2021 | End of Year Book Survey

  2021 Reading Stats

Number of Books You Read Overall: 186

Number of Re-Reads: 25

Genre You Read the Most From: Fantasy

1. Best Book You Read in 2021?

Easily Malice by John Gwynne

2. Book you were excited about and thought you were going to love more but didn't?

The Gunslinger by Stephen King. I've enjoyed most Stephen King books and I thought a fantasy by Stephen King would be great, but this was just so so boring and I didn't enjoy it at all.

3. Most surprising (in a good way) book you read?

Traitor's Blade by Sebastian de Castell or Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb. I enjoyed both of these books wayyyy more than I ever thought I would. The Greatcoats has become one of my favourite fantasy series, and the Liveship Traders was a lot better than the initial trilogy by Robin Hobb.

4. Book you "pushed" the most people to read (and they did)?

We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

5. Best series you started in 2021? Best Sequel of 2021? Best Series Ender of 2021?

Best series started: Middlegame by Seanan McGuire

Best sequel: Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare

Best series ender: Wrath by John Gwynne

6. Favourite new author you discovered in 2021?

John Gwynne

7. Best book from a genre you don't typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry or The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Masarenhas

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson was an amazing YA thriller.

9. Book you read in 2021 that you would be most likely to re-read next year?

Maybe Middlegame by Seanan McGuire since the sequel is coming out this year.

10. Favourite cover of a book you read in 2021?

The Broken Eye by Brent Weeks

11. Most memorable character of 2021?

Fitz from Robin Hobb's books, or Corban from The Faithful and the Fallen series

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2021?

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman or And Every Morning the Way Back Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman

13. Most thought-provoking/life-changing book of 2021?

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

14. Book you can't believe you waited until 2021 to finally read?

Light Years by Kass Morgan

15. Shortest and longest book you read in 2021?

Shortest book: And Every Morning the Way Back Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman (76 pages)

Longest book: Grimm's Fairytales by The Brother's Grimm (1019 pages)

16. Book that shocked you the most?

 Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson

17. Favourite non-romantic relationship of the year?

Falcio, Brasti and Kest from The Greatcoats Series

18. Favourite book you read in 2021 from an author you've read previously?

Pretending by Holly Bourne

19. Best book you read in 2021 that you read based solely on a recommendation from somebody else/peer pressure, etc.?

Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker

20. Best 2021 debut you read?

Malice by John Gwynne (not a debut from 2021, but one I read in 2021)

21. Best worldbuilding/most vivid setting you read this year?

The Lightbringer Series

22. Book that put a smile on your face/was the most fun to read?

I Hate Fairyland by Skottie Young - the Graphic Novel series

23. Book that made you cry or nearly cry in 2021?

And Every Morning the Way Back Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman

24. Hidden gem of the year?

How Do You Like Me Now? by Holly Bourne

25. Book that crushed your soul?

The Mad Ship by Robin Hobb

26. Most unique book you read in 2021?

Educated by Tara Westover

27. Book that made you the most mad? (doesn't necessarily mean you didn't like it)

The Raft by S.A. Bodeen

1. One book you didn't get to in 2021 but will be your number one priority in 2022?
Wool by Hugh Howey

2. Book you are most anticipating for 2022 (non-debut)?

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas

3. 2022 debut you are most anticipating?

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

4. Series ending/a sequel you are most anticipating in 2022?

The Galaxy and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers

5. One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/blogging life in 2022?

Maybe I'll actually start blogging again, who knows!

6. A 2022 release you've already read and recommend to everyone (if applicable):

None right now! I just got The Wedding Season by Katy Birchall from Netgalley though, so if I love it, I'll be recommending it soon.

Let me know if there are any books I should get to soon, or if you have any thoughts on the books mentioned above!

This survey comes from the wonderful Perpetual Page Turner! 

BOOK REVIEW | Gilded by Marissa Meyer

Genre: Fantasy/YA

Publication Date: 2nd November 2021

My Rating: ★★★.5

Goodreads Page

Blurb:

Long ago cursed by the god of lies, a poor miller's daughter has developed a talent for spinning stories that are fantastical and spellbinding and entirely untrue.

Or so everyone believes.

When one of Serilda's outlandish tales draws the attention of the sinister Erlking and his undead hunters, she finds herself swept away into a grim world where ghouls and phantoms prowl the earth and hollow-eyed ravens track her every move. The king orders Serilda to complete the impossible task of spinning straw into gold, or be killed for telling falsehoods. In her desperation, Serilda unwittingly summons a mysterious boy to her aid. He agrees to help her . . . for a price.

Soon Serilda realizes that there is more than one secret hidden in the castle walls, including an ancient curse that must be broken if she hopes to end the tyranny of the king and his wild hunt forever.

**Spoiler-Free Review**

I was sent a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles so I was very excited to read the first book in her newest series, Gilded. This is a Rumpelstiltskin retelling but with the addition of more mythology and fairy tales.

The book follows the wonderful Serilda, who is shunned by her village, who believe her black and gold eyes to be a sign of bad luck. When her lies get her into trouble and she is taken by the Erlking and asked to spin gold, she meets the mysterious Gild who offers to help her in exchange for something...

I really enjoyed this book overall. The characters were all so realistic and I absolutely loved Serilda's relationship to the children in her village; Gild was funny and intriguing; and the mystery behind everything kept me turning the page. I did guess the mystery pretty early on and some story beats were predictable but that was partly due to the nature of having heard the original tale so many times before.

Serilda was such a strong character and I actually really loved her ability to lie herself out of dangerous situations, and it was done without making the character feel unlikable.

I'm definitely interested in picking up the sequel which I feel will be more interesting since it will be less of a retelling and more of a conclusion to the story!

BOOK REVIEW | You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry

 

Genre: Romance/Contemporary

Publication Date: 11th May 2021

My Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Page

Blurb:

TWO FRIENDS

TEN SUMMER TRIPS

THEIR LAST CHANCE TO FALL IN LOVE

12 SUMMERS AGO: Poppy and Alex meet. They hate each other, and are pretty confident they'll never speak again.

11 SUMMERS AGO: They're forced to share a ride home from college and by the end of it a friendship is formed. And a pact: every year, one vacation together.

10 SUMMERS AGO: Alex discovers his fear of flying on the way to Vancouver.

Poppy holds his hand the whole way.

7 SUMMERS AGO: They get far too drunk and narrowly avoid getting matching tattoos in New Orleans.

2 SUMMERS AGO: It all goes wrong.

THIS SUMMER: Poppy asks Alex to join her on one last trip. A trip that will determine the rest of their lives.

You and Me on Vacation is a love story for fans of When Harry Met Sally and One Day. Get ready to travel the world, snort with laughter and - most of all - lose your heart to Poppy and Alex.

**Spoiler-Free Review**

I was sent a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Although COVID is stopping us from travelling right now, I was so glad I was able to live vicariously through this book. The entire book was so wonderfully heart-warming. If you're a fan of friends-to-lovers romance that includes hilarious banter and travelling, then you're going to love this book. I absolutely adored Emily Henry's Beach Read when I read it last year, but I think this book truly surpasses it.

Emily Henry is fantastic at writing realistic characters. Poppy and Alex's friendship is one of the best I've ever read. I'm usually not a huge fan of friends-to-lovers but this book has completely won me over. I love the way their entire relationship is told over the course of several years and vacations; even though every time we met them, they were in different places in their lives, it was so easy to see how much they care about each other.

This book had everything I wanted: friends-to-lovers, hate-to-love, one bed, hilarious banter, slow burn. Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys romance novels.