We are days away from being halfway through 2019. Which means we're six months away from 2020. Which feels a bit surreal and terrifying because 2020 sounds very futuristic. Also, this year has flown by in a blink. Or is that just me?
My point is, I'm ready to do some mid-year stock-taking, of the bookish sort. Fortunately for me, a tag exists for that. It's called the "Mid-Year Book Freak-Out Tag." It seemed like a melodramatic title, until I realized that I do feel a bit freaked out by half the year being gone already.
The questions and my short answers are listed below. For more of my thoughts on these books, see the video version here.
1) Best book(s) you've read this year
The Broken Earth Trilogy by N. K. Jemisin and If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio
2) Best sequel(s) you've read this year
Kingdom of Copper by S. K. Chakraborty
3) New release(s) you haven't read yet but want to
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
4) Most anticipated release(s) for second half of 2019
5) Biggest disappointments
The Real Life of the Parthenon by Patricia Vigderman and Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
6) Biggest surprise
Wonder Woman by Leigh Bardugo
7) Favorite debut or new-to-you author(s)
N. K. Jemisin and S. K. Chakraborty
8) New fictional crush
Nah
9) Newest favorite character
Ophelia from A Winter's Promise
10) Book(s) that made you cry
Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier
11) Books(s) that made you happy
Barry B. Powell's translation of The Odyssey by Homer
12) Most beautiful book you've purchased or been gifted this year
The Penguin Deluxe Edition of Dante's The Divine Comedy, translated by Robin Kirkpatrick
13) Book(s) you need to read by the end of the year
Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
What have your best reads of 2019 been so far?
Love books? Subscribe to HamletHub's Books Ink