2018 Year in Review + 2 Year Blogoversary Giveaway!

Even though the new year has already rolled around, I can’t quite accept 2019 as “this year”. The week has been a normal enough one, only much colder in the mornings, and I have largely been failing at all my new year goals. Hopefully, some serious time to myself over the weekend should get me back to shape! The first step in looking ahead is to learn from the past, so here I am to talk about all things 2018. My blogger friends Sahitya @ My World of Books and Simant @ Flipping Through the Pages brought my attention to this end-of-year survey that is hosted annually by Jamie @ The Perpetual Page Turner. This is a long and comprehensive one, but I promise there is light at the end of the tunnel! Let me get straight to the questions now.

2018 READING STATS

Number of books you read? 61
Number of re-reads? 0
Genre you read the most from? Speculative fiction
Best book read in 2018? I can’t choose one, so here are 10 – Top Ten Books I Read in 2018
Book you were excited about & thought you were going to love more but didn’t? The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read? It Only Happens in the Movies by Holly Bourne – in a good way!
Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)? Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi – many are yet to read it but I’m positive they will!
Best series you started in 2018? The Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner
Best Sequel of 2018? The Burning Maze (The Trials of Apollo #3) by Rick Riordan
Best Series Ender of 2018? Obsidio (The Illuminae Files #3) by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Favourite new author you discovered in 2018? Naomi Novik
Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone? The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year? To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
Book you read in 2018 that you would be most likely to re-read next year? The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang
Most memorable character of 2018? Erin Delillo from The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed

Most beautifully written book read in 2018? The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh
Most thought-provoking/ life-changing book of 2018? American Panda by Gloria Chao
Book you can’t believe you waited until 2018 to finally read? Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo
Shortest & longest book you read in 2018? Sea Prayer by Khaled Hossieni and A Conjuring of Light by V. E. Schwab
Book that shocked you the most? And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

OTP of the year? Lara Jean Covey and Peter Kavinsky in To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
Favourite non-romantic relationship of the year? Esmae and Rama in A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna
Favourite book you read in 2018 from an author you’ve read previously? From Twinkle, With Love by Sandhya Menon
Best book that you read in 2018 based solely on a recommendation from somebody else? Faint Promise of Rain by Anjali Mitter Duva recommended by Sara Letourneau
Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2018? Arram Draper from Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce

Best 2018 debut you read? The Serpent’s Secret by Sayantani Dasgupta
Best world-building/most vivid setting you read in 2018? Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri
Book that put a smile on your face/was the most fun to read? Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Book that made you cry or nearly cry in 2018? The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Hidden gem of the year? Owl Eyes by Molly Lazer

Book that crushed your soul? The Astonishing Colour of After by Emily X. R. Pan
Most unique book you read in 2018? Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean
Book that made you the most mad? Everless by Sara Holland
Favourite passage/quote from a book you read in 2018? From Fierce Fairytales by Nikita Gill:

What if fairytales aren’t as innocent as they sound and even princesses aren’t perfect? What if I told you that your damage doesn’t define you and the way you survive is no one else’s damned business?

Favourite cover of a book you read in 2018? A Thousand Beginnings and Endings edited by Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman

BOOK BLOGGING LIFE

New favourite book blog/Bookstagram/Youtube channel you discovered in 2018? Justine @ I Should Read That
Favourite post you wrote in 2018? The Fellowship of the Ring Book Tag
Best bookish event that you participated in? Magical Readathon hosted by Book Roast
Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2018? Reaching 500+ followers on my blog!
Favourite bookish related photo you took in 2018?

Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)? Bookish podcasts – Hey YA, SFF Yeah, Books and Boba
Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year? Goodreads Reading Challenge 2018 (61/52)
Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life in 2018? Making time to read proved to be quite difficult this year
Most popular post this year on your blog? Blogging 101: How to Balance Blogging and Life
Post You Wished Got A Little More Love? The Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide: Sci-fi and Fantasy Books (2018)

LOOKING AHEAD

One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/blogging life in 2019? I have 5 points I’ve already talked about – 2019 Blogging Goals + Announcements
One book you didn’t get to in 2018 but will be your #1 priority in 2019? The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien
Book you are most anticipating for 2019 (non-debut)? The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
Series ending/sequel you are most anticipating in 2019? Kingdom of Copper by S. A. Chakraborty
2019 debut you are most anticipating? Descendant of the Crane by Joan He

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GIVEAWAY ANNOUNCEMENT!

I started this little book blog in January 2017 as a way to share my thoughts on books with the world. I discovered the magic of BookTube in December 2016 and felt really inspired to express my passion for books. I began on Tumblr because I already had a writing blog on WordPress that was my primary focus and I wanted something low-maintenance. However, as life unfolded, I found that I felt more drawn towards Unputdownable Books and made the tough decision to close my old blog in September 2017 so I could focus my energies solely on the book blog. Now that I’m looking back to my journey, I can’t help but feel like I made the best decision at the right time. I’ve made so many amazing friends through blogging, I’m creating content I care deeply about and I’m so thankful for the small community of my dedicated readers who continue to encourage and inspire me every day. As a small token of thanks to all of you, I’m giving away 1 HARDCOVER COPY of The Surface Breaks by Loiuse O’Neill. Use the Rafflecopter link below to enter. The giveaway is open until January 31st, 2019, and open internationally. May the odds ever be in your favour!

Click to enter Rafflecopter giveaway

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What was your 2018 like and what do you hope to accomplish in 2019? If you have a 2018 wrap-up post, link it below so I can check it out! Which book are you most looking forward to reading in 2019? Let’s discuss in the comments section below.

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