It’s July, so we’re already half way through 2026! Where has the time gone? Though, I’m sure we say this every year! I have only managed 26 books so far this year, and I’ll picture my stats down below.
I thought it would be fun to do the popular “mid-year book freakout tag” where you answer questions about the books you’ve read so far in the year. So, without further ado, here are my answers!
Enjoy!
(Snapshot of the questions before getting to my answers; I’ve also added some to the original tag)
- Best book you’ve read so far in 2026
- Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2026
- New release you haven’t read yet, but want to
- Most anticipated release for the second half of the year
- Biggest disappointment
- Biggest surprise
- Favourite new author (debut or new to you)
- New fictional crush
- Favourite relationship chemistry
- New favourite character
- Book that made you cry
- Book that made you happy or had the most fun
- Most beautiful book you’ve bought or received so far this year
- What books does you need to read by the end of the year
- Favourite book to movie adaptation so far this year
- Favourite Book Community Member
- What is your current read, your last read, and your next read?
- What is the best book recommendation you’ve received this year?
- What was your first DNF (Did Not Finish) of the year?
- What is a new release from this year that you’ve read and your thoughts on it?
- Do you feel your reading tastes have changed or shifted this year?
- What book you’ve read so far embodies the vibe of your reading year?
Best book you’ve read so far in 2026
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (audiobook)
Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2026
I haven’t actually read any sequels that were good! I enjoyed these enough, I guess, but they were disappointments to tell you the truth 😦
We Love You, Bunny by Mona Awad
The Housemaid’s Secret by Frieda McFadden
New release you haven’t read yet, but want to
Just Friends by Haley Pham – by youtuber I watch and there’s a lot of discourse around the book’s quality so want to see for myself
The Secret World of Briar Rose by Cindy Pham – another youtuber I like
Wimmy Road Boyz by Sufiyaan Salam – from Stormzy’s publishing house!
Most anticipated release for the second half of the year
Lucky me, some of my favourite authors or creators have books out this year (again!)
Theodora’s Teashop by Christie Anne Jones
Taipei Story by R F Kuang
Hollywood, Ending by John Green
Dreamland by Olive Blake
Biggest disappointment
Boy Parts by Eliza Clark – felt like it was trying too hard to be edgy and hardcore; seemed risqué and violent for shock value perhaps? Not what I thought it was going to be, but I guess a good commentary on how we view women compared to men
Queen B by Juno Dawson – I loved the HMRC series so this sort of prequel I was excited about but it didn’t deliver; boring, added no depth to the world/magic system; not even a love story to root for!
The Housemaid’s Secret by Frieda McFadden – Loved The Housemaid but this was trying to emulate the first and wasn’t successful in that (IMO)
Biggest surprise
The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi – so funny and lighthearted and a warm hug of a book! Found family, cool monsters, great!
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak – so well written and immersive and real; brilliant writer and brought the culture and life of Istanbul to life
World War Z by Max Brooks – did not know it was epistolary! loved the way it was written; funny, clever, engaging
Earthlings by Sayaka Murata – I can’t even sum this book up! It was funny and absurd while also being the most gut wrenching and raw pieces of writing I’ve ever read (trigger warnings)
Favourite new author (debut or new to you)
Jen Beagin (author of Big Swiss which I LOVED!)
New fictional crush (more admiration for me as I don’t crush on characters usually or read romance)
Ryland Grace from Project Hail Mary maybe! I loved his brain and his relationship with Rocky
Big Swiss/Flavia from Big Swiss – found her sexy and engaging and intelligent
Favourite relationship chemistry
Grace and Rocky (PHM, duh!)
Louisa and Ted (My Friends) & the friendship group as well
Aoyama-san and Chi-san (Taiwan Travelogue)
New favourite character
Joar from My Friends
Gideon the Ninth from the novel of the same name by Tamsyn Muir (audiobook read by Moira Quirk)
Rocky from PHM (yes, a lot of PHM mentioned!)
Book that made you cry
My Friends by Fredrik Backman
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Book that made you happy or most fun
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Most beautiful book you’ve bought or received so far this year
The City and It’s Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami (the image below does not do the cover justice!)
A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin
What books do you need to read by the end of the year
The Poppy War by R F Kuang
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro (before the film comes out!)
Remarkably Bright Creatures by (before watching the Netflix adaptation)
Favourite book to movie adaptation so far this year
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir adapted by Phil Lord, Chris Miller and Drew Goddard, starring Ryan Gosling
Favourite Book Community Member
Christie Anne Jones (also a debut author)
What is your current read, your last read, and your next read?
I Want to Die But I want to Eat Tteokbokki = current read (daytime)
Half His Age = current read (night)
Taiwan Travelogue = just finished
My Friends = just finished
Strange Weather in Tokyo or maybe Wimmy Road Boyz = next reads
What is the best book recommendation you’ve received this year?
Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash – quite a few online creators and then my work friend mentioned it so I tried it out even though I wasn’t sure and loved it! 5 stars!
What was your first DNF (Did Not Finish) of the year?
Emily Wilde #2 / Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands Heather Fawcett – boring, didn’t have what number 1 did
Deep End by Ali Hazelwood – cheesy sex scenes that weren’t for me
Motherthing by Ainslie Hogarth – maybe just wasn’t the right time to read it
Januaries by Olivia Blake (short story collection) – I love the idea of short story collections but I don’t think I actually enjoy them!
What is a new release from this year that you’ve read and your thoughts on it?
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke – I have many and I think this is the kind of book that the more you talk about it or hear other people’s opinions and takes on it, the more you get from it. Burke has created a conversation and that alone makes it an outstanding book, never mind that it’s her debut!
Highlights:
- Well-written, simple enough to read
- Great satirical exploration of the themes
- Well-balanced; didn’t feel preachy to me
- I tabbed a lot which meant it was a book that was saying a lot, which I enjoy
- Spoke to issues we are currently facing in society with online spaces and our view of reality etc
Critique:
- Wanted more from the ending; loved it, needed more about what that meant rather than the slow middle we got instead
- Perhaps needed to be shorter or cut down on parts that didn’t add anything
Do you feel your reading tastes have changed or shifted this year?
YES! Been into literary fiction and mainly satire this year. Those have been my highly rated reads anyway and took me out of my reading slump.
What book you’ve read so far embodies the vibe of your reading year?
Big Swiss by Jen Beagin – it was clever, easy to read, had social commentary, engaging and absurd characters and character choices, funny, sexy, unique concept, loved it!
Let me know if you have any reading recommendations for me! Happy reading to us all!
Sincerely,
S. xx
S. R. Crawford 