I might be a month late on this tag but I still wanted to do it. Better late than never, right? I went through and made sure that I only picked one book for each answer although some of them could have been used more than once. Since I got so behind on everything blogging this summer let me know if you already did this tag and I will make sure to go read it since I love to read/watch this tag.

Best book

I read this book back in March and it is still one of the best books that I have read this year (and ever). This book is a stunning and powerful portrayal of the realties of being an Asian American teenager and also the brutal reality of being a woman in this world. This is a book that I will have all my boys read when they are teenagers because Kelly Yang does an incredible job bringing to the life the complexities of not only a teenager but also how the bad choices boys/men make truly affect us.

Worst book

I only made it to page 74 of this book but I still can’t get over how juvenile the writing was. It is written like it is intended for an elementary school person but the subject matter is very much YA. Also, the terrible secret that the main character and her best friend are keeping from when they were 9 and attending the summer camp never felt high stakes to me because what could they have really done at that age. And I looked up spoilers for this book and I was right that it wasn’t that bad. It does have a pretty decent rating on Goodreads so there are a fair amount of people who found some enjoyment in this book.

New release you haven’t gotten to yet

This book only came out last month but I did go to the bookstore to buy it the day it was released so it doesn’t make any sense why I haven’t read it yet. And I’m definitely not getting to it this month but I am aiming for September or October at the latest.

Most anticipated release for the rest of the year

This comes out at the end of this month so this might also be a bit of a cheat but I have been eagerly waiting for a new Paula Hawkins book since her last release in 2017. I loved The Girl on the Train and her last release I had a couple small issues with but I am very excited to get this one. It sounds so good and I’m hoping that since she took such a long break between books that it will be amazing.

Biggest Disappointment

I just posted my review of this book so I won’t go into too much detail. But this book was perfection to me and then the ending was a total let down. I don’t think I have ever been so duped by a book before! I do plan on reading more Gilly Macmillian since I was loving it so much. This is my third Gilly Macmillian book so I know she can write great endings so I will continue to read her work.

Biggest surprise

This is one of my favorite horror books that I have ever read but man did it take some work to get there. The first 120ish pages took me months to work through and then I flew through the rest of this chunky book in about a week. I’m obsessed with how brilliant this book is. It is incredibly clever and if you can make it through the beginning it is so worth it. I need to read more Danielewski to see if he is a new favorite author because I’m not sure if he can replicate the genius of this book.

New favorite author

This book was everything that I love. It has a gothic classic feel with a puzzle to solve. I don’t know if I can say this since I have only read one Sarah Waters book but she might be one of my top three favorite authors of all time. I could gush more about her but all my favorite parts of this book would ruin this book for you if you haven’t read it. She is a masterful storyteller and has an incredible gift of writing. Every time I opened this book I felt like I was transported to post war England and more specifically, the creepy mansion this story is centered around.

Favorite new fictional crush

As soon as I read this question I knew what my answer for this would be. Maybe because I just read it this past weekend but it is Nolan from All the Rage. His character ARC was amazing and the way he was with Rage was fun to read.

Newest favorite character

Chloe Brown and I have different illness but a lot of what she goes through daily I could relate to. With being a white girl I have always been able to readily see myself reflected in what I read and I fully appreciate now how very important that is. Being able to see my daily struggles and reality in a book was emotional for me and for this reason Chloe Brown will forever be one of my most treasured characters. I’m glad we live in a time where the importance of seeing everyone reflected in what we read and watch is being given the seriousness it deserves.

Book that made you cry

I became extremely attached to the characters in this book which is why I think I shed some tears at the end. This is a great historical fiction that is similar to the style of Taylor Jenkins Reid but it has hardly any reviews on Goodreads. If you love historical fiction surrounding the 70’s music scene and a commune setting then I highly recommend this one.

Book that made you happy

I could have picked any number of books for this question since reading is a pleasurable hobby but I went with the most heartwarming book I read this year. This is another one that I have reviewed this month but I loved how each chapter was a new adventure for Kiki.

Most beautiful book you have bought or received

I started collecting these beautiful editions of classics this year whenever I happen to find one at a thrift store. I display them in my living room and I think they are so gorgeous. This book in particular is my favorite because my Grandma and I watched the PBS show based on this book together.

What books do you need to read before the end of the year

I have a lot of books that I still need to read. I have been terrible about reading classics this year which is really disappointing since I always love them. I also need to actually read the books on my 12 to read in 2021 list because I still have ten on that list! And as always I really need to read my Netgalley books.

Total Books Read: 90

~Cassie