It looks like it’s time for another Mid-Year Freak-Out post. Last year, I revived this one on my blog (here), after not doing it for a few years, and I’m finally ready to post this year’s update.
I have been slowly rebuilding my blog and follower count after scrapping everything the end of 2023 and restarting early 2024. My instagram was sort of an exception, but yeah that happened too earlier this year, so I might post a version of this one over there, but my new username there is TangentAdventures since that was an old account that I forgot and was reminded up during the whole process. (Lol, it was definitely a process, but I’m so thankful to God for both allowing me a way to return to my beloved bookstagram community and the opportunities there, but also for reminding me about the old account that I had completely forgotten about…until then. XD)
I have also done a couple of other posts this year, which was fun. I’d love to do more, but they take a while for me to actually do them, so I’ll have to see about finding time to schedule them in in a way that works without taking away from too much of my time need for other things. 2025 has been a hurry-up-and-wait type year for me, and so planning ahead and scheduling has been a bit touch-and-go as I never know when I’ll have time (and feel up to it) and when I’ll end up suddenly busy again. I do hope to work on a few posts this week, but won’t make any promises.
Do you have any favorite tags 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. 🙂
Best Book(s) I’ve Read So Far…
I was excited for These Wild Dreams of Ours by Carly L. Carlson since I first found Carly on IG and following her publishing journey around the end of 2024. This book was everything I hoped it would be and will likely remain at the top of my favorites for 2025, and maybe even my All Time Favorites list.
I read The Hunted Heir by Jayna Breigh at the start of 2025, and knew I was excited to be a part of the blog tour. Little did I know how much I would love this story! I adored these characters and loved meeting them and reading their story. The mystery was fun, but the romance and faith aspects in this one were what I loved most.
Best Sequel I’ve Read So Far…
This book. I loved A Rebel’s Shot by Sara Blackard… but I’m also a little torn, since there was a few things that I wasn’t overly impressed with or would have rather had not been included, but then again the heart of the story and their relationship was precious and really surprised my by how much I loved it!
Favorite Re-Read…
I haven’t finished my re-read of Like Flames in the Night by Connilyn Cossette yet, but I did get to start it, and it was a favorite when I first read it, so I’m excited to finally be reading it again!
Books I Want To Re-Read…
I still want to re-read Song of the Valley by Britt Howard, and with the sequel coming out (Shadows of the Valley by Britt Howard is set to release August 2025!), I have yet another reason to be excited for a possible re-read this year! I’m so looking forward to it!
Genre You’ve Been Loving/Reading The Most…
As I said last year, and I think it’s more true now, but I love stories with deep relationships and themes of redemption, everlasting love, hope and healing, and walking humbly with Jesus through the ups-and-downs of life. I’ve read a good balance of Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, and Contemporary Fiction and Contemporary Romance reads this year. Some mystery, some suspense, some romance, and several that are a combination of all three.
New Release I Haven’t Read Yet But Want To…
Most Anticipated Release For The Second Half of the Year…
Biggest Disappointment…
I read halfway through Jack by Susan May Warren and just couldn’t anymore. I ended up DNFing it around the 55% point. I’ve had a love-hate relationship with SMW’s stories for a while. I really enjoyed some of her older books, but lately I’ve found them to push the boundaries a bit too much. The focus on Dirty Dancing and the iconic dance number from the movie ended up being the last straw. Especially with it wasn’t Jack (the love interest) but his brothers who insisted that the FMC get back to the dance practice (yes, it was for safety reasons, but even the characters in the book realized how awkward and bad it sounded after they said it…I already wasn’t comfortable with the whole thing anyway, and that was just too much. If it wasn’t a ‘christian’ fiction I might have been a little looser on this since it was basically a ‘clean’ read by other standards, but yeah that just struck me wrong, since labeling something ‘Christian’ should mean it’s (hopefully) intended to encourage our walk with God and a closer relationship with Jesus…right?
Lethal Inheritance by Rebecca Hemlock sounded interesting, and after reading the much shorted previous book in the series I had hoped that being a bit longer this one would be more developed and therefore just as good (or dare I hope, better) than that one, right? Actually, I was wrong. Apparently it does not mean that. It wasn’t so much a bad read, just not very impressive and it just sort of fell flat for me.
Biggest Surprise…
There were a few, but Weaving Roots by Heather Wood was probably the biggest surprise this year. I knew I wanted to read it after hearing about it releasing last year. I then went back and forth on if I really wanted to read it, if I would enjoy it or not. Was I the right audiance, would the subject interest me, would I connect with the characters at all?
And honestly, if I had read it last year, the anwers might have been very different. God has a way of leading our steps and His timing is perfect. So, in waiting this one also ended up being the story I needed right at that time too, and I love that! God is so good, and I love how He speaks to me in the mundane and day-to-day as well in more dramatic and grand ways. It’s in the little things that He proves He knows me best, and His love shines forth all the more.
Weaving Roots tackles a unique historical time-period and offers a glimpse as history and events that I haven’t seen really talked about in stories before. So, this one is already off to an interesting start, but the relationships and family aspect of this one really sold the story!
Favorite Author: (Debut or New-to-Me)…
Carly L. Carlson, Jayna Breigh, Cindy Bonds, and maybe Embassie Susberry? There are probably others, and these might (or might not) remain my favorites as time goes on, but these are a few that I’ve discovered and read at least one book from this year, and that ended up on my favorites list so far.
Newest Favorite Character…
Tiikâan isn’t a ‘new’ favorite so much, since I met him a few years ago in his brother’s book. But wow, his book said some things that I hadn’t realized I needed to hear, and I came to love him all the more in A Rebel’s Shot!
Jacob in Carly L. Carlson’s debut These Wild Dreams of Ours is another. His story arc and the deep themes and just, the personal growth he goes through is powerful and beautiful. Heart-breaking, and healing. All wrapped up in a beautiful package that is this amazing story.
This year has feel more…subdued? I felt everything so intensely and fiercely last year. This year I could mistake it and say that I feel everything less profoundly, or just less in general. But I’ve dealt with depression and similar struggles enough to know that’s not what it is. I still feel deeply and there’s still a range of emotions to be had and felt from day to day, but there’s also a wisdom, an awareness, and a maturity that I think I might have found in the chaos of the last few years, that allows me to feel deeply where my soul still rejoices and aches all at once, but that also protects me from the emotional roller-coaster that caused it’s own problems and eventually lead to crashing, burnout, and even some residual trauma from last year that I’ve taken an intentional role in working through and handing over to God these last few months.
So, while I enjoy the stories and love the message they carry, I also don’t feel the deep life-altering emotional ‘high’ of it all, which surprisingly I’m thankful for. I used to crave those types of feelings and emotions, and a book that could deliver that rush was a new favorite, regardless of the actual message or depth… I still enjoy a good story, and some still do cause me to reflect and evaluate my own thoughts and stance on certain issues at times, but no with the whiplash, crash inducing rush that leads to a whole host of other issues, like I might have in the past. There’s peace now where I lacked peace. Joy where in the past I lacked joy. Hope, and love, and faith. A constant, knowing that God cares for me, and although I read for enjoyment, I also read to learn and grow and explore, and I want Him to be in the midst of it all. And when I told Him that, when I asked Him to guard and protect my heart and to lead my steps. When I began to pray over the books I planned to read and asked Him to guide me in that as well, my heart began to change and my eyes were opened, and I’m so thankful for this amazing, healing, beautiful journey He has taken me on, both through books and in my daily life, and I’m content for once, to simply be. To be still, and know. To know that He is God, and as long as I’m with Him and He’s with me, I’m exactly where I’m meant to be, and that everything is going to be alright. He has seen the end, an declared it ‘good’ I need only to trust in that and follow His lead. Oh, how amazing it’s been, and the books I’ve come to love and enjoy have also reflected this journey in the most delightful ways.
Book That Made My Cry…
This year has been so much, I’m not sure. I might have cried during part of These Wild Dreams of Ours? I know there were a few where I almost teared up, or might have actually started to tear up but didn’t quite reach crying. I think Whatever It Takes by Sarah Hanks was probably another one. I loved the historical timeline in that one, but by the end of the story both timelines had my grudging respect and admiration.
I used to never cry, and last year I finally realized and accepted that it was likely a latent trauma response that I needed to address, as I hadn’t yet healed from whatever past event triggered the response, or lack thereof. So the fact that God has restored that to me too is another blessing from the last year. I spent a few weeks last year just praying about it and knowing that I should cry, that I needed to, but that I just…couldn’t and that I needed Him to heal me there too. And He did! I’m not really one who would cry all the time anyway (and I’m thankful, since I’ve just never been that way, and that would get old fast, lol) and I don’t want anyone to feel bad if they are a crier and cry easily, just the opposite actually.
I just wanted to say that is that is your normal, then be glad, it’s a blessing! Tears can be so healing and it’s good be be able to feel, God made us with the ability to feel things, and at times even Jesus cried. But too much or not at all when our bodies are out of alignment and are no longer able to process emotions and feelings correctly isn’t good, and that’s why I had prayed to God about. That I would be able to feel the things He intended for me to feel, the way He intended. To feel the good and positive emotions as well as the more ‘negative’ emotions in healthy balance and in a way that pleased Him Who made me, and made me able to feel and experience these things.
“To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:”
“A time to weep,
And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn,
And a time to dance;”
(Ecclesiastes 3:1&4)
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…
Book Review: Weaving Roots by Heather Wood
Favorite Post I’ve Written This Year…
Dear Readers, what do you enjoy? (Help me better serve you)
It was my attempt at a discussion post, but also an effort to connect with readers and to better serve those who follow and enjoy my blog… Did it work? Not really, nor did very many even take the time to read it, and fewer still responded. So, why (and how) is it my favorite post so far this year?
Simply because it exists. I tend to shy away from these posts, as they deviate from my norm and are also requesting something from the reader. I know they work for some people and some blogs even thrive on this type of post and interaction, but not me. Not really, although I would love to get better at writing them and try to find fun (and helpful) ways to include them on my blog. But alas, I made an effort, and this is the evidence of that. And I’m still happy that I at least took that first step. (Since the first step, or something the ‘next’ step, is always the hardest, right?)
Most Beautiful Book I Bought (Or Received) So Far…
Books I Want To Read By The End Of The Year…
Reading Progress:
I’ve nearly hit my yearly goal, and it’s only July. I’m kind of speechless, simply because at the start of the year I knew it was going to be a crazy one, and wasn’t even sure we’d get this far. I’ve still got a few more books to read before hitting my goal, but even if I don’t I’m extremely happy with the number of amazing stories I’ve already read and enjoyed this year.
As with last year, my Goodreads reflects my Bible reads too, so that number is much higher, I just don’t count those here since I always try to read my Bible, but also know that some of the ‘books’ are only a page or so long, and I don’t feel right counting that as a whole book in my yearly count. So, I track them all on Goodreads, and my fiction/non-Bible count is on my reading tracker app. I also have a few on the ReadMore app that aren’t available on Goodreads for whatever reason, so it helps make sure I don’t lose or forget any when I’m doing posts like this one, my monthly wrap-ups, and yearly wrap-up posts.
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?
Social Links:
If you liked this post and would like to follow me below are some of the other places where you can follow me.
Blog | Goodreads | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | BookBub
Discover more from Books Less Travelled
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
2 Pingbacks