It’s that time again where I look at my Goodreads account and cry.
The Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag was created for Booktubers so long ago that the original video has been privated. Just from a quick search, it looked like at least ten years ago. Since I’m not really doing on camera stuff this year, baring streaming (if my internet is ever stable again, but that’s a rant for another day), it’s always better for me to do this via my blog.
There are 13 questions in the tag that I am using this year. Because I had a massive reading slump during the spring of this year, I’ve only read 11 books, with three of those being comics. So, there will be some doubling up. I’ll also try to keep this spoiler free, or at least spoiler light, but no promises.
Let’s jump into it.
1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2021.
Two books jump to mind for this, but I’m going to hold one until the next question. Lore by Alexandria Bracken blew my mind away in January. It was an instant 5-star book. I loved the world building, and the fact that while still urban fantasy, it was still somewhat grounded in reality. The characters were pretty dynamic, and the premise was awesome. And it’s a standalone, which means I’m not sitting around all year waiting for book two.
2. Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2021.
Hands down, this is Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson. I wasn’t sure if she would be able to recapture the amazement that was the first book, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. But she did. By coming up with a new mystery for Pip to solve, on top of getting “updates” on the previous case, Jackson drew me in and didn’t let me go. I’m so glad that the finale will be getting a simultaneous worldwide release in September, instead of the US having to wait until March. I don’t have to avoid spoilers this time!
3. New release you haven’t read yet, but want to.
I finally hopped in TikTok a couple weeks ago (yes, I know I’m so very late), and fell right into BookTok. The one book that seemed to be everywhere was One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston, and the plot is probably right up my alley. I have a few books ahead of it right now, but I can’t wait to give it a read soon.
4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.
The thing is, I’ve stopped looking way ahead at book releases. There is one, I mentioned it above, but for the most part, I’m not scouring release dates. I fell out of doing that when I left all the book communities on Facebook. I realized I was so excited to own these books, but I wasn’t excited to read them. It’s a mindset that I’m working to change, by limiting the amount of book I purchase to just Owlcrate orders and the BN YA Book Club picks.
5. Biggest disappointment.
Blood & Honey by Shelby Mahurin. I was so excited after I read Serpent & Dove back in September of 2019. I thought it was a great book, though it had some flaws. I even recommended it to my former boss, before I quit my job during the pandemic. (I wonder if she ever read it? No, probably not.) And then I picked this one up, and had to literally bribe myself through reading it. It’s been a really long time since I screamed while reading a book. Probably the same amount of time for me to throw the damn thing across the room. Into the unhaul pile with that trash.
6. Biggest surprise.
Heartstopper Vol 1 by Alice Oseman! I will be the first to say that I have outright avoided reading this for years, simply because of the hype (which has mostly died down to normal levels of fandom love). I picked it up on a whim one day and very much enjoyed it. It’s not perfect, but it was a cute story, and I’m glad that it has continued on.
7. Favorite new author. (Debut or new to you)
So here’s the thing. I don’t really have a new favorite author. Everything I’ve read this year thus far (barring Heartstopper and The Old Guard: Tales Through Time comics) has either been author’s I read before, or new authors that I wasn’t a fan of. I guess to be fair and to answer the question, I would have to go with Alexandria Bracken, as she was the only author that I had read before that my opinion changed on. She previously wrote the Darkest Minds series, which I was unimpressed with, to put politely (never made it past page 50 of the first book). I went into Lore not knowing it was her, and it blew my mind.
8. Newest fictional crush.
I don’t really have one? I don’t really pick out characters to have crushes on anymore. At least not without a visual. Don’t know why that is, but that’s how I am right now.
(I’m gonna cheat and say Eddie Diaz from the TV show 9-1-1, because why the hell not. He’s pretty.)
9. Newest fictional character.
Basically, see answer above. Unfortunately, if I had just read Lore, I could pick someone out, but it has faded enough in my mind that I’m not sure anymore.
(Copout: Evan “Buck” Buckley, because that boy has massive character development. And damn it, he needs a hug. Oh wait, Christopher gave him one.)
10. Book that made you cry.
Sarcastic answer and spoiler incoming: Blood and Honey. Dear god, I was crying by the end, mostly because I felt I had wasted so much of my time. And also because one of the few characters I actually liked got killed in the last few pages of the book. Seriously?! What a waste. Even if I knew said character was going to die by the beginning of this book, because it was hinted.
11. Book that made you happy.
Sarcastic answer incoming: The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He. I was so happy to reach the end of this one, because I was so disappointed. It felt so flat. I finished and just sighed in almost relief. Sorry to fans of this one, it didn’t do it for me.
12. Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received).
There are two that immediately come to mind: one that I loved and one that I ended up disliking. The first is Lore. I have two copies, the Owlcrate edition, which is dark and gorgeous, and the standard edition (for the book club, I ordered it before Owlcrate shipped). Even the standard edition is beautiful. I love it. The second book is The Ones We’re Meant to Find. Again, two editions (Owlcrate and standard). The covers look painted in such a stunning fashion. Pity it was boring.
13. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?
Hahahaha. Too many. No seriously, I want to read all the Owlcrate books from this year (though if they send another “witchy, separated sisters” thing again, I may scream. Wait, what’s coming for June? AAAAAAAAH!), as well as all the book club books, in the hopes that we one day have book club meetings in person again. I also want to reread a couple books, including Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen, since Netflix is making a film adaptation and I loved this one (and Lock and Key). But besides the books that I’m “requiring” myself to read, I’m basically going with the flow. I’m not going to push myself to read something that just doesn’t’ click with me, regardless of popularity. (Which means you will NOT see me read ACOTAR anywhere on here. Nope.)
And that’s the tag! I’m glad I was reminded of this one, as it only took me about an hour to answer everything. I got a major sunburn on my arms and legs at the beach last Sunday, and even sitting and having a cable brush against my skin makes me want to scream. I’ll be ok, I just have to remember that I’m still majorly sensitive to the sun, and to avoid the beach like an intelligent person. Just letting you all know in case Thursday’s post is up late, like this one.
Until next time!
