Yearly Wrap Up

2024 End of Year Survey: Parts II & III

Dini @ dinipandareads30 Comments

It’s on to parts two and three of the 2024 End of Year Survey! If you haven’t yet, you can check out Part I here! These next two parts are more about the blogging journey and looking ahead to 2025!

This survey was originally created by Jamie @The Perpetual Page Turner.

2019

Part I
Part II
Part III

2020

Part I
Part II & III

2021

Part I
Part II & III

2022

Part I
Part II & III

2023

Part I
Part II & III

New favourite book blog/bookstagram/YouTube channel you discovered in 2024?

I’m happy to have come across several new blogs that I really enjoy visiting in 2024. These aren’t all of the new bloggers I’ve encountered but just the few that I’ve engaged with here and there, some more so than others, and I’ve really enjoyed their posts!

Favourite post you wrote in 2024?

For this I’m picking two Let’s Talk Bookish posts that I enjoyed writing a lot! One was about a favourite genre and the other allowed me to reflect on my LTB journey over the years in celebration of its 5 year anniversary! πŸŽ‰

*The images are linked to the blog posts.

Favourite bookish-related photo you took in 2024?

I was actually more active on bookstagram in 2024 than I’ve been over the past few years combined. I tried to keep it up but sadly, life. I think my IG burnout before bookstagram became as big as it is today really scarred me! 🀣 That said, I’m quite proud for posting as much as I did. Here’s one post I really enjoyed making but also, of you want to follow me over there I’m @dinipandareads!

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

Just like in previous years, I attended zero bookish events this year. πŸ₯Ί One day I’ll attend one!

Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2024?

I think it’d have to be all the buddy reads that I did last year. I mostly read with Becky and Leslie but also with Chris and Julie. πŸ’œ It’s always so much fun and I’m eternally grateful for their friendship. Here’s to more buddy reads in 2025! 😍

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

As it has been for several years, it’s finding the balance between working, reading and blogging. I’m a low-energy human on a good day and having an increasingly energy-consuming job means sometimes letting reading and blogging fall behind. I’ve learned to not over-commit myself as much as I would in earlier years though! ✨

Most popular post this year on your blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

You know what I didn’t think I’d say again in 2024?

My review for Credence by Penelope Douglas is STILL my most viewed post. This past year, this review has garnered 10,182 views making up 10% of my total yearly views!

I simply don’t understand it. 🀣 Like, I’m genuinely confused because the review isn’t even good? Like, it’s so not good that I want to re-read the book just so I can write a better review but I also can’t be arsed! Sigh.

Post you wished got a little more love?

Aside from my most viewed post, my other reviews tend to get the lowest engagement on my blog. Here are some that I’m proud to have gotten down coherently but I wish had got more love. That said, you should check out these books regardless because they’re awesome!

Best bookish discovery (book-related sites, bookstores, etc.)?

I’ve been trying to think if I made any bookish discoveries and sadly, I don’t think I have… πŸ₯Ί

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

I can’t believe I’m saying this because it’s been years since I did so well but I completed THREE reading challenges I set out for myself in 2024! There were some major hiccups along the way but by the time the year ended, I had read all the books and it was so very satisfying to fill every box with a cover! πŸ₯° I finished the Year in Aeldia 2024 Challenge, the Buzzword Reading Challenge, and of course, my Goodreads Reading Challenge. You can see the filled-in templates for two of the challenges below!

One book you didn’t get to in 2024 but will be your number 1 priority in 2025?

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi
by Shannon Chakraborty

This was actually my 2023 turned 2024 answer but I think I’m going to keep it here because I still want to prioritise it in 2025 (even though I clearly didn’t end up doing so last year, lol)!

πŸ“– SYNOPSIS

Amina al-Sirafi should be content. After a storied and scandalous career as one of the Indian Ocean’s most notorious pirates, she’s survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon to retire peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural.

But when she’s tracked down by the obscenely wealthy mother of a former crewman, she’s offered a job no bandit could refuse: retrieve her comrade’s kidnapped daughter for a kingly sum. The chance to have one last adventure with her crew, do right by an old friend, and win a fortune that will secure her family’s future forever? It seems like such an obvious choice that it must be God’s will.

Yet the deeper Amina dives, the more it becomes alarmingly clear there’s more to this job, and the girl’s disappearance, than she was led to believe. For there’s always risk in wanting to become a legend, to seize one last chance at glory, to savor just a bit more power…and the price might be your very soul.

Book you are most anticipating for 2025 (non-debut)?

Silverborn: The Mystery of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

It’s been… A long time coming and I hope that after four years of delays, it won’t get delayed again this year. I’m so excited to finally get my hands on this book in April 2025! 🀞🏽 ✨Manifesting✨

2025 debut you are most anticipating?

Surprising nobody, I struggle to pick just one I’m most excited about! Save for the debut I already read, I had no idea about other debuts before this post. Since I’ve gone searching I now have a whole list and here are five of them from a wide mix of genres:

Afia in the Land of Wonders by Mia Araujo, Mistress of Bones by Maria Z. Medina, Homeseeking by Karissa Chen, The Names by Florence Knapp, Lightfall by Ed Crocker

Series ending/sequel you are most anticipating in 2025?

Reign of the Talon by Sophie Kim

The second book in this trilogy was dark and intense! More so than I expected but it makes me even more excited to see where the story goes and how things will resolve itself. Is there gonna be a HEA here?

πŸ“– SYNOPSIS

The Prophecy has arrived…and with her, war.

