#mid-year book freak out

[the-forest-library]

Mid-Year Book Freak Out

This is one of my favorite posts of the year - thanks for the tag @bookcub!

Number of books you’ve read so far: 233

Best book you’ve read so far in 2024: I feel like there hasn't been "the one" yet this year, but there are two non-fiction books that stand above the rest: Bite by Bite by Aimee Nezhukumatathil and Says Who? by Anne Curzan. They cover my favorite topics: foods and words.

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2024: I really enjoyed the second Emily Wilde, but Chloe Liese really stuck the landing of the Bergman Brothers series. Only and Forever did not disappoint, and I'm sad that the series is over. This has been my comfort series over the last few years, and it has lots of disability and neurodiversity rep.

New release you haven’t read yet but want to: Funny Story by Emily Henry. I'm waiting for the audiobook from the library because Julia Whalen does an amazing job with Henry's books.

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year: I have several, and they are all coming out in the next two months, and they're all of my preorders for the year:

The Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness (7/16)

Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell (7/30)

Last Seen Online by Lauren James (8/1)

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston (8/6) - Going to an in-person event for this!

My Salty Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows (8/20)

Biggest surprise favorite new author (debut or new to you): Cara Bastone - Ready or Not really surprised me in the best ways, taking tropes I don't normally love and wowing me with how they played out.

Newest fictional crush: Maybe this worm from Mr. Postmouse's Rounds. I think he's adorable.

Book that made you cry: I was laughing so hard I was crying during the baby raccoon scene from Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez. It was hilarious in the audiobook.

Most beautiful book you’ve bought (or received) so far this year: I think it has to be The Black Bird Oracle. It's so pretty, and I can't wait for it to get here.

Book that made you happy: I really fell in love with Marianne Dubuc's illustrations in Mr. Postmouse’s Rounds and Mr. Postmouse Takes a Trip. I mean, just look at that cute worm above. The books are full of the most charming creatures and their adorable homes.

What books do you need to read by the end of the year? In addition to the most-anticipated releases above, I still need to get to the remaining books on my 24 in 2024 list:

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

A Willa Cather Book

The Grandest Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Tagging: I'm doing this a few weeks after it was going around, so I don't remember who has already done it. Consider yourself tagged if you'd like to do it and tag me so I can see your responses!

[a-ramblinrose]

Mid-Year Book Freak Out

@morhath tagged me in this delightful game!!!!

Number of books you’ve read so far: ???? I'm purposely not keeping track this year and finding it a big relief not having a number to think about. I really didn't realize how much pressure it was until the weight was gone.

Best book you’ve read so far in 2024: Not counting rereads or comics probably Hunger Pangs: True Love Bites by Joy Demorra or Jackalope Wives and Other Stories by T. Kingfisher. For poetry its Winter Hours by Mary Oliver

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2024: Not a lot of progress in series so far for anything but comics so I'll repeat morhath's answer of What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher. If I count comics it would be a One Piece volume.

New release you haven’t read yet but want to: I'm Afraid You Have Dragons by Peter S. Beagle!!!

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year: Hmm I had to check dates for this but The Forbidden Book by by Sacha Lamb (October) or The Masquerades of Spring by Ben Aaronovitch (September)

Biggest surprise favorite new author (debut or new to you): At least for her comics Alice Oseman was a hell of a surprise. I have no clue if I'll like her novels but look forward to finding out.

Newest fictional crush: Captain Nathan J. Northland from Hunger Pangs maybe. I don't really crush on characters.

Book that made you cry: None that I remember. I get emotional occasionally but crying is rare.

Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received): I've bought a lot of books and thus have many options but the first few that come to mind are: the anniversary edition of The Left Hand of Darkness, The Tempest of Tea with the B&N exclusive cover variant, The Tea Dragon Society and the clothbound The Count of Monte Cristo

Book that made you happy: The Tea Dragon Society, Heartstopper, A Psalm for the Wild-Built, Proper English and many more!

