End of Year Book Survey 2014!

Hi, guys! So we stumbled upon the Annual End of Year Book Survey hosted by The Perpetual Page-Turner over on Novel Heartbeat, and we thought it would be super cool to take the survey and have it up as our last post of 2014. We really hope you like what follows. Let's get started. 

Annual End of Year Book Survey 2014 hosted by Jamie @  The Perpetual Page-Turner

*Please note that all images with heading are taken from Jamie's blog. We do not own any right to them. The credit goes where it's due. Thank you. 

Number Of Books You Read:

Janhvi: 163

Sarika: Seventy five (75)

Number of Re-Reads: 

Janhvi: I don't keep a track of my re-reads but I re-read Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling and Guild Hunter series SEVERAL times. 

Sarika: Two (2)- Neige by Maxence Fermine and Papa doit manger by Marie NDiaye

P.S: Surprisingly, I read both books twice in this year itself. 

Genre You Read The Most From: 

Janhvi: Contemporary Romance.

Sarika: French Literature and LGBT 

1. Best Book You Read In 2014?

Janhvi: Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers

Sarika: Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan 

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

Janhvi: Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

Sarika: The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

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

Janhvi: Addicted to You by Krista and Becca Ritchie

Sarika: Je m'en vais by Jean Echenoz (bad way) 

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

Janhvi: Forgotten Sins by Rebecca Zanetti

Sarika: None! I don't "push" people to read. 

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

Janhvi: Series- Guild Hunter series by Nalini Singh

Sequel- Take Me On by Katie McGarry

Series Ender- Up From the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Sarika: Series- Happenstance by Jamie McGuire 

Sequel- Mu Unexpected Forever by Heidi McLaughlin

Series Ender- Until the End by Abbi Glines

 6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2014?

Janhvi: Kresley Cole

Sarika: ALBERT CAMUS ♥

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

Janhvi: Love Kills by Ismita Tandon

Sarika: Orientalism by Edward Said (Non-Fiction)

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

Janhvi: Shield of Winter by Nalini Singh

Sarika: Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan 

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

Janhvi: Easy. All the Nalini Singh books.

Sarika: The Stranger (L'Etranger) by Albert Camus

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

Janhvi:

Sarika: 

11. Most memorable character of 2014?

Janhvi: Ashwini from Archangel's Shadows by Nalini Singh

Sarika: Monsieur Linh from La petite fille de Monsieur Linh by Philippe Claudel

 12. Most beautifully written book read in 2014?

Janhvi: Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Sarika: Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

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

Janhvi: Will Grayson Will Grayson by David Levithan and John Green

Sarika: The Stranger (L'Etranger) by Albert Camus

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

Janhvi: Forget You by Jennifer Echols

Sarika: Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

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

Janhvi: I would say the whole of Just One Day by Gayle Forman. But some of my favorite quotes are-

“What is the real question is not whether to be, but how to be?” 

“We are born in one day. We die in one day. We can change in one day. And we can fall in love in one day. Anything can happen in just one day.” 

“Stains are even worse when you're the only one who can see them.” 

Sarika: “I opened myself to the gentle indifference of the world.”  ( The Stranger (L'Etranger) by Albert Camus) 

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?

Janhvi: Shortest- Merry Christmas, Baby by Jill Shalvis (64 pages)

Longest- Take Me on by Katie McGarry (544 pages)

Sarika: Shortest- Magic Man by Lori L. Clark (less than 20 pages)

Longest- Take Me On (Pushing the Limits #4) by Katie McGarry (544 pages) 

 17. Book That Shocked You The Most

Janhvi: Kiss The Sky by Krista and Becca Ritchie

Sarika: Les Bonnes by Jean Genet

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

Janhvi: Okay I have two and I just cannot pick between them-

Ash and Janvier from Archangel's Shadows by Nalini Singh

Rose and Connor from Kiss the Sky by Krista and Becca Ritchie

Sarika: Blythe and Krit from Bad for You (Sea Breeze #7) by Abbi Glines 

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

Janhvi: Juliette and Kenji from Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

Sarika: Hannah and Clay from Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher 

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

Janhvi: Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers

Sarika: Finally, Forever (First Comes Love #3) by Katie Kacvinsky

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

Janhvi: Willing Captive by Belle Aurora

Sarika: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart (recommended by my girls over at Ja čitam, a ti?) 

