Tag: 2014 in Review

2014 in Review: Rowena

Posted January 19, 2015 by Rowena in Features | 0 Comments

Holly started a Year in Review post back in the day and wanted to start it up again. She asked me if I wanted to join her and I did, so here I am.

In 2014, the only reading challenges that I wanted to do was a TBR Challenge to read more from the books that I already own (a challenge I gave myself) and then the Goodreads Challenge. 2014 was going to be the year that I read 200 books and while I did end up finishing with 200 books read – I cheated. 2014 turned out to be the year of the re-read for me. Part of the reason for that was Holly and I started up our claiming game that we’ve been playing since we met and the other part was because I just felt like it. I could feel myself falling into reading slumps and before that could happen, I opened up a book that I’ve read and loved. So thank goodness for re-reads…cause they count. Ha!

Here’s the breakdown of the amount of books that I read each month. I don’t keep tabs on what I read on a monthly basis on Goodreads like Holly but I do keep track of what books I read each month on my personal blog.

January 2014 (13)
February 2014 (19)
March 2014 (17)
April 2014 (21)
May 2014 (19)
June 2014 (15)
July 2014 (17)
August 2014 (18)
September 2014 (16)
October 2014 (16)
November 2014 (15)
December 2014 (14)

All of my numbers count the re-reads that I did last year and I did a lot of those. I’m going to continue that in the new year because there were a lot of books that I re-read and loved all over again. That’s fun for me.

Here’s how I did by genre:

Contemporary (53)
Historical (26)
New Adult (40)
Paranormal (4)
Romantic Suspense (18)
Young Adult (59)

Damn, I read a lot of YA. Most of them were contemporary reads but they’re separate because they’re not adult reads.

Here’s a list of my favorite and least favorite reads of each month.

January

It’s kind of hard to pick a favorite of the books I read because I enjoyed most of them but if I had to choose, I’d probably choose either Attachments by Rainbow Rowell, Once in a Lifetime by Jill Shalvis or Breaking the Rules by Suzanne Brockmann.

My least favorite book is easier to choose. That one goes to An Outlaw in Wonderland by Lori Austin. It just didn’t work for me. I couldn’t get into it, I couldn’t connect with any of the characters and I quit it about a third of the way in.

February

My favorite read of the month goes to It Happened One Wedding by Julie James because hands down, I loved it.

My least favorite read of the month goes to Seeking Her by Cora Carmack. It was my least favorite read, mostly because I didn’t feel like we needed this story. It’s nothing new or fresh so I was left feeling blah about it all.

March

My favorite read that was not a re-read last month goes to Divergent by Veronica Roth. I have become completely obsessed with this movie. I liked the book, the first time around but it was my second read of this book (after seeing the movie) that really made me come to love the characters and the story. It’s a confusing world to jump into for new readers and I didn’t completely understand the whole storyline so it was hard for me to really focus on what was happening, who was who, who can we trust and that kind of thing but seeing the movie (and enjoying the changes the movie brought to the story) I thought it was a pretty decent read. I’m embarrassed to tell you guys how many times I’ve paid to watch the movie in theaters (shut up Holly) but in my defense…I did it for the kids. 🙂 And plus, who could blame me with how freaking hot Four was?

My least favorite read of the month goes to Waiting on You by Kristan Higgins. I was expecting to really like this book since I liked Colleen in the other Blue Heron books but unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Colleen did a lot of shit that pissed me off throughout her book and she was like a completely different person from the one I thought I knew from the other books. I wasn’t a fan of the tactics she used to get Bryce to notice Paulie. I wasn’t a fan of how immature she acted toward Lucas and while I understood why she felt the way she did, I wished she acted like a grown up where Lucas was concerned. So yeah, that one didn’t work for me at all.

April

My favorite read from last month is probably Before You Break by Christina Lee. That was a fantastic read and the characters were great. I loved getting to know Quinn and I thought that Ella was a great heroine. Very strong and capable.

My least favorite reads are tied between Broken Hearts, Fences and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn and How to Meet Boys by Catherine Clark. Both books missed its mark with me and I just didn’t like them.

May

My favorite read of the month goes to Then Came You by Jill Shalvis. I loved Wyatt and Emily’s story. It was sweet and funny and everything that I love in my romance novels.

My least favorite read of the month goes to Jagged by Kristen Ashley. I didn’t know what to expect from this book but it wasn’t what I got. Ham? I still can’t get over that.

