Hey guys! It’s been such an incredibly long time since I’ve done a tag. SO HERE WE ARE. Heck, it feels like it’s been a while since I’ve had time to do a tag. A quick update first:

So, life has been busy. But hi, hello, how are we all? My sister got married last month and so life has been all about that. Also just work is busy and a lot. UGH.

But aside from that, my laptop also died. MANY SADS. I’ve only just got it back today after traversing the world to find someone to repair it and thus I have been abandoned into a sea of unproductivity in my creative world. Because ew, having to write things from a desk and not a bed? So wrong. YIKES.

That’s where I’ve been at and why the MID YEAR FREAK OUT tag is super appropriate. Lots of freaking out is being done in this corner (even if I’m on track (for my incredibly low) reading challenge for 2019). This year, I’ve read 33 books so far as I’m writing this. So I shall be plucking and choosing my picks from that pool. So hey, let’s just dive in!

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Best Book of 2019 So Far

No surprises here, I am Kemmerer’s number one fan when it comes to her fantasy writing. I fell absolutely in love with this tale and I CANNOT WAIT  for the next book *heavy breathing*. I read this at the start of the year and so far, nothing else has eclipsed it.

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Best Sequel of 2019 So Far

I mean, so many of us are die hard Holly Black fans right now because of this series. Never have I seen such incredible hype over a story! And deservedly so! It’s such an exciting tale and Black really has a way with writing faeries, making them scary and demanding and magical and mystical and ferocious. What is not to love. Please god, let Holly Black and Sarah J Maas write a collab one day – PLEASE.  The Wicked King is everything you could ever want a sequel to be.

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New Release You Haven’t Read Yet, but What to

I ADORED the first book in this series and this sequel, Soul of the Sword came out very recently. I’m sure I will get around to it quite soon but oh boy, am I itching or what to find out what happens next. This is an awesome Japanese-inspired fantasy story!

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Most Anticipated Release of Second Half of 2019

I couldn’t pick just one for this, there are simply too many amazing books coming out in the second half of this year. The Queen of Nothing is the third (and final?) book in Holly Black’s latest series WHICH IS SO GOOD. Then we have The Toll, the third and final book in Shusterman’s Arc of the Scythe which I’m positively salivating for. And finally, the second book in the trilogy? duology? idek? of Children of Blood and Bone which left on SUCH A CLIFF-HANGER. Please, lord, let me have these books sooner.

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Biggest Disappointment of 2019 So Far

These two have definitely been my biggest disappointments so far. Neither of them had the spectacular ending I was hoping for, which really let me down. That being said, both of these were still a 3-star read for me – I’ve yet to read any real stinkers this year.

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Biggest Surprise

Easily, my biggest surprise this year was Toffee (Sarah Crossan). My review for this has just gone up so you can run along and read more of my thoughts on that HERE. But guys, this book is PoETry. I don’t read poetry and yet here I am, having FREAKING LOVED this story.

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New Favourite Author

I’ve really gotten stuck into Shusterman’s work at this point. I’ve read (and devoured) both Scythe and Thunderhead before plunging headlong into Dry and OH MY LORD, can this man (and his son) write, or what? I’m so excited to read new works in the future by him – he’s definitely made it onto my all-time favourite authors list. He has a way with dystopian, I’ll tell ya.

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Newest Fictional Crush

It’s either got to be Commander Grey from A Curse So Dark and Lonely or Arther from What if it’s Us even though he’s gay. Both were simply too loyal and cute and fierce for me to not fall in love with.

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Newest Favourite Character

A new, handsome rogue that I really like, along with his cohort is Séverin from The Gilded Wolves. All the characters in this book are Six of Crows worthy and if you haven’t read it yet, you must. This book has gone so quiet lately but PEOPLE, IT. IS. SO. GOOD.

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Book that Made You Cry

Oh, what a heart-wrenching story this one is. I enjoyed every single page but sheesh kebabs did this pull at the heartstrings. If you need a good angsty cry, then this is the book for you. C.G. Drews is a masterful writer when it comes to raw emotions and brilliant characters.

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Book that Made You Happy

Ah, here’s a book that made me smile for days. Excuse me repeating this book on the list, but it’s worth it. This author duo is a fantastic combination that absolutely needed to happen. The characters in this story are hilarious, sweet, honest and adorable. I laughed and cried my way through this book appropriately.

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Favourite Book to Movie Adaptation You’ve Seen This Year

Earlier this year (I’m pretty sure it was this year . . . if not, this is the only thing I could think of so *shrug*) I watched the movie adaptation of Wonder. To be fair, I haven’t actually read the book but gee, this was a good movie. 10/10 would recommend.

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Favourite Review You’ve Written This Year

I’m not really sure what my favourite reviews are, ever. I don’t really have a favourite of those. However, two of my most popular reviews are these. The Wicked King racked up the most likes and quite of a lot of interaction and The Gilded Wolves rustled up a lot of interest too. Some very deserving books! But my most successful review of all time, is actually over on YouTube. It’s my review of Outlander (book one) which has over one thousand views, which is massive for me.

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Most Beautiful Book You Bought or Received So Far this Year

This is an easy choice. The Binding is such a beautiful book, that I bought the hardback when I was travelling in Europe at the start of this year, and hauled it around in my luggage, all the way home. It was simply too beautiful to leave on the shelf. I’ll have a post on Instagram coming this week showing it off in all its naked glory.

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Books to Read by the End of 2019

Here is just a short, sweet sample of some of the books I REALLY want to read by the end of the year:

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I will be tagging . . .

Amanda @ Cover2CoverMom

Sofia @ A Book. A Thought

Kristin @ Kristin Kraves Books

Mayke @ A Cozy Living

Nicole @ Thoughts Stained with Ink

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~~ Kirstie ~~

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