Mid-year Book Freak Out Tag | 2017

So I’ve been seeing a lot of my favorite booktubers doing this tag recently and I thought that it’d be a fun way to reflect on this year’s hits and misses. Also – I hope to god that this helps me to come out of this dreadful blogging slump that I’ve been in.

Without me rambling any further, let’s just jump right into the questions!

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1. What are the best books that you’ve read so far in 2017? 

          

So 2017 has been a pretty decent reading year for me. But, my absolute favorites from this year are Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Beck Albertalli, and And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. I have been pushing myself to read more classics for a while now and I’m so glad that read Pride and Prejudice – because it is just as beautiful as it is deemed to be. Simon is well-loved by the community and rightfully so. This story is adorable, amazing, and just so important. And as for ATTWN – it is brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. I’d highly recommend you to read these books if you haven’t yet.

2. What is the best sequel that you’ve read so far in 2017? 

So I haven’t really read a lot of sequels this year. But, I’ll choose The Rose & the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh for this. If you don’t already know, it is the second book of The Wrath & the Dawn duology. I love this series so much. It is diverse, the storyline is engaging, and Renee Ahdieh’s writing is just absolutely magical. The second book was a lot better than the first one and the fantasy element was also much stronger in this one.

3. What are the new releases that you haven’t read yet, but want to? 

I’m going to go with Caraval by Stephanie Garber for this one. The book created such a lot of buzz and I do have the book on my shelf. I don’t know why I haven’t picked it up yet. I will. I will. I w-

4. What is your most anticipated release of the second half of 2017?

Oh, this one is so simple. Origin by Dan Brown. I’m an absolute sucker for his stories and I love them so much. Makes me wanderlust every frickin’ time. I just cannot wait for a new mystery set in a breathtakingly beautiful city.

5. What has been your most disappointing read of this year? 

Well, this book actually hasn’t come out yet. I recently read The Color Project by Sierra Abrams and I just didn’t enjoy it. At all. I was really looking forward to reading this because there has been a LOT of hype about it on Twitter. Everyone seems to be loving this. But, this just was not my cup of tea.

6. What has been the biggest surprise? 

The biggest surprise of this year for me has definitely been Mrs. Funnybones by Twinkle Khanna. If you have read my review of it then you’ll understand why. I went in with zero expectations. I thought that the hype was too much. But boy oh boy! I loved it so much. A highly enjoyable read for me and turned out to be a total gem.

7. Who has become your new favorite author (debut or new to you)?

Becky Albertalli! I enjoyed her writing in Simon vs the Home Sapiens Agenda so much. It is so engaging and completely drew me in. I just wasn’t able to put it down and that makes me all the more excited to read The Upside of Unrequited. 

8. Who has been your newest fictional crush? 

Daniel from Nicola Yoon‘s The Sun Is Also a Star. He is just so cute and adorable. If you have read this book then you know what I’m talking about!

9. Who is your newest favorite character? 

SIMON from Simon vs the Home Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli. Gosh.. he is so cute, funny, adorable and .. have I mentioned that he is so so cute?! Also – he is a Potterhead! He keeps throwing in these Harry Potter references and that is just precious. Absolutely precious. You need to read this book now if you haven’t already. Seriously. You need this book.

10. Which book made you cry?

I have not read a single book that has made me cry this year. But I’ll tell you the name of the book that made me saddest and that is More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera. This book is the closest that I’ve been to crying while reading in 2017. I just finished this last night and my mind is still reeling from it.

11. Name a book that made you happy?

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon. I’m so happy with the representation that my community has got from this book. It is such a diverse read and I hope that you read it (if you haven’t already, that is).

12. What has been the favorite book to movie adaptation that you’ve seen this year? 

Even though I haven’t read The Wonder Woman comics, I’m going to go with the Wonder Woman movie. It was just so good. Finally, a woman-oriented superhero movie that I didn’t even knew I needed.

13. The favorite review you’ve written this year?

I’m going to cheat on this one. I’ll go with My Dream Bookish Panel post for this one. I published it a few months back and it didn’t do well as I had hoped it’d. But I had spent a lot of time with the graphics and writing of that one and was incredibly proud of how it turned out to be. You can check it out here if you want to.

14. What has been the most beautiful book that you’ve bought/received this year?

                    

My Penguin Drop Cap edition of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. It is just so beautiful – especially the red-edged pages. My illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Jim Kay’s illustrations are so on point and I love it. The magic is real.

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

I’m really hoping to start rereading the Harry Potter series again and I hope to, at least, read the first four books before 2017 ends.

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What about you? What have been your reading hits and misses of the first half of 2017? Have you done this tag? If yes, then do drop a link because I’d love to check it out!