My 2016 By the Numbers post will be going up this week, but I had fun with this survey, the first year I’ve taken the time.

From Jamie at The Perpetual Page-Turner

1. Best Book You Read In 2016?

Ethan Frome – Edith Wharton & After You – Jojo Moyes

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

Bleachers – John Grisham. Grisham is usually reliable, if not great at least a fun read, but this one did nothing for me.  And it was about football, which I love!

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

Ethan Frome – Edith Wharton. I love when classics surprise me like this one did.

I Am not a Serial Killer – Dan Wells.  I was expecting to be wowed by this child serial killer wanna be, but the book jumped the shark in the middle and never quite recovered for me.

 4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

The Sparrow – Mary Doria Russell.  I pushed my book group to read this and it was a little out there for them.  It was a reread for me and though I still loved it, it wasn’t as much as the first time almost 20 years ago.

 5. Best series you started in 2016? Best Sequel of 2016? Best Series Ender of 2016?

After You – Jojo Moyes.  Loved revisiting Louisa and finding out how she fared after Will.

 6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2016?

Sara Gruen, Hester Young, Susan Mallery

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

Dear Almost: A poem – Matthew Thorburn.  I’m no poetry buff but I am glad that I read this poem written by a father after his wife’s miscarriage.

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

Home &  Fool Me Once – both by Harlan Coben. He’s my go to guy for unputdownable books and he didn’t disappoint with his two this year.

 9. Book You Read In 2016 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

None of them. Although I will probably dip into I Dare Me from time to time for inspiration.  This reporter tried something new every day for a year!

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2016?

Best Staged Plans – Cook. My favorite flower.

11. Most memorable character of 2016?

Louisa Clark – After You.  She’s unforgettable.

 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2016?

Ethan Frome– Edith Wharton. I’ve read a few other books by Wharton, but it was this one that had the most impact.

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2016?

I Dare Me: How I Rebooted and Recharged My Life By Doing Something New Everyday – Lu Ann Cahn.  The book wasn’t perfect, but the inspiration behind it was contagious.

 14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2016 to finally read? 

C is For Corpse and D is for Deadbeat – Sue Grafton. I’m late to this series but plan on catching up eventually 🙂

 15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2016?

I could choose lots of passages from Living Buddha, Living Christ – Thich Nhat Hanh but I think this is so relevant in today’s political climate.

Professor Hans Kung has said, “Until there is peace between religions, there can be no peace in the world.”  People kill and are killed because they cling too tightly to their own beliefs and ideologies.  When we believe that ours is the only faith that contains the truth, violence and suffering will surely be the result”…”Do not think the knowledge you presently possess in changeless, absolute truth.  Avoid being narrow-minded and bound to present views. Learn and practice nonattachment from views in order to be open to receive others’ viewpoints.”  To me, this is the most essential practice of peace.

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2016?

82 pages –The Croquet Player– HG Wells

849 pages-11/22/63 – Stephen King

 17. Book That Shocked You The Most

Fool Me Once – Harlan Coben.  It’s been a while since once of his twists shocked me so I was happily surprised to be fooled 🙂

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

(OTP = one true pairing if you aren’t familiar)

 

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

Myron & Win – Home. These two best friends from the series are the best.

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2016 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

After You and Ethan Frome were both from authors I know and love.

21. Best Book You Read In 2016 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

At the Water’s Edge – Sara Gruen, Orphan Number Eight – Kim van Alkemade, Reading Lolita in Tehran – Azar Nafisi. I read all of these for my book club.  My favorite was At Water’s Edge but they were all good.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2016?

After You’s Sam.

23. Best 2016 debut you read?

Gates of Evangeline – Hester Young. It’s the first of a trilogy – yay!

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

The Croquet Player – HG Wells.  He paints a perfect picture every time.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – no explanation needed, I think.

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – John Tiffany, JK Rowling, Jack Thorne.  Loved being a muggle looking in into Harry Potter’s World once again.

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2016?

A Housefly in Autumn – Scott Nagele. I loved this book written by a former B&N boss.  It was really good and I’m not ashamed to say that I shed a tear once or twice.

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

A Housefly in Autumn – Scott Nagele

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

No book, but we saw the movie Manchester by the Sea last week and it did crush my soul.

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2016?

How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less– Sarah Glidden.  This graphic memoir brought a complicated subject to life in a fresh way.

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

 Orphan Number 8 – Kim van Alkemade. Loved the book, but this fiction based on a real orphanage was heartbreaking.