The Mid-Year Check-In Tag 2022

Hold up. I’m gonna call shenanigans here. It can’t really be the middle of the year already? What? July? FOR REAL?

I think you all owe me a January through May, because I’m not sure what the heck happened to mine. Maybe I misplaced them. Maybe they were stolen. Either way, I want a refund, please and thanks.

It’s officially that time of year where we discuss what’s gone well in the bookish world so far. Well, in terms of my reading, at least. Being that I’ve been apparently living under a rock for the first six months of this year, that’s really all I’d be able to speak to, anyway, so that suits me just fine.

This year has been absolutely bonkers, and it’s passed in a sleepless, grad school haze that I was thankful to have the experience of but which I’m equally thankful to be done with.

You know, now that I think about it, that’s probably why I’m so surprised that it’s July already. Hmmm.

Either way, midyear means that we take a little time to step back and reflect about how the year is going. You know, take a moment to reassess and readjust our goal of reading all the books. Because yeah, that’s maybe not going as well as it could be. I mean, we could probably, like, make our reading goals something more reasonable. But pffft, what would be the fun of that?

Oh, and let’s be realistic, I’m definitely going to list more than one book for each category.

I mean . . . have you ever met me?! If not . . . hi, I’m Sammie, and I have a marked lack of self-control. Hence why my TBR is slowly becoming a sentient being likely to take over the world. What can I say? I just can’t help myself when books are concerned. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

So with all that being said . . . let’s recount this year so far in books!

# of Books Read So Far

Since I knew I would be spending the first half of the year in grad school, I tried to set a fairly reasonable goal of 100 books, knowing that I was around 200 books last year. Despite being in school, I actually ended up reading a lot more than I had anticipated. Especially considering my penchant to read epic fantasy now, which means there are some real beast books in there.

Unless something egregious happens this year (knock on aaaaall the wood, because that would be my luck), I foresee no problems in hitting my goal of 100 books this year. Once I do, I’ll raise it to 125, with my overall goal being to read 150 books. Definitely doable. 🙂

Best Books I’ve Read So Far This Year

I have read a lot of great books so far this year. Which I feel bodes well for the overall year, right? 2022 may be shite for other things, but in terms of books, it’s lit! Figuratively, of course. Hopefully.

The first book that popped into my head when I thought of great books I’ve read this year is You’ll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey. I listened to the audiobook version, which I highly recommend, because it’s done by Amber Ruffin and her sister Lacey themselves. Trust me, that makes all the difference. This book is hilarious . . . but it’s also raw and real. Depends where you fall on the spectrum. Black readers are likely to relate to Amber’s and Lacey’s experiences, and thus, you’ll laugh along as they irreverently describe situations that are likely all too common to you. Non-Black readers may be surprised (and maybe even in disbelief) about the blatant and ridiculous things Lacey deals with. But it’s funny. Because laughter hides the tears, right?!

Best Sequel I’ve Read So Far This Year

I feel like none of you should be surprised that The Weeping Tide is on this list. Because, duh! The Wilderlore series has been amazing so far. The second book was no exception there. I can’t actually tell you anything about this book because spoilers. However, if you haven’t read the series yet, it’s got a real Pokemon feel to it. So if you’re into that, definitely pick up the first book.

New Releases I Haven’t Read But Want To

       

Aside from the obvious breathtaking cover, The Marvellers not only sounds amazing but I’ve heard wonderful things about it, too! Not to mention that I’m familiar with other books by the author, and I enjoyed them too. Definitely seems like this one’s going to be a win.

I definitely meant to have read Four Aunties and a Wedding already. I had good intentions, I swear. My plans got a bit waylaid, though. I very much enjoyed the first book. It’s not like what I normally read, but it was such a fun (and funny) easy read that I just sat down and thoroughly enjoyed it until I turned the last page. I’m hoping for the same experience with the sequel!

Despite keeping an eye out for this book since way before it came out, I still haven’t read Skin of the Sea yet. I don’t normally read a ton of books about mermaids (sorry, Leelynn!). Dragons are obviously more my thing. However, this book just sounded so good that it’s hard to pass up.

Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of 2021

       

I feel like y’all should’ve known at this point that Amari and the Great Game would obviously end up on this list! I enjoyed the first one so much, and I’ve been eagerly awaiting the next one. I’m still holding out hope that someone turns Amari into a movie, since it would be a freaking amazing one. For now, though, I’ll settle for reading the second book!

The first thing that caught my attention about Belladonna is that absolutely stunning cover! The plot sounds super interesting, too. And dark. Which is obviously my cup of (most likely poisoned) tea. It’s set in a Gothic world with a plot driven by revenge and betrayal, where the protagonist’s only hope is to make a deal with Death themselves. If that doesn’t sound amazing, I’m not sure there’s any hope for you!

I learned about What Moves the Dead recently, and I’m not sure how it slipped under my radar for so long. I will always and forever read T. Kingfisher books. But can we appreciate how stunning that cover is? Creepy, but stunning!

Biggest Disappointments

       

I’m usually pretty good at predicting if I’m going to enjoy a book, and my track record speaks for itself. However, there are times when books slip through the cracks and I realize they just weren’t for me, which is fair, I suppose.

I was caught completely off-guard by As Good As Dead, though. I absolutely loved the first two books in the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series. Couldn’t read them fast enough. Just had to know what was going to happen next. The third book just sort of . . . derailed. Horribly. It wasn’t remotely similar to the other two books and went in a wholly unexpected direction that had very feeble justification. By then, the characters were in so deep that they just did wonky, weird things that they attempted to explain but which also made no sense. It was a bummer of a culmination to an otherwise amazing series.

My love for the Rick Riordan Presents books has been no secret. So imagine my shock at picking up Dragon Pearl and being excited to dive into yet another diverse world . . . but being utterly disappointed by the plot. There were certainly some things about the book that I enjoyed, like the world itself and the diversity and myths. Unfortunately, I hated the main character, whose decisions made absolutely no sense whatsoever, and the plot felt extremely thin and flimsy.

There are no words for how much I loved Emily X.R. Pan’s debut novel. So I was super surprised to find that I absolutely disliked An Arrow to the Moon. I was ridiculously excited for it, and I did love the mythology and, obviously, Pan’s writing. She’s a freaking amazing author! This book felt a little all over the place, though, and the plot didn’t make a ton of sense. The ending was probably one of the most unsatisfying endings I’ve ever read and actually resolved basically nothing of the overall plot, which was incredibly frustrating. Of course, that being said, I’m still eagerly awaiting Pan’s next work, because why the heck wouldn’t I be?!

Biggest Surprises

   

I picked up Wingbearer completely on a whim. It came into my library and I was looking for a quick weekend read so I grabbed it. Went in 100% uninformed. Guys, I. Was. Floored. There’s no words for how much I loved this book that I thought would be a quick, forgettable weekend read. The illustrations in this are freaking breathtaking. Seriously. The story is also gripping and fast-paced. It’s not that I expected to hate this book or anything, but I didn’t expect to connect so much to the story and to just sit there and absorb every little bit of illustration.

I ended up being surprised by The Shadow Glass because, honestly, I didn’t think my nostalgia for the ’80s was so strong. Despite the fact that I didn’t exist in the ’80s. Not the point! Labyrinth was one of my favorite movies growing up, so when I saw that as a comp, I was intrigued but still skeptical. Holy cow, this hit all the right tropes, though. The nostalgia! It was like a warm hug from my childhood wrapped in the horror and gore that I missed out on in media, having been young at the time (obviously).

Underrated Gem

I know that this is technically an early reader, so it’s actually below the books I normally read and review for this blog. However, I have never had more fun with an early reader than I have with Fitz and Cleo. During COVID, when it was unsafe to have in-person programs, the first book in this series was actually our first storywalk, and we had activities that matched the story between signs, like making airplanes and following the tangle of yarn! It was super fun.

Fitz and Cleo Get Creative is a continuation of the siblings’ adventure (with their fluffy sidekick, of course). This is one of Minion’s favorite series to read. Mostly because we each take a character to read and act out the panels together, which she loves. Who says books can’t be interactive? You want a quick, fun way to get reluctant readers involved in reading? Pick up Fitz and Cleo!

