Last week I saw Pages and Pugs do the Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag and it inspired me to do the same – I can’t believe it’s already June!

The original tag was created by Read Like Wildfire and Earl Grey Books.

BEST BOOK THAT YOU’VE READ SO FAR IN 2019?

Spinning Silver is my book of the year so far and I’m going to be very pleasantly surprised if anything else knocks it off its perch this year. I adored this novel; it’s a new all-time favourite and it’s the Rumpelstiltskin retelling I’ve always wanted.

BEST SEQUEL THAT YOU’VE READ SO FAR IN 2019?

I’ve struggled with Holly Black’s work in the past, but I’ve fallen in love with her Folk of the Air series this year and I loved The Wicked King. I find this series so juicy and delicious – I’m in love with Black’s world-building – and I can’t wait to get my hands on The Queen of Nothing!

NEW RELEASE THAT YOU HAVEN’T READ YET BUT WANT TO?

SO MANY. In particular, though, I want to read The Priory of the Orange Tree because I have a feeling I’m going to adore it, I just need to read the damn thing.

MOST ANTICIPATED RELEASE FOR THE NEXT HALF OF 2019?

Gods of Jade and Shadow is finally coming out next month and I am so excited for another Silvia Moreno-Garcia novel! I’m itching to get my hands on Ninth House, too; I can’t wait to see Bardugo writing adult rather than YA fantasy because I feel like her style is really suited to it.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF 2019?

Definitely Son of the Shadows. I loved Daughter of the Forest, but I loathed Son of the Shadows.

BIGGEST SURPRISE OF 2019?

Probably Carry On, which I didn’t expect to enjoy as much as I did!

FAVOURITE NEW (OR NEW TO YOU) AUTHOR?

I think it has to be Robert Jackson Bennett. I’ve only read Foundryside so far, but I loved his world-building.

NEWEST FICTIONAL CRUSH?

I don’t think I really get fictional crushes – at least not from books – because I’d much rather ship a character with someone else, but, even though I didn’t love the book as a whole like I hoped, I do have a soft spot for Sister Kettle from Red Sister.

NEWEST FAVOURITE CHARACTER?

Miryem, Irina and Wanda from Spinning Silver are all fantastic and I love them a great deal. I also adore Zoya from the Grisha trilogy and King of Scars.

A BOOK THAT MADE YOU CRY?

It didn’t make me cry, but After the Eclipse was a pretty heart-breaking thriller.

A BOOK THAT MADE YOU HAPPY?

The Raven and the Reindeer was so much fun – I flew through it because I was enjoying it so much!

FAVOURITE BOOK TO FILM ADAPTATION YOU SAW THIS YEAR?

I don’t think I’ve seen any this year? I feel like I must have, but the fact that none of them are springing to mind tells me they’re not that great…

FAVOURITE REVIEW YOU’VE WRITTEN THIS YEAR?

Probably my review of Son of the Shadows. It was good to get all of that off my chest.

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BOOK YOU’VE BOUGHT OR RECEIVED IN 2019?

The Five is gorgeous; I love that the names of all five women have been written on the book underneath the dust jacket.

WHAT BOOKS DO YOU NEED TO READ BY THE END OF 2019?

I don’t know if I ‘need’ to read them, but there are a lot of books I’d really like to read this year. Of my 2019 releases, the three I most want to get to right now are The Priory of the Orange Tree, The Binding and The Ruin of Kings!

What have been your most memorable reads of the year so far?