What a year! I read a ton on audio this year. With a
toddler I'm still struggling with print books and have found I do best with
re-reads in that format. This was a fantastic year for nonfiction books for
some reason.
Any books I reread this year are not eligible for this
list. I didn’t count the piles upon piles of children’s books I read in this
list. I also don’t limit myself to one book per answer if there are two or
three that are a perfect fit.
Number of Books You Read: 143
Number of Re-Reads: 17
Genre You Read The Most From: I feel like there was a ton
of nonfiction and mysteries this year. I was way down on the number of classics
I read.
1. Best Book You Read In 2017?
Classics — Adam Bede and Crossing to Safety
Historical Fiction — The Paris Architect
Mystery — In a Dark, Dark Wood
Literary Fiction — A Gentleman in Moscow
Nonfiction — At Home in the World, My Own Words, Five
Days at Memorial, Lab Girl, A Spy Among Friends, and Four Seasons in Rome
Fantasy — Norse Mythology and The Bone Clocks
Play — Amadeus
YA — The Hate U Give
Children’s — The
Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
Graphic Novel — Bone
2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were
Going To Love More But Didn’t?
Caraval, ugh, I heard this was like The Night Circus, but
that was NOT the case. Also, Today Will Be Different, I loved Where'd You Go,Bernadette by the same author, but this one fell flat for me.
3. Most surprising
(in a good way or bad way) book you read?
Bonfire, I’m so skeptical of “celebrity” novels, but this
one was actually a pretty decent thriller.
4. Book You
“Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?
The Bone Clocks,
it’s a strange book, but I co-hosted a readalong of it and we had a great
discussion!
5. Best series you
started in 2017?
The Hogarth Shakespeare series; each book is written by a
different famous author (Margaret Atwood, Anne Tyler, etc.) and retells one of
Shakespeare’s plays. I read four of them this year (Dunbar/King Lear, NewBoy/Othello, Hag-Seed/Tempest, and Vinegar Girl/Taming of the Shrew).
6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2017?
Ruth Ware and Celeste Ng, I read multiple novels from
both authors and I was so impressed with them.
7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was
out of your comfort zone?
The Book of Joy and The Reason I Jump, one is a
conversation between Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the other is by a
boy with autism and gives a powerful window into his complicated world.
8. Most
action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?
The Dry, In a
Dark, Dark, World and Slade House
9. Book You Read
In 2017 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?
D'Aulaires' Book
of Greek Myths and At Home in the World
10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2017?
The Fox and the
Star and The Card Catalog
11. Most memorable character of 2017?
Holly Sykes from
The Bone Clocks and Dinah from Adam Bede
12. Most
beautifully written book read in 2017?
Everything I Never
Told You, A Gentleman in Moscow, and Manhattan Beach
13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2017?
Dinner: A Love Story, the author mixes her personal
experience with recipes. The end result is a cookbook of sorts with family
togetherness as the end goal. It’s definitely changed the way I’m approaching
dinner time.
14. Book you can’t
believe you waited UNTIL 2017 to finally read?
Foundation and
Tarzan of the Apes
15. Favorite
Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2017?
“And the thing is, when you lose someone, you realize
you’ll eventually lose everyone.” – Turtles All the Way Down"
“This is the problem of history. We cannot know that
which we were not there to see and hear and experience for ourselves. We must
rely upon the words of others.” – Homegoing
"Presently the smell of coffee begin to fill the
room. This was morning's hallowed moment. In such a fragrance the perversity of
the world is forgotten and the soul is inspired with faith in the future.” –
Independent People
16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2017?
The Night Bookmobile 40 pages and The Bone Clocks 829
pages
17. Book That
Shocked You The Most
Rad Women Worldwide, it was shocking because there were
so many incredible women whose stories I’d never heard!
18. One True Pairing (a couple that you ship):
Mal and Inara and
also Zoe and Wash from Serenity: Leaves on the Wind
19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship of The Year
Count Alexander Rostov and Nina in A Gentleman in Moscow
20. Favorite Book You Read in 2017 From an Author You’ve
Read Previously
Four Season in
Rome (by the author of All the Light We Cannot See)
21. Best Book You Read In 2017 That You Read Based SOLELY
On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:
Clan of the Cave Bear, my Dad told me that this was one
of my Mom’s favorite series when she was younger. She passed away a long time
ago and I’ve always wanted to read it because of that recommendation.
22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2017?
Finn Kilgore from The Alice Network
23. Best 2017 debut you read?
I Let You Go
24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This
Year?
The Lying Game’s description of the village of Salten and
Kate’s house, also the beautiful Italian
Riviera in The Enchanted April.
25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN
To Read?
Norse Mythology, Gaiman’s descriptions of Loki and Thor’s
interactions are particularly hilarious. I actually read the whole book twice this year because I loved it so much.
26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2017?
The description of
the sled dogs being killed in Endurance and The Paris Architect’s scene of a
couple trapped behind a fireplace.
27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?
Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore, I was expecting a
quirky bookstore story, but instead I got a mystery of sorts as a woman with a
horrific experience in her past tries to solve the reason behind the suicide of
a young man in the bookstore where she works.
28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?
In My Hands, a nonfiction account of one Polish woman’s
experience during WWII.
29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2017?
The Bone Clocks by far! Six different time periods all
connected through the life of one woman, it was unique to be sure.
30. Book That Made You The Most Mad?
Independent People, this tome chronicles the life of one
Icelandic farmer. He is ridiculously stubborn and turns away from everyone who
offers help. The writing was actually beautiful, but I struggled with it for
MONTHS! Also, the scene at the end of Clan of the Cave Bear (SPOILER!) where
the main character leaves her baby behind. Seriously, if you're leaving anyway, why would you not take your child?!?!
Thanks to Perpetual Page Turner for once again hosting
this survey!
Photo by me.
There are beautiful quotes from authors decorating the walls. There are musical sections. When I was there, the entire Kerouac scroll was on display. I easily could have spent half a day there exploring the whole place. Unfortunately, I was attending a conference and so I only had a few hours, but I'm so glad I took the time to visit on that quiet Thursday afternoon. 
One of the main area is a giant timeline of American authors. It's broken up by different periods and includes details about what was happening during that time (like the Civil War or a medical advancement). Make sure you turn the text block beneath the author photo for more info. I didn't realize they turned until I was halfway down the hall. 
