Mid-Year Book Freak Out 2022

Welcome to the Mid-Year Book Freak Out of 2022 everyone!  I've been taking part in this since 2015 - if you like you can check out my previous posts from 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021.  It's always great to see what everyone else has been reading and enjoying via this tag and I know I'll be adding a lot of books to my already out of control TBR.  By the way, this tag was originally created by ReadLikeWildFire and Earl Grey Books. Without further ado, let's get to it:

1. Best book you've read so far in 2022.

Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse - The Teen Book Club I lead at my library selected this for our May read and it's easily one of the best books I've read of the year so far.  It's also one of my favorite YA historical fiction novels set during WWII.  I also really appreciated the mystery element too.  I really need to learn more about the Holland Resistance and Underground Camera.

2. Best sequel you've read so far in 2022.

An Artificial Night (October Daye #3) by Seanan McGuire - This author has quickly become one of my favorites and this sequel is no question the best of the series so far.  It's on its way to becoming an all time favorite.

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

Daughter of the Moon Goddess (The Celestial Kingdom Duology #1) by Sue Lynn Tan - I plan on reading this asap.  It just sounds like it will be perfect!

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

Babel, or The Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution by R.F. Kuang - This is being released on August 23rd and I managed to get approved for an ARC via NetGalley.  I wouldn't be surprised if this becomes a new favorite!

5. Biggest disappointment.

The Inside of Out by Jenn Mari Thorne - I picked this up on Playaway from a library book sale thinking it had potential as a good Pride Month read.  I actually DNF'd this one at 45% I was so irritated.  It wasn't too bad at first - I mean, the MC could be grating - but overall it seemed to have good intentions.  Then, came the asexual "rep" and that put me right off.  What the heck, Ms. Thorne. Not cool!

6. Biggest surprise.

Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Her Daughter Mary Shelley by Charlotte Gordon - This is easily one of the best biographies I've ever read.  If you are interested in the lives of either of these two women, you absolutely need to read it.

7. Favorite new author (debut or new to you).

Nathan Drake and Drew Shannon - They are the team behind The Montague Twins graphic novel series which is absolutely delightful if you haven't had the chance to try them.

8. Newest fictional crush.

I don't have one.

9. Newest favorite character.

Alanna of Trebond from Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness #1) by Tamora Pierce - Honestly, I should have read this back when I was a kid - I don't know how I missed it!

10. Book that made you cry.

The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman - This memoir should be required reading.

11. Book that made you happy.

A Man and His Cat, Vol. 1 (A Man and His Cat #1) by Umi Sakurai - Possibly one of the cutest, most wholesome, and pure things I've ever read.  I've only read one volume in the series so far, but I think I would die for Fukumaru!  You know what's funny, Fukumaru looks at his human exactly like my cat looks at my dad.

12. Best book to film adaptation?

Movie: Ran (1985) - Akira Kurosawa's adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear is so epic and the use of color is gorgeous.  All of his Shakespeare adaptations have been amazing.  

TV: Heartstopper (2022) - The graphic novels by Alice Oseman are marvelous and the Netflix adaptation absolutely does them justice.  

 

TV runner up: Dead End: Paranormal Park (2022) - This Netflix adaptation of the Deadendia graphic novels by Hamish Steele is so much fun.  If you haven't checked it out yet, I can't recommend it enough.

13. Favorite post you have done this year?

I always love giving new-to-me authors the spotlight so with that my Top Ten Tuesday: New-To-Me Authors I Discovered In 2021 has been a favorite of mine.  Plus, it's been one of my more popular posts so far this year too.

14. Most beautiful book you've bought so far this year (or received).

The Atlas Six (The Atlas #1) by Olivie Blake - I don't know about you, but I just think this looks so cool.  Plus, it has cool pieces of character art inside.  By the way, the novel itself was really good.  I can't wait to read the sequel.

15. What books do you need to read by the end of this year?

The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager - I love this author's brand of mystery thriller and I need this asap!

What books have you enjoyed so far this year?  What are you looking forward to reading the most for the rest of the year?  Have you read any of these yet?  As always, thanks for visiting my blog and perhaps even commenting down below!