Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag
Intro
Is it still close enough to mid-year to do this, right? Given how little I've read in July, I totally think it is. If anyone would still like to do this at the end of July, consider yourself tagged.
This tag originated on the Earl Grey Books YouTube channel. I found it from the bookchestirecat blog. Thank you to them for the inspiration.
Now it is time to reflect on my reading so far and hope that the second half of the year lives up to it! Let's get into the prompts and my picks!
The Prompts
- Best book you've read so far
- Best sequel you've read so far
- New release you haven't read yet, but want to
- Most anticipated release for the second half of 2025
- Biggest disappointment
- Biggest surprise
- Favorite new (to you) author
- Newest favorite character
- Book that made you cry
- Book that made you happy
- Favorite book-to-screen adaptation
- Favorite review
- Books you need to read by the end of the year
My Picks and Discussions
Best book I've read so far
The First to Die at the End by Adam Silvera
I unsurprisingly totally loved this one! It really made me think and provided a lot more information about the world and the start of Death Cast. I enjoyed tandem reading it. This story will stick with me for a long time which is why it is currently my number one.
Best sequel I've read so far
Destructively Mine by Krista and Becca Ritchie
I have tremendously adored both of the books in this series so far. I am truly obsesessed with the characters in particular. Having a whole cast of morally grey individuals is fascinating and creates a lot of wonderful tension. I ate up every additional tidbit this sequel provided.
New release I haven't read yet, but want to
Caught Up by Navessa Allen
The audiobook for the first one was truly fantastic! I am excited to see what I think of the second, and yes, I will absolutely be consuming the audiobook for it too!
Most anticipated release for the second half of 2025
Red Card by Maren Moore
Maren Moore is quickly becoming my favorite sports romance author to date. The way she writes swoony chemistry moments is incredible. This is her first trad published book, so I am so happy for her! I have the ARC for it, which I will be starting very soon!
Biggest disappointment
Never Been Shipped by Alicia Thompson
The publisher actually reached out to me to offer me the ARC for this one. I was totally ecstatic to be working with a major publisher. Unfortunately, this book was a huge DNF for me. I could not tolerate the utter lack of development of the characters over time. Needless to say, I probably won't be working with the publisher again for a while.
Biggest surprise
Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?: Big Questions from Tiny Mortals about Death by Caitlin Doughty
To clarify, I am not sure that I enjoyed this book. I have loved her YouTube channel for years and the way she tells stories. What surprised me was how much value I think this book has. Yes, it is a bit morbid; any book about death will be. The way that death is discussed feels so natural (as it should). I would totally recommend this book to anyone with any kind of questions about death. It discusses everything in a very approachable way.
Favorite new (to you) author
Courtney Peppernell
I will be discussing the book of hers I read further below for another prompt, so here I will simply discuss her writing. Her approach to poetry is beautiful and eye-opening. Her poetry made me feel not only seen but understood. I am not usually one to pick up a poetry book, but I happened to find the book below in a little free library and decided to give it a shot. I am so glad I did and hope to read more of her poetry in the future.
Newest favorite character
Donna from the Colson Creek series by Erin FitzGerald
This is a character that very quickly wormed her way into my heart. While she is not a main character in the books, she is absolutely a prominent one. She is the caring mother figure we all need in life. Her spunk, wit, and caring nature made her rise quickly to the top of my list. I am usually pretty terrible at remembering character names, so it is saying a lot that I will never forget hers.
Book that made you cry
Pillow Thoughts by Courtney Peppernell
I told you I would be discussing Peppernell's book more, well, here I am. This book covers a lot of very relatable subjects pertaining to love. Some happy and some sad. It made me think thoughtfully about loved ones I have lost, which brought about a few tears. I am very happy I read it, and the tears honestly just let me feel even more connected to the poems. If you think there is even a slight chance you would enjoy a bit of poetry, this book is worth picking up.
Book that made you happy
One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
This book gave me that stereotypical summer read feeling I was craving so bad. Yes, her books are all pretty similar, and I'm happy about that because I adore her writing style and would love more of it. It gave me all of the warm fuzzies and hope for life. I listened to this one on a road trip and spent most of the time just envisioning being on the lake with the characters, which was glorious.
Favorite book-to-screen adaptation
The Hunting Wives (by May Cobb)
I'll be honest, I do not watch a lot of book-to-screen adaptations, especially if I read the book. They often are totally ruined because they are not like what I pictured in my head. The Hunting Wives on Netflix is not that loyal to the book by the time the season is over. It reminded me of the Riverdale series in that it seemed to mostly borrow all of the existing characters and what their relationships would be, and add a ton to it. If I were solely wanting it to be a loyal adaptation of a book I was obsessed with, I would be disappointed. That said, if I judge it as a series of its own, I quite liked it and plan to watch any future seasons.
Favorite review
The Trouble with Love and Coaches by Harriet Ashford
This book was a delightful read that I gave 5 stars. I am one of Harriet's friends now, and honestly, my review totally showed that. It is definitely a lot of praise for her, but I love it for that very reason. You should check it out to witness me gush if nothing else.
Books I need to read by the end of the year
The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff
The Autist's Guide to the Galaxy by Clara Törnvall
I could probably put my entire physical TBR here, and it would be a reasonable response to this prompt. I picked two books that I am in the middle of because I do not want them to further fall to the wayside to never be finished. They are both non-fiction because I made it a goal to read notably more non-fiction books this year than I did last year. I want to keep at least 10% non-fiction if not higher. I am loving both of these books a lot, but they do require me to think and truly process what they have to say, which is why they are currently unfinished. Help keep me accountable to finish these, y'all!
Final Thoughts
This was such a fun (though time-consuming) tag! I appreciated the chance to reflect on my reads so far this year and consider what I want to be part of my reading for the rest of the year. Do we have any in common? Now I am looking forward to further reflection at the end of the year. I wonder how many of my picks will be different. For now I bid you adieu and hope to see you next Friday for another fun tag!
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