What books do you need to read by the end of the year?: Want is a better word than need since all my reading is for fun but: Babel, The Priory of the Orange Tree, The Duino Elegies, multiple sequels and a few rereads!!!!

I'll tag @godzilla-reads, @bookworm-of-camelot, @thequeerlibrarian, and anyone else who wants to play along!!

Happy Reading!!!!

[bookthorns]

The Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag [2024 ed.] + a 2024 goals update

Welcome or welcome back to my blog!! Its finally July which means it’s time to do the mid-year book freak out tag (I saw people doing it in early June??? we weren’t fully mid-way through the year yet and I won’t lie it ws making my eye twitch) and you best believe I have too many answers for every single question. To quickly summarise 2024 so far, it’s been a hell of a time physically with…

[leticiatoraci]

Mid Year Book Freakout 2024

This is a Tag, created by Earl Grey Books, that I happily do every June/July and sometimes even late in August, because it is an entertaining way to talk about how my reading is going towards the middle of the year. With little further explanation, let’s answer the questions: ____QUESTIONS____ 1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2024 Besides the 4-5 star books by Adrian Tchaikovsky and T.…

[aroaessidhe]

Mid-Year Book Freak Out

tagged by @thereadingchallengechallenge !!

Number of books you’ve read so far: 160 (incl current reads)

Best book you’ve read so far in 2024: The Saint of Bright Doors, Metal From Heaven (reread of The Spear Cuts Through Water & Scapegracers if rereads count)

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2024: hm aside from whole series that I've read/reread from start to finish, maybe Those Beyond The Wall, and finishing the Hexarchate and Rook & Rose series!

New release you haven’t read yet but want to: Moth to a Flame by Finn Longman!!! also The Stardust Grail which I have on hold

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year: The Dead Cat Tail Assassins and Don’t Let The Forest In are the only 2 books left on my tbr post I made. There's probably more I just can't think of them rn

Biggest surprise favorite new author (debut or new to you): I'm not sure I've read multiple books from a new to me author this year (and I need multiple books to make a judgement on an author lol) I'll def check out more from Vajra Chandrasekera, though I've seen mixed reviews of his latest release

Newest fictional crush: sylvia and lorelai from adadt are pretty neat. and I'll second marney honeycutt

Book that made you cry: The Skin and Its Girl, The Many Deaths of Laila Starr

Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received): Sheine Lende my most recent! Did I buy my copy of The Art Of Prophecy this year? that one too. shoutout to rovina cai and tran nguyen i love a good refined pencilly style

Book that made you happy: Dear Wendy. Dungeon Meshi. Someone You Can Build a Nest In. Confetti Realms.

What books do you need to read by the end of the year?: see the ones mentioned above, & these ones I want to reread. I have a few miscellaneous ebooks in my devices i should get to at some point lol

tagging: @libraryleopard @profiterole-reads @souldagger @beforeviolets @morhath if anyone wants!

[mommy-mystic]

Cannot believe my 3 cover buys this spring turned out to be my favorite reads of the year so far lol!

[maddiesbookshelves]

📚🗓 Mid-Year Freakout Tag 2024 🗓📚

Thank you @cleopatras-library for the tag ☺️

How many books have you read so far?

10 novels, 2 graphic novels and uh, like 10 or more manga? I don't track all of them

What genres have you read?

Fantasy, historical, romance and mystery. Sometimes several of those in the same book

Best book you’ve read so far in 2024?

Probably The Briar Book Of The Dead, by A. G. Slatter if we're talking about novels only. But the graphic novel Rivages Lointains by Anaïs Flogny is just so good, I'm obsessed with it. If you can, please read it, it's French but it's been translated into English and Italian

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2023?

