lou's library

We’re halfway through the year, and you know what that means: it’s time for the Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag! Get yourself a cup of tea, because this is a long one, and let’s get started!

Best Book You’ve Read So Far This Year

So, we have a bit of a problem here. The only books I’ve given five stars to so far have been re-reads, which do not count. I sincerely hope that I will come across some new five star material soon, but for now, my favourite book of the year is One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig. A dear friend recommended this fantasy novel to me, and it did not disappoint. I was hooked from start to finish, and am now waiting to get my hands on the second (and final! how rare is that for a fantasy series?) part.

Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far This Year

This one is easy. I simply adored Windstärke 17 by Caroline Wahl, a German author whose books have not been translated into English yet (at least I couldn’t find any English versions anywhere). Windstärke 17 is the follow up to 22 Bahnen and is set on the German island Rügen. It’s a coming-of-age story about sisterhood, trust, the past, and what it means to be there for one another. It’s devastating and beautiful and it left me wanting more.

A New Release You Haven’t Read But Want To

Wanna hear something tragic? Maggie O’Farrell, one of my favourite authors of all time, has a new book out. It’s called Land, it sounds amazing, I love the cover, and yet I cannot buy a copy of it because all my other Maggie O’Farrell books are in paperback and Land is currently only out in hardback. You best believe I will try to get my hands on a library copy in the meantime, but until then, Land is the new release I am dying to read the most.

Your Most Anticipated Book For The Rest of 2026

I am a simple girl, which of course means I cannot wait to read John Green’s first new novel in far too long. It is called Hollywood, Ending and is being published in September. I only know very vaguely what it’s about (the film industry?) but it hardly matters because I am so excited about the prospect of a new novel by this man that I would happily read anything he chooses to share with us.

Biggest Disappointment So Far

I feel bad even typing this and calling it a disappointment is a bit of a stretch, but I did not love The Fraud by Zadie Smith. And that was a bit of a shock to me because I adore her writing, and I thought the premise sounded intriguing. I’m struggling to put my finger on why this book did not work for me, and I can see how other people might love it. But I did not and I am still sad about that.

Biggest Surprise So Far

While I thought I would love The Fraud, I was much less sure about a certain niche book called Fourth Wing. Heard of it? Yeah, my hopes weren’t too high as I’m not big into dragons and the hype was simply too intense to live up to it. But then I ended up really enjoying it. I love when that happens. If you want more details, I wrote an entire blog post about the experience that you can read here.

New Favourite Author

Ian McEwan isn’t exactly a new author for me, I have been reading his books for years. But even though I have absolutely loved the majority of them, it took reading Nutshell by him for me to understand that Ian McEwan is absolutely one of my favourite authors. I keep forgetting how much I love his writing, and I ought to remember because reading his books always slightly blows my mind for one reason or another. I therefore apologise to Ian McEwan, thank him for his services, and officially inaugurate him into the prestigious club of my very favourite authors!

New Favourite Character

Last year, this award went to Mark Watney, the protagonist of The Martian by Andy Weir. This year, the same author takes the crown again, because Rocky from Project Hail Mary is too perfect to be ignored. Yes, he’s an alien, yes, he looks like a spider-rock, yes, he’s confused by the concept of a fist-bump and finds the act of eating downright unpleasant. And yes, we love him in this household!

New Favourite Ship

Lucy and Susannah from Chloe Michelle Howarth’s Sunburn stole my heart and ran off with it into the sunset. They’re both deeply flawed teenagers in 1980/90’s Ireland, but their love is so raw and tender and perfect, and the world just isn’t ready for them. A lot of their decisions made me want to tear my hair out, but that’s what made them so wonderfully human and I was rooting for them all throughout the book. I LOVE THOSE GIRLS. Second place goes to Rocky and Grace from Project Hail Mary, of course. In a strictly platonic way, it goes without saying.

A Book That Made You Cry

Full disclosure: not a single book this year has made me cry (but hey, there’s still time!), but if we’re going for the one that touched me the most emotionally, it’s definitely Leonard and Hungry Paul by Rónán Hession. It’s the simple story of the friendship between the two titular characters and I won’t tell you any more than that, because it’s best to just go into it with an open mind and no clue what to expect. These two touched my heart, I’ve been thinking about them a lot ever since I finished the book and if you want a good cry, then Leonard and Hungry Paul is the book for you!

A Book That Made You Happy

I don’t read a lot of happy books (it sounds a little worrying when I put it like that but I swear I’m fine), but T J Klune’s books always make me happy, despite often dealing with difficult topics. When I read Somewhere Beyond The Sea, I was so happy to revisit the characters from The House In The Cerulean Sea that, even though this sequel was not perfect, it put me in a great mood. Those characters are very important to me and I want no harm done to them ever.

Most Beautiful Book You Have Bought This Year

There’s something about the cover of The Wedding People by Alison Espach that drew me in immediately. I guess it’s the deep blue, and the illustration in itself. It’s nothing jaw-dropping, but it meant I instantly wanted to own and read the book. I haven’t read it yet, so I can’t say how well the cover matches the content, but I have a good feeling about this one.

Books You Want To Read By The End Of The Year

Ugh, where to start? I just watched Enola Holmes 3, which made me realise I still haven’t read the Sherlock Holmes novels, so those are high on the list. Other than that, I still haven’t made progress with the George Orwell Essays I mentioned in last year’s version of this post, so that’s a shame. And my Dad got me a stunning edition of Zauberberg by Thomas Mann for Christmas that is intimidating the life out of me, but I am a strong independent woman so shall conquer that book as soon as possible! (Watch me read absolutely none of the above.)

Alright folks, that’s it for this post! I hope you’ve had a good reading year so far and that many new favourite books are on the horizon for you. Happy reading! ❤