It's time for a check-in! We are halfway through the year, which means that we are going to be looking back at my reading year so far. What has been my best read? Who is my favorite new author? Keep on reading to find out!
So far I've read 10 books and I'm currently reading Confettiregen by Splinter Chabot. That means that I have to finish 5 more books until I've reached my reading goal! I think I'll be able to do that, but it depends on how much I'll read during my summer vacation and how much I'll be able to read once school starts.
But whether I reach my goal or not, the important thing is that I've read some great books! This tag is created by Ely (link to YT video) and Chami (link to YT channel). Do you want to read what I wrote when I did the tag last year? Click here!
1. Best book you've read so far in 2022.
The best book I've read so far this year is Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram. It was surprisingly not a romance, which I really liked. There are so many books with a romance element, no matter what genre. So it's great to read a book that's about the importance of friendship. Highly recommend it.
2. Best sequel you've read so far in 2022.
It's either Fence volume three or Heartstopper volume four. Both are amazing queer comics that I've been enjoying enormously! I'm so sad that Heartstopper is coming to an end soon. Luckily there is an amazing adaptation on Netflix that I highly recommend. It's one of the best YA adaptations!
3. New release you haven't read yet, but want to.
Kiss & Tell by Adib Khorram. This might not be a total surprise to you, considering I just said that another book by Khorram is currently my favorite read of the year. The premise of Kiss & Tell sounds so good. Let's hope I get my hands on this book soon!
4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.
I'm really looking forward to the release of How to Succeed in Witchcraft by Aislinn Brophy. It's their debut novel and I heard that it's a queer book! We love to see it! I'm looking forward to seeing people's reviews and to read it myself once it's out.
5. Biggest disappointment.
So far, I have not read a disappointing book! So hopefully it'll stay that way.
6. Biggest surprise.
There wasn't really a book that surprised me. I expected that all of these books would get a high rating. Maybe I should say that Aan de andere kant van geluk by Nadine Swagerman surprised me. The book took a turn that I didn't expect. I couldn't put the book down after that happened!
7. Favorite new author. (Debut or new to you)
Adib Khorram, obviously. Loved his debut novel and I've heard nothing but great things about his other books. I can't wait to read more of his work!
8. Newest fictional crush.
My newest fictional crush is Miles Kasher from See You Yesterday! He can be a little bit of a grump, but when you get to know you'll see that he is a sweetheart. The banter between him and Barrett was so cute.
9. Newest favorite character.
I've got two favorite characters. Darius and Sohrab from Darius the Great is Not Okay! They were both so likeable and that really added to my love for the book!
10. Book that made you cry.
Darius the Great is Not Okay made my teary-eyed. It was such a wonderful story and it was bittersweet when I finished it. I did see that there is a sequel, which is called Darius the Great Deserves Better. So I might check that one out soon.
11. Book that made you happy.
The Heartstopper comics never fail to make me happy. The books are wholesome, but they also tackle some serious topics. It's a good balance of showing the growing love of two people, while also discussing the hard things in life.
12. Most beautiful book you've bought so far this year (or received).
Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert. It isn't necessarily the most beautiful book, but I think that the way I got it is beautiful. It was gifted to me by one of my bookstagram friends, Dawnshaeé (@introtoeclecticism). I thought it was so sweet and generous that she'd sent it my way!
13. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?
I really want to read Our Crooked Hearts by the end of the year. It's an ARC and I usually try to get through ARCs as quick as possible. I usually finish an ARC before it's release date, but this time I wasn't able to do that.
14. Favorite Book Community Member.
Every year I say that I can't pick a favorite book community member, because I love them all! I've made so many friends on bookstagram, that I can't just pick one. However, this time I am going to pick one of the people I love on bookstagram.
This time it's Jackie from @xojackieyvonne. She has always been a joy to talk to and I love seeing her posts appear on my timeline. Make sure to check her out on Instagram and don't be afraid to say hi to her! She's always very kind. Jackie recently hit the halfway mark on her reading goal of 60 books. Her last read was Confess by Colleen Hoover, which was her 33rd book of the year!.
What has been your favorite book so far? Let me know on Instagram!
At the end of the year I will do the End of the year tag to see if I have a new favorite book! I will let you know immediately once that one's up on my blog! (Or if any of my other blog posts have been published.