End Of Year Recap 2016 in Books

Wow. This is my very first end of year recap on my blog. How exciting! Nearly a year ago I started this blog and I’ve had so much fun (just ignore my months-long hiatus since September). I’ve read so many awesome new books and I want to use this post to create an overview over the past year.

Stats

Total books read: 38
Total pages: ehm… maybe I’ll leave this for next year, alright?
Re-reads: 5 (wow, I expected more!)
Most read genre: Fantasy (unexpectedly, I thought it would be dystopia)
My average rating in 2016: ★★★★

Reading Challenges 2016

Back in January I decided it was best to participate in a lot of challenges, so I picked out a few that I was really interested in being a part of and here's how that went.

Goodreads Reading Challenge 2016

Dystopia Reading Challenge 2016: Incomplete 8/10 (80%)

Addicted to YA (Goodreads Group): Complete 4/3 (130%)

TBR Pile Challenge: Fail 4/10 (40%)

Flights of Fantasy Challenge: Complete 15/10 (150%)

End Of Year Survey

And now I’m going to answer a few questions from Jamie @ Perpetuapageturner (not all, though, only those I can answer). You can check out her Survey here.

1. Best Book You Read in 2016?Arrgh. This is such a difficult question! But … I’mma go with Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I just can’t stop thinking about it even 12 months later (it was my first read in 2016).

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going to Love More But Didn’t?Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon.

3. Most Surprising Book You Read?In a very good way: I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

5. Best series you started in 2016? The Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan

6. Favourite New Author You Discovered in 2016?Jandy Nelson

8. Most Action-packed / Thrilling / Unputdownable Book of the Year?The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus #1) by Rick Riordan

9. Book You Read in 2016 That You Are Most LIkely To Re-Read Next Year?Definitely Fangirl!

10. Favourite Cover of a Book You Read in 2016?Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

11. Most memorable Character of 2016?Levi from Fangirl *swoon*

12. Most Beautifully Written Book Read in 2016?We’ve got a tie! Fangirl and I’ll Give You The Sun.

13. Most Thought-Provoking / Life-Changing Book of 2016?Am I Normal Yet by Holly Bourne

14. Book You Can’t Believe You Waited UNTIL 2016 to finally read?The Heroes of Olympus series (and I still haven’t finished it!)

16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read in 2016?Shortest: Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell, Longest: Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

17. Book That Shocked You the MostCan I cheat and say shocked me in how bad I thought it was? I’m just gonna leave The Kill Order by James Dashner here…

18. OTP OF THE YEARAyyy. Again so many to choose from! I’ll go with PERCABETH!

19. Favourite Non-Romantic Relationship of the YearPercy and Hazel

20. Favourite Book You Read in 2016 From An Author You’ve Read PreviouslyLady Midnight!!

21. Best Book You Read in 2016 That You Read Based Solely on a Recommendation From Somebody Else / Peer PressureIlluminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

22. Newest Fictional CrushBecause it says newest, I can’t go with Levi. So I’mma say Joe from The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face / Was the Most FUN to ReadKindred Spirits by Rainbow Roell

26. Book That Made You Cry in 2016Well … It’s no secret that I’m built very close to the water (do you even use this phrase in English?) so there were more than one books that left me teared up. But it was I’ll Give You The Sun that made me jump into a pool to hide my tears from the entire hotel.

27. Book That Made You The Most MadUhmm… The Kill Order?

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2016?

Because I just entered the blogging world this year, I discovered all the blogs I follow this year, too. So I can’t really pick a fave because there are so many awesome blogs out there.

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2016?

Oh god. I have no idea! I’m just gonna leave this link here: Maybe my favourite review?

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

Definitely the time when I recapped my Harry Potterish- Summer.

4. Best event that you participated in?

Lovely Letters that was organized by the lovely Claudia @ My Soul Called Life. If you wanna know more about this read about it here.

5. Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2016?

Definitely when I started this blog in JANUARY! :)

6. Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?

Starting Uni was a very harsh way of me being forced into a blogging and reading hiatus :0

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog?

The Most Views I got on Ten Books I Read in Class

The Most Comments I Got on Stacking The Shelves #4: The Pop Vinyl Edition

8. Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

A Shadowhunters Week

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

Book Depository!! I only discovered this site this year and I’ve already ordered some books there and I’m very happy about how they treat you as a customer (even if something goes wrong)

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

Yes! See above.

