Happy Wednesday everyone and happy New Year! Welcome to the 2024 End of Year Book Survey, originally hosted by Jamie @ The Perpetual Page-Turner! This is actually my 10th time taking part - check out my posts from 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 if you dare. Anyway, without further ado, let's get to the tag:
1. Best Book You Read In 2024?
Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear by Robin Wasley - Of all of the 2024 releases I read this year, this one really stuck with me the most.
2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn't
Notorious Sorcerer (The Burnished City #1) by Davinia Evans - Maybe my expectations were too high, but I just couldn't get into this one.
3. Most Surprising (in a good way or bad way) Book You Read?
4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?
One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware - I've recommended several Ruth Ware books this year, but I might have pushed this one the most. I think this one is actually my favorite of all of her books so far.
5. Best Series You Started in 2024? Best Sequel of 2024? Best Series Ender of 2024?
Opener - Sky's End (Above the Black #1) by Marc J. Gregson - I'd had so many recommendations for this and it was just as good as I'd been told.
Sequel - The Summer Queen (The Buried and the Bound #2) by Rochelle Hassan - Book one of this trilogy was amazing and so was the sequel. These books are hidden gems. I don't know how I'll be able to wait for the finale release in 2026.
Ender - A Prayer for the Crown Shy (Monk and Robot #2) by Becky Chambers - I enjoyed book one, but this finale was beautiful.
6. Favorite New Author You Discovered in 2024?
Benjamin Stevenson - I read the first two Ernest Cunningham books this year which I absolutely loved. I can't wait to try book three.
7. Best Book From A Genre You Don’t Typically Read/ Was Out Out Of Your Comfort Zone?
The Autistic Sleuth by Chris Chan and Patricia Meyer Chan - I don't read a lot of nonfiction essays, but this one quickly became an all time favorite. If you're at all interested in Sherlock Holmes, you can't miss this.
8. Most Action-Packed/ Thrilling/ Unputdownable Book Of The Year?
The Last One by Will Dean - I had no expectations for this at all, but I was hooked. Like Black Mirror or The Twilight Zone, you'll have to give it a try.
9. Book You Read In 2024 That You Would Be MOST Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
The Wild Robot (The Wild Robot #1) by Peter Brown - I absolutely adored this and I loved the movie adaptation just as much maybe more. I might want to reread this before I continue the series. I'm so glad that their will be a sequel film even if I haven't read The Wild Robot Escapes yet.
10. Favorite Cover Of A Book You Read In 2024?
Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 6 by Kamome Shirahama - Every single book in this series that I've read so far has had great covers, but I vote for this as my favorite since Olruggio is currently my favorite of the adult characters.
11. Most Memorable Character Of 2024?
Hawkeye: Bishop Takes King by Ashely Poston - Kate Bishop is one of my favorite Marvel characters and it was just a lot of fun to see Ashley Poston bring her to life in this novel.
12. Most Beautifully Written Book Read In 2024?
Menewood (The Hild Sequence #2) by Nicola Griffith - Honestly, this was perfect. If you loved Hild, you have to read the sequel asap.
13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2024?
Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson - This should be required reading.
14. Book You Can’t Believe You Waited UNTIL 2024 To Finally Read?
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux - I've seen a lot of the adaptations, but I'm glad I can say I finally read the source material because it was just as fan
15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2024?
“When he needed to calm his mind, he opened a book. Any book. He had never failed to feel refreshed, even if the book was no good.” - The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2024?
Shortest: Eat by Elizabeth Verdick and Marjorie Lisovskis - 22 pages - This board book definitely lives up to it's title!
Longest: Fall; or, Dodge in Hell by Neal Stephenson - 883 pages - Honestly, I wanted to like this one more.
17. Book That Shocked You The Most (Because of a plot twist, character death, left you hanging with your mouth wide open, etc.)
Slewfoot by Brom - This was just amazing. I don't know why I put it off for so long.
18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!) (OTP = one true pairing if you aren’t familiar)
The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 11 by Kosuke Ono - Tatsu and Miku make their relationship work and are surprisingly delightful together. Miku deals with a lot, but Tatsu is trying his best since he left the extreme path, aka the yakuza!
19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year
Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 10 by Kamome Shirahama - Qifrey and his students along with Olruggio have such a wholesome relationship.
