Category: Book Tags

2023 End of Year Book Survey

Posted January 5, 2024 by Haze in Book Tags / 4 Comments

This is my first time doing Jamie’s End of Year Book Survey although I found it through Jana @ The Artsy Reader Girl.

I’m doing it a little late because I felt weird about doing it at all, initially. I only just started this blog a month or so ago, and it felt weird to talk about books I read in 2023 that I never reviewed here. But then I thought about it more, and I realized that it was even more of a reason to do this, so that I could have a sort of unofficial record here about the books I read in 2023. So here we are.

2023 Reading Stats

Number of books you read: 94

Number of re-reads: 6
1. Wool by Hugh Howey
2. Falling into Place by Amy Zhang
3. Golden Son by Pierce Brown
4. Morning Star by Pierce Brown
5. Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
6. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

Number of books you DNFed: 3
Number of pages you read: 37,057
Most read genre: Fantasy at 46 books
Number of new-to-you authors you discovered: 29

Firsts and Lasts

First book you read: This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay
Last book you read: 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Easton
First 2023 release you read: All My Love by Miranda Dickinson

Best In Books

1. Best book you read in 2023:
There were some really great books this year, but ultimately Labyrinth’s Heart by M.A. Carrick wins the title for me. Simply because out of all the books I loved, this is the one I believe I will come back to most often.

2. Book you were excited about & thought you were going to love more but didn’t:
Caraval by Stephanie Garber. It had been on my TBR for a while, and I loved the premise, it reminded me of an old childhood book that I loved. I was so excited for it, but I felt like the story and characters were so nonsensical and juvenile. I was going to give it 3 stars, but the ending made it worse, and I decided to give it 2 stars.

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read:
Sooley by John Grisham. I went into this book without expectations. I need to listen to audiobooks to sleep and I often try books I normally wouldn’t read because they are immediately available on my library’s audiobook catalog. I enjoy Grisham’s legal thrillers but this one was a sports story and I’m not really a fan, but I ended up really loving it.

4. Book you “pushed” the most people to read (and they did):
None this year. I was off social media for pretty much the whole year and didn’t influence anyone!

5. Best first book in a series you started in 2023. Best sequel of 2023. Best series ender of 2023.
Started: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Sequel: Jade War by Fonda Lee
Ender: Labyrinth’s Heart by M.A. Carrick

6. Favorite new-to-you author you discovered in 2023:
Madeline Martin. I loved The Last Bookshop in London, and I’m already working on The Librarian Spy. I’m pretty sure I’ll read The Keeper of Hidden Books soon after too.

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone:
Well, Sooley by John Grisham. As I said, I don’t really read sports stories, but I loved this story.

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year:
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. It grabbed me from the first page, and I literally couldn’t put it down. It has been a while since I got so immersed in a book, and I loved it!

9. Book you read in 2023 that you are most likely to re-read next year?
10 Blind Dates by Ashley Easton. It was so fun and heartwarming, and such a perfect read for Christmas season because of the timeline. I feel like I want to read it again for Christmas 2024!

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2023:
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher. I mean, talk about mysterious and provocative!

11. Most memorable character of 2023:
Holly Gibney from the Bill Hodges Trilogy by Stephen King. I only read Holly in 2024, but I met her from the Bill Hodges Trilogy in 2023, and she’s one of my favorite characters ever that I believe will transcend the books.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2023:
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. I’m not sure if it’s beautiful in terms of aesthetics, but it is beautiful in terms of feels.

13. Most thought-provoking/life-changing book of 2023:
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk. It helped me understand my CPTSD a little more, and prompted me to look into finally going to therapy.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2023 to finally read:
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I don’t know what to say, I’m ashamed of myself. But I’m glad I finally read it!

15. Favorite quote from a book you read in 2023:
Not my favorite, but one that sticks with me.

“Even I, in public, was a beloved child. Once her period of mourning for Marian was over, she’d parade me into town, smiling and teasing me, tickling me as she spoke with people on the sidewalks. When we got home, she’d trail off to her room like an unfinished sentence, and I would sit outside with my face pressed against her door and replay the day in my head, searching for clues to what I’d done to displease her.”
― Gillian Flynn, Sharp Objects

16. Shortest and longest books you read in 2023:
Shortest: A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers (152 pages)
Longest: Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros (884 pages)

17. Book that shocked you the most:
Truthwitch by Susan Dennard. I loved the Something Strange and Deadly series, and I expected this one to be just as good, but it wasn’t even close. I didn’t like it at all and I was very disappointed. It made me question myself if it’s this book that’s bad or if I wasn’t as discerning with the Something Strange and Deadly series back then.

