Hello everyone! I’m officially crawling out of my blogging hiatus because… I’M MARRIED! My husband (it feels so weird saying that after seven years of dating) and I eloped in Ireland last month and then stayed for two extra weeks as our honeymoon. It was such a beautiful trip, and we were lucky to spend it with some of our favorite people.

Between planning an international elopement and wrapping up the school year chaos, my free time disappeared. And so did this blog… Sorry. This also means that I have experienced multiple reading slumps over the past six months.

Normally, by now (especially since I’ve been on summer break for a month), I’d be around 50 books for the year. Right now, I’m at 34. I know that’s still a solid number, but I really miss the feeling of getting wrapped up in a great book (or a few great books in a row). I’ve had some duds this year, which definitely haven’t helped. I have also DNFed more books than I ever have before.

All that to say, I thought now would be a great time to come back with one of my favorite posts: the Mid-Year Freak Out Tag. It’s always a fun way to reflect on what I’ve read so far and hopefully get inspired for the second half of the year.

Let’s dive in!

Best Book You’ve Read So Far in 2024

I have two books that are currently at the top of my list. The first book I loved is a recent read: Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This book made me cry three separate times. I am usually not a fan of historical fiction, but there’s something about Taylor Jenkins Reid that draws me in every single time. The book not only felt well-researched, but it was also well-written. The love story between Joan and Vanessa was raw and honest. Highly recommend this one!

Second, I had very high expectations for Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid. Macbeth is my favorite Shakespeare play, and Ava Reid was a newly discovered author for me last year. I enjoyed her writing style then, so I was excited to see what she would come up with for this retelling. I was not disappointed. I don’t want to give too much away if you are interested, but if you love feminist takes, this is an exceptional story!

Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far In 2024

I haven’t read many sequels this year, but my favorite by far was Sunrise on the Reaping. I loved being back in the Hunger Games universe, even though it meant my heart kept getting ripped to shreds. I found this entry much better than book four (Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes), and I am PUMPED for the movie.

New Releases You Haven’t Read Yet But Want To

I have too many to count, so I just made this graphic! Some of these I have already checked out from the library, and a couple of these I have ARC copies of! I really need to catch up on some reading…

Most Anticipated Release for the Second Half of the Year

Too many to count, part two 😅

Biggest Disappointment

Wild Love, the first book in Elsie Silver’s newest series, was one of my favorite romance reads of 2024. Sadly, Wild Eyes did not live up to my expectations. I couldn’t connect with the main characters at all. All I can say is that if my favorite characters when reading a romance are the children of the single dad, it probably isn’t the romance for me. The book had some sweet moments, but I still gave it 3 stars.

Similarly to Elsie Silver, Say You’ll Remember Me was another book I was so excited for because I read Abby Jimenez’s Just for the Summer last year (and it was also in my top favorite romance reads). Her newest release just fell short for me. While I actually enjoyed the chemistry between the two characters, the writing fell short for me. There was a lot of slang and modern references that I either didn’t relate to or didn’t feel like they fit. I ended up giving it 3 stars.

Biggest Surprise

I wasn’t sure what to expect with Layne Fargo’s newest release, The Favorites. I haven’t read books from her before, but I know she has written some thrillers in the past. I saw this compared to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and while I kind of see the connection, it had a lot more drama….and I DEVOURED IT. I was addicted to this book–I couldn’t put it down. Shoutout to my book club for picking this one!

A Book That Made You Cry

Favorite New Author (Debut or New to You)

Both Between Friends & Lovers and First-Time Caller were romances I read from a new author. I saw Shirlene Obuobi’s book on display at the library, and the cover immediately drew me in. I ended up absolutely loving the book!! I haven’t seen a lot about her (or her other books), but I will be keeping an eye out for her in the future.

First-Time Caller also has a STUNNING cover. The art style might be my favorite I’ve seen on a romance cover so far. I have always wanted to read one of B.K. Borison’s romances, and I am glad I picked this one up. It was everything I needed at the time I read it.