Alexander Davidson's Blog - Posts Tagged "reflection"
2016 Reading in Retrospect: Book Survey
End of the Year Book Survey
This year, I set a goal to read 45 books, and I achieved this goal by reading 53 titles. This year has been the year of the Audible account. I got really hooked on audiobooks while driving in the car, so much so that the radio is now annoying to me because I’m not being productive. I read 34 print titles for a total of roughly 10,176 pages. I listened to 17 audio titles for a total of 400 hours and 30 minutes. Here are this year’s results!
1. Best book read in 2016?
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. I don’t know if this is because it is the most recent novel I read, if recently winning the National Book Award for Fiction affected my decision making, or if it really is that good, but I picked it. Cora and Caesar run away from their plantation in Georgia and try to find freedom in the north with the help of the Underground Railroad, which in this historical fiction novel actually is an underground system of tracks and trains.
Honor Books:
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. Jason Dessen has been kidnapped and thrown into a parallel universe. The culprit? The other Jason Dessen, the one who chose career and success over a family and now wants to trade places. Now, the original Jason needs to find a way home to his family and his universe.
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman. Caden is living two lives, one at home as a brilliant student with odd behavior and one on a ship at sea as the artist in residence on his was to explore the deepest part of the ocean, only which one is real?
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. Told from two characters perspectives – one black, one white – from two different authors, Rashad and Quinn experience two sides of racism and police brutality. Rashad has been attacked when suspected of shoplifting and is now in the hospital as a symbol on the news of racial injustice. Quinn witnessed the event, but the cop in question is his best friend’s older brother and isn’t sure of what he actually saw.
2. Book you were excited about & thought you were going to love more, but didn’t?
The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum. I’m in love with the movies, and I was excited to start the series on audio, but then I realized the series is way older than and not as high tech as the more modern version. It took forever to get to the main plot frame and wasn’t as adrenaline pumping as when Matt Damon is around.
Honor Books:
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson. I was excited about the sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but it was a lot of build up with nothing actually happening. Books 2 and 3 should have just been one book, but instead you get The Girl Who Played with Fire as a flop.
Allegiant by Veronica Roth. The third book in this installment tried to make the book’s world way too complicated and simplified at the same time. Nothing was really making sense, and then the ending was just bad. Thank goodness the movies are better.
After Alice by Gregory Maguire. I’m a big fan of Maguire’s twisted takes on famous stories, my favorite being Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. However, this Alice in Wonderland adaptation focusing on Alice’s friend Ada who follows her to Wonderland afterward is just a repeat of Carroll with different names. Meanwhile up in the real world, there is a somewhat interested romance plot with Ada’s sister and a visitor, but nothing happens there either.
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. There was lots of hype around this mystery, but it’s disappointing when you can figure it out in the first few chapters and your prediction is correct.
3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2016?
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman. I’m used to young adult books being a little childish, but this one was deep, intense, highly developed, and entertaining.
Honor Books:
Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel. Ancient parts of a giant alien robot are being discovered around the world, and it’s now a race to be the first with all the pieces without causing World War III. I was surprised to see that this entire story is told in the form of field reports and interviews and other documents. It was a creative way to tell the story while still keeping the excitement and action of the genre.
4. Book you read in 2016 that you recommended the most?
The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness. Sure, we are all familiar with the indie-kids who become the chosen ones and save the world. However, what about the rest of the students who are just living life while all of the world-saving goes on around them? That’s what Mikey and his friends are dealing with, and all he really wants to do is deal with his politician mother, hide elements of his mental disorder, and ask his best friend to prom before the high school blows up… again.
Honor Books:
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. This is a great science fiction novel without being too out there or overly sciency.
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. Great novel for social justice, and because it is told from two perspectives, there is something for everyone to learn through reading this.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2 by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne. This two part play is a must-read for any fan of the Harry Potter wizarding world.
5. Best series you discovered in 2016? Best sequel of 2016?
Series:
A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. (This year I started and finished all five on audiobook: A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, A Dance with Dragons.) I loved the epic tales, the fantasy world that’s not too fantastic to be cheesy, the calculations of feuding houses and fights for the throne. It’s awesome and the characters are all amazing.
