Today I am stealing my lovely pal Steph’s 2018 Big Blog Post (with her permission) because it looked a lot of fun, and I should probably do it before we get too far into 2019 for it to be an acceptable post.
2018 Reading Stats
Number of books read: 179 (my journal says 181 but Goodreads says 177, I’m too tired to argue).
Number of Re-reads: 7
Genre you read the most from: Fantasy
Best in Books
I’m going to try to use a different book for each of these questions, I read over 150, so this should be possible.
1. Best book you read in 2018?
I refuse to choose one best book out of 179. Nothing to see here. Move it along.
2. Book you were excited about and thought you were going to love more but didn’t?
Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu. I thought it was going to be a 5 star read, but it wasn’t.
3. Most surprising (in a good or bad way) book you read?
White Rabbit, Red Wolf by Tom Pollock. That book really surprised me in an amazing way.
4. Book you “pushed” the most people to read (and they did)?
The Exact Opposite of Okay by Laura Steven. I’ve even managed to recommend this one to people on trains and by shoving it at them in book shops.
5. Best series you started in 2018? Best sequel of 2018? Best series ender of 2018?
These are all really hard and I have several I could use for each, but as I’m trying to use different books for each questionL
Best series starter :The Cruel Prince by Holly Black.
Best sequel: On Holy Ground by Louise Cole.
Best series ender Evermore by Sara Holland.
6. Favourite new author you discovered in 2018?
Sarah Maria Griffin. Her debut Spare and Found Parts is wonderful.
7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read / was out of your comfort zone?
This year I’ve started reading Middle Grade and my favourites were The Nowhere Emporium by Ross MacKenzie and Snowglobe by Amy Wilson.
8. Most action-packed / thrilling / unputdownable book of the year?
For unputdownable, it has to be the two Sara Barnard books I’ve read this year: Beautiful Broken Things and Goodbye, Perfect. Both made me neglect food and the urge to pee so I could finish them.
9. Book you read in 2018 that you would be most likely to re-read next year?
I’m not a massive re-reader these days, but Bright Ruin probably as I’ve recently finished listening to Gilded Cage on audiobook so I’ll likely continue the series.
10. Favourite cover of a book you read in 2018?
So many. I’m going with The Fandom by Anna Day. Thorns in rose gold foil. What more could I want?
11. Most memorable character of 2018?
Lexi from Clean by Juno Dawson.
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2018?
Only Love Can Break Your Heart by Katherine Webber. Such a powerful, beautiful book.
13. Most thought-provoking / life changing book of 2018?
For me personally, Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman.
14. Book you can’t believe you waited until 2018 to finally read?
History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera
15. Favourite passage / quote from a book you read in 2018?
The passage from Spark by Alice Broadway, where Verity and Leora get their first marks. I won’t quote the whole thing here because I think that would border on copyright infringement, but here are some of my favourite parts from it:
“At last, the egg was done. I sat up and took a look at the mark. It was black and grey, with tiny specks and flashes of white. Whole. Perfect. …
And then I saw it appear. A tiny crack in the perfect shell.
He looked up and grinned. “I had to, Leora. It’s what your soul was asking for”. And I remembered the spiritual, almost magical connection between inker and inked, and the way some tattoos are so much more than skin and ink….
That crack in the shell. Light was getting in and life was getting out. the crack felt like a lightening bolt, like a fork in the road forcing our journeys in different directions. Things would never be the same again.”
I loved this so much I had a tattoo done based on it… and one of my best friends had a matching one.
16. Shortest and longest book you read in 2018?
The shortest was On the Merits of Unnaturalness by Samantha Shannon. The longest was a re-read of The Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling.
17. Book that shocked you the most?
The Cell 7 trilogy by Kerry Drewery. There are things in that series I will never forget or forgive.
18. OTP of the year (you will go down with this ship).
Kaz and Inej from Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. Forever.
19. Favourite non-romantic relationship of the year?
Perijee and Caitlin from Perijee and Me by Ross Montgomery.
20. Favourite book you read in 2018 from an author you’ve read previously?
Colour Me In by Lydia Ruffles.
21. Best book you read in 2018 that you read solely on a recommendation from somebody else / peer pressure / bookstagram etc?
Fir by Sharon Gosling. Cora chose this for me to read at Christmas and I never would have picked it up otherwise.
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2018?
I don’t really get fictional crushes, but I’m going with Jin from the Rebel of the Sands trilogy becase Jin has ARMS.
23. Best 2018 debut you read?
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. Kept me on my toes to the very end.
24. Best world-building / most vivid setting you read this year?
Best world-building has to be Melinda Salisbury’s State of Sorrow. Melinda builds the best worlds.
