Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag // 2019

How is 2019 already halfway over? How am I actually doing well on my reading challenge? I think I'm only 4 books behind, having read 21/52 books so far! I'm pretty proud of myself for having not felt like I did very well this year overall.

I have been living for these fun-themed, month-long readathons! I passed the OWL's in April and I think I'm going to be able to read all the books for the prompts in the Game of Booksathon that is going on for June. Usually, I feel like I do really bad at readathons, I think they're fun and I like to participate, but I usually like... make a TBR and move on with my life. But this year, that is all that is getting me to read.

But anyway, here are the books that I am freaking out about so far this year.

Best Book You've Read So Far in 2019?

I would have to say that hands down, The Shadowglass by Rin Chupeco was the best book I've read so far this year. This book might be the answer to a lot of these questions, but oh my goodness. This series gets better and better with each book. There aren't very many series where the first book isn't my favorite, but this is one. This book.... No words. Check out my review!

Best Sequel You've Read So Far in 2019?

Honestly, The Shadowglass, but in the interest of giving some unique answers I will go with The Last Life of Prince Alastor by Alexandra Bracken. Gotta put my fave author on this list somewhere, right? This is the sequel and finale for The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding. This series was so much fun and I enjoyed the glimpses we got into how Honor Redding got the Reddings into the mess they're in. If you are already wondering what on earth you're going to read during October, may I recommend this series?

New Release You Haven't Read Yet, But Want To?

Song of the Dead by Sarah Glenn Marsh is the second book in the Reign of the Fallen duology. I loved Reign of the Fallen when I read it.. like so much. Since I have been in such a YAY NECROMANCY mood lately, I don't know why I haven't finished reading a book series about necromancers, but here we are. Also, the covers for this series are SO pretty.

Most Anticipated Release for the Second Half of the Year?

Keeping on with the necromancy theme that is prevalent in the answers for this tag so far, I am going to go with Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. I am so glad that I follow so many people who have been talking about this book because otherwise I don't know that I would have heard about it! And I believe this is an adult book about lesbian necromancers and I am so down for that.

Biggest Disappointment?

Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid was easily my biggest disappointment of the year so far. I have heard SO much about this book and about Evelyn Hugo so I figured that with all that hype, this book must be something, but I wasn't particularly impressed by it myself.

Biggest Surprise?

I am going to call A Curse So Dark and Lonely my biggest surprise of the year. Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney movie ever, but I feel like I have been really wary of retellings of it lately?? I don't know why, I haven't really read any that I thought were particularly bad. Besides being weirdly wary of that, I also don't really like books that take place in both a fantasy setting as well as the real world. So, I was kinda "meh" going into this, but I ended up liking it a lot more than I was expecting to. I truly couldn't give you a good explanation as to why I was not expecting to like this book so much, maybe it was a case of being let down too often by the hype, but I'm so glad that I read this book! I loved it!

Favorite New Author (Debut or New to You)?

I haven't really read much this year by authors that are new-to-me. I think I have read three new-to-me or debut authors this year so far, but I don't know that I LOVED any of the books I've read by them. So, I don't think I have a good answer to this question.

Newest Fictional Crush?

I don't really have one of these either. 

Newest Favorite Character?

I don't know that he's a NEW favorite character (definitely a favorite, but not a new one), but after finishing the series, I think I have a deeper appreciation for Kalen from the Bone Witch series. 

Book That Made You Cry?

The ending of The Shadowglass made me UGLY CRY.

Book That Made You Happy?

I don't think I liked this book as much as everyone else seems to have, but it was fun and cute and there were parts of it that made me happy.

Favorite Book-To-Film Adaptation You've Seen This Year?

I think re-watching The Darkest Minds with my boyfriend was the only time I saw a book to movie adaptation so far this year so I guess that one is my answer.

Favorite Review You've Written So Far This Year?

I have not written very many reviews this year. So, I would say either White Stag or Daisy Jones & the Six. I didn't really like those ones that much and for some reason, I usually like my more negative reviews better. I think it's because I actually have coherent stuff to say.

Most Beautiful Book You've Bought This Year?

*sweats nervously in The Shadowglass*

What Books Do You Need to Read by the End of the Year?

          

Okay, a book that came out this year already that I really want to read by the end of the year is The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman. I have been seeing so much about this book lately, I just really want to get it read.

A book that has yet to come out, but I really want to read promptly is Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco. I can't wait to see how this series ends!

And a book that came out before this year that I need to get my shit together and read is Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo. I reread Six of Crows in April so I could get this one read, hopefully I will get it done soon!

Have I convinced you to read The Bone Witch series? What have been some of your favorite books so far this year? Least favorites?