Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag 2020

    Hello there.

     I’ve no idea where it originated from but I’ve seen this tag so many times now over on YouTube and done by a few bloggers so I figured why not hop on the band wagon and do it too. I’ve not read a whole lot this year to pick my answers from but I’ll give it a go anyway. Also, here are my Goodreads stats for 2020 so far:

     Is an average rating of 3.2 good or bad? I feel like do rate a lot of books 3 stars…also, my longest book is a bit of a cheat because that was actually a collection of 6 very short books.

     Anyway, onto the tag!

Best book you’ve read so far in 2020?

     If I base this solely off of what I gave the highest rating, it would be The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch which is the only book I’ve given 5 stars this year. I read/listened to it back in February (it’s a long, slow book so I switched between the two mediums).

Favourite sequel from the first half of the year?

     For a moment there I thought the only sequels I’d read this year were the Witcher books but then I remembered I’ve read a lot of series so this question is thankfully saved from having a bad book as the answer. My favourite sequel would have to be Changes by Jim Butcher which is book #12 in The Dresden Files Series. I listened to the audiobook narrated by James Marsters which is the best way to experience the series, in my opinion.

A new release that you haven’t read yet but are really excited for?

   I’m not overly familiar with new releases and release dates but I believe both The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant and A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown came out earlier this month and I do really want to read both of those at some point.

Most anticipated release in the second half of the year?

     Again, not very familiar with release dates and I’m quite focused on the books I own rather than what’s coming out so there’s a few I plan to read but I’m not really thinking about them. Blossoms and Bullet Journals did have a handy list of some releases for the next few months which I found informative (a.k.a. resulted in some additions to my to-read list).
     I’m excited for Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia which is out in a few days if that counts. I’m not thinking about it for myself though – I’m trying to encourage my sister back into reading and it looks like a good book for her as she enjoys horror.

Biggest disappointment so far?

     Everything I’ve read by Andrzej Sapkowski. I love the Witcher video games so much and wanted to enjoy the books they were inspired by but oh that was not the case. Also, I found out that he doesn’t value video games as a storytelling medium which is just wrong.

Biggest surprise so far?

     I haven’t had too many surprises this year…other than how much of a disappointment the Andrzej Sapkowski books were…so basically the same as my disappointments.

Favourite new author (new to you or debut author)?

     I loved We Hunt the Flames and am looking forward to the sequel coming out next year so I’d have to say Hafsah Faizal is my new favourite author based on what I’ve read this year (and I think We Hunt the Flames is her first book).  Her writing just really drew me in and I hope that continues in her next book.

Newest fiction crush?

     Nazir from We Hunt the Flames – I love a tortured assassin character.

Newest favourite character?

     Locke from The Lies of Locke Lamora.

A book that made you cry?

     I have not cried over a book this year! I don’t really cry over books for some reason…maybe I’m just reading the wrong books.

A book that made you happy?

     Reading A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer made me quite happy because it was the first book I read since earlier 2020 that made me think my reading slump was over. I’d read other books over that time period but I always felt on the verge of falling back into a slump while reading those. It was also the first paperback I’d read in a while and that made me very happy!

What is the most beautiful book that you have bought?

     Cover wise, The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta.

     Content wise…We Hunt the Flame as some beautifully written parts.

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

     Oh so many. So, so many. And I’ll highlight them in a future post when I show you my June book hauls.

     So that’s the 2020 Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag. I hope you enjoyed reading my answers. What do you think about any of the books I’ve mentioned?

     And if you want to do this tag yourself, here’s a list of the questions for you to copy/paste:

• Best book you’ve read so far in 2020?
• Favourite sequel from the first half of the year?
• A new release that you haven’t read yet but are really excited for?
• Most anticipated release in the second half of the year?
• Biggest disappointment so far?
• Biggest surprise so far?
• Favourite new author (new to you or debut author)?
• Newest fiction crush?
• Newest favourite character?
• A book that made you cry?
• A book that made you happy?
• What is the most beautiful book that you have bought?
• What books do you want to read by the end of the year?