2019 End of Year Book Survey

Every year The Perpetual Page Turner hosts the End of Year Book Survey, which encourages book bloggers to reflect on their year of reading. There's been a few standouts for me this year, but I've tried to feature as many titles as possible! So read on for some recommendations...



Number Of Books You Read: 34
Number of Re-Reads: 1 (The Hating Game)
Genre You Read The Most From: Historical

Best Book You Read In 2019?
It's a close call, but it has to be The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. I've never read anything like it and I doubt I ever will again. It's STUNNING




Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?
Brooklyn by Colm Toibin. I enjoyed it, but was left sort of underwhelmed.

Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?
Summerland by Lucy Adlington. YA historical  fiction that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?
Our Stop by Laura Jane Williams. A super addictive will-they-won't-they that I adored!


Best Sequel of 2019? 
The Tudor Crown by Joanna Hickson. I never got away with Philippa Gregory's take on The War of the Roses, but thoroughly enjoyed Joanna's version of events, from the perspective of Margaret Beaufort/Henry Tudor.


Favorite new author you discovered in 2019?
&
Book You Read In 2019 That You Would Be MOST Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
The Flat Share by Beth O'Leary. Loved this one so much!!

Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?
&
Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
Don't Let Go by Harlan Corben. I was lent this one by a work colleague and I practically read it in one sitting!

Favorite cover of a book you read in 2019?
Blackberry & Wild Rose by Sonia Velton. It's gorgeous - and thankfully the story inside lives up to the cover!


Most memorable character of 2019?
Viv - City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert.

Most beautifully written book read in 2019?
&
Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?
The Starless Sea. This one has the best worldbuilding I've ever come across, ever, and the writing is just exquisite.


Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2019 to finally read?
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith/Ross Poldark by Winston Graham. I've heard people rave about ICTC for years, and I adore the TV adaptation of Poldark so I've no idea why it's taken me so long to read these. I loved them both!



Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2019?
"We are all stardust and stories." - The Starless Sea

Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2019?
The Travelling Companion by Ian Rankin/The Tudor Crown by Joanna Hickson


Best Book You Read In 2019 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure/Bookstagram, Etc.
Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller. I'd seen SO much hype on Bookstagram that I had to give it go, and I really enjoyed it!

OTP of the Year
Tiffy and Leon - The Flatshare, or possibly Zachary and Dorian from The Starless Sea

Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2019?
LEON! 😍

Favourite book read in 2019 from an Author You've Read Previously
The Starless Sea. I think I actually enjoyed it even more than The Night Circus! Don't shout at me.

Best 2019 debut you read?
The Flat Share by Beth O'Leary

Book That Put A Smile On Your Face?
The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell. As someone who has worked briefly in book retail, and as a regular frequenter of second hand bookshops, this one really resonated with me. A book for book lovers.


Hidden Gem Of The Year?
The Age of Light by Whitney Scharer. Art and photography in 1920s Paris. What's not to love!?


Most Unique Book You Read In 2019?
The Starless Sea. Obviously.

Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?
Taken at the Flood by Agatha Christie. The actual mystery was well done and I LOVE Poirot, but the very ending made me want to throw the book across the room! If you've read it you'll know!

Looking Ahead

One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2019 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2020?
Shadowplay by Joseph O'Connor. Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde, and theatre. I'm sold!


Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2020 (non-debut)?
The Switch by Beth O'Leary. Can't lie, The Flat Share has given me high expectations for this one!


2020 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?
The Intoxicating Mr Lavelle. SO excited for this one!

Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2020?
The Lady of the Ravens by Joanna Hickson. I don't think it's a direct sequel, but it follows on The Tudor Crown in the depiction of the rise of the Tudor dynasty.

One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2020?
Read more books! I'm going for quality over quantity, but I want to try and squeeze in at least half an hour's reading time every day. I'd also love to be able to blog more - I just don't seem to have time to sit down and plan/write posts like I used to!


So there you have it, my 2019 in reading! Please leave me links to yours, or give me book recommendations that you've loved this year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE - Here's to the Roaring Twenties! x


Comments

  1. I am happy to see your rave thoughts about Starless Sea. I am really afraid for this one. It's so hard to follow up a fabulous book like Night Circus.

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  2. I can see I really must read The Starless Sea and soon! I adored the author's Night Circus. Our Stop sounds like something I would really like as well. The Age of Light is new to me, but it looks right up my alley. So many great books to add to my wish list! Thank you.I hope you have a Happy New Year!

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