Usually at the very beginning of the new year, I take some time to reflect on the previous year’s books. In the past, I have taken part in The Perpetual Page Turner’s questionnaire, but I didn’t even do that this year. 2022 definitely finished with a whimper and not a bang. And it all started so well, too.
The first book I read in 2022 was The Fire Keeper’s Daughter, and I was so sure that 2022 was going to be stellar based on that book. Book number two wasn’t quite so good, sadly, and the next few books were just so-so for me.
It wasn’t until February’s Migrations that things started to turn around. I really enjoyed this book, and chose it, based on recommendations from my Litsy friends, as my book club pick. Sadly, I won 2022’s “Book I Enjoyed Reading Least”. I was really starting to feel as though I had lost my reading mojo.
I also read Jennifer Niven’s YA novel Breathless in February and I really loved that one, so maybe things weren’t as dire as I thought they were. The first book of March was Saint X, which I also loved. Was I on a roll? The Kiss Quotient: naughty fun.
Then came Malibu Rising, a book I was sure I was going to love based on how much I loved Daisy Jones & the Six.Malibu Rising was just….awful. Luckily, Will Dean’s book The Last Thing to Burn was a total palate cleanser. I read it in pretty much one setting and immediately after I read Everything We Didn’t Say, which I also very much enjoyed. So just as the weather was starting to improve, I felt like things were on the uptick.
Oh dear.
In Pieces made me crazy. And not in a good way. I knew that I needed to follow it up with something stellar, so I read some books by tried and true authors: Thomas H. Cook, Craig Davidson, Lucie Whitehouse.
May was saved by Stephanie Rosenbloom’s memoir Alone Time and Maryann Wolfe’s long essay on the importance of reading in a digital age: Reader, Come Home.
June is a busy month for a high school teacher, and I was preparing myself to read lots during the summer, so I read some schlock – nothing memorable.
By the first week of July I had finished Empire of the Vampire, a massive fantasy novel I enjoyed way more than I thought I would. Then, thinking it would be great to take another chunky book off my physical tbr pile, I tackled A Little Life. This is a book that really seems to divide people and I come squarely down on the side of “don’t waste your time.”
Usually in the summer I read a lot of thrillers, and I read my fair share last year, but they were mostly mediocre. The standout for me was Messiah.
By the time early December arrived, I really felt miserable about my reading year and I spent more time playing some stupid Angry Birds bubblepop game than I did with my books. I read four books in December that I didn’t even get around to reviewing:
The Long Weekend by Gilly MacMillan (dear lord, just ridiculous)
Gather the Daughters by Jennie Melamed (a beautifully written, slow-moving book about a religious cult)
A Death-Struck Year by Makiia Lucier (a YA novel about a girl during the flu epidemic in 1918 with remarkable parallels to Covid)
Goodnight Beautiful by Aimee Molloy (at which point I decided to give thrillers a rest for a while)
I came nowhere near hitting my Goodreads target of 75 books and I am determined to do better this year.
Number Of Books You Read: 77 Number of Re-Reads: 2 Genre You Read The Most From: Fiction
1. Best Book You Read In 2021?
My favourite book of 2021 was The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller. It ticked ALL my boxes. It is a is a beautifully-written, page-turner about a woman who has to make a decision at a point in her life where she’s actually lived a life and has some real skin in the game. I loved it.
2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
I had a handful of disappointing reads this year, but these were the ones I was especially looking forward to for a variety of reasons, but were then disappointing – also for a variety of reasons:
3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?
I was surprised that I didn’t love love Courtney Summers’ The Project because I have loved loved everything else she’s written and this book seemed right up my alley: a prickly heroine, a cult. It wasn’t awful; I still enjoyed it. I just thought I would like it a lot more than I did.
I listened to The Secret Garden – my first audiobook – and it was kinda surprising that I enjoyed the experience. I’ve read the book before, ages ago, and it was nice to revisit the garden this way.