June

I read a lot of great books in June so picking a favorite is going to be hard. I don’t think I have a favorite. I adored The Fault in Our Stars, Whisper to Me by Christina Lee, All Lined Up by Cora Carmack, Tease by Sophie Jordan, Vixen in Velvet by Loretta Chase and It’s In His Kiss by Jill Shalvis. All books were wonderfully written and I loved them all.

My least favorite book of the month goes to Only Everything by Kieran Scott. I’m not sure what went wrong with this book but for me, I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as I enjoyed Scott’s other books.

July

My favorite read of the month is tied between Rock Addiction by Nalini Singh (which I inhaled) and He’s So Fine by Jill Shalvis. Both books were fabulous reads. Fox and Cole were both super hot and the romance in both books were steamy. I’m not complaining at all about either book.

My least favorite read this month goes to Trapped at the Altar by Jane Feather and Tease by Amanda Maciel. I hated the heroine in the Trapped at the Altar and hmm, I hated the main character in Tease too. Both women got on my hot damn nerves in both books.

August

My favorite read of the month goes to Isla & the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins. It was such a cute story and perfect for what I’m always in the mood for. Josh and Isla were such fun to get to know and their story had me grinning like a school girl from the time I opened the book until the time I closed it. So good! It was well worth the long wait for me. Honorable mentions go to One in a Million by Jill Shalvis (great ending to a fabulous series!) and Echoes of Scotland by Samantha Young (LOVED Cole!).

My least favorite read of the month is a tie between Irresistible Force by D.D. Ayres and Before We Fall by Courtney Cole. Both books just did not work for me. At all.

September

My favorite read of the month goes to The Hook Up by Kristen Callihan, a great contemporary NA book with a swoonworthy hero. I loved me some Drew Baylor.

My least favorite book without a doubt went to I’ve Fallen & I Have a Tentacle in My Butt by Edward Naughty. Don’t ask, I’m so ashamed that I actually read it. Ugh, I don’t know what the heck I was thinking. It was terrible.

October

My favorite read of the month goes to All Broke Down by Cora Carmack. I thought this book was too freaking cute for words. I enjoyed getting to know Silas and I thought Dylan was a delightful character. Their story was a solid read and I enjoyed every minute of it.

My least favorite book of the month goes to Wild by Sophie Jordan and that breaks my heart because I absolutely adored Logan. I thought he was a great hero and he was the only reason that saved that book from being a DNF and from getting a lower score than what I gave it because Georgia? I don’t think she deserved Logan. She got on my nerves from the very beginning and in the end? I didn’t think she made enough amends for Logan to forgive her. She just kept right on pissing me off throughout the entire book and it drove me crazy.

November

My favorite reads (that weren’t re-reads) of the month go to Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover by Sarah MacLean and Say Yes to the Marquess by Tessa Dare. Both books were so good. I was so happy with the end of the Rules of Scoundrels series and I adored the latest installment in the Castles Ever After series by Tessa Dare. Both books were wonderful treats in this gloomy weather and I definitely recommend both books.

My least favorite read of the month goes to Even in Paradise by Chelsey Philpot. I just couldn’t get into it.

December

My favorite read of the month was probably The Year We Hid Away by Sarina Bowen. Bridger and Scarlet’s story was so heartbreaking and yet so satisfying as well. Loved them both. Lucy too. 🙂

My least favorite read of the month is 99 Days by Katie Cotugno. That book drove me crazy but for some reason, I kept reading it. The main character didn’t learn a damn thing until for me, it was too freaking late. But at least it ended the way that it did.

As far as reading challenges went, I completed my Goodreads Challenge but I was short of my 12 reads from my own shelves challenge. Ugh.

2015 is going to be the year that I get back to being a reader that blogs, instead of a blogger that reads. I’ve been a slave to my review pile for the last couple of years and while I will continue to read and review books from pubs and authors on Book Binge, I’m going to be taking on a lot less than years before. I’m going to read what I want to read, when I want to read and not worry so much about that pesky review pile…which means, less requesting of eARCs.

There you have it…my year in books!

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Tagged: 2014 in Review, Books in Review, Rowena's Reads, Rowena's Year in Review, Year in Review

2014 in Review: Holly

Posted January 15, 2015 by Holly in Features | 6 Comments

My reading goal for 2014 was to read 200 books and to read more new-to-me authors, and more books outside my comfort zone. While I met the first goal and didn’t do too bad at reading new authors, I didn’t do very well at reading outside my comfort zone.