Honor Books:
The Millennium series by Stieg Larsson. (I also started and finished all four of these on audio: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, The Girl in the Spider's Web [[author:David Lagercrantz|242659]]) Some books were better than others, but I’m glad I experienced the series this year.
Sequel:
UnWholly by Neal Shusterman (Unwind, #2). Connor, Lev and Risa were successful in defeating the harvest camp last time, but the whole war on unwinding children is still going on, and it is their job to help all runaways. But when a new human has been created completely made out of parts of other children, the question of life and souls gets even more difficult to answer. There was a decent chance that this Unwind sequel could have just been exactly like the first installment, but it was so much more. The characters got more complicated, the world was more dangerous, and the action was still top-notch.
Honor Books:
Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau (The Testing, #2). Cia Vale has passed the Hunger Games-style application process to get into the Commonwealth’s top-notch institution, but her memory was wiped. All she has left is a voice recording of herself telling her who she can and cannot trust. Is this to be believed? Decisions need to happen fast because the testing is still continuing when classes start and flunking out means death.
Winter of the World by Ken Follett (The Century Trilogy, #2). The families of the original Fall of Giants now have children who are out around the world experiencing World War II and the Spanish Civil War. It’s another great sweeping epic with overlapping character plots and interactions that I love.
A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire, #3). So much happens. It’s awesome.
6. Favorite new author discovered in 2016?
Patrick Ness.
7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone?
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson. I don’t normally read non-fiction, so this memoir about a black lawyer defending clients on death row in a racially prejudiced south in the 1980s and 1990s is definitely outside of my niche. It was good, though. It still felt like a story was being told instead of history being taught like some non-fiction can be.
8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book of 2016?
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2 by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne. Harry Potter and his friends have grown up, and now it is time for their children to attend Hogwarts. Being the son of a world-famous wizard is one thing, but when Albus gets sorted into Slytherin and starts making friends with the Malfoy boy, then it gets a little more complicated. So much so that Albus decides to try messing with time to free himself from this life. However, when meddling with time results in different scenarios including a Voldemort controlled Ministry of Magic, Albus might be in a bit over his head. I read this in a day.
Honor Books:
Morning Star by Pierce Brown. Continuing with Darrow’s fight for freedom and equality, this final installment of the trilogy has the whole galaxy at war, both sides fighting to keep power or remove the status quo.
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. Definitely keeps you reading to find out if Jason can make it back to his family.
Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau. So many new challenges from the Commonwealth put Cia and her fellow students’ lives in danger, especially when Cia is trying to pass college and overthrow the government at the same time.
9. Book read in 2016 that you are most likely to re-read?
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. I can see myself adding this novel to my Contemporary Literature course next year.
If my new English elective course gets approved, I also will be re-reading The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead, Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson, and All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely.
10. Best book re-read in 2016 from a previous year?
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Two dueling magicians compete in a magical contest in one of the most beautifully described settings I’ve ever read only to eventually fall in love with each other. And the two timelines in the storytelling make it an extra awesome experience.
I also re-read Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan, The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, and Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King.
11. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2016?
How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon.
Honor Books:
The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness. (Glows in the dark.)
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon.
The Haters by Jesse Andrews.
12. Most memorable character of 2016?
Tyrion Lannister from A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. A drunken and unloved sibling of a powerful house eventually rises to recognize his self-worth, save a city, break free from his family chains, and be an amazingly witty man who throws serious shade.
Honor Books:
Emilio Sandoz from The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. A religious linguist on the first Jesuit mission to space, Emilio is the only survivor who returns to earth and is being questioned about his time on the planet of Rakhat. Not only do two storylines play out nicely, but they end up revealing some awesome truths and horrors about this man.
13. Best hero/protagonist of 2016?
Jon Snow from A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. Bastard turned Lord Commander of Castle Black and the Night’s Watch, Jon’s character is still full of future potential and surprises.
Honor Books:
Daenerys Targaryen from A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. Exiled princess turned khaleesi and then to breaker of chains, it’s been fun watching this girl grow into power and overcome obstacles in her fight to reclaim her kingdom.
14. Best villain/antagonist of 2016?
Adrius au Augustus (the Jackal) from Morning Star by Pierce Brown. Just finding out in the first few chapters that this guy has been having dinners and meetings with Darrow locked underneath the table for months is enough to show you how cruel and dark this arch governor of Mars can truly be, even to his own family and former friends.
