Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag {2016}

So apparently 2016 is halfway over and EXCUSE ME HOW DID THIS HAPPEN I AM NOT OKAY WITH THIS. Shouldn’t it be like February still? Or at least March? Or NOT JULY??
Ahem.
Since 2016 is being all rude and halfway over now (actually halfway plus a little over a week over but DETAILS), I’m joining in on the Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag. Because BOOKS. And MID-YEAR. AND FREAKING OUT.
Humongous thanks to my girl Deborah @ The Page Dreamer for passing this my way. Basically the point of this is to answer questions about the books you’ve read during the first half of the year. Just another excuse for me to flail about books! LIKE I DO.
From January 1st to June 30th I’ve officially read 20 books. Whiiiiich isn’t a whole lot, to be honest. Turns out when you get older you have RESPONSIBILITIES and can’t stay up to 3 a.m. reading. (Not that I did that when I was young, noooo.) Also I’ve read a fair amount of larger books this year, so we can blame that as well. Yes? Yes. (Or I’ve just been watching a lot of Doctor Who during the times I could be reading BUT YA KNOW.)
MY 2016 READS

And, if you’re feeling especially nosy, you can check out my 2016 READS SHELF on GoodReads to see them all listed and with my ratings and all that fun stuff.
QUESTIONS
(All links and book covers lead to their respective GoodReads pages.)
1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2016
CRESS. I mean, I adored the whole Lunar Chronicles (SO MUCH ADORE) but Cress was hands down my favoritest of them all.

It was so feelsy and hilarious and has my newest favorite baby children (*pets Cress and Thorne*) and so much was happening. And just GAH. I LOVED IT SO MUCH.
But almost ALL the books I’ve read so far have been marvelous. 2106 is proving to be a good reading year!
2. Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2016
Erm. . . I haven’t actually read a sequel, per se. I’ve read a couple of series though. So would the second book of a series count as the “sequel”?? (I DON’T KNOW THINGS.) In which case I’ll go with Scarlet. Which was the second book in the Lunar Chronicles, and, to be honest, my least favorite of the series. But it was still fantastic! The others were just even BETTER.

3. New release you haven’t read yet but want to
*falls over* SO MANY HALP.
Okay, so I’m bad and not always up to date on what’s releasing when or not. But I do know there are like a hundred thousand books out there I want to read, and many of them are new. The first one that pops to mind is King’s Folly by Jill Williamson, who happens to be one of my top favorite authors. And King’s Folly takes place in the same world as my favorite series by her, the Blood of King’s trilogy. SO YES I NEED THIS NOW.

OH. And I also desperately need A Branch of Silver, a Branch of Gold by Anne Elisabeth Stengl. Another author I’m completely in love with. And this story is a loose retelling of the TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES, which happens to be my second favorite fairytale (after Beauty and the Beast) and just WHY HAVE I NOT READ THIS BOOK YET???
DAT COVER ALSO
4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year
Like I said, my ability to actually pay attention to dates is severely lacking. But I am super de duper looking forward to the Five Magic Spindles collection, which releases fairly soonish I think. . .? But I LOVED Rooglewood Press’s first two fairytale collections, and this one sounds. . .different. I’m extremely curious about it!
And this cover may be the greatest thing my
eyeballs have ever seen. O_O
5. Biggest disappointment
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey. With all the hype, I was expecting it to be really good but. . .meh. I didn’t really like it. At all. I felt nothing for the characters, the plot never seemed to be going anywhere, not to mention the language that should have not been there. Blergh. It was just disappointing all around.

6. Biggest surprise
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. Not only was I shocked how addicted I got to it (this coming from the girl who barely ever reads contemporaries), it was also just SURPRISING. Dat ending. *falls over* I’ll never recover!

(Although, I can’t say I recommend it because it, too, had language everywhere that completely ruined what otherwise was an amazing book. WHY must these secular authors put language eeeverywhere for impressionable teens? I ASK YOU. I keep wanting to read secular books but realize I don’t need to because LANGUAGE. EVERYWHERE But, erm, let us not get into that rant. *cough*)
7. Favorite new author
New as in an author that has debuted this year, or new as in new to me? I’m going to have to go with the latter, either way, because I haven’t actually read any books by an author who debuted this year yet. . .
But let’s say Rick Riordan. Yes, I only just read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series for the first time this year and WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG? That series was golden! Hilarious and fun and full of totally squishable character and just CALL ME A NEW MEMBER OF CAMP HALF-BLOOD.

