Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag

We're a little early with this tag - I think the actual mid-year point isn't for a little while. But we're both a little busy with exams and later preparing to go to London in July so we thought we'd do a little not-quite-mid-year tag now! (Edit: This tag was originally created by ReadLikeWildFire and Ely Jayne)

1. Best Book You've Read So Far in 2017

Ann:  Oh now this is a hard question to start with, because I hate picking favourites but I think that I am going to say Perfect by Cecelia Ahern because I was looking forward to it so much and it was incredible!

Clare: Oh you fiendish tag making me choose. I'm gonna go for The Smoke Hunter by Jacquelyn Benson because I just have this uncontrollable urge to go on about this book endlessly. I love it. A lot. 

2. Best Sequel You've Read So Far in 2017

Ann: I think that this question is a bit easier as I have not read many sequels this year yet but the best sequel I have read this year is Promises I Made because it was a good ending and I really enjoyed it.

Clare: I have, embarrassingly, read hardly any sequels this year. All my good intentions for nothing. I so meant to not start new series this year until I'd finished the ones I'm already reading. But nope. So the best one this year was Mafiosa by Catherine Doyle because it was just such a great conclusion to the series.

3. New Release You Haven't Read Yet But Want To

Ann: Currently Lord Of Shadows by Cassandra Clare but I hope to change that soon as Clare brought it for me recently! I am just trying to decide whether I should wait to read it until my half-term or read it now.

Clare: ACOWAR!! Don't even have to think about this one. I've been wanting A Court of Wings and Ruin for so, so long and now I'm waiting to read it until I've finished my semester but god it's hard.

4. Most Anticipated Release For Second Half of 2017

Ann: Umm I don't think I have an answer for this because I don't really know any of the new releases coming in the second half of this year. I prefer to read what Clare recommends!

Clare: Ooh so many to choose from. I think I have to go for Wonder Woman by Leigh Bardugo. I would say Odd & True by Cat Winters as well but I got an e-arc of that on Netgalley so I'm technically not having to wait for it? But those two are the most exciting releases for me!

5. Biggest Disappointment

Ann:  Deathcat Sally by P.S Brooke, this is not even a hard question to think about, I was excited when I first read the blurb but when I started reading it I was extremely disappointed by it.

Clare: Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves super let me down. I'm always excited when a fantasy novel seems to offer something new and this being set in Hungary was so exciting but it was just such a disappointment. I didn't write a review for this but I buddy read it with Vera @ Regal Critiques who did write a great review which you should definitely check out!

6. Biggest Surprise

Ann: Famous in Love, I had seen the trailers for this TV show and so decided to read the books but I wasn't expecting much because I didn't really like the look of the TV show but I was surprised by how amazing the books were, they were definitely better than the TV show.
Clare: Probably My Lady Jane. I was so nervous about this one and it had the potential to go so wrong but honestly it was hilarious and romantic and I cannot recommend it enough! It's the ending I wish Jane got.

7. Favourite New Author

Ann: Chris Russell, I read his book Songs About A Girl and I loved it! I am very excited to read the next book because the author managed to make me actually enjoy the love triangle which is weird because I normally hate love triangles.
Clare: Ann Aguirre. I just read her 2B trilogy and it was superb. Really, really good New Adult (and I don't say that a lot - it is not my favourite genre) so now I really want to check out her other books as well!

8. Newest Fictional Crush

Ann: I don't really think that I have read many books this year so far with any fictional characters I could have a crush on. Hopefully I will read a book with a good fictional crush in it soon.
Clare: Ari in The Alchemists of Loom was just so incredible. Complex and flawed and intelligent and badass and just... more please??

9. Newest Favourite Character

Ann: Audrey Rose Wadsworth from Stalking Jack the Ripper because I loved how different and amazing she was through out everything she went through!

Clare: Alosa from Daughter of the Pirate King was just SO badass and fun and I just loved her. She was a great character to be in the head of and I am very excited for the sequel!

10. Book That Made You Cry

Ann: I don't really cry when reading books, I think that I have only ever cried when reading one book and that hasn't been for a few years.

Clare: A List of Cages by Robin Roe broke my heart. It was a really tough read in places but god was it worth it.

11. Book That Made You Happy

Ann: I think that I am going to go with Unconventional by Maggie Harcourt, this book not only made me happy but it got me very excited about going to YALC in July!

Clare: Everything about Dating Sarah Cooper made me happy. I've been wanting to re-read it almost constantly since I finished it. 

12. Favourite Book to Movie Adaptation You've Seen So Far in 2017

Ann: I am going to have to go with Clare on this one, the only book to movie adaptation I have really seen this year has been Beauty and the Beast which I thought was incredible.

Clare: Does Beauty and the Beast count? Cause I don't think I've seen any others? Although I did re-watch A Long Way Down and remembered how much I adore that film (more than the book if I'm honest).

13. Favourite Review You've Written So Far in 2017

Ann: Umm I haven't really written many reviews this year but I think that my favourite of all my reviews was Remnants by Carolyn Arnold because not only did I love the book but I also think that it was one of the best reviews I have ever written.
Clare: Oh, god I'm so bad at praising my own reviews because reading them back just makes me cringe so hard every time. So here's the LAST review I wrote instead which is for Crimson and Bone by Marina Fiorato which is, by the way, really, really good!

14. Most Beautiful Book You've Bought So Far This Year

Ann: I haven't really brought any books this year but I think that the most beautiful book I have gotten this year so far is Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare because the cover is so detailed and beautiful.

Clare: GOT to be Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor. This book is just crazy beautiful! The blue sprayed pages, the drawings, the fact that it's SIGNED - I'm just constantly in awe of it. Other contenders though could have been Caraval (which we have two copies of cause its PRETTY) and Alchemists of Loom which I didn't actually buy myself but got from my brother for my birthday (thanks John) and spent the rest of my birthday cooing over.

15. What Books Do You NEED To Read By The End of The Year

Ann: I don't normally like to set myself a TBR but one book that I definitely want to read by the end of the year is Songs About Us by Chris Russell because I really want to know what is going to happen to the characters!

Clare: Gonna limit myself to 5 here because otherwise this is going to get out of hand. A Court of Wings and Ruin because OBVIOUSLY, Wonder Woman, A Gentlemans Guide to Vice and Virtue, Daughter of the Burning City and Odd & True. OH and There's Someone Inside Your House which sounds AMAZING!

We tag (no pressure - if you don't do tags or don't want to do this one!!);

Veronika & Ruzaika @ Regal Critiques

Greg @ Book Haven

Barb @ Booker T's Farm

Ashley @ What She's Read

Lauren @ Always Me

Esther @ Bite Into Books
And anyone else who wants to do this tag please go ahead and leave a link so we can check out your answers!!

You can also find us on Goodreads (Ann and Clare), Facebook and Instagram to keep up with what we are reading.