Honor Books:
Arnold Ridgeway from The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. This slave catcher will stop at nothing to bring Cora back to the south, no matter what.
Cersei Lannister from A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. Completely manipulating and conniving and perfectly brilliant in how she plans to stay in power and protect her children. She’s so good at being bad that you end up liking her a little anyway.
Aaron from The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. Crazy preacher in a world where men’s thoughts can be heard by everyone. This crazy man tries to stop Todd from helping the only female Viola in order to sacrifice her to his god, even after getting half-eaten by a crocodile, he’s still going.
15. Most beautifully written book of 2016?
Dear Mr. You by Mary-Louise Parker. This book/memoir is written in a series of letters to the men – both real and imagined – who have made an impact on the life of the author. It’s a wonderfully creative way to pay tribute to these people while still telling her life’s story.
Honor Books:
Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel. I’m giving this one an honorable mention because of it being written in interviews and field reports and still being exciting and action-packed.
16. Book that had the greatest impact on you?
S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders adapted to the stage by Christopher Sergel. This was our school’s fall play this year, and the two months we spent putting it on were simply amazing.
17. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2016 to read?
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I am in love with all three movie adaptations – the Winona Ryder one is the best – and I can’t believe it took me forever to actually get to the novel.
Honor Books:
Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau. The Testing was my first book of 2015, and it took me until the summer of 2016 to finally get around to its sequel.
The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan. I read The House of Hades also way back in 2015, and I didn’t get to this final installment of the series until this year.
The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum. Again, huge fan of the movies and it took me forever to get here.
18. Favorite passages/quotes?
"But she was the matador, and she skewered me every time." – Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick
“…as useless as nipples on a breastplate.” – George R.R. Martin, almost every book in the series
“Although Ridgeway’s father scorned religious talk, Tom Bird’s testimony on the Great Spirit reminded him of how he felt about iron. He bent to no god save the glowing iron he tended in his forge. He’d read about the great volcanoes, the lost city of Pompeii destroyed by fire that poured out of mountains from deep below. Liquid fire was the very blood of the earth. It was his mission to upset, mash, and draw out the metal into the useful things that made society operate: nails, horseshoes, plows, knives, guns. Chains. Working the spirit, he called it.” – The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
19. Shortest and longest books read (listened to) in 2016?
Print
Longest: Allegiant by Veronica RothVeronica Roth (526 pages)
Shortest: Choir Boy by Tarell Alvin McCraney (60 pages)
Audio
Longest: A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin (Unabridged, 49:00)
Shortest: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (Abridged, 6:00)
20. Book that had a scene in it that had you reeling and dying to talk to someone about it?
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. I needed to talk about how I predicted the ending and was right.
Honor Books:
A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin. (Basically, the whole series.) I was constantly talking to my friends who read the books and watch the shows to compare them back and forth.
21. Favorite relationships in a book read in 2016 (romance, friendship, etc.)?
Arya Stark and Sandor Clegane from A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin. Frenemies to the greatest degree. He hated her and was just kidnapping her for ransom, but there was a sense of protection over her for her well-being. She hated him and wanted to kill him, but there was also trust and learning that she gained from him during their time together.
Honor Books:
Albus Severus Potter and Scorpio Malfoy from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2 by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne. Classic buddy relationship of two feuding families that wanted to keep them apart, but their friendship was just too strong for even time travel to break.
Lizbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. These two made a perfect pair when they finally get together to solve the mystery of missing girls. One’s an old-timey reporter while another is a new age hacker. They make the perfect team.
Jo March and Theodore Laurence from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. They both should and should not be together romantically. It’s frustrating and wonderful.
Connor/Risa and Risa/Cam from UnWholly by Neal Shusterman. Connor and Risa are definitely working on their relationship in the aftermath of everything, but when Risa is taken and forced to pretend to be in a relationship with Cam, there is a little bit of a bud going there in this love triangle.
22. Favorite book you read in 2016 from an author you read previously?
Thanks for the Trouble by Tommy Wallach. I loved We All Looked Up, so I had to read this when I found out he had written another novel.
23. Best book you read in 2016 based solely on a recommendation?
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. My mom and sister really wanted me to start reading Moriarty’s novels. I started with this one, even though they both ruined the ending before I started. I’m looking forward to the HBO series based on this novel.
