Mid Year Book Freakout Tag ⭐ 2024 Edition

Hello fellow bookworms ⭐ It’s time for my favorite Tag of the year again! While I’m always surprised that half the year has passed already I love reflecting on how my reading has been going so far 💛 It’s so much fun to be looking back on favorites, least favorites, and other remarkable books of the first six months of the year which is why I’ll, of course, be doing the Mid Year Book Freakout Tag again! The Tag was originally created by Earl Grey Books and ReadLikeWildFire (who has since taken down the video though).

I’m Tagging … 💗

• Abi @ Scribbles & Stories
• Destiny @ howlinglibraries
• Marie & Nyx @ drizzleandhurricanebooks
• Morgan @ morganisreadingagain

You Might Also Like 💗

• Mid Year Book Freakout Tag ⭐ 2023
• Mid Year Book Freakout Tag ⭐ 2022
• Mid Year Book Freakout Tag ⭐ 2021
• Mid Year Book Freakout Tag ⭐ 2020
• Mid Year Book Freakout Tag 💖 2019
• Mid Year Book Freakout Tag 🌷 2018

Best Book you’ve read so far in 2024?

Exactly Where You Need to Be (Amelia Diane Coombs) ⭐ Amelia Diane Coombs has done it again, her YA Contemporaries are just top-tier!! I loved Between You, Me and the Honeybees last year but Exactly Where You Need to Be spoke to me even more. The story follows 18-year-old Florie who prepares for an upcoming gap year she isn’t sure she wants to do anymore. I loved how the book discussed how Florie’s OCD impacts her comfort zone. She’s tempted never to leave the comfort of her home and her mother makes it easy by coddling her. However, Florie also wants to be brave and go outside of her comfort zone, as she feels like she stagnated. Her OCD will always be something she has to cope with, but Florie knows never doing anything scary will be bad for her in the long run.

“During my many sleepless nights, I can’t help but wonder: If I’m always comfortable and sheltered, how will I ever become the person I want to become ?”

Best Sequel you’ve read so far in 2024?

Fence Vol 6. (C.S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad) ⭐ I remember mentioning Volume 5 last year for this prompt and the tradition continued. Fence was back with another volume and I loved it!! We’re nearing the end of the training camp so the focus of the story is on unlocking potential and learning to become a better fencer. I was blown away by the number of important developments for the characters, volume 6 really stepped things up and showed us the emotional growth needed for everyone! ❤️

New release you haven’t read yet, but want to?

At First Spite (Olivia Dade) ⭐ It was tough to narrow it down, but I’m very excited to read At First Spire, the newest Olivia Dade book! This was on my most anticipated releases list and I just know it’s going to be so much fun to read 😄 I love the premise as it’s got hate-to-love and a bit of a neighbor feud. The love interest is the protagonist’s ex brother-in-law so I sense a lot of delicious drama 👀

Honorable Mentions

• We Got the Beat (Jenna Miler)
• The Someday Daughter (Ellen O’Clover)

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year?

The Whispering Night (Susan Dennard) ⭐ This is the conclusion to the Luminaries Trilogy and I’m so excited to read it! Susan Dennard is one of my favorite Fantasy authors and I have really enjoyed her YA paranormal series 🥰 The Luminaries is about secret society of clans who protect the worlds from Nightmares that rise each night because of a sleeping spirit. I love the creative world and the books are super easy to fly through, I highly recommend them!

Honorable Mentions

• Celestial Monsters (Aiden Thomas)
• Somewhere Beyond the Sea (T.J. Klune)

 Biggest disappointment?

A Restless Truth (Freya Marske) ⭐ I liked A Marvellous Light, but A Restless Truth didn’t really live up to it. It’s a companion novel set in the same universe as the first book and follows Robin’s sister Maud Blyth as she embarks on a cruise to New York. The setting and premise were fantastic, but the execution left a lot to be desired. The mystery was so slow and boring, I don’t think there were any interesting twists and turns. Most of the time it felt like the characters were walking in circles. Maud and her team would try something, it wouldn’t work and then they’d start all over again. It felt very repetitive, as a lot of this book consists of characters just talking to each other and trying to make plans. The villains were so cartoonish and most side characters were indistinguishable. I feel like there were no high stakes or sense of danger, which took all the suspense out of the book 🙈

Biggest surprise?

