2023 Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag

Hey hi hello friends!

It's Tag Tuesday, and this time it's a classic both on my blog and the bookish side of the Internet in general. Today I'll be doing the Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag for the fourth time! I love doing this tag every year as it's a great way to evaluate how my reading has been going. 

Okay, let's just get right into the tag!

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1. How much have you read this year?

    So far in 2023 I've read 74 books. While that's actually on the low side for me, I'm still very proud of that number. This year has been really difficult so far so the fact that I've read 74 books feels like a strong accomplishment.

2. What have you been reading?

    My 3 main genres of the year so far have been fantasy, historical fiction, and mythology retellings. I know that last one isn't technically a genre but I've read 6 of them so it feels significant enough to mention. I have also, of course, been reading a fair amount of manga. But I've actually been a little all over the place when it comes to genre. I think I've read a little bit of everything at this point. That's super interesting to me, since I usually stick to my favorites. I like that I'm branching out!

3. Best book of the year (so far)?

You know that I have to say Yellowface by R.F. Kuang. Is that any surprise? I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if Yellowface ends up being the 2023 book of the year at this point, it's so big. And for good reason, too! I absolutely love R.F. Kuang's writing, and Yellowface proves to me that she can probably write just about anything and have it become a bestseller. 

I also really enjoyed After Sappho by Selby Wynn Schwartz. It's pretty much made for me: a book all about Sapphic women who were influenced by the tenth Muse herself, Sappho of Lesbos. While it is fiction, the women mentioned were real historic figures, like Romaine Brooks and Virginia Woolf. I learned so much about a ton of different women and I loved every page!

4. Best sequel of the year (so far)?

This absolutely has to go to Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson. I can't believe it's taken me this long to start Sanderson's Stormlight Archive, but the important thing is that I have. I'm currently reading Oathbringer right now, but at this point I think Words of Radiance is better (even if Shallan annoys me). 

5. New release you still haven't gotten to?

Okay don't get mad, but I still haven't read A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon. I know, I know! Like I said before, it's been a bad year. I bought it on it's release day and it's been sitting on my shelf ever since, just patiently waiting for me to get there. If I don't get to it by the end of June, then I'll read it in July. 

6. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year?

    I have a few. Well, I have more than a few, but these are the biggest ones that I'm looking forward to. 

First, there's The Weaver and the Witch Queen by Genevieve Gornichec. This will be her sophomore novel after The Witch's Heart, which is one of my favorite mythological retellings. The Weaver and the Witch Queen is also based on Norse history and mythology, this time about Oddny and Gunnhild, two legendary women from Viking age Norway. Gornichec's attention to detail and her passion for the history shine through every page she writes, and you know I'll be first in line to buy this book on it's release day. 

I also am counting down the days for The Chalice of the Gods by Rick Riordan to come out. We all know that Rick Riordan is an auto-buy author for me at this point, so it's no surprise that I'm itching for this book to be published. I'm super excited that we are returning to Percy's POV in this novel. I miss his sassy narration style. 

Lastly, I have to mention The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab. This is the first book in a continuation series of A Darker Shade of Magic, which was the first Schwab book I ever read. I love pretty much everything she writes, but I can't lie, I've been waiting to return to Kell and Red London. I'm planning on rereading the original trilogy in preparation for this release. 

7. Biggest disappointment?

Now this really sucks, but I have to say The Dawn of Yangchen by F.C. Yee. I love Avatar: the Last Airbender and the entire world attached to it, but I was so bored by Yangchen's book. I did enjoy the Kyoshi novels when I read them, but now I'm thinking that if I read them today I'd feel similarly to how I felt about The Dawn of Yangchen. It's sad, but I think I'm done with these particular Avatar novels. I'll still be reading the comics, though. 

8. Biggest surprise?

I don't know if I'd really classify this as a surprise, but I wasn't expecting Solitaire by Alice Oseman to be as dark as it was. I guess since Heartstopper is so sweet and happy, even in the later volumes when more serious topics are being discussed, I thought Solitaire would be more of the same. But it's actually super emotional and dark. I still enjoyed reading it, but had I known how serious it was I probably would have waited until I was in a better place mentally to pick it up. 