The only ones I've read were either manga or the full Dr. Greta Helsing trilogy by Vivian Shaw, which I've read back to back. So either that (book 3, Grave Importance), or the manga Requiem Of The Rose King, by Aya Kanno, that I reread and finally finished after YEARS (yes the ending ended ME)

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

There are way too many, and I keep seeing more at work, I'm gonna die of frustration. Evocation by S. T. Gibson is eyeing me very strongly because of the internet. As is The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal, from where it's sitting on my coworker's display (it only came out in February in France)

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

I don't know honestly. The one book I was really waiting for this year was A Crane Among Wolves because I loved June Hur's previous books, and since I've read it now (it's very good btw), I'm not waiting for anything else

Update I learned something as I was writing this post: HEAVENLY TIRANT MIGHT STILL BE COMING OUT THIS YEAR???? DECEMBER 24????? MERRY FUCKING CHRISTMAS TO US???? HELLO?????? After Xiran told us the release date had been pushed back I thought for sure it would come out next year but apparently not so YEAH THAT'S MY MOST ANTICIPATED RELEASE OF THE YEAR, PERIOD

Biggest disappointment

It's a toss between How To Kill Your Family by Bella Mackie, and A Far Wilder Magic by Allison Saft, for reasons that are very different. If it wasn't for that ending, How To Kill Your Family wouldn't even be there but unfortunately. And A Far Wilder Magic just wasn't for me. I didn't expect it to be YA romantasy so I was sorely disappointed

Biggest surprise

Probably A Sign Of Affection by Suu Morishita? Don't get me wrong, I love shoujo (I know, I don't like romance novels but I love shoujo, it makes no sense, don't look at me) and I thought I would like it but I didn't expect to like it this much

Book that made you cry

I cry so often when I read/watch/listen to things that it all gets mixed up in my memories. I think I cried for Rivages Lointains, I definitely cried for Requiem Of The Rose King HAHA. I might have cried for Run Away With Me, Girl by Battan, I'm not sure. All of those are manga by the way, I don't remember if I cried reading a novel this year

Book that made you happy

The Bandit Queens made me happy because the ending was great (unlike How To Kill Your Family) which healed me a little

Most beautiful book cover of a book you’ve read so far this year

Aaaaaaa I don't know. The cover (and sprayed edges) for the French edition of A Far Wilder Magic are a big part of why I even bought it in the first place, but also A Crane Among Wolves...... And of course Aya Kanno's art is just so beautiful, all the covers for the Requiem Of The Rose King series are 👌

How are you doing with your year’s goal?

I had set a goal of 40 on goodreads/storygraph but I might have underestimated how work would impact my reading habits. But also, I'm not dead set on reaching that goal, I just want to read

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

I'd love to read more of the books I already own because it's becoming a problem. Other than that, there's no urgent need

That was fun so if anyone wants to join in, please feel free!

[princessofbookaholics]

MID YEAR BOOK FREAK OUT TAG 2024

It’s the first day of July and it’s time to check in on those reading goals! As always I have multiple answers for everything so here goes:

1. How many books have you read so far?

I’ve read 73 books

2. What genres have you read?

Here are the genres by stats:

27 mystery/thriller books

23 romance books

10 contemporary books

6 fantasy/sci-fi books

3 anthologies

2 graphic novel/manga

1 non fiction

1 historical fiction

3. Best book you’ve read so far this year

I've been having a good time with thrillers lately and I'd highly recommend these three (coincidentally all follow missing people cases):

4. Best sequel you’ve read so far this year

King of Sloth by Ana Huang and False Start by Kandi Steiner were fun sequels I really enjoyed

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

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

7. Biggest disappointment

8. Biggest surprise

9. Favorite new author (debut or new to you)

I would like to read everything they write:

Stephen King

Arushi Avachat

Ann Zhao

10. Underrated gems

Not enough people have read these books:

11. Book that made you cry

Fast by Millie Belizaire 😭

12. Book that made you happy

If you want to smile then read these:

13. Most beautiful book cover of a book you’ve read so far this year

14. How are you doing with your year’s goals?

My year’s goal was to read slower and put quality over quantity so I could do better with that...

