Mid Year Freak Out Tag 2020

You know that feeling, when you've woken up and everything feels like a dream. Your body doesn't feel like your own and all you can do is sit back, and watch the world fly by you. The effect is you feel like you're stuck in limbo... that is what the whole of 2020 has felt like for me. From a killer virus sweeping the Earth, to the country that I'm living in declaring a Lockdown that has lasted months... to say that this has been an eventful year is an understatement. Being stuck at home does have one benefit, I have read some amazing books. I've seen the Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag circulating social media and I thought it would be fun to complete and reflect on all the positives of 2020 rather than the negatives. Six months into the year and I've read 43 books (I've almost achieved my reading goal of 50 which is exciting) so I have a solid selection of books to pick from... without further ado, let's get into it! 

1. Best book you've read so far in 2020

This is very difficult for me. So far, I've got 3 books that are on my 'favourite reads of 2020' list. If I had to pick one favourite, I'd pick House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas. And a very close second is Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare. 

 

House of Earth and Blood is Sarah J Maas's first adult fantasy book in a new series. This book includes fae, angels, demons, mermaids, witches and just about every mythical creature that you can possibly think of. The story is laced with intricately woven plot twists, powerful characters and of course, a certain fae male who's won the hearts of every reader (which always seems to be the case with Sarah J Maas). 

2. Best sequel you've read so far in 2020

I haven't read much sequels in 2020, most of the books I've read have been standalone fiction books. One sequel I read and adored was Tower of Dawn by Sarah J Maas (I promise, not all of these books are written by Maas). 

My favourite thing about Tower of Dawn was the rich setting. It's the sixth book in the Throne of Glass series, and is set in a country called Antica. I loved the Middle Eastern vibes of Antica. The new characters that were introduced are now some of my favourites of the whole series. It's an amazing book full of spellbinding prose set in a rich and beautiful setting. 

3. New release you haven't read yet but want to

The Court of Miracles by Kester Grant was released on the 2nd of June and has been pitched as Les Miserables meets Six of Crows. It's set in 19th Century Paris, the French Revolution has failed launching the country into conflict as the dispute between royalty and underground criminal guilds worsens. The cover to this book is absolutely stunning, and I've heard quite good reviews so I'm excited to get to it!

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

I have 3 books that I'm dying to get my hands on. My 3 most anticipated books are: 

1. The Lost Book of White by Cassandra Clare. This is the second book in The Eldest Curses trilogy.

Release Date - September 1st 2020

S Y N O P S I S:

Life is good for Magnus Bane and Alec Lightwood. They’re living together in a fabulous loft, their warlock son, Max, has started learning to walk, and the streets of New York are peaceful and quiet—as peaceful and quiet as they ever are, anyway.

Until the night that two old acquaintances break into Magnus’s apartment and steal the powerful Book of the White. Now Magnus and Alec will have to drop everything to get it back. They need to follow the thieves to Shanghai, they need to call some backup to accompany them, and they need a babysitter.

Also, someone has stabbed Magnus with a strange magical weapon and the wound is glowing, so they have that to worry about too.

Fortunately, their backup consists of Clary, Jace, Isabelle, and newly minted Shadowhunter Simon. In Shanghai, they learn that a much darker threat awaits them. Magnus’s magic is growing unstable, and if they can’t stop the demons flooding into the city, they might have to follow them all the way back to the source—to the very realm of the dead. Can they stop the threat to the world? Will they make it back home before their kid completely wears out Alec’s mom?

2. Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson. The fourth book in the epic fantasy series, The Stormlight Archive 

Release Date - November 17th 2020

S Y N O P S I S:

After forming a coalition of human resistance against the enemy invasion, Dalinar Kholin and his Knights Radiant have spent a year fighting a protracted, brutal war. Neither side has gained an advantage. 

Now, as new technological discoveries begin to change the face of war, the enemy prepares a bold and dangerous operation. The arms race that follows will challenge the very core of the Radiant ideals, and potentially reveal the secrets of the ancient tower that was once the heart of their strength.

3. The Betrayals by Bridgit Collins. This is Bridget Collins's second book, her first being the bestseller The Binding. I loved The Binding, and I can't wait to have The Betrayals in my hands. 

Release Date - November 12th 2020

S Y N O P S I S:

At Montverre, an exclusive academy tucked away in the mountains, the best and brightest are trained for excellence in the grand jeu: an arcane and mysterious contest. Léo Martin was once a student there, but lost his passion for the grand jeu following a violent tragedy. Now he returns in disgrace, exiled to his old place of learning with his political career in tatters.
 