I'd like to know

So how has your 2016 been? Have you read all the books you wanted? Accomplished all your reading goals? Tell me in the comments, I'd love to hear about it!

How 2016 treated me (and all about my recent hiatus)

Hey there! It's been a long time since my last post, and I really want to apologize about that!

We’re already at the end of 2016. It seems to me the older I get the faster time goes by (which actually doesn’t make me feel good at all). 2016 had a lot in store for me and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one that was shocked about everything happening in the world this year. But I’m just going to concentrate on the good stuff that happened in my life.

While I am writing this I’m dog-sitting the cutest dog ever! My friends let me watch him when they both have to work so I get to spend time with him a lot (although today I regretted that a little when I had to shower him and clean the staircase of the entire building because I let him play in the mud). Van Damme (that’s his actual name… my friends are big fans of the actor Claude) is also a big part of 2016 because he appeared in our lives in March (I think.. It could also have been April or May, I'm not that good in keeping track of months). When I’m looking after him I get to read a lot and actually many blog posts of mine were written during that time.

The Early Months Of 2016

Sooo.. I can hardly remember what I did in January and February. I remember that I was sick a lot during that time because in March I had my tonsils (the literal translation from German would be Almonds, but I don’t think you call them that in English…) taken out, following by the most agonizing painful two weeks of my life. Seriously, I hope to never have to experience such pain ever again (and I don’t wish it anybody else, either). In March I also started a new job where I could work until I started Uni. Oh I nearly forgot (how could I?)! Before starting the job I got to go on a wonderful vacation with my family to Singapore and Phuket!

The Best Summer Of My Live (so far)

Before the actual summer started (the weather in Switzerland was really bad) I went to two awesome festivals, which marks the first time I actually slept in a tent (and by sleeping I mean awfully flipping from one side to the other trying to fall asleep whilst nearly freezing to death until I gave up).

After working real hard and saving up a lot of money I got to travel through the UK and Ireland with my best friend. We had a lot of fun and I discovered so many awesome new places that I hope to revisit soon. (If you want to read more about this, check out this post: A Very Potter Vacation.)
Then I spent more time taking care of Van Damme and preparing myself for University which leads us to…

My Underestimated First Semester At University

Oh how promising that title sounds, I imagine you thinking. Starting University in September for the first time hit me like a truck. Well maybe more like a snail truck (I just invented this, but I hope you get the picture). At first all was well and the exams (insert here the truck metaphor) were far far away and I got to meet new friends and a lot of awesome people. And then suddenly, out of nowhere, the “far far away - exams” were two weeks away and I startet panick-learning. Seriously, I’ve never studied so hard in my life. And it still wasn’t enough. We had 6 exams in four days and I just wasn’t prepared for it all. I took it quite well, though. I didn’t stress out during the exams too much about it, because my expectations weren’t too high anyways and I will just have to repeat some classes next year again, which I'm not as sad about as I think I should be.

So yeah, I think that explains my absence from the blogging world, doesn’t it? (I hope it does, because if you still don’t believe me … well, you’re just going to have to live with it, ‘cause I’m not going to upload my study schedule to prove it to you.)

My Top 5 Favourite Moments Of 2016

This is a very shortened list, because it could be endless and basically I just want to show off with some cool pictures. No, just kidding, but I’d love to share some of my favourite moments with you guys.

Nr 1: The Cursed Child

I waited so long for this moment and I still can’t believe how amazing the play was. I wish I could see it all over again for the first moment.

Nr. 2: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

What an amazing film! I have to honestly say that this is now by far my favourite movie in the Harry Potter world. It’s incredible how good it was done and I’m really glad that all of my fears of it being terrible were totally contradicted.

Nr. 3: Halloween

I’m such a Halloween person! It’s my favourite day (night) in the year. I went out as a skull and got to party with my friends at an awesome location. It was a really great night. (Oh by the way, what did you guys do this Halloween? Since I wasn’t online during that time..)

Nr. 4: October Fest

For the first time in my live I went to October Fest in Munich. A bunch of my friends and I had a blast and it was a cool trip. (We took the bus there in the morning and got back home at night. We had to drive for 4 hours every way).

Nr 5: My 20th Birthday

I feel old. My back hurts, I don’t get asked for my ID anymore and I have to pay all my own bills (well, some of them..).

I'd like to know

So how was 2016 for you guys? What did you do? What adventures did you take on? What have you achieved in your personal life? I'd be very interested in hearing your stories in the comments!! :)