Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag // 2021 Edition

Hi readers! We are almost done with July and I have been seeing literally everyone joining in on the Mid-Year Book Freak Out tag. I was starting to feel a little left out, so I thought I’ll just jump straight in as well! LOL!

Before we start, I would like to thank all of you for the tremendous support I have been seeing on my blog these past few months. Interacting with my readers and fellow bloggers while being mostly stuck at home has been such a blessing. I am always grateful for my growing audience and it is always a pleasure to see more of you all here every day.

This took me the looooongest time to decide! Carry On by Rainbow Rowell is the only book other than The Crown of Gilded Bones that really engaged me in the best way possible. I was laughing, crying, cheering and just going through all the emotions with this read.

I am a huuuuge fan of the Blood and Ash series by Jennifer L. Armentrout, so The Crown of Gilded Bones was my most anticipated release of the whole year. I absolutely loved how the third book in this series expanded this intricate universe of gods, vampires and werewolves.

I meant to reread the whole Harbinger series in anticipation of Grace and Glory‘s release, but I got so caught up in all the ARCs I was meant to finish that I just couldn’t find the time. Hopefully, I will be able to give this series (and maybe even the Dark Elements series) the attention it deserves in the months to come!

I have been waiting to read A Shadow in the Ember ever since Jennifer announced the concept of this book! It is a spin-off/prequel series to the popular Blood and Ash series, featuring the Primal god Nyktos and the story of him and his Consort.

I was shocked by how disappointed I was reading Half the World Away by Rebecca Banks. The story just did not meet up to my personal expectations and I had issues with the plot and romance. Maybe it’s just me, but this book just lacked execution.

I read The Secret Bridesmaid in one day and it was so good! It made me laugh, cry and aw all in one sitting, so it’s one of those perfect rainy days reads. It also took me by complete surprise because I didn’t expect myself to get so attached or to recommend it as much as I do!

For a new-to-me author, I choose Nicole Kornher-Stace here because she is the author that I am most excited about. I requested an eARC of Firebreak simply because the premise was intriguing, and the book gave me more than I ever expected it to. Now that I have skimmed through her backlist, I am so excited to make my way through her collection of original and diverse sci-fi novels.

For a debut author, I pick Aparna Verma, author of The Boy With Fire, which I am currently reading. I am not even midway through and this author’s talent is just giving me life! I recommend this author to anyone who would love a good #ownvoices adult fantasy series featuring morally grey characters, beautiful Southeast Asian elements, and badass women! Also, keep an eye out for my review!

I omitted the “newest fictional crush” and “newest favourite character” categories because I just couldn’t get myself to choose a few or a handful!

The tears Firebreak wrung out of me took me by complete surprise, honestly. I cried snotty tears of sadness by the time I finished reading this book and it broke me in the best way.

I would recommend It’s Been a Pleasure, Noni Blake to anyone who needs a little self-love or pick-me-up. Reading this rom-com raised my mood, my self-confidence and my wanderlust. I am still reminiscing over the happy memories/sentiments this read left me with.

The only adaptation I read and watched so far this year was The Color Purple and I really liked it. I preferred the book for its epistolatory style and the depth of themes discussed, but I liked the movie for its great cast and the way they adapted the book into a style that is more attention-grabbing to the viewers but still very committed to the book.

My review of Norwegian Wood was my 100th post on this blog and I put a lot of attention into reading and reviewing this book. I was also really happy about the positive reception this review received, so yeah this review is definitely my fave right now!

I’ve got quite a list but I think these eARCs and request copies take priority right now:

It’s time to chat! What were your favourite reads of this year so far? What books can’t you wait for in the second half of this year? I love adding books to my TBR, so shower me with your recs in the comments!