18. OTP of the year (you will go down with this ship!):
Ren and Grey from Labyrinth’s Heart, they’ve got that healthy, steady, mature relationship, but also lots of heat and perfect trust between each other. It’s the kind of relationship that will stand the test of time.

19. Favorite non-romantic relationship of the year:
Vargo with Ren and Grey! Also from Labyrinth’s Heart. Honestly, I love found family, and I love Vargo’s relationship with Ren and Grey more than I love Ren and Grey’s relationship. He is so vulnerable with them and, I can’t describe how beautiful their relationship is. I love it.

20. Favorite book you read in 2023 from an author you’ve read previously:
Does it count if it’s from a trilogy I started before 2023? Because my answer is still Labyrinth’s Heart. If series don’t count, then it’s Barbed Wire Heart by Tess Sharpe. I read The Girls I’ve Been previously and she just writes strong, young female protagonists really well, and the stories she tells about them are so thrilling!

21. Best book you read in 2023 that you read based SOLELY on a recommendation from somebody else:
The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey. Well, the whole trilogy, really. A friend recommended it to me and I devoured it.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2023:
It would be Vargo from Labyrinth’s Heart, but I loved him from 2022, so I’m not sure if he’s eligible. The next best one would be Harley from Barbed Wire Heart by Tess Sharpe. She’s just so badass, and I love badass women!

23. Best 2023 debut you read:
I only read one 2023 debut this year and I didn’t like it, unfortunately. Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer.

24. Most vivid setting you read this year:
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. His writing is just so descriptive, I can see it all in my head.

25. Book that put a smile on your face/was the most FUN to read:
10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston was the most fun from the beginning to the end. It was just pure joy to read and there were so many hilarious moments, and also heartwarming ones.

26. Book that made you cry or nearly cry in 2023:
I read books 2 to 5 of the Red Rising series this year, I’m not sure which ones made me cry. Probably all of them. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes was another one. I’m sure there are more, but I tend to cry a lot so I don’t always take note of it anymore.

27. Hidden gem of the year:
This is a difficult one to answer because I’m not very up to date on the popular books, so sometimes what seems like hidden gem to me, isn’t hidden to anyone but me. But one of the books I loved most this year with the least amount of ratings is Barbed Wire Heart by Tess Sharpe.

28. Most unique book you read in 2023:
A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher. You can tell it’s something special just by the title, but I love the whole idea of baking for defense. It’s just such a good book, and I love anything T. Kingfisher writes!

39. Book that made you the maddest (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it):
The longer I stay with a lousy book, the madder I get, because I wish I had dnf’d sooner, but I also try to give the book a chance to get better, and when it doesn’t, I get madder. Caraval by Stephanie Garber, and The Atlas Paradox by Olivie Blake, made me mad.

My Blogging/Bookish Life

1. Favorite review that you wrote in 2023:
I only have a month’s worth of blogging to choose from in 2023! I’m glad I’ve got some good books to choose from. The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin.

2. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog:
My favorite was the Sunday Post Zoolights edition because posting all the pictures of the Zoolights made me so happy.

3. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.):
No events this year.

6. Most popular post this year on your blog (whether it be by comments or views):
My Top Ten Tuesday Most Recent Books Borrowed from the Library has 45 comments.

8. Post you wished got a little more love:
I’ve only been blogging a little over a month, so I have no expectations at this point. I might have a better answer at the end of 2024.

9. Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.):
Again, new blogger here! Everything is a new discovery! Everyone’s blogs, all the book memes, reading challenges, book tags! SO MANY NEW THINGS TO DISCOVER!

10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year:
I didn’t set any challenges for 2023.

Looking Ahead in 2024

1. Book you are most anticipating in 2024 (non-debut):
The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo. I fell in love with The Ghost Bride and Choo is a fellow Malaysian Chinese writing such compelling stories about Malaysian folklore. I cannot wait to read this next one!

2. 2024 debut you are most anticipating:
I don’t think I have one at the moment.

3. Sequel you are most anticipating in 2024:
The Girl in Question by Tess Sharpe. It is the sequel to The Girls I’ve Been, which I loved, and which is apparently going to be made into a movie starring Millie Bobbie Brown.

