Hey bookworm friends! Toronto is currently experiencing a heat wave so it’s a perfect time to stay inside and freak out about books. I did this classic tag for the first time last year and I always love to see other people’s answers every year. I had so much fun with it that I see why it’s still such a popular tag all these years later. This is my Mid-year Freak Out of 2025, come with me to ponder the state of my reads! And thanks to the lovely Caro from Bookcheshirecat for tagging me 🖤!
The Mid-Year Freakout tag was created by Earl Grey Books & Chami.
Click covers for The StoryGraph links and any blue hyperlink titles for my reviews when available.
Best Book You’ve Read So Far in 2024?
I loved Upon A Starlit Tide so much, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it! Though others have come close, this one’s my top read so far !
Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far in 2024?
This is a hard question because I have a decent amount of great sequels to pick from and that in itself is a win!😁 I think I’ll pick Penric and the Bandit because I loved being back with Pen & Des; these characters are like a warm blanket for me.
New Release You Haven’t Read Yet But Want To?
Yikes, I’ve done a terrible job at keeping up with my anticipated releases this year and I haven’t even requested too many ARCs either! I’m gonna have to say Greenteeth though because I still really want to read it!
Most Anticipated Release For The Second Half of 2024?
Same as last year, I’m posting my summer anticipated list tomorrow for Top Ten Tuesday. So not to repeat myself, I’m changing this question to: “A book on my anticipated release list that I did read”
I did manage to get to Adrift In Currents Clean and Clear which was on my Top Ten Winter Releases To Look Forward To! (2024-2025).
Biggest Disappointment?
I’ve mentioned Phoenix Heart a lot so sorry but I have to again! I was loving this series and made it a point to try to finish it this year. But when I got to Season 3, a big shift happened and I started feeling more annoyed than entertained! The fact that I couldn’t find the omnibus edition for season 3 like I did for the others was also frustrating and I just feel so let down by this one 😞!!
Biggest Surprise?
I read Cello’s Gate on the request of the author and I was hoping I would enjoy it but honestly, I was surprised by how much I absolutely LOVED this!! What a delightful surprise, I’m so glad I said yes and I can’t wait for the next one!
New Favourite Author?
I’ve only read one book for each new-to-me author I’ve tried this year so I don’t think I can consider any of them ‘New Favs’ just yet 🤔.
Newest Fictional Crush?
Okay, I’m going to cheat a bit with my answer because my ‘New Crush’ is from a reread but I don’t really have any new ones that I’m crushing on 🤷🏼♀️. When I read the Wicked Lovely series a decade ago, I used to love Seth and was happy to discover that still stands. If anything, as an adult I appreciate how good of a partner he is to Aislinn even more.
Newest Favourite Character?
I really loved Halla from Swordheart, her point of view was such a refreshing one to read from! Halla’s a widowed and middle-aged, and she knows what she wants. She’s capable but also sheltered in some ways. She’s hilarious and clever and such a joy to read about, I laughed so much while reading this book!
Book That Made You Cry?
What makes me cry more than sad things are heartwarming or bittersweet things. The silent graphic novel The Arrival really affected me emotionally and there was a tear or two towards the end.
Book That Made You Happy?
Everything about the graphic novel I Shall Never Fall In Love made me so happy! The art style, the colour palette, the fact that it’s an Emma retelling with its own spirit, and the character who jumped off the page and endeared themselves to me. I also especially loved the way it represents black people and queer people in Regency England and how well researched it is.
Most Beautiful Book You’ve Bought This Year (Or Received)?
The prettiest book I bought this year is To Be Taught, If Fortunate. Orange is my favourite colour so if course I was automatically drawn to it and it’s a slim little volume, so cute. It’s also beautiful to me because I bought it on a trip with my husband. 🧡
What Books Do You Need To Read By The End Of The Year?
I don’t think there are too many specific books I need to read by the end of the year except for the last ARC I have left. It’s called Human Scars on Planet Skin. Aside from that I just want to make sure I make as much progress on my goal of continuing series and I’ll be happy. 😊
I’m Tagging:
🖤 Charlotte @ Bewitching Books, Ravenous Reads
🖤 Leslie @ Books Are The New Black
🖤 Zezee @ Zezee With Books
🖤 Susy @ Susy’s Cozy World
🖤 Witty and Sarcastic Book Club
🖤Alicia @ A Kernel of Nonsense
Let’s chat in the comments!
Have you read any of these books also? Or, feel free to answer any of the questions in the comments.
Thanks for the tag! I can’t believe it’s time for this already. I have this one already in my drafts, but I’ll link to you for the tag! <3 Our biggest disappointments are such a bummer! I liked Greenteeth! I hope you get to it and enjoy it. 🙂
My pleasure🥰! I know right, I don’t really know where the year flew off to 😂! Ahh haha sounds to me like I read your mind then 😜 thanks that’s so sweet!
Yeah it sucks when you get disappointed but at least for me they’ve been few and far between. Oh yay I’m glad you liked Greenteeth and I can’t wait to see your answers! 🙂 Happy Tuesday!
Currently devouring Swordheart now, and yes! Halla is such a great character 🙂
AH Yesss! Omg I’m so excited for you that was such a delightful reading experience and I’m so glad you’re enjoying it. The traveling companions are the best in it too!!
Ooh, a new Becky Chambers! Will be borrowing parts of this meme for tomorrow’s WWW post. 🙂
Ahaha Yes ! And that’s a great idea, I’ll have to make sure I check it out. I’m sorry I haven’t been popping in much lately I’ve been so bad at keeping up with blog stuff lately!
Thanks so much for the tag, I always enjoy this and the end of year version too. I’ll probably do the Spring one you tagged me in first but I’ll definitely get both shared sometime during July 🥰
I hope the heat wave eases for you soon. Ours seems to have although it’s still warm and generally nice. Heartwarming things always set me off more than generally sad ones too for some reason. And I 100% agree about Seth. I appreciate him so much more this time around 😍😍
I’d love to get to Greenteeth soon too and still need to try your favourite as well. Are you planning to read the authors other retelling type one?
I’m so sorry again about Phoenix Heart. It’s so frustrating when a series let’s you down like that part way through.
Good luck with your goals as well, you’re doing wonderfully with series so far and I’m sure you’ll do great.
Yeah, the mid-year and end of year recap posts are always my favourites to read! Aha yes makes sense okay (But only if you want to and no pressure on my account). 🥰
Oh gosh thank you, I feel so bad for people who have to go outside, even I find it too hot and summer weather is my jam!
Aha I love that we cry at the same things lol. Yesss, 5 stars for Seth 🌠!
Yes, After the Forest is on my TBR too and after loving this one I want to read it even more! & I hope you love both Greenteeth and Upon A Starlit Tide.
Aww thanks, I struggled a lot with deciding to dnf but life is too short lol.
Thanks so very much 🥰🥰!
They’re such great ones for comparing opinions and making TBRs grow too 😅
I’m looking forward to doing it 😊 so there’s not any pressure. I just don’t know exactly when I’ll schedule it in atm as I accidentally made a three part long horror TBR 😂🙈
Oh wow it must be intense there then. I hope it turns a bit more natural summer weather soon.
It’s nice to know I’m not alone 😅 and he’s definitely the best.
I keep seeing a special edition of it and its calling to me. It would be secondhand but it’s oh so tempting given the hype I’ve seen for the latest and the premise 😂 I hope you enjoy it whenever you get to it. Thank you 🥰
I totally get that as I’m awful about it 🙈
Yeah for sure! 😀
& oh good okay I am glad, phew. AHAHA I love that so much 😂 Your enthusiasm for book lists is my favourite!
Today is finally normal weather and we get much-needed rain. I hope you’re not boiling over there either!
I agree, it’s nice we’re on the same page there.
Oh I don’t even want to see any special editions right now, I would get so tempted too!
It’s honestly something you have to practice as it doesn’t come easy.
In this case it was pretty accidental enthusiasm. I didn’t realise I had so many horror titles on my TBR that I was eager to get to 😂
I’m glad it’s gotten more normal you got some rain. We seem to be going into our third heatwave here. It’s already stuffy and I know tomorrow is meant to be worse.
Theyre so hard to resist. Now that I’ve found somewhere to get them secondhand the temptation is worse than ever 🙈
That makes sense
Ahaha that’s funny but honestly relatable, I think that’s just what happens when you like fantasy and you’re exposed to so many books…some are bound to sneak their way into the tbr because there’s some overlap in the themes of fantasy and horror books I am interested in.
Oh gosh that’s awful, I’m sorry it’s so boiling and humid 🙁 I hope you’re able to stay cool.
I totally understand, I would get super tempted too. 🙂
Yes that’s very true, there’s definitely some overlap there. And within the historical genre too thanks to gothic fiction 😂
Thanks, I don’t appreciate the heatwaves but it is nice that we’ve had a summer this year as last year we had two heatwaves and rubbish weather in between.
Yes, absolutely that makes total sense to me too 🙂 Oh I was talking with my husband about the very same thing this summer didn’t feel very summery because we didn’t spend that much time outside (due to the fact that if it’s hot an extreme heat warning it’s raining with few nice days in between). So I feel you.
Aww I’m really sorry to hear that your summer has been like that. It’s odd that we didn’t get more rain tbh as we usually get more than our fair share of it. But then the heat has also been odd as although we get heatwaves we never get quite so many I think. And we even had a sunny bank holiday this week 🤔
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Fun list! (Mine is scheduled to go live on Friday.) I think Swordheart, the newest Wayward Children book, and To Be Taught if Fortunate are the only books you mentioned that I’ve read, but I’ve been wanting to read the Penric series for ages. Hopefully I’ll get to it soon!
Thank you 😀 ! (Noted: I will have to check it out when it’s out!) Oh, awesome okay you’ve read a good amount of the ones I mentioned and lol I really am a broken record on Penric and Desdemona (🙈) I hope you can get to it soon & I’d love to know your thoughts on it!
I loved reading your answers! 🥰 I’m excited to read I Shall Never Fall In Love because it looks so fun and vibrant, I’m glad you liked it!
Thanks so much, Caro 🥰! & I highly recommend I Shall Never Fall In Love, it’s funny because I absolutely did fall in love with it 😜!
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Thank you for the tag!! *_* (I saw it only now, and today I have posted my tag on the blog too, so… happy coincidence!! *_*)
And I love to read this tag around the community, it’s always sooo interesting to see what everyone is up to and how their year is going!!
I can’t believe I have yet to read Cello’s Gate, argh!!!
I hope to read it soon!!
My pleasure and oh that’s so funny, what great timing 😜!! I love reading other people do this tag every year too, I’m gonna go over to yours in a moment!
I hope that you get to read Cello’s Gate soon and love it! It’s such a fun one 😀
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