I know it technically isn’t the middle of the year, but I’m just over 50% done with my list of books I’m going to read this year so I thought this would be appropriate. I’ve read 42 books this year out of the 75 I intend to read. I have been so lucky this year; I was able to find tons of new books that were absolutely amazing. Some of the books I’ve read have made their way onto my all-time favorites list.
The Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag is a tag on the app TikTok. The sound used along with the video say things such as “What’s the best sequel that you’ve read?” or “The book that disappointed you the most?” The person within the video would hold up or show the book that fit each type. I wanted to make this into a blog post, so I made the different categories into different paragraphs! Without further ado, here is my mid-year book freakout tag.
“This is the Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag, where you show the best and worst books you’ve read so far.”
The Best Book You’ve Read So Far
Don’t hate me–it’s a tie. My two books I’ve read so far that are the best are A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas and Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. Both are amazing, but in different ways. ACOMAF was such a masterpiece. The characters jumped off the page and the romance was so incredibly written. I’m a huge fan of this book and it’s my favourite in the entire series. Red, White, and Royal Blue was the other best book I’ve read because the writing was so unique and hilarious. I lost track of the amount of times I laughed while reading this book. I laughed, I cried, and I was emotionally invested in the characters. Both books are very near and dear to my heart!
The Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far
I knew the answer to this one immediately. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas is the best sequel I’ve ever read, not just this year. The development of the characters was insane and I just fell in love with the new characters that were introduced. I could rant about this book for hours, probably. It’s no secret that A Court of Thorns and Roses is one of my favourite series of all time, so it makes total sense that one of the books makes the tag!
A New Release You Haven’t Read Yet
The newest release that I have that I haven’t read yet is House of Earth and Blood in the Crescent City series by Sarah J Maas. The packaging of this book is incredible and beautiful. I’ve heard really good reviews about this book and I’m excited to read it! It sounds very interesting and original (as all Sarah J Maas books are). Have you read it yet?
Your Most Anticipated Releases For the Second Half of the Year
This might be possibly have been the best year for me to get back into reading. There are tons of books coming out and I am so excited about it. Loads of authors I’ve been following for a while are releasing more books and it’s the best thing ever. I’m looking forward to the following books! The Lunar Chronicles Boxed by Set Marissa Meyer (October 13), How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black (November 24), A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas (January 26, 2021), The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab (October 6), Fable by Adrienne Young (September 1), and Blood and Honey by Shelby Mahurin (September 1).
The Biggest Disappointment of the Year
Several years ago, I read the Gone series by Michael Grant (everyone over of the age of 15 in a town disappear without a trace and the kids must figure out a way to survive). I loved it. I even reread the series in the beginning of 2020. A while back, Michael Grant released a new spinoff in the same world as the original series. The first book is Monster and it disappointed me. It was so different from the original series and only included one character from Gone. I wasn’t a fan of the plot or the new characters and I had been hoping to find another amazing book in the Gone series. The original six books are amazing and I will always recommend them!
The Biggest Surprise of the Year
I had to think about this one for a minute. I think the biggest surprise of the year was The Folk of the Air series by Holly Black (The Cruel Prince, The Wicked King, and The Queen of Nothing). I was surprised by how much I loved the series and how quickly I read it. I finished all three of the books in two and a half days. If I remember correctly, I think I finished The Wicked King in one sitting. Another book is being released in the series later this year and I can’t wait for it!
Your Favorite New Author
I had the pleasure to read a bunch of new books by different authors this year! I’ve read Sarah J Maas a lot (and even purchased other books by her, even if I haven’t had the chance to read them yet) and Holly Black. Both of these authors are incredibly talented and have more books coming out soon (which I cannot wait for!). There are a lot of other authors that have caught my eye, but these two are my favourites so far of the year.
A Book That Made You Cry
I have never sobbed like I did when I finished The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. The book is a retelling of the old myth of Achilles, but the prose and the writing is so incredible. It’s a beautiful and breathtaking book that I recommend to everyone who can read. The last thirty pages tore my heart out and stomped on it (and I still said thank you). Every time I try to write about The Song of Achilles I end up raving about it and making runon sentences. Do yourself a favor and read it!
A Book That Made You Happy
This was another one where I immediately knew the answer: Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. I’ve read it twice already in the past three months. It is the cutest romance book I’ve ever read and I will always sing its praises. The diversity of the characters and the plot is delightful. Please, please, please read this book, I promise you will not regret it!
The Most Beautiful Book You Bought
The most beautiful book I purchased this year would be the Collector’s Edition of A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas. I got it on sale from Barnes and Noble and it’s the most precious book I own! The binding is gorgeous and I never want to have the book on my bookshelf becaue I want it to be on display the whole time. This book was worth every penny and I’m always thrown off by the beauty of the book.
That was the Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag! This is a new type of post for me to do and I had fun while writing it. Have you read any of these books? What did you think? Do you have any recommendations? Do you like posts like this? Let me know down in the comments! As always, thank you for reading!
Love,
Kaitlin
Kaitlin H Powell 