Honor Books:
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. I finally read it to connect with some juniors reading it in their theology classes, and it was totally worth it.
24. Genre you read the most in 2016?
Science Fiction
25. Best 2016 debut?
Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel.
26. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2016?
Westeros from A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. Amazingly intricate kingdoms, history, customs/traditions – everything about this world is so detailed and thought out. And it’s not just the current setting either but the entire history of everything as well.
Honor Books:
Rakhat from The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. Awesome creation of a new planet with an intricate description of the two sentient beings, their relationships, the balance for power, and the laws and customs in place to keep the status quo.
27. Book that was the most fun to read?
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman. Even though this is a tale about Caden’s mental illness, the overlap between worlds is fun to read. And it gets even more interesting when the symbolic overlaps start to have way more meaning for Caden’s story and recovery towards the end of the novel.
28. Book that made you cry?
No tears this year. Sorry.
29. Book that made you laugh/smile?
Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick. I love Anna Kendrick and have for a while. Getting to read her memoir was a great insight to her humanity and humor on a deeper level than just watching her films or listening to her sing.
30. Book that made you mad?
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. This is a great whodunit about an “accident” gone wrong at an elementary school trivia night parent fundraiser. However, the months building up to the night left me insanely frustrated (in a good way?) with all of these families falling into the trenches of school politics. And then remembering that these were parents of kindergartners going to such lengths? Well, this teacher just wanted to give everyone in the novel a good shake.
31. Book that made you bored?
The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. It’s just talking. It’s not even fun to act out because it is literally just sitting and talking the whole time. Boring.
32. Most forgettable book of 2016?
The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. Baby winds up on booksellers doorstep, he raises her, some more information about the baby is eventually found out at the end, and that’s it. I kept forgetting I read it because it was a pretty neutral book, not bad but not good either.
33. Best hidden gem (book you read that you think got overlooked this year or when it came out)?
The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness. I’m surprised I don’t hear more about him as I do with other authors.
Honor Books:
UnWholly by Neal Shusterman. I’m still fascinated that this Unwind series didn’t blow up like I think it should have. These are so good; how was it not more popular?
This year, I set a goal to read 45 books, and I achieved this goal by reading 53 titles. This year has been the year of the Audible account. I got really hooked on audiobooks while driving in the car, so much so that the radio is now annoying to me because I’m not being productive. I read 34 print titles for a total of roughly 10,176 pages. I listened to 17 audio titles for a total of 400 hours and 30 minutes. Here are this year’s results!
1. Best book read in 2016?
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. I don’t know if this is because it is the most recent novel I read, if recently winning the National Book Award for Fiction affected my decision making, or if it really is that good, but I picked it. Cora and Caesar run away from their plantation in Georgia and try to find freedom in the north with the help of the Underground Railroad, which in this historical fiction novel actually is an underground system of tracks and trains.
Honor Books:
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. Jason Dessen has been kidnapped and thrown into a parallel universe. The culprit? The other Jason Dessen, the one who chose career and success over a family and now wants to trade places. Now, the original Jason needs to find a way home to his family and his universe.
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman. Caden is living two lives, one at home as a brilliant student with odd behavior and one on a ship at sea as the artist in residence on his was to explore the deepest part of the ocean, only which one is real?
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. Told from two characters perspectives – one black, one white – from two different authors, Rashad and Quinn experience two sides of racism and police brutality. Rashad has been attacked when suspected of shoplifting and is now in the hospital as a symbol on the news of racial injustice. Quinn witnessed the event, but the cop in question is his best friend’s older brother and isn’t sure of what he actually saw.
2. Book you were excited about & thought you were going to love more, but didn’t?
The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum. I’m in love with the movies, and I was excited to start the series on audio, but then I realized the series is way older than and not as high tech as the more modern version. It took forever to get to the main plot frame and wasn’t as adrenaline pumping as when Matt Damon is around.
Honor Books:
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson. I was excited about the sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but it was a lot of build up with nothing actually happening. Books 2 and 3 should have just been one book, but instead you get The Girl Who Played with Fire as a flop.
