It’s that time of the year, and this year I’m not wanting to scream because I’m behind!
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 again using for this year. I’ve actually read more this year than I though, so there shouldn’t be much 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.
There are two books that have stood out to me this year. One is a book that I reread (because of my reading challenge) and the other is a novella. The Lightning Thief remains one of my favorite middlegrade books of all time, and wow it holds up really well, even after all of these years. Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire is the latest installment in the Wayward Children series series, and I truly do think it’s a great addition to the series.
2. Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2021.
This will have to go to Heartstopper Vol 2-4. I ended up blasting through them last month, since I have it in my head that I can’t watch an adaptation until I’ve read the source material. (I may have not watched the show yet. I’m going to, I promise! Like, next weekend or so!) I just love Alice Oseman’s art style, though I still have some trouble reading the text, but if that’s my only complaint, am I really complaining?
3. New release you haven’t read yet, but want to.
It’s not exactly new, but Alice Oseman’s Loveless has been sitting on my shelf since May, and I really want to crack into it. It was the existence of this book as a Barnes and Noble YA Book Club choice for April that even alerted me to Heartstopper being so blatantly popular. So popular, in fact, that when I went to order the Book Club edition of the book, they’d sold out of it entirely, and it won’t be restocked. When I find a break in my reading schedule, that’s next on the list.
4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.
Because of my reading goal, I have to give this to Stellarlune by Shannon Messenger. It’s the penultimate book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series, and I’m actually curious about it. Well, only mildly, since I’ve only ever read book one, and this is book nine (technically ten, since there was a book 8.5…)
5. Biggest disappointment.
I didn’t think something could make me scream as badly as Blood & Honey did last year. But As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson managed it. The first half of the book felt like a normal Good Girl’s Guide to Murder book, but with protagonist Pip making mistakes and being more paranoid than normal. But the back half? It’s like this other character possessed her and the entire cast and wow, it made no sense. I almost threw it across the parking lot I was sitting in when I finished it. The amount of four letter words was… telling.
6. Biggest surprise.
We Were Dreamers by Simu Liu. It’s his first autobiography, telling his story. His life has been insane, and his voice came right out of the page. I read it on a whim and I absolutely loved every second of it.
7. Favorite new author. (Debut or new to you)
So here’s the problem. Everyone on my list I’ve either read, or they just wrote a one off, or they aren’t an author I’d probably pick up again, because I didn’t really enjoy their book. I haven’t read anyone new to me this year (yet, I do have a few books I’m planning on cracking into very soon).
8. Newest fictional crush.
Look, everything I’ve read this year has basically featured exclusively under-18 characters. There isn’t a way I can answer this without it being creepy.
… Simu Liu. There. I’m gonna go rewatch Shang-Chi now.
9. Newest fictional character.
Jason from The Heroes of Olympus series. While I do like all the new characters, I think Jason has had the most potential in this series (I’ve only read through three, no spoilers over books that have been out for years!). There’s something about an amnesiac character trying his best through no fault of his own, but still succeeding on his quest, that just does it for me.
10. Book that made you cry.
There’s a specific scene in The Last Olympian that downright made me sob, and I read it while I was at work (luckily, work from home that day). I won’t say what, but it more than earned it’s 5-star rating that day.
11. Book that made you happy.
(I did this last year and I’m stealing it again.) Sarcastic answer incoming: Watch Over Me by Nina LaCour. I downright one of her previous novels, We Are Okay, which came out in 2017. But Watch Over Me just did not do it for me in any way. I sped read that book just to get it over with, and I was happy to do so, since I was bored.
12. Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received).
Every. Single. Owlcrate. Book. Released. This. Year. No serious, google them. For the most part they are either entirely redesigned, or the coloring is much different. I’ve really enjoyed seeing how Owlcrate works with the publishers for most books since one of my favorites years ago (Eliza and her Monsters, highly recommended!). Nine times out of ten, I love them more.
13. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?
… Well. I guess this is when I give an update on my lovely “Remy’s Reading Challenge!” Let me get my calculator. Well, basically… 39 novels and a bunch of short stories. Yeah, I’m way behind. (Technically since I’m no longer apart of that friend group, I don’t have to do that challenge, and damn that reminds me of a joke for another day, but I’m doing the challenge anyway.) Beyond that, there’s a bunch of other books I want to jump into, it’s just that I have it in my head that I can’t step away from a series until I reach a natural stopping point (end of that specific book series, like The Heroes of Olympus for example). I’m going to try to get through more by the end of the year. It just depends on how busy I get with work, since that has to be my priority.
And that’s the tag! I’ve done this for a few years now, and it’s always fun to see how my answers change. I really do enjoy doing things like this, so let me know if you want me to look for some other book tags across Youtube/Tiktok. I’ll look for them!
Until next time!