Mid-Year Freakout Tag // Goodreads Updates, Reading Enjoyment (None) + So Many 2-Star Ratings It’s Hard To Do This Tag.

Can books please be good again.

This year is going pretty terribly in terms of book-enjoyment, if I’m honest. this is DEPRESSING to write. i now hate this tag.

I didn’t expect (at the time of writing this post) to be so far ahead on my GR reading target (I’VE NEBER BEEN AHEAD BEFORE) but i also didn’t expect to have so many issues with the books I’m reading*.

I explained in this post that going on a reading break (due to school) has changed my attitude toward reading and has made me far more willing to give low ratings and not feel bad.

but I’ll still complain anyway. because it SUCKS that i’m hating literally every. book. that. i. buy.

I had to start a whole books-i-have-serious-issues-with shelf.

my Goodreads rating average is still shockingly high considering some of the trash I’ve read, at a whopping 3.56 (a recent read definitely bumped that up)

i’ve given 6 2.5/2 star ratings out of 17 books. but really, that’s 6/12 books because i’ve reread 5 books this year :/// so,,, yeahhhh.

I’m pretty happy that I’m a head on my target (yes 25 books is VERY low but i didn’t expect to spend 6 months of this year at home :///)

*hence why the rereads have been ESSENTIAL.

ALSO:

• please continue to keep up to date with whats happening and keep the momentum going.
• please continue to amplify black voices
• donate if you can. (watch this Lisa Koshy video on Yt if you can’t donate yourself, there are loads of Black artists shared that are AMAZING!!)
• read non-fiction books about whats happening as well as supporting Black and POC authors ❤
• please continue to sign petitions that you can find (here are some relevant specifially the U.K)

1. add education on diversity and racism to all curriculums in the U.K
2. make the u.k more inclusive of BAME history in schools
3. teach britain’s colonial past
4. lots more petitions about this here

also remember: don’t flood yourself with education now, make it gradual so that it can be implemented in your life for the long run rather than something we forget about in the long term ❤ education is a GRADUAL process ❤

BEST BOOK YOU’VE READ SO FAR IN 2020

im NOT going to count rereads into this section otherwise we’re gonna have a PROBLEM.

Honestly, I’m going to have to go with a book that I JUST finished, Darius The Great Is Not Okay.

this book had me crying and bawling like a baby. I was so scared to read this book but it was so so beautiful, i loved everything about it. the friendship. the family. the mental health. the culture. the tea. the TEA. THE TEA.

i read it in a day, i was just so ABSORBED by the book. it wasn’t plotty-plotty but it was just so EASY to get into.

IT WAS SO EMOTIONAL THOUGH. the discussion about depression the entire way through had me weeping.

runners up: you asked for perfect and emergency contact. both were beaut.

BEST SEQUEL YOU’VE READ SO FAR IN 2020

Ah. see, we have a problem.

I only read (*cough*dnf-ed*cough*) one sequel this year and i hated it so….

moving swiftly on.. .

NEW RELEASE YOU HAVEN’T READ YET BUT WANT TO

OOOOHHH. One that i really want to read is The Falling In Love Montage

it sounds so so cute, and i really want(ed) to read it this month for pride month!!

There have been (unfortunately) a few books that i wanted to read that were coming out this month/recently that are actually really problematic so I’m actually quite apprehensive to pick up any new releases JUST IN CASE.

(its got a good rating and lost of positive reviews so!!! hopefully!! this book doesn’t offend every cell of my being!!)

MOST ANTICIPATED RELEASE FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE YEAR

OKAY. this HAS to be: DARIUS THE GREAT DESERVES BETTER.

This book MADE me want to read the first book…

I’m pretty nervous about this, to be honest… I loved the first book so SO much (THANK GOD) (i just finished it and I’m not coping) that I really hope that this book meets my expectations.

IT WAS JUST SO GOOD AND I NEED MORE NOW.

Runners up: Loveless, by Alice Oseman, The Extraordinaries, by T.J Klune, You Should See Me In A Crown, by Leah Johnson

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Summer Bird Blue, Akemi Dawn Bowman.

My hopes were SO high. I wrote a whole thing about how this book let me down… and yeah.

it pains me that i didn’t like this book. it really does. i loved ‘Starfish’ so much, it was so so beautiful, but i just did not click with this book at all. i feel like the last 30% of the book WAS the book, you know?

runners up: P.S I Still Love You (get away from me NOW), This Is Kind Of An Epic Love Story (not really), What If It’s Us (sorry but why did they not print the ending? *shrug* i feel like it’s just MISSING) .

