2017 Reading Stats

Thanks so much to Jamie at Perpetual Page Turner for doing this again! She’s the best, you should follow her on all social media.

Statistics:

Number Of Books Read: 108

Adult: 24
YA: 72
MG: 5
Graphic novels: 7

Genre Break down:
YA fantasy: 15
YA Science fiction: 10
YA contemporary: 44
YA historical: 2
Middle Grade contemporary: 1
Middle grade fantasy: 4
Adult fantasy: 4
Adult science fiction: 1
Adult contemporary romance: 6
Adult paranormal romance: 3
Adult historical romance: 1
Women’s fiction: 5
Nonfiction: 5
Books with male authors: 17
Books with female authors: 92
Books by marginalized authors: 54

1. Best Book You Read In 2016?

There were a few that stood out above all the rest

Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert
Like Water by Rebecca Podos
Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman
At the Edge of the Universe by Shaun David Hutchinson
Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff
Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore

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

The Empress – I loved the first book in the series, but the second was…not for me

 3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?  

Wintersong by S Jae-Jones – it’s based on my least favorite mythology, but it was fnatastic

 4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

Little & Lion – I told everyone to read it!

 5. Best series you started in 2016? Best Sequel of 2016? Best Series Ender of 2016?

Sequel: Godsgrave
Series Ender; Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

 6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2016?

Brandy Colbert (How did I not read her first book???)

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman

 8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

A Poison Dark and Deadly by Jessica Clueless

 9. Book You Read In 2016 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

None

11. Most memorable character of 2016?

Kiko from Starfish

 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2016?

The Gallery of Unfinished Girls by Lauren Karcz

 14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2016 to finally read? 

Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple

 17. Book That Shocked You The Most

At the Edge of the Universe

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

Mia and Mr Kindly (GG) and all the lumberjanes

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2016 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

Jane, Unlimited

21. Best Book You Read In 2016 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

Like Water

23. Best 2016 debut you read?

Starfish

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

The Dark Days Club – I felt like I was there

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

Looking for Group by Rory Harrison

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2016?

Like Water

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

The Gallery of Unfinished Girls

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

Godsgrave – so much soul crushing.

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

The Hate U Give. I know. I started it a couple days ago!!

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2018 (non-debut)?

The last book in the Nevernight Chronicles

3. 2018 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

Sanctuary by Caryn Lix

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2018?

Obsidio

6. A 2018 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:

SANCTUARY!

Also, As You Wish by Chelsea Sedoti

Top Ten Books On My Spring TBR List

Thanks to the wonderful people over at The Broke and the Bookish for hosting!

It is that time again, time to list the books I plan to read during the next season. I am historically terrible at these, but I read 6 out of the 10 of my winter list!

On to the next season – most of these are for challenges, but some are just books i want to get to.

1. One Wish by Robyn Carr

I love this series and am so excited the read the most recent book!

2. The Fall of Giants by Ken Follett

This is a VERY long book, but I want to read it.

3. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

So many people i trust have recommended this tot me. I need to read it.

4. Stiff by Mary Roach

So I can get some nonfiction into my spring!

5. The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan

I will be so sad when I am done with this series, but I need to finish it

6. Lead by Kylie Scott

This is my favorite romance series and I need to continue it.

7. The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley

I loved the first book in this series – the mix of contemporary and historical makes me so happy.

8. Running the Books: The Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian by Avi Steinberg

This just sounds like it is a non-fiction book I will love

9. The Map of Time by Felix J Palma

So many people have told me I have to read this book.

10. Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

We own it and I want to read it. I should just do it!

Top Ten Favorite Heroines From Books

Thanks to those over at The Broke and Bookish for hosting! i skipped last week since it was a difficult topic, but this one is so easy, I think I could have easily made it into a Top 20!

1. Celaena Sardothien from Throne of Glass

She can literally kick anyone’s ass, but she still likes to wear pretty dresses. She is smart and well, just absolutely amazing.

2. Scout in To Kill a Mockingbid

Yes, i will be reading more from her this summer and I cannot wait.

3. Hermione Granger from Harry Potter

Will she be on everyone’s list? I would think so.

4. Eo from Red Rising

She is barely in the book, but her impact is felt all the way through. It felt like I knew exactly who she was.

5. Vin from Mistborn

If you’ve read Mistborn, then you know exactly why I picked her. If you haven’t, well you should go read it. She is a great character and the books is fantastic.

