I've seen a few other people doing this one, and I just couldn't resist! I think Tanya from Girl Plus Books was the most recent one I've seen. *This took a lot longer to finish than I originally thought it would! 😅
1. BEST BOOK YOU'VE READ SO FAR IN 2018
There's no way I can choose just one book! It's really not a fair question, so I will randomly select one of my favorite reads from this year... The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang. It was perfection in every way.
Other books I've really enjoyed: The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis, Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta, Autoboyography by Christina Lauren, Maybe Someone Like You by Stacy Wise, Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, How to Love by Katie Cotugno, This Heart of Mine by C.C. Hunter, White Hot and Wildfire by Ilona Andrews (to name a few).
2. BEST SEQUEL YOU'VE READ SO FAR IN 2018
The Lunar Chronicles has been one of the best series I've ever read! I knew I liked Marissa Meyer after reading Heartless, but this series is something else. While I really enjoyed Scarlet, I think Cress is my favorite book so far! I only have Winter and Fairest (which is supposed to be about Queen Levana) left to read.
3. A NEW RELEASE YOU HAVEN'T READ YET BUT WANT TO
The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory. I won a copy of this book earlier this year, but I haven't gotten to it yet. It's terrible, because this is a book that I really want to read. I've only heard wonderful things about it.
4. MOST ANTICIPATED RELEASE FOR THE SECOND HALF OF 2018
Sadie by Courtney Summers (9/4/18).
5. BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
Caraval and Legendary by Stephanie Garber. I really, really wanted to like these books, but they both made me crazy. I love the world Garber has created and the idea behind Caraval, but Scarlett makes me stabby and all the secrets make me want to scream. We're rarely given answers, and when we are... there's ten more questions. I did enjoy Legendary more than Caraval, and I'm hoping the third book gives me closure.
6. BIGGEST SURPRISE
I am smitten with Wild Child by A.S. Green. I remember staying up all night to finish this one, because I just didn't want to stop reading it! It has a slow-burn romance that will both drive you insane and make you happy.
7. FAVORITE NEW-TO-ME AUTHOR
This is another difficult question, because I've read a lot of books this year with new-to-me authors... I'll go with Begin Again by Mona Kasten and Royally Screwed by Emma Chase, because they are two I haven't mentioned yet!
8. NEWEST FICTIONAL CRUSH
Valentin Nikolaev from Nalini Singh's Silver Silence. He's an alpha changeling bear that I wouldn't mind snuggling up next to. He's also loyal, sweet, bighearted, and incredibly stubborn. His bearish mannerisms mixed with his human ones only made him more endearing. Valentin is also really dedicated to naked skin privileges... 😉
9. NEWEST FAVORITE CHARACTER
I'm choosing a comic book character for this one, because Gabby (now also known as Honey Badger) was created by Tom Taylor in All-New Wolverine. She is seriously one of the best people in the world, and I would love to be friends with her! I enjoyed her at the beginning when she was younger, and at the end when we get to see her as an adult. Her character has carried over into X-Men Red, which is also written by Tom Taylor, so she isn't completely gone now that All-New Wolverine has ended. I'm pretty positive she's going to be around for awhile.
10. A BOOK THAT MADE YOU CRY
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera slayed me. The title is pretty straightforward, but I couldn't help hoping for a happy ending.
11. A BOOK THAT MADE YOU HAPPY
Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley is easily a new favorite. I listened to an audiobook from my library, but didn't hesitate to order a physical copy once I was finished. There were so many quotes and passages that I wanted to mark (yes, actually mark) in my book. It's just a truly wonderful book from start to finish.
12. FAVORITE BOOK-TO-MOVIE ADAPTATION
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling and Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl. I love watching all of the Harry Potter movies, and my husband has Fantastic Mr. Fox memorized. I had never heard of the movie until we met, and now I love it just as much!
Other notable mentions: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Princess Bride by William Goldman, City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, and The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux.
13. FAVORITE POST YOU'VE DONE THIS YEAR
State of the Arc [2] & Weezer Concert -- Jacob and I went to a Weezer concert for my birthday! It was a blast and the food was phenomenal (vegan Bacon Mac n' Cheese Burger).
Q [4] Why are we okay with human violence but not animal cruelty? "After reviewing The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis, I realized a lot of people weren't going to read it simply because animals get hurt. However, this book includes rape, murder, drugs, etc., but fewer people have an issue with reading about those topics. What is the difference? Why can we read about people getting hurt but not animals?" There were a lot of interesting responses for this one!
Q [3] Should we read books that makes us uncomfortable? "There are a lot of different ways for books to make us uncomfortable, and it varies from person to person, but should we still read those books?"
Maybe Someone Like You by Stacy Wise -- This book is the reason I started kickboxing!
