Book Tag: Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag (2017 Edition)

Who tagged me in the Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag you wonder?  Well no one, but I remember completing it last year, and figured I’d do it again this year.  #NoShame

Let’s get right to it, shall we?

•Best Book(s) You’ve Read in 2017•

» A Conjuring of Light (Shades of Magic #3) by V.E. Schwab

» East by Edith Pattou

» Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

» Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

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•Best 2017 New Release You’ve Read Thus Far•

 » A Conjuring of Light (Shades of Magic #3) by V.E. Schwab

Despite the fact that there were a few unanswered questions, I absolutely loved the conclusion of the Shades of Magic trilogy.  It is definitely one of my favorite series of all times.

•Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far in 2017•

» A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

If you asked me which book was my favorite in the Shades of Magic series, I’m pretty confident I would select A Gathering of Shadows… You know, if I was forced to choose.  I flew through this book the week before I was set to attend the A Conjuring of Light book tour.

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•2017 New Release(s) You Haven’t Read Yet But Want To•

» Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

» Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

» The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

» The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

» Now I Rise by Kiersten White

» The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

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•Most Anticipated 2017 Release(s) for the Second Half of the Year•

Sooooo I am totally out of the loop in regards to new releases since this year I’ve been focusing on clearing out my NetGalley eARCs & the books I already own, BUT I am going to pick two books that I will be attending the authors’ book tours in September…

» The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic by Leigh Bardugo

» Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

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•Biggest Disappointment•

Hmmmmm.  I don’t really have any disappointments necessarily, because all of the books I was looking forward to reading this year have turned out fairly decent… How about I share my least favorite book I’ve read thus far this year?

» The History Major by Michael Phillip Cash

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•Biggest Surprise(s)•

» The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker

I read this book in preparation for attending the SOKY Book Festival back in April.  I had not really heard anything about this book, but it became available through my library and decided to give it a go.  This book surprised me in the fact that it was so much more than I was ever expecting.  It was raw, gritty, & dark.  It absolutely blew me away.  Definitely one of my top reads of 2017 thus far!

» The Good Girl by Mary Kubica

My favorite Mary Kubica book!  This book surprised me in the sense that I did NOT see that twist coming at the end.  Well played Kubica, well played.

» The Wolf Road by Beth Lewis

This book surprised me in two ways: I am surprised at how much I enjoyed it despite it being way outside my comfort zone (and despite the gore), AND I was surprised by the twist…. which I probably SHOULD have seen coming but didn’t.

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•Favorite New (To Me) Authors•

» Grace Lin

Book read: When the Sea Turned to Silver

» Thanhha Lai

Books read: Inside Out & Back Again and Listen, Slowly

» Lisa Jewell

Books Read: The Girls in the Garden and I Found You

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•Newest Fictional Crush•

» Gilbert Blythe from Anne of Green Gables

I just love Gilbert.  What he does for Anne at the end of the first book made my heart melt.

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•Newest Favorite Characters•

I have a thing for the oddballs…

» Anne (with an ‘E’) Shirley from Anne of Green Gables

» Willow Chance from Counting by 7s

» Mel Vaught and Sharon Kisses from The Animators

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•A Book That Made You Cry•

» Sachiko: A Nagasaki Bomb Survivor’s Story by Caren Stelson

If you can read this book without shedding a tear, then you do not have a soul.

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•A Book That Made You Happy•

» Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

While there were plenty of things that made me cringe in this book, it is such a heartwarming and charming read.  If you need anymore motivation, you can read my post giving you reasons why you should read this classic → 5 Reasons Why You Should Read Anne of Green Gables + My AoGG Aesthetic #AnneReadAlong2017

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•Favorite Book to Film Adaptation•

» Beauty and the Beast

Does Beauty and the Beast count?  I mean it is a fairytale…. Honestly I don’t really watch much TV or many movies, but the original Disney version of Beauty and the Beast (1991) was my favorite movie growing up (it came out when I was 4), so I was super excited they were redoing it.  I was so excited to see it, I braved taking a 3 year old to this 2.5 hour movie… We both loved it 🙂

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•Favorite Post You Have Done This Year•

» Book Blogger Recs: Bloggers to Follow for Thriller/Suspense/Crime Readers

» Book Blogger Recs: Bloggers to Follow for YA Readers (Part 1)

» Book Blogging Babble: What Makes You Click (or NOT Click) That Follow Button?

» Blogging Babble: Blogger/Follower Expectations

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•Most Beautiful Book You’ve Bought This Year•

» Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

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•What Book Do You Need to Read by the End of the Year•

Can the answer be ALL the books?  No?  How about a book I’ve been wanting to read FOREVER and have yet to get around to…

» The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

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•How Many Books Have You Read in 2017 Thus Far?•

*As of the end of June 2017

What are some of your favorite reads of 2017 thus far?

Which new releases are you anticipating for the second half of 2017?

Comment below & let me know 🙂