Mid-Year Freak Out Book Tag: 2021 Edition

It looks like we have made it halfway through another year. Is it possible that 2021 may end better than 2020? I certainly hope so! Or at least better than the first half of 2021. As we have made it this far, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and do the Mid-Year Freak Out Book Tag. I’ve seen this on a few different BookTube channels, and also on a couple of blogs.

How has your year of reading gone? For me personally, it has been pretty successful. I’ve read a book that has been on my TBR forever (Gone With the Wind). I have also met my reading challenge on Goodreads (47 of 30 books read). Sadly, it also seems for every book I take off of my TBR, 3 more are added. I will get through it; I know I will!

Enough about the basics, lets get to the questions for the tag!

Best Book You’ve Read So Far in 2021?

Easy! We Are Not Free by Traci Chee. This is a YA historical fiction, and follows 14 Japanese-American teens through their time in the incarceration camps of World War II. It’s a book that everyone should read.

Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far in 2021?

I’ve been reading a lot of Agatha Christie this year, but I won’t count any of those as sequels. Why? Because I’ve been reading them in random order and because each book is actually a standalone. Very rarely do the books rely on information from previous books. I think the only sequel I’ve read that I have read the entire series for is The Tower of Nero by Rick Riordan. This was the 5th book in the Trials of Apollo series and the 15th in the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles. I know it was bittersweet, as it was the last book in the world of Camp Half-Blood unless Rick Riordan has something else he hasn’t told us about.

New Release You Haven’t Read Yet, But Want To?

There are actually 2 books for this question. The first is The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan, and the second is Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley. One, I have had to keep moving my hold on Libby, as it keeps coming in when I am in the middle of reading another book. I hope to make time for it the next time it’s available for me. The other is currently sitting on my coffee table, waiting for me to pick it up after waiting several weeks for it to be available through my library.

Most Anticipated Release For Second Half of 2021

Who can’t guess this? Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan! I think I actually squealed when I saw the announcement for the book. Seriously, I rushed to add it to my TBR on Goodreads, only to discover it wasn’t on there yet. I had to laugh when I saw that! On release day, I feel I will be getting this book and curling up in a comfy spot and falling into it. I hope no one will need me for that day!

Biggest Disappointment?

Honestly, I’m not sure if I just didn’t gel with the book or if I just kind of ran out of time while listening to it on Libby. But The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner was a disappointment. I managed to get about halfway through it, and then I just didn’t care about any of the characters.

Biggest Surprise?

For this one, I decided to go with The Girls at 17 Swann Street by Yara Zgheib. I wasn’t sure what to think when I picked this up. It was a powerful read about a topic I didn’t know much about. The story was based on the author’s own experiences with an eating disorder.

Favorite New Author?

While she’s not a new author, as in not making a debut this year, she is new to me. And that is Laurie Gelman. Class Mom on my TBR for a few weeks before picking it up to read. I needed something light and fluffy, and this fit those requirements. I don’t think I’ve laughed that hard reading a book in a while. The second book in the series is sitting on my bookshelf, and the third one is due out this summer.

Newest Fictional Crush?

I haven’t had a crush on a fictional character in ages, but one that may have come close is Ianthe Lavan from The Midnight Bargain by C.L. Polk. He respected the women in his life and didn’t treat them like their only purpose was to have babies (like many of the other men in the book believed).

Newest Favorite Character?

This was a bit tougher than I thought it might be. But I think my new favorite character has to be Flavia de Luce from The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. She is pretty spunky and wicked smart for an 11-year-old.

Book That Made You Cry?

I’m not sure that any book I’ve read this year has made me cry—not even tear up. A few have made me angry at various points. Maybe the one that made me sad? Then I would say Shooting War by Anthony Feinstein. The book examines the stories behind several famous conflict photographs. The author talked with most of the photographers about the photos and their mental health. It was an eye-opening look at photojournalism.

Book That Made You Happy?

This one is pretty easy for me, especially since I still smile when I think about the book with the really long title. The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson is a super easy read and, strangely, a great travel book.

Most Beautiful Book You Bought So Far This Year?

I haven’t bought many books this year. Books are expensive! But my husband did get me a few for Valentine’s Day and our anniversary. Out of those, I think the most beautiful book is The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry by C.M. Waggoner.

What Books Do You Need To Read By The End of The Year?

All of them! I know that’s not realistic, but I’m not sure if there is a book I NEED to read. I have over 300 books on my TBR over at Goodreads. I’m not sure if there is one that I desperately need to read. Want to read? Other than Rick Riordan’s new book coming out in October, maybe The Alice Network? I’ve had it on my list for almost 3 years now and finally got a copy of it last winter. Everyone has said it’s excellent, so I want to read it. Maybe I will manage it this summer. Who knows?

How has your reading been going this year? Is it better or worse than last year? For me, mine has been better. I have managed to read more, but that’s because I’ve got more time on my hands than usual. And reading is a better way to spend that time than social media.

Let me know your answers to the questions below. I would love to know what you’ve been reading this year.

Looking for some more books to read? Check out my other book reviews and my monthly reading wrap-ups.