The Lesser Dead surprised me, too. A fresh take on vampires that was creepy, and heartbreaking. I’d never heard of the author before and I will definitely be looking to read more of his work.
4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?
I do the most “pushing” in my classroom and this year I was a big fan of Concrete Rose, Odd One Out, and It Sounded Better in My Head. I’ve also encouraged people to read The Paper Palace and given it as gifts.
5. Favorite new author you discovered in 2021?
Chris Whitaker and Miranda Cowley Heller will be autobuy authors for me.
6. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
Nothing is out of my comfort zone, and I rarely pick books in genres that don’t interest me.
7. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
8. Book You Read In 2021 That You Would Be MOST Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
Maybe The Paper Palace, but honestly with a TBR pile as big as mine, I don’t do as much re-reading as I would like.
9. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2021?
Loved the title and the cover, the story didn’t quite hold together for me, though.
10. Most memorable character of 2021?
100% Duchess from We Begin at the End. So much love for that girl.
Honourable mention to Maverick from Concrete Rose. I loved him when I first met him in The Hate U Give and I loved him even more in his origin story, and Zelda MacLeish from When We Were Vikings
11. Most beautifully written book read in 2021?
Hamnet and Judith was gorgeous to read. It’s really a book you want to savour.
12. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2021?
13. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2021 to finally read?
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith has been on my TBR shelf forever. Finally read it and I loved it.
14. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2021?
The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne clocked in at 582 pages but was a sheer delight to read from beginning to end. How Reading Changed My Life was just 96 pages long. I read a total of 25,243 pages this year.
15. Book That Shocked You The Most
(Because of a plot twist, character death, left you hanging with your mouth wide open, etc.)
19. Best Book You Read In 2021 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure/Bookstagram, Etc.:
#BlameItOnLitsy The Heart’s Invisible Furies was a book that lots of people were talking about on Litsy I gave in to the pressure and have zero regrets. I discovered We Begin At the End on Twitter. Lots of well-deserved chat about that one.
20. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2021?
No one, really.
21. Best 2021 debut you read?
The Paper Palace, obviously, but also Shuggie Bain which not only won the Booker but which was just an incredible book. I also really enjoyed Mirrorland.
22. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
The Paper Palace had such a sense of time and place. Honourable mention to The Lesser Dead: NYC in the 70s and Crooked River a book about a father and his daughters living off the grid in Oregon.
23. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?
I Capture the Castle is a delight and made me very happy.
24. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2021?
Tin Man by Sarah Winman got me close, but Hamnet and Judith got me all the way there.
25. Hidden Gem Of The Year?
I don’t know how hidden it is, but I choose When We Were Vikings. That book was just such a gem. Honourable mention: Crooked River by Valerie Geary. Everyone should give these books a go.
26. Book That Crushed Your Soul?
I had a few soul crushing reads this year…as if 2021 wasn’t tough enough.
Forbidden – Tabitha Suzuma, We Begin at the End, The Paper Palace, Hamnet and Judith all hit me in the feels.
27. Most Unique Book You Read In 2021?
Fight Night by Miriam Toews had an unusual narrator in nine-year-old Swiv.
28. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
100% Corrupt by Penelope Douglas and by “most mad” I do mean I HATED it. Gawd-awful garbage.
1. New favorite book blog/Bookstagram/Youtube channel you discovered in 2021?
I love Jordy’s Book Club on Instagram. I haven’t really figured out how to get the most from Instagram yet, but I do really enjoy his content. I also like BooksbytheBay – also new to me and local.
2. Favorite post you wrote in 2021?
I had a lot of fun writing my review for Corrupt. Way more fun than I had reading the book.
3. Favorite bookish related photo you took in 2021?
Yeah, not my thing. Maybe this one.
4. Best bookish event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, etc.)?
I was very excited to participate in Shelf Absorption‘s “everything you wanted to know about other people’s bookshelves project” which you can read about here.
5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2021?
I hit 10,000 #Litfluence points on Litsy, which was kind of exciting.
