Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag 2020

Posted July 10, 2020 by Brin in Tags / 0 Comments

Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag 2020

I used to do this tag on the regular every year but for some reason I kinda… stopped? Not really sure why? I’ve looked back at my old posts and can see that the last time I completed the Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag was 2016!?! WTAF – I was sure I had done it in 2017 / 2018 (though knew for a fact I hadn’t in 2019) – colour me surprised that it has been so long. 😲

This year has definitely not been the best for a number of reasons, never mind the huge elephant in the room called COVID-19. Life has certainly taken a swerve that it still hasn’t quite recovered from.

I haven’t been tagged for this but that has never stopped me before so… without any further ado, here are my answers for 2020!

1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2020

I don’t have that many five star reads this year but there were a couple that earned full star ratings from me and it was difficult trying to choose one! However, I would have to give this to Transcend by Natalia Jaster. It was the last book in her Selfish Myths series and what an denouement it was!

2. Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2020

Hmm, I would have to go with Starcrossed by Allie Therin. I read her debut Spellbound last year and thoroughly enjoyed it so I was eager to read the follow-up Starcrossed and it definitely didn’t disappoint!

3. New release you haven’t read yet, but want to

I’m really looking forward to reading Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust – it just looks so intriguing and the cover is to die for! Definitely going to get to it sooner rather than later.

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

I think I’m probably most excited for Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas – I ordered the debut box from Illumicrate and I absolutely cannot wait to receive it!

5. Biggest disappointment

I would probably have to go with Meet Cute by Helena Hunting – I was expecting to love it but while I enjoyed it well enough, it didn’t totally wow me which was kinda disappointing.

6. Biggest surprise

This was definitely Date Me, Bryson Keller by Kevin van Whye – I was expecting cute and fluffy (and it was, don’t get me wrong) but it was also a really lovely story with touched on some difficult issues (albeit in a gentle way). I loved it.

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

My favourite new-to-me author would have to be Mhairi McFarlane. I’ve owned a couple of her books for a few years but hadn’t gotten around to reading any of them until this year after I bought and read Don’t You Forget About Me a few months ago. Big mistake because it turns out I love her writing.

8. Newest fictional crush

Okay, Zac from Hands Down by Mariana Zapata is pretty dreamy even if he is so far from my usual type! He was just super-sweet to the MC Bianca and I really enjoyed their story. Definitely crush-worthy material (move over Bianca lol).

9. Newest favourite character

I’m going with Lindsay Somerville from the Capital Wolves duet by Joanna Chambers! He is just such a cutie I couldn’t help but love him to bits and be angry at Drew throughout most of the two books for his treatment of him (even though I did understand Drew’s POV).

10. Book that made you cry

I don’t really tend to cry over books (there have been a few exceptions like Fool’s Fate but that’s another story). However, one character in A Crack in Everything by L.H. Cosway did have a pretty sad fate and I was a bit upset about that (though it didn’t go down the way I thought it was going to…)

11. Book that made you happy

This is kinda a strange selection but Disavow by Karina Halle definitely made me happy – not because it was a happy story per se, but because my favourite bad boy Pascal was redeemed in a believable way and a certain other character got their well-deserved comeuppance!

12. Favourite Book to Movie Adaptation You’ve Seen This Year?

I am going to give this to Little Women because it managed to actually make me care about Amy! I liked the new spin on the tale and although the 1994 version is still my favourite (Christian Bale as Laurie!) I enjoyed this one quite a bit.

13. Favourite Review / Post You’ve Written This Year?

I’ve only actually written one review post this year (shame on me!) but I am pretty proud of it – my review of Transcend by Natalia Jaster. Otherwise, I’m pretty happy I finally did a follow-up post to my Famous People on Book Covers post (my first post was actually written up back in 2015!)

14. Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)

This was actually a pretty close call between a couple of books: Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust, The Queen’s Bargain by Anne, Bishop, House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas, and The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski but in the end I have to go with House of Earth and Blood. That cover is gorgeous (haven’t read the book yet though!)

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

Yikes, so many but to name a few: The Binding by Bridget Collins, The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern, and The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley (because I have the sequel to get to as well!) If I were to list all the books I want to read we would be here all day so I’ll settle for these three haha! 🤣