The Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag: 2024

T

Quick Take: Explore my 2024 Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag, where I share my reading highs, lows, surprises, and progress on various book challenges, including favourite reads, anticipated releases, and goals for the year.

•••

I’m so excited to delve into the Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag for 2024, and there’s no better time since the official date that marks halfway through 2024 is July 2nd! I love that this tag summarizes the highs, lows and surprises of the books I’ve been reading.

Before getting into the tag questions, I wanted to touch base on my reading goals. I have a page dedicated to my progress on the 13 challenges I’m participating in this year. I’ve been pretty bad at sticking to the TBRs I’ve set for the monthly TBR Knockout Challenge and Buzzword Challenge (to be honest, the Buzzword Challenge has been hit-and-miss for the past few months). Not to mention, I haven’t even started tackling my 24 Books in 2024 list!

I’m also 19 books behind in my Goodreads Reading Challenge — I’ve read 179 out of 400 books in 2024 (44.8%). But I’m not too worried as I have six months to get back on track and a lot of free time before I start work. I also want to read 140,000 pages this year, and at this point, I’ve read 60,438 pages (43.2%). When I watched BookTuber Sara Carrolli’s Mid-Year Book Tag, I liked how she added ‘how many new (not a re-read) 5 stars have I read this year’ to the tag. In 2024, I discovered 15 new 5-star books (two nonfiction, eight romance, two fiction, one fantasy and two mystery/thriller).

Before reading through the questions, it’s important to note that I’ve gone out of my way to avoid repeating books (except for two questions), even though there are books that could’ve been used for multiple questions.

The Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag was originally created by two BookTubers in 2012, Chami and Earl Grey Books. However, I discovered the tag from BookTuber Alexandra Roselyn.

Best book you’ve read so far in 2024?

The best book of 2024 so far is The Women by Kristin Hannah. The book follows Frankie as she enlists to serve as an Army Nurse in Vietnam during the war and the difficult process of reintegrating back home post-enlistment. Kristin Hannah realistically portrayed the struggle in Vietnam – the lack of resources and training, and the fear – and the alienation those who served in Vietnam felt when they returned to the USA. I particularly appreciated how the erasure of the women who served as Army Nurses was challenged. Overall, I found the book incredibly moving.

It’s funny that my favourite read six months into this year is historical fiction since this was the case last year, too (see The Three Lives of Alix St. Pierre by Natasha Lester). In my 2023 Mid-Year Freakout Book Tag, I wrote that I was shocked my favourite read was historical fiction—yet here we are again! Obviously, this new genre (for me) is resonating.

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2024?

I haven’t really been a series reader this year (by this, I mean that I haven’t been reading series that follow the same protagonists in each book). Most series I’ve read have been romance companion novels (so they’re all part of the same world, and previous protagonists show up as supporting characters in later books).

However, I’m currently reading Blood Feast by Vela Roth, the 8th book in the Blood Grace series. This book was released on June 3rd, and I’ve finally decided to tackle this 700+ page tome. All eight books follow Cassia and Lio and their forbidden romance. I’m just over 50% into the book, and I can already tell it’ll be the best sequel I’ve read in 2024. I am so impressed with Vela Roth’s imagination and how there is so much of this fantasy world — in terms of politics and magic — to build upon and explore despite every book being over 600 pages.

The Blood Grace series is for fans of romantasy, which is heavy on world-building and political intrigue and has a complicated magic system.

New release you haven’t read yet but want to?

Last year, I had 23 anticipated releases (for 2023), and I purchased most of them but failed to read even half. So, in 2024, I created a distilled list of 12 new releases I want to read before the year ends. As of mid-year, I’ve purchased/borrowed ten of them, eight of which I’ve read (or am currently reading).

I have two books I’ve purchased and haven’t yet read, including Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez. Not only is this book the perfect summer romance (look at that cover!), but I also finally finished the first two books in the Part of Your World companion romance novel series. So, Just for the Summer is definitely my priority.

The book follows Justin and Emma, who share a curse — both are always the last person their exes date before finding their forever partner. They decide to date and break up at the end of the summer to cancel out their curse. I’ve loved Abby Jimenez’s romances (both were 4.5 stars or higher), so I’m excited to see what she has in store with her newest release!

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year?

The only book on my 12 New Releases for 2024 list that comes out in the latter half of the year is A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna. The book follows Sera, a witch who lost her magic after a difficult (and taboo) spell. To get her magic back, she reconnects with a past one-night stand (an icy historian) and teams up with a villainous talking fox. Also, Sera’s supposed to be a grumpy main character, which will be a hoot! It comes out on December 24th.

Biggest disappointment?

My biggest disappointment in 2024 was, by far, The Justice of Kings by Richard Swan. It sounded like such a cool premise. We follow Helena, the apprentice to Sir Konrad, an Emperor’s Justice. The epic fantasy explores a colonialist state that uses the rule of law to consolidate its power. However, an extremist religious faction rises to power and threatens the stability of the continent.

There’s a big however. The story is told through Helena’s perspective, and her characterization is incongruent with her backstory. Worse, she came across as a caricature of what the author thought a young woman would think and feel. You can read my full review here.

Biggest surprise?

Karla Sorensen’s books have been very hit-and-miss for me recently. I gave the first book in her Wilder Family series a 2-star rating, so I was shocked by how much I loved Head Over Heels. The book is a small-town, opposites-attract romance with an ice queen for a Heroine and a golden retriever for a Hero. I loved how gone the Hero was for the Heroine!

Important note: this book covers serious topics, including the on-page decline and death of a loved one.

Favourite new author (debut or new to you)?

In 2024, I’ve only read one book from all the new-to-me authors whose books I rated highly. So, I have to go with Sara Rose Etter as my favourite new author because I was so impressed by her writing. Her book Ripe was my favourite book in May! You can read my full review here. I’m definitely going to be checking out her backlist.

Newest fictional crush?

To be honest, I’m not really one to have fictional crushes. But if I had to pick one, I would repeat a book by choosing Cameron from Head Over Heels by Karla Sorensen. He’s the definition of “if he wanted to, he would.”

Newest favourite character?

My newest favourite character is Lucy from Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera. The book follows Lucy as she returns to her hometown for her grandmother’s birthday after a true crime podcaster reignites interest in the murder of her best friend… and Lucy was the primary suspect! But Lucy has no memory of the night in question and no idea whether everyone is right about their suspicions.

I loved how Lucy owned who she was — she was very much an asshole and wasn’t afraid of confrontation or calling a spade a spade. Lucy felt real; she was complicated and challenged the true crime narratives of perfect victims and one-dimensional villains.

A book that made you cry?

A book that made me cry was The Last Love Note by Emma Grey, which follows single parent Kate, who’s still grieving the loss of her husband but is working towards healing and moving on. While there is a romantic subplot, this book is heavily focused on Kate’s grief journey. It includes detailed flashbacks of her husband’s diagnosis and the progression of his illness. Readers beware!

A book that made you happy?

The first book that popped into my mind relevant to this question was Fragile Sanctuary by Catherine Cowles. I was so happy to finally read this book! I had been counting down the months after Cowles’ previous release in February — her books are my comfort reads right now (I’ve read every book in her backlist that isn’t a second chance romance — my least favourite trope).

Fragile Sanctuary is a romantic suspense novel, so it does not have all happy-go-lucky vibes, but I love the small towns Cowles creates and the emotional romance!

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

I haven’t purchased any special editions this year, so I’ll choose the book with my favourite cover: How to Think Like a Woman by Regan Penaluna. I love how the cover plays on the historical sitting portrait, which was used to capture wealthy women (or women who were muses of artists). The added touch of warping her face perfectly encapsulates an important theme in this book: the erasure of women in history, particularly the philosophy canon, in this case.

What book(s) do you need to read by the end of the year?

There are so many books I need to read by the end of the year (e.g., all 24 books on my 24 Books in 2024 list, my reading challenges TBRs, my whole backlist of 190+ books). But for brevity, I’ve chosen four books I want to read by the end of the year.

Joan by Katherine J. Chen Add on Goodreads and The StoryGraph
I’ve been feeling the urge to read Joan by Katherine J. Chen these past few months but haven’t taken the plunge. The book reimagines Joan of Arc’s life story — specifically, how she became the renowned leader and warrior who helped expel England from France in the 15th century.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien Add on Goodreads and The StoryGraph
This choice is kind of cheating since it’s technically three books in one, but as it’s one bound book (hence, omnibus), I’m counting the Lord of the Rings trilogy as one selection. After finally reading The Hobbit back in February, I’m excited to see what the father of epic modern fantasy has in store in The Lord of the Rings!

Beartown by Fredrik Backman Add on Goodreads and The StoryGraph
I know I’ll absolutely adore Beartown once I read it, but the hard-hitting topic the book explores has been putting me off since I purchased it three years ago. I’ve read two other books by Backman, and his characterizations and ability to capture hope in mundane life are unparalleled (in my opinion). Since Beartown is set during the winter (hockey season), I’ll probably be putting this off until later in the year.

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson Add on Goodreads and The StoryGraph
This selection is kind of embarrassing: I included The Way of Kings in my must-reads in last year’s Mid-Year Freakout Tag! I’m hoping (and planning) to at least read the first book in The Stormlight Archive series. I’ve only heard great things about this epic fantasy!

Conclusion

Looking back on my responses to this book tag, I’m excited about my reading adventures in the second half of 2024! Reflecting on my highs, lows, and surprises has been insightful, and it’s clear that my reading journey is ever-evolving. Despite some setbacks (I am 19 books behind in my reading goal), I’m optimistic I can complete my reading challenges.

Here’s to discovering more incredible stories, meeting unforgettable characters, and perhaps finding a few more 5-star reads along the way. Don’t forget to follow my blog and explore more of my book reviews and recommendations. Please leave in the comments what books you hope to read before 2025 – happy reading, everyone!

Follow Me

Blog Instagram Goodreads Facebook Bloglovin’ StoryGraph


Discover more from Talk Nerdy Book Blog

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Add comment

Leave a Reply

By Sarah

Follow Me on Wordpress

Follow Talk Nerdy To Me on WordPress.com

Currently Reading

You Should See Me in a Crown
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing
I Hope I Join the Band: Narrative, Affiliation, and Antiraciset Rhetoric


Sarah Anne's favorite books »

Archives

Upcoming Releases

Parade
The Art of Catching Feelings
A Novel Love Story


Sarah Anne's favorite books »