Mid Year Freakout Book Tag 2019 // This is Late But What Else is New

Y’ALL WHO MADE THIS TAG BECAUSE I CAN’T FIND ANY CREDITS AHHHH. 

Literally rip whoever made this who’s not getting the credit they deserve lmao. I’m so sorry to them & if you guys know who… please feel free to let me know. Because I would love to credit them.

Alas, over half of the year has passed and I am indeed freaking out. Freaking out that I’m late with this and that it is currently August and it’s AUGUST??? A U G U S T. 

Honestly excited for when I’m out of high school & college and then I’ll be FREE of seasonal fears because I’ll be stressed out all year long from work instead. ❤ It’s what we want and what I DESERVE.

(Okay but I’ve heard that having a 9-to-5 job is much less stressful than having university & a part-time job so I’m keeping my hopes up.)

related: Mid-Year Bookish Stats 2018

And of course I’m going to be smushing my mid-year reading statistics into this post!! Once I update my Excel sheet with the 38470 books that I’ve read.

Edit: nevermind… I will not be putting my reading statistics into this post because at this point I don’t have enough energy to update my Excel spreadsheet and also this post is already very long.

Also, do you guys smell that… does that smell like… professionalism? Oh, yes, guess who actually used stock photos instead in her featured images??? ME!!!! This is because I’m going to quit bookstagram except for books I’m reviewing. ❤ I officially dislike bookstagram.

{all covers link to their respective goodreads}

Best Book You’ve Read So Far in 2019?

The more I think about this book, the more my heart grows 37 times bigger as I think about the absolute and sheer love I have for these characters.

Like, wow Fonda Lee really did that. She really put East Asian crime syndicates into a contemporary-historical setting and magical jade together and made me love this world so much.

I CAN’T EVEN PICK A FAVORITE BETWEEN THE THREE (FOUR?) MAIN CHARACTERS I LOVE THEM ALL TOO MUCH.

I listened to this as an audiobook and tbh I didn’t remember or process a lot of things that happened but does that take away from my love for it? Absolutely not. (And I read a recap of the book later so it’s all good now lmao.)

Anyways, currently obsessed with the incorrect quotes Twitter (made by Shri!) and this series of interviews with Fonda Lee.

Best Sequel of 2019 so far?

Okay, Ace of Shades (the first book in this series) is one QUALITY book and it has The Best Slow-Burn Romance I’ve honestly ever seen!! Like, hell yes.

Honestly, I didn’t really care as much about the romance in this book lmao and I was just more invested in like, everyone staying alive and thriving but WOW Amanda Foody gave us a whole new cast of characters to care about and also expanded on our previous characters so much?

Second Book Syndrome WHO?? ANYWAYS READ THIS SERIES if you want a good book with gambling and hierarchy and games!!

[goodreads review]

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

The iconic Melanie gifted this to me and I’m kind of forever grateful and at the same time, ashamed that I HAVEN’T READ THIS YET (especially because I have a Netgalley arc lmao)!!!

But has anyone seen those cute little stuffed dumplings the author created in honor for this book because I love them so much.

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I think I’ve talked about this book enough for someone who hasn’t even read it but like… look at the cover and also all of the amazing reviews!! I need this fairytale retelling that’s interspersed with other a Chinese-inspired world. I’m positive that I’m going to enjoy it but I just have been focusing on other books I need to read lmao.

I JUST WANT TO READ THE ROMANCE BECAUSE I HEARD IT’S REALLY GOOD.

Most Anticipated Release of the Second Half of 2019?

Oh hey… it just turns out that I have a post of my most anticipated releases for the second half of 2019. And yes, I did look at this to figure out which ones I was going to include here.

Ownvoices Mulan retelling!!! We’re here for it. WHO ISN’T. And I will never, never, never, never, never be over this cover omg. Look at how fierce she is!!!! The more I stare at it the more a lump of happiness and need in my chest grows because I want to stare at this cover forever and I WANT TO READ IT OH MY GOD.

This better get the attention it deserves?? PLS??? AT LEAST LET IT BE MORE POPULAR THAN THE WHITE MULAN RETELLING (THE TRAITOR’S KISS).

