The Best + Worst of 122 books I've read this year | Mid-Year Book Freakout

TL;DR

Kayla shares her favorite book of the year, highlights surprising reads, and discusses disappointments and new authors in this mid-year book tag.

Transcript

hello my friends it's kayla i hope you're having a great reading year because i am if it hasn't been good for you i'll send you all of my good vibes for the second half of the year but this is the mid-year book freakout tag where halfway through the year we assess what has happened favorites least favorites there's more questions than that but i do... Read More

Key Insights

• 😮 "The Fifth Season" by N.K. Jemisin is Kayla's favorite book of the year so far, impressing her with its world-building and character development.
• 👶 "Where the Drowned Girls Go" by Seanan McGuire is Kayla's favorite sequel, surpassing her expectations and introducing her to a new favorite character.
• 🧑‍🌾 Kayla has enjoyed revisiting her 10th-grade favorites, including "Far From the Tree" by Robin Benway and "This Song Will Save Your Life" by Jandy Nelson.
• 👶 Kayla has been anticipating new releases such as "What Moves the Dead" by T. Kingfisher and "Home" by Sarah Gailey for the second half of the year.
• 🤫 Several books, including "Dead Silence" by S.A. Barnes and "A History of Wild Places" by Shea Earnshaw, have disappointed Kayla, either due to unmet expectations or confusing storytelling.
• 🫠 Sue Lynn Tan, Samantha Schweblin, and Otesa Moshfegh are among Kayla's new favorite authors, and she plans to read more of their works.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is Kayla's favorite book of the year so far?

Kayla's favorite book of the year is "The Fifth Season" by N.K. Jemisin. She describes it as a well-crafted science fiction and fantasy novel with an interesting world and compelling characters. It's among her all-time favorites.

Q: Which sequel does Kayla consider her favorite?

Kayla's favorite sequel is "Where the Drowned Girls Go" by Seanan McGuire. It is part of the Wayward Children series and follows a character who moves to a new institution for a different experience. Kayla praises the book for being better than most of the series and highlights her love for the character Cora.

Q: Which book did Kayla enjoy rereading?

Kayla mentions two books she enjoyed rereading: "Far From the Tree" by Robin Benway and "This Song Will Save Your Life" by Jandy Nelson. She states that her rereads of these books were successful and highlights their fun and compelling stories.

Q: What are some of Kayla's anticipated new releases for the second half of the year?

Kayla mentions three anticipated new releases: "What Moves the Dead" by T. Kingfisher, "Home" by Sarah Gailey, and "House of Hunger" by Alexis Henderson. She expresses excitement for these books and their intriguing premises.

Q: Which books disappointed Kayla the most this year?

Kayla mentions several books that disappointed her: "Dead Silence" by S.A. Barnes, "A History of Wild Places" by Shea Earnshaw, "The Centaur's Wife" by Amanda Leduc, and "Death in Her Hands" by Otessa Moshfegh. She expresses her confusion about some of these books and mentions her disappointment in their execution or mismatched expectations.

Q: Who are some of Kayla's new favorite authors?

Kayla highlights Sue Lynn Tan, Samantha Schweblin, and Otesa Moshfegh as her new favorite authors. She praises their works, including "Daughter of the Moon Goddess" by Sue Lynn Tan and "Fever Dream" by Samantha Schweblin, and expresses her eagerness to read more from them.

Q: Which characters from books stood out to Kayla?

Kayla mentions the duo, Finley and Vero, from "Finley Donovan is Killing It" and Veronica and Stoker from "A Curious Beginning" as her favorite characters. She highlights their entertaining dynamics and their roles in the respective stories.

Q: Which book does Kayla need to read by the end of the year?

Kayla doesn't specifically list a book to read by the end of the year but mentions she plans to read over 80 more books before the year ends and alludes to having secret TBRs for upcoming reads. She encourages viewers to join her channel membership to get exclusive updates on her reading plans.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Kayla shares her favorite book of the year, "The Fifth Season" by N.K. Jemisin, praising its interesting world-building and character-driven plot.

• She discusses her favorite sequel, "Where the Drowned Girls Go" by Seanan McGuire, stating that it surpasses the previous books in the series and showcases her favorite character.

• Kayla shares her favorite reread, revisiting her 10th-grade favorites, including "Far From the Tree" by Robin Benway and "This Song Will Save Your Life" by Jandy Nelson.

• She mentions her anticipated new releases for the second half of the year, including "What Moves the Dead" by T. Kingfisher and "Home" by Sarah Gailey.

• Kayla discusses her biggest disappointments of the year, including "Dead Silence" by S.A. Barnes and "A History of Wild Places" by Shea Earnshaw.

• She highlights new favorite authors, such as Sue Lynn Tan, Samantha Schweblin, and Otesa Moshfegh, and shares favorite characters from books like "Finley Donovan is Killing It" and "A Curious Beginning".