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The year is half over! Can you believe it? How's everybody holding up? Are you doing okay?

If you're reading this on the day it's posted, I'm in the middle of Hell week(s) at work. July 4th is the busiest day of the year at parks. July 5th is a governor's holiday in Colorado, so lots of state employees who aren't me will be off work. Then it's the weekend, which is always chaotic at parks. Also, the fiscal year is ending, and I work in the revenue department when I'm not dealing with traffic, customers, problems, whatever. Basically, the world is conspiring to kill me.

Speaking of death: I passed the prerequisite class and got accepted to EMT school. I guess that'll be happening in August. Somehow.

Let's talk about books! I've read 33 of them so far this year. That's not a lot, but a large chunk of them have been massive. My goal for the year is to read all the big books I've been procrastinating. I think I'm doing pretty well.

Here are the highlights (and lowlights) of my reading year so far.

📗  Mid-Year Reading Check-In  ✅

Best Book You've Read So Far In 2024?

Since I'm a picky witch, I've only given out two 5-star ratings this year. One of the books that got all the stars from me is Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia Of Faeries by Heather Fawcett.

Emily Wilde is a cozy fantasy novel that forces me to look up the spelling of the title every time I type it. It's about fairies faeries who causally decapitate one another. The characters are sweet, funny, and a little dangerous. Emily Wilde is a university professor who travels to a remote island to study the faerie population. She plans to spend months alone in the wilderness, but then her academic rival, Wendell Bambleby, shows up on the doorstep of her decrepit cabin. Wendell is also there to study faeries. (Or so he claims.) At first, Emily is irritated, but then she realizes that she might have a crush on her rival. And the feeling might be mutual.

I feel like I've been searching for this book for years. (Not just because I can't spell the title.) I've been craving a medium-stakes fantasy book with fun characters and a world that doesn't require my whole brain to understand. This is the exact novel I wanted! I loved it!

Best Sequel You've Read So Far In 2024?

I've only read one sequel so far, so I guess the winner is A Gathering Of Shadows by V.E. Schwab. I've lost track of how many times I've reread the Shades of Magic series. They're definitely not the greatest books ever, but I like escaping into parallel worlds. It's a fun series.

New Release You Haven't Read But Want To?

Honestly, I haven't been paying much attention to new releases because I'm trying to get through the books I already own. I'm curious about Sociopath: A Memoir by Patric Gagne. The author has been diagnosed as a sociopath. I've occasionally wondered if I'm a sociopath because the only emotions I feel on a regular basis are anxiety and crippling anxiety, but maybe wondering if you're a sociopath is just a side-effect of anxiety? I don't know. I've never met anyone who admitted to being a sociopath. It's something I'd like to know more about.

Anticipated Release For The Second Half Of 2024?

Did you know that Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin wrote a book together? It's coming out in October and is called The Bletchley Riddle. It's about teenagers trying to break a Nazi code and find their missing mother. I'm beyond excited that two of my favorite authors have written a book together. I know it'll be perfect. Both of these authors are brilliant researchers and excellent at writing about little-known events from history. I can't wait.

Biggest Disappointment?

Navigate Chaos: A 5-Step Guide To Balance Work, Family, And Other Life Priorities by Steven B. Wiley. I read it for book club. I have no idea why the club chose it.

The author owns a life coaching company called CEEK. It's pronounced "seek." It's not an acronym. It's just "seek" spelled confusingly and in ALL CAPS. Sometimes CEEK is written in ALL CAPS and italics so it's extra noticeable while you're reading. The author never misses an opportunity to remind the reader that he has a company called CEEK. It gives the entire book sleezy salesman vibes.

Biggest Surprise?

The happy books surprised me! One of my goals this year is to read happier books. I wasn't sure how much I'd like happy stories, but I thoroughly enjoyed Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree and The Very Secret Society Of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna. They're both cozy fantasy books about magical creatures (magical people? Magical beings?) who are falling in love and trying to make a good life for themselves.

Favorite New Author?

I wouldn't call her a "favorite," but I'm interested in Alissa Nutting's work. I read her short story collection, Unclean Jobs For Women And Girls, and had severely mixed feelings about it. Some of her stories are so weird that I gave up on them. Other stories in the collection are scary, funny, and creative. I loved them. I've never loved and hated a book so much.

Favorite Character?

This book again. ^^ Emily and Wendell from Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia Of Faeries by Heather Fawcett are my favorites. I love their nerdiness. I love their banter. It's a fun time.

Book That Made You Happy?

It's a perfect time to update you on my happy book reading challenge. All the books in this graphic made me happy. I recommend them if you're looking for something quirky to read.

Favorite Book Adaptation?

Ripley on Netflix is good if you like artsy TV. The show follows the plot of the book pretty well. There's a lot of sinister silence. The setting is beautiful. The story takes place in Italy, but I have no idea if the show was filmed there. Wherever it was filmed, I want to visit.

Most Beautiful Book You Bought In 2024?

I like these editions of Russian classics. I saw them on Blackwell's website and knew I needed them. I'm slowly replacing my classics collection with nicer editions because I want aesthetically pleasing bookshelves. I've never had pretty bookshelves, and I don't care if men on the internet judge me for them. Apparently, you're not a "real" reader if your shelves are pretty.

What Book Do You Need To Read By The End Of The Year?

I wrote an entire blog post about this! I should probably stop procrastinating The Ambassador Of Nowhere Texas by Kimberly Willis Holt. It's the sequel to one of my favorite childhood books. Sequels make me nervous because what if I hate them? Will they change my feelings about the book I loved as a kid? I'll never know if I keep procrastinating.

Do you want to answer these questions on your blog? Go for it!