6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?
Being distracted by Covid and my iPad.
7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?
Strangely, my review of Corrupt got over 12,000 views.
8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?
I am happy to interact with anyone who wants to chat. 🙂
9. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?
I always do the Good Reads Reading challenge. I set my goal for 75 books and I read 77. You can see a summary of my stats here.
1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2021 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2022?
Where do I even start?
2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2022 (non-debut)?
Take your pick.
My TBR shelf…and that’s not all of them.
3. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2022?
Maybe start a podcast. Maybe make better use of Instagram. Maybe neither of those things.
For the past several years I’ve completed a little reading survey, a sort of look back at the reading year that was. I normally spend a few hours reflecting on my year, choosing most favourite and least favourite books and talking about other bookish things that happened to me, but I usually do that in advance of January 1st. This year I had to return my daughter to university and then I spent a couple days with my best friend and her family out of the city…so no time to get that post ready in advance. I do like to think about my reading year, though, so here are some random thoughts.
Goodreads provides a handy overview of your reading year at the end of their challenge. This is mine. I think I had a pretty good year. I read nine more books than I did in 2018, and I hope to up that number again this year by spending WAY less time on the Internet. My reading goal for 2020 is 70 books, but I would love to surpass that.
Of the books I read in 2019, a couple really stand out. Gabriel Tallent’s debut novel My Absolute Darling was a difficult book to read, but the protagonist, Turtle, has stayed with me. As I said in my review, this book will not be everyone’s cup of tea; however, if you can stomach the subject matter (sexual abuse, violence), it is so worth the read because of the incredible beauty of Tallent’s writing and the novel’s stunning main character.
I read a lot of terrific YA this year. It’s relatively rare to read a total YA dud these days – and to be honest, if the book really sucks I just move on – but I read some stellar YA titles in 2019.
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds – a novel in verse about the aftermath of gun violence. A quick but powerful read that belongs on every school library bookshelf
A List of Cages by Robin Roe – a tremendous novel about two boys who meet again at high school, and how that chance encounter and one boys innate kindness saves the other boy’s life. Literally.
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera – smart, thoughtful, heartbreaking and – not a spoiler – they do both die at the end. LOVED it.
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart – twisty, gothic, beautifully written… a page-turner with a beating heart
I read some mediocre books this year, too…and many of them were really popular books. These are books that were just okay for me – certainly not, imho, worth the hype.
Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane landed me in a little mini Twitter shitstorm. First time EVER I had an author and her minions come at me, even though I didn’t think (and still don’t think) my review of her book was all that critical. The book just didn’t do it for me.
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is a serviceable thriller and I had no trouble reading it, but I just didn’t think it was worthy of all the fuss. For me.
The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer was one of last year’s book club picks and it just didn’t float my boat because I didn’t really care too much for the main female characters, which is a problem in a book about women.
The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani – was it the translation? I dunno. I just found this book about a nanny who kills the children she is charged to care for S-L-O-W
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles – I felt as trapped as the novel’s main character, Count Rostov
The Broken Girls by Simone St. James – this was my book club pick last year and it just had too much going on
This is How it Always Is by Laurie Frankel – captures the zeitgeist of gender identity and, overall, does it well, but I still had some issues and couldn’t give it a hearty thumbs up
Other bookish things that were exciting this year:
I stumbled upon, purely by chance, Sherree Fitch’s magical bookstore, Mable Murple’sBook Shoppe and Dreamery in River John, Nova Scotia.
Fitch’s children’s books were on permanent rotation in my house when my kids were little, so it was pretty exciting to find the store and then find the author herself chatting to patrons.
I purchased my copy of A Velocity of Being here and I can’t recommend it highly enough. If you love books, this is a MUST read.
I also had the opportunity to meet Lauren B. Davis, author of one of my favourite books, Our Daily Bread, when she read from her newest novel, The Grimoire of Kensington Market. Davis and I have interacted a little bit on social media, and in fact back when my book club read Our Daily Bread, she graciously offered to answer any questions we had in real time via Twitter.
I intend to make going to author readings more of a regular habit in 2020, as I do love to see them in person. I am so sorry I missed my opportunity to hear Craig Davidson read from his book The Saturday Night Ghost Club, which I read in 2019 and really liked a lot.
One other thing I did in 2019 that I have never done before was to make a vlog. I had a crazy busy few weeks and let my read books pile up and knew I would never get around to writing reviews about them, so I thought, what the heck, I’ll talk about them instead. Not that easy, people. If you want to waste 20 minutes, you can watch that here.
Overall, it’s been a great reading year and I look forward to discovering new favourites in 2020. I hope you’ll visit often and stay a while.
Number of Books You Re-Read: 3, but I only really count That Was Then, This is Now because I reread To Kill a Mockingbird and The Great Gatsby every year I teach grades 10 and 12.
This should have been right up my alley, but it was really just a ‘meh’ for me.
Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read in 2018?
I was surprised at the positive buzz many of the books I really (really) disliked received. For example, people LOVED Beartown and I detested that book. I also was not a fan of The Light Between Oceans and it got a lot of praise.
Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did) In 2018?
I probably pimped My Sunshine Away the most. So good.
Favorite new author you discovered in 2018?
I would definitely read anything M.O. Walsh wrote. I also enjoyed YA authors David Arnold and Becky Albertalli.
Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
I also really loved (and couldn’t put down) I Will Always Write Back because I was so invested in the real-life correspondence between Martin and Caitlin.
Favourite cover of a book you read in 2018?
I was really drawn to the cover of Frances Hardinge’s YA fantasy Cuckoo Song
It’s got that whole creepy doll thing working for it.
Most memorable character of 2018?
Sadie from the book by the same name. Hands down. She broke my heart.
But I actually encountered several memorable characters this year and I would be remiss to leave them out.
Honestly, that book had it all. It’s a page-turner, it’s heart-breaking, it’s so beautifully written. Read it.
Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2018?
I don’t think I read any life-changing books in 2018, but I certainly read books that were challenging, Margaux Fragoso’s memoir Tiger, Tiger and and thought-provoking, I Will Always Write Back by Caitlin Alifirenka & Martin Ganda w/ Liz Welch.
Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2018?
I could quote a million things from My Sunshine Away, but then that would ruin the pleasure of reading those words for the first time and you are going to read that book, right? Instead, I will leave you with this little gem from Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda.
…people really are like houses with vast rooms and tiny windows. And maybe it’s a good thing, the way we never stop surprising each other.
Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?
Geesh, looking back over the books I read in 2018…they’re all pretty gloomy. Most FUN to read? Maybe Simon because I just loved him and his friends so much.
Book That Made You Cry or Nearly Cry in 2018?
There were definitely some lump-in-the-throat moments while reading The Marrow Thieves
Also, not gonna lie, My Sunshine Away and I Will Always Write Back gave me all the feels. I was too devastated by Sadie to actually cry.
Hidden Gem Of The Year?
I know, I keep saying it, but My Sunshine Away was a complete surprise.
Book That Crushed Your Soul?
Sadie. I had to wait a few days before I wrote my review. Seriously.
Most Unique Book You Read In 2018?
Again, I have to give it to Sadie. If you have not yet discovered Courtney Summers, you are in for a treat…and by treat I mean prepare to be devastated by just about everything she writes. In a good way.
Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
OMG – so many books pissed me off this year with their suckiness.
I love when I get to interact with authors – usually when they respond to a tweet about their book. This one was my favourite of 2018:
Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?
Incidentally, it was my review of Rob Lowe’s book Stories I Only Tell My Friends which received the most views (and some retweets, too).
Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?
I set my reading goal at 50 this year…just so I wouldn’t be disappointed if I didn’t make it. I definitely had some reading struggles this year, but overall, it was a good reading year.
One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2018 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2019? Oh, please. I did do a cull of my tbr shelf…and by that I mean I took all the books off the shelves and read the blurbs and sorted them into piles of donate/reshelve/read in 2019, but let’s face it…rules are made to be broken.
Book You Are Most Anticipating for 2019 (non-debut)?
My son gave me J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst’s novel Ship of Theseus for Christmas. We’ve long been intrigued by this books, so I am looking forward to reading it.
I wrote that in 2015! Still haven’t read the book because I think it requires some dedication. That said, it did make it onto the 2019 reading pile.
2019 Debut You Are Most Anticipating
There are probably loads of books I will want to read, but I just found out that Tim Johnston has a new book, The Current, coming out in January and I will definitely be purchasing that because I loved Descent
One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2019
I am almost afraid to review my reading year because I really didn’t feel as though I had an especially good one. Usually I have no trouble getting upwards of 50 books in a year – an average of about one book per week. I know there are scads of people who read a lot more than that – like a hundred books and more. I am not sure how they accomplish that unless they read for a living. In any case, I didn’t get nearly as much reading done during the summer as I would have liked and I think I spent wayyyy too much time on my phone. My kids gave me an iPad for Christmas this year and I am going to have to be super careful not to fall into a technology hole. Truthfully, I’d rather be reading, but sometimes at the end of a long day at school it’s just easier to turn on the TV or troll through Facebook. But 2018 is a new year. (And good riddance, 2017. You sucked.)
Every year for the past few years, I have participated in The Perpetual Reader’s year-end survey. It’s a fun way to take a look back at the reading year that was. Here’s my 2017 edition.
Number Of Books You Read: 46
Number of Re-Reads: 2
Genre You Read The Most From: YA
Everyone was talking about this book, and for good reason. I fell in love with the characters in this book and appreciated a glimpse into a world of which I know nothing.
Runner- Up (for book that was the most fun to read)
I know I am in the minority here, but I HATED the ending of this book with a fiery passion.
3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?
I started my 2017 reading year off with Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight, which I was sure was going to be a great beginning because I thoroughly enjoyed her book Reconstructing Amelia. Not so much for this one.
4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?
I didn’t really push any of the books I read this year other than The Hate U Give. I intend to encourage a lot of people to read that one in my YA Lit class next semester.
5. Best series you started in 2017? Best Sequel of 2017? Best Series Ender of 2017?
Series. Blech.
6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2017?
Peter Swanson. I will definitely be adding more of his books to my tbr shelf.
7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
I don’t tend to read outside of my comfort zone. Is that bad? Occasionally I read some YA dystopian or fantasy stuff…just so I can talk about those books with students…but I’m not really a fan. (Unless it’s Patrick Ness. I will always read him.)
8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
Ohhh. The Kind Worth Killing was pretty thrilling. I also recently finished The American Girl by Kate Horsley and it was pretty un-put-down-able.
9. Book You Read In 2017 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
Nada.
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2017?
In its simplicity, Thornhill. It is a beautiful book all around.
13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2017?
The Hate U Give. Do you see a theme emerging? I also really got a lot from Jen Waite’s memoir A Beautiful, Terrible Thing. It wasn’t life-changing because in some ways it merely reflected back to me a life I had already sort of lived; however, I did find it thought-provoking.
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2017 to finally read?
20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill. I read Heart-Shaped Box pretty much when it first came out and loved it. I bought 20th Century Ghosts not long after, but it has languished on my tbr shelf for ages…like years. Finally got around to it.
15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2017?
Nothing stands out…and half of the books on my list are at school. So, I got nothing.
(Because of a plot twist, character death, left you hanging with your mouth wide open, etc.)
Sandra Brown’s Seeing Red shocked me with how BAD it was.
18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)
Can’t say I have one this year.
(OTP = one true pairing if you aren’t familiar)
19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year
100% the Carter family in The Hate U Give.
20. Favorite Book You Read in 2017 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
Of the books I read in 2017, several were from previously read authors:
Of those titles, I probably enjoyed I Found You the most enjoyable.
