The Mid-Year Freak Out Tag

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And because it's June and thus halfway through the year, it's time for the tag I do every year: The Mid-Year Freak Out Tag! 

Of course I was always going to make time for this, I look forward to it every year. 

And so, enjoy! 

~The best book you've read so far in 2021~

As usual, I find this first one incredibly hard. I don't have a favourite at this point, but I do have a shortlist. 

Those favourites are:- 

1. Queen of Shadows/ Kingdom of Ash, by Sarah J Maas

2. The FlatShare, by Beth O Leary

3. Amari and the Night Brothers, by B.B. Alston 

4. The Ghosts We Keep, by Mason Deaver

5. Instructions for Dancing, by Nicola Yoon

Although these are all completely different, I loved them all anyway. They've all been phenomenal reads, and you can read about why I loved (most of) them in my wrap ups. 

~Best sequel you've read so far in 2021~ 

I haven't read a whole lot of sequels so far this year (that I haven't started and finished anyway). But I loved this sequel (as well as all the other Heartstopper volumes) and I liked how this volume took a darker turn in terms of plot. (Not that I want something bad to happen to the characters, cos they're my babies, but it was nice to see a change in direction.) Can't wait to see where this series goes next! 

~New release you haven't yet read, but want to~

I have heard so much hype for this book in recent weeks that I couldn't not put this down. 

Tokyo Ever After is a combination of The Princess Diaries and Crazy Rich Asians, it follows Izumi Tanaka, who has never really felt like she belongs anywhere- it's not easy being Japanese American in a small Californian town. Then she finds out something about her previously unknown father- that he's none other than the Crown Prince of Japan. Which means that outspoken Izzie is a literal princess. In seemingly no time at all, Izzie is thrown in a world of royalty, learning maybe a million new rules- surrounded by people that have been learning them their whole lives. Soon she finds herself caught between two versions- the her back home or the new one in Japan. Will Izzie crumble under the weight of the crown, or will she find her own happily ever after? 

Not only do I love the cover, but this premise sounds fantastic. I'm really hoping I'll be able to find the time to get to this soon, because I have a feeling it'll be a 5 star prediction. 

~Most anticipated release for the second half of the year~

This is basically a drama/ orchestra power struggle as two people who hate eachother (at the beginning) have to work together to save the department they both love. There's more to it than that, but you can read more about this (if you're interested) in my anticipated releases post. The release date is 21/9/21, so hopefully I'll be able to squeece it into September. (Just click here for the full details on the Synopsis.)

~Biggest disappointment~

I feel really bad for putting these down but I just thought they dragged. I just wasn't motivated to read them, in all honesty. They were decent books, so maybe it was just bad timing. However, I doubt I'll be going back to the series anytime soon. 

~Favourite new author (new to you)~

Even though I've now read all of Beth O' Leary's books, she still counts as a new to me author. I can definitely say that I enjoy her books, as you can see! I like her books because although they're funny and light-hearted, they always have more to them under the surface, and the characters are always fleshed out and realistic. I can say for certain that I will be reading anything else she releases in the future. 

~Newest fictional crush~

Chaol. Sorry guys, especially those that fell for Dorian. Maybe it was because everybody was rooting for Dorian and Celeana, but for some reason, it was Chaol that I was thinking about the most. So, it's Chaol. 

~Newest favourite character~

Amari, from ______ and the Night Brothers. She's resourceful, likeable and she won't be pushed around by anyone. A pretty decent protagonist, and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in the sequel. I'll tell you more about what it was about, and what I liked about it in my wrap up. But I will say that it was a fast and entertaining read, with easily relatable characters. 

~Book that made you cry~

I haven't cried with any book yet this year but with this one I sure came close. I wasn't sure I was in the right emotional state for this book but I'm so glad I read this when I did. It's a tough book to read, short and simple, but powerful nevertheless. This book was both good and bad, it was good because of the wonderful relationship between Marin and Mabel; it was bad because of the feelings I was encountering upon reading this. All in all a wonderful book, but be aware of the trigger warnings. 

Trigger warnings: death, depression.

~Book that made you happy~

This book taught to live your life to the fullest, to take every opportunity I can, because there's no telling how long it'll last- a month or a lifetime. This is Nicola Yoon's newest book, and it's my favourite so far. A quick and easy read, but the message underneath is exceptional, and it's also not thrown in your face at every line. Aside from that, it's a book about ballroom! Despite having two left feet, I love reading books about choreographed dancing, because I can find any! There's enough of the other themes for you to like and enjoy this book, even if you're not a fan of ballroom, so I highly recommend this. 

~Most beautiful book you've bought this year (or received)~

THIS. I just love the way the gold shimmers, and coupled with little intricasies of red (and black background), the whole cover looks positively regal. Most beautiful book I've purchased this year by far. 

(Also, I have a review for this, which you can check out here.)

~What books do you need to read by the end of the year~

I'd like to catch up on all the Rick Riordan series', which means:

-The Kane Chronicles trilogy

-Trialls of Apollo trilogy

-Magnus Chase trilogy

Okay! That's the Mid-Year Freak Out Tag! 

As always, I tag everybody who hasn't yet done this yet. 

I always love to do this tag, because it means I can keep my eye on the prize with the second part of the year. It's like the second part can't take place until it's done. 

I hope you have a wonderful evening (or day, wherever you are) and I'll see you very soon! 

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx