So I’ve been seeing this tag everywhere recently, including over at Snazzy Books and Books, Movies, Reviews, Oh My! and I thought it would be fun to do too as I normally post a “best of the year so far” post about now.  This seems a nice replacement.  Here are my answers…

1) The best book you’ve read so far in 2017?

I have to pick a really recent read, Forgotten by Nicole Trope, which just blew me away.

2) Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2017?

Sequels to me suggest trilogies etc., which I don’t really read so I’m going to pick the second book in a series, which I took way too long to get to and I ended up loving – Evil Games by Angela Marsons.

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

I’m not sure how recent new is but for me, The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel, which came out in March is a book I bought straight away but have yet to read.  It is slowly working it’s way up the list though.

4) Most anticipated release for second half of 2017?

One of my favourite authors, I can’t wait to read The Stolen Marriage by Diane Chamberlain – though as I have a review copy I won’t have to wait till it’s release date of 3rd October to read (yay!)

5) Biggest disappointment?

I hate to type this but it has to be Her Every Fear by Peter Swanson, which I had such high hopes for and which just didn’t hit the mark for me.  Sorry!

6) Biggest surprise?

A surprise because it had been on the kindle for so long I thought I might never read it – then the guilt took over, I picked it up and it was really, really, good – The Dead Room by Chris Mooney.

7) Favourite new author?

This may be a bit premature but as I loved her debut (Perfect Remains) I’m going to pick Helen Fields – we’ll see if her new novel cements the love.

8) Newest fictional crush?

This is a hard one…I really can’t think of anyone I have a crush on – can I cheat a bit and chose a character I got re-introduced to this year? Driver from Driven by James Sallis, who I just love.

9) Newest favourite character?

I think it’s probably Thora Gudmundsdottir (say that three times fast) who I met in my first read of 2017 The Silence of the Sea by Yrsa Sigurdardottir.   I loved her dogged determination to get to the truth and the fact that she was a lawyer not a detective so a nice change.

10) A book that made you cry?

So I’m not a crier but there were a couple of books that just about broke my heart.  Most painful to read was probably The Radium Girls by Kate Moore, which told the tragic story of young women working in dial factories in New York at the turn of the century and how badly they were betrayed.

11) A book that made you happy?

Another hard one as I read so many books that involve murder and mayhem.  Whilst I love them, happy might not be the best way to describe them.  So I’ve picked a book that had a soundtrack (thanks to Spotify) and kept me tapping my feet all the way through – Roots, Radicals, and Rockers: How Skiffle Changed the World by Billy Bragg.

12) Your favourite book to movie adaptation that you’ve seen this year?

I have a fear of books turning into movies and rarely watch them.  This year, there was only one and rather than love it, I hated it.  The only thing I could say is it was beautiful to look at – Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs.

13) Favourite book post you’ve published this year?

This year, I’ve been trying to write more non-review posts.  It’s been a bit hit and miss if I’m honest but I’m getting there.  One of the ones I like best was Blogging rules (a.k.a. myths) I’m not very good at following.

14) The most beautiful book you have bought/received this year?

My favourite cover was actually an ebook but I loved it so much I went out an bought the book for my shelves.  I am not sure what it was about this one that hit me just so but I do think it’s striking – Human Acts by Han Kang.

15) What are some books that you need to read by the end of the year (covers link to goodreads)?

There are so many but these are the three I am either most determined to read in the next few months….

    

And that’s it.  I have to say I quite enjoyed that.  I am not tagging anyone in particular as I think most people may well have done this but if you haven’t then please join in – and if you have, let me know in the comments below so I can catch up on your books of the (mid) year.

Emma x