It seems like everyone has been doing this tag lately so I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon! And today is the last day of June so we are pretty much exactly halfway through this year – does anyone else feel like June has flown by so quickly?! I think most people have probably already done this tag but if you haven’t and you want to then count this as me tagging you! So here goes…

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Best book you’ve read so far in 2019:

So at the moment it’s a three-way tie between Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep , Educated by Tara Westover and The Lost Man by Jane Harper. I absolutely loved all three of these books for different reason and at the moment I just cannot choose a frontrunner between them! You can read my reviews on all three – links below!

Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep – ARC Review

Educated by Tara Westover – Audiobook Review

The Lost Man by Jane Harper – ARC Review

Best sequel of 2019 so far:

Six of Crows: Crooked Kingdom: Book 2 by Leigh Bardugo

This is the only sequel I’ve read in 2019 and it didn’t come out this year but the Six Of Crows/Crooked Kingdom duology is so fantastic and if you haven’t read it I can highly recommend it! Such great characters and a fast-paced heist that is full of wit and heart.

New release you haven’t read yet but want to:

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

This one has been out for a little while but it’s still new-ish so I think it counts! I keep meaning to get to it but I haven’t been able to fit it in yet. Hopefully soon though, because it sounds so great.

Most anticipated release of the second half of 2019

The Testaments (The Handmaid’s Tale) by Margaret Atwood

I don’t think I’m the only one that is highly anticipating the long-awaited sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale. I honestly have no idea where Atwood is going to take it and I can’t wait to find out!

Biggest Disappointment

Call Them by Their True Names: American Crises (and Essays) by Rebecca Solnit

Men Explain Things To Me by Solnit is one of my favourite essay collections so I was really looking forward to her latest, Call Them By Their True Names, but unfortunately it fell a bit flat for me. It wasn’t bad by any stretch and their were some great individual essays but as a group I just wasn’t overwhelmingly impressed sadly.

Biggest Surprise

The Mummy Bloggers by Holly Wainwright

I thought I would enjoy The Mummy Bloggers but I loved it even more than I expected to. It was just so smart, funny and I had such a great time reading it! You can read my review here if you fancy: The Mummy Bloggers by Holly Wainwright – Blog Tour Review.

Favourite (new to me) author:

The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea

The Glass Woman was such an entrancing and beautifully written book and I was so impressed with the author, Caroline Lea’s, skill. I will definitely be on the lookout from now on for any new work by her! You can read my review here: The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea – ARC Review.

Newest Fictional Crush

Happy Fat: Taking Up Space in a World That Wants to Shrink You

I don’t really have any new fictional crushes so far from 2019! However I recently read the awesome Happy Fat so I now have a friend-crush on Sofie Hagen who is so charming and funny!

Happy Fat by Sofie Hagen – Review

Newest favourite character:

Meat Market by Juno Dawson

My latest favourite character is the wonderful Jana from Meat Market by Juno Dawson. She is such a great, feminist, strong and genuine young woman and I loved reading about her experience with the modelling industry. You can read my review here: Meat Market by Juno Dawson – Book Review.

Book that made you cry:

The Choke by Sofie Laguna

This one made me cry because it was such a raw, unflinching story and I really felt for the main character. You can read my review here: The Choke by Sofie Laguna – Review.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

I’m not sure anyone could get all the way through this emotional book without crying at least once or twice. Saying that, although there is sadness aplenty, there’s also hope and love and I don’t regret reading it.

Book that made you happy:

The Boy Who Steals Houses by C. G. Drews

This one has it’s sad moments but it ultimately made me very happy whilst reading it. The characters warmed my heart and the relationships were so lovely to read about. You can read my review here: The Boy Who Steals Houses by C. G. Drews – Review.

Favourite book to movie adaption you’ve seen this year:

My Brilliant Friend (Neapolitan Novels Book 1) by Elena Ferrante

This is a book to tv rather than a book to movie adaptation but it’s so good I had to pick it! The tv series (on HBO) was so faithful to the first book of this incredible series and it was almost exactly how I imagined it whilst reading which almost never happens! I highly recommend both the book series and the tv series!

Favourite review you’ve written this year:

The Wych Elm by Tana French

I’m not sure exactly why it’s my favourite review but I found writing about my feelings on The Which Elm really enjoyable! You can read my review here: The Wych Elm by Tana French – ARC Review.

Most beautiful book you’ve bought or received this year:

Jabberwocky and Other Nonsense: Collected Poems (Penguin Clothbound Classics) by Lewis Carroll

I’m obsessed with the Penguin Clothbound Classics and I’m slowly building up my collection! They are all gorgeous but I particularly love the design and colour scheme on Jabberwocky!

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

Shadow and Bone: Book 1 by Leigh Bardugo

There are so many books that I want to read by the end of the year but one series that I would definitely like to fit in is the Shadow and Bone series by Leigh Bardugo. I loved Six of Crows so much that I’m sure I’ll love it if I can just find time to read it!

Well there you go! This was a fun one to do and I really enjoyed going over the books that I’ve read so far this year! As I said, anyone who wants to do the tag should go for it, but I think most people have already done it!

xxx