Allegiant by Veronica Roth. The third book in this installment tried to make the book’s world way too complicated and simplified at the same time. Nothing was really making sense, and then the ending was just bad. Thank goodness the movies are better.
After Alice by Gregory Maguire. I’m a big fan of Maguire’s twisted takes on famous stories, my favorite being Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister. However, this Alice in Wonderland adaptation focusing on Alice’s friend Ada who follows her to Wonderland afterward is just a repeat of Carroll with different names. Meanwhile up in the real world, there is a somewhat interested romance plot with Ada’s sister and a visitor, but nothing happens there either.
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. There was lots of hype around this mystery, but it’s disappointing when you can figure it out in the first few chapters and your prediction is correct.
3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2016?
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman. I’m used to young adult books being a little childish, but this one was deep, intense, highly developed, and entertaining.
Honor Books:
Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel. Ancient parts of a giant alien robot are being discovered around the world, and it’s now a race to be the first with all the pieces without causing World War III. I was surprised to see that this entire story is told in the form of field reports and interviews and other documents. It was a creative way to tell the story while still keeping the excitement and action of the genre.
4. Book you read in 2016 that you recommended the most?
The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness. Sure, we are all familiar with the indie-kids who become the chosen ones and save the world. However, what about the rest of the students who are just living life while all of the world-saving goes on around them? That’s what Mikey and his friends are dealing with, and all he really wants to do is deal with his politician mother, hide elements of his mental disorder, and ask his best friend to prom before the high school blows up… again.
Honor Books:
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. This is a great science fiction novel without being too out there or overly sciency.
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely. Great novel for social justice, and because it is told from two perspectives, there is something for everyone to learn through reading this.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2 by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne. This two part play is a must-read for any fan of the Harry Potter wizarding world.
5. Best series you discovered in 2016? Best sequel of 2016?
Series:
A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. (This year I started and finished all five on audiobook: A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, A Feast for Crows, A Dance with Dragons.) I loved the epic tales, the fantasy world that’s not too fantastic to be cheesy, the calculations of feuding houses and fights for the throne. It’s awesome and the characters are all amazing.
Honor Books:
The Millennium series by Stieg Larsson. (I also started and finished all four of these on audio: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, The Girl in the Spider's Web [[author:David Lagercrantz|242659]]) Some books were better than others, but I’m glad I experienced the series this year.
Sequel:
UnWholly by Neal Shusterman (Unwind, #2). Connor, Lev and Risa were successful in defeating the harvest camp last time, but the whole war on unwinding children is still going on, and it is their job to help all runaways. But when a new human has been created completely made out of parts of other children, the question of life and souls gets even more difficult to answer. There was a decent chance that this Unwind sequel could have just been exactly like the first installment, but it was so much more. The characters got more complicated, the world was more dangerous, and the action was still top-notch.
Honor Books:
Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau (The Testing, #2). Cia Vale has passed the Hunger Games-style application process to get into the Commonwealth’s top-notch institution, but her memory was wiped. All she has left is a voice recording of herself telling her who she can and cannot trust. Is this to be believed? Decisions need to happen fast because the testing is still continuing when classes start and flunking out means death.
Winter of the World by Ken Follett (The Century Trilogy, #2). The families of the original Fall of Giants now have children who are out around the world experiencing World War II and the Spanish Civil War. It’s another great sweeping epic with overlapping character plots and interactions that I love.
A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire, #3). So much happens. It’s awesome.
6. Favorite new author discovered in 2016?
Patrick Ness.
7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone?
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson. I don’t normally read non-fiction, so this memoir about a black lawyer defending clients on death row in a racially prejudiced south in the 1980s and 1990s is definitely outside of my niche. It was good, though. It still felt like a story was being told instead of history being taught like some non-fiction can be.
8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book of 2016?
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2 by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne. Harry Potter and his friends have grown up, and now it is time for their children to attend Hogwarts. Being the son of a world-famous wizard is one thing, but when Albus gets sorted into Slytherin and starts making friends with the Malfoy boy, then it gets a little more complicated. So much so that Albus decides to try messing with time to free himself from this life. However, when meddling with time results in different scenarios including a Voldemort controlled Ministry of Magic, Albus might be in a bit over his head. I read this in a day.
Honor Books:
Morning Star by Pierce Brown. Continuing with Darrow’s fight for freedom and equality, this final installment of the trilogy has the whole galaxy at war, both sides fighting to keep power or remove the status quo.
