The Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag | 2019

This is my third year doing this tag and it's 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.

1. BEST BOOK YOU'VE READ SO FAR IN 2019


Always starts with the toughest question! I mean, does anyone choose just one book? (If so, I tip my hat to you. Well played.) I'm not even going to try and choose one. Because all five of these were total stand-outs and 5 star reads. Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner, The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves, Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan, How To Save a Life by Emma Scott, and Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

2. BEST SEQUEL YOU'VE READ SO FAR IN 2019

     

That's a toss-up between two. (Yes, I'm going with more than one book again. Let's just assume that's a given for the entire tag, m'kay?) Wild Country by Anne Bishop was a fantastic revisit to my favorite urban fantasy world and The Wicked King by Holly Black was a thrilling follow-up to The Cruel Prince. And that ending!

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 won a paperback copy of What the Wind Knows in a giveaway and I kept putting it off so I could read the physical copy. But that's been a couple months now and I should face the fact that it's not going to come. *sobs* I have it on my Kindle so I'll read it that way. Tucker's YA contemporary Be the Girl and another collab from Bowen & Kennedy, Top Secret, are two more that I desperately want to read soon.

4. MOST ANTICIPATED RELEASE FOR THE SECOND HALF OF 2019

     

Easy-peasy. Colleen Hoover's Regretting You (December 10) and The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black (November 19).

5. BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT


Albertalli's Leah on the Offbeat wasn't a bad book by any means. But it wasn't at all what I'd waited and hoped for and ultimately was disappointing.

6. BIGGEST SURPRISE


I downloaded the audio version of Intercepted by Alexa Martin as something and pass the time on my commute. I expected a fun romance and nothing more. Instead I found myself sucked right into the story and was 100% invested in Marlee and Gavin. Absolutely LOVED IT.

7. FAVORITE DEBUT OR NEW-TO-ME AUTHOR

   

When Amber (@ du Livre) told me I had to listen to Long Shot I just shrugged and downloaded it from Hoopla. And was promptly blown away. I immediately downloaded the next book. And then the next. Kennedy Ryan is by far my favorite new-to-me author this year. 

8. NEWEST FICTIONAL CRUSH


Sweetest/Swooniest Boyfriend Award (aka newest fictional crush) goes to Archer Hale.

9. NEWEST FAVORITE CHARACTER


Alex Claremont-Diaz. Brilliant, snarky, funny, clever, idealistic, impulsive, romantic. McQuiston created a one of a kind character when she wrote Alex.

10. A BOOK THAT MADE YOU CRY


How much time do you have? I cry in half the books I read. ;) But these four come to mind. Ben de Backer in I Wish You All the Best was precious and his situation touched my heart. Morgan in Birthday absolutely broke me. I shed some serious tears throughout that book. Sugar & Gold had two characters who suffered through no fault of their own. And while Built was not a sad book, there was one scene that moved me to tears.

11. A BOOK THAT MADE YOU HAPPY


I think I read this entire book with a big, goofy smile on my face. Josh & Hazel's Guide to Not Dating is feel-good romance at its finest. 

12. FAVORITE BOOK-TO-MOVIE ADAPTATION


Ummm... *crickets.* I haven't even been to the theater this year, much less seen a book to movie adaptation. So I'm going to stick with my same answer as last year, Love, Simon, because I've rewatched it several times this year. :) 

13. FAVORITE POST YOU'VE DONE THIS YEAR

Gah! This is always such a tough question. But after browsing six months of posts *yawn* there are a couple that I really enjoyed writing and was happy with the outcome. In March I interviewed author Lora Richardson in conjunction with her release of Vanishing Summer. That was a lot of fun and I loved chatting with Lora. In April I wrote a Top Ten Tuesday post where I talked about things that make me pick up a book. I had such a good time thinking about what tropes and settings and keywords were my kryptonite. And lastly, I was really pleased with my review of The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves. I was able to find the words I wanted to share my love for that story. Always a good feeling.

14. MOST BEAUTIFUL BOOK YOU'VE BOUGHT THIS YEAR


Probably Girl In Luv by Rebecca Yarros and Jay Crownover. It's just dreamy. 

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

      
      

Can I just say All The Books and leave it at that? No? Okay then, here's a teeny tiny sampling of the ones I really, reallllly want to read sooner rather that later.

What's the best book you've read so far in 2019?
What was your biggest surprise or disappointment?

32 comments

  1. Love this tag, I should do it, but lazy! Yeah I've heard that about Leah on the offbeat, but I'm still going to read it.