Even If We Break (Marieke Nijkamp) ⭐ This was an engaging survival Thriller about a group of five friends. I’m not sure why this book has such a low average rating, but if the premise sounds interesting to you, I’d suggest giving it a try. I personally really enjoyed Even If We Break as it was suspenseful from start to finish and had such a diverse cast of complicated characters. The story follows Finn, Maddy, Ever, Carter & Liva who are going to an isolated cabin in the woods for their last RPG! I loved that their roleplaying game was a part of the story, as it brought them together in the first place.

“The world is a messed up and scary place. It’s lonely to go through it on your own. So, you have to find your family. You have to find people who will stand by you and make you laugh until you cry, and who will hold you while you cry until you laugh again.”

Favorite new author (Debut or new to you)?

Olivia Atwater (Half a Soul) ⭐ I have to go with Olivia Atwater for this prompt, as I really enjoyed Half a Soul, a historical Romance with a dash of Fantasy ❤️ I didn’t have any expectations for it, but I knew many people loved the book. The whimsical atmosphere and witty, lovable characters got me immediately 🥰 I’m definitely reading the other books in the series and can’t wait to read more books by this author, as I love her writing style!

Newest Favorite Character?

The Strawhat Crew (One Piece) ⭐ I know I started reading One Piece last year, but I just have to pick the Strawhat Crew because I love them so much 🥺 It’s a testament to the author’s ability that everyone is so well-written and lovable in their own way. While I have my favorite (it’s Sanji 💛) I genuinely love everyone on the crew. Even the more serious characters have their funny quirks which makes them even more endearing. I love the found family and loyalty in the crew as well, it’s just really touching ❤️ Once I’m farther into the series I’d love to do a post about my favorite characters!

Book that made you cry?

Himawari House (Harmony Becker) ⭐ This was such a touching, emotional graphic novel!! It’s set at a sharehouse in Tokyo and follows three foreign exchange students as they navigate living in Japan. I loved this book so much!! I visited Japan last autumn and I loved my time there, so I was excited to read a book set in this country. The friendship between the girls was so supportive and sweet! They all know what it’s like to struggle with living in Japan and are there for each other when someone is feeling lonely. Their bond and banter felt so natural and the ending made me quite emotional!

“What makes something real? Is it only real if you can touch it? Is it only real if someone else agrees that it is? Is it only real if it lasts forever? Maybe it doesn’t matter. However much of an illusion, however short, whether we remember in ten years, or in twenty, whether anyone else acknowledges that it happened or not. It was real to me and isn’t that enough?”

Book that made you happy?

The Chalice of the Gods (Rick Riordan) ⭐ I have to admit that I was sceptical about a sixth Percy Jackson book at first, despite loving Rick Riordan’s work. The original series holds such nostalgia to me, that I’m always unsure if a new book can live up to that. We’ve also seen a lot of Percy in other series, but I’m happy to report that he’s got one more adventure left in him! I really liked The Chalice of the God as it gives us another quest, that makes sense for Percy and where he’s at. This had all the trademark humor from Rick Riordan and so much nostalgia for the original series, while also providing a fresh perspective of the characters ❤️

“I am a guy of limited talents. If I can’t kill it with water, a sword, or sarcasm, I am basically defenseless.”

Favorite Book to Movie Adaptation?

One Piece (Anime) ⭐ I’ve seen a few book to movie adaptations this year (Three Body Problem, Bridgerton, One Day) but none blew me away. However, I’ve been reading the One Piece Manga and I think the Anime should count as an adaptation 😄 I’m farther into the Anime, as I’m slowly collecting the volumes, which is a bit pricey. This year has been tough but watching the Anime has been of my highlights as it always helps me relax! I also love the extra scenes and filler content as I’m a big fan of seeing the characters interact in more low-stakes situations ❤️

Favorite Review?

I’ve been reviewing the One Piece Manga Saga per Saga and I always have so much fun sharing my thoughts ❤️

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

Hell’s Library 2 & 3 (A.J. Hackwith) ⭐ I don’t have any concrete reading plans, but I’d like to finally finish the Hell’s Library series. I bought the entire series immediately after loving the first book, but then did that thing when I don’t immediately continue reading it 🙈 I’m planning on reading the second book this month and hope to follow it up with the final book in the series ❤️

What is the best book you’ve read so far? What is a new release you haven’t gotten to yet? What books do you need to read by the end of the year?⭐