I know I say this a lot, but isn’t it insane how quickly time passes? It’s already the middle of the year, folks! And you all know what that means….it’s time for the Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag!
Now, I wasn’t actually tagged to do this post, nor have I seen this tag anywhere lately in the interwebs (but let’s face it: I haven’t been an active blogger at all lately, so what do I know?), but I remembered seeing it a year ago over at Cait’s blog and decided to do it! (Yes, a year late. Whatever.)
Now, onto the tag!
Best Book You’ve Read Yet in 2016.
Things We Know By Heart by Jessi Kirby
By far my favorite read of 2016, and my only 5-star so far! (I know, that is kind of sad. We’re already halfway through the year and I’ve only read one 5-star book! I have read lots of amazing 4-stars, though.) This book affected me so much on so many levels; it’s been one of the most influential books of my life. I can’t even begin to explain how much this book meant to me, so I’ll just give you a link to my review of it. (Please check it out; it’s one of my best reviews! 🙂 ) Anyway, I cannot recommend this book highly enough to anyone who is going through a tough time in their life. This book is not only a great comfort read; it also contains some important lessons and revelations that literally changed my life. I loved seeing the world through Quinn’s eyes.
Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far in 2016.
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Remember at the beginning of the year how my one of my goals was to start reading more series? Well, HAHAHAHA, that plan failed. I’ve only read 2 series this year, and the Lunar Chronicles definitely win this one. The first, third, and fourth book were pretty good for me, but the second book – Scarlet – was AMAZING. This is a very character-driven book, and while I didn’t necessarily dislike any of the characters in this series, none of the other characters even came close to my love for both Scarlet and Wolf, the main characters in this particular novel. If you haven’t for some reason started this series despite the extreme hype in the YA book blogging community, GET ON IT!
New Release You Haven’t Read Yet But Want To.
The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson
Being the contemporary fan I am, this one would no doubt go to Morgan Matson’s newest book: The Unexpected Everything. I saw it when I went to the bookstore a few days ago, and OH MY GOODNESS that cover is gorgeous! (I was super tempted to buy a shiny hardcover copy of it, but unfortunately I was there to buy my friend a present and not myself. 😦 ) Anyway, I have absolutely adored all of Morgan Matson’s other books, and this one sounds even more interesting! If you’ve read this one, let me know what you thought of it in the comments!
Most Anticipated Release for the Second Half of the Year.
The Loose Ends List by Carrie Firestone
This book technically came out a week ago, but I’m waiting until it comes out in paperback to buy myself a copy. I can’t say I know very much about this book, but once again, isn’t that cover the most gorgeous thing you’ve ever seen?! I literally want to print it out and frame it and put it on a wall in my room; that’s how pretty it is. Also, contemporary.
Biggest Disappointment.
Anything But Ordinary by Lara Avery
I wanted so, so much to love this book – it sounded exactly like my kind of read! Unfortunately, I ended up being really disappointed. Although it was a relatively interesting and fast-paced book, there were still a ton of things that bugged me. The plot seemed disorganized and all over the place, the characters were flawless and boring, the writing style didn’t flow at all, and the ending made me so mad that I literally through the book across the room when I finished reading. Here’s the link to my review if you’re interested.
Biggest Surprise.
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman
I don’t know why I didn’t expect much from this book. It might have been that many of the reviews I had read on it said it was extremely slow-moving and confusing, or that the synopsis was so vague and relatively unexciting. But either way, I was so, so wrong. Challenger Deep is definitely one of my favorites so far from 2016, and probably one of the most beautifully-written books I’ve read in my life. The sheer quality of Shusterman’s use of imagery and symbolism and figurative language is absolutely astounding; although I admit I was a bit confused in some parts, getting to the end result was definitely worth it. An amazingly-executed and moving novel!
Favorite New Author.