6. Juliette from Shatter Me

She isn’t the most likable character all the time, but she is complex and in the end, si one of my absolute favorite for those complexities.

7. Lara Jean from To All the Boys I Loved Before

She stuck with me for so long after I read this book. That voice! This is such a character-driven book 9even though the plot is great too).

8. Emma Sasha Silver from Blind.

This character is so realistic and authentic. I don’t know how an author who hasn’t been there managed to write a blind character so perfectly, but she did.

9. Macallan from Better off Friends

When I read this book, I felt like she was a friend of mine. .

10. Cath from Fangirl

I have said many times that this is one of my favorite books of all time, and so much of that is because of Cath.

LoveAThon High Five!

Hope everyone is having as much fun as I am!

We are encouraged to talk about our current High Five for several categories. What is the high five? Things that are making us happy!

Books

1. Red Rising and Golden Son – read them last month but still can’t get these books and characters out of my head.

2. Ms Marvel Volume 1: No Normal – These comics are amazing. I LOVE it.

3. Throne of Glass series – read books 2 and 3 in one week. Fantastic!

4. Thunder Point series – I am new to romance and this series is a great way to step into it. Please let me know if you have similar recommendations.

5. Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel – this was one of my favorite reads from last year and every time I think of it, I think of that fantastic voice. A must-read!

Genres

1. Women’s/book club fiction – always looking for great new books in this genre

2. Contemporary YA – so many great books in this genre coming out. I can never catch up, but i will enjoy!

3. Romance – I am newer to the genre, but i have fallen instantly. I love the strong heroines.

4. Cozy mystery – I have been in a cozy mood and they always make me happy.

5. Fantasy YA – I thought i was sick of this genre, but I have read some amazing books lately. I am being selective, but the ones I choose to read are great.

I am not picking favorite authors or bloggers – it is too hard to choose and I don’t want anyone to feel left out!

Merch/website

1. Book Riot

2. Huffington Post Books

3. The Toast

4. Femsplain

5. Sporcle (fun quizzes about books and everything else!)

LoveAThon Snapshots: Book Tour

I have never showed you my “shelves” before, so I thought this was a great chance!

The first spot is a drawer under my bed, not a shelf. These books tend to be books my husband finishes (or gives up on) and throws to my bed of the bed. I put them in this drawer and…usually forget about them for a couple months. Baymax and Tigger wanted to say hi too!

Here are  our main bookshelves. They are organized…oddly. One the left, the top, middle, and bottom shelves are mainly books I want to read. The other two are books my husband wants to read. Of corse there is crossover. The shelves on the right are what we both want to read.

And shots of just part of my levels

And our shared shelves.

Did I mention that ALL these shelves are double stacked?

Plus my stack of ARCs I have’t gotten on the shelves yet (and the guitars we need to learn to play).

And the pile of books I have gotten from awesome editors (right) and my library books (left)

And finally, my Nook, with a couple dozen more books (and many many manuscripts!)SO MANY BOOKS. I could not buy a book for the next 5 years and probably be okay. We all know that will never happen though.

I just realized I didn’t even include our favorites shelf with all books we have finished and want to keep forever!

LoveaThon Book Spine Poetry

Hope everyone is having a great Saturday! I have never tried these before, so they are less poems and more just…interesting. Though the last two are pretty dark…oops!

Strippers, showgirls, and sharks, yes please!

Hold still, evil genius, if I ever get out of here, kill me softly.

The twelve redshirts forget me behind the beautiful forevers.

2015 Book Blogger Love-a-Thon Questionnaire

Really looking forward to participating in this!

1. What’s your name?
Caitie Flum

2. Where in the world are you blogging from?
New Jersey/New York (if my lunch break)

3. How did you get into blogging in the first place?
I started after I graduated from college and was looking for a job in publishing. I wanted to still talk to people about books!

4. How did you come up with your blog name?
I was writing about things in publishing and wanted the URL to be my name! I know, not very exciting.

5. What genre do you read and review the most on your blog?
I am pretty eclectic, so you will see a mix of everything.

6. What other types of posts do you do on your blog, apart from reviews?
I just started a new series on agenting, and lists are a lot of fun!

