Hi hello and welcome to the Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag! It's the middle of the year and I've been seeing this tag everywhere recently, so I figured I would hop on the bandwagon. Let's get started!

Best book you’ve read so far in 2017

Heartless by Marissa Meyer. This was a tough one, but Heartless stood out the most to me when thinking of an answer to this question. I went through a roller coaster of emotions while reading this and I loved it so very much, so this definitely is one of my top 2017 reads.

Best sequel you've read so far in 2017

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

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas. I haven't even read the first two but I'm dying to read this. I think it's a case of instant cover love because, seriously, this cover is beautiful.

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

Biggest disappointment

Shattered Blue by Lauren Bird Horowitz. Honestly, I don't even want to talk about it. This book was just not for me and I would not recommend it.

Biggest surprise

The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel. Dark, twisted, and right up my alley.

Favourite new author (Debut or new to you)

Roshani Chokshi. Her writing is beautiful and sparked my new love for Indian culture! Ever since I read A Crown of Wishes, I've been trying to read more books that talk about Indian culture because it was so fascinating and I wanted to learn more about it.

Newest fictional crush

Xan from the Sphinx series by Raye Wagner. Honestly, I don't get fictional crushes, and I'm not necessarily crushing on Xan. But his character was so fantastic and I just loved his relationship with Hope and how much he cares for her and takes care of her without hesitation. The two of them had the best friendship I've ever read about and I'm so happy I had the chance to read about them.

Newest favourite character

Dimple from When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon. She's such a sassy, independent, smart, strong character and I really think we need more characters like this in YA books.

Book that made you cry

Book that made you happy

Violet Grenade by Victoria Scott. This book was so deliciously twisted and I loved every second of it.

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

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

From Goodreads: "What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.  From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and  the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets." 

Where can I begin with Legend? I began this book with a very poor attitude, and finished it with a fairly positive outlook. I usually pick up a book for various reasons: because of the author, the cover captured my attention, or I read multiple reviews on it and got interested. With Legend, I had no background information, had read no reviews, wasn't initially captivated by the cover, and I had never heard of the author before. I saw a post about the final book, Champion, on Polished Readers (check out the review here!) and was incredibly attracted to the cover. Plus, the polish colors were gorgeous! So, I decided to find the first book and give it a shot.

Upon flipping through the book, I noticed it was going to be a split point of view book, and sighed internally. I have a tendency to get lost in split POV books, and was not looking forward to constantly flipping back and forth while reading. Not only were there two narrators, but two different text styles, depending on who was talking. My brain was screaming not to go on, but I gave it a chance. I can safely say, I'm glad I continued on.


The split POV helped, rather than hindered, Legend. The different text for June and Day did as well, surprisingly. The sharp, precise text style that accompanies June is perfect for her military demeanor, and the bold, blocky text that comes with Day's side of the story shows his fearlessness and unwavering dedication to his family. I never had a problem with telling who was talking, and was pleased with how well the author kept the pace throughout the book.

June is a prodigy, having received a perfect 1500 on her Trials. Day is the Republic's most wanted criminal, with more to him than meets the eye. Their worlds collide after the death of June's brother, Metias. June is mislead and believes that Day is responsible for Metias's death, but is the Republic keeping secrets from their prodigy? Together, June and Day discover that the world they thought they knew is a lie, and that the truth is more sinister then they could have imagined.

By the end of the book, I was rather happy that I decided to venture on. While I wasn't exactly dying over the ending, or crying about how I wished I had Prodigy, I was satisfied with what I had read. I am invested in June and Day's story now, and am quite curious as to how it all continues with Prodigy, and then concludes in Champion. Hopefully I won't be left unsatisfied once the series ends!