9. New favorite author (debut or new to you)?

It has to be Selby Wynn Schwartz. I can't believe that After Sappho was her debut novel!

10. Underrated gems you've discovered recently?

Pretty much everything I've read so far this year has either been very popular, or they were new releases, so it took me a while to find a good answer for this question. I'm going with the manga series Our Wonderful Days by Kei Hamuro. It's a Yuri Shoujo (meaning a sapphic relationship) and it's super short, only 3 volumes long. It's perfect to read in a single afternoon or evening. I'd love if it also got a mini anime series, I think that it'd be super cute!

11. Any rereads?

So far this year I've reread two books. First I reread Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson in preparation for the novella, Mysteries of Thorn Manor, which was an absolute delight. I also reread Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan when I was at a super low point. That series always makes me feel better. I also read the illustrated edition, which made it feel more like I was reading a storybook. That helped my mood improve quite a bit. 

12. Newest fictional crush?

    Now normally I skip this question because I tend not to form crushes on fictional characters, but this year I actually have two! 

First is absolutely Dalinar Kholin from The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. Look, I'll be the first to say it, but Dalinar is total DILF material, okay? Take the cringe! He's so strong and honorable and good. It takes a lot for me to like male characters nowadays, so kudos to you, Brandon Sanderson. 

   

And of course I have to talk about Princess Yona from the manga Yona of the Dawn, by Kusanagi Mizuho. This is less of a crush and more of a "I want the whole world for this character" kind of thing. Yona is the girlboss of my dreams, honestly. 

13. Newest favorite character?

You're getting another Stormlight Archive character, sorry not sorry. This time it's Kaladin Stormblessed, naturally. In a world so different from our own, he's so relatable. And actually reading about Kaladin's depression helped me through my own, so I have to say a big thank you for that. 

14. A book that made you cry?

I can't not mention I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy for this question. I know I'm a little late to the party with this one, but everything you've heard about this memoir is true. It's phenomenal, truly. 

   

The book that made me cry most recently was The Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro. I have an entire review/gush for this book here, but suffice it to say that I felt all the feelings while reading this novel. Nico and Will are two characters that hold a special place in my heart so getting an entire book about them meant more than I could ever express. 

15. A book that made you happy?

Like I said before, Mysteries of Thorn Manor by Margaret Rogerson was just a little book of sunshine. I hope I can find it at a thrift store though, because it's a little too pricey for the page count if you know what I mean. 

16. Favorite adaptation of the year (so far)?

I haven't watched any new adaptations fully through (I say this because I watched a couple episodes of Daisy Jones and the Six and XO, Kitty but never finished them) but I am currently rewatching Anne With an E, which is easily one of my most favorite adaptations even if I haven't read the book. 

17. Most beautiful cover you've bought/received this year?

Of course I have to mention A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon because I'm completely obsessed with this cover as well as Priory's cover. The colors are so vibrant, they remind me of old mosaic's or ancient Chinese tapestries. 

I also want to mention The Tatami Galaxy by Tomihiko Morimi, because this aesthetic just works for me. 

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

    There are a lot of books that I'm hoping I'll get to before the year is over, but these are my top priority.

First, I really want to read Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler. It would be my first book by her but I've heard nothing but praise, and the fact that it takes place in the 2020s, it just seems like the perfect time to read it. 

   

I also want to continue with Hunter x Hunter by Yoshihiro Togashi. I'm currently on volume 19, and I'd love to catch up to where the manga currently is (I think there are 40 or so volumes out by now). I feel like I've put it off long enough. 

   

And lastly, this year I really want to finish Naomi Novik's Temeraire series. I have 3 books left, and I'd love to binge them all at once. I just need to be in the right mood for that. 

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Alright, that's it for this tag! I love answering these questions every year. If you want to do this tag as well, feel free to say that I tagged you! 

Until next time, friends!