21. Best Book You Read In 2017 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:
I never feel pressure to read any recommendations – except for book club picks, I read what I want.
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2017?
I got nothing.
23. Best 2017 debut you read?
The Hate U Give.
24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
Probably Salt to the Sea.
25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?
Geesh, looking over the books I read this year – most of them were pretty grim. Maybe that’s why I had such a hard time reading this year. Chopsticks was fun to read because it was a story mostly told with pictures.
Meeting Fantasy Chick from Litsy. I participated in a #secretsantagoespostal event and I got matched up with someone who lives about 15 minutes away from where my son attends university. Instead of mailing her gift, I was able to arrange to meet her and hand it over in person. That was cool.
6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?
I felt sort of lethargic this year – in all aspects of my life. I wonder if it was the political climate…or too much work…or I dunno. I am hoping 2018 will be better.
7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?
I am not one for making New Year’s resolutions, but I do enjoy a little bit of reflection. I like to think back on the year and contemplate what changes I might make to make my life, and the lives of those around me, better. The world seems to be moving faster and I think we could all benefit from taking a breath. Reading is one of the ways that I do that. I also think we need a lot more kindness in the world. I have a wonderful opportunity to model kindness every day in my classroom and I think showing tolerance, compassion and empathy is the only way forward. It’s the direction I am taking at any rate.
Once again, thanks to Jamie over at The Perpetual Page-Turner for starting this survey seven years ago and for sharing her questions and graphics. If you’d like to take a peek at her survey and see what loads of other readers read this year, you can do that here.
Number Of Books You Read: 60
Number of Re-Reads: 1
Genre You Read The Most From: Fiction
I was really looking forward to this book. Stephen King loved it and I trust his taste. It just didn’t do it for me. Maybe I missed the point because although the writing was good (and I would certainly read Tremblay again), I just felt like the book was trying to be too many things and I never really settled in to the narrative.
3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?
I was actually quite surprised with how much I enjoyed this book. I didn’t know it was a zombie book when I purchased it and had I known I might have left it on the shelf. That would have been too bad because I really like it.
This is the second post Promise Not To Tell book I’ve read by McMahon. I loved Promise Not To Tell, but haven’t liked anything else I’ve read by her. The Winter People was a hot mess.
4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?
I urged a lot of people to read Tim Johnston’s fine novel Descent. I really liked this book a lot and the people I suggested it to also enjoyed it. Of course I encouraged everyone to read Everything I Never Told You and I also suggested I Let You Go by Clare McIntosh to a lot of readers who like a page-turner.
5. Best series you started in 2016? Best Sequel of 2016? Best Series Ender of 2016?
This is always a hard question for me to answer. I kinda hate series, to be honest. That said, I did promise my daughter that I would start Harry Potter this year and I did, but I only made it through Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and half way through Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban before I got sidetracked by other books. I did read the first of C. J. Daugherty’s Night School series and I really liked it. I would have read more, but they are almost impossible to find. I also read Tammara Webber’s novel Breakable, which is a companion to her novel Easy.
6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2016?
I think I would read anything by Celeste Ng. I’ll definitely read more of Jennifer Niven.
7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
The Girl With All the Gifts – M. C. Carey
Vampires – yes. Zombies – no. But this was terrific in every way.
8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
I actually read several thrillers this year of the can’t-put-it-down variety. Top of the heap goes to I Let You Go by Clare McIntosh. That book had an early twist that had me scrambling back to the beginning and then racing like a demon to the end. Tim Johnston’s Descent was also a pulse-racing, page-tuner. I also had a hard time putting down The Book of You by Claire Kendall
9. Book You Read In 2016 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
Hahahahahaha. I often re-read books that I teach, but other than that I have too many books on my tbr pile to make a plan to re-read anything.
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2016?
