Shame on me.

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2014?

There were many quotes I liked while reading them, but I’m too lazy to find even one.

16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2014?

Longest: Under the Dome by Stephen King – a whopping 1074 pages! Took me almost two weeks to finish it.

Shortest: Excluding novellas, Forever Layla by Melissa Turner Lee at 170 pages

17. Book That Shocked You The Most (Because of a plot twist, character death, left you hanging with your mouth wide open, etc.)

The revelation at the end of We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, and Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas.

18. OTP OF THE YEAR

Macallan & Levi from Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship of the Year

McCool-Grafton-Wisner-Lyons family from Landline by Rainbow Rowell

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2014 From an Author You’ve Read Previously

Free to Fall by Lauren Miller

21. Best Book You Read In 2014 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

None. Nowadays, I wouldn’t read a book if I haven’t seen its ratings on Goodreads.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2014?

This has probably something to do with the TV show. Okay, I guess it has everything to do with the TV show: Bellamy Blake from The 100 series.

23. Best 2014 debut you read?

Eleanor by Jason Gurley & Backward Glass by David Lomax

24. Best World-building/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

Under the Dome by Stephen King (The man is a master at it!) and Eleanor by Jason Gurley (Think The Lovely Bones + What Dreams May Come)

25. Book That Put a Smile on Your Face/Was the Most FUN to Read?

Lost Encyclopedia by Tara Bennett and Paul Terry. Lost is the best TV show, and the book was very informative and fun (the page which listed Sawyer’s nicknames was hilarious). It may be my most prized book.

26. Book That Made You Cry or Nearly Cry in 2014?

Forever Layla by Melissa Turner Lee and Eleanor by Jason Gurley. I was an emotional wreck while and after reading both those books.

27. Hidden Gem of the Year?

Backward Glass by David Lomax – an excellent time travel-mystery story. It was engaging, has the perfect amount of creepiness, likeable characters, unexpected answers, and I love that there were very clear rules on how they should time travel.

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

Forever Layla by Melissa Turner Lee – what a heart breaking twist that was.

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2014?

Grasshopper Jungle and 100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith – his books are always fun, unique, weird, and very good.

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

Under the Dome by Stephen King – I was so furious at Big Jim, Junior and his friends, you would think it was on a personal level. Stephen King creates villains that make Joffrey look nice.

                                          1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2014? 

Epic Reads, Novel Sounds

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2014? 

The one I did for Dangerous Boys by Abigail Haas.

3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?

I don’t really have a blog.

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

I really enjoyed Gayle Forman’s book signing in January 2014. My aunt’s annual Manila International Book Fair is always a great experience, too.

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2014?

Meeting Gayle Forman.

Elizabeth Eulberg answering my questions on Goodreads’s Ask the Author and her finding out from me that Better off Friends was nominated in the Goodreads Choice Awards.

Making my perfect Dangerous Girls soundtrack which Abby McDonald approved.

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

No blog.

7. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

No blog.

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

The Book Depository

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

I achieved my goal of reading 50 books for the Goodreads challenge. Furthermore, I wrote more reviews this year than 2012 and 2013 combined, and most are lengthy reviews! Please disregard the fact that my review count for the year is only 10. That’s a big accomplishment. Yay me! XD

                                          1. One Book You Didn’t Get to In 2014 but Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2015?

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2015 (non-debut)?

Hopefully a new book by Rainbow Rowell ;)

3. 2015 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

In a World Just Right by Jen Brooks, We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach, Pretending to Be Erica by Michelle Painchaud – I haven’t read a book yet with a main character’s name like mine. Not the exact spelling, but it’ll do. Plus, the plot seems interesting.

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2015?

Stand Off (Winger #2) by Andrew Smith, Untitled third book of The 5th Wave series by Rick Yancey, The Heir (The Selection #4) by Kiera Cass

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2015?

Complete my Goodreads Reading Challenge again and write more reviews.

6. A 2015 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend to Everyone