BIGGEST SURPRISE

Emergency Contact, Mary H.K Choi.

this book stole my entire heart and i’m not even asking for it back. this book SURPRISED ME SM.

I really didn’t think i was going to like it before i hit the 100-pg mark, if I’m honest. then the characters just BECAME THESE ANGELS that demanded my love, and how could i say no?

THE ANXIETY REP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Runner Up: Date Me, Bryson Keller — thought it was gonna be trash but it was cute!!

FAVOURITE NEW AUTHOR

LAURA SILVERMAN // ADIB KHORRAM

Laura Silverman just KNEW what she was doing, honestly. this book FELT SO REAL. I felt stressed WITH the character, it was like i was back at school. I just loved everything about this book — it definitely needs more love.

Adib Khorram’s wiring style reminded me of Ari and Dante, and was so so so nice. it was simplistic, but in a GOOD way, not in the way where a writer is missing stuff out and it’s just BAD. you get me? it seemed as though everything written HAD A PURPOSE. it was *chefs kiss*

runner up: emergency contact!! loved the characterisation sm!!

NEWEST FICTIONAL CRUSH

OOOH BOY.

Sam from Emergency Contact. an actual fluff-bby

his HAIR shows his emotions, he BAKES, he’s a CINNAMON CHILD.

marry me.

also like… he’s just a nice guy.

(but the baking is a big part of it. and his humour is *chef’s kiss*)

NEWEST FAVOURITE CHARACTER

I LOVE ALL THE CHARACTERS* HERE ARE SOME.

• Penny, Emergency Contact
• Sam, Emergency Contact.
• Darius, Darius The Great Is Not Okay.
• Darius’ Grandma. (this list is not in order otherwise she would be first, no doubt)
• Ariel, You Asked for Perfect
• Amir, YAFP.

*from books that i LIKED.

BOOK THAT MADE YOU CRY

basically all the good books i’ve read so far this year (and the bad ones that were so awful)

BOOK THAT MADE YOU HAPPY

I’m gonna have to go with Emergency Contact on this one.

yes, it made me have squishy feelings (and sad ones too) but this is extremely depressing to write: i’ve really disliked the books i’ve read this year.

i don’t want to count rereads. but my GOD. the books i did like were sad, and the ones that were meant to be happy were trash (or just. eh). so. yeah.

like honestly. what is this.

i haven’t read a lot but,, can books pls be good again.

FAVOURITE BOOK TO FILM/T.V ADAPTATION

well i’ve only seen one… p.s i still love you.. and considering I LOATHED the book with the passion of 53732 burning suns,, and i thought the film was O.K… there we are.

IT HAS SUCH AWFUL MESSAGES FOR YOUNG READERS AT THE START WHICH INFURIATED ME.

FAVOURITE POST YOU’VE WRITTEN THIS YEAR

OH GOD.

ERM. ERRRRRR. *runs away* i really don’t know.

i loved writing this one and reflecting on my reading habits over the past few years and why taking a break was so good for me rather than focussing on all the things i missed out on

and this one,. because i just love talking about these books and want everyone to love them too (i am the queen of rereads)

MOST BEAUTIFUL BOOK YOU’VE BOUGHT THIS YEAR

beautiful inside and out ❤

I love the aesthetic of this book. the orange/blue contrast is *yum* *chefs kiss*

A BOOK DO YOU NEED TO READ BY THE END OF THE YEAR

errrrrrrr. I REALLY CANNOT NARROW THIS DOWN.

some goals overall, because I’m super indecisive:

• continue to read diverse books (diverse author books!! not just diverse characters!!)
• read more f/f books!! (you should see me in a crown, the falling in love montage, i kissed Alice, you don’t live here, final draft, the summer of Jordi Pérez, and more!!)
• read some non-fiction books: A Colony In A Nation, A Black Women’s History Of The United States, stuff like that.
• (read more than 25 books, ideally)

wanna rec me some good books? is the falling in love montage good? is the summer of jordi perez good? what are some lgbtqia+ author books that you ADORE and i need to fill 2020 with? what is the BEST book you’ve read all year? are you also having a HORRENDOUS reading experience? cos bro, same.