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    1. LOL Yeah, it was a little (uh, a lot) time consuming. LOL
      I saw all the mixed reviews before I read Leah, too, but I still wanted to read it for myself. It wasn't what I'd hoped for but I'm still glad I read it. Maybe you'll love it!

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  2. I still haven’t read Leah on the Offbeat. I’ve seen so many disappointing reviews that I’m scared to pick it up. I hope you find lots of good books in the second half of the year!

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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    1. I had seen all the mixed reviews but I still wanted to read it. I'm glad I did, but it just wasn't what I expected or hoped for. I was loving all Simon + Blue scenes, though! :)

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  3. I loved Archer too! I still need to pick up The Girl He Used to Know, I have a copy but just haven't made time for it. Wild Country was a win for me too. Love getting back to that world even if Simon and Meg aren't the stars. Wonderful post, Tanya! :)

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    1. I don't know if it's true or not but I saw someone online say that Bishop is taking a break from The Others series. *sobs* Maybe I'll just re-listen to the first 5 books again. Soak up all that Simon + Meg goodness. :)

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  4. Oh I really need to get around to reading something by Alexa Martin!

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    1. I really loved Intercepted and Fumbled (which I'm reading right now) is just as great!

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  5. Bwahahaha Tanya I feel so better!! Because I want to do that tag but did not know how to choose one book!

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  6. Fun tag! Daisy Jones is a book I need to get to...

    Happy weekend!

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  7. I had no idea Jay Crownover wrote a book with Rebecca Yarros. Where have I been? Josh & Hazel made me happy too. Such a great book! Emma Scott always makes me cry. Name one of her book, that did not elicit tears? So glad you gave the Hoops series a try. I enjoyed it as well, and am looking forward to the next book.

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    1. I think at first Girl In Luv was offered only as a gift when you pre-ordered The Last Letter by Rebecca. And then later it came out in paperback. Same with Boy In Luv. Emma Scott's books always do me in. But I love them. :)

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  8. Oh gosh, Alex Claremont-Diaz was a fantastic character. I also want to read Top Secret!

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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    1. I just loved Alex in RW&RB! Such a clever, funny, complex character!

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  9. I love this tag so much! It looks like you've had an awesome year so far! I hope the rest of the year goes just as well <3

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  10. So many pretty books! Some I've read and even more I want to read!

    I had no idea Rebbecca Yarros and Jay crownover had co-written a book! I'll need to check that one out asap.

    I think my favourite book this year isn't a book so much as a series... The Guild Codex: Spellbound series by Annette Marie. I've been harping about it a lot recently so many it's shine will fade by the end of the year but I'm loving it sooo much and have already commenced a series re-read.

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    1. Girl In Luv is so, so gorgeous. The pre-order version came out in March, I think, and the the paperback was released in April. Boy In Luv is just in the pre-order version right now but I'm hoping that the paperback will release soon!

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  11. Archer Hale!!!! I love him so much! Great books you have here. Maybe I should give this tag a go!

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    1. Archer Hale was so sweet! And I'm so glad you did this tag, too! :)

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  12. I love this tag. I haven't done it yet but I'm sure when I do, Daisy Jones will be in my best-of list as well. Josh & Hazel made me happy too. :)

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    1. I love seeing everyone's answers to this tag... they're always so varied. I hope you find the time to do it soon.

      So much love for Josh & Hazel. :)

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  13. I love this tag. It's such a great way to discover books I've missed. I LOVED The Wicked King. Such a brilliant sequel. I hope you're well :)

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    1. The Wicked King was such a great follow-up! I can't wait for the release of The Queen of Nothing. :)

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    1. That cover is just stunning! Hopefully the inside is, too. :)

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  15. I read Leah on the Offbeat, and it was definitely one of the most, if not the most, disappointing reads of that year. I just don't understand what happened, I thought Leah would be a prickly protagonist I could get behind, but I *hated* the way she treated her mom (and mom's bf and her friends etc.) I don't really cry on books, but I Wish You All the Best made me tear up for sure, such a beautiful, wholesome novel. And oh my god, the cover of Girl in Luv is freaking gorgeous! And I definitely want to read The Flatshare, too!

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    1. Yes! Lean was always something of a downer in Simon Vs. And that's fine. That was just her. But the way she talked to her mom... ugh! That got me all ragey. And the way she treated her friends wasn't much better. I Wish You All the Best just hurt my heart and I wanted to hug Ben constantly.

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  16. Everyone is doing this tag and I love it! And so many good books included on here, I enjoyed Long Shot and Red White and Royal Blue. I hope you do get to read The Flatshare because I adored that book this year. And how could I forget my love for Intercepted!

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    1. I'm so excited for The Flatshare. I feel like it's one of those books that I'm going to love.

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