Hello, Everyone!
I realize that it is a little past the middle of the year at this point, but I still really wanted to do this tag. I have seen everyone on Booktube doing it recently, so I thought that I would get in on the fun. This book tag has been around for ages (in Booktube years)! It was created back in 2015 by Chami and Ely of ReadlikeWildfire and MidnightBluex. I have been reading a lot more this year than I did last year, so I have a lot more answers to these questions. Let’s jump right in!
1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2017.
This is a tie between Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman and My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton and Jodi Meadows.
2. Best sequel you've read so far in 2017.
I haven’t read a sequel yet in 2017, but I hope to read Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken by the end of 2017 and I am sure that it will be good.
3. New release you haven't read yet, but want to.
Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh and Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor. I have heard fantastic things about both of these books and I can’t wait to start reading them.
4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.
Turtles All The Way Down by John Green. I don’t know what to expect from this book after reading the synopsis, but I am really hoping to fall in love with another John Green book this fall. In addition, I am eagerly anticipating Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart. I loved We Were Liars, and I am hoping to be blown away by another one of her books.
5. Biggest disappointment.
Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella. I didn’t end up loving this book as much as everyone else did and that makes me sad. I really wanted to fall in love with a cutesy contemporary and I had heard everyone and their mother raving about this book. Unfortunately, for me, it didn’t live up to the hype.
6. Biggest surprise.
No Exit by Jean Paul-Sartre, which is a play about three people who are sent to hell. Not only are the play and the writing style of the play very unique, but the show is written by a philosopher, which means that it analyzes people in a psychological way that I had never experienced before. No Exit was assigned reading for my Theatre Appreciation class and I wouldn’t have picked it up if I didn’t have to read it, but I am glad that I did. It isn’t one of those pieces where the characters are particularly likeable and it isn’t lighthearted in the least, but it is very thought provoking and interesting.
7. Favourite new author. (Debut or new to you)
Neal Shusterman and Noellle Stevenson. I read Unwind by Neal Shusterman in 2016, but after reading Challenger Deep, he has officially become one of my favorite authors. All of the premises of his novels are unique and I love the way that he looks/writes about the world. On the other hand, I didn’t read anything by Noelle Stevenson until this year, but she quickly became one of my one of my favorite graphic novel authors/illustrators. I love that she includes various body types in all of her graphic novels and her characters are humorous, while also having a lovable side to them. I can’t wait to read more from both of these authors.
8. Newest fictional crush.
G from My Lady Jane. He is adorable. He is a horse. He writes poetry. He is also very respectful of how awesome his wife is. How much more could you want??
9. Newest favorite character.
Jane from My Lady Jane. Jane kicks serious hind end and she does it while reading books. She is witty, sensitive and loving and I adore her.
10. Book that made you cry.
Challenger Deep. Hands down. Full on sobs.
11. Book that made you happy.
There are so many, but My Lady Jane is at the top. I also got a good laugh out of Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson.
12. Favorite book to film adaptation you saw this year.
I feel like everyone is saying this but I haven’t seen a single book to movie adaptation this year. There really have not been that many. The Girl With All The Gifts has been on my To Watch List for 2017, but I want to read the book first. I am also in the middle of Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon so I haven’t seen the movie yet.
13. Favorite review you've written this year. (Booktube version: Favorite video you have done so far in this year)
I actually really loved a review that I wrote last year called “Triggers, Spoilers, and Fantastic Beasts.” It was a post that discussed when it is appropriate to spoil movies or provide trigger warnings to protect people who may be more sensitive to certain topics. I also talked about how we need to have more thoughtful discussions about things that we see in movies. If I had to pick a review from this year, it would probably be my review of Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. I had to write a critical review of a book of prose for my Creative Writing class last semester and I worked by butt off for that class (it stressed me out so much at the end that I literally didn’t sleep). That review was included in my final portfolio, which I turned in at the end of the semester and I must have looked over it a thousand times. I ended up getting an A in Creative Writing, which was basically impossible considering that our professor gave maybe two or three As out. I was so proud of myself and I also couldn’t believe that I actually passed the class.
14. Most beautiful book you've bought so far this year (or received)
Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh.
15. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?
In terms of ARCS that I have to read by the end of the year, I have Girl in Snow by Danya Kukafka, Obsessed by Allison Britz and As You Wish by Shelsea Sedoti (I am really stoked for those last two!). In terms of books for fun I would like to read Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken, Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo, A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro, Turtles All The Way Down and The Trials of Apollo (I actually go this last one from the library over audiobook and then it was returned before I could finish it. Now I just have to wait to get it again).
So that is everything! I am actually not really freaking out this year. I am 20 books into my 30 book reading goal, and with a month left until school starts, I feel like I’m making great progress. It feels good to be in such a good reading headspace. *knocks on wood* Hopefully it lasts until the end of the year.
How are you all doing with your reading goals? Are you freaking out? Let me know in the comments down below.
Until next week,
-Jaime