Tag Archives: mid year book freak out tag

Mid-Year Book Freak-Out Tag 2023

July 17, 2023 jaleenajo 1 Comment

It’s time for one of my favorite blog posts of the year–the Mid-Year Book Freak-Out tag, created by Earl Grey Books and Chami! I love this way of looking back on my reading over the first half of the year, because it helps me better analyze where I’m at and where I want to go with my reading over the coming months.

1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2023

I’m always so relieved when I start finding 5-star books in a new year; it’s easy to get paranoid about never finding any again. Luckily, I’ve discovered several new favorites so far this year: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett (historical fantasy), Babel by R. F. Kuang (historical fantasy), Yellowface by R. F. Kuang (contemporary satire), and Ocean’s Echo by Everina Maxwell (science fiction).

And some runner-up faves:

Other new faves that I’d perhaps rank slightly below the top 4 are: A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows (fantasy romance), Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke (nonfiction), I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai (mystery), and Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross (YA fantasy romance).

2. Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2023

We’ve been blessed this year with the continuation of Ilona Andrews’s Kate Daniels series, and Magic Tides even exceeded my high expectations with a 4.5 star rating. And I really enjoyed Chloe Liese’s If Only You, the sixth book in her Bergman Brothers series.

3. New release you haven’t read yet, but want to

To be fair, there are a million of these, but I’ve chosen 4 that I feel are doable for me in the near future.

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

Again, SO MANY. I’m extremely excited for a new release from the author of my favorite book of all time (which is Bunny), Rouge by Mona Awad, and also new books from Chloe Liese’s contemporary romance Shakespeare retelling series, a cult-centric Rachel Harrison, and Elena Armas’s newest.

5. Biggest disappointment

I hated this book. I felt insulted by it. And it stung so much more because Emily Henry’s Book Lovers was one of my favorite books of 2022.

6. Biggest surprise

YA! The four YA books I’ve read so far this year have all been hits for me, with one (Divine Rivals) hitting 4.5 stars and another (Imogen, Obviously) reaching 4.25 stars. As you can tell by the fact that there are only 4 of them, I don’t pick up a ton of YA anymore, but the excellent ratio is making me want to.

7. Favorite new author (Debut or new to you)

Rachel Harrison dominated my reading this January, and every time I finish something of hers I want to read more. She writes smart, incisive, fascinating horror with complex female characters, and I’m obsessed. Technically she isn’t new, since I read Cackle at the end of last year, but this is the year I’m really getting entrenched in the Rachel Harrison universe.

8. Favorite fictional couples (technically, this prompt was favorite fictional crush, but I can’t think of any, so I figured I’d instead highlight some of my favorite contemporary romance reads)

I haven’t had a 5-star contemporary romance yet in 2023 (here’s hoping for at least one in the second half!) but I loved the couples in these strong 4-star reads.

9. Newest favorite character(s)

I enjoyed the sibling cast of characters that made up People Person; loved the contrast between straight-laced Surit and irreverent Tennal in Ocean’s Echo, and became immediately obsessed with curmudgeonly, brilliant Emily Wilde.

10. Book that made you cry

Babel by R. F. Kuang made me sob at the end.

11. Book that made you happy

Reading Imogen, Obviously was such as a sweet and relatable experience.

12. Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)

13. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

I find new books for my TBR practically every day, but these 4 are possibly the highest on my list for the rest of this year. I really hope I can actually get to them, since my ability to stick to reading plans has been terrible in 2023.

Bonus question! Most-read authors of 2023 (so far):

Tied for first with 3 books each: Rachel Harrison and Chloe Liese!

Rachel Harrison

Chloe Liese

Tied for second with 2 books each: 4 different authors!

R. F. Kuang

C. L. Polk

Ilona Andrews

Raven Kennedy

Book Tag

Mid-Year Book Freak-Out Tag!

July 3, 2021 jaleenajo Leave a comment

Oh, and I always give multiple answers for each question, because I like to be able to feature as many of the books I’ve loved as possible; I try not to repeat books for multiple prompts for the same reason. I’ve also tried to provide links to the books I’ve loved, so that you can check them out if they sound interesting. Let’s get started!