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

Janhvi: Connor from Kiss the Sky by Krista and Becca Ritchie

Sarika: Cole St. Clar from Sinner (The wolves of Mercy Falls #4) by Maggie Stiefvater

23. Best 2014 debut you read?

Janhvi: Soldier and Spice by Aditi Mathur Kumar

Sarika: Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira 

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

Janhvi: Angelfall by Susan Ee

Sarika: Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth 

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

Janhvi: Trouble Has a New Name by Adite Banerjie

Sarika: Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

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

Janhvi: Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers

Sarika: Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

Janhvi: Coming Home by Priscilla Glenn

Sarika: Cobalt Blue by Sachin Kundalkar

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

Janhvi: More Than Forever by Jay McLean

Sarika: Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2014?

Janhvi: Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers

Sarika: Neige by Maxence Fermine

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

Janhvi: The Darkest Touch by Gena Showalter

Sarika: Caligula by Albert Camus 

.

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2014? 

   Janhvi: Eileen at BookCatPin

Sarika: Little Pieces of Imagination (run by Mrs. Connor Cobalt aka Siiri)

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2014?    

Janhvi: Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers

Sarika: Suicide Watch by Kelley York

3. Best discussion/non-review post you had on your blog?   

Janhvi: The Seven Deadly Sins Tag

Sarika: Quebec Exchange Programme Post #3- About Food

4. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)?  

 Janhvi: Pune International Literary Fest, 2014

Sarika: Pune International Literary Fest, 2014

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2014?   

Janhvi: Every time an author we know of by name contacts us, its pretty awesome. 

Sarika: When I purchased these beauties- 

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?   

Janhvi: I have no clue.

Sarika: Second Blogoversary Celebration Giveaway 

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?  

Janhvi: All the reviews!

Sarika: Quebec Exchange Programme Posr #2- About travelling alone

9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)? 

Janhvi: I didn't discover any new sites but I still LOVE Goodreads.

Sarika: Albert Camus Society

10.  Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?   

Janhvi: I surpassed my Goodreads reading challenge of 150 books and I did a Don't Let it End Challenge hosted by Fikshun.

Sarika: Yes and no. I didn't do bad, but I'm not super proud either, so let's just leave it at that. 

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2014 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2015?  

Janhvi: On Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Sarika: Paper Towns by John Green

   

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2015 (non-debut)?  

 Janhvi: Shards of Hope by Nalini Singh

Sarika: Never, Never by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher 

3. 2015 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?  

  Janhvi: Last Year's Mistake by Gina Ciocca

Sarika: Hmmm. I can't think of any right now, but I'm open to recommendations. I'll just go with the flow. 

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2015? 

  Janhvi: Total Surrender by Rebecca Zanetti

 Sarika: Beautilful Redemption by Jamie McGuire

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2015? 

 Janhvi: Read loads of books and be an comment actively on blogs.

Sarika: Read more and blog harder! 

6. A 2015 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone:

Janhvi: Haven't read anything yet. 

Sarika: Nope, I haven't read any. 

I hope you guys liked this post just as much as we liked putting it up for you. A huge thank you to Jamie for creating this great survey. We wish all our readers a very Happy New Year. We hope that 2015 is filled with lots of books and love for each and every one of you. 

Much love, 

Top Ten Tuesday #42

Top Ten Tuesday is a bookish meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's topic is: 

our bookish goals for 2015

So for the last Top Ten Tuesday of the 2014, and with a topic so interesting, Janhvi and I have both decided to share five bookish goals each. 

SARIKA'S GOALS:

Reading goals-

1. READ!!!- 2014 was not the greatest year for me in terms of reading. I barely read some 75 books. I don't like to pressurize myself, but hey, even I know I can do much better than just 75. So my first goal is to just take a break, relax and READ. 

2. READ WHAT I WANT- With the books I have to read for literature class, I have no option. But with other books, I get to pick what I want. Review books and the pressure that comes with them are intimidating. Besides, I do have stacks and stacks of books from years to finally read, and if all goes well, 2015 will be dedicated to those. 

