And we’re back for another Mid-Year Freak-Out post. I’ve tried to do this one yearly, but it’s only been the last couple of years that I’ve been going it regularly. I spoke last year about having to restart my blog… The same is true again, but this time because I shifted my attention from WordPress.com to WP.org (AKA -> you’re here, this is my shiny new blog. Welcome!).
I’ve struggled with burnout, mentally, physically, and emotionally, at various times over the last twelve months. My creativity and ability to make posts, or even read sometimes, have also suffered as a result. June marked a year for a major shift that set off a painful season, and I’m still struggling with my health. I have done better lately, but recently have started to feel the excessive drain and fatigue starting to return. So, I’m being more proactive about how I try to plan, and hopefully I’ll be able to take better care of myself in the coming quarter. I’ve done better, but after spending the start of June sick, I’ve sort of slipped, and a week of rain meant I didn’t get outside as much this last week or two. Hopefully, I’ll find a good routine again and not push myself too hard, maybe… It’s something I’ve struggled with recently, and my health and increased migraines remind me of why I need to do better.
I do enjoy doing book tag type posts occasionally. What other bookish tags do you think I should do? Feel free to tag them below!
Also feel free to tag me in tags and awards posts if you’d like when you post a new one. 🙂
How’s Your Reading Going So Far?
I somehow keep missing the fact that this question was missing on my list from past years? (Whoops!)
This year has been interesting. In some ways, my reading seems to be getting better, since the end of last year was very much a downward slope (in a lot of ways, honestly), and I’m thankful that it seems to be on the rise again, not in a dramatic way, but more of a balancing? But on the flipside… Most of my reads this year have felt sort of meh, with some highlights sprinkled throughout. Part of that is definitely due to the many review requests I took in the last few months. I’m hoping to back off of them for a bit, and maybe make some progress on my TBR and those books I’ve been eager to read for a while, and maybe that will help some? I really don’t know at this point. So, to sum it up, my reading so far this year has been good, but I can’t say it’s been great. I’m just grateful to be reading and to have some diamonds along the way!
Best Book(s) I’ve Read So Far…
This was a re-read, so I’m adding some others here, but I loved this one last year, and was a little afraid that with as much as my taste in books, and honestly my perspective on basically…everything, has changed in the last few years, well. I worried that I wouldn’t like it anymore. Strange maybe, but it’s happened before. I need not have worried though. When I first read this, it felt as if God was showing me that He sees me, and revealed how He sees me along the way. I was so touched, I cried!! (Which was major at the time, and is still a big deal, but around when I first read this I had been unable to cry for nearly a decade, I can think of only one other time that a book nearly brought me to tears in all that time, and I ended up so angry with how that one ended. Furious, even… No, the title doesn’t matter. I was a completely different person back then.)
This time reading Lyiam and Tirzah’s story was different. Richer, deeper, matured, and more grounded, but no less beautiful. It still carried that feeling of coming home and of finally being seen. Truly seen. And the result was no less beautiful than the first time I experienced this delightful read. (Gavi and Lukio’s stories may try, but this one remains my favorite. They do give Like Flames in the Night a run for it’s money though! But it’s different, and I love that.)
I’m no longer a LOTR fan, not now that I realize how much occult influence they actually have, and not just in a fantasy make-believe, but I did love this story overall. The couple in the story are beautiful together, but I also loved the friendships and sense of community that they have in this delightful small-town read.
This one is a story I actually had the pleasure of reading last fall as a beta reader, but it came out a few months ago. After rereading it (officially) so that I could review it for you all, I can say I still love it! There’s some language (mild, but still there) and a few topics, including domestic abuse and PTSD, that make it a difficult read, but the healing arc and faith themes are lovely!
Best Sequel I’ve Read So Far…
I actually read/listened to the out-of-order. (Shocker, I know, right?) But I will say, even though I recommend most readers read these in order, I am personally glad that I met the characters this way. I’m not sure I would have enjoyed both stories quite so much otherwise, but it all worked out, and God knows exactly what He was doing when offering me the option to listen to this one first.
Favorite Re-Read…
I have already mentioned this one above, but as this and the beta reads are the only books I’ve reread this year, here it is officially as my answer for this question. While it has been one of my top favorite reads overall, it’s also my favorite reread. I could count the beta reads, but since they change between beta draft and final draft, I won’t list those here, but I talk about them from time to time, so I’m sure you’ll see them around too!
Books I Want To Re-Read…
After finishing Cossette’s backlist and preparing to finish her latest series, I’ve been longing to reread this one. While Like Flames in the Night remains my favorite of hers, this used to be my second favorite, but Splendor of the Land now ties for that position. Still, it’s been a while, and I would love to reread this one at some point!
Genre You’ve Been Loving/Reading The Most…
I really don’t know. I’ve read several books this year, but truly loved very few of them. This doesn’t mean they were good; they just didn’t really stand out in my mind as time went on. I’ve also been reading more non-fiction and less of what I actually want to be reading, so… That definitely needs to change. The last two years I’ve talked about how I have been loving the stories with deep relationships and themes of redemption, enduring love, hope, healing, and walking humbly with Jesus through the ups and downs of life. This has been especially true lately, and so many of the books I’ve loved lately have been those that heal or speak to a part of my heart that has been left bruised and hurting for a while now. These last few years have been rough, and I know my soul bears some extra scars as a result. I love when Jesus reminds me that His scars aren’t signs of weakness, but of victory and of just how far He’s willing to go to protect those He loves, and these books are a beautiful reminder of that.