1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2021

Tied for best book of the year (so far) are all of my 5-star reads for the first half of 2021: The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans (short story collection), Legendborn by Tracy Deonn (contemporary YA fantasy), Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse (fantasy), Tender by Sofia Samatar (SFF short story collection), Writers & Lovers by Lily King (fiction), and Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth (horror).

2. Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2021

I know that romance series are more series in a looser sense of the word, but the truth remains that the only sequels I’ve loved so far this year have been in the romance genre. I really enjoyed Headliners by Lucy Parker, the 5th book in her contemporary romance London Celebrities series, and A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore, the 2nd book in her League of Extraordinary Women historical romance series.

3. New release you haven’t read yet, but want to

I’m kind of shocked that I haven’t finished ACOSF (fantasy) or Eve Brown (contemporary romance) yet, tbh. To be fair, I have started both, I just somehow haven’t finished them? And the newest Becky Chambers (science fiction) and Emily Henry (contemporary romance) books are high priority for the next half of 2021.

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

SO MANY. I had a lot of trouble narrowing it down at all for this question, so I ended up with a top 6: The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang (contemporary romance), Comfort Me with Apples by Catherynne M. Valente (unknown genre), Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki (science fiction), All’s Well by Mona Awad (fiction), Battle Royal by Lucy Parker (contemporary romance) and A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske (fantasy).

5. Biggest disappointment

Probably the least fun question to answer. I felt let down by the hype surrounding Fates & Furies by Lauren Groff; less enamored by Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire than by any other book so far in the Wayward Children series; not a fan of the underdeveloped plot and characters of Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco; and frustrated by the poor decision-making of the characters of The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon.

6. Biggest surprise

I’ve been reading less and less YA in general, and YA fantasy in particular, over the years because I’ve been having a harder time finding favorites in the genre. That’s why even with the hype surrounding Legendborn I was blown away by how amazing it was! It honestly was so good that it’s managed to renew my faith in YA fantasy as a whole.

7. Favorite new author (Debut or new to you)

3 of my answers for this one are stellar debut novels: The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson (science fiction), Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell (science fiction romance), and The Body Myth by Rheea Mukherjee (contemporary fiction), while one is from a new-to-me romance author, Fables & Other Lies by Claire Contreras (contemporary Gothic fantasy romance)

8. Favorite fictional couples (technically, this prompt was favorite fictional crush, but I can’t think of any, so I figured I’d instead highlight some of my favorite fictional couples of the year)

Kit and Percy from The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian (historical romance), Conrad and Alden from Conventionally Yours by Annabeth Albert (contemporary romance), August and Jane from One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston (contemporary romance) and Hades and Persephone from Neon Gods by Katee Robert (dark fantasy romance).

9. Newest favorite character

Ilona Andrews always gets me with character development. The Julie that we meet in Blood Heir is very different than the one that appeared as a young teen in the Kate Daniels series, but one that I’m absolutely loving as a badass protagonist in her own right. I also loved seeing past favorite characters from the series pop up in this book, which is the first book in Andrews’s newest follow-up series. And I also fell in love with the three heroines of Plain Bad Heroines, Audrey, Harper, and Merritt, who are all such fully realized characters who shine even more when they come in contact with each other on the page.

10. Book that made you cry

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi was so emotional and personal; I’d highly recommend it.

11. Book that made you happy

Romance reads seem to fit best for this category. 3 contemporary romances that were just a joy to read for me were Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall, Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne, and The Princess Trap by Talia Hibbert.

12. Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)

These covers are all super gorgeous in different ways! (I went with books I haven’t already featured in past questions for this one.)

13. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

So far, I’m exactly halfway done with my top 10 2021 TBR. So in the “need to read before the end of 2021” category, these 5 books are my priorities. (Although there are about a zillion others I really want to get to.)

Bonus question! Most-read authors of 2021 (so far): This is a stat I started tracking last year and I find it really fun. Interestingly, at the halfway point of 2021, I’ve only read multiple books from 2 authors. I’m very interested to see how much that changes in the second half of the year, particularly with several authors I’ve already read from putting out new releases.

Lucy Parker – 3

Carol Anderson – 2

If you’ve done this tag, please feel free to link to yours below! I love seeing everyone’s answers.

Book Tag, Reading Recaps

Mid-Year Book Freak-Out Tag!

