Mid-Year Freakout Tag

I've never done this tag before, but I've read so many posts on the midyear freakout that I decided to do one myself!
July has been a horrible reading month for me. I've been busy every day, and reading has really fallen on the back burner. I'm hoping to dive back into reading more when July is finally over and I have more time again.
I did take a trip to the library yesterday (you can find my haul on my Instagram) which has reignited my reading spark. I've already made it 150 pages into a new book.
Anyway, over the course of the last month, I have read 63 books in total which will be on pace if I'm able to get back to my regular reading routine. On top of the 63 books, I've had seven DNFs. I'm hoping to make it to 130 books in total for the year, but we'll see.

Here's the tag:

1. Best Book of 2019
I'm going to have to amend this and make it best books because there have been so many stunning titles this year. So that this post doesn't go on for a million years, I'll try to keep my reasons brief and link the reviews for if you want to learn more (click the titles):

The Best Lies by Sarah Lyu- This book is simply mind-blowing. If you love twisty thrillers that won't make you sleep with the lights on but leave you thinking, this is the perfect book for you.

The Art of Breaking Things by Laura Sibson- This book is heartbreaking, beautiful, and perfectly hopeful in a not at all cheesy way. It's a must read. Also, I wanted to include this book down in the books that made me happy section but decided against it because it's a very sad book, don't get me wrong, but the ending is so perfect, healing, and lovely that it honesty left meekest filled with so much hope and happiness.

You'd Be Mine by Erin Hahn- If you want a super cute romance with a weighted core that keeps it grounded, this is the story for you. The voice here is just undeniable.

All Our Broken Pieces by - I read a lot of books about mental illness and mental health. This is the best portrayal of OCD I have ever read, and the dual prospectives hit all the perfect notes. There's music, sweet siblings, and one of my all time favorite romances.

2. Most anticipated release for the second half of 2019
Michigan vs. The Boys by Carrie Allen is probably my most anticipated at the moment. It coms out October 1, but I just got an ARC for it, so once I catch up on blogging, I guess I won't have to anticipate it much longer.
I'm also really looking forward to Have a Little Faith in Me by Sonia Hartl. It looks like it's going to be tons of fun.

3. Biggest Disappointment
My biggest disappointment of this half of 2019 is the only book I gave less than a 3 this month which is Izzy + Tristan because I was really offended by how it threw away serious issues for what seemed billed as shocking plot twists.

4. Biggest Surprise
This honor will have to be shared between two of my favorite books this year that hadn't made it on my radar until I picked them up.
Wild and Crooked by Leah Thomas is a book that absolutely blew my mind with its fresh take on a story with a true crime feel. I'm so thankful to Vicky Who Reads for convincing me to read this!
Heroine by Mindy McGinnis is an intense book, but it is extremely powerful. It dives into how someone might become addicted to drugs in a humanizing and empathetic way.
This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers I had to pick one very backlist title that read this year that I fell in love with. A girl learns to grapple with her depression in the midst of the zombie apocalypse.

5. Favorite new author.
Erin Hahn has stolen my heart this year with her book, You'd Be Mine. Not only is her book not to be missed, she's one of the sweetest people. I loved getting to speak with her in our interview. I also cannot wait to read all of her new books. Sadly, I'll have to wait till 2020 to dive into her next music filled love story, More Than Maybe.

6. Newest fictional crush.
Kyler from All Our Broken Pieces is my new fictional crush. He has a secret, cool tree house, is a musician, and, most importantly, is so compassionate when Lennon is struggling. I love sweet characters.

7. Newest favorite character. 
It's so hard to pick a single new favorite character, but I think the honor has to go to Annie from You'd Be Mine for being both strong and sweet while being stuck in the spotlight 24/7.

8. Book that made me cry.
How To Make Friends with the Dark by Kathleen Glasgow is actually a book I read last fall when I got the ARC, but it came out this year, so I thought I could include it because it's the only book that made me cry! I don't cry for books often, but Tiger had me bawling on multiple occasions as she navigated her grief.

9. Book that made me happy. 
Going Off Script by Jen Wilde filled me with pure joy after reading it. Honestly, I just felt relief as I read it, and it really allowed me to escape to sunny LA.
In the same vein, Ship It also made me so happy. I love books that take place at conventions, and this one didn't disappoint as