Some Historical, some Contemporary Romance, and a few Romantic Suspense lately, but they all point to that same precious truth. That we are deeply loved and worth fighting for, especially when we feel the least worthy of all.
New Release I Haven’t Read Yet But Want To…
Most Anticipated Release For The Second Half of the Year…
Biggest Disappointment…
The story was okay, but just didn’t work for me, and by the final chapters I was just ready to be done…
Biggest Surprise…
This one almost stumpped me. I’ve been suffering burnout in a lot of ways, so while I’ve enjoyed some of my reads immensly this year, a month or two later they all fade to the same…numbness? I remember them, and some I remember fondly but it’s all pretty muted right now, which makes me sad to think about and admit, but there’s just been so much going on, and my mind just can’t seem to keep up.
These two though, they stood out. Riders on the Storm by Sherri Kukla is a true-crime novel about an American serial-killer made famous during his hitch-hiking killing spree. I don’t read true-crime and this book is a prime example of why, but I have enjoyed some of Kukla’s other stories, and had to at least try this one. While it’s definitely not my genre, she did such a good job telling such a harrowing and difficult story.
Wildflower on the Prairie by Tasha Hackett was one I’d been wanting to read for a while now. When she asked me earlier this year if I’d like a code for the audiobook in exchange for a review, I jumped on the chance to finally ‘read’ it. It took me a little while to actually get back into the habit of listening to audiobooks again, but within a few chapters I couldn’t stop thinking about this delightful story, and knew that it wouldn’t be long before I had to finish it before my brain would let me focus on another one! I enjoyed it so much that I listened to the first book (yeah, I know! Lol, and I recommend they be read/heard in order, but I loved them both all the same. Personally, I think I enjoyed them more this way, but I’m a bit odd sometimes, haha.)
Favorite Author: (Debut or New-to-Me)…
A. Jones is one I met last year as a beta readers, but as her debut book (Out of Deep Tides) just released a few months ago, she’s definitely the first to spring to mind!
I’m also really glad I finally got to read Tasha Hackett’s historical romance books. Amanda Tero (both her Hope in the Darkness and her co-authored Chelsea Michelle stories) was another one whom I finally got to read some of her stories after seeing them around for a little while now.
Newest Favorite Character…
This was so much easier last year, haha. Zeke, Tobias, and Luke from Tasha Hackett’s stories.
There are others, but those were some who recently made me laugh, and I needed that. I talked last year about the ‘muting’ of my emotions. I had forgotten that I’d talked about this until looking at it while editing today’s post, but it was a refreshing reminder, and needed as I began to question why I’m struggling to name favorites recently. Normally I have to problem coming up with a favorite story, or ten, within a year’s time, but this year seems different. After reading my words from last year, it makes sense, and I realize that it’s actually an answer to prayer, a protection, a mercy, a promise of peace. And I’m thankful for that. If you’d like to read what was said, you can read my exact words in last year’s post.
Book That Made My Cry…
None? I don’t know, there might have been a few earlier in the year, but none recently. I don’t cry often or easily, but there maybe have been a book or two that made me start to tear up a bit? I can’t remember which one(s) though if so.
Book That Made Me Happy…
Favorite Book-to-Film Adaptation I Saw…
None. I don’t watch TV or movies anymore, and have no desire to.
Favorite Review I’ve Written…
I don’t really know, maybe my review for Wildflower on the Prairie by Tasha Hackett?
Favorite Post I’ve Written This Year…
Again, I can’t think of any that stood out as ‘favorite’ but I am pretty happy that I managed to get two quarterly posts done in a timely manner this year. It’s been such a crazy, busy year already, but getting my Second Quarterly wrap-up posted was a fun highlight.
Most Beautiful Book I Bought (Or Received) So Far…
Books I Want To Read By The End Of The Year…
Reading Progress:
I’m a little behind where I was last year by this time, but I’m still pretty impressed. This has been a hard year for reading, and I’m thankful to have read some amazing stories along the way. This has been a year of unexpected changes, or at least they aren’t often what I expected to happen when they happen, although I’m thankful for them when they do. In it all, May God’s will be done, and May He be glorified. He has been doing some big things, thing He promised a few years ago, and we’re just now seeing them producing fruit, but oh, it’s a beautiful thing!
The above image is from my ReadMore app tracking, not Goodreads. I count my Bible reads on Goodreads (well, part of them at least) simply to keep track of when and how often I’ve read certain books, and also to help me remember which order I read them in (in case I need to reference back, especially while reading the Prophets, or the shorter New Testament letters.)
The Questions
- How is your reading going?
- Best book you’ve read so far in 2024.
- Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2024.
- Favorite re-read.
- Books I Want To Re-Read.
- Genre you’ve been loving/reading the most.
- New release you haven’t read yet, but want to.
- Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.
- Biggest disappointment.
- Biggest surprise.
- Favorite new author. (Debut or new to you)
- Newest favorite character.
- Book that made you cry.
- Book that made you happy.
- Favorite Review I wrote.
- Favorite Post I Wrote This Year.
- Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)
- What books do you need to read by the end of the year?
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