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Sapphic SFF novel where it’s enemies-to-lovers, very widely hyped, and is also getting ALL OF THE POSITIVE REVIEWS.

Let’s pray that this is going to be better than Tell Me How You Really Feel. I have the feeling that it’s going to be a favorite or at least a five star read. I feel it in my bones. Also, one of the main characters is an android and I’ve read like five YA books with an android main character total.

Biggest Disappointment?

I would be sad that I hated this book, but I mean I really do not think this was a “it’s not you it’s me problem” because it was, in fact, the this book’s problem. It’s just terrible in quality and also look at that corndog cover!!!! Terrible!!!!

I already vented about this book in my review like, a lot so I can’t really think a lot more to say except to restate that this book was just a huge hellhole.

I thought that I had trashy tastes (because I’m a huge fan of addicting media, like Gossip Girl & the novel Paper Princess) but I guess I forgot that in certain cases, I actually do have taste. ALSO THIS BOOK HAD THE WEIRDEST PORTRAYAL OF JAPANESE PEOPLE AND IT MADE ME SO SO SO SO UNCOMFORTABLE. I’m glad that this was free lmao because… whew. Tbh just hyped for Ilsa to read this so we can hate it together. And I know she will hate it.

[goodreads review]

Biggest Surprise?

When I first read The Star-Touched Queen, I… was not a fan. I thought that the lack of a plot and the weird twist ending was actually terrible, but I feel like if I reread it my opinions would be drastically different, or at least more positive?

Anyways, who would have THOUGHT that this book would be so freaking brilliant and be just, such a High Quality Book. It was almost on my favorites list!! Although it was not. But ALMost.

Everyone has probably heard every single opinion on this book, but wow I was so impressed with the worldbuilding in this one and the hilarious banter that our crew had. (Except for Tristan. Literally nobody likes Tristan. I forgot that he even existed when I wrote my reviews of this book.)

If you’re looking for a glittery book set in Paris, I recommend!!!

[goodreads review]

[blog review]

Favourite New Author?

Did you all know that I’m obsessed with Casey McQuiston??? It’s not something you choose. Love for Casey McQuiston chooses you.

Seriously thought I AM READY FOR CASEY’S NEXT (SAPPHIC!!) BOOK and I will 100% be crying when I see it. I’m so happy for all of the hype that surrounded Casey’s debut and they just?? deserve all of it??

Also have you seen those Vote For Claremont shirts that Casey was selling?? I’m in love with them and I’m just going to hope that they’re still in stock by the time I stop being broke.

[goodreads review]

Newest Fictional Crush?

I just realized that some of these questions are like “NEWEST” instead of favorite/best but like and this answer isn’t my NEWEST fictional crush but like??? lmao whatever.

Anyways, the love interest in this brilliant Chinese-inspired novel is most definitely NOT my fictional crush, I actually really and Truly Did Not Like Him at all. (He just wasn’t like… attractive to me idk why but maybe it’s because I HATE HIS STUPID BROWN HAIR.)

But I’m halfway in love with the brother of the main character!! Sanjing literally owns my heart, and especially the way he vaulted across a room to try and save the person he loved?? Iconic! He 100% gave me Li Shang vibes, and I welcome them!!! (I feel like saying he reminds me of Shang is stereotypical… but it’s okay y’all I’m Chinese.)

[goodreads review]

Newest Favourite Character?

Okay there are a lot of disappointed reviews for this but shhhhhh I have eternal love for both the main characters, Kunal and Esha!!! (Also I cannot get over how SLEEK that cover is. WOW.)

But these characters??? This ship???? #idk #I’m #just #crying

The first chapter was kind of awkward to me, but like there were so many scenes where they were just talking and also, this uses deception in the romance which is a trope that I really love for some reason. AND BY DECEPTION IN THE ROMANCE I don’t mean like… gross or stalkery or manipulative things ofc. But Esha was hiding her identity as the Viper, a renowned assassin, and I just !!!

[goodreads review]

Book That Made You Cry?

I was really unsure of what book to put for this because like… while I do tear up very often, I definitely do not remember when that happens.

Also, who allowed this bleak cover?????? It’s literally just scraps of paper. I mean, okay. Celeste Ng deserves better.

Anyways, this was terrifyingly relatable because I empathized so hard with every single character (especially Lydia, who was found dead in the lake), and it’s even worse because they all ruined each others lives and I’m just So Sad. And there’s just something so exquisite in how carefully crafted this entire story is and how Celeste Ng chose to wrote it.

Like everything just gets worse and worse as you read and you just have this terrible sense of dread because you already know what is going to happen: Lydia’s death.

[goodreads review]

Book That Made You Happy?

This is definitely not an all-happy book, because there are So Many instances of fatphobia in this book. It was very heavy at times, especially when those occurrences came directly from the protagonist, Sweetie’s mother. But damn, there were so many adorable scenes in this book with Sweetie and Ashish?

I mean, I used to ship Ashish and Celeste (from When Dimple Met Rishi) but BYE CELESTE LEAVE US NOW. These two were so cute, had so much chemistry, and I was so elated with so many of their scenes together. There was also Really Good banter. Sandhya Menon is so talented at making everyone so likeable!!!

(Also I’ve read all of Sandhya Menon’s published works?? I’m always surprised at myself whenever I do that.)

Favourite Book to Movie Adaptation You’ve Seen This Year?

I haven’t even read the novel wowowowow (seriously why haven’t I) (is it too late at this point?) (I LITERALLY OWN IT) but the movie adaptation was soooooo freaking good. I love Amandla Stenberg and I’m unbelievably excited to see them in future movies!!

Also, this movie made me tear up like a bunch of times (like the ending? WOW!) and it was also far, far better than Crazy Rich Asians or To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before lmao. Maybe because I didn’t read the novel so I didn’t have high expectations?

Favourite Review You’ve Written This Year?

There are a lot of reviews that I’m kind of proud of, but this book hasn’t been mentioned for any other question and therefore I am choosing it for this question!!!

Also, someone in marking from Penguin actually reached out to me??? and asked me if they could use lines from my review on a couple of ads??? AND I WAS LIKE HELL YES. LIKE WHAT.

Anyways, go read this book: it’s about sapphic characters who are my FAVORITE and also about terrifying and magical bodily changes. I ship Reese and Hetty 5ever.

[goodreads review]

Most Beautiful Book You Bought or Received So Far This Year?

To be freaking honest, WHO do I THINK I AM for not reading this book when I already have a copy of it??? The hardcover copy with the really gorgeous inside layer with all the fruits on it????

I have to say thank you again to Margins Box for creating a giveaway specifically for poc & other people with marginalized identities to enter!!! With the existence of that book box, we are Actually Winning though.

Anyways, I need to read this soon ahhhhhhhhh.

What Books Do You Need to Read by the End of the Year?

      

       

The first row is books that I do not own, and the second is books that I currently do own!!! Do I Even Need To Explain Why I Want To Read These Books. They sound good!!!

Also I tried very hard to make the colors darken from white to the other colors. Shower me in compliments for this because I deserve it.

I’m not tagging anyone because… everyone has probably already done this tag, but just in case you want to do it: click below to see the questions!!!

(If you’re using Internet Explorer or another older web browser the questions will automatically be shown to you.)

Here are the questions. ❤

Best Book You’ve Read So Far in 2017?
Best Sequel of 2017 so far?
New Release You Haven’t Read Yet, But Want to?
Most Anticipated Release of the Second Half of 2017?
Biggest Disappointment?
Biggest Surprise?
Favourite New Author?
Newest Fictional Crush?
Newest Favourite Character?
Book That Made You Cry?
Book That Made You Happy?
Favourite Book to Movie Adaptation You’ve Seen This Year?
Favourite Review You’ve Written This Year?
Most Beautiful Book You Bought or Received So Far This Year?
What Books Do You Need to Read by the End of the Year?

 

What are your answers to some of these questions? Biggest disappointment of 2019? Favorites of 2019? What made you cry? Link your own mid-year book freakout tags below! Do you ever do tags astonishingly, astonishingly late? Are you crying because it’s August?? Are you frEaKiNG oUT???