A Recap of 2017 in BOOKS (ft. favourites and pie charts and me being indecisive)

The finest kind of torture is asking a bookworm their favourite book of the year.

Becuase 1) how the heck do you expect me to choose and 2) WHAT IF MY ANSWER CHANGES?!

So that’s precisely what I’m doing in today’s post. I love myself so much. I’m linking up to Perpetual Page Turner’s Annual Blog Round Up Thingy and I’m super excited to do this! I won’t be answering ALL the questions because I am too busy stuffing my face with chocolate and fixing all my typos ever.

*ALL BOOK LINKS TAKE YOU TO MY GOODREADS REVIEW*

Best Book You Read In 2017

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo by…not much. I had SO Many amazing reads this year since it was the year I was introduced to ALL the fantasy but I finally settled on this one because I think Kaz is someone who I always love and there are shipping and magical powers and there is darkness and there is Jesper. And it’s exactly the book that introduced to me just about everything.

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

Love, Hate & Other Filters by Samira Ahmed definitely. I was SO incredibly excited for this book and then…the representation let me down. So down that, I am now in a rabbit hole eating carrots and wondering when to have another identity crisis.

And some more reads that didn’t quite meet my expectations?

Most surprising book

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia. I JUST DIDN’T EXPECT To LOVE THIS ONE SO MUCH BUT I DID and it was fabulous and it discussed mental illness and it was fabulous because of art!! AND WALLACE. Let’s not forget Wallace.

A book you recommended people constantly

Starfish by Akemi Dawn. I remember screaming about this to Lu (since I was screamed at by queen over here) and she read it and bought it and some other awesome people also read it which I was extremely happy about. However, no one listens to rambling penguins like me often so this one is a little non-applicable.

Best series you started in 2017

AGH UM AGH UM AGH UM AGH UM….I’m going to go with The Shades of Magic Series BECUASE it is honestly beautiful and I loved every single book and KELL’S COAT and everyone else wins me over every.single.time. Plus i finished AND started this in 2017? GO ME.

Favorite new author, you discovered in 2017

PROBABLY AMANDA FOODY. I love her tweets and I actually just want to hug Daughter of The Burning City about 6789 times BECAUSE IT IS SO GOOD. Go read it! I mean people hated it? BUT IGNORE THEM. It was FABULOUS. Fabulous I must say! ALSO SHOUTOUT TO HER SURNAME.

Best book from a genre you don’t typically read

Eh. I’m not a massive fan of historical fiction but I absolutely ADORED The Girl In The Blue Coat. It was completely surprising and the plot twist was fabulous and the writing was so emotionally awesome and aghagah why isn’t this one hyped more? I. Loved. It. ANd of course The Book Thief but that’s already got so much fame.

Most beautifully written book read in 2017

Aghhh so MANY. So MANY. But I will say Laini Taylor puts the magic into writing. I absolutely adored Strange The Dreamer and the words were, as I quote from my review, “like quicksand. The more I read, the more I got lost between the words and pages. It’s LIKE ALL THE UNIVERSES dancing around in my brain. It’s like ice cream melting and becoming a sea of flavours.” I am quite proud of that actually. Now I want ice cream. I always want ice cream

Favorite cover of a book you read in 2017

MY EYEBALLS ARE JUST WATERING WITH LOVE. There are so many good covers! TRUST ME I KNOW.

Book That Shocked You The Most

UM. Warcross by Marie Lu. I WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT. My heart is still beating 67886 times per second. Becuase the revel for Zero. HAD. ME. GOBSMACKED. Just wow. WELL DONE MARIE LU FOR JUST TAKING AWAY MY SANITY LIKE THAT.

Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

Blue and Ronan from The Raven Cycle! I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. Why doesn’t anyone talk about how GREAT they are? They have one of the best friendships I read in a book and I just adore them so much. I FRIENDSHIP THEM OKAY. Oh, and these are from The Ravn Cycle but their friendship mainly blossoms in Blue Lily, Lily Blue and The Raven King.

