Mid year book freak out tag 2020

It has been kind of quiet on the blog here lately.  Between work, enjoying the nice weather, family time, and all the ARCs I've been reading I haven't had much time for blogging other than scheduled posts.  I've read some really excellent books, and plan to get those reviews up soon.  

I've been seeing this post pop up on YouTube and I always liked it.  I thought I'd do an impromptu Tag Tuesday.  I love this particular tag because I can feature some of my favorite books I've read so far this year and let you know about some upcoming releases that I'm looking forward to.

1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2020. 
1. A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow.  
1. I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this, and if you look back at my reviews in 2018, I read a ton of retellings with mermaids/sirens.  This looked really interesting and I love a good mermaid storyline, but this completely blew me away.  It is not a retelling, and it is so much more than a fantasy story about a girl who is a siren.  It discusses racism, sexism, and so much more.  
2. 
2. Best sequel you've read so far in 2020. 
1. Rage & Ruin by Jennifer L. Armentrout.  
1. This is the second book in The Harbinger Series, and this world is a spin off of my favorite series ever.  This is shaping up to be my second favorite.  I love the characters, the world, and the author.
2. 
3. New release you haven't read yet, but want to. 
1. Jane Anonymous by Laurie Faria Stolarz.  
1. I got a surprise ARC of this in the mail, but I haven't gotten to it yet.  It came out in January, but I tend to catch up on reading my physical books in the summer when I spend more time outside reading
2. 
4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year. - I have a few:
1. Escaping Ordinary by Scott Reintgen
2. The Brightest Night by Jennifer L. Armentrout
3. Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
4. Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
5. Biggest disappointment.  
1. The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix.  
1. This was so hyped up and on the surface looks like something I love.  It's got humor, Stephen King level weirdness and horror, and vampires.  I love all those things in a book, except for a book about vampires, this really fell flat for me.  There was too much of the Stepford Wives overtone and not enough vampire.  This one is going to be hit or miss for people and it was a miss for me.
2. 
6. Biggest surprise. I have two:
1. The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauerneuster.  
1. I wasn't sure I'd like this, but it was a Reese Witherspoon pick and those tend to be pretty good.  While this doesn't have magic, it almost has a magical realism feel for parts of the book.
2. 
2. The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline.  
1. This book was so interesting.  Dystopian books are hit or miss with me but I loved the unique premise of this.  I also loved how much the author put herself and the culture of the indigenous people of North American into this book.  I couldn't stop listening to the audiobook. 
2. 
7. Favourite new author. (Debut or new to you) .
1. Sarah Gailey.  
1. I highly recommend their work, and I'm slowly making my way through their backlist.  They have a unique writing style that I really enjoy, and there is always a diverse cast of characters.  
8. Newest fictional crush. 
1. I am not a fan of this question. I don't really the do whole book boyfriend thing.  If you want men that don't suck read any of the Smartypants Romance books.  There is a good mix of characters for all types of readers.  
9. Newest favorite character.
1. Ava from Dear Ava by Ilsa Madden Mills
1. This book deals with some heavy subject matter but Ava deals with all the crap that is thrown at her with poise and a strength that most people don't have.  Knox would be a good answer for the previous question.
2. 
10. Book that made you cry. 
1. I don't think I've read one this year.  I've read some pretty emotional books that have covered some fairly heavy topics, but I went through my read list and none of them brought me to tears.
11. Book that made you happy. 
1. Girl Code: Gaming, Going Viral, and Getting it Done by Andrea Gonzales and Sophie Houser
1. This is a great non-fiction book about high school girls learning to code.  As a high schooler I would have loved to have had the opportunity that Andrea and Sophie had to learn about coding and technology.  I entered into engineering with some support but not at the same level they did.  This book made me happy to know that girls are getting the support they need to enter STEM fields and close the gender gap.
2. 
12. Favorite book to film adaptation you saw this year. 
1. Honestly I don't think I've seen one this year.  I just listened to Bird Box on audio and I want to see the movie but I don't have Netflix.
13. Favourite review you've written this year.
1. Black Tangled Heart by Samantha Young
1. This book was an emotional rollercoaster.  I really loved it!
2. 
14. Most beautiful book you've bought so far this year (or received) 
1. From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
1. This is Jen's first foray into Fantasy and was a surprise release in March.  It is fairly long so I haven't picked it up yet, but I know I won't be able to put it down once I do.
2. 
2. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?
1. As is the usual trend I have a ton! I have 3 prompts to finish up for the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge, 20 prompts left for the Popsugar Reading Challenge. I'm doing really well on my challenge reading, and I've got a list of ARCs to read and review. I'll list a few of the ARCs that are coming out in the near future:
1. Unearthed by Marc Mulero (July 26, 2020)
2. 
3. Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles (August 25, 2020)
4. 
   