June 29, 2020 jaleenajo 2 Comments

We’re halfway through the year (what) and that means it’s time for the Mid-Year Book Freak-Out tag, which was created several years ago by Ely and Chami.

I absolutely love doing this tag; I think it’s a great way to look back on what I’ve read over the past six months and consider where I need to focus my reading for the rest of the year. I usually give more than one answer for each question, because there are a LOT of books I want to talk about, and I try not to repeat the same books for different questions so that I can highlight more of them.

Let’s get started!

Best book you’ve read so far in 2020:

OK, this is almost unfair, because in 2020 I read my NEW FAVORITE BOOK OF ALL TIME, Bunny by Mona Awad. I also read several other stellar 5-star reads, which I also wanted to include here (interestingly, all are from past favorite authors, while Bunny was from a new-to-me author): Passage by Connie Willis, Kindred by Octavia Butler, Possession by A. S. Byatt, The Seas by Samantha Hunt, and The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead.

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2020:

I loved next-in-series books Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire (YA portal fantasy), Girl Gone Viral by Alisha Rai (contemporary romance), and Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert (contemporary romance).

New release you haven’t read yet, but want to:

SO MANY. I’m definitely behind on reading 2020 releases (not that you can ever really catch up!); four at the top of my list are Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin (weird fiction), The Regrets by Amy Bonnaffons (paranormal), Writers & Lovers by Lily King (fiction), and The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett (historical fiction).

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year:

There are SO MANY fantastic-sounding books coming out in the second half of 2020. I’m particularly excited for Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir, Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse, Or What You Will by Jo Walton, and Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi.

Biggest disappointment

I…did not like Followers. It sounded like a sharp, relevant commentary on society’s over-dependency on social media, but fell flat for me, especially with regard to characterization. And The Last Book Party just was not what I expected, particularly in terms of writing strength.

Biggest surprise

My number one reading surprise for 2020 has been historical romance as a genre. I hadn’t been even remotely a historical romance reader until late 2019, when I read and really enjoyed Evie Dunmore’s Bringing Down the Duke. In 2020, I somehow found myself picking up much more historical romance, and enjoying nearly all of it (I’ve read 6 so far this year!). Tessa Dare has become a new favorite of mine, and I also loved Alyssa Cole’s Civil Rights-era romance novella Let it Shine ; I’m excited to pick up more from both of them in the near future.

My other reading surprise so far this year was An American Marriage by Tayari Jones. I tend to avoid literary fiction books centered around marriages, because the topic just doesn’t grab me (I’ve been avoiding Lauren Groff’s lauded Fates & Furies for that reason also), but this book was fantastic, and I was gripped the entire way through.

Favorite new author (debut or new to you)

I decided to go with favorite new debut authors for this question; I rated all of these books between 4 and 4.5 stars and would highly recommend them. Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams (contemporary fiction), The Other World, It Whispers by Stephanie Victoire (fabulism short story collection), and What Shines From It by Sara Rauch (contemporary short story collection).

Newest fictional crush

I don’t think I have a solid answer for this one! I did read a lot of romance during the first half of 2020, but none of the love interests really stand out.

Newest favorite character

OK, I’m going to have to repeat books for this category (this is the only one, I promise!). I LOVED the well-drawn and relatable protagonists of Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams, Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera, and Bunny by Mona Awad.

Book that made you cry

This was an easy one. I SOBBED throughout the last third of so of Passage by Connie Willis; it was devastating and beautifully done.

Book that made you happy

I really loved this first-in-series paranormal romance set in New Orleans; it was really everything I was looking for in the genre (Wolf Gone Wild by Juliette Cross).

Most beautiful book you’ve bought or received so far this year

I love abstract covers with interesting colors and designs; these are four that I’ve hauled this year that I think are absolutely gorgeous.

What books do you need to read before the end of the year?

SO MANY BOOKS. But four I really want to prioritize are Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente, Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi, and In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado.

If you’ve done this tag, please link down below, because I’d love to see it! If not, feel free to comment any favorite reads so far for 2020.

Book Tag, Reading Recaps

Mid-Year Book Freak-Out Tag!