Montverre has changed since he studied there, even allowing a woman, Claire Dryden, to serve in the grand jeu’s highest office of Magister Ludi. When Léo first sees Claire he senses an odd connection with her, though he’s sure they have never met before.
 
Both Léo and Claire have built their lives on lies.  And as the legendary Midsummer Game, the climax of the year, draws closer, secrets are whispering in the walls…

5. Biggest disappointment 

I'm usually quite good at picking up books that I know I'll love, so there aren't that many books that I've found extremely disappointing. There is one book that I was unbelievably disappointed by, and that was If We Were Villains by M.L.Rio

I really wanted to like this book. It contained so many elements that I should've loved, but it just fell flat for me. I love the Dark Academia aesthetic, and this book was supposed to the perfect Dark Academia themed book... and it was just boring. James honestly carried this whole book and was the only reason I rated it 3 stars.

6. Biggest surprise

My biggest surprise was The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins. I had heard mixed reviews for this book, and with it being focused on a young President Snow, I wasn't expecting anything amazing. It had been years since I've read The Hunger Games, and I just wasn't interested in a follow up book. I had bought this book on a whim, and absolutely loved it. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is dark and gripping and drew me in from the first page. I was afraid it was going to be a redemption story for Cornelius Snow, I'm glad to say that wasn't the case at all. I loved seeing how the actual Hunger Games developed, I LOVED Lila Baird... it was just an amazing book in my opinion. 

This book also raises the topic of human nature. Collins leaves the readers pondering the question, what is humanity at its roots? Without laws are humans wild, untamed, violent. Or are people monsters because of their exposure to a toxic and abusive world? What drives a human to kill? 

7. Favourite new author (a debut author or an author that's new to you)

For this question, I'm going to pick an author that is new to me, and that author is Haruki Murakami. 

This year I read Killing Commendatore (which I've posted a review for here!) I was immediately sucked in by Murakami's writing. This book was very moody and atmospheric, I loved the magical realism aspect, I loved the slow pace which is actually quite surprising since I often get quite bored whilst reading a slow-paced book. I did have a few issues, one of them being the presentation of women but it was a minor problem for me. I'm looking forward to reading more of Murakami's novels! 

8. New fictional crush 

At first I wasn't going to answer this because I don't usually have fictional crushes. But then I remembered Matthew from Chain of Gold existed and then I had my answer.

9. Newest favourite character 

For this I picked Yrene in the Throne of Glass series. We meet Yrene in Tower of Dawn, and she immediately became a favourite of mine. I'm not even sure why I love her character so much, I just do. She's kind and strong and interesting and very easy to connect with. She's one of my all time favourite characters.

10. Book that made you cry 

10 Minutes and 38 Seconds in This Strange World, is one of those books that rip your heart and make you sob uncontrollably, yet the message is so important that you have no choice but to push through and keep reading to the end. To say this book destroyed me is an understatement. I have never cried so much whilst reading a book (I'm not exaggerating). It crushed me. It dealt with so many difficult topics from child abuse, rape, self-harm, abuse towards transgender women etc. I didn't look up the trigger warnings before reading this, and when I came across the scene about the child abuse, my heart broke. I cried a LOT. 

11. Book that made you happy

This is probably the easiest for me to pick a book for, and my answer is Heartstopper. I've only read the first volume in this series, and I absolutely adored it. The drawings are extremely charming, the characters are loveable and the romance is so cute. I first read this in February, and I've already reread this volume since then. I highly recommend if you haven't read it already. 

12. Most beautiful book you bought this year

Earlier in the year, I bought the Waterstones Exclusive Edition of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and it is stunning. It has blue sprayed edges, and the cover is eye catching. This is by far the prettiest book I've bought to far.

13. What books do you need to read by the end of the year

Basically my whole TBR? I really want to read all the unread books that I own. There are a few that I really need to finish this year. One of them being The Darker Shade of Magic trilogy by V. E. Schwab. I read the first book last year, so I really need to finish the trilogy soon. I also want to read the rest of the volumes in the Heartstopper series. I'm currently reading Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. This is the largest classic I have ever read. Classics take a long time for me to read, so you can imagine how long it will take me to finish a 900 page classic. I really want to finish this book before the year is over. 

And that is it! Thank you for reading ♡ I hope you added some books to your TBR. If you've read any of these books, I'd love to hear your thoughts and what you thought of the novels listed above. 

Keep you head in the clouds and your heart with the stars! Until next time ♡