Leila Sales
This Song Will Save Your Life was definitely a favorite for me of the first half of 2016. (I know, I have a lot of favorites!) Although this is the only book I’ve read yet by her, I had no hesitation whatsoever top add her to my favorites list after I finished this novel. Her writing is upbeat and lyrical, her plot unique and captivating, and her characters quirky and genuine. This was an extremely powerful read for me when I read it in early January of this year, and it helped me get through some tough decisions I had to make at the time. I will definitely be looking forward to getting my hands on her other books!
Newest Fictional Crush.
Colton Thomas
Because not only is he an adorable, amazing, sweet, hilarious, intelligent, nerdy, quirky guy – but he was also an extremely moving person to read about and he helped me see the world in a different way. (Yes, I’m referring to him as an actual person. DON’T JUDGE ME.) So, thank you so much for that, Jessi Kirby. PAIGE AND COLTON THOMAS ALL THE WAY! ❤
Newest Favorite Character.
Literally everyone from Dreamology by Lucy Keating. Because oh my goodness, each and every one of them are so damn adorable. I’M IN LOVE.
Book That Made You Cry.
LITERALLY ALL OF THEM. (Yes, every single book I’ve read in 2016. I kid you not.)
Book That Made You Happy.
Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson
I wouldn’t necessarily call this a particularly uplifting book (HA – as you can probably tell from the title and cover, it’s rather dark), but I was surprised to find that I actually adored reading it. I had just recovered from a massive reading slump, so it’s easy to understand how happy I was when I wanted to get up at 5:30 every morning to read. This book turned out to be AMAZING – the characters were quirky and hilarious, the plot was one of the most unique ideas I’d ever come across, and the writing was lovely. Highly recommend!
Favorite Book to Film Adaptation.
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
I haven’t seen very many book-to-movie adaptations this year, but Me Before You was no doubt my favorite. Although there were a few things I wasn’t too happy about and it didn’t completely live up to the book (but then again, what movie does?), the overall result was definitely positive. The casting was in my opinion the strong part of the film – the actors playing Lou and Will were exactly how I imagined them to be! I didn’t get bored at any point during this film, and it certainly had the entire audience crying bucketfuls.
Favorite Post You Have Done This Year.
I am rather fond of many of the reviews I’ve done this year, especially on Things We Know By Heart, Anything But Ordinary, and Maybe In Another Life. Also, I liked the collection of mini reviews I did back in March.
Most Beautiful Book You’ve Bought This Year.
Definitely Dreamology by Lucy Keating. (See above.)
What Books Do You Need to Read by the End of the Year.
All of them. If you’re friends with me on Goodreads, you can view my never-ending TBR list.
But, particularly:
- One Plus One by Jojo Moyes
- The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes
- Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin
- Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven
- Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill
- 17 & Gone by Nova Ren Suma
I Tag….
- Ben @ Ben’s Book Blog (Please check his blog out – he’s an amazing new blogger and deserves a shoutout!)
- Marie @ Drizzle and Hurricane Books
- Deanna @ A Novel Glimpse
- Ayunda @ Tea & Paperbacks
- The Orang-utan Librarian
Eek, that’s a tough one. Especially because pretty much all my favorite books are stand-alones. At the moment, it would probably be Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira, which I read a few years ago but still get chills whenever I think about it. It’s such an underrated book, and one of my absolute favorites.
Seriously, what kind of question is this?! I have way too many to count. But I guess I’d go with Audrey and James from Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway (which, by the way, is a hilarious, fabulous, extremely underrated book that absolutely everyone should read) because I adore both of them and they’re so perfect for each other! Like, almost as perfect as me and James. I suppose that if I can’t have him, Audrey having him would be my next choice….
I’m not big on fantasy or sci-fi books, but I’d have to say The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey. The world Yancey created was so incredibly complex and terrifying!
Finch from All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven would be my top pick by far. He’s just so sweet and weird and nerdy and adorable!
My favorite part of If I Stay by Gayle Forman would definitely be the music aspect of the book. I don’t know anything about music, so the way Gayle Forman described it so magically and flawlessly was really amazing to read.
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater 
More Than This by Patrick Ness
All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Page By Paige 