July 6, 2019 jaleenajo 4 Comments

We’re halfway through 2019, which doesn’t feel real at all, but here we are, and it’s time for one of my favorite bookish tags: The Mid-Year Book Freak-Out tag! If you haven’t done it yet but want to, consider yourself tagged. The Mid-Year Book Freak-Out tag was created by Chami and Ely, and it’s a fun way to look back at the halfway point in your reading year and re-evaluate your goals for the latter half of 2019. I think the point of the tag is to just pick one book for each question, but I’m never able to narrow it down, so here we go:

1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2019:

The Mother of All Questions by Rebecca Solnit How Long 'til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

I’ve only read three 5-star books so far this year (which I’m honestly really not happy about, even though of course star ratings don’t tell you everything about your experience with a book), so I’d say that so far the three of those are tied for my favorite of the year: The Mother of All Questions by Rebecca Solnit (essay collection), How Long Til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin (short story collection), and The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (historical fiction with magical realism element).

2. Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2019:

In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire A Prince on Paper by Alyssa Cole

It’s a tie between two next-in-series books I really loved: In An Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire (portal fantasy) and A Prince on Paper by Alyssa Cole (contemporary romance).

3. New release you haven’t read yet, but want to:

Storm of Locusts (The Sixth World, #2) Middlegame Magic for Liars A Cathedral of Myth and Bone

Surprisingly, since I’ve been reading tons of new releases, I still have a whole bunch of 2019 books that have come out already that I haven’t had a chance to pick up. At the top of the list in terms of excitement are Storm of Locusts by Rebecca Roanhorse (post-apocalyptic fantasy), Middlegame by Seanan McGuire (fantasy, which gives me fall vibes so I’m waiting for September/October to start reading it), Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey (fantasy), and A Cathedral of Myth and Bone by Kat Howard (fantasy short story collection, which I actually bought way back in January).

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.

The Testaments (The Handmaid's Tale, #2) Ninth House The Grace Year The Right Swipe (Modern Love, #1)

I’m working on a post now about my most anticipated releases for the second half of 2019, which should hopefully be up soon, and there are a LOT of them. At the top of my list are three books by authors I already love and one very hyped YA: The Testaments by Margaret Atwood (dystopian, sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale), Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (contemporary fantasy), The Grace Year by Kim Liggett (dystopian, supposed to be a YA Handmaid’s Tale type of story), and The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai (contemporary romance). Honestly, there are a ton of books that I could answer for this question; I cheated by including 4 for this question and another 4 for #13.

5. Biggest disappointment.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

This question isn’t about your least favorite book so far, but rather a book that you thought you’d love that didn’t live up to your expectations. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid has been seemingly continuously raved about since its release; more reviewers than I can count gave it 5 stars and included it among their favorites. I didn’t hate it or think that it wasn’t a good book, but I also was definitely not blown away by it. I enjoyed the story and the characters, but for me the writing was not impressive, and I was disappointed after all of the hype. And The Bride Test by Helen Hoang, although still a fun read, didn’t quite live up to Hoang’s first book, The Kiss Quotient, in my opinion.

6. Biggest surprise.

Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle, #1) Bad Blood by John Carreyrou Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi Barbara the Slut and Other People by Lauren Holmes

This is another question about expectations, which deals with books that you weren’t sure about but ended up enjoying much more than you expected to. I was very surprised by Aurora Rising by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman, which I picked up on a whim for a quick read but which turned out to be full of memorable characters and the start of a series I’ll definitely continue with; Bad Blood by John Carreyrou, which I was initially wary of since I’m not a big reader of any books about business or tech but ended up suspenseful and fascinating; Children of Blood and Bone, which I was afraid would get lost among so many other YA epic fantasy books but completely sucked me into its world; and Barbara the Slut and Other People, a very underrated short story collection I haven’t been hearing nearly enough about.

7. Favorite new author. (Debut or new to you)

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

I’m 100% going to be reading more from Casey McQuiston after reading and loving Red, White, & Royal Blue.

8. Newest fictional crush.

A Prince on Paper by Alyssa Cole

I really enjoyed the first two books in Alyssa Cole’s Reluctant Royals series, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the love interests until the third book, A Prince on Paper.