25. Book that put a smile on your face / was the most fun to read?
Sarah Millican’s How to be Champion. She’s Geordie and hilarious.
26. Book that made you cry or nearly cry in 2018?
A Thousand Perfect Notes by C. G. Drews. That mother.
27. Hidden gem of the year?
My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix. I’ve not seen much about this one, but it is a brilliant friendship story.
28. Book that crushed your soul?
The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon. I will have no soul left after this series. Not even a wisp.
29. Most unique book you read in 2018?
Other Words for Smoke by Sarah Maria Griffin. Exceptional.
30. Book that made you the most mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it?)
In Your Light by Annalie Grainger. Loved the book, but the situation made me incredibly mad.
Blogging / Bookish Life
1. New favourite book blog / bookstagram / YouTube Channel you discovered in 2018?
George Lester’s YouTube. It’s an absolute delight.
2. Favourite post you wrote in 2018?
My review of Melinda Salisbury’s State of Sorrow.
3. Favourite bookish related photo you took in 2018?
This one. Reading a great book with a gin, opposite Edinburgh castle.
4. Best bookish event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events etc)?
This year was my first YALC, which was AMAZING, but I have to say, seeing my friend Steph chair an event with Alice Broadway and Melinda Salisbury at Newcastle Waterstones. The whole evening was an absolute delight.
5. Best moment of bookish / blogging life in 2018?
Tough call. Melinda Salisbury sharing my review (and mentioning it at YA Shot), being nominated for a blogging award, and meeting Akemi Dawn Bowman (she put my life in a book) at YALC would all top the list.
6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?
Self-doubt. I had so many moments in 2018 where I wondered why I was reading some books and why I was blogging.
7. Most popular post this year on your blog (whether it be by comments or views)?
Weirdly, my April Bullet Journal post.
8. Post you wished got a little more love?
I don’t pay that much attention to my views, unless I’m filling in one of these, so I don’t know?!
9. Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores etc)?
Can I say people? I have made some lovely bookish friends this last year.
10. Did you complete any reading challenged or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?
Yes. If you want to read more, look here.
Looking Ahead
1. One book you didn’t get to in 2018 but will be your number one priority in 2019?
I don’t know about number one priority but I am dying to get to Muse of Nightmares by Lainin Taylor.
2. Book you are most anticipating for 2019 (non-debut)?
Song of Sorrow by Melinda Salisbury. A Girl Called Shameless by Laura Steven. Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon.
3. 2019 debut you are most anticipating?
Like Steph, I am really excited for A Pocketful of Stars by Aisha Busby.
4. Series ending / a sequel you are most anticipating in 2019?
Scar by Alice Broadway.
5. One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading / blogging life in 2019?
Clear a lot of books off my TBR. I’m tentatively hoping to get Mount Ted down to 150 books in 2019 (It’s 250ish now).
6. A 2019 release you’ve already read and recommend to everyone?
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. It’s brilliant.
If you made it this far, well done and thanks!
Charlotte, Somewhere 
I’ve been loving reading all of these posts; I’m so tempted to do it even though I wouldn’t have room in my schedule till a bit later in January when it would maybe be a bit late…
177/179/181 are all incredible, whichever one is correct! I have said it before, but I shall say again that you starting to read MG was legit one if my favourite things about last year, because I am tragic (I only wish I’d thought to include it in my favourites of the year post 🙈)
I really enjoyed Nowhere Emporium and Snowglobe too, and I really need to read Shadowsmith this year! I adore both of the Sara Barnards too, and there are quite a few more of these on my TBR 💜. Your tattoo is stunning!
I can’t wait for The Good Girls’ Guide to Murder or A Pocketful of Stars- I really think I’ll end up loving both! Very excited for A Girl Called Shameless as well.
Amy x
PS- I apologise very much for getting so carried away and writing screads 🙈🙈🙈
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Well that’s a nice long comment! You should still do it, even if it’s later in the month. It’s a lovely way to look back on your year of reading. I am very pleased I started to read MG this year. Some of my favourites have been MG.
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Totally agree about The Maestro and Lexi from Clean, and White Rabbit, Red Wolf – 3 of my favourite YA books from last year.
Love that you’re starting to read MG – I still feel like I’m starting to read more YA even though that’s been my goal for a good year now! I have read more but it’s still rare that I’ll plump for a YA over an MG or an adult read! I do need to read The Exact Opposite of Okay though because EVERYONE has said how good it is!
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The Exact Opposite of Okay is one of those books that everyone should read. Such an important topic and it’s really well written.
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I’m sold. I can’t promise when I’ll get to it, but I will read it before the year is out!
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Loved reading this ❤
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❤️
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