A prisoner caged within the walls of her own mind, the once-fierce assassin known as Shin Lina can do nothing but watch as a tide of blood and chaos sweeps across the Three Kingdoms. After all, Lina is the one who unleashed the malevolent Prophecy upon her world.

So many secrets. So many lies. And it’s all her fault.

Yet Haneul Ruiβ€”the immortal Dokkaebi Emperor who stole her heartβ€”refuses to surrender. He alone leads the armies against the dangerous, serpentine Imugi. He alone wields his scorching fire atop blood-soaked battlefields, and he alone rallies his soldiers against a terrifying future of death and destruction.

Now the red thread of fate ties them all together in love and hatredβ€”Rui, Lina, and the merciless Prophecy herself. And the more Lina fights against her destiny, the tighter the thread becomes.

For they are bound in both life and death; to wound one is to wound them all. To kill the Child of Venom is to kill them all.

And soon, not even the wrathful gods themselves can stop their inevitable ruin.

The Talons series is best enjoyed in order.
Reading Order:
Book #1 Last of the Talons
Book #2 Wrath of the Talon
Book #3 Reign of the Talon

One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/blogging life in 2025?

I hope to read more of my physical backlist in 2025! I read a few from my physical shelves last year but I know I can and should read more. In blogging, I want to engage with more blogs (especially ones I’ve yet to discover). I tend to revisit the same ones over again but there are tons of great ones out there, I just need to discover them and I want to keep promoting bloggers + their posts in my monthly community wraps! 😊

A 2025 release you’ve already read and recommend to everyone (if applicable)

I’ve surprisingly already read two 2025 releases so far and I’d recommend both!

I’ve only reviewed the debut YA historical fantasy A Langauge of Dragons, but I also enjoyed The Wilde Trials, a YA elite boarding school mystery, and plan to write my review soon (hopefully, lol).

And that’s a wrap on parts 2 & 3 of my 2024 End of Year Survey! It wasn’t nearly half as painful as Part 1 but it’s all just as fun! 😍 What 2025 debuts/releases are you looking forward to? Are you doing any reading challenges or do you have specific goals for your blog? I hope 2025 will be an amazing year of reading and blogging for everyone! πŸŽ‰

30 thoughts on “2024 End of Year Survey: Parts II & III”

  1. Definitely agree that finding the balance between blogging and everything else is still tough! I’ve gotten better about it by not doing so many book meme posts and also allowing myself to not write reviews for every single book I read. But there are still times where I feel I’m spending too much time blogging!

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    • I’ve just been sat here thinking about how I haven’t written more than one review for the books I’ve read so far this year and I’m trying not to feel guilty about it. 🫣 I definitely need to work on that because *it’s ok* to not review every single book and I don’t know why my brain convinces me otherwise! I do spend a lot of hours blogging as well but I do enjoy it and don’t get up to much else aside from reading and gaming most of the time but maybe 2025 is the year to balance that out a bit more!

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  3. I am SO grateful for our buddy reads and friendship! ❀ Love ya!! I am thinking I’ll start working on this post at the end of this week. It’s not as crazy long as part 1. haha. I spent the most time ever on Bookstagram this year!! I am also proud of that and you should be proud!! It’s such a hard space. Lightfall was so good!! I Hope you enjoy that one when you get to it. Also, I’ve been waiting on Silverborn for YEARS!!! PLEASE, please stop postponing the release date!!! Did you make that Aeldia graphic?! I need!! I’m still waiting on this year’s post! I hope you have an amazing 2025, Dini! ❀

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    • Honestly, your friendship is one of my favourite things to come out of being in this community! You’re the best! πŸ’œ I’m so happy that this post wasn’t as long as Part 1β€”that one drained the life out of me, haha. I know you’ve been spending a lot of time on booksta and that’s awesome! Seeing you on there more is also motivating me to keep checking it and try to be more active on it. Let’s see how that goes in 2025. 🀣 And YES! I did make that Aeldia graphic and I was planning to update it for 2025 if G announces something but I’m getting the feeling she won’t if she hasn’t until now (since it’s a year-long thing). But I can still share the file with you on Canvaβ€”I’ll message you!

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      • Awww, Thank you, Dini!! ❀ I feel the exact same way though. If I ever stop doing this, I think that I'll feel completely satisfied because of our friendship!!

        I have enjoyed Booksta a lot more the past year. I think it's more the creative aspect than just writing all the time. Buttttt they had to go and do some stupid updates and now my grid has been ruined!

        Thank you!!! I could probably have made one in Canva, but I'm lazy and love yours. haha. Don't worry, I'll credit you. This just reminded me to go check out G's post!

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  6. Ahh thanks for mentioning me on here, that’s so nice Dini ❀️ I’ve really enjoyed your blog and talking with you these past few months!!
    Congrats on being more active on bookstagram! Not gonna lie, the book community on there and TikTok freak me out sometimes LOL
    And finding balance between reading, blogging and life in general is harder than it seems and you’re doing great! πŸ™‚
    Love how reflective these posts have been and hope you have a wonderful 2025!

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    • It’s been so lovely discovering your blog, Shoto! I’ve enjoyed our interactions as well πŸ™‚ Honestly, I burned out so bad in Bookstagram back in 2018/19 and I feel like I’m still trying to crawl out of the trenches after that. 🀣 I also find the community there intense and I don’t even touch TikTok because I know I’d get massively overwhelmed, haha. Those places are good for small doses and I”m glad that I enjoy blogging so much more. I hope you have a wonderful 2025 as well! 🌟

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    • Aaah, thank you so much! That means a lot because I love your contentβ€”it’s always so well thought out and I can tell how much effort and heart you put into each post! πŸ’œ Here’s to an amazing year ahead!

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