Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag

Hello there book lovers! June is almost over, and I thought what better way to celebrate it than with a tag? I was browsing Booktube and I found this tag created by Chami (her original video here) and Ely (her 2017 video here) and I absolutely loved it and I thought I'd do it too.

So without further ado, here is the

Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag

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

I've read a lot of great books so far, so it's difficult to pick just one.

For the Adult category, I pick Revenant by Larissa Ione (my review here). I picked this one because it was the book I've been scared of reading the most this year, as it was the last book in my favorite series. Yes, there is a spin-off, so it isn't technically the very last book, but it ends an important chapter of the Demonica world, so it's an important story.

I really loved it, and I'm glad it didn't disappoint, and I am very, very excited for the spin-off to become a reality.

For the YA category I'm picking Tess Of The Road by Rachel Hartman (my review here). When I received this book I didn't really know what to expect, except for the fact that it was set in the same world as Seraphina and I remember that series as being everywhere when it was being published.

Although it was a slow start, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I am curious about the sequel, and I cannot wait to see what happens next to Tess and her friends.

2. Best sequel you've read so far in 2015

I've read a lot of really good sequels this year, but out of all of them I'm choosing Everlife by Gena Showalter (my review here).

It was the perfect series ending, in my opinion. It went back to revisit things that happened before, places that we've already seen but this time they looked different, old friends come back but they're not quite the same. It really was a great ending. Of course, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a spin-off, but if there never will be one, I'll revisit this series fondly.

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

I really enjoyed Caraval (my review here), and I'm insanely excited to read Legendary. But I am very, very scared of actually doing it, mostly because I have so many high expectations, that I wonder if somehow I'm not setting myself up for disappointment. I'll definitely read it, but I need to get my emotions and expectations in check before I do it. Also, I might reread Caraval because why not?

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

I'm torn here, because I'm extremely excited for both Stygian and Memento Mori for different reasons: Stygian because poor Urian deserves a happy ending, Memento Mori because I hope the Lost Boys finally get answers regarding their pasts and why they were chosen by that mad scientist.

5. Biggest disappointment

I was lucky enough that I didn't have any big DNFs this year. So I can't really say I was hugely disappointed by any books so far this year. Hopefully it stays that way.

6. Biggest surprise

I was pleasantly surprised by Cards From Khloe's Flower Shop (my review here) as it was a story somewhat outside of my comfort zone. I'm glad I read it because there were a few very important messages in that story.

Another book that surprised me was Her Guardian Angel by Larissa Ione (my review here). When I first heard of a bookish crossover I was very intrigued, very happy and excited because I knew these authors were going to do an amazing job tying up the various stories and worlds. But I wasn't exactly sure how the worlds of Demonica and Masters and Mercenaries would mix together. I was insanely curious about it, but also a little bit...apprehensive. I'm ashamed now, because not only did the two worlds went together perfectly, but the story was so full of new developments for the Demonica world, that I am very curious what will happen for the future of that series.

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

I discovered quite a few new authors this first half of the year. The author I know I'll be checking out more in the future is Rachel Hartman.

8. Newest fictional crush

Oooh, this is a tough question! There's no one quite like Ian Taggart, thank you very much! I actually liked Max from Rainy Day Friends (my review here). Who doesn't love a big, strong guy surrounded by adorable babies?

9. Newest favorite character

Tess from Tess Of The Road. Because at one point after she left, she said something that stuck with me and if I ever wanted to get a phrase tattooed on my body it's this: "Today I decide to live". It's not a direct quote because I don't have the book next me to make sure that's exactly how Hartman wrote it, so the wording might be off, but that's the meaning of that phrase.

10. Book that made you cry

I want to name a book that made me cry, but I actually can't remember if there was one. See here's the thing: I cry very easily at books. I used to be tougher than this, but for some reason, the more I age, the more even a cute Disney gif can make me tear up. So it's not a question of do I cry or laugh at a book, but it's a question of do I remember that I did it. Sadly, I can't remember any book that made me cry so far this year.

11. Book that made you happy

Rainy Day Friends actually made me pretty happy. Because it's not just a story of a woman finding her soul mate or a man finding his match, it's also a story of two women forgiving each other for something neither one is guilty of, and I loved that side of the book.

12. Favorite book to film adaptation you saw this year

I actually just watched the entire The Hobbit trilogy, and though there were things I didn't quite enjoy as much, as a whole I loved how the book was adapted. I might actually write a review of it pretty soon.

13. Favorite review you've written this year. 

Oh, that's tough. Because I loved all reviews I've wrote so far. Hmmm.... I'm going with Batman: Nightwalker by Marie Lu.

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

I'll go with... See, this is unfair because they are all pretty. But I just got the hardcover editions of The Conspiracy of Us trilogy by Maggie Hall and the covers are super gorgeous. I need to take some decent photos of these books, but if you want to see them in very poor lighting just head over to my instagram stories

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

I have a few too many leftover books from this first half of the year that I need to get to before the year ends. The top 5 books are:

• Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao
• Lifel1k3 by Jay Kristoff
• Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian
• Everless by Sara Holland
• Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon by Kerrelyn Sparks

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So this is it guys, my Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag. That was super fun. I won't be tagging anyone, but in case you do this tag, please leave your links in the comments as I want to see what your answers are.

Happy Reading!