End of year wrap up, part 1: The Survey.

This year for my end of year wrap up, I decided to participate in Jamie's 3rd annual end of year survey. I typically make up my own categories, but this year I'm feeling particularly lazy and her questions are just so great!

1. Best book you read in 2012? (You can break it down by genre if you want.)
 Romance: A Most Scandalous Proposal by Ashlyn Macnamara
Young Adult: Split by Swati Avashi or The Half-Life of Planets by Emily Franklin and Brandon Halpin
Non-fiction: Dinner: A Love Story by Jenny Rosenstrach

2. Book you were excited about and thought you were going to love more, but didn't?
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie - SO many people love this book. I found it mildly annoying.
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson- I wanted to love this, it's exactly my type of history, but I did not enjoy her writing at all.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book in 2012?
Split by Swati Avashi- it's about abuse, but I ended up liking it a lot.

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2012?
Probably Divergent by Veronica Roth, which I read last year.

5. Best series you discovered in 2012?
The Lucky Harbor series by Jill Shalvis

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2012?
Jill Shalvis, J. R. Ward, Ashley Macnamara

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or in a new genre for you in 2012?
I don't read a lot outside of my comfort zone, and even when I resolve to do so, I often fail. That said, I reread The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood this year and it was pretty uncomfortable. I didn't remember much from when I read it at 17.

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2012?
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

9. Book you read in 2012 that you are most likely to reread again next year?
In the Midnight Rain by Ruth Wind- this is my ultimate comfort read. I don't reread much, but I've read this one half a dozen times now.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2012?

I'm more influenced by bad covers than by good ones, but I really like this one. The most awful cover of 2012? I will never be able to read this one because that cover is such a turn off to me.

11. Most memorable character in 2012?
Karou from Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor.

12. Most beautifully written book in 2012?
I can't even answer this. I am rarely struck by how beautiful something is written. I'm much more likely to just sink in and enjoy it and not notice the actual words.

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2012?
Running Away to Home by Jennifer Wilson was great for teaching me what I don't need. Split by Avashi was fairly emotional as well.

14. Book you can't believe you waited until 2012 to finally read?
Death Masks by Jim Butcher. I stalled out about halfway back in 2010 and it took me until this fall to pick it back up.

15. Favorite passage/ quote from a book you read in 2012?
I don't mark passages, so gonna have to skip this one.

16. Shortest and Longest book you read in 2012?
For the first time in 20 years I didn't track a page count. I KNOW! But looking at my list I'd bet A Monster calls by Patrick Ness is the shortest and Death Masks by Jim Butcher is the longest. I did not go look either of those up, so I could be wrong.

17. Book that had a scene in it that had you reeling and dying to talk to someone about it? Be careful of spoilers.
Nothing really. I didn't even get to whatever the WTF moment is in Gone Girl before it poofed off my e-reader. I'm back on the list for it.

18. Favorite relationship from a book you read in 2012? (friendship, romance, etc.)
Angel and Isaiah from The Sleeping Night by Barbara Samuel or Sophia and Rufus from A Most Scandalous Proposal. I also really liked the brothers relationship in the Inn Boonsboro trilogy by Nora Roberts.

19. Favorite book you read in 2012 from an author you had read previously?
The Sleeping Night by Barbara Samuel aka Ruth Wind. See question 9.

20. Best book you read based solely on a recommendation from someone else?
I read quite a few from Janssen's best of 2011 list. The best one was Split by Swati Avashi.

Back soon with Part 2: My top ten and stats!