9. Newest favorite character.

Aurora Rising by Jay Kristoff Never-Contented Things by Sarah Porter

I really enjoyed the band of misfits introduced in Aurora Rising, who are described on Goodreads as as “a cocky diplomat with a black belt in sarcasm; a sociopath scientist with a fondness for shooting her bunkmates; a smart-ass techwiz with the galaxy’s biggest chip on his shoulder; an alien warrior with anger management issues; and a tomboy pilot who’s totally not into him, in case you were wondering.” I also loved all three complicated, dimensional main characters in Sarah Porter’s Never-Contented Things, which was more about their relationship dynamics, both healthy and unhealthy, than it was about its fantasy story.

10. Book that made you cry.

Honeybee by Trista Mateer

Honeybee by Trista Mateer is the type of book that makes me want to pick up more poetry. I read it in two sittings, and cried on a plane from the emotion of some of its poems.

11. Book that made you happy.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

I can’t think of a more delightful book so far this year than Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, a wonderful political rom-com featuring an adorable enemies-to-friends-to-lovers story. If you haven’t picked it up yet, it’s a fantastic read for summer.

12. Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)

Mouthful of Birds by Samanta Schweblin Girl Made of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire

I apparently am very into detailed, multicolored covers right now, like Mouthful of Birds, Girl Made of Stars, and In an Absent Dream.

13. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

After the Flood The Ten Thousand Doors of January Lost in the Spanish Quarter The Deep

My answers for this question also apply to #12 (most beautiful books) and #4 (most anticipated releases for the next half of the year). After the Flood by Kassandra Montag (post-apocalyptic fiction), The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow (historical portal fantasy), Lost in the Spanish Quarter by Heddi Goodrich (fiction), and The Deep by Rivers Solomon (fantasy).

Do you agree or disagree with any of my picks? Anything on your TBR? Let me know in the comments!

Book Tag

Mid-Year Book Freak-Out Tag

June 27, 2018 jaleenajo Leave a comment

It’s halfway through 2018, apparently. I’m not sure if I actually believe it, but we’re going to roll with it and go ahead and do this lovely tag that I first saw this year on ChelseaDollingReads‘ BookTube channel (I’ve seen the tag around in past years, but this is my first time actually doing the tag, I think). Apparently this tag was originally created for a blog and then moved to BookTube. Links to the creators, Chami and Earl Grey Books, are here and here. If this sounds fun to you, consider yourself tagged!

As of literally today, I’ve read 51 books so far in 2018. I have many opinions on all of them and on my reading in general. I’m probably going to do this weirdly and give around 4 answers for all of the questions, which isn’t the point, but here we go!

1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2018

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio Nasty Women by Samhita Mukhopadhyay The Unseen World by Liz Moore

I’ve read some fantastic books so far in 2018. My four favorite (probably) are these: In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan, If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio, Nasty Women: Feminism, Resistance, and Revolution in Trump’s America edited by Samhita Mukhopadhyay and Kate Harding, and The Unseen World by Liz Moore.

2. Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2018

Beneath the Sugar Sky (Wayward Children #3) A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #3.1) Impostor Syndrome (The Arcadia Project, #3) Obsidio (The Illuminae Files, #3)

After scrolling through my Goodreads tracker, I’ve apparently read 4 sequels in 2018. All of them were good; I wouldn’t say that any of them were amazing. I’m pretty sure I gave all of them 3.5 stars. That’s actually really weird. If I HAD to pick, my favorite of these is probably Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire.

2.5 (Bonus question I made up) Best new series you’ve started

So far in 2018, I’ve read the first books in 4 new fantasy series that I’m really excited to continue with. I like to have a certain number of ongoing series that I’m reading, so I’m relieved that 2018 has already come out with some great ones.

3. New release you haven’t read yet, but want to

There are actually a bunch of 2018 new releases that I haven’t gotten to yet, but these three are the ones I’m most interested in and want to get to the soonest. Two of these are Book of the Month picks from previous months.

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

This summer, there are 2 next-in-series books coming out that I’m ridiculously excited for; one is actually the tenth and final book in my all-time favorite urban fantasy series (Magic Triumphs), which is bittersweet, and the other is the third book in my favorite ongoing science fiction series (Record of a Spaceborn Few). And later on in the fall, there’s a new fantasy book coming out that caught my eye at BookCon, Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri.

5. Biggest disappointment

By far, the biggest disappointment in my 2018 reading was tackling House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, a 700+ page, unconventionally formatted weird novel and finding it dull and poorly written. It’s a great concept; I wish it could have been better executed so that I didn’t feel like I wasted my time reading it.

