Mid Year Book Freakout 2019

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We are officially over halfway done with 2019, which seems strange because I feel as if it has only just begun. So I thought today would be the perfect time to go over some of my reading stats which I don’t talk about during my monthly wrap-ups, as well as do a fun book tag, courtesy of Earl Grey Books on Youtube.

But before the tag, let’s get to some stats I found interesting:

Total books read so far: 119 books

Male authors: 52

A Passage to Shambhala (The Explorers Guild, #1)

Female authors: 30

Longest book: A Passage to Shambhala (The Explorers Guild #1) by Jon Baird and Kevin Costner at 770 pages.

Shortest book (not including short stories): Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China by Ed Young at 32 pages.

Genre breakdown:

  • Fantasy: 7
  • Classics: 14
  • Short Stories: 11
  • Poetry: 3
  • Mystery (including historical): 15
  • Horror: 1
  • Historical: 11
  • Modern: 7
  • Nonfiction: 22
  • Science Fiction: 3
  • Manga: 14

Now, let’s get to the Mid Year Book Freakout!

1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2019.

Gaudy Night (Lord Peter Wimsey, #12)

I mean, I gushed about this book enough in my review, so you know that would be my answer. Saying that, there are quite a few books I read this year so far that I loved!

2. Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2019.

Dim Sum of All Fears (A Noodle Shop Mystery, #2)

I actually haven’t read any sequels that I really liked this year, except for this book. It’s the sequel to Death by Dumpling, and is a really fun cozy mystery. Though still not as good as the first book.

3. New release you haven’t read yet, but want to.

Murder on Trinity Place: A Gaslight Mystery

This is the 22nd book in the Gaslight series, and I’ve enjoyed all the previous books. This is one of those rare series I’ve actually stuck with for years, but I haven’t had a chance to read this latest book, which was released on June 1 of this year.

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.

Singapore Sapphire (Harriet Gordon Mystery #1)

I don’t really anticipate new releases, but I did see this one and it looked interesting. It’s a new murder mystery series set in 1910’s Singapore and is set to be released on August 6, 2019.

5. Biggest disappointment.

The Bear and the Nightingale (Winternight Trilogy, #1)

This one comes to mind because I just read it. I think it was so bad because everyone was saying just how amazing this book was that it was disappointing to me. I think if I went into the book with lower expectations, I wouldn’t have judged it so harshly. But this book was sooooo boring!

6. Biggest surprise.

The Travelling Cat Chronicles

I picked up this book at random from the library, and so I had no expectations of it. But it surprised me with just how amazing it was.

7. Favourite new author. (Debut or new to you)

The Remains of the Day

He isn’t a debut novelist, but I’ve never heard of him before this year. I’ve read two books so far by Ishiguro and I loved one and found the other interesting. It’s rare that I read an author that I want to read all their books, but Ishiguro is currently my new author obsession! Maybe it’s just my mood.

8. Newest fictional crush.

Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park, #1)

I don’t really get crushes on characters, but the character I liked best was Ian Malcolm. He is just such a hilarious, self-conceited person, and yet brilliant. He’s totally different from the movie, though I enjoyed him in both. Weird choice, I know, but who said I wasn’t weird?

9. Newest favourite character.

A Man Called Ove

I loved Ove so much! He is cantankerous, unfriendly, and hilarious. He is one of those people you want to avoid and also want to be around all the time. Besides, his character arch is so beautiful in this book!

10. Book that made you cry.

The Rape of Nanking

Oops, I should have saved Ove for this question…let’s go with this book instead. This is such a traumatizing book, and one during which I teared up multiple times. It’s so sad what happened to these poor civilians!

11. Book that made you happy.

The Victory Garden

I’m picking this book because it’s one of those feel-good type books. It’s not the deepest, but it’s incredibly adorable!

12. Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China

So, I could go two different ways with this question. I could choose the prettiest looking book (a.k.a., the cover itself) or the most beautiful story. I’m going with the former, because I haven’t read any books I bought this year. But this book looks to be beautiful, and I bought it a couple months ago.

13. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

…a lot, though none of them are finalized yet.

14. Favourite Book Community Member

Recently I’ve been really watching Kate Cavanaugh on Youtube. She’s a writer…technically not into books, but reading and writing is pretty close, right? She does writing challenges and writing vlogs. Her channel is really great!

Well, there you have it. A quick update of my reading year so far. How are you doing with your yearly goals? Let me know your thoughts down in the comments, follow my blog for more musings and, as always,

Best wishes in your like full of adventure,

Madame Writer

13 thoughts on “Mid Year Book Freakout 2019

      1. I am the same. I don’t do the Harlequin thing, but I have loved books by female authors. The Time Traveler’s Wife Is one of my favorites (much better than the movie).
        Even read the entire Twilight series. That was a sacrifice for my teenage daughter. Trust me, it was a sacrifice.

        Have a great day.

        Liked by 1 person

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