4. One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/blogging life in 2024?
I want to read more intentionally and remember more of what I’ve read. I signed up for reading challenges to motivate myself to read more nonfiction, classics, and diverse books, so I hope I achieve those challenges, but I also want to remember that reading should be fun and not a chore, so if I’m not enjoying the books, I can dnf. I want to dnf books I don’t like sooner instead of suffering through them!

What are your answers to these questions? If you do this survey, let me know so I can visit your post and check out your answers. You can also leave your answers in the comments!

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My Life in Books Tag: 2023

Posted January 1, 2024 by Haze in Book Tags / 9 Comments

This is another book tag I found through Jaime @ Keeper of the Wood Between Worlds. Originally created by Adam @ Roof Beam Reader.

The rules: Using only books you have read this year, answer these questions. Try not to repeat a book title.

In high school I was: Falling Into Place

People might be surprised by: This Time Tomorrow

I will never be: The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

My fantasy job is: Assistant to the Villain

At the end of a long day I need: A House With Good Bones

I hate: Dark Roads

I wish I had: Lessons in Chemistry

My family reunions are: Wrong Place Wrong Time

At a party you’d find me with: Sharp Objects

I’ve never been to: The Last Bookshop in London

A happy day includes: Big Magic

Motto I live by: Save the Cat!

On my bucket list is: 10 Blind Dates

In my next life, I want to have: A Curious Beginning

Some of the titles would’ve been more fun in different prompts, but I had to make difficult choices because of trying not to repeat the titles, and having limited titles that would fit all the prompts. It was fun, and I’m happy that I did this. I hope you’ll do it too if you feel so inclined. Let me know if you do so I can visit your post!

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Spotify Wrapped Book Tag 2023

Posted January 1, 2024 by Haze in Book Tags / 5 Comments

I first saw this book tag from Jaime @ Keeper of the Wood Between Worlds. She did this book tag a few weeks ago and I’ve been meaning to do it too, before the end of 2023, but I guess I’m a little late! Still, better late than never! This tag was originally created by Rosina @ Lance and Dagger Books, and you can find her latest one here.

In Rosina’s words:

The idea of this challenge is to put your 2023 playlist on shuffle, and for the first three to five songs, you need to pick a book you read in 2023 that fits that song. It doesn’t have to be a perfect fit. You just have to explain why you chose that book for that song. Obviously, you won’t have a book match for every song, so you can skip some if necessary. But the idea is that you at least need to try, even if it is embarrassing. 

So here are mine:

Hold Me Now by Renee Olstead = Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Hold Me Now is primarily a love song, and while Flowers for Algernon has some romance in it, it’s not the main point of the story. But they are both so sad and emotional, and they break my heart into tiny pieces and I am very much in my feels. They both have that devastatingly hopeful/hopeless yearning, wanting to hold on, and yet very much aware of the inevitability of the end. Every time I think of either of these song/book, I have to pause and feel my feels and it takes a while.

Silent All These Years by Tori Amos = Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Silent All These Years and Sharp Objects both have a kind of sinister feel, with things not being said, and hidden danger. They both dance around the topic of abuse, glossing over it, minimizing it, never outright saying it but allowing the listener/reader to infer it on their own. There’s also a nostalgic feeling to both of them, a revisiting of the past. I feel like the whole being silent thing, on both these song/book, allow hurt, abuse, danger to thrive. It’s when you finally give voice to things and bring them to light, that things get resolved. But with these song/book, do they?

Where I Belong by Adrian von Ziegler = 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston

This pairing is a little bit more subjective. I mean, they were all subjective, but this one is even more subjective because Where I Belong is an instrumental piece, and there are no lyrics for me to go by, only the title and the feel of the song.

So for me, Where I Belong feels happy and joyful, and gives me found family vibes of home and belonging. I’m a huge fan of found family stories, so I actually read a few books in 2023 that fit the theme, but many of them also have elements of pain and sadness, some more than others. The one I thought that fit best, was 10 Blind Dates, because even though there are a few conflicts moving the story along, the book as a whole was just so fun and joyful, and that sense of belonging was so palpable.

There you have it; my Spotify Wrapped Book Tag done! I’m only doing three because it’s harder than I thought to find the perfect pairings! But I had fun doing this and I loved thinking about why the books matched the songs.

I don’t have anyone to tag except my predecessors, but if you’d like to do this, please do! And let me know so I can check out your post!

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