   
   



Original post Chami and Ely at A Book So Fathomless. Original Vlogs IsThatChami and Earl Grey Books.

Tag Tuesday Mid-Year Book Freak Out 2019

Well it is that time of year again, and I thought I would revive Tag Tuesday.  It might only be for this Tuesday, but I've been seeing this pop up on YouTube again and I really liked this tag last year so here we go.

Original post Chami and Ely at A Book So Fathomless. Original Vlogs IsThatChami and Earl Grey Books.

1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2019. 

The Bear and the Nightingale (Winternight Trilogy, #1) by Katherine Arden. I love this series. I love the mythology and the characters. I just got the 3rd book in on audio and I can't wait to find out how it ends.

2. Best sequel you've read so far in 2019. 
The Obelisk Gate (The Broken Earth, #2) by N.K. Jemison. I read The Fifth Season late last year and it was excellent, but this was even better. The conclusion was great as well, I highly recommend the series.  I want to read it all over again.

3. New release you haven't read yet, but want to. 
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon.  This is one of my most anticipated fantasy books of the year.  It came out in February, and was recently on sale so it has joined my growing TBR of books I've bought but haven't read yet.  It also has an amazing cover.  It is something like 800+ pages so I need to get through my growing review pile and give myself a good amount of time to commit to this one.

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.

The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang.  The Poppy War was one of my favorite books of last year, so I'm really looking forward to finding out how the story plays out.  I desperately want to request an ARC, but the audiobook of The Poppy War was so good, I think I'm going to wait and get it on audio and buy the e-book when it comes out in August.

5. Biggest disappointment.  

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple.  I think this was disappointing because it came so highly recommended.  I listened to the audiobook and perhaps that swayed my opinion, but I found the characters to be annoying instead of enchanting and funny.  The story was a bit too ridiculous for realistic fiction.  I think I fell into the hype and my expectations were much higher.  I see why so many people like it, but this just wasn't for me.

6. Biggest surprise. 

When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities by Chen Chen. I'm not a big poetry reader, but this was really approachable and straightforward. I didn't enjoy all of the poems, but I found it easy to read and I surprisingly liked it.  I read this for a reading challenge prompt, and I was dreading it because poetry often makes me feel inferior because I just don't get it.  His writing is beautiful and you could feel the emotion he put into them.  It was a surprise to me because I enjoyed it so much more than I thought I would.  

7. Favourite new author. (Debut or new to you) .

Katherine Arden and N.K. Jemison, while they both write completely differently I love their styles and want to read all of their books.  Daisy Prescott is a new author to me, but her style is similar to Penny Reid and I can tell I'm going to love her.

8. Newest fictional crush. 

Reese Forster from Teardrop Shot by Tijan.  I really enjoyed this book and I love a decent guy in a romance. 

9. Newest favorite character.
Trinity from Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout.  This is a spinoff of one of my favorite series and I really love the main character.  She doesn't let things get in her way.

10. Book that made you cry. 
I'm not a big crier when it comes to books.  I may shed a tear or get that feeling, but I never sit there and just have a good long cry because of a book or movie. Two books that brought some strong emotions through were:

Things We Never Said by Samantha Young 

Boyfriend Bargain by Ilsa Madden-Mills

11. Book that made you happy. 

Romeo and/or Juliet: A Chooseable-Path Adventure by Ryan North. This book is hilarious! I read it for one of the reading challenges I'm doing, and it is awesome. The illustrations are great and the different paths are amazingly funny. 

12. Favorite book to film adaptation you saw this year. 

Maybe Ready Player One because it was the only one I've seen not because it was the best.  This adaptation really disappointed me the first time I watched it because I loved the book so much.  The 2nd time I watched it I appreciated it for what it was, but it left so much out and changed some of my favorite scenes.  It kept the general premise of the book, but certainly wasn't the best adaptation of all time.  We don't go to the movies very often and when we do it is to see stuff like The Lego Movie 2 or other cartoon/kids movies.   We prefer to watch movies at home where the kids can move around, things can be paused, and snacks are in abundance.  I was late to the game watching this because we usually wait until things are on HBO on demand and sometimes they take forever to get there.

13. Favourite review you've written this year.

My series review of The Illuminae Files.  I really loved this series.  The audiobooks were amazing, as were the print books.  I highly recommend both formats.

14. Most beautiful book you've bought so far this year (or received) 
Verity by Colleen Hoover.  I think this cover is gorgeous.  This is another book that falls into the pile of books I've bought but haven't read yet.  I'm looking forward to getting to it.  

15. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

So many!  I have 12 prompts to finish up for the Book Riot Read Harder Challenge, 25 prompts left for the Popsugar Reading Challenge, and I've got a ton of ARCs that I need to get through by the end of the year.  I've read or listened to 87 books so far this year so here's hoping I can be just as successful in the 2nd half of the year.