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. Definitely keeps you reading to find out if Jason can make it back to his family.
Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau. So many new challenges from the Commonwealth put Cia and her fellow students’ lives in danger, especially when Cia is trying to pass college and overthrow the government at the same time.
9. Book read in 2016 that you are most likely to re-read?
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. I can see myself adding this novel to my Contemporary Literature course next year.
If my new English elective course gets approved, I also will be re-reading The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead, Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson, and All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely.
10. Best book re-read in 2016 from a previous year?
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Two dueling magicians compete in a magical contest in one of the most beautifully described settings I’ve ever read only to eventually fall in love with each other. And the two timelines in the storytelling make it an extra awesome experience.
I also re-read Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan, The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, and Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King.
11. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2016?
How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon.
Honor Books:
The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness. (Glows in the dark.)
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon.
The Haters by Jesse Andrews.
12. Most memorable character of 2016?
Tyrion Lannister from A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. A drunken and unloved sibling of a powerful house eventually rises to recognize his self-worth, save a city, break free from his family chains, and be an amazingly witty man who throws serious shade.
Honor Books:
Emilio Sandoz from The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. A religious linguist on the first Jesuit mission to space, Emilio is the only survivor who returns to earth and is being questioned about his time on the planet of Rakhat. Not only do two storylines play out nicely, but they end up revealing some awesome truths and horrors about this man.
13. Best hero/protagonist of 2016?
Jon Snow from A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. Bastard turned Lord Commander of Castle Black and the Night’s Watch, Jon’s character is still full of future potential and surprises.
Honor Books:
Daenerys Targaryen from A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. Exiled princess turned khaleesi and then to breaker of chains, it’s been fun watching this girl grow into power and overcome obstacles in her fight to reclaim her kingdom.
14. Best villain/antagonist of 2016?
Adrius au Augustus (the Jackal) from Morning Star by Pierce Brown. Just finding out in the first few chapters that this guy has been having dinners and meetings with Darrow locked underneath the table for months is enough to show you how cruel and dark this arch governor of Mars can truly be, even to his own family and former friends.
Honor Books:
Arnold Ridgeway from The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. This slave catcher will stop at nothing to bring Cora back to the south, no matter what.
Cersei Lannister from A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. Completely manipulating and conniving and perfectly brilliant in how she plans to stay in power and protect her children. She’s so good at being bad that you end up liking her a little anyway.
Aaron from The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. Crazy preacher in a world where men’s thoughts can be heard by everyone. This crazy man tries to stop Todd from helping the only female Viola in order to sacrifice her to his god, even after getting half-eaten by a crocodile, he’s still going.
15. Most beautifully written book of 2016?
Dear Mr. You by Mary-Louise Parker. This book/memoir is written in a series of letters to the men – both real and imagined – who have made an impact on the life of the author. It’s a wonderfully creative way to pay tribute to these people while still telling her life’s story.
Honor Books:
Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel. I’m giving this one an honorable mention because of it being written in interviews and field reports and still being exciting and action-packed.
16. Book that had the greatest impact on you?
S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders adapted to the stage by Christopher Sergel. This was our school’s fall play this year, and the two months we spent putting it on were simply amazing.
17. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2016 to read?
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I am in love with all three movie adaptations – the Winona Ryder one is the best – and I can’t believe it took me forever to actually get to the novel.
Honor Books:
Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau. The Testing was my first book of 2015, and it took me until the summer of 2016 to finally get around to its sequel.
The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan. I read The House of Hades also way back in 2015, and I didn’t get to this final installment of the series until this year.
The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum. Again, huge fan of the movies and it took me forever to get here.
