This will be my last end of the year tag, but I had to do it because it ties together events in 2016 with books!  That already sounds like so much fun!  So thank you to Ava at Reads, Rhythms & Ruminations AND a thank you to Not-so-Modern Girl for tagging me so I can sneak it in.

Trump vs. Clinton
Name your favourite character rivalry.

It’s not quite like Trump and Clinton.  I don’t really like enemy stories.  I prefer sexual rivalry.  So I’m picking Storm and Silence.  Mr Ambrose and Lily Linton drove each other nuts, and the more each of them got under the other’s skin the more attraction they seemed to feel.  It was so much fun!

Turkey Failed Coup
A book you started but failed to finish? DNF. 

I wanted so badly to love The Rook.  It sounds like my kind of story, but unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be.  It’s on my “It’s not you, it’s me” list, because I know there wasn’t anything wrong with The Rook.  I know that the failure was all on my side.

Pokemon Go
What book did you buy or read based on the hype? Did you enjoy it?

This another painful read.  I sat on The Girl with All the Gifts for a long time, owning a copy but not actually reading it.  I think I was soothed by the idea that it would be a sure thing.  I knew that I was going to love everything about this read.  Imagine my horror when I didn’t.  I feel like I’m the last one chosen for the kickball team.

Stranger Things
What’s one book you want everyone to read?

This was harder to pick.  I read a lot of books that I think everyone should read.  I decided to go with Carry the Ocean just because this is one of the sweetest love stories I’ve ever read.  And while I’d read other Heidi Cullinan books I enjoyed, this one was just so incredibly special.  It’s most definitely a favorite.

Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Mr. Robot
What was your favourite book cliffhanger within a series?

I didn’t read a lot of cliffhanger types of books in 2016.  They all had normal endings that felt like endings, even if they’re part of a series.  I’ll go with Six of Crows because that was a pretty crazy cliffhanger and I just had to know what was going to happen to Inej.  It was enough to keep me excited for the second and last book int he duology.

The Tragic Crisis in Aleppo
Name the last book that made you cry or teary-eyed.

The last book that made me cry in 2016 was On Broken Wings.  This book was the culmination of a trilogy, and it was seriously a bumpy ride.  Reading Dani and Easy’s journey from friends to lovers left me crying, but ultimately at peace.  They’re perfect together.

Brexit
Name a book you have an unpopular opinion towards. 

This entire series was a rough one for me, but I hated Winter.  The author made some decisions with her characters that killed me.  She destroyed my favorite character, and had the main character act so off the wall and random it put all of her friends in danger.  I just didn’t get it, or see what everyone else loved.

Four new elements discovered in the periodic table.
Name an author you discovered/read for the first time this year.

2016 was the year I discovered TJ Klune.  I discovered him in August of 2016 and I’ve already read 9 books from his backlist.  Thank goodness I have a lot more.

#BlackLivesMatter
Your favourite diverse read.

Originally this said All Lives Matter, but All Lives Matter isn’t actually about diversity at all.  It was created in opposition to Black Lives Matter.  Clearly all lives don’t currently matter, or there wouldn’t be a need to showcase diversity and racial injustice.  But that’s a different post.  So, here we go, my favorite diverse read:

All We Have Left was more than just diverse.  It also discussed the Anti-Muslim epidemic plaguing our country, and it’s that extra little something that I thought made this even better.

Zika Virus
A book that spread like wildfire.

Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda was a book I saw on blogs, but once I did it felt like it was everywhere.  Everyone was talking about Becky Arbertali, both Simon and her soon to be followup.  It is a good book, and if you’re worried about the hype, don’t be.  It’s worth it.

Leonardo DiCaprio FINALLY won the Oscar
What was your most anticipated book release this year?

I can’t tell if this question is asking me about my biggest release in 2016, or 2017.  I’m going to give you the release for 2016…

This was HANDS DOWN the book that I wanted most in 2016.  Kings Rising was the conclusion to the Captive Prince trilogy, and it was amazing!  Not only was it my most anticipated book, but it was also my absolute favorite of 2016.

In Memorium
Name a memorable character death.

This question is a major spoiler, so if you haven’t read this, don’t keep reading!

I was so shocked by Mathias’s death in Crooked Kingdom, because I truly didn’t think it would happen.  He came walking out of the fog and I wondered how he managed to get away.  Then my heart was fed to me and I sobbed.  That’s pretty much exactly how it went down.

Samsung phones
One book that blew your mind this year!

Wolfsong was amazing in and of itself, but I picked it up after reading a few of TJ Klune’s comedy books.  This took a complete 180, being serious and melancholy.  I loved it.  It’s one of only two TJ Klune books I bought in print.

I TAG…

No tags this time around.  It’s almost March and the time for 2016 tags is over.  There won’t be another 2016 ever.