I include re-reads in my yearly log, but only if I read from cover-to-cover. I re-read a lot during the year. I even re-read the same book many times during the year. Some books I read once a month in 2014. I start thinking about a scene and decide to skim it, then before I know it I’ve read the entire thing. It’s a quirk. I don’t count books I read more than once in a month (something else I do far too often).

Here’s a breakdown by month from my Goodreads shelves.

200 books in 2014 (211)
January (17)
February (13)
March (31)
April (22)
May (25)
June (22)
July (17)
August (16)
September (24)
October (23)
November (18)
December (7)

Because GR doesn’t count a book toward the challenge unless I mark the date read, and because I re-read books multiple times, the number of books on my 200 Books shelf isn’t accurate. If I add up all the books by month, I read a total of 235. That averages out to just under 20 books a month. That number would have been higher if I hadn’t fallen into a slump in December. 7 books? Bah.

I didn’t have a specific book I re-read most in 2014, but I know I re-read Kristen Ashley more than any other author.

Breaking it down by genre:

Contemporary (136)
Historical (16)
Paranormal (31)
Sci-Fi (6)
Fantasy (41)
Romantic Suspense (8)

These numbers aren’t totally accurate, since I put some novels in more than one category. I read more contemporary than anything, which isn’t surprising since that’s always been my favorite genre. What did surprise me was how many Fantasy novels I read. That isn’t usually a go-to genre for me.

New Adult (43)
New to Me Authors (46)
Novellas (22)

I wanted to read at least two new-to-me authors each month in 2014, and I definitely succeeded in that. Most of them were free downloads, however, so I can’t say I discovered many new favorites. I did find some. Like Sarina Bowen, Kat Latham, Colleen Hoover, Ann Aguirre, Kylie Scott and Tiffany King.

I didn’t rate a single book 5 stars in 2014, though a couple came close. Several years ago I vowed to be more discerning in my grading and I’ve stuck to that. The majority of my reads were rated between 3.5 – 4.25 stars.

Here’s a breakdown of my favorite (and least favorite) reads by month, taken from our Monthly Reads posts:

January

My favorite reads of the month were Love a Little Sideways. I adore the Kowalski’s and had a blast on vacation with them.

My least favorite was Forgotten Sins. I just can’t do romantic suspense. My second least favorite was Never Stopped Loving You. The romance, setting and plot were all problematic for me.

February

My favorite reads of the month were Air Bound by Christine Feehan and Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover. Air Bound is a continuation of Feehan’s Sea Haven series. I really loved the first book but didn’t care much for the second. I’m really glad to report this one rocked. Finding Cinderella is a free download that caught my attention when a Twitter conversation prompted the publisher to put it out in print. I admit it was a really fabulous story. I believe it’s still free to download. If you haven’t already, I’d suggest you read it.

My least favorite read was Fresh Temptation by Austin Reeni. There were a ton of editing issues and I didn’t care for either main character. I’m not even sure why I finished reading it. Werewolf Love Story also lands on the least favorite list. It also had editing errors, but more the story was disjointed and a bit silly.

March

Not counting re-reads, my favorite read of the month was Count on Me by Lauren Dane. This book returned to Petal, Georgia and really sucked me in. I love that town, I love the inhabitants and I love the way Dane writes. Honorable mention goes to Meljean Brook for The Kraken King. If only all the parts were available now!

My least favorite read of the month was Preservation by Rachael Wade, followed closely by Flee and Crux by Miranda Kavi. Preservation was wrong on so many levels and the Kavi series was nothing to get too excited about. I’m also going to list Spell of the Highlander here. Not because it’s an awful book, but because I loved that book like cops love donuts back in the day, and this re-read left a lot to be desired. I still liked parts of the story, but most of it I just rolled my eyes at.

April

As you can see, I did a lot of re-reading last month. Once again I blame Rowena. Not that I’m mad, since I love those books. My favorite read of the month was probably Whisper to Me by Christina Lee or Taken with You by Shannon Stacey, but I really enjoyed all the new books I read in April. Honorable mention goes to All Fired Up by Vivian Arend and Elle Kennedy. I had some problems with it, but it was such a cute, fun story I keep thinking about it.

I didn’t read any bad books this month. My least favorite read was probably The Bottom Line by Sandy James, but that isn’t saying much since I really liked it. I just liked it a bit less than the other books I read.

May

My favorite read of the month (not including re-reads) was probably Satisfaction by Sarah Mayberry. It was spicier than the previous books I’ve read by her, but it carried the same emotional punch. Honorable mentions go to Then Came You by Jill Shalvis and It Happened One Wedding by Julie James. Both were solid reads.

