Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag: Best Books, Biggest Disappointments and Anticipated Reads

For years, I’ve watched everyone make these on their blogs and BookTubes, and mentally made my own list in my head. This year it occurred to me… I have a blog! Why don’t I make my own mid-year book freakout tag? This has been one of my favourite posts ever to make. Please drop your own answers to the questions in the comments below, as I’d be so interested to know!

• Best book you’ve read so far in 2026?

This is indubitably the hardest question of this tag to answer. I’ve had so many amazing reads so far this year, and there’s also definitely a bit of recency bias coming into play. I’m incapable of picking a single favourite, so here are the two I could narrow it down to, as well as some honourable mentions.

The Lies of Locke Lamora felt like an older, grittier version of Six of Crows (one of my all-time favourites) and I fell in love with it! Every single element of storytelling – character, plot, structure, narrative voice – were all executed to the highest standard. It was a truly masterfully woven story – the author never took the easy way out, continually putting Locke and his crew through the wringer. It had plot twists, the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. If you’re a fan of political intrigue and gang machinations, this takes both of them to new heights.

Daughter of the Forest is such a beautiful, yet heartbreaking tale. After Sorcha’s brothers are turned into swans by an evil sorceress come to their remote fortress in ancient Ireland, she turns to the forest magic to save them. She is made to weave nettles into shirts, and forbidden to speak for the duration of her task. But when Sorcha is captured by a British warlord and taken overseas to his keep, her mettle is tested. If you couldn’t tell from that somewhat bizarre premise, this is a fairytale retelling. It has the whimsy we associate with such fairytales in spades, but maybe more importantly, it has the grittiness too. Where I occasionally feel like fairytale retellings can often come across either derivative or contrived, this felt like Marillier took the basic premise of the Six Swans and breathed her own life into it. She made it so personally Sorcha’s tale that I often forget it had its beginnings in a Grimm story. 

Honourable mentions go to the Raven Scholar and the Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, both of which were five stars, and in any other year, might have made the top spot, but in this case both Daughter of the Forest and Locke Lamora were six star reads.

• Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2026?

Turncloak by L.K. Steven, the sequel to Silvercloak. This one isn’t out until September but I had the chance to read an ARC and let me tell you – the world is in for a treat! It expands the worldbuilding that we get in Silvercloak so much, develops the characters and their relationship with one another, elevating the stakes, while the ending sets up perfectly for the third and final instalment – everything you’d want in a sequel. I just loved being back with Saffron and Levan and being introduced a whole host of other characters. We also receive a few more POVs, which really widen the breadth and the scope of the story, seeing how all these different tales intersect.

I also adored The Tapestry of Fate, the sequel to the Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi. Something I LOVE about S.A. Chakraborty’s writing is that she seems to improve and elevate with every single book, and, true to fashion, the Tapestry of Fate is her finest work yet in my opinion. I really loved the focus on female friendship in this book and there was also an element of thriller / mystery to the plot this time around, which I thought was so addictive.

• New release you haven’t read yet but want to?

Again, I could include so many in this category as I have been slacking on my new releases, however the one that is at the top of my TBR is The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden, which came out in June. I am such a fan of Katherine Arden’s slow, whimsical, ethereal style of writing, and I also love a historical setting. This follows Anne of Brittany, who must form a secret betrothal to France’s greatest rival in order to save her throne. She plans a diversion to allow her to wed clandestinely; a unicorn hunt in the mythical forest of Brocéliande. Unicorns and historical France, written by Katherine Arden sounds like a delightfully perfect recipe for enjoyment.

• Most anticipated release for the second half of the year?

First is Tempest by Victoria Aveyard. Listen, I heard pirates, I heard epic fantasy and I said sign. me. up. I have nothing more to say other than that I can’t wait to have this one in my hands.

To no surprise to anyone, my other most anticipated release is The Knave and the Moon by Rachel Gillig. It’s no secret that I loved the Knight and the Moth, and I just can’t wait to be back with Sybil, Rory and Bartholomew (okay, especially Bartholomew). September is going to be a BIG month.l

There are also a lot of other anticipated reads – in no particular order: The Castle and the Cloister by Laura E Weymouth, Bodies of Magic by Freya Marske, The Horrors We Harbour by Emily Cooper, A Viper Among Kings by Sydney Olivia, The Thief and the Traitor Bride by V.L. Bovalino and Mothsblood by Lynn D. Jung.

Wow, that’s a lot. The latter half of 2026 is going to be jam-packed.

• Biggest disappointment?

Unfortunately, I knew the answer to this one without any hesitation and it is The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan. I ranted at length about this book in my June wrap-up, but it just sounded SO good on paper. Werewolves running rampant in 17th Century rural France – ie. exactly the sort of thing I’d devour. Historical setting with a healthy dash of fantasy and maybe a little bit of horror. But this just fell so flat for me and I ended up rather loathing it (okay maybe that’s harsh but I stand by it). I thought it had structural and pacing issues, but my main problem lay in how the author wrote his female characters (spoiler alert: very badly). Overall, not for me.

• Biggest surprise?

