Sunday 9 July 2017

Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag

After seeing this tag going all around Booktube, and really enjoying watching so many of them, I decided to give it a go myself for once as I thought it would be quite interesting to look back onto my reading over the past 6 months.  I also recently saw Paper Fury do this tag (check out her blog if you somehow you haven't already - its truly gorgeous), and so I thought why not give it a go as well as I always see these tags going around, but never actually get round to doing them myself.  So far, I think 2017 has been quite a good reading year for me, as I have already read 22 books, which whilst still places me behind in trying to reach my goal of reading 50 books this year, is so much better than last year when I only read 28 books throughout the entire year.  Of those 22 books, I have also fortunately enjoyed so many of them, so hopefully the second half of the year can be just as good as the first.  And so, enjoy! 




As much as I have read so many amazing books this year already, I think that recently I have made it quite clear that The Sun is Also a Star has definitely taken this title.  I absolutely adored everything about this one, from the amazingly diverse and unique characters to the gorgeous plot this book followed.  But one of my favourite aspects has to be the format that just allowed this story to be told in the beautiful way that it was and was the perfect way for this book to be written.

Honourable Mention - History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera
I was definitely not expecting to fall so in love with this story.




Unfortunately, this was definitely not as easy as the first question, as I have already read two fantastic sequels this year that I just couldn't decide between for so long.  but eventually I decided that whilst I did adore both of them, The Dream Thieves has to hold the title of my favourite sequel of the year so far, as it was just so good and exceed all expectations I had for it.  I loved where the story went in this book and adored seeing and exploring more of Ronan's character, and just couldn't believe how much I started to love his character, as well as how much my love for all of the other characters just grew and grew even more.  

Honourable Mention - Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Because how was this book even better than Throne of Glass?!





This year I have been so bad with new releases, and have only read a couple of books that have been released in 2017, so its safe to say I definitely did not find it hard to think of some books for this question.  The one I am most annoyed at myself for not reading yet has to be Caraval, as not only was I anticipating its release before it came out, but it also didn't take long for me to buy this book myself, so there is nothing stopping me from picking this book up and reading it.

Honourable Mention - Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
I may be slightly intimidated by the size of this one and by how many people have loved it...


This was one of the few questions in this tag that I knew the answer for almost instantly.  Ever since I read Thanks for the Trouble last summer, I have been desperate to get my hands on Tommy Wallach's next book, Strange Fire, that comes out on the 3rd October, and just sounds so intriguing.  Both his first books instantly became favourites of mine, and I can't wait to dive back into his writing and into a new story of his.  

Honourable mention - All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater
Because this year has definitely been the year I have fallen truly in love with Maggie Stiefvater, so of course I'm excited for this one!




Luckily so far I haven't read too many disappointing books, so for me it was quite easy to say that The Ship Beyond Time was definitely my most disappointing read.  I was so excited for the release of this one, as I had adored The Girl from Everywhere, but unfortunately I didn't enjoy this one half as much, and just couldn't find myself connecting to the story or the characters as I had before.




Fortunately this is another easy one for me, as The Scorpio Races completely exceed all my expectations when I read it fairly recently.  I was not expecting much from this book at all, and so when I actually read it I was so surprised to find such a gorgeous story that contain such real characters who just wanted to root for so badly.  This book was just so atmospheric and had such a rich setting supported by so many amazing side characters that it was hard not to get lost in this world of the water horses.  

Honourable mention - Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler
No one told me how gorgeously this book took us inside these two characters relationship.
  


Although I know this Author will make so many appearances on this list because of my complete love for one of her books, Nicola Yoon has definitely already become one of my new favourite authors.  This year I have already read both of Nicola Yoon's books, Everything Everything and The Sun is Also a Star, and have loved both of them, with their addictive writing style and gorgeous stories.  I am already excited for anything else she writes, but for now don't think I will ever stop talking about how amazing The Sun is Also a Star is, and anyone whose books can make me do that is definitely one of my new favourites.  

Honourable mention - Adam Silvera
History is All You Left Me was most definitely good enough to make him one of my new favourite authors.  




Whilst there have been many books already this year that have contained several amazing male characters, of all them Sean Kendrick from The Scorpio Races definitely stands out as my newest fictional crush.  I just loved how quiet and secretive he was, as well as his relationship with Puck that I really enjoyed watching slowly develop throughout the book.  I just generally loved his nature and his love for his horses, and could happily read many more books about him.   

Honourable Mention - John Ambrose McClaren from PS I Still Love You by Jenny Han
I think everyone who has read this book has to have a little bit of a crush on him.  He was just too cute not to.  




Not only was The Sun is Also a Star my favourite book of the first half of the year, but it also contained my newest favourite character in Natasha.  I loved her determination and her stubbornness as she refused to give up in her attempts to stop her family from being deported.  She was so unapologetic and always completely herself that I couldn't help but completely fall in love with her character.  

Honourable Mention - Luka from Wolf By Wolf by Ryan Graudin
I just loved his character for all his slyness and unpredictable nature. 





Its safe to say that City of Heavenly Fire completely destroyed me!  I was not expecting this series finale to contain so many twists and turns that I didn't see coming and for it to pull on my heartstrings as much as I did.  That ending was so good but so heartbreaking, and I honestly don't know if I'm over it even now.  

Honourable Mention - History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera
I dare you not to get emotional over a book about a boy grieving over the death of his best friend and first love!



I'm going to have to go with quite a classic answer here, as Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban definitely made me very happy.  I just loved returning to this world and to these characters, and as much as I enjoyed the first two books, this was definitely the one that made me fall completely in love with this series.

Honourable Mention - PS I Still Love You by Jenny Han
If this contemporary doesn't fill you with even just a little bit of happiness, then I don't know what will.





For this, as much as I have brought some gorgeous books this year, I had to go for Blue Lily, Lily Blue because have you seen this cover?!  If this book wasn't amazing enough already, I just adore all the colours that make up this gorgeous artistic cover that also fits the story inside so perfectly.

Honourable Mention - Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
I think I would struggle to find someone who is not in love with this cover.



Despite loving all of Carlos Ruiz Zafon's books that I've read, I still have to pick up A Shadow in the Wind, what is likely his most popular one.  I have owned this for so long now and still somehow haven't picked this up, likely just because it is quite long.  I'm also currently convincing myself that I need to read this at the right time, when in reality there is clearly never going to be a right time to read this book, so I just need to bit the bullet and actually read this book before the year is out.

Honourable Mention - A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir
If I don't read this soon I will definitely forget absolutely everything that happened in the first book!



Whats your favourite book that you've read so far this year?  Have you read any of these - what did you think?



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