Check out my July TBR for a list of what I plan to read this month and this is a small sampling of what is on my TBR for the rest of the year (in no particular order):

• The Whisper Man by Alex North (coming in August)
• The Chestnut Man by Soren Sviestrup (comin in September)
• The Hanged Man and the Fortune Teller by Lucy Banks (coming in September)
• The Burning Shadow by Jennifer L. Armentrout (coming in October)
• The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
• The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore
• His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik
• The Library Book by Susan Orlean

Tag Tuesday Mid-Year Book Freak Out 2018

I've been seeing this tag go around YouTube lately and it caought my attention. It also seems like a tag easily transated into a blog post. It was originally a blog post done by Chami and Ely at A Book So Fathomless. They also did You-Tube versions on their Vlogs IsThatChami and Earl Grey Books.

I'm well over my reading goal for the year and it is only halfway through the year so I should have some decent answers to the prompts.

1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2018. 

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah, and I also really loved The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.  Both of these are non-fiction which isn't really my favorite genre, but these are both so wonderful.

2. Best sequel you've read so far in 2018. 
The Heart Forger (The Bone Witch, #2) by Rin Chupeco.  The Bone Witch was such a unique book, but I thought it was a bit slow paced.  The Heart Forger was an excellent sequel, it had action, magic, a good pace, but still kept a little mystery for the third book.  

3. New release you haven't read yet, but want to. 
War Storm(Red Queen, #4) by Victoria Aveyard.  I am really looking forward to seeing how this series concludes.  I've the audio version of this on hold at the library and I'm patiently waiting for my turn to find out how it all ends.

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.

Muse of Nightmares(Strange the Dreamer, #2) by Laini Taylor.  I loved Strange the Dreamer, it is on the list as my surprise favorite of the year so far.  I listened to the audio and I loved every second of it.  

5. Biggest disappointment.  

Warm Bodies(Warm Bodies, #1) by Issac Marion.  I liked the movie but the book just wasn't what I expected.  I just didn't enjoy the book.

6. Biggest surprise. 

Strange the Dreamer(Strange the Dreamer #1) by Laini Taylor.  I loved this book so much.  This was a surprise favorite for me and I can't wait for the sequel to come out this October

7. Favourite new author. (Debut or new to you) .

Lucy Banks.  Lucy wrote Case of the Green-Dressed Ghost and The Case of the Deadly Doppelganger(Dr Ribero's Agency of the Supernatural #2) both are paranormal mysteries following a sort of unlikable main character that you can't help but like while he learns the ins and outs of paranormal investigation with a whimsical cast of characters.  I really enjoyed these and am looking forward to reading more from her.

8. Newest fictional crush. 

I'm going to go with Lazlo Strange from Strange the Dreamer.  I just loved him.  He's a book nerd with a sense of adventure and a thirst for knowledge.

9. Newest favorite character.
I really loved Leah Westfall from the Gold Seer Trilogy by Rae Carson.  I really loved the series and she was strong, stubborn, and self sufficient.  She had a great support system around her and I loved the mix of historical fiction and magic mixed together.

10. Book that made you cry. 
I dont' remember anything making me cry.  But things that were pretty emotional were Ryan's Bed and Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng.

11. Book that made you happy. 

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride.  The Princess Bride is one of my all time favorite movies.  This is such an awesome backstage look into one of my my most favorite movies ever.  Plus it is extremely funny.  I highly recommend the audio.

12. Favorite book to film adaptation you saw this year. 

I didn't watch many book to movie adaptations this year, but one I did watch was The Martian.  I loved the book.  The movie was pretty good too.  I will say that I wish there was more of the humor from the book in the movie.  Mark Watney's humor was my favorite part of the book.

13. Favourite review you've written this year.

Ryan's Bed by Tijan.  I couldn't put this down.  It very gripping.  In the wake of one twin's suicide the other twin must try to pick up the pieces of her life and just try to get out of bed each day.

14. Most beautiful book you've bought so far this year (or received) 
I'm going with Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys.  I was instantly drawn to the cover of this, it is a WWII historical fiction, which I love and I can't wait to get to it.  I also love the cover on Ancestors of Avalon(Avalon, #5) by Marion Zimmer Bradley.  I love her works and the covers are are really pretty.  This one has been out of print for a long time, I was able able to get it at a used book sale leaving me very happy.

15. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

I have a bunch I need to read and review by the end of the year.  I've been really lucky to receive a bunch of ARCs, so those are a must.

• Sea Witch by Sarah Henning
• Nyxia Unleashed by Scott Reintgen
• Ruin of Stars by Linsey Miller
• The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
• Grace and Fury by Tracy Banghart
• The Point by John Dixon
• Broken Things by Lauren Oliver
• Sadie by Courtney Summers
• Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand
• The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel by Alyssa Palombo