7. Best blogging experience so far?
Meeting other bloggers at events!

8. Favorite thing about the blogging community?
Everyone is so nice and welcoming. It is a great place for anyone who loves books

9. Name the 5 books you’re most excited for this 2015!

This is too hard! Hmm, in no order (and I am sure I forgot many!)
1. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas
2. The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows
3. Winter by Marissa Meyer
4. Deep by Kylie Scott
5. Armada by Ernest Cline

10. What’s an underrated book or series that you think everyone should read?

Ms Marvel

11. Apart from reading, what are your other hobbies or interests?

So many! Playing board games, musical theater, watching TV, cooking, and SO much more.

12. Apart from book shopping, what else do you like shopping for?

Music – I love so many types of music and can spend far too much time listening and deciding what to buy.

13.At a party, the DJ suddenly changes the song – and it’s your song. What song would be playing?

Right now? Brave by Sara Bareillis. I love that song so much. Or something by Taylor Swift

14..Pick out either a book you want turned into a film/TV show, or a film/TV show you want turned into a book.

I would love to see Throne of Glass as a TV series.

Top 10 Books I Want to Read in the Historical Fiction Genre

Thanks to the lovely readers over at The Broke and the Bookish for hosting!

This week’s theme is Top Ten Books I Can’t Believe I Haven’t/Want To Read From X Genre. I spent a while trying to figure out what genre, since I like almost all of them. I really want to read some historical fiction soon, so I chose that one! It was close – I almost picked memoirs, mysteries or contemporary YA.

These are all books that have been on my TBR list and that look absolutely amazing.

1. Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

2. The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty

3. The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grisson

4. The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

5. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

6. The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

7. The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley

8. Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

9. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

10. The Boleyn King by Laura Andersen

2015 Goals

I don’t like the word resolution because it is so often associated with being broken or being extreme. I prefer the terms goals. So here are my goals for 2015.

Bookish:

Read 100 books. This will be harder this year than any other.

Read the 48 books in my reading assignment challenge. These have all been on my list for a while and I want to get to them!

Read 5 non-fiction books.

Health:

Get down to 150 pounds. Trying again.

Get a hip doctor. I really need one.

Random:

Finish two cross stitch projects.

Cross three things off my massive bucket list

Put away money every single month for our hopeful Mediterranean cruise in 2017.

Let’s hope that I can complete them!

5th Annual End of Year Book Survey – 2014 Edition!

Thanks to Jamie at The Perpetual Page-Turner for this amazing survey. I added and subtracted a little.

Number Of Books You Read: 104
Pages: 36,881
Books by Female Authors: 81
Books by Male Authors: 23
Diverse Authors: 11
Adult Books: 34
YA Books: 53
MG Books: 16
Books in Series: 57
Standalone Books: 47

 

1. Best Book You Read In 2014?

Backlist:The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Frontlist: Blind by Rachel DeWoskin

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

I can’t remember – I don’t finish/log books I don’t like!

 3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read in 2014? 

Wonder by R J Palacio – I didn’t think it could live up to the hype but it did.

 4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did) In 2014?

Between Heaven and Texas by Marie Bostwick

 5. Best series you started in 2014? Best Sequel of 2014? Best Series Ender of 2014?

Best series I started: The Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix
Sequel: Cress by Marissa Meyer
Series Ender: Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

 6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2014?

Lauren Groff

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

Arcadia by Lauren Groff

 8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

Abhorsen by Garth Nix

 9. Book You Read In 2014 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

My True Love Gave to Me Edited By Stephanie Perkins

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2014?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11. Most memorable character of 2014?

Celaena Sardothien

 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2014?

Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2014?

Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg really made me think about everything differently!

 14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2014 to finally read? 

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

 15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2014?

I don’t know!

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?

Shortest: One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia at 215 pages
Longest: City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare at 725 pages

 17. Book That Shocked You The Most

Under the Never Sky by Veronixa Rossi – I was shocked at how great it was!

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

Since spoilers, I will just say the book: Everything Leads to You!

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

The siblings in I’ll Give You the Sun

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2014 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

11/22/63

21. Best Book You Read In 2014 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2014?

I can’t think of any that would be new fictional crushes this year!

23. Best 2014 debut you read?

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

The world of the Abhorsen Trilogy

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2014?

Blind by Rachel Dewoskin

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

Blind by Rachel Dewoskin

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

None that i can think of!

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2014?

Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

Ignite Me, because it meant the series was over.