The Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag | 2022

  

This is my 7th year doing this tag and it's always a fun one. I like pausing mid-year to take a look back at what I've read in the last six months. Which books have been real stand-outs, which authors have knocked my socks off, and what books I'm looking forward to in the coming months. So let me pull up my Goodreads shelves for reference and we'll get started.

I don't get too wrapped up in my Goodreads challenge  - I set a reasonable-for-me number and then don't think much about it - but here's where I stand halfway through the year. (Well, halfway plus a couple weeks.)

When I was reading Sam's Mid-Year post, she shared her percentage of 5-star reads for the first half of the year and that got me curious. I am super stingy with my 5-star ratings. I save that for those most rare books, the ones that become instant all-time favorites or made an indelible impression on me. I typically have 2-3 of those a year, so naturally I wasn't surprised to learn that the percentage of books that I gave 5-stars is just 1%. 😄 That being said, there have been five books that I gave 4.5 stars, so it's not like there hasn't been plenty of good reading happening!

1. BEST BOOK YOU'VE READ SO FAR IN 2022

My only five-star read of the year came pretty early this year. I read Most of All You in February and it slayed me. The close runners-up, the ones that got 4.5 stars, were all excellent, as well: Credence, Once We Were Starlight, The Wall of Winnipeg and Me, Reminders of Him, Kulti.

2. BEST SEQUEL YOU'VE READ SO FAR IN 2022

  

I suppose these aren't sequels in the literal sense, more like companion novels, but I'm going with it. A Chance for Us was an excellent finale to the Willow Creek Valley series, Fallen Jester was one of my favorites from the Tin Gypsy/Clifton Forge series, and Hidden Waters was an amazingly emotional entry to the Tattered & Torn series. 

3. A NEW RELEASE YOU HAVEN'T READ YET BUT WANT TO

This question might as well be called Reader Hall of Shame. Because let's be real - those new releases keep cranking out every single Tuesday and maybe some of you speedy readers can keep up but I can't! I was beyond excited for Help Me Remember, Reason to Believe, and The Unknown Beloved, but have not read them yet. Too many books and too little time... it's the story of my life.

4. MOST ANTICIPATED RELEASE FOR THE SECOND HALF OF 2022

There are a lot (obviously) but topping the list are It Starts With Us, Before I Let Go, and Shattered Sea.

5. BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

 

Disappointment is a bit harsh, but I guess it kind of fits. Corinne Michaels is a favorite of mine so when I decided to do a deep dive into her backlist earlier this year, I expected good things. Beloved and Beholden were her first two books and they did not do it for me. I love Corinne's emotional stories, but these went way past emotional and into overblown angst and melodrama. Lesson learned: stick to her newer releases, which I love.

6. BIGGEST SURPRISE

I'd been meaning to start the Psy-Changeling series for years, and I was pretty sure I would enjoy it. Even so, when I read Slave to Sensation, I was surprised at how quickly I was pulled into the world and was totally invested.

7. FAVORITE DEBUT OR NEW-TO-ME AUTHOR

     

This one was easy because there have been two new-to-me authors that have made a big impression on me this year: Catherine Cowles and Mariana Zapata. Both are authors that I had been meaning to try for quite a while and now, of course, I'm kicking myself for waiting so long. Cowles writes the kind of small town, emotional romance (with just a hint of suspense) that I love. That stuff is my catnip. She reminds me a lot of Devney Perry, in the very best way. And Zapata... I finally experienced the Queen of Slow-Burn Romance for myself and I ate it up with a spoon and asked for more. 😍 Both are authors that I have since read multiple books from.

8. NEWEST FICTIONAL CRUSH

      

Gabriel (Most of All You) was the sweetest cinnamon roll ever. And then there's Kulti. No need to say more, just... Kulti. 💕

9. NEWEST FAVORITE CHARACTER

      

So many new favorites, but these made an impression. Marie from Running Wild impressed me with her resilience. And Stone's journey through grief, guilt, and the breakdown of his family really touched me. 

10. A BOOK THAT MADE YOU CRY

 

Have you met me? I cry in half the books I read. But these were the top offenders. 😉 

Tattered Stars, A Chance for Us, Most of All You, Reminders of Him, Between Hello & Goodbye, Falling Embers, Goodbye Paradise, and Hidden Waters.

11. A BOOK THAT MADE YOU HAPPY

Heartstopper Volume 4 brought all the Charlie Spring and Nick Nelson goodness. While this one delved into some pretty serious issues with Charlie, I was still smiling ear to ear. These two boys are like a hug to my heart.  

12. FAVORITE BOOK-TO-MOVIE ADAPTATION

So, I usually just rehash the same answer year after year and say Love, Simon, but I actually have a legit answer this year (gasp!). Heartstopper! Yes, it's a tv series, not a movie, but whatever. The girl who never watches TV actually got Netflix just so she could watch Heartstopper. And it's perfection. 💗

13. FAVORITE POST YOU'VE DONE THIS YEAR

This is always such a tough question. But after browsing six months of posts *yawn* I do remember how much I enjoyed putting together my review of the Tin Gypsy/Clifton Forge series by Devney Perry. 

14. MOST BEAUTIFUL BOOK YOU'VE BOUGHT THIS YEAR

This special edition of Help Me Remember gives me heart eyes every time I see it on my shelf. 😍

15. BOOKS YOU WANT TO READ BY THE END OF THE YEAR

How much time do we have? Obviously, I want to read All The Books, but for the sake of brevity, I'll leave it at these: A Court of Silver Flames, Wolfsong, and No Tomorrow.

What's the best book you've read so far in 2022?