18. Favorite passages/quotes?
"But she was the matador, and she skewered me every time." – Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick
“…as useless as nipples on a breastplate.” – George R.R. Martin, almost every book in the series
“Although Ridgeway’s father scorned religious talk, Tom Bird’s testimony on the Great Spirit reminded him of how he felt about iron. He bent to no god save the glowing iron he tended in his forge. He’d read about the great volcanoes, the lost city of Pompeii destroyed by fire that poured out of mountains from deep below. Liquid fire was the very blood of the earth. It was his mission to upset, mash, and draw out the metal into the useful things that made society operate: nails, horseshoes, plows, knives, guns. Chains. Working the spirit, he called it.” – The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
19. Shortest and longest books read (listened to) in 2016?
Longest: Allegiant by Veronica RothVeronica Roth (526 pages)
Shortest: Choir Boy by Tarell Alvin McCraney (60 pages)
Audio
Longest: A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin (Unabridged, 49:00)
Shortest: The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (Abridged, 6:00)
20. Book that had a scene in it that had you reeling and dying to talk to someone about it?
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. I needed to talk about how I predicted the ending and was right.
Honor Books:
A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin. (Basically, the whole series.) I was constantly talking to my friends who read the books and watch the shows to compare them back and forth.
21. Favorite relationships in a book read in 2016 (romance, friendship, etc.)?
Arya Stark and Sandor Clegane from A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin. Frenemies to the greatest degree. He hated her and was just kidnapping her for ransom, but there was a sense of protection over her for her well-being. She hated him and wanted to kill him, but there was also trust and learning that she gained from him during their time together.
Honor Books:
Albus Severus Potter and Scorpio Malfoy from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2 by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne. Classic buddy relationship of two feuding families that wanted to keep them apart, but their friendship was just too strong for even time travel to break.
Lizbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. These two made a perfect pair when they finally get together to solve the mystery of missing girls. One’s an old-timey reporter while another is a new age hacker. They make the perfect team.
Jo March and Theodore Laurence from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. They both should and should not be together romantically. It’s frustrating and wonderful.
Connor/Risa and Risa/Cam from UnWholly by Neal Shusterman. Connor and Risa are definitely working on their relationship in the aftermath of everything, but when Risa is taken and forced to pretend to be in a relationship with Cam, there is a little bit of a bud going there in this love triangle.
22. Favorite book you read in 2016 from an author you read previously?
Thanks for the Trouble by Tommy Wallach. I loved We All Looked Up, so I had to read this when I found out he had written another novel.
23. Best book you read in 2016 based solely on a recommendation?
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. My mom and sister really wanted me to start reading Moriarty’s novels. I started with this one, even though they both ruined the ending before I started. I’m looking forward to the HBO series based on this novel.
Honor Books:
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. I finally read it to connect with some juniors reading it in their theology classes, and it was totally worth it.
24. Genre you read the most in 2016?
Science Fiction
25. Best 2016 debut?
Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel.
26. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2016?
Westeros from A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. Amazingly intricate kingdoms, history, customs/traditions – everything about this world is so detailed and thought out. And it’s not just the current setting either but the entire history of everything as well.
Honor Books:
Rakhat from The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. Awesome creation of a new planet with an intricate description of the two sentient beings, their relationships, the balance for power, and the laws and customs in place to keep the status quo.
27. Book that was the most fun to read?
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman. Even though this is a tale about Caden’s mental illness, the overlap between worlds is fun to read. And it gets even more interesting when the symbolic overlaps start to have way more meaning for Caden’s story and recovery towards the end of the novel.
28. Book that made you cry?
No tears this year. Sorry.
29. Book that made you laugh/smile?
Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick. I love Anna Kendrick and have for a while. Getting to read her memoir was a great insight to her humanity and humor on a deeper level than just watching her films or listening to her sing.
30. Book that made you mad?
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. This is a great whodunit about an “accident” gone wrong at an elementary school trivia night parent fundraiser. However, the months building up to the night left me insanely frustrated (in a good way?) with all of these families falling into the trenches of school politics. And then remembering that these were parents of kindergartners going to such lengths? Well, this teacher just wanted to give everyone in the novel a good shake.
31. Book that made you bored?
The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. It’s just talking. It’s not even fun to act out because it is literally just sitting and talking the whole time. Boring.
32. Most forgettable book of 2016?
The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. Baby winds up on booksellers doorstep, he raises her, some more information about the baby is eventually found out at the end, and that’s it. I kept forgetting I read it because it was a pretty neutral book, not bad but not good either.
33. Best hidden gem (book you read that you think got overlooked this year or when it came out)?
The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness. I’m surprised I don’t hear more about him as I do with other authors.
Honor Books:
UnWholly by Neal Shusterman. I’m still fascinated that this Unwind series didn’t blow up like I think it should have. These are so good; how was it not more popular?
