Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag

Let’s be honest, 2020 has been . . . unexpected thus far and the same could be said for how my reading year has been going. From slumps to reading two books in a day, I’ve found a lot of really horrible and a lot of really great books this year. Whilst it’s not exactly mid-year anymore, I couldn’t resist doing this tag!

(I can’t seem to find who started this tag, but I didn’t make this. I’ve seen a lot of people do it though.)

1. BEST BOOK YOU’VE READ SO FAR IN 2020

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout! I know, I scream about this book way too often but it was such a rare find where I entered with no expectations and was left wholly blown away. It remains my only five star read of the year and you can find my full review here.

2. BEST SEQUEL YOU’VE READ SO FAR IN 2020

Ooh, I’m torn between The Damned by Renée Ahdieh (I reviewed that here) and The Winner’s Crime by Marie Rutkoski. As someone who wasn’t the biggest fan of The Beautiful, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed The Damned and thought it was better than original. Then The Winner’s Crime . . . Wow. That’s all I can say! It totally upped the stakes of the first book.

3. NEW RELEASE YOU HAVEN’T READ YET BUT WANT TO

Love On the Main Stage by S. A. Domingo. This seems like such a fun summer read, I just haven’t got the money right now to purchase a copy.

4. MOST ANTICIPATED RELEASE FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR

Either The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue or A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire, the latter of which is the sequel to From Blood and Ash.

5. BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Crave by Tracy Wolff. It was one of my most hyped books of the year because vampires, hello! I’m such a supporter of the vampire resurgence in YA, yet all the book did was leave me thinking FML. Something which you’ll get if you’ve read for the book, or save yourself the pain and check out my review here.

6. BIGGEST SURPRISE

My biggest surprise has probably been how much I’ve enjoyed the Percy Jackson series! It’s middle grade, which made me hesitant, but I found myself liking it more than I expected, despite it not being my usual type.

7. FAVOURITE NEW AUTHOR (DEBUT OR NEW TO YOU)

Liz Lawson — her debut The Lucky Ones came out earlier in the year and I love her style, moreover, she has a really strong online presence and seems super personable. As much as I believe in being able to separate the art from the artist, I want to support people who deserve it.

8. NEWEST FICTIONAL CRUSH

Hawke (From Blood and Ash) had me SWOONING and I do not swoon. I have a soft spot for Matthew Fairchild (Chain of Gold) as well.

9. NEWEST FAVOURITE CHARACTER

Kestrel from The Winner’s Curse series is a character I really adore. She surprised me in the best way and grows a lot throughout the series, she’s such an ambitious, intelligent and empowering female character.

10. A BOOK THAT MADE YOU CRY

I reread The Hunger Games series a few weeks ago and I cried reading Finnick’s death scene. It never gets easier.

11. A BOOK THAT MADE YOU HAPPY

It Only Happens in the Movies by Holly Bourne and Unconventional by Maggie Harcourt are two books that had my cheeks aching from smiling so much.

12. FAVOURITE BOOK TO FILM ADAPTATION

In terms of this year, I don’t think I have a favourite. I’m not a huge film person, I’m pretty sure the only one I’ve watched so far this year is P.S I Still Love You and I wasn’t a huge fan of that, although I loved the first film. I did do a blog post about 12 of the Most Anticipated YA Book Adaptations Coming Soon, so I’ll say I’m most excited for Daisy Jones — even if it isn’t out yet.

13. FAVOURITE POST YOU’VE DONE THIS YEAR

Probably Book Recommendations Based on Lover by Taylor Swift because it combines my two favourite things — Taylor Swift and books! It’s a post that took me a long time to write as well because I spent hours ensuring the books and the songs matched perfectly.

14. THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BOOK YOU’VE BOUGHT SO FAR THIS YEAR (OR RECEIVED)

I haven’t had a lot of money to spend on books this year, I’ve mainly been reading on my phone because it’s cheaper, but I finally bought The Cruel Prince paperback and the gold on the cover is stunning.

15. WHAT BOOK DO YOU NEED TO READ BY THE END OF THE YEAR

An Ember in the Ashes has been on my TBR for the longest time, so I really want to read that by the end of the year. Unfortunately, I haven’t been on much of a fantasy kick lately.

Let me know if you agree/disagree with any of what I said. Do you know any good book adaptations that came out this year? That one really had me stumped.

read it and weep,