Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag

I was tagged with this by Nikkie Reads! Make sure you go check out their blog and see all the great work they are putting out! I want to say thanks for tagging me with this one as it looks to be a whole lot of fun! I can’t believe the year is already halfway over. It seems like the shortest and longest year of my life all at the same time and I really can’t wait for us to all get through this one and get on to (hopefully) better things.

The 20 Questions

How much have you read?

I set my goal for the year at 20, which was much more than I was used to reading, and I have already just about met it! I can’t believe how much I have been able to read this year. The added incentive of reviewing each book for this blog has really pushed me to keep reading and finding new books to enjoy!

What have you been reading?

It has been all over the place this year, but right now I am reading The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. I hadn’t read this one before, or even seen the movie, but so far I am blown away. It is perfect for the time we are living in and I think it is a great way to start educating myself to become a more understanding person.

Best book you’ve read so far in 2020

Right now I think this mantle has to be given to Axiom’s End by Lindsay Ellis. I mentioned it in my review, but this one completely took me by surprise after receiving access to it as an ARC on NetGalley. I originally applied to read it because I thought the cover looked so cool, and I ended up being enthralled by the story from start to finish.

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2020

This was actually a prequel, but it was a new entry in the series. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was an awesome look back at what makes a villain and what Snow went through to get to the point he was at in the original trilogy. I really enjoyed it, even though I know opinions on it have largely been split.

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

American Dirt released early this year, and despite the controversy it released to I have been really interested to get to it. I even have it sitting on my shelf right now, so it’s just a matter of time.

Most anticipated release for the second part of the year

The Fires of Vengeance by Evan Winter is his follow up to The Rage of Dragons, which I read earlier this year. Right now The Rage of Dragons is a very close second in my race for best book of the year and I cannot wait to be back in the world and see what happens next.

Biggest disappointment

This was easily The Bear and the Nightingale. I read this for the first time this year after hearing a lot of great things about the series and I was completely let down. The book wasn’t necessarily bad, but I had problems with the pacing. I kept feeling like I had to force myself to pay attention and get to the more exciting bits. There are two more books in the series, but I have little to no desire to actually get to them.

Biggest surprise

The biggest surprise of the year for me was easily I Love You So Mochi. I bought this book on a whim on the Apple Books app because it was on sale for $2. The book was honestly super charming and fun to read and I really enjoyed it a lot more than I expected to.

New favorite author (debut or new to you)

My new favorite author from what I have read this year has to be Lindsay Ellis. Axiom’s End was one of the most engrossing books I have read in quite some time. I can’t wait to see whatever she writes next!

Underrated gems you’ve discovered recently

I guess this would have to be I Love You So Mochi as well. This is just one I haven’t heard many people talk about or even know about. That being said it is rated pretty highly on Goodreads, so it seems like is more unknown than underrated.

Rereads this year

This is an interesting one for me, the only re-read I have done is for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone with plans to do re-reads and reviews for the rest of the series. I finished re-reading the first book in the series right around the time JKR made her transphobic comments which led to me putting a hold on publishing my review until I can figure out the right way to do it while addressing the obvious problems.

Newest fictional crush

I suppose this would be Elizabeth Scrivener from Sorcery of Thorns. She was such a strong character in this book and she took over every situation in such a way that was really compelling.

Newest favorite character

Tau from The Rage of Dragons. His story was one of the most compelling and vicious I can ever remember reading in all honesty. His story of revenge and his desire to sacrifice anything in order to achieve it makes me want to read the sequel immediately.

Book that made you cry

I haven’t had a book that made me cry this year, but so far the one that has made me feel the most emotion is actually the one I am reading currently, The Hate U Give. It is an emotional tale of what Black Americans have to deal with on a daily basis and it is really opening my eyes up to some things in a new way.

Book that made you happy

Re-reading Harry Potter is probably the one that made me happiest. It brought me back to being a child reading it for the very first time and reminded me why I love reading so much. Harry Potter just does such a great job of providing escapism and giving you a world you want to get lost in.

Favorite book to film adaptation

I haven’t actually watched any movies based on books this year, at least not any that are coming to mind right now.

Most beautiful cover you’ve bought this year (or received)

I honestly really enjoyed the cover of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, at least once I took the dust cover off.

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

The only books I have really planned to read by the end of the year are The Fires of Vengeance by Evan Winter (once it releases), The Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth, and American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins. Of course there will be a number of ARC’s peppered in as well.

Favorite post you have done this year

My favorite post I have made this year is the post I made collecting my thoughts on the riots and protests for #BlackLivesMatter. This one was my favorite because it felt like the most important use of the small platform and reach I have. I believe everyone should be able to feel equal and loved and that can’t happen until we all take notice of and make an attempt to remedy the horrific things happening to Black people in America and all over the world.

Favorite book community member

I have a number of favorite members in the community so I will use this section to tag others I want to see do this post:

Bookish Brooklyn

Madeline @ The Bookish Mutant

Neppy from Nep’s Gaming Paradise

Ayunda

Book Beach Bunny

As always thanks so much for reading. This was easily the longest tag I have taken part in, but it was a fun look back on the first half of this year. Hopefully the second half will be a bit better for all of us than the first was. Either way be sure to check back (at least) every Wednesday and Saturday for new posts and sign-up via email to make sure you never miss a thing! Have a great day and be safe!