My least favorite read of the month was Father Found by Judith Arnold. The heroine drove me absolutely crazy. She was uptight and judgmental and completely ruined the story for me. Dishonorable mention goes to Finding Pride by Jill Sanders. This would have been my least favorite if I’d actually finished it. As it stands I read two, horrible, non-edited chapters and couldn’t go on. Terrible. Just terrible. Luckily, both were free downloads. At least I didn’t shell out any cash for them.

June

My favorite reads of the month were It’s In His Kiss by Jill Shalvis and Peanut Goes to School by Thea Harrison. Shalvis is Shalvis, no surprise there. Peanut Goes to School did take me by surprise, however. 1) It’s a novella and 2) the main character is a 6-month-old 7-year-old (he was born 6 months ago but is aging at a rapid rate). It was really a fabulous read.

My least favorite reads of the month were both DNF’s (did not finish). Girl at the Gay Bar was demeaning and awful. I had to quit after the 1st chapter. Rock Chick Revolution by Kristen Ashley had a ridiculous plot twist I just couldn’t deal with. I’m a fan of KA (as you know) but she inserted herself into her book and it was way over-the-top. As for the books I actually finished, Torn by K.A. Robinson was my least favorite.

July

My favorite reads of the month were Rock Addiction by Nalini Singh, The Best Kind of Trouble by Lauren Dane and Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover. Rock Addiction was great, but I didn’t fall in love with it until I read it for the second time. I loved Fox and the rest of Schoolboy Choir (his band), but I also loved Molly. It wasn’t until the second reading that I really fell into Molly. The Best Kind of Trouble also features a rock star. I have a weakness for them, anyway, but Dane does such awesome women I was totally sucked in. Ugly Love was darker and more gritty than the other two. It was just what I was in the mood for the day I read it.

My least favorite read of the month was The Promise by Kristen Ashley. It actually isn’t the worst book I read, but it was the most disappointing. I’ve been waiting years for Benny and Frankie’s book, and it was such a letdown. Dishonorable mention goes to Meeting Trouble by Emme Rollins. That book was just dumb. The premise was silly and it featured things I hate (like a chick meeting a married rock star and having sex with him the same night, sans condom, then giving up her entire life to run away with him because it’s wuv, twu wuv). My head almost exploded.

August

My favorite reads of the month were Promise Me This by Christina Lee, book 4 in the Between Breaths series. I absolutely adored it. Falling for Max by Shannon Stacey, the last book (for now) in her Kowalski series was so unexpected and so wonderful. Honorable mentions go to Play and Lead by Kylie Scott and Echoes of Scotland Street by Samantha Young. Though really, I read a lot of great books this month.

My least favorite read of the month was Rhett by J.S. Cooper. That book was a train wreck.

September

I read a lot of good books this month. My favorite reads were Make-Believe Wedding by Sarah Mayberry, Tempting the Player by Kat Latham, The Hook Up by Kristen Callihan and The Shape of My Heart by Ann Aguirre. My least favorite read was Best Kind of Broken by Chelsea Fine. I didn’t really dislike the book, but I enjoyed it less than the others I read this month.

October

My favorite read of the month was The Year We Hid Away by Sarina Bowen. That book packed such an emotional punch I ended up doing the ugly cry. Bridger. Scarlet. Sigh.

My least favorite read was probably Sought by Evangeline Anderson. The characters were jerks and the story slow and mostly boring. The problem I keep running into with that series is it has the potential to be great. The world and premise are interesting, but the characters are a struggle to deal with. I read three books waiting for it to get better.

November

My favorite reads of the month go to Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover by Sarah MacLean and Say Yes to the Marquess by Tessa Dare. Both books were so good. I was so happy with the end of the Rules of Scoundrels series and I adored the latest installment in the Castles Ever After series by Tessa Dare. Both books were wonderful treats in this gloomy weather and I definitely recommend both books.

My least favorite read of the month goes to Even in Paradise by Chelsey Philpot. I just couldn’t get into it.

December

My favorite read of the month was Dead Heat. I’ve always loved Charles and Anna, but their personal growth and the progression of their relationship really worked for me here.

My least favorite read was No Ifs, Ands, or Bears About It. It had a good premise, but it desperately needed an editor.

There’s my reading year in review. I think I’m going to challenge myself to read 200 books again in 2015. I’m afraid my days of reading 300+ are long gone.

What did your reading year look like? Did you participate in any challenges? How did you do with them?