It’s June, which means it’s time for the Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag co-created by Ely @ Earl Grey Books and Chami @ Read Like Wildfire!
Best book you’ve read so far in 2020
That would have to be Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray. I’d like to finish up this series this year!
Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2020
Lair of Dreams is a sequel, but I also really loved The Kingdom of Copper by S.A Chakraborty!
New release you haven’t read yet, but want to
HA so many. I need to get to Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland asap!
Most anticipated release for the second half of the year
I’m very excited for The Ippos King by Grace Draven. I need that Anhuset and Serovek content.
Biggest disappointment
Sadly, I think that would be Shorefall by Robert Jackson Bennett! There are other books I haven’t enjoyed as much, but I expected this to be a five star read and it wasn’t.
Biggest surprise
I had no idea I was going to love Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb as much as I did, but this is the novel that has got me fully invested in the Realm of the Elderlings series.
Favourite new author (Debut or new to you)
I finally tried some of Anna-Marie McLemore’s work this year and I can’t wait to read even more from them!
Newest fictional crush
Eh, I don’t really do fictional crushes.
Newest favourite character
I adore Misaki from The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang, and I need to continue to read more and more Asian-inspired fantasy this year.
Book that made you cry
It didn’t make me cry, but parts of The Sword of Kaigen are absolutely heart-breaking.
Book that made you happy
Well Met by Jen DeLuca is such a fun romance novel, and definitely one that made me smile.
Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)
I treated myself to the very pretty edition of The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave from Waterstones, which has sprayed edges and exclusive endpapers and it’s very pretty.
What books do you need to read by the end of the year?
A lot! I’d love to get my feedback ratio to 80% on NetGalley, so I’m trying to make my way through as many of my eARCs as I can and I feel like I’ve made pretty decent progress so far.
Jessticulates 
So glad to see you talk about The Diviners!! I really love that series and the third book is a FAVOURITE of mine!! I read Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore and I LOVED it and totally want to read more from them!
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I just finished the Diviners series last month and it was outstanding. I hope you like it! 😀
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Oh yay! I’m really looking forward to finishing it up. 🙂
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Misaki ❤ Parts of my heart still break when I think of that second half of The Sword of Kaigen. :_:
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Ugh right?! That book broke me in all the best ways.
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I’ll be doing this tag soon. I just finished Deathless Divide last night and it was so good! Defo recommend getting to it sooner rather than later 😉
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I spotted your rating on Goodreads and it’s made me even more keen to pick it up! Hopefully I can get to it really soon. 😀
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I really need to start The Diviners series. It sounds like something I would love. Good luck with your feedback ratio!
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Thanks! The Diviners is so good – the first book is ideal Halloween reading.
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I’ve been seeing Well Met around so much lately, I really should check it out!
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I hope you enjoy it if you do decide to give it a try!
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Same about The Kingdom of Copper!
To be honest I’ve been kind of avoiding The Sword of Kaigen and everything about it because everyone kept comparing it to The Poppy War, which I really didn’t like, but seeing that you felt the same way about TPW and loved TSoK, I might consider it. (Is it also based on real events, or is it more fictional? Because I think that’s where me and TPW didn’t get along)
And I’m glad to hear that about Anna-Marie McLemore, I hope you end up liking more of their books!
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Ooh I’d definitely recommend TSoK! As far as I know it isn’t based on any real events, and so much of it is more about how governments can treat their own communities during and after wartime to save face. It’s a lot more introspective than TPW, too, and it feels much more organic, if that makes sense? Everything in TPW feels like it happens just so the scenes based on the Nanjing Massacre can happen, whereas the events in TSoK feel like they unfold much more naturally.
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That’s good (…and encouraging) to know, thank you!
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Ialways love this tag! I totally feel you on Royal assassin! Loved that one so much more then I had expected!
(www.evelynreads.com)
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It’s such a great sequel! I started Assassin’s Quest recently and I’m already loving being back in this world.
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I’m going to listen to it as my next audiobook! And probably read along with it 🙂
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I’m doing this tag soon, it’s one of my favorites! I agree with Shorefall, I was disappointed too. But I have at least 4 or 5 disappointments so far and Shorefall might not make the cut😁
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Oh no! 😅 I hope you don’t have as many disappointing reads in the second half of the year.
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I LOVED WELL MET TOO OMG IT JUST BLEW MY HEART SEVEN SIZES BIGGER *CRIES*
Omg that picture of Misaki is just 😭😭😭😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍! Great list love!
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Thanks! Yes, Well Met was so cute and Misaki is SUCH a good character.
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