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

Going to try to read from my physical TBR since I bought a lot of books this year.

[sophielovesbooks]

I was tagged by @dauen for the mid-year book freakout tag, and I was genuinely so excited because I had been meaning to do it, but then I wondered if anybody even cared. So yes, thank you so much! <3 And let's gooo ~

1. Best book you’ve read so far this year

Birnam Wood. Hands down. Everybody go read Birnam Wood.

2. Best sequel you’ve read so far this year

This question made me realise I don't read a lot of sequels. The ONLY one I've read so far this year is Hell Bent (the sequel to "Ninth House"). And it was kind of fun. But I didn't love it.

3. New release you haven’t read yet

Hm... I suppose I don't keep up with new releases like I used to. Though Carrie Soto Is Back comes to mind, if that counts as a new release. And Sea of Tranquility from last year. (I accidentally just mispelled that as "Transquility" lol)

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

Okay, so this is super niche and a bit weird, but it might be The Otherworld by Abbie Emmons. I've never actually read anything by her and I'm not sure if it'll be good, but I know her from YouTube and I'm curious. Has anybody else on here read any of her books?

5. Biggest disappointment

Probably The Midnight Library. I had seen so many people raving about this book online, but I HATED it. Genuinely the most amateurish writing I have come across in years. And so, so preachy. Not trying to be mean here. But yeah, it wasn't for me.

Oh, and Kill All Your Darlings by David Bell was also bad, sadly.

6. Biggest surprise

Hm. Birnam Wood was the biggest surprise regarding how much I loved it. And also regarding the ending. And Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney had one of the coolest plot twists I came across this year.

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

100% ELEANOR CATTON WHO WROTE BIRNAM WOOD IT WAS SO GOOD OMG!

Also Victoria Gosling? I am currently reading Before The Ruins by her and it's quite good as well. Beautiful writing. Kind of entrancing. I feel like fans of The Secret History would be into it?

8. Newest fictional crush/newest favourite character

Hmm, I don't really get fictional crushes. But if I did, I would have to say Mira or Tony from, you guessed it, Birnam Wood. (Oh, and maybe David from Before the Ruins. Also quite cute.)

9. Book that made you cry

Hehe. What do you think. You have one guess. Oh, you said Birnam Wood? Correct. Why have I only read one great book this year so far lmao

10. Book that made you happy

Ummm... All of this is forcing me to face the fact that my reading year so far has NOT been that good. I reread If We Were Villains and that made me happy. For non-fiction I read Undrowned and that made me happy at times. But other passages were really sad and emotional.

11. Favourite Adaptation

Heartstopper! And I'm really excited for Red, White & Royal Blue! <3

12. Prettiest Cover

Though disappointing overall, Kill All Your Darlings did have a lovely cover:

13. A book you need to read before the end of the year

Gosh, so many! From a quick glance at my shelves: The Rehearsal, The Initial Insult, Outliers, Shadow of the Lions, Weapons of Math Destruction... and so many more. That I know I won't get to. So some are on my 2024 TBR.

Tagging @hrimceald @books-and-cookies @b1uetrees @jay-avian @yoongsea @r-osehips @minyardcva if you want to. Curious to hear about your reading years so far :)

[cleopatras-library]

📚🗓 Mid-Year Freakout Tag 2024 🗓📚

jumping on the hype train because it’s fun

How many books have you read so far?

35! I have been in a bit of a rut (or what qualifies as a rut for me) this year but there were some gems in here nonetheless

What genres have you read?

Lots of fantasy and historical fiction, but also significant amounts of romance. It's been a bit all over the place lately though.

Best book you’ve read so far in 2023?

My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh; a horrible, no-good, stuck-up wreck of a woman makes all the wrong decisions and hurts everyone around her and gets what she wants anyways. Iconic, funny, shocking, this book does it all. I just finished Eileen by the same author and it also did not disappoint.