I was attracted to the cover of In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware. I’m sure there are prettier or more dramatic covers than that, but I liked the black and white. That said, I also loved the cover of Martin Short’s memoir, I Must Say, probably because Short is on the cover and just seeing his face makes me smile. As soon as I see him I start thinking about all the characters he’s played over the years: Ed Grimley, Jiminy Glick, Franck from Father of the Bride and then I have to go watch some clips on YouTube. Be right back.
11. Most memorable character of 2016?
Gosh – this is tough because I have encountered some truly memorable characters during this reading year.
Honourable mention goes to Ryan Dean West from Andrew Smith’s terrific YA book Winger.
Another character that deserves a mention is Melanie from The Girl With All the Gifts. She was a beautifully complex character.
Tied for the win: Finch and Violet from All the Bright Places. I just fell madly in love with these two damaged, smart and beautiful characters.
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2016?
Egads – another tough category. Or maybe it’s just that I read a lot of terrific books this year. Gotta be Everything I Never Told You, though. The writing wasn’t overwrought or ornate, but so much of that book felt like a punch to the gut. Simple and beautiful.
13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2016?
Perhaps I would slot Iain Reid’s mind-bending novel I’m Thinking of Ending Things in this spot. It wasn’t a life-changing read, but it sure was thought-provoking and one of those novels that you really had to puzzle your way through. It was also the kind of book that you wanted to pass on, so you could have a conversation with another reader about the book’s wtf qualities.
14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2016 to finally read?
If I have to choose a book for this category, it’d have to be Harry Potter just because I probably should have read them (or started to read them) way before now.
15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2016?
“You loved so hard and hoped so much and then you ended up with nothing. Children who no longer needed you. A husband who no longer wanted you. Nothing left but you, alone, and empty space.” – Celeste Ng, Everything I Never Told You
19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year
Melanie and Helen Justineau from The Girl With All the Gifts
20. Favorite Book You Read in 2016 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
That would have to be All the Rage by Courtney Summers This was my third book by this Canadian author and once again Summers proved herself to be a fearless writer. Not an easy book to read, but certainly an important book.
21. Best Book You Read In 2016 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:
I don’t really have a book for this category. I don’t generally run out and buy books other people recommend because my tbr pile is too big. I do, however, add them to my tbr list and I might get to them sooner than other books. That said, I was pressured into getting on the Harry Potter series. I told my daughter I’d read the whole thing in the summer, and only got one and a half books finished before I got distracted by other books.
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2016?
Well, it’s not a new crush but I continue to be enamored with Lucas from Tammara Webber’s books Easy & Breakable.
23. Best 2016 debut you read?
Everything I Never Told You. C’mon, whose debut is as good as that!?
24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
The Girl With All the Gifts did an excellent job of putting the reader right into a post-apocalyptic future. I also thought Breanna Yovanoff created a super creepy world in her novel The Replacement.
25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?
I Must Say by Martin Short. I could hear all his characters in my head when I read the book. Love him.
26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2016?
I love a book that makes me cry. Everything I Never Told You and All the Bright Places both made me cry. Tom McNeal’s To Be Sung Underwater definitely put a lump in my throat on more than one occasion.
27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?
I wonder if many people read Bittersweet by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore. I really liked that book a lot. New Brunswick writer Riel Nason’s second novel All the Things We Leave Behind also fits into this category because she certainly deserves to be read.
28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?
Everything I Never Told You. Absolutely wrecked me. So did All the Bright Places.
29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2016?
The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich was pretty unique as it incorporated journal entries, police and psychiatric reports, transcribed found video footage, etc.
30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
Maybe I would stick really hyped books that just fell short in this category: The Husband’s Secret & Pretty Girls spring to mind.
1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2016?
Fictionophile She’s a prolific reader and she’s from my neck of the woods. What’s not to love?
2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2016?
Looking back over the reviews I wrote last year…I’m pretty happy with the majority of them, but I’ll mention The Paris Wife by Paula McLain, just because I haven’t included the book anywhere else and it’s worth a look.
3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?
