Wow. Today is the last day of the sixth month of the year. Tomorrow, we will be welcoming my birth month. How time flies. I guess this is an inevitable component of life. In the blink of an eye, we are already halfway through 2024. I hope that the first half of the year has been kind to everyone. I hope that the second half of the year will be brimming with blessings, good news, and positive energy.

With six months nearly done, it is also time to reflect on how the year has gone, at least in terms of reading and books. This book tag, which I first did in 2017, is a barometer that gauges how my reading year is progressing. “Freak out,” however, sounds a little excessive for it is too early to push the panic button. Panic unusually seizes me around October or November, when I slowly realize that I am lagging behind in my reading challenges. This year, however, things have changed as I started on my reading challenges earlier than usual with the ultimate goal of completing them earlier than usual

You can check my previous editions below:

Without further ado, here goes my own version of Mid-Year Freak Out Tag.

1. Best book(s) you’ve read so far this year.

So far, I have read over sixty books this year. I am still not used to reading this many books in such a short time. Nevertheless, I am happy because it underlines the fact that I was able to sustain the momentum I have built during the pandemic period. Anyway, with the volume of books I read, it is quite a challenge singling out one book to call my favorite this year; I had the same quandary last year. Several books left a deep impression on me. Because I spent most of the past two months reading works of European literature, it comes as no surprise that half of the books listed above were written by European writers, such as Fredrik Backman’s Beartown, Vigdis Hjorth’s Is Mother Dead, Thomas Mann’s Buddenbrooks, and Péter Nádas’ A Book of Memories.

Except for Is Mother Dead, these works of European writers were part of my 2024 Top 24 Reading List. Also except Hjorth, they are writers whose oeuvres I have explored before. These books underlined my initial admiration of the respective writer’s works. Backman has certainly grown on me while Mann is living up to my expectations. Hjorth, on the other hand, has become a name I am looking forward to. I hope I get to read more of the Norwegian writer’s works. Hjorth is also one-fourth of the four new-to-me writers whose works I have listed as some of the books that left a deep impression on me. Stephen Markley’s The Deluge was no easy read. It was thick and complex. I can say the same for Honorée Fanonne Jeffers’ first novel, The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois. Nevertheless, it is their complexity that made them such compelling reads for me.

Devils, meanwhile, is the third novel by Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky I read although it has been six years since I read my last book by the Russian storytellers. As always, his examination of human psychology was impeccable. Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop was Hwang Bo-Reum’s first novel. What reeled me into the story was its exploration of the dynamics of human relationships; in a way, it shares this similarity with Beartown and Backman’s works in general. I am looking forward to reading more outstanding works in the second half of the year. I must say, Alexandre Dumas’ The Three Musketeers is warming up to me.

2. Best sequel you’ve read so far this year

Technically, Kyung-Sook Shin’s I Went to See My Father is not a sequel. However, it is considered by many as a follow-up to Shin’s popular and award-winning novel Please Look After Mom because the two books are thematically interconnected. Honestly, I liked I Went to See My Father better than Please Look After Mom although I am considering reexamining my understanding and appreciation of the first Shin novel I read.

3. New release you haven’t read yet, but want to

As part of my annual reading tradition, I churn out a list of books to be released during the year that I am looking forward to. I have, so far, completed two of the ten books on my 2024 Books I Look Forward To List. This is a better output compared to the same point last year when I only read one of the ten books on my 2023 list. I also was able to acquire three of the eight books above: Yangsze Choo’s The Fox Wife, Rachel Khong’s Real Americans, and Percival Everett’s James. I just might include The Fox Wife and Real Americans in my scheduled foray into Asian literature later this year. Meanwhile, I hope I get to obtain copies of the last five books on the list. Ever since I started creating Books I Look Forward To lists, I have never completed all ten books although I did come close in 2020 when I fell short of one book.

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

Among the books I am looking forward to in the second half of the year are Elif Shafak’s latest novel, There Are Rivers in the Sky, and Abi Daré’s And So I Roar. The Turkish writer has certainly grown on me; I have, so far, read five of her novels and can’t wait to read her latest novel which is set to be released on August 20. Meanwhile, I wasn’t aware that the Nigerian writer was going to release her sophomore novel this year. I loved The Girl With the Louding Voice which makes me look forward to And So I Roar which is set to be released on August 6. My hunch was right, it seems that the book is a sequel to The Girl With the Louding Voice.