Just this past month, I’ve fallen really in love with the Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion series. I wasn’t totally convinced by the first volume, but I heard people saying that you ought to treat the first and second volume as one book, and, given they were very short, quick reads, I decided to persevere and I’m so glad I did. Everybody is so right – once you get to know the characters, it is so utterly delightful. I’m on Vol. 4 now and it seems like this series gets better and better with every book. If you’re in the same boat and aren’t sure whether to continue, I would urge you to at least get to Vol.3 and see how you feel then. (If you aren’t absolutely enamoured with Emma and her ragtag set of friends, I’ll eat my hat).

• Favourite new author (debut or new to you)?

I know everybody is sick of me harping on about my newfound love of S.A. Chakraborty, but I will not stop. The Daevabad trilogy was such a journey, and to go straight onto Amina with its humour and heart was a reading experience I will treasure. Her books are just so good, and she has the rare skill as an author where I feel like she’s improving and building upon her craft with every single book. I cannot wait to see where the third instalment of Amina takes us, and after that. I know for sure that I will go wherever she goes and read whatever she publishes.

Worth mentioning is that both my favourite books were also from new-to-me authors – Scott Lynch and Juliet Marillier (although they were published in 2006 and 1999 respectively, so they’re not new releases by any means). I will definitely be reading more of Juliet Marillier’s backlist and I will be keeping my eyes peeled for any news on Locke Lamora #4 from Scott Lynch.

Discovering new authors and devouring their backlists is one of the best feelings!

• Newest fictional crush?

I’d have to say Red (also known as Lord Hugh of Harrowfield) from Daughter of the Forest. How soft and tender he was with Sorcha, as well as how much he appreciated her quiet strength when it seemed nobody else did, grabbed my heart. He’s deeply loyal, both to Sorcha and to his family and the people that live under him and depend upon him, and fiercely protective.

• Newest favourite character?

Again, I don’t have one singular answer, but it’s between Amina al-Sirafi or Locke Lamora, both of whom are the titular characters in their series. In a lot of respects, they’re quite similar characters – they are both firmly on the opposite side of the law, and they’re both enticingly charismatic. I think this says a lot about what I gravitate towards in characters; criminals and lawbreakers, funny and enigmatic, surrounding by a found family-esque crew of lovable rogues.

(I blame reading Six of Crows at a formative and falling in love with Kaz Brekker.)

Kudos to @saraalfageeh for the stunningly fierce art of Amina, and to @misspannacotta for the art of Locke that totally captures his cheek.

• Book that made you cry?

I made a whole post recently about books that have made me cry, and in that I mentioned that I generally don’t cry at books – so when I do, it’s a big deal. There’s only one book so far this year that made me cry, which was Daughter of the Forest. I know I’ve yapped at length about this book in this mid-year freakout tag, but rightly so! Because I’m very much freaked out about it! So tender and heartbreaking, it truly destroyed me for weeks afterward. 

• Book that made you happy?

The most fun I had reading a book so far this year was possibly Better Than Revenge by Bea Fitzgerald. This was such a campy, melodramatic book that’s pitched as Thelma and Louise meets the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, a book about two actresses whose infamous rivalry has a body count’. If you loved the Favourites by Layne Fargo, this one is for you! It has the same toxicity and the same cutthroat world, except instead of ice dance, this is Hollywood. It’s so fast-paced and addictive, I flew through it and had such a good time.

• Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)?

One answer immediately comes to mind and that is the Page & Wick edition of the Sword of Kaigen. The only thing is… I don’t technically have it yet? Shipping is expected in August and you best believe I’ll be making a post to show it off when it does arrive.

Another non-answer is the Illumicrate editions of the Farseer and the Liveship Traders trilogies by Robin Hobb, which I have also bought… oops. I’m also insanely hyped to see them on my shelf and am already picturing where they’re going to look best. Just look at them!

• What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

SO many! The amount of long series I have on my TBR is unmanageable, and I think the focus of the end of the year is going to be getting to some of them. As I alluded to earlier, I would love to begin my Realm of the Elderlings journey, but some other big series I have on my priority radar are Jade City by Fonda Lee (I’ve been saying this for years, I know) and Gael Song by Shauna Lawless, which begins with the Children of Gods and Fighting Men, which a lot of my friends and trusted reviewers have adored.

Since my gorgeous edition of the Sword of Kaigen is due to be arriving, I reckon I’d also better read that. Given how much I loved Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang, I figured it was almost guaranteed I would love the even-more-epic Sword of Kaigen too, so I felt somewhat justified splashing out on a stunning edition.

I’d also love to catch up on some of my Fairyloot and Illuicrate monthly picks; for instance, the Winged Game, Voidwalker, The Poet Empress – the latter especially, given how many glowing reviews I’ve heard about it, it seems very up my alley.

Finally, in July I read the first three volumes of the Emma M. Lion series, and consider me hooked! So I definitely want to devote my audiobook listening hours (the audiobooks are superb) to continuing that series.

That concludes my mid-year freakout tag! I’ve had so much fun making this post and it’s definitely one I’ll return to next year. I’m also thinking I might need to make a post for all my anticipated reads for the latter half of 2026, because it is stacked! Please let me know your answers to one or all of the questions in the comments below – especially best books! I’m always on the lookout for my next five star (although, I don’t think I can complain because I’ve already found many this year). I think I’ve really refined my reading taste and know what I’m going to love, which is something that only comes after years of reading and discovering what works for you and what doesn’t. Of course, it is not foolproof – evidenced by biggest disappointments – but I feel like my reading this year has been incredible. Let’s hope it continues into the autumn and winter months!