I celebrated eight years of blogging back in September and I invited readers to tell me about their eight favourite things about my blog or list their eight favourite books. I got some awesome comments.
4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?
I joined Litsy this year. The downside is that it’s an app so I have to do everything on my phone, but the upside is that it’s all books all the time. One of the Littens, BookishMarginalia, organized a #secretsantagoespostal event. We were all sent the name of someone else and we had to send a bookish gift. Then, on December 21, we all opened our presents and found out who our Secret Santa was. Fun!
5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2016?
My book club read Nina de Gramont’s novel The Last September. At our gathering to discuss the novel, one of our group suggested something about the murder of the narrator’s husband (not a spoiler – we know he’s been killed on page one) that launched a huge debate. The next day, I tracked the author down on the Internet and put the question to her. She sent a lovely reply. That was cool. In fact, any interaction I have with an author is cool. Also – read The Last September. It’s terrific.
6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?
I actually think I did a pretty good job keeping up with my blog this year. I also didn’t set a reading goal for myself, but still managed to read 60 books in 2016.
7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?
I always get a lot of hits the morning that I do my book column on CBC’s Information Morning. That’s generally the day with the heaviest traffic. You can listen to all the columns I’ve done over the past couple years by visiting the links provided on the right side of my blog under the heading Off the Shelf.
8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?
Well, I always wish I had a little more interaction with people, but that isn’t what drives my blog. Mostly, it’s a record of what I read.
9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?
Litsy. You should all join. I am @TheLudicReader
10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?
I always do the 50 Book Pledge. Anything after 50 always feels like a bonus.
1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2016 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2017?
Nope. Not gonna say. Because I don’t know. It’s not the way I read, to be honest. That said, I will try to read some more Harry Potter to appease my daughter.
2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2017 (non-debut)?
I am looking forward to reading Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien. It won the 2016 Giller and the Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction and it was shortlisted for the Man Booker and longlisted for the 2017 Andrew Carnegie Medal.I am not usually dazzled by prizes, but this book appeals to me and I got a hardcover for $15 on Boxing Day!
3. 2017 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
No clue. Haven’t even looked to see what’s coming out.
4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2017?
Nada
5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2017?
I am pretty happy with my reading life.
6. A 2017 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:
Can’t help you. But I am looking forward to seeing what everyone else suggests.
Of the books I read in 2019, a couple really stand out. Gabriel Tallent’s debut novel 
I stumbled upon, purely by chance, Sherree Fitch’s 
bit on social media, and in fact back when my book club read Our Daily Bread, she graciously offered to answer any questions we had in real time via Twitter.
Best Other: 
Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
In its simplicity, 
The Winter People
I was attracted to the cover of 
me smile. As soon as I see him I start thinking about all the characters he’s played over the years: Ed Grimley, Jiminy Glick, Franck from Father of the Bride and then I have to go watch some clips on YouTube. Be right back.
Perhaps I would slot Iain Reid’s mind-bending novel 
This was my third book by this Canadian author and once again Summers proved herself to be a fearless writer. Not an easy book to read, but certainly an important book.
The Girl With All the Gifts did an excellent job of putting the reader right into a post-apocalyptic future. I also thought Breanna Yovanoff created a super creepy world in her novel 
I really liked that book a lot. New Brunswick writer Riel Nason’s second novel 
them, but I’ll mention 
I joined Litsy this year. The downside is that it’s an app so I have to do everything on my phone, but the upside is that it’s all books all the time. One of the Littens, BookishMarginalia, organized a #secretsantagoespostal event. We were all sent the name of someone else and we had to send a bookish gift. Then, on December 21, we all opened our presents and found out who our Secret Santa was. Fun!
discuss the novel, one of our group suggested something about the murder of the narrator’s husband (not a spoiler – we know he’s been killed on page one) that launched a huge debate. The next day, I tracked the author down on the Internet and put the question to her. She sent a lovely reply. That was cool. In fact, any interaction I have with an author is cool. Also – read The Last September. It’s terrific.
The Ludic Reader 