How is it already the end of June!? I saw this tag floating around the Booktube community and I was genuinely shocked that it was already time to start talking about the halfway point in our reading year. This tag was originally created by IsThatChami over on youtube! Without further ado, here are my answers to the 2018 Mid-Year Book Freakout!

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How Many Books Have You Read So Far? 58 Books
(this includes manga & graphic novels)

What Is Your Reading Goal for the Year? 60 Books

For a full list of everything I have read so far this year, click here.

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Best book you’ve read so far in 2018.

You know, I’ve read a few five star books so far this year, but there really isn’t a clear winner yet. These are all fantastic books, but none have really stood out from the others. For now, I’ll have to give this one to The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang only because I never give a romance novel 5 stars, but I have a funny feeling this one will change before the end of the year!

My Review

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Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2018.

Hands down, this goes to Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman. It’s very rare that I enjoy a sequel more than the first novel and while Thunderhead and Scythe were pretty evenly matched, there was something about Thunderhead that has me unable to wait for the third installment! Maybe it was the crazy cliffhanger…

My Review

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New release you haven’t read yet, but want to.

Hmm, this one is tough as there were so many amazing releases that I haven’t gotten to yet, but I think I’ll have to give this one to Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. I’ve been meaning to pick this one up for a while now, but just haven’t had the chance to yet! Hopefully very very soon!

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Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.

I am so excited to read What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera! I’ve seen a few people with ARCs and it’s making me extremely jealous, but I can do it…just a few more months…

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Biggest disappointment.

I haven’t really been severely disappointed by a book so far, most of them have given me what I either expected or if it didn’t, it wasn’t all that bad. I guess the closest I’ve felt to disappointment was while reading Picture Us In The Light by Kelley Loy Gilbert. I wouldn’t say I was severely disappointed in the story itself, but more-so the writing style. It turned out to be a really slow read for me that started to drag on a little. The synopsis also hints at an lgbtq+ relationship, but the book doesn’t really do anything with that story until the very end which was slightly disappointing for me.

My Review

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Biggest surprise.

Hands down The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang. Romance isn’t my thing and I gave this book 5 stars. I was absolutely shocked by my love for this story and that is all you need to know.

My Review

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Favourite new author. (Debut or new to you)

I mean…this has to go to Helen Hoang right?! I can’t wait to read her next novel, especially after The Kiss Quotient left me wanting so much more. Her writing is definitely addicting and I can’t wait to read more from her in the future!

My Review

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Newest fictional crush.

LOL could it be possible that I give The Kiss Quotient another mention because of Michael Phan? I mean, how could you not fall in love with this man? Also though, an honourable mention goes to Zen from the Dreamin’ Sun manga series as he is probably the most adorable manga character I’ve ever read.

My Review

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Newest favourite character.

Hmm, this one was tough for me, but I think I’m going to have to go with Prince Sebastian from The Prince And The Dressmaker by Jen Wang. However, I don’t think I’ve met a character that has completely stood out for me just yet.

My Review

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Book that made you cry.

I really don’t cry while reading books. I barely cry while watching movies/television, but the closest I’ve come to feeling sad while reading was with The Dangerous Art Of Blending In by Angelo Surmelis. This one comes with a trigger warning for physical, mental and verbal abuse and I recommend reading with caution if these topics may affect you. This one was a hard one to read and made me feel extremely emotional inside.

Review Coming Soon!

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Book that made you happy.

I’m going to have to go with the first 6 volumes of Dreamin’ Sun by Ichigo Takano that I read this year. It’s just such a cute story and totally makes me happy while reading it!

My Review

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Favourite book to film adaptation you saw this year.

Love, Simon. 100%. It’s not often I loved a film even more than the novel, but that was totally the case for me when it came to Love, Simon. If you haven’t seen this movie yet, what are you waiting for?!

My Review

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Favourite review you’ve written this year.

Oh boy. I guess this has to go to my review of The Kiss Quotient only because I really couldn’t believe that I loved this story that much which I hope came across in my writing!

My Review

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Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)

I really am in love with the cover art for Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi. It’s just so aesthetically pleasing to me and I just love to look at it.

My Review

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What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

Ooh, this is tough, but I think the top 5 books I need to read before this year is up are Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera, Iron Gold by Pierce Brown, Leah On The Offbeat by Becky Albertalli & Girl Made Of Stars by Ashley Herring Blake.

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There you have it! The Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag questions answered by yours truly! Feel free to answer the questions on your blogs or youtube channels! I can’t wait to see your answers!

Thank you for reading!