Blogging goals- 

3. PAY ATTENTION TO THE BLOG- I'm not bad at blogging. In fact, I love it, but like books, I didn't give it my 100% this year, so I definitely plan on getting back to making blogging schedules and having everything organised. 

4. COMMENT REGULARLY- I just tend to spam my friends' blogs by going over there once in a while and commenting on a number of posts at once. I genuinely want to comment more regularly, so even I can be in touch with what's going on around in the book blogosphere. 

Miscellaneous- 

5. COLLECT BOOKS- None of us bookish people need a reminder for this, but my aim is to collect books I've read in e-format and loved and that I've been wanting to have physical copies of since ages. 

JANHVI'S GOALS:

Reading Goals-

6. READ A LOT- I have a lot of books that really interest me but I just don't have the time to get to them all. I hope I can read as many books as possible next year.

7. READ DIVERSE BOOKS- I tend to stick to my staple diet of romance most of the times. But I hope to read and try out other genres next year. Basically, try to get out of my comfort zone.

8. READ MORE PAPERBACKS/HARDCOVERS- I love my Kindle. But because of that the books on my shelf get ignored. I want to try and clear reading as many physical copies I own next year without failing. 

9. TRY READING A POETRY BOOK- I love reading poems by Tyler Knott Gregson, Lang Leav and Christopher Poindexter. I hope to own and read at least one poetry book next year.

Blogging Goals-

10. REVIEW ON TIME AND BE ACTIVE- I tend to be lazy while writing reviews. Sometimes it piles on and on and then I ignore it. So I will try my best to review the books I read on time. Also, I really want to be more active commenting and finding new blogs.

What are your bookish goals for the New Year? Let us know in the comments below. Happy reading, guys! 

Review- Blocked by Jennifer Lane

Goodreads Summary:

College freshman Lucia Ramirez has a secret crush on Dane Monroe. He’s a tall drink of water — blond, brash, and one hell of a volleyball player.¡Híjole! Lucia hopes her volleyball scholarship to his school will make him notice her.

Too bad what’s noticeable is Dane’s obvious hatred for Lucia. Her family’s politics contradict everything he stands for. And politics are front and center in both their families. Dane’s mother is about to face Lucia’s father in the race for US President. 

When Secret Service throws them together, Dane can’t deny his frustrating attraction to Lucia’s athletic curves and sweet faith in the world. Amid the intense pressure of college athletics and presidential politics, can opposites not just attract, but overcome overwhelming odds to be together? Or do their differences block their match from the start?

REVIEW:

*NOTE: We (The Readdicts) received a copy of Blocked by Jennifer Lane from AToMR Tours in exchange for an honest review. We thank the author and the tour company for the book! 

I took so long to read Blocked that I thought about giving it up more than once. But because it's a book by Jennifer Lane whose Streamline was a great read that I really liked, I decided to take my time with Blocked and trust me, it was worth the wait, although I really really wish we got to know the final results of the elections. I do have my theory on who wins, and I love books that end abruptly, but this time, I really wanted to know. The slow pace of my reading (which really had nothing to do with the story, but my pure laziness) and the abrupt ending are the only two negatives that I can come up with. 

Blocked is the story of two star athletes Dane Monroe and Lucia Ramirez who also happen to be the children of the two governors who are contesting for the US presidential elections. Politics and sports are two topics that I find very interesting so that there is a great combination. I really liked the glimpse into the lives of Dane and Lucia who are living in the same apartment for safety purposes, who in spite of being the children of such high profile people, were simple and had normal issues like you and I do. They were both great individuals and made for a great pair. The chemistry between the two was quite sizzling and hot. 

Lucia was a really nice girl. I got her whole eating disorder issue, but I failed to understand why a determined and strong girl would let herself be demotivated that way. Dane was a great guy who appeared quite the jerk at first, but made up for all his mistakes and stupidity later on by showing how great he is. Both the protagonists gave importance to their respective siblings and family which I loved so much. 

In Blocked, we already have two topics that form a major part of newspapers and it's not just that, there's secret service, competition, separation, media, issues like alcoholism, eating disorders, domination, blood sugar, etc. that make it such a realistic read. Not to mention, heaps of knowledge since we get inside scoops and even some psychological know-hows. So Blocked is basically packed with reality. The importance given to family was really appreciative as well. I found this one to be a great read. 

RATING: