All Things Books

Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag 2024

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And here we are!!! 6 months into the year! Last year was probably my best year yet so there is definitely a subconscious desire to beat those numbers but I know I won’t hahaha.

Challenge Update!

I set myself 4 challenges this year with a monthly 30 Manga Vols in 30 Days challenge for August.

  • The Goodreads Reading Challenge
  • Sequels Challenge
  • Physical TBR Challenge

Goodreads Reading Challenge

So far, I have read 82 books out of my planned 100! So last year I had read 85 books so numbers wise not doing as great as 2023 but still an incredibly big number of books.

Sequels Challenge

Another challenge that is going at a steady pace. Every year I task myself with reading one more book from all the series I currently have on the go. As the years go on my list of on-going series increase rapidly. So, like last year, I have challenged myself to reading 12 books. I am just being realistic. Here is what I have read. There are currently 40 series I am reading.

  1. A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir (An Ember in the Ashes #2)
  2. Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder #2)
  3. Sunbringer by Hannah Kaner (Godkiller #2)
  4. Artificial Condition by Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries #2)
  5. The Devil’s Flute Murders by Seishi Yokomizo (Detective Kosuke Kindaichi #5)
  6. The Heroic Legend of Arslan Vol.2 – Hiromu Arakawa
  7. Yona of the Dawn, Vol.2 – Mizuho Kusanagi
  8. Dumb Witness – Agatha Christie (Hercule Poirot #17)
  9. Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Vol.3 – Naoko Takeuchi
  10. Sweat and Soap, Vol. 2 – Kintetsu Yamada
  11. Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 3 – Kamome Shirahama

So, this year I have read 11 out of my planned 12! I am so happy to have nearly finished one challenge!

Here are the new series I have started and plan to continue.

  • Blood and Tea – Hafsah Faizal
  • The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
  • Daemons of the Shadow Realm – Hiromu Arakawa
  • Blue Lock – Muneyuki Kaneshiro
  • The Cruel Prince Trilogy – Holly Black
  • Miss Miyazen Would Like to Get Closer to You – Akitaka
  • Ernest Cunningham – Benjamin Stevenson
  • My Love Story with Yamada-sun at LV.999 – Mashiro
  • DCI Ryan Mysteries – L.J. Ross
  • Big Shots – Tessa Bailey

Physical TBR Challenge

So, last year I finally completed my 30 books from my Physical TBR so this time I bumped up the challenge and chose 50 books. This year, I have read 33 books out of my planned 50! I am so very happy!

  1. Where Sleeping Girls Lie – Faridah Abike-Iyimede
  2. Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Vol. 1 – Hiromu Arakawa
  3. The Heroic Legend of Arslan #2 – Hiromu Arakawa
  4. The Cruel Prince – Holly Black
  5. Unlikable Female Characters – Anna Bogutskaya
  6. Dumb Witness – Agatha Christie
  7. The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
  8. The Ferryman – Justin Cronin
  9. Heracles and Other Plays – Euripides
  10. The Trees – Percival Everett
  11. A Tempest of Tea – Hafsah Faizal
  12. Song of the Huntress – Lucy Holland
  13. Good Girl, Bad Blood – Holly Jackson
  14. The Reappearance of Rachel Price – Holly Jackson
  15. Sunbringer – Hannah Kaner
  16. Yona of the Dawn, Vol. 2 – Mizuho Kusanagi
  17. The Norse Myths That Shape the Way We Think – Carolyne Warrington
  18. If You Could See the Sun – Ann Liang
  19. Cursed Bread – Sophie Mackintosh
  20. Meet Me at the Surface – Jodie Matthews
  21. Love from the Other Side – Nagabe
  22. How To Solve Your Own Murders – Kristin Perrin
  23. Relit – Sandra Proudman
  24. Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 3 – Kamome Shirahama
  25. Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone – Benjamin Stevenson
  26. The Potting Shed Murder – Paula Sutton
  27. A Torch Against the Night – Sabaa Tahir
  28. Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Vol. 3 – Naoko Takeuchi
  29. The Last Murder at the End of the World – Stuart Turton
  30. Sweat and Soap, Vol. 2 – Kintetsu Yamada
  31. The Devil’s Flute Murders – Seishi Yokomizo
  32. Beyond the Clouds, Vol. 1 – Nicke
  33. Children of the Whales, Vol. 2 – Abi Used

Best Book I Have Read So Far

I have read a lot of great book so far but I have yet to find ‘the one’. The closest I think to that would be Before the Fact by Francis Iles. A great classic psychological thriller that had me guessing everything.

Best Sequel I Have Read So Far

I loved Godkiller so much and was so nervous to read Sunbringer fearing it was going to enter ‘Second Book Syndrome’ but it was amazing. So Sunbringer by Hannah Kaner is my pick for best sequel.

A New Release You Haven’t Read But Are Excited For!

Now I have not read The Sword of Kaigen but I have heard nothing but incredible things. I managed to receive a copy of M.L. Wang’s newest book and I want to scream! Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang comes out in October in the UK.

Biggest Disappointment So Far!

I love Nagabe’s The Girl from the Other Side series so much. It’s incredible! But reading his spin off was so disappointing. The amount of irresponsible age gaps, power imbalances, honestly the grooming that is normalised in this collection was shocking. I was really disappointed by Love on the Other Side.

Biggest Surprise So Far

It was between two books but ultimately I chose Blue Lock, Vol.1 by Muneyuki Kaneshiro because the plot was so surprising and not what I expected from a sport manga. I loved how dystopian it got.

Favourite New Author

Now Kanehito Yamada the author of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is not a new series to me but I haven’t stopped thinking about it and have just started a re-read in order to be prepared for the release of Vol.11 in October/November time.

Favourite New Characters

  • Jin – A Tempest of Tea
  • Frances Adams – How to Solve Your Own Murder
  • Ine – Song of the Huntress
  • Ernest Cunningham – Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone
  • Jem – The Examiner

A Book That Made You Cry!

Such a powerful and raw book that really hit me in my soul. I was not surprised that I bawled over this book. Chanel Miller’s Know My Name should be a must read for everyone.

A Book That Made You Happy!

Reading Hiromu Arakawa’s newest original series had me NERVOUS! We all know she is my all time favourite manga author and I needed something to fill the gap that Fullmetal Alchemist left. Daemons of the Shadow Realm met all the hype and I am sad I am early in the series as I will have to wait for new volumes.

The Most Beautiful Book You Have Received or Bought This Year

I have been trying to buy less and most of my exciting books have been paperbacks and not fancy special editions.

What Books Do You Need To Read By The End of This Year?

NO MORE! But we all know I will fail.

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