14. MOST BEAUTIFUL BOOK YOU'VE BOUGHT THIS YEAR
I absolutely love both of these covers! Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett and Domino by Gail Simone.
15. BOOKS YOU WANT TO READ BY THE END OF THE YEAR
Everything on my TBR! Ha ha ha…
Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews
Winter by Marissa Meyer
Kissing Max Holden by Katy Upperman
Royally Matched by Emma Chase
Roomies by Christina Lauren
The Supervillain and Me by Danielle Banas
Circe by Madeline Miller
The Impossibility of Us by Katy Upperman
The Sea King by C.L. Wilson
Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren
When I first heard about Caraval I was interested in the setting but saw so many poor reviews especially about horrible characters so I gave it a miss!
ReplyDeleteThe setting is unique and creative, but the characters... ugh. In Caraval, Scarlett made bad decision after bad decision. I thought Tella would be better in Legendary, and she was, but the secrets and side stories started piling up. I would need a spreadsheet to keep up with all of the unresolved issues and unanswered questions.
DeleteI’m watching the Harry Potter movies right now. I love them and never get sick of the series. I still need to read They Both Die at the End. I’ve liked the other Adam Silvera books I’ve read.
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
I love re-watching the Harry Potter books! Just talking about it makes me want to watch them again, lol. They Both Die at the End is heartbreaking, but SUCH a good book. It's the first one I've read by the author, but I definitely want to read more.
DeleteI was pretty disappointed by Caraval and Legendary, too. I was so interested in the world and the premise and it just delved too much into angsty romance.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the black sheep club, haha. I think you're the only other person that's mentioned not loving them. Everyone else is very enthusiastic about both books, but like you said... the world was fascinating, but there was a lot of angst, and WAY too many unanswered questions.
DeleteBut hey... that's why there are so many books out there! There's something for everyone. I'm sure there are plenty of things we love that other people didn't enjoy. People forget that it's okay not to like something everyone does. <3
DeleteI haven't read any of these but I have seen all of the Harry Potter movies.
ReplyDeleteThey're great movies!
DeleteWinter!! Make sure to read Stars Above by Marissa Meyer after you read Winter! There's short stories and an epilogue that takes place after Winter!
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting me know! I hadn't heard of Stars Above, but I'll definitely want to read it once I finish the series. <3
DeleteThat Adam Silvera book does seem like a heart breaker. :(
ReplyDeleteThey Both Die at the End had my heart bursting with love, and then Adam Silvera stopped on it until it was unrecognizable.
DeleteThis was fun. Maybe I should participate. I need to read The Kiss Quotient. Everyone is raving.
ReplyDeleteI was really enjoying the posts everyone else was doing, so I decided to do my own! It was a lot of fun, but it took way more time than I was expecting.
DeleteRead The Kiss Quotient! I'm raving!! ;)
YES!!! The Kiss Quotient was amazing and Valentin is premo book boyfriend material! And I'm glad you discovered Emma Chase. Appealed is my favorite book by her! Its a 2nd chance/enemies to lovers book.
ReplyDeleteAppealed sounds like something I would like! I'll add it to my list and try to get to it soon. I've been looking for a good romance. <3
DeleteValentin is seriously one of the best characters I've ever read about. He was the perfect "gentleman bear". ;)
I'm FINALLY reading Winter right now and it's really good. I think Cress would be my favorite (so far) too. I read Fairest before I read Winter - that's the order it was released - if you want to do that!
ReplyDelete-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
How do you feel about reading Fairest before Winter? Do certain actions/thoughts/references make more sense because you've already read it? My original plan was to read it after Winter, but now I'm considering reading it before. I didn't know Fairest had been released first! Cress was just sooo good! Everything started coming together, and we got to see a more serious side of Thorn.
DeleteI LOVE The Lunar Chronicles! I need to reread them soon! :)
ReplyDeleteI need physical copies for my shelves, because they are definitely books I'll want to read again. Have you listened to the audiobooks? Rebecca Soler is the narrator, and she's phenomenal. <3
DeleteI really need to make some time for The Kiss Quotient soon! Everyone seems to love it and I have had it on my shelf since before it was released. I haven't read Caraval yet but I do hope I have a bit more luck with it than you did. I hope you read some great books during the rest of the year.
ReplyDeleteI highly recommend making time for The Kiss Quotient! It has such a lovely story, and the romance is steamy and sweet. ;)
DeleteA lot of people really love Caraval, so I hope you do too!
I think I need to add The Kiss Quotient to my TBR- seems like a very beloved book! And you have convinced me to bump Cress up a bit on my TBR, too- I keep saying "oh, I'll get around to it" and then... I do not. Agree about Starry Eyes and THUG and literally *anything* Mindy McGinnis, glad you've read such awesome books this year so far! I'd like to get to Circe too- hope you are able to read most of the ones you're hoping to get to!
