Mid-Year Freak Out Tag: 2022 Edition

It looks like we have made it halfway through another year. Is it possible that 2022 may end better than the past two years? I certainly hope so! 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 a few blogs.

How has your year of reading gone? For me, it has been pretty successful. I have almost met my reading challenge on Goodreads (43 of 52 books read). Sadly, three more are added for every book I take off my TBR. I will get through it; I know I will!

Enough about the basics; let’s get to the questions for the tag!

Best Book You’ve Read So Far in 2022?

The best audiobook I’ve read this year is Sadie by Courtney Summers. I’m not sure which bloggers suggested this book as an audiobook. But I agree that it is the best way to consume this book.

The best book I’ve read this year is Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall.

Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far in 2022?

I haven’t read many sequels this year, as the ones I want to read haven’t been released yet. But the best of the few I have read is Yours Cheerfully by A.J. Pearce. This is another one that I recommend as an audiobook, as the narrator is Anna Popplewell.

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

I haven’t read the new release book The Merciless Ones by Namina Forna. It was released on May 31, and my library acquired the audio on Libby. I still have several weeks to wait.

Most Anticipated Release For Second Half of 2022

The two books I’m most looking forward to being released are Amari and the Great Game by B.B. Alston and Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn. Sadly, I feel it may be closer to 2023 before I read these. My fingers are crossed that I’m wrong.

Biggest Disappointment?

While I rated The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont a 3.5 (which isn’t terrible), it was not what I had hoped when I first heard the book. Overall, it’s not a bad book; it isn’t what I wanted.

Biggest Surprise?

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I read Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple, but I truly enjoyed it. I think I also related to Bernadette more than I thought I would. Oh, and the movie is pretty good as well.

Favorite New Author?

A debut author that I am eagerly waiting to read more from, Laila Sabreen’s You Truly Assumed is an own-voice tale that needs to be told. I can’t wait to see what else she has to say.

Newest Fictional Crush?

While I’m not one to have fictional crushes, I have to say the newest one for me this year is Donovan Dell from Fake It Till You Bake It. I mean, a professional football player AND a cupcake bakery owner? I’m okay with that.

Newest Favorite Character?

Besides Bernadette, I would love to be friends with another character, Liv Green, from Phaedra Patrick’s The Messy Lives of Book People. We’re both 40-something moms trying to figure out what’s next for us as our kids have grown.

Book That Made You Cry?

I haven’t read any tearjerkers this year yet! However, one that came close, along with a few other emotions, is Scarborough by Catherine Hernandez. While a short novel, it toys with all of your feelings.

Book That Made You Happy?

Two books made me happy; both were new releases this year. One is Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson, and the other is As Seen on TV by Meredith Schorr.

Most Beautiful Book You Bought So Far This Year?

I haven’t bought many books this year—books are expensive! However, one that I managed to find on sale and that I think is rather beautiful is So Many Beginnings by Bethany C. Morrow.

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

All of them! I know that’s unrealistic, but I’m unsure if there is a book I NEED to read. I have over 500 books on my TBR on Goodreads, and I’m not sure if there is one that I desperately need to read. But there are a couple that were released in 2021 that I hope to read in 2022. Those are Angel of Greenwood by Randi Pink and Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead.

How has your reading been going this year? Is it better or worse than last year? 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 see 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.