20. Favorite Book You Read in 2024 From An Author You’ve Read Previously
Blackout (Newsflesh #3) by Mira Grant - I love this series from Mira Grant (a pseudonym of Seanan McGuire). It just gets better as it goes along and this was outstanding. I can't wait to read book four.
21. Best Book You Read In 2024 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure/Bookstagram, Etc.:
The Black Prism (Lightbringer #1) by Brent Weeks - This has been recommended to me so many times and I'm glad I finally decided to try it because it was excellent. I need tor read book two asap.
22. Best 2024 debut you read?
Night Owls by A.R. Vishney - I was so close to putting Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear here, but I wanted to spotlight this YA standalone fantasy release as well. I honestly can't recommend this highly enough especially if you're a fan of Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear by Robin Wasley, The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater, The Diviners by Libba Bray, and unique vampire stories. I hope we'll get to see more of this world in the future, but I know I'll be reading anything else this author cares to write in the future.
23. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
Silver in the Wood (The Greenhollow Duology #1) by Emily Tesh - Both novellas in this duology could qualify for this. I adored the characters, and the setting really sucked me in. I wish we got to spend more time with them in their world.
24. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?
Loki: A Bad God's Guide to Being Good (Loki: A Bad God's Guide #1) by Louie Stowell - This MG series opener was just delightful! I highly recommend it, especially the audiobook which makes great use of the format and is even narrated by Ben Willbond.
25. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry In 2024?
Branded by the Pink Triangle by Ken Setterington - This history book was brutal and I definitely cried my eyes out.
26. Hidden Gem Of The Year?
One for All by Lillie Lainoff - Several books on this year's survey could qualify here, but I need to mention this. I loved this gender bent take on The Three Musketeers. I should have read this back when it was released in 2022.
27. Book That Crushed Your Soul?
28. Most Unique Book You Read In 2024?
Ubik by Philip K. Dick - This was weird, unsettling, and very unique - and I need more!
29. Book That Made You The Most Mad (Doesn’t Necessarily Mean You Didn’t Like It)?
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due - This book was outstanding, but knowing that the Gracetown School for Boys is based on the real life Dozier School For Boys in really upsetting.
1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2024 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2025?
Lucy Undying by Kiersten White - I've been waiting on hold for the audiobook edition of Libby. It'll probably still be a little while until I get my hands on it.
2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2025 (non-debut)?
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix - Release date: January 14th, 2025 - At least I don't have to wait long for this one!
3. 2025 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
The Good Vampire's Guide to Blood and Boyfriends by Jamie D'Amato - This has been compared to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Heartstopper and it sounds like it will be a delight.
4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2025?
Instead of just one, here are five I'm dying for!
Among Serpents (Above the Black #2) by Marc J. Gregson - Release date: January 7th, 2025
Adrift in Currents Clean and Clear (Wayward Children #10) by Seanan McGuire - Release date: January 7th, 2025
Oathbound (The Legendborn Cycle #3) by Tracy Deonn - Release date: March 4th, 2025
Holy Terrors (Little Thieves #3) by Margaret Owens - Release date: April 1st, 2025
Saga, Volume 12 (Saga #12) by Brian K Vaughn and Fiona Staples - Release date: April 15th, 2025
5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2025?
Find the time to keep up on my reading and my blog, plus everything else. So, same as usual, then!
6. A 2025 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone (if applicable):
Currently not applicable.
Have you taken the 2024 End of Year Survey? What books have you loved this year and what are you looking forward to in the coming year? As always, thanks for visiting my blog and perhaps even commenting down below!
Always nice to find another blogger carrying on this tag! Tananarive Due is an author I should check out this year, especially as I've been getting more into horror. THE LAST ONE sounds like a striking read. I've added that to my TBR. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming over, Jenna! I haven't read much from her yet, but she is outstanding. I hope to read more from her as well. Happy New Year!
DeleteI think I've only read one Ruth Ware book, but you have me intrigued by One Perfect Couple. So glad you enjoyed Slewfoot. I didn't know what to expect going in, but am glad I read it. I haven't heard of To the Bone, but going to look it up now. Thank you for sharing. Hoping you have a wonderful New Year, Lauren!
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling To the Bone would be right up your alley, Alicia. :) Have a great year!
DeleteI really want to check out Oathbound - I never got around to the second book and I'm thinking maybe I should reread the series!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great idea to me!
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