A runner-up is American Hippo by Sarah Gailey, which I liked enough to give five stars and an effusive review but remember next to nothing about.

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2023?

Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett. One of the only sequels I read this year, but hands down the best City Watch book so far (for the vetvimes alone).

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

Apostles of Mercy by Lindsay Ellis!

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

I haven't really been keeping up with my favourite authors' new releases, so none yet.

Biggest disappointment

The Weather Woman by Sally Gardner. Another case of stellar cover but the most disappointing piece of mainstream historical fiction I ever hope to read. I got queerbaited so hard (though it was partly my own fault) and the plot was painfully over-the-top.

Biggest surprise

Also My Year of Rest and Relaxation. I don't know what I was expecting but it wasn't that.

Book that made you cry (or in my case, almost cry)

Loveless by Alice Oseman, even though I thought I was ready. The queer joy is just too much.

Book that made you happy

You Made a Fool of Death with your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi and Le jardin, Paris by Gaëlle Geniller both belong here. The first was a tender and heartfelt unconventional romance and the second was, once again, queer joy distilled into 200 pages of absolutely stunning illustrations. I highly recommend both, even if you have to read the second (as I did) in translation.

Most beautiful book cover of a book you’ve read so far this year

Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia; sadly another case of great cover mediocre book though.

How are you doing with your year’s goal?

Don’t have one!

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

I really want to finish Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norell, and maybe also Hild. Finally trying to read Gormenghast would also be nice :)

(and since they haven't done it yet I tag @maddiesbookshelves (but only if they feel like it))

[themelodyofspring]

Mid year book freakout

Tagged by @booksandrandomfandoms and @bibliophilecats ✨

1. Best book you’ve read so far this year

Tress of The Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

Wolfsong by TJ Klune

The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow

Undercover by Tamsyn Muir

Unmasking Autism by Dr. Devon Price

2. Best sequel you’ve read so far this year

The Creeping Shadow by Jonathan Stroud

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

Hell Bent, The Golden Enclaves (Do these still count as new releases?)

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

Uhhhhh 🫥 what's releasing?!? Ravensong by TJ Klune (which was released 82457 years ago but I'm finally able to buy it thanks to the new Tor release).

5. Biggest disappointment

Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

6. Biggest surprise

The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow!! Everyone read this short story!!!!!! It will blow your mind (and other senses).

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

Jonathan Stroud! Thanks to the Netflix show (that was cancelled 😭) I started reading the series and they're so good.

8. Newest fictional crush

Oh God I donno umm LOCKWOOD! (I like sad blorbos who need therapy)

9. Newest favorite character

George Karim/Cubbins from Lockwood and Co.

Tress from Tress of The Emerald Sea

Gordo from Wolfsong 🥺

10. Book that made you cry

Every happy book makes me cry. Next question!

11. Book that made you happy

The Creeping Shadow by Jonathan Stroud (because Hollow Boy broke my heart and this one mended it)

Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee

12. Favourite adaptation

Lockwood and Co. on Netflix 🥲

13. Prettiest Cover

This one 👀

14. A book you need to read before the end of the year

The Empty Grave by Jonathan Stroud (I finally found the last paperback and my whole set is mismatched now but who cares anymore!!)

Tagging: @appleinducedsleep , @stefito0o 😘 do it!

[aliteraryprincess]

Mid-Year Book Freak Out 2023

I was tagged by @bookcub and @the-forest-library. Thank you!

1. Best book you’ve read so far this year

Little Thieves by Margaret Owen! It's a retelling of "The Goose Girl" and it was absolutely amazing!

2. Best sequel you’ve read so far this year

The Stolen Heir by Holly Black. It was a great follow-up to The Folk of the Air trilogy, and I can't wait for the next book!

3. New release you haven’t read yet

Painted Devils by Margaret Owen, which is the sequel to Little Thieves. It's on my birthday list with multiple stars next to it so my mom knows I really, REALLY want it.

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

I don't have one. Or at least, I can't think of any.

5. Biggest disappointment

So Happy For You by Celia Laskey. Not because it was bad (which it was--I knew that going into it though) but because the author spent the whole book showing that friendships don't have to (and sometimes shouldn't) last forever only to renege on it at the very end and have the narrator forgive the absolute psycho friend who tried to MURDER HER!

6. Biggest surprise

Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall. I'm generally not super into romance, but I requested from NetGalley on a whim because the cover was pretty and it sounded fun. I ended up giving it 5 stars! I loved the narrative voice and the world Hall created.

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

Katie Lumsden, who is Books and Things over on YouTube. Her debut novel, The Secrets of Hartwood Hall, came out in February and I loved it.

8. Newest fictional crush/newest favorite character

I'd say it's a tie between Vanja from Little Thieves and Cigarette from Under Two Flags by Ouida. Both are absolutely awesome.

9. Book that made you cry

There hasn't been one so far. I think I'm kind of unconsciously avoiding anything that would make me cry.

10. Book that made you happy

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett. It was my first read of the year and was just the perfect book for me. I couldn't stop smiling while reading it.

11. Favorite Adaptation

In a completely unshocking turn of events, Little Thieves. 😆 (I'm counting fairy tale retellings as adaptations here; if we're talking film adaptations, I don't think I've watched any yet. Or if I did they were bad and I've stricken them from my memory.)

12. Prettiest Cover

The UK edition of The Secrets of Hartwood Hall. I waited an extra month to read the book because I needed that edition. It has gorgeous end papers!

13. A book you need to read before the end of the year

Way too many haha. For the sake of brevity, I'll limit myself to three that are for school. Princess Napraxine by Ouida, Aurora Floyd by Mary Elizabeth Braddon, and The Athelings by Margaret Oliphant.

I'm not sure who has done this already, but I'll tag @dauen, @lettersfromthelighthouse, and @appleinducedsleep (no pressure)!

[leticiatoraci]

Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag 2023

This is a Tag, created by Earl Grey Books, that I happily do every June/July and sometimes even late in August, because it is an entertaining way to talk about how my reading is going towards the middle of the year. Without much further explanation let’s answer the questions: Best book you’ve read so far in 2023The Witch’s Heart Genevieve Gornichec. Outstanding and deeply touching characters…

[belle-keys]

Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag, even though it’s July

Number of books read so far in 2023: 40.

Favorite book so far: The Laughter by Sonora Jha and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë.

Best sequel so far: Chain of Thorns by Cassandra Clare.

Recent 2023 release you want to read but haven’t as yet: Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong and Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

Most anticipated release for the second half of 2022: A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid.

Biggest disappointment so far: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, because the writing was fun and fast-paced but there’s way too much “God Bless America” in there for me to positively vibe with the book.

Biggest surprise so far: The Foxglove King by Hannah F. Whitten because I don’t typically like fantasy-romance booktokish books but this had me in a chokehold.

Favorite new author (debut, or new to you): Mario Vargas Llosa and Octavio Paz.

Newest fictional crush: Bastian from The Foxglove King, because I feel ways about him that are concerning to feminism.

Newest favorite character: Jane from Jane Eyre, as I haven’t felt such deep sympathy and respect for a literary character like that in ages.

Book that made you cry: Not proper tears, but the last 200 pages of Chain of Thorns had me on the cusp.

Book that made you happy: Much Ado About Nada by Uzma Jalaluddin because the book feels like a warm hug and is my current comfort novel.

Most beautiful book you acquired so far: Got the Fairyloot edition of The Aventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shanon Chakraborty and it’s absolutely stunning, like it had me gagged. I was kinda scared to touch it.

