Mid Year Freak Out Tag 2026
Number of books you've read so far: 53 which is by no means a little, but I have also been battling the worst reading burnout since my early teens . . .
Best book you've read so far in 2026: Despite the above I have actually enjoyed a fair bit of my reading thus far. The standout from has definitely been Deerskin by Robin McKinley—what a gorgeously written book (tw for csa)! It's been months but I'm still half living in-between those words.
Best sequel you've read so far in 2026: System Collapse, but I think my main pick is The World's Behind series by W. R. Gingell. I've loved getting to learn a new city, a new-ish cast, and my favorite sinister protege-adopting fae of course.
New release you haven’t read yet but want to: The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden and The Children by Melissa Albert.
Most anticipated release for the second half of the year: Wickhills by Premee Mohamed and Bodies of Magic by Freya Marske.
Biggest surprise favorite new author (debut or new to you): Shen Tao's character work in The Poet Empress was really solid. She paints such a vivid picture of hurt people who don't know any other way, but also those who can see how they extend past that. Charlie N. Holmberg was also an unexpected delight with The Shattered King being far more fleshed out than I've come to expect the general swarm of romantasy titles to be—do recommend.
Newest fictional crush: I've got nothin'.
Book that made you cry: Last thirty pages of The Poet Empress at 1:00am. Killers of the Flower Moon had me angry-sad crying, the ability to enmesh your life with another's only to lie and destroy their world so systematically was horrifying to read about. I can't imagine what growing up knowing—or simply living with the suspicion—would do to the members of those families.
Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received): I've bought precious few books in the last year (cheering myself over it), but I am excited over my copy of Ship of Magic I recently got ahold of :D
Book that made you happy: Quite a few! The Shattered King was unreasonably enjoyable, and Milly-Molly-Mandy allowed me to re-access joy I've found blockaded by the boundary between child and adulthood.
What books do you need to read by the end of the year? So many! That I want to read! But also, burnout?? For some reason? Here's a list
The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson
The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman
The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden
ANOTHER ELIZABETH GASKELL
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
I'll leave it there since stated book aspirations rarely go well for me o <
Tagging @icamincon @sevdahalma @weatherornot2 @soupexpertt @ahollowyear @clairelutra @mangoslixes @anthraxhippo (no pressure, naturally) and @ anyone who's seen the tag going around and wants to join!