5. Biggest disappointment

I wouldn’t say biggest disappointment but a disappointment nevertheless. C Pam Zhang’s debut novel, How Much of These Hills is Gold, is one of my favorite reads of 2020. This made me look forward to reading her succeeding works. This opportunity came last year when she released her sophomore novel, Land of Milk and Honey. Unfortunately, I was not able to read the book last year but I managed to read it this year. While it had its bright spots – it was distinct from Zhang’s debut novel in scope and even writing – but, overall, it failed to live up to my expectations.

I also had high expectations of Miguel Syjuco’s I Was the President’s Mistress!! simply because Syjuco is an award-winning Filipino writer. I was so excited to explore his oeuvre that I even included his latest work in my 2024 Top 24 Reading List. The book had potential, especially at the start. However, the story started falling apart as it moved forward and Syjuco’s original intentions got convoluted by the plot’s meanderings. It literally lost its plot.

6. Biggest surprise

I knew that Eloghosa Osunde’s Vagabonds! is going to be an amazing book; there was something about it that screamed brilliance when I first encountered it. This still did not prepare me for how impressed I was with their debut novel. Sure enough, I was mind blown. It confronted pressing concerns in contemporary Nigeria. The way Osunde grappled with these realities was out of the box and innovative. The integration of magical realism with the novel’s lush tapestry was a stroke of brilliance.

7. Favorite new author (debut or new to you)

Vigdis Hjorth. I mentioned it already above. I was impressed with Is Mom Dead even though this is my first foray into the Norwegian writer’s oeuvre. The book made me look forward to reading more of Hjorth’s work. It is also of note that I haven’t read that many works of Norwegian literature.

8. Newest fictional crush

For as long as I can remember doing this book tag, I haven’t named a fictional crush. This year is not going to be different. I guess it is not my thing.

9. Newest favorite character

Jahan, the main character in Elif Shafak’s The Architect’s Apprentice has grown on me. The titular architect’s apprentice, he was able to beat the odds – he ran away from home because of an abusive father and settled in a city, Constantinople, far away from home – to succeed in his chosen field. He had the natural talent to be the chief royal architect. He also had a natural understanding of those around him which made him an endearing character.

10. Book that made you cry

Unfortunately, there were no books that made me cry, so far, this year; it has been some time since I teared up over a book or a story. However, some books elicited strong emotions from me. Kyung-Sook Shin’s I Went to See My Father and Minae Mizumura’s Inheritance from Mother both appealed deeply to me because both books explored family dynamics. In both books, children confront their memories of one of their parents. This introspection was fraught with moments of vulnerability and rich emotional intersections as the children also had to confront the fragility of their relationship with their parents and the fact that their parents are slowly aging.

11. Book that made you happy

I am still reading Alexandre Dumas’ The Three Musketeers. The book made me happy because by reading it, I am finally crossing out all the books that I DNF’d. Further, the book is one of the 1,001 Books You Must Read Before You Die and is a renowned and beloved literary classic. The story itself is full of adventures and the characters even find themselves in farcical scenes. I am currently in the part where Athos locked himself in the wine cellar.

12. Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)

I guess I will go with Yangsze Choo’s The Fox Wife. Something is enchanting about the white cover that simply draws me in.

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

I have many books I want and need to read this year. Among these are Rohinton Mistry’s A Fine Balance, Richard Wright’s Native Son, and Max Frisch’s I’m Not Stiller. These books are all part of my 2024 Top 24 Reading List; of course, the books in this list are my priority. On the other hand, I have read wonderful reviews of A Fine Balance and Native Son which makes me look forward to reading them. Actually, I haven’t read any works of these three writers. This compels me to explore their bodies of work. I am also looking forward to reading Jenny Erpenbeck’s Kairos, the winner of the 2024 International Booker Prize. My copy of the book, however, is still in transit.

14. Favorite book community member

Apart from WordPress, Goodreads is the only book community that I am part of. Well, WordPress is not even a book community but through it, I have encountered several bookworms who share the same passion I have. I appreciate your blogs and I am grateful that you try to engage in my own blog. Your inputs are all appreciated.

So there goes my version of the Mid-Year Freak Out Tag. Interested in doing it? Go ahead. Just don’t forget to tag me. 

Happy reading!