I absolutely plan on reading more Rick Riordan in the future!
8. Newest fictional crush/ship
I’ve been screaming their names any chance I get since reading the Lunar Chronicles, so you can probably guess by now, BUT DON’T THINK I WON’T SAY IT AGAIN.
THORNE AND CRESS.
Cress is the most precious, awkward, hopeless little romantic in all the galaxies. While Thorne is that ever loveable cocky, sarcastic rogue with a heart of gold deep down and JUST LET ME SQUEEZE THEM.
Totally adorable fanart of my bbys.
But also Percy and Annabeth from the Percy Jackson books. The shipping was hard people. Very hard. They were both so awkward and I was giggling alllll the way through. #percabethforever
ADORBZ.
Okay, let’s be real here. . .
Way more accurate interpretation.
Percy all confused, Annabeth annoyed. Yes.
9. Newest favorite character
Erm. . . Cress. (SURPRISED?) But also Thorne. Like I can choose between them. I DON’T THINK SO.
But let it be known I also totally and completely adored Winter from that series as well.
10. Book that made you cry
BROTHERS-IN-ARMS BY JACK LEWIS BAILLOT. MUCH PAIN. MUCH SORROW.

And, now that I think of it, Japhet and Franz, the two main characters from this book, also go on my list of newest favorite characters. MY PRECIOUS BOYS.
11. Book that made you happy
Paper Crowns by Mirriam Neal. It’s sunshine rolled into a book and never ceases to make me smile.

12. Favorite book to film adaption you saw this year
Does Alice Through the Looking Glass count? Even though it’s not the actual book but a sequel to the books. BUT JUST LET ME FLAIL BECAUSE THAT MOVIE WAS PERFECTION. A lot of people seem to say it dishonored the original stories. . .? I totally disagree. ME. The girl unhealthily obsessed with Alice in Wonderland! I HAVE MANY THOUGHTS ON THE SUBJECT. Buuuut, that’s a discussion for another time. *grins*
I also saw The Jungle Book and quite enjoyed it. Though. . .I’ve never actually read the original book. Oops?
And I want to see The 5th Wave movie because I’ve heard some people say it made up for the book’s meh-ness. But I sadly haven’t yet.
13. Favorite post you have done so far this year
Oh, wow. Um. . . *glances at list of posts*
Well, here’s a few I rather like:
–Thank You (A personal thank you to Jesus for that Ultimate Sacrifice He gave.)
–The Circle of Creativity (A look into a way to refill our creative barrels.)
–7 Elements I Love to Write (My favoritest things to write!)
14. Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year
*writhes on floor moaning* SO MANY PRETTY THIIINGS.
Prooobably either Illusionarium, Winter, or Paper Crowns. JUST ALL THE GORGEOUSNESS.

15. What books do you need to read by the end of this year
ALL OF THEM.
No, like, all. of. them.
You know at this point I think I own more books I haven’t read than have? NOT KIDDING. Between a humongous library sale in April and bookstores and thrifting and such, I AM DROWNING IN BOOKS. (And not complaining a wee little bit.) So. . .I don’t even know. There’s probably hundreds I need to read!

Some I’d like to get to soonish possibly maybe would be. . .
The Ilyon Chronicles by Jaye L. Knight. It’s a tragedy I have not read those yet! I’d also really like to finish The Safe Lands trilogy by Jill Williamson. I’ve read the first one but not the other two, even though they’re literally sitting on my shelves. What is wrong with me?? The Book Thief is also one I very shamefully haven’t read yet and want to quite soon! Yet another just sitting there on my shelf, staring at me, demanding I read it! AND the Divergent series. Yet again, I OWN THEM ALL. But have I read them? NOPE.
I could literally sit here for hours listing books I should read soon (and will probably continue putting off for absolutely no reason for another million years or so), but we’ll leave it at that.
~ ~ ~
Whew! That was long I know, but once you get me talking about books there is no end. *cackles*
Now it’s time to pass this lovely thing on. . .
TAGGING
Katie Grace @ A Writer’s Faith | Skye @ Ink Castles
| Lisa @ Pickle’s Pen and Trinkets | Jameson @ Lovely Whatsoevers |
Victoria @ Wanderer’s Pen + ANYONE else who wants to join!
Obviously no obligation at all to participate, especially since the mid-year mark is getting away from us. *glares at Time and its hastiness*
OKAY. Are you totally in shock that the year is
HALFWAY OVER? *dies* How is reading going this year?
What is your FAVORITE book you’ve read so far??
Come, gush about books with meeee!