firewhiskeyreader

The first half of this year has officially come to a close, which is a wild time. I’m so excited to check in with you about my reading year (and hopefully you’ll share with me some about yours in the comments or link me to your own post? Please and thank you!). However, I do need to warn you, I have just finished binge reading the the three latest books in the Magnolia Parks Universe and honestly, I really just want to talk about those books and so I’ll need you to bear with me, while I try, valiantly, not to repeat too many answers throughout this tag.

This tag was originally created by Chami and Ellie, though it has been modified throughout the years and so it’s hard to say where some of these non-standard questions came from.

Total Books Read: 133 (which is just one book lower than I was at this time last year, which is wild because my reading feels like it’s really slowed down)

Most Read Genre: Contemporary Romance (at just a bit under half of my reads)

How My Reading Year Feels Overall: I do feel like I’m reading less than I used to on a monthly basis, but it’s perhaps more like I’m just inconsistent. I’ve had two months where I’ve hit 30 books, two months at less than 20, and two months right around 20 (20 and 22). So this is a very odd situation, but I think it’s been full of pretty good reads! At first, the first couple months of the year, I was getting nervous I wouldn’t have new all time favorites this year, but then March happened and I was like, “Oh, just kidding.”

Favorite Book of the Year: The Alice Network by Kate Quinn is such a gorgeous historical fiction book that I absolutely adored. It caught me really off guard for some reason, but the challenge I was doing in March had me reading outside of my normal genre (Go Team White Rabbits!) and so I picked up The Alice Network since I’d had it on my shelves for so long. I loved it so much, I kept going into work and telling my co-worker about everything I’d just read. Romance wise, I found myself falling head over heels for Just Some Stupid Love Story by Katelyn Doyle, which was absolutely stunning on audio. I just truly loved the mess, the invisible strings (jk, they were titanium), and just the way that I really got to understand the characters and all of their choices. This book wound up being so good for me.

Best Sequel: Okay, look, if you made me choose between these three books, I’m not actually sure I could without crying. But these three books absolutely destroyed me emotionally, in the best (and worst) ways. On the one hand, I want to talk to you about these books so, so much, and on the other hand, I still don’t have the words, beyond just screaming certain character’s names. The Great Undoing and Into the Dark are probably the most narrowed down I can do, tbh. Anyway, I just finished all three and I wanted to start a re-read immediately. But also, I’m too fragile to do that. If you’ve not read Magnolia Parks, it’s a very messy series where the Magnolia books focus on Magnolia and BJ, who are soulmates who have deeply hurt one another but they know they belong together at the same time. They are rich socialites in London and there’s a lot of brand name dropping and just general ridiculous antics. But there’s also gorgeous writing and the character work throughout the series is incredible. Then the Daisy books follow Daisy Haites, her brother, Julian (love of my LIFE), and Christian Hemmes. They are in the criminal side of the world and these books are a little bit more plot forward (but like, very little). The books share over-lapping timelines and, well, have I mentioned Julian??

New Release You Haven’t Read Yet, but Want To: Here are the books on my Most Anticipated Lists that are out but I haven’t gotten to yet.

Most Anticipated Release of Second Half of the Year:

Biggest Disappointment: I was really anticipating all three of these books… Unfortunately, all three were just very meh.

Biggest Surprise: The Way of Kings. 100%. It’s the way that when people in Team White Rabbit’s discord wanted TWOK to be the biggest buddy read that I was like, “Oh, have fun, y’all, but I will absolutely not be participating.” Then halfway through the month, I was like, “Okay, the FOMO though.” And then I devoured the first two and a half books in the series and really need to keep going with Oathbringer. Oh, plus I read Warbreaker. Like, I really did the thing. And I loved it.

Favorite New Author: The authors I’ve already read multiple books from this year are Grace Callaway, Lyla Sage, Maggie C. Gates, Ava Hunter, and Maggie North so we’ll go with those authors!

Newest Fictional Crush: Look, I know I read Daisy Haites last year so I had met Julian Haites, but I don’t care. I am now in love, obsessed, ride or die for this man. And he’s not real. Anyway. Everything is fine.

Newest Favorite Character: Kaladin from The Way of Kings. I’m as shocked as you, tbh.

Book That Made You Cry: In public, no less, Magnolia Parks: Into the Dark. Also, for that matter, I was so devastated by the end of The Long Way Home that I had to have a conversation with a stranger who overheard me telling my sister how upset I was. -_- The way those books impacted me. I do cry a lot nowadays over fictional characters, but not like that.

Book That Made You Happy: So many, honestly. But let’s go with Coming Home by Kennedy Ryan, her Audible exclusive that was such a fun delight.

Most Beautiful Book You’ve Acquired This Year: The better cover of Magnolia Parks: Into the Dark for sure. I picked it up in person at Waterstones Piccadilly and thank God for that. I hate the shoe covers so much.

Anyway, that’s all from me! Please share with me your favorite reads, characters, or the links to your own mid-year check in!

xx