Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag

I would like to thank fellow book blogger and bibliophiles, Donna at Chocolatenwaffles Blog for tagging me in this thoughtfully retrospective mid-year reading reflection tag.

So without further ado, I take my queue from Donna and dive into my Goodreads Read list of 2016.

#Best Book You’ve Read Yet in 2016

This is always a hard question to answer and even halfway through the year I have a shortlist, which I have procrastinated over for an age before finally conceding my favourite book of the year so far is Play Dead (DI Kim Stone Book 4) by Angela Marsons.

I find I demand more and more from crime thrillers and DI Kim Stone does not disappoint with her eccentricities and her naturally taciturn personality, she brings a new dimension to crime for me.

#Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far in 2016

Without a doubt the best sequel I have read this year has to be The Killing Files (The Project Trilogy Book 2) by Nikki Owen, sequel to Subject 375 by Nikki Owen, this second in the series sees Dr Maria Martinez out of prison and on the run as she tries to unravel the mystery of her past that has lead to her dire circumstances today.

Maria has Asperger’s Syndrome and is a walking encyclopedia, who takes everything literally. An amusing, but strong and intense character in an intriguing story.

#New Release You Haven’t Read Yet But Want To

As always my purchased books get pushed to the bottom of my reading list and the concluding part of the Bill Hodges Trilogy, End of Watch by Stephen King is no exception in that regard. The series has read more like a crime thriller than a horror so far but things did start to look creepy at the end of the second book in the series, Finders Keepers.

#Most Anticipated Release for the Second Half of the Year

I have this book on pre-order and cannot wait to read it, The Devil’s Work by Mark Edwards. Always successfully giving me the creeps, Mark Edwards has been a firm favourite psychological thriller author of mine since before I started writing this blog. I look forward to great things in September 2016, when this book will be published.

#Biggest Disappointment

A book that left me feeling somewhat bereft as I was so looking forward to reading it based on it’s description and genre, was horror thriller, Father of Lies by Sarah England. I really wanted to like this one but it just didn’t come through for me.

#Biggest Surprise

There are a number of books that surprised me but none as much as The Widow by Fiona Barton. A chilling and intense psychological thriller that definitely chills. Although not quite to everyone’s taste, I really enjoyed this one.

#Favorite New Author

The author who has got me excited about her work this year is Shalini Boland, who wrote The Girl From The Sea, a disturbing psychological/mystery/suspense thriller, which shows great insight into human behaviour.

#Newest Fictional Crush

After reading The Martian and watching the film, it has to be Mark Watney. I know I wouldn’t survive astronaut training and am in awe of anyone who can bring social adhesion to a group and remain optimistic under the most extreme of conditions.

#Newest Favorite Character

Probably a tie between Dr Maria Martinez from The Project series by Nikki Owen and DI Kim Stone. Both strong, intelligent women, who wouldn’t think twice before kicking your butt.

#Book That Made You Cry

Without even having to think about it much, Me Before You by Jojo Moyles. I admit I don’t much cry at all in life at anything and for me to have a worsening lump in my throat for the last thirty percent of the book is really something.

#Book That Made You Happy

Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler is a retelling of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew and made me laugh. This book reappointed my spirits.

#Favorite Book to Film Adaptation

So far this year it is The Martian, but I haven’t seen Me Before You the movie yet.

#Favorite Post You Have Done This Year

Is Scathing Acceptable? I loved the responses to this post that renewed my faith in there being good, compassionate and sensitive people/readers/reviewers out there. Too often reading reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, or comments on Facebook, I feel swamped by the negativity that is so easy to believe is the norm.

#Most Beautiful Book You’ve Bought This Year

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I love my Oxford Paperback Thesaurus. Every time I reach for it a frisson of excitement goes through me as I find new words to add to my lexicon. No book has kept giving me so much joy so long after I bought it.

#What Books Do You Need to Read by the End of the Year

Everything currently on my tbr list, otherwise the list will feel stale and I risk my enthusiasm plummeting.

I Tag the Following Bloggers to do the Same

Low Country Book Lover
Lectito
Cozynookbks
It’s All About Books
SVM & TB Stories