obsidio – Story-eyed Reviews

For those of you who don’t know, which included me too until this week, there is a popular book tag out there that’s a bit of a tradition in the bookish community, The Mid-Year Freak Out Book Tag! This year, I’m participating, and to be honest I cannot believe half the year is already over! So many books, so little time…

I stole my questions this year from The Literary Phoenix. I loved reading her post and love her blog! Check her out.

And check out these questions! Let’s goooooo:

What is the best book that you’ve read so far in 2019?

Ohh boy. This was a tough one. I chose three.

Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
The Noonday Demon by Andrew Solomon

What has been your favorite sequel of the first half of the year?

Gemina & Obsidio by Amie Kauffman and Jay Kristoff. I can’t believe it took me this long to discover The Illuminae Files! WOW this series was amazing. It’s YA Sci-Fi, but I would honestly recommend it to anyone who likes Sci-Fi, or anyone who likes fast-paced novels that read like you’re actually in the book. I could rave about this series for a long time.

Is there a new release out that you haven’t read yet but you’re really excited for?

Yes! Aurora Rising by Amie Kauffman and Jay Kristoff.

Haha on the note of my last answer, the same authors came out with a fourth book this year and I cannot wait to read it. It’s already been optioned for a movie and has stellar reviews. So excited.

What is your most anticipated release for the second half of the year?

See last week’s Top 10 Tuesday! There are so many!

What is your biggest disappointment so far?

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare — I’m sorry! I wanted to like this so badly because the series is so beloved in the YA world. I might check out one of her other series or try the sequel, everyone swears it gets better, but I wanted to love this immediately! Sigh. It happens. I tried.

What is your biggest surprise so far?

Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte.

I loved this!! I expected it to be relatively similar to a lot of other YA fantasies out right now, but Four Dead Queens surpassed my expectations. It was original, it was fun to read, it had like a hundred twists at the end and I didn’t see most of them coming, I was so pleased. Would definitely recommend. Look for a review of this title soon.

Who is your favorite new or “new” author?

Robin Benway, who is new to me, has blown me away this year. I read both of her books in the same month and blew through them both. Far From the Tree is one of my favorites of the year.

Who is your favorite fictional crush from this year?

I don’t really have one I feel crazy strong about, so I decided to answer a slightly different question: Who is your favorite fictional SHIP from this year?

And that, my friends, would be Wylan van Eck and Jesper Fahey from Crooked Kingdom. I squealed through that entire scene!! So cute.

Which book has made you cry?

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. This book made me feel…pretty much every human emotion, haha. I loved it so so much and it was so tragic and beautiful. I recommend this book to anyone, all the time, with all my heart. Just have tissues nearby. And maybe your therapist on call.

A book that made you happy?

Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli. I enjoyed her debut novel, Simon and the Homosapiens Agenda, but I LOVED Leah on the Offbeat. This book felt like parts of my teen years, the feel and the spirirt of it, and I loved Leah’s surly, insecure, whole-hearted self. She and Abby are one of my favorite couples of the year!!! OTP

Your favorite book to movie/tv adaptation that you’ve seen so far?

Can I choose anything other than Good Omens by Neil Gaiman??

I reread the book this year and since the adaptation came out this year I’m going to count it. This show might be the best adaptation I’ve ever seen, when it comes to accurately capturing the spirit of a wonderful book. I loved every bit of it! Can’t wait for more.

What is your favorite post that you’ve written this year?

I really enjoyed writing both the reviews for Baby Teeth and The Unhoneymooners! I also love Top Ten Tuesdays.

Show us the most beautiful book that you’ve bought this year!

I have spent a lot of energy and patience this year trying to buy fewer books and borrow more, so I don’t have a book for this! A lot of them have been gorgeous but then I return them to the library and they go brighten someone else’s day for a while.

What are six books that you want to read by the end of the year?

There are WAY more than six, but here are a few.

King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo
Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
Snow Falling by Jane G. Villanueva (haha any more Jane the Virgin fans out there?? I have to read this)
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
Educated by Tara Westover

Whew, that was in depth! That’s it for this year, and what a seriously fun year its been. And it’s been a month here at Story-eyed! I’m a little overwhelmed with how much I have to read right now, but more than anything I am so grateful for all of it.

Tag, you’re it next, @Jenniefromthebook! Have fun! ❤

Did you freak out this year? Send me your mid-year posts in the comments!

What I’m reading now:

A lot of Sci-fi and Fantasy this week! And a lot of sequels!

Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

I LOVE this series! I don’t want it to be over, but I’m almost done with this book and it’s the last in the Illuminae trilogy. To anyone who likes Science Fiction, action-packed and movie-like writing, or are interesting in an extremely creative format in both written and audio form, I recommend this series with all of my heart. I wish I could read it again for the first time, but I’ll just have to settle for reading it again.

Another sequel! I read Mistborn, the first in this triology, last month and I loved it so much. A good friend recommended it and then went on to gush about how good the series was, so I have to read the rest of it and find out. This world is so original and complex! I’ve read a lot of Fantasy in my lifetime and this isn’t really like anything else I’ve read before, in the greatest way. I’m enjoying the second installment in this series a lot so far, even though I’ve only just started it.

Kingsbane by Claire Legrand

I don’t know why this book is taking me so long! I’m enjoying it a lot, to be honest, but there are so many books on my radar right now that I’m excited about and currently enjoying that I’m having a little trouble concentrating. I wonder why! I loved Furyborn, the book that precedes this one in its trilogy, and I’ve been waiting patiently for Kingsbane to release! So far its great, and look for a review on my blog soon.

What I’ve recently finished:

I haven’t read as much this week because I’ve been traveling! But I did finish this gem, and I loved it. With the Fire on High was musical, poetic, colorful, and delicious. I was highly anticipating this sophomore novel by Acevedo and she did not disappoint. Look for this review on my blog this week!

What I think I’ll read next:

I can’t decide! There are too many options and I’m excited about all of them. Here are a few of my choices:

This is the sequel to Truly Devious, which I reviewed last week. I’m really excited to jump into this one, I want to know more about solving these murders! This being the second one in the series, I’m looking forward to a deepening of the story that was begun in Truly Devious and I can’t wait to see what Johnson has to offer.

This looks sooo interesting! I’m so eager to start this one. I loved A Head Full of Ghosts, another adult horror novel by Paul Tremblay, and if this is half as good I expect to be happy. Plus, I haven’t read a horror novel in a long time! It’ll be fun to jump back into that world for a while, and I’ll review it here when I’m done!

This is a DRC I’m reading voluntarily for its publisher. It’s a short, delightful collection of poems and I haven’t read a lot of poetry lately, so I’m excited to pick it back up.

What are you reading this week? What are you excited about? What should I read next?!