Favorite New Author

Jenny Lawson

Where has this woman been for all my life?! Seriously. I picked up a Jenny Lawson book for the first time because Broken has an utterly adorable demon beast and I obviously want one. Also, one of my coworkers read her work and highly recommended her. I was a lousy mood and wanted something funny, so of course I decided to give Lawson a try.

While Lawson’s work is funny, it’s also raw and honest and emotional. Plus, just a teensy bit zany. I found that I connected with Lawson’s life experiences in so many unexpected ways. A lot of what her husband suffers being married to her is what my husband suffers being married to me. Although, in all honesty, I’m pretty sure they’re both just immune to our brilliance, and that seems more like their fault than ours. Bless their hearts. Look at how generous we are to tolerate them and their terribly logical, straightforward methods of blundering through the world.

Newest Favorite Character

Miv from Pahua and the Soul Stealer

If you’ve ever read the Nevernight trilogy, Miv feels a lot like Mister Kindly for kids. Slightly less aggressive, a bit less rude, but still not exactly sure what the heck it’s supposed to be other than a bundle of faux fur, self-confidence, and sarcasm.

Miv is the voice of reason. The oft-ignored, very sarcastic voice of reason. What can I say? I have a soft spot for surly supernatural characters that like to taunt the protagonist but aren’t necessarily evil. They exist in this liminal gray space that I consider fun and likable (though I may be alone in that).

Favorite Quote:

Books That Made Me Cry

Listen, I’m not in the habit of crying when I read books. I admit that the older I get, the more easily the waterworks turn on. Sometimes completely unwillingly. So this book earned this spot, because there was nothing unintentional about these tears. These books made me bawl.

I feel like it should come as no surprise that We Are Not Free makes this list. This was read as part of my young adult course, though it was something I’d been meaning to read for a while now. It follows a group of Japanese-American characters during World War II as they’re forced from their home and into concentration camps. It is absolutely, gut-wrenchingly devastating. Still, the story is so important and so utterly beautiful (despite being heartbreaking) that I can’t recommend it highly enough!

Books That Made Me Happy

This was a tough one to choose, and I really had to think about it and what actually made me happy to read. To me, I’m happiest reading a book that fills a certain need at any given time. Being the horrible mood reader that I am, this is generally any book I read and enjoy, since I tend to set aside books I’m not feeling at any given moment.

Still, after giving it a bit of thought, I settled on Ballad & Dagger as being a book that made me ridiculously happy this year, for several reasons. One, it’s a young adult book, which means Rick Riordan Presents is now branching out from middle grade into young adult, and I am all for this. Second, it’s a book that mixes multiple beautiful cultures into its own unique thing, and I absolutely fell in love with this culture, these characters, and the myriad ways that magic comes into play in this book.

Not gonna lie, it’s kind of a darker book. There are definitely character deaths and not-so-great things going on. It’s maybe an odd thing to choose as the book that makes me happy, right? But I like blended cultures, especially minority cultures that are allowed to live and breathe in these pages. I love mythologies and the blend of mythologies. Most of all, I absolutely live for squads!

Favorite Post I’ve Done This Year

Click the image to read the post!

What Books I Need to Read By the End of the Year

       

Ben Galley was kind enough to send me a copy of The Written while I was still neck-deep in grad school homework, so it’s just been sitting on my shelf, judging me. I’m really looking forward to picking it up during the second half of this year! I’ve been on an epic fantasy kick, and this one sounds soooo good. I can’t wait!

I actually started Kings of the Wyld once before, but then I hit finals and didn’t have a chance to finish it before I needed to return the loan. I really enjoyed the beginning of this! Especially since it’s a high fantasy filled with warriors who are past their primes but not quite allowed to retire. I’m a fan of older protagonists, and I’m really eager to pick this one up again.

I decided to round off this list with Empire of the Vampire, which is an absolute beast of a book. However, two of my colleagues have read it and keep telling me how good it is and that I should pick it up, and who am I to argue? I’ve had every intention of picking this one up sooner, and I’m super looking forward to it now that I’ve got time to sit down and read it all the way through.

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