2017 Reading in Retrospect: Book Survey
Due to confirmed technical issues from Goodreads, this year's current blog post can be accessed via the link below until the Goodreads support team has fixed the bug.
End of the Year Book Survey
This year, I set a goal to read 45 books, and I achieved this goal by reading 60 titles. I read 42 print titles (+8) for a total of roughly 11,554 pages (+1,267). I listened to 18 audio titles (+1) for a total of 301 hours and 21 minutes (-99:09).
Click here for this year’s results and reflections!
(Results are based on books read during 2017, not only those released in 2017.)
The full post will be updated to its normal format once everything is working properly again.
End of the Year Book Survey
This year, I set a goal to read 45 books, and I achieved this goal by reading 60 titles. I read 42 print titles (+8) for a total of roughly 11,554 pages (+1,267). I listened to 18 audio titles (+1) for a total of 301 hours and 21 minutes (-99:09).
Click here for this year’s results and reflections!
(Results are based on books read during 2017, not only those released in 2017.)
The full post will be updated to its normal format once everything is working properly again.
2018 Reading in Retrospect: Book Survey
Due to exceeding Goodreads's character limit, this year's reading reflection blog post can be accessed via the link below.
End of the Year Book Survey
This year, I set a goal to read 60 books, and I achieved this goal by reading 80 titles (133%). I read 57 print titles (+15) for a total of roughly 14,817 pages (+3,263). I listened to 23 audio titles (+5) for a total of 304 hours and 9 minutes (+2:48).
Click here for this year’s results and reflections!
(Results are based on books read during 2018, not only those released in 2018.)
End of the Year Book Survey
This year, I set a goal to read 60 books, and I achieved this goal by reading 80 titles (133%). I read 57 print titles (+15) for a total of roughly 14,817 pages (+3,263). I listened to 23 audio titles (+5) for a total of 304 hours and 9 minutes (+2:48).
Click here for this year’s results and reflections!
(Results are based on books read during 2018, not only those released in 2018.)
2019 Reading in Retrospect: Book Survey
Due to exceeding Goodreads's character limit, this year's reading reflection blog post can be accessed via the link below.
This year, I set a goal to read 60 books, and I achieved this goal by reading 82 titles (137%). While the number of titles increased, the actual amount of reading was not as much as 2018; 2019 was a busy year. I read 46 print titles (-11) for a total of roughly 11,269 pages (-3,548). It was a big year for audio titles. I listened to 37 audio titles (+14) for a total of 279 hours exactly (-25:09:00).
Click here for this year’s results and reflections!
(Results are based on books read during 2019, not only those released in 2019.)
This year, I set a goal to read 60 books, and I achieved this goal by reading 82 titles (137%). While the number of titles increased, the actual amount of reading was not as much as 2018; 2019 was a busy year. I read 46 print titles (-11) for a total of roughly 11,269 pages (-3,548). It was a big year for audio titles. I listened to 37 audio titles (+14) for a total of 279 hours exactly (-25:09:00).
Click here for this year’s results and reflections!
(Results are based on books read during 2019, not only those released in 2019.)
2020 Reading in Retrospect: Book Survey
Due to exceeding Goodreads's character limit, this year's reading reflection blog post can be accessed via the link below.
This year, I set a goal to read 75 books, and I achieved this goal by reading 82 titles (109%), tying last year’s total. While the number of titles remained the same, the actual amount of reading increased drastically. I read 54 print titles (+8) for a total of roughly 14,663 pages (+3,394). I listened to 27 audio titles (-10) but chose some longer titles for a total of 361 hours and 23 minutes (+82h23m). Here are this year’s results!
Click here for this year’s results and reflections!
(Results are based on books read during 2020, not only those released in 2020.)
This year, I set a goal to read 75 books, and I achieved this goal by reading 82 titles (109%), tying last year’s total. While the number of titles remained the same, the actual amount of reading increased drastically. I read 54 print titles (+8) for a total of roughly 14,663 pages (+3,394). I listened to 27 audio titles (-10) but chose some longer titles for a total of 361 hours and 23 minutes (+82h23m). Here are this year’s results!
Click here for this year’s results and reflections!
(Results are based on books read during 2020, not only those released in 2020.)