“Gansey asked, “Do you have time to run an errand with us? Do you have work? Homework?”
“No homework. I got suspended,” Blue replied.
“Get the fuck out,” Ronan said, but with admiration. “Sargent, you asshole.”
Blue reluctantly allowed him to bump fists with her as Gansey eyed her meaningfully in the rearview mirror.”

Best Book You Read In 2017 That You Read Based SOLELY because of Peer Pressure

Cinder by Marissa Meyer. I don’t think I would EVER have picked this up if it wasn’t for Meyer fans. So I DID despite the ugly cover. I ended up LOVING this one. i haven’t read the other ones mostly because I’m not too addicted! And plus, they’re not even about Cinder mainly. But I WILL GET TO THEM ONE DAY.

Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2017

I DO CRY AT BOOKS. And I am in NO way ashamed at that. However, I do think I got a little hard-hearted this year but let me throw you some freaking soul-crushing books.

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year

DEFINITELY INK AND BONE by Rachel Caine. Obviously Ink and Bone. This is SO underrated but I love this series so much and I cannot wait for the fourth book? It is a book about books about a book lover and it’s got historical fiction and fantasy and dystopia vibes and breaks all the rules and the squad is SO good.

Most Unique Book You Read In 2017

I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson was so strange and weird and I have never read a book like it? It was super horrible (the beginning) but towards the end I kind of just melted into a jellyfish because it was so strange but marvellous at the same time!

Book That Made You The Most Mad 

As You Wish by Chelsea Sedoti was such a freaking crappy book I cannot even okay!? The main character is a sexist jerk who can go wither away in a black. Plus the writing was SO dry and it took me a MONTH to read. UGH.

One Book You Didn’t Get In 2017 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2018

Ummm Saints and Misfits! I remember when it was released and just got a sent a copy a while back and DEFINITELY want to make an effort to read it. Plus my copy is signed and came with a beautiful bookmark. AND PLUS MUSLIM REP!?!!?! AND PLUS MY COPY IS *SIGNED* BY THE AUTHOR. *dies*

2018 Release You Are Most Anticipating

(not a debut sorry) Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody. I MEAN DID YOU EXPECT ANY OTHER ANSWER? DID YOU?! DID YOU HAHAHAHAHHA IF YOU DID BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN SCREAMING ABOUT THIS BOOK FOREVER OKAY. <big>But I actually did a whole post on 2018 releases I am screeching for.</big> #awkwardselfpromo

A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2018

MUSE OF NIGHTMARES BY LAINI TAYLOR OMG I AM FOREVER EXCITED I CANNOT WAIT TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT JUST GIVE THE BOOK TO ME OMG OMG OMG OMG.

Okie Dokie and that’s it. Remember I DID NOT ANSWER EVERYTHING. Okay? Some I was just repeating myself with a book and I didn’t want to bore. But you thought we were done? Haha, No. NO. I’m going to be copying Cait @ Paper Fury with her gorgeous pie charts. I won’t be doing as many of her but these look SUPER fun.

STAR RATINGS:

So I actually read A LOT OF good books this year! We can see I am an indecisive pumpkin and am always handing out 3 stars BECUASE MIXED FEELINGS okay?! And there are a lot of fours stars BECAUSE I AM PICKY. And Most of my ratings are above 3 stars which is great!

Where I acquired books from:

AS YOU CAN SEE the library is my LIFESAVER. I didn’t use it much in the last months of 2017 but at the beginning of the year? I was practically camping out there.

Genres Read:

Now, this was probably the most interesting YET. Know why? Because somehow, contemporary was my MOST read this year? WHAT? WHAT?! I am only slightly angry because fantasy is honestly my favourite so this comes as a disappointment to me, honestly.

Publication Date:

OH YAY! I read a LOT of books published in 2017? Look, I am TRENDY okay?!

Series or Standalone:

So you take a look at this and see? THESE ARE QUITE CLOSE. Sure I read more series which shows I am a committed bookworm BUT COOL.

 So what were your favourite, gobsmacking, beautiful, surprising books of 2017? Link me to your 2017 bookish recaps! What are you excited to read in 2018? Was 2017 a good reading year? Did you finish your 2017 Goodreads reading challenge? Let me know in the comments!