6. Biggest surprise

Furyborn by Claire Legrand

I’m always really wary of the hype surrounding new YA releases, but in Furyborn‘s case, I found it completely earned. You’ll find my full review of Furyborn here.

7. Favourite new author. (Debut or new to you)

I decided not to overlap this category with my favorite books of the year so far, but instead to pick books that I really enjoyed but that also showed me that I want to read a lot more from those authors’ backlists. I’ve already added several other books from Kirsty Logan, Aimee Bender, and Alissa Nutting to my TBR.

Also, WHY ARE YOU ASKING ME THESE HARD QUESTIONS.

8. Newest fictional crush

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang also would have worked well for my biggest surprise so far this year, because I basically never read contemporary romance but found this book to just be completely delightful, sexy, and well-written.

9. Newest favorite character

I’m a sucker for a badass yet flawed heroine, so of course Maggie Hoskie from Rebecca Roanhorse’s Trail of Lightning had to make this list. But I’d be lying if I didn’t mention that Elliott and Luke from Sarah Rees Brennan’s In Other Lands made it to my list of favorite characters of all time.

10. Book that made you cry

I cry a lot when I read, so there were a lot of choices to pick from, but these three books absolutely had me in tears multiple times, for different reasons. I Crawl Through It is a must-read book for our time, since it addresses the horror and tragedy that teenagers are forced to accept as the norm and challenges that fact. The Unseen World is a book about love and loss and absolutely gutted me emotionally. And What Happened by Hillary Clinton was a stark reminder of the incredibly impressive woman who should be our president right now.

11. Book that made you happy

In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

I mean, obviously a lot of books made me happy this year, but these two really stand out. In Other Lands was just absolutely wonderful, and I laughed out loud more times than I can count while reading it; it also had this really touching and sweet romantic arc. The Kiss Quotient was such a fun read that I devoured so quickly and made me want to find other romance reads that are just as delightful.

12. Favourite book to film adaptation you saw this year

Call Me by Your Name. I haven’t read the book, so I’m not sure that this can officially count for this question, but it’s probably the best movie overall that I’ve seen this year as well. I actually don’t think I’ve seen any other book-to-film adaptations this year, but I do want to see Love, Simon (haven’t read that book either, though).

13. Favourite review you’ve written this year

Lately I’ve been posting more detailed book reviews, and it’s something that I want to continue to do going forward, but I don’t know that I really have a favorite. Maybe I will by the end of 2018.

14. Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)

I love the shadowed white cover of An Unkindness of Magicians by Kat Howard. I’m also a huge fan of the rainbow design of Made for Love by Alissa Nutting; a lot of people hate this cover, but it totally works for the weird and quirky book. Mem by Bethany C. Morrow is such a gorgeous physical book; it has a translucent white overlay but the naked hardback is a golden vault design, which fits well with an ominous vault featured in the novel.

15. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

SO MANY. I’m going to try and limit myself to 4, because every time I try to make a TBR I end up deviating from it, but also because I just can’t at all narrow down what I want to read soon. I’m also not going to mention any of the books I already talked about in earlier questions. So that being said, I’m currently almost halfway done with The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer, and I absolutely want to finish before the year’s end. I have an ARC of Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik that I received at BookCon, so that obviously makes the list as well. A Little Life and A Tale for the Time Being both fall into that “I can’t believe I haven’t read that yet!” category, so I’m going to prioritize those in the next few months.

In conclusion, this tag didn’t make me freak out at all, but it did make me think more intently about what I’ve read so far this year and realize how many awesome books and authors I’ve encountered. I’m excited to see what else I’ll read in the second half of 2018. This was a lot of fun to put together, and please consider yourselves all tagged!

	Most Anticipated 202… on Most Anticipated Book Releases…
	LaRonda @FlyingPaper… on Dewey’s 24-Hour Readatho…
	Ethan Romero on 24 in 48 Reading Challenge
	Shawnerly on Feb Reading Wrap-Up
	jaleenajo on Most Anticipated Book Releases…

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Tag Archives: mid year book freak out tag

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Mid-Year Book Freak-Out Tag

I write about nontraditional beach reads for nontraditional readers