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We have passed the halfway point of 2022 and have officially entered the month of July.
Last year, I did the
Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag and decided to do it again this year as a way to recap my reading journey so far and also for fun 😊.
As usual, in this post I will be answering a series of questions related to the books that I've read in 2022—which includes some of my favorite books so far. Up to this point, I've read 17 books—which is surprisingly the same exact number of books that I've read during my halfway mark last year 🤔. Even though it's not a lot, I'm proud of my reading progress so far and I am still on track to achieve this year's Goodreads challenge too. Now, let's start answering some questions! I'll try my best to pick a different book for each question! 😆
1. Best Book You've Read So Far in 2022?
Among the books that I've rated 5 stars, the best one that I've read so far has got to be I Must Betray You because I kept thinking about the story even after I've finished the book for a while. Ruta Sepetys is no doubt one of my all-time favorite authors and her writing always introduced me to historical events that I never knew about before. The story is intense, shocking, and heartbreaking as well; I felt like I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Can't wait to read more books by Ruta Sepetys in the future! 🤩
2. Best Sequel You've Read So Far in 2022?
To be honest, I don't have a lot of choice because The Green Bone Saga is the only series that I'm reading so far this year. Regardless, I think Jade War deserves the title best sequel because the stakes are getting higher and I'm so emotionally invested in all the characters. I'm currently reading the third and final book in this series and hopefully the ending won't disappoint 😉.
3. New Releases You Haven't Read, but Want to?
I have so MANY new releases that I haven't read, but these three are really high on my to-read list. Remarkably Bright Creatures sounds very interesting and the cover really captured my attention. It's also been a while since I last read a contemporary fiction novel, so I thought I'd give this one a try even though I've never read anything by Shelby Van Pelt before. On the other hand, Susan Cain wrote one of the most life-changing book for me, Quiet; so I thought I'd read her new released book as well and see if it will change my life again. The last one is Book Lovers, which I've purchased the physical copy of and it's currently sitting on my bookshelves waiting patiently to be read 😆.
4. Most Anticipated Release For Second Half of 2022?
Have so MANY books for this question as well, but I'm especially excited for these. Truly, so many books, so little time to read 😂. The first one is a standalone novel by R.F. Kuang which is recommended by a lot of people who've had the chance to read it first. I think I'd like to try reading this book first before jumping into R.F. Kuang's popular series: The Poppy War trilogy. Next is a series that I'm so intrigued about and am waiting for the final book to be released before I want to start reading it. The Inheritance Games has been on my radar for quite some time because the plot sounds very interesting. And of course, I am highly anticipating Celeste Ng's newest book because she's definitely one of my all-time favorite authors as well. I can't wait to be mesmerized by her writing once again 🥰.
5. Biggest Disappointment?
There are actually a few books that disappoints me but sadly, Gallant by V.E. Schwab is the most disappointing one; I guess it's because my expectation was really high in the beginning. I also read this book during a very chaotic moment, so I find it difficult to concentrate to what I was reading. Every time I picked it up, I struggled to get through the story and find it hard to enjoy. It saddens me to put V.E. Schwab in this category because I liked a lot of her books in the past 🥲.
6. Biggest Surprise?
Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown | ReviewI decided to read this book because it's written by Brené Brown, another author who wrote life-changing books for me personally. When I started reading, I totally didn't expect this book to be some kind of a dictionary of emotions and human experiences—so in a way it was a surprise for me 😆. It was a pleasant surprise even though it kind of feels like reading a textbook at times.
7. Favorite New Author? (Debut or New to You)
Emily Henry, Fonda Lee
I'm really happy because I finally read books written by these two super-hyped authors this year! I've only read one book by Emily Henry so far and can't wait to read more of her works! I crave romance story sometimes and it can be quite difficult to find an author whose writing suits my taste. Fonda Lee is definitely my new favorite author as well because she successfully immersed me in the world that she's built through her writing.
8. Newest Fictional Crush?
Although his character seems to good to be true, his kindness and personality made me fall for him. I adore his ability to make someone feel comfortable around him and his dialogues are the sweetest 🥰.
9. Newest Favorite Character?
Amongst all the characters that I've come across so far this year, I think I'll choose Kaul Hilo as my favorite. The reason is not necessarily because of his personality, but I love seeing his character development throughout the series. I absolutely admire his charisma and the way he leads the clan with authority, and his protectiveness towards his wife and family always touched my heart. Hilo has his own flaws and weaknesses as well, which makes his character feels real and relatable.
10. Book That Made You Cry?
I didn't exactly cry reading this book, but The House in the Cerulean Sea definitely touched and warmed my heart 🥺. It's a very wholesome book.
11. Book That Made You Happy?
It's funny because I also chose
Hai, Miiko! for this question
last year 😂. I guess this comic book always made me happy because I have to wait one year to read the next volume. The stories inside always managed to make me smile and laugh; almost made me feel like a kid again 😆. I'm also especially happy because the characters have finally graduated and they're now junior high school students.
12. Favorite Book to Movie Adaptation You Saw This Year?
I didn't watch a lot of movie adaptations this year and Death on the Nile seems to be the only answer to this question. I have to say that I liked this one better than Murder on the Orient Express; the final reveal was better and the characters are a lot more interesting. Hercule Poirot is still not my favorite and I prefer Sherlock Holmes's style of solving a mystery 🙈.
13. Favorite Review You've Written This Year?
I always love writing a review for a non-fiction because it helped me remember the details of the book better and point out some things that I learned from the book. When I'm having difficulty making a decision in the future, I can open up this review and refresh my memory through it 😊.
14. Most Beautiful Book You Bought So Far This Year?
I absolutely adore the book cover for The Arson Project. I love the illustration style, the warm colors, and also the forest background. The pretty cover is actually the main reason why I decided to buy this book 😆.
15. What Books Do You Need to Read By the End of the Year?
Again, so MANY! But I decided to choose these three books for this category; the first one is
Pachinko—a very popular book which has been adapted into a TV series and I heard only good things about it. I also need to read at least one book by Ziggy Zezsyazeoviennazabrizkie because I heard the stories that she writes are rather unique. And I really want to read a mystery book written by Keigo Higashino; because I've
read one of his books and it wasn't the mystery one. If I end up enjoying it, I might pick up more books written by this author 😊.
Phew, finally done answering all the questions for this tag 😆. Some questions are difficult to answer because there are just so many books to choose from! It was fun to look back at my reading journey during the first half of 2022 and I'm really excited to read more books for the rest of the year. If you're also doing this tag on your own blog or other platform, feel free to share in the comments below and I'll be sure to drop by and check out the books that you mention 😊. See you in the next post! 😉
by.stefaniesugia♥
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Aaaa nggak sabar baca ulasan dari Cici untuk 3 buku terakhir 🙈. Kebetulan aku udah baca ke3nyaa dan aku suka semuanya. Semoga Cici juga bisa enjoy bacanya! Happy reading!~
ReplyDeleteIyaaa, semoga bisa kebaca dalam waktu dekat iniii 😆
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