Books you need to read before 2023 is up: A Study in Drowning, The Book that Wouldn’t Burn, Sword Catcher, Big Swiss, Penance, Heir to the Darkness, Our Wives Under the Sea

I’m tagging anyone that sees this and wants to do it! My Goodreads and Instagram are in my bio for anyone who’s interested in being buddies on there and is new to this blog!

[ismahanescorner]

Mid-Year Freak Out Tag | 2023

I’m embracing the book-blogger identity and doing my first tag post! 😊

Here are my picks for the Mid-Year Freak Out Book Tag!!

Best Book of the Year (so far!): Komi Can’t Communicate (Vol.17)

Best Sequel (so far!): All the Lies (Mindf*ck #4)

Biggest Disappointment: These Violent Delights

Biggest Surprise: Confessions of an Alleged Good Girl

New Release You Want to Read: Yellowface | Modern Divination | Devine Rivals

Most Anticipated Release of the Second-half: The Jasad Hier | Fangirl (Vol.3) | My Happy Marriage (Vol.4)

New Favourite Author: S.T. Abby | Alix E. Harrow | Joya Goffney

Newest Fictional Crush: Kyoka Kudo

Newest Favourite Character: Lana Myers

Book that Made You Cry: Other Words for Home

Book that Made You Happy: Daytime Star 

Most Beautiful Book You Got this Year: The Stardust Thief

Favourite Page-to-Screen Adaptation: Demon Slayer (S3) | Across the Spider-Verse 

Book(s) You Want to Read Before the End of the Year: Legendborn | Fire and Blood | TGCF novels.

[mommy-mystic]

✨️ Mid Year Reading Wrap-Up ✨️

I cannot believe it, I'm a reader 🤩 this year I truly discovered (maybe for the first time) how much I enjoy reading. The past several years I was so engrossed in nonfiction, psychology, parenting books, children's lit, academic reading, and classics that I ignored all other genres. However, finally, I started enjoying good, old fashioned stories again. Much to my surprise, I've been loving the fantasy genre! (Rom-com makes me cringe but it's easy/entertaining to read too!)

Here's the books I've read this year so far (that i can remember) 📚

Sacred Earth, Sacred Soul: a Celtic Guide to Listening to Our Souls & Saving the World by John Phillip Newell 🌿

The Witch's Feast: a Kitchen Grimoire by Melissa Madara 🔮

The Thorns Remain by JJA Hardwood 🧚‍♀️

Cackle by Rachel Harrison 🔮

Bringing up Bébé: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting by Pamela Druckerman 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 🇫🇷

The Entire Twilight Saga (again) by Stephanie Meyer 😔💀🌧

Plant Parenting: Easy Ways to Make More Houseplants, Vegetables, and Flowers by Leslie F. Halleck 🪴

From Bad to Cursed by Lana Harper 🔮

The Bone Orchard by Sara A. Mueller 🦴🧠👻

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman 🔮

The Power of Bad: How the Negativity Effect Rules Us & How We Can Rule It by John F Tierney and Roy F. Baumeister 📖🎓

Small Town, Big Magic by Hazel Beck 🔮

Beach Read by Emily Henry 📚⛱️

The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondō 🧹

Messy Minimalism : Realistic Strategies for the Rest of Us by Rachelle Crawford 🧹

Scottish Witchcraft : A Complete Guide to Authentic Folklore, Spells, and Magickal Tools by Barbara Meiklejohn-Free 🔮

📚📚📚📚📚📚

I think The Bone Orchard, Cackle, The Thorns Remain, & Beach Read take the cake on my favorite reads of the year so far. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I forgot I even read at ALL until making this list and opening a Goodreads account. I even had to check my list of library rentals to remember it all! Quick note: I'm obsessed with the Army library on base as well as the one by our house & the state digital library I access with the Libby app.

📚 Currently, I'm reading another parenting book, another fantasy, and my FIRST Silvia Moreno-Garcia!

🎃 I swear one day I'll make a list of all my fav Children's and storybooks we have in our house, especially the creepy Halloween/spooky ones!