ReplyDeleteYes! You should definitely add The Kiss Quotient to your list! It's one of my favorite reads this year, and one I cannot wait to read again. Cress was a really great addition to The Lunar Chronicles, and I'm happy she's found people that will accept her and offer her friendship. I just need to read Winter so I can see how everything ends.
DeleteStarry Eyes and THUG were awesome reads, and I really enjoyed The Female of the Species. It was my first book by Mindy McGinnis (I think), and I cannot wait to read her other books! I feel like Circe is a book a lot of people really want to get to (including me, lol).
Dude, you did this one today too ha ha. I just posted mine. :) This tag is all over the place and it's so fun...
ReplyDeleteNice to see that The Kiss Quotient was good, and Starry Eyes is definitely on my list. I'm pretty sure I'll be picking up Sadie too, because Courtney Summers. Starry Eyes and Domino both have fabulous covers, I totally agree.
Circe I should read.
Awesome! I'll be sure to check it out later. :)
DeleteI am so ready to read Sadie, but I wanted to wait until a little closer to its release date. A lot of the authors I follow on Twitter have been swooning over it. The cover art for Domino has been fabulous every month! They don't even need variant covers. <3
Definitely read Starry Eyes! I don't think I've ever seen you review a steamy romance, but if you're looking for one with a great story... The Kiss Quotient is definitely it!
Circe I should read, too.
I can't stop laughing Linds, spoken like a true booknerd.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: What's your one favourite...
Lindsi: One? Hold my beer, I'll make a list.
They Both Die At The End, honestly, I don't know why I was so quick to read it knowing what happens but for some reason, you think the outcome is going to change anyway. I really need to get started on the Lumatere Chronicles. I own them all but have only read Melina Marchetta's contemporaries before because I wouldn't consider myself a fantasy type fan. I'm probably the last Aussie left to read them. I honestly wouldn't be able to narrow mine down, maybe Ace of Shades or Children of Blood and Bone? Ohhh there's too many to choose! I refuse ♡♡♡
...and now I'm laughing at your comment! "Hold my beer, I'll make a list." Hahaha! :)
DeleteI couldn't help hoping for a happy ending when I read They Both Die at the End. I fell in love with both of them, and I thought it was so wonderful they had found each other in life. *spoilers* I think his dad being in the hospital is what gave me false hope... some of the people making the phone calls were making mistakes, and I started to hope that they had meant to call his dad instead of him.
Froi has been my favorite so far! That book will make you feel everything, even hatred... the girl in it is forced to do unspeakable things, and she's treated like garbage. I wanted to take up arms on her behalf.
You don't have to choose! <3
The The Kiss Quotient made a lot of lists I've seen in one way or another, including mine. Glad you liked Emma Chase. I love her books, but haven't read that one yet. Hope the rest of the year is filled with more great books!
ReplyDeleteThanks! The Kiss Quotient is easily one of my favorite reads this year. It's definitely one I plan to read again in the future! I loved their relationship and the separate journeys they took together.
DeleteIt was my first Emma Chase book, but I cannot wait to read more! What would you recommend?
Nooooo I'm so sad that you didn't love Caraval and Legendary! But you loved the Lunar Chronicles, so they cancel each other out. XD I hope you love the rest of that series and Circe is on my TBR also!
ReplyDeleteHaha! I seem to be in the minority when it comes to Caraval and Legendary. Everyone else is raving about them. I am loving The Lunar Chronicles! I'm happy they cancel each other out. ;)
DeleteThis tag is always such fun! I put it together last year and this. Like you, I'm always in a nail-biting "HOW DO I CHOOSE!?" situation when answering the Q's. There's always so many books to enjoy, and still SO many left to read on those TBRs. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's so hard to choose just one book for each question! I know it's only July, but I've already read so many wonderful stories this year. I think I will forever be adding to my TBR, which makes it impossible to narrow down the list. I'll be sure to check out your mid-year freak-out! <3
DeleteLunar Chronicles is a great series! I love it because it's unique, fun, clean, and exciting. I haven't read HEARTLESS yet, although I've had it since it came out. Maybe I'm worried it won't live up to the Lunar Chronicles??
ReplyDeleteHeartless is just as wonderful! It has an entirely different feel to it, so it's hard to compare the two. I love Meyer's writing style, and how she's able to create such realistic characters. If you read Heartless, make sure you have sweets and baked goods nearby. I remember that book made me crave snacks. <3
DeleteI didn't know you did kickboxing! OK, you're a self-professed She-Hulk, but still 😂.
ReplyDeleteYes! I have fallen in love with kickboxing. It's a great workout, but I also like the punching and hitting, haha. It's a wonderful way to de-stress and sweat and at the end of the day.
DeleteYou're a literal kick-ass heroine 😂.
Delete