It’s the Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag 2023 Edition!
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Hello Readers! It’s that time of the year again. Midway through the year means a Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag (2023 edition)! This year I have gathered questions from Alexandra Roselyn’s YouTube channel (go and check her out). Let’s get started!
The Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag Begins
1. What’s the best book you’ve read so far this year?

Starting off strong with a hard one. I am very indecisive and having to narrow this down to one book I just couldn’t do. So there are two. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I have a full review for:(The Night Circus, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo).
The Night Circus was a book that I have put off for so long. Afraid that it would knock Ms. Morgenstern from my favorite author spot. To say the least, I was afraid for nothing, and this book was EVERYTHING!
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo was a book I did for a buddy read, and my first intro to TJR (Taylor Jenkins Reid). It was such a touching and heartfelt story. I even cried and I never cry while reading a book.
2. Best sequel you’ve read so far this year

For the best sequel question in the mid-year book freakout tag, my answer would have to be Crown of Midnight. I love the Throne of Glass series (I am currently doing the tandem read). Crown of Midnight was just something special. Not the best in the series, but the best sequel of the year thus far!
3. What was your favorite read of the year?

Since I don’t want to repeat books for this tag this slot will have to go to Of Bones and Skulls by Samantha Ziegler. I am currently doing the beta read for the sequel Of Blood and Roses and I have to say that it is SOOO GOOD! Excitement can’t be contained and I wait for it to be released and for you to have the opportunity to read it.
I have a full review if you don’t know what Of Bones and Skulls is about. But to sum it up. It is about one badass witch and the man that hates magic that she falls in love with. They are thrown together in the most unlikely circumstances. This also fits squarely into the enemies to lovers to enemies trope (one of my favs), and like I said a story you won’t want to miss!
4. A genre you have been reading the most?

This slot in the Mid-Year Book Freakout tag for the last 3 years (at least) goes to fantasy. Even since I was introduced to this genre I have been head over heels for it, and just can’t get enough!
5. What is a new release you haven’t read but want to?

I have been dying to read A Door in the Dark by Scott Reington! This dark academia story is about Ren Monroe. She has spent the last four years proving she’s one of the best wizards in her generation. When a fight breaks out, in the chaos, the portal spell malfunctions. Ren and her six classmates are snatched from the safety of the school’s campus and set down in the middle of nowhere. And one of them is dead on arrival.
6. Most Anticipated release for the 2nd half of the year?

The mid-year book freakout tag wouldn’t be complete without mentioning A Curse for True Love by Stephanie Garber. I have been holding out on reading Once Upon a Broken Heart and The Ballad of Never After until this final edition was released. And now that it soon shall be upon us, there is no time like the present!
7. What is the biggest disappointment of this year?

City of Nightmares by Rebecca Schaeffer. I wanted so much to enjoy this story. The premise sounded promising. As a story about when you sleep you could potentially turn into your worst nightmare. But the main character Nessa was INSUFFERABLE! I couldn’t even get to the 100-page mark because she was annoying the ever-loving s*it out of me! I expected that at the start of the book, she would be afraid and have PTSD but at no part did the repetitiveness of her fear or lack of character development (even in the minute amount that there could have been) did Nessa remotely become tolerable! It had so much potential and you should definitely still give it a read!
8. Favorite new author? (Debut or new to you)
Kelly Elliot. Now I have to preface this by saying that I have only read one of her works but after reading Fearless Enough, she has opened my eyes to a new romance trope that I love. And with that, I had to add her to the mid-year book freakout tag for this year! You can check out my review of Fearless Enough here.
9. Newest Fictional Crush
Blayze Shaw!!! Blayze from Fearless Enough showed me that I need to save a horse and ride a cowboy! He is the mid-west gentleman of your dreams!
10. A Book That Made You Cry

It was easy to answer this mid-year freakout tag with this book. The Death of Vivek Oji. I was overcome with sadness and grief for Vivek and his family. It was such a touching story and turned me onto Akwaeke Emezi’s works! I have a full review here of The Death of Vivek Oji!
11. The Most beautiful book you’ve bought recently?

As a subscriber to both Fairyloot (YA and Adult) and Illumicrate, I get some beautiful editions of books in the mail! Recently the editions that have just blown me away are Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross and The Fairyloot edition of Crescent City.
12. What Books do you need to read by the end of the year?

I have been putting this off for so long. I have to finally read the Practical Magic and A Discovery of Witches series!
13. Favorite Post You’ve Done this year?
All of them! Every post I put into my heart and soul and hope that yall love each and every post!
14. Favorite Book Community Members?
All of you! Each and every one of you are my favorite, and I wouldn’t be here without you!
Happy Reading!
Sprinkle Words Like Stardust!
Leave me a book stack emoji in the comments
Check Out These Posts:
It’s All About (The) My Bookish Favorites Tag
Anti-TBR Book Tag! The Complete List Of Books That I Have No Intention Of Reading
I Can’t Resist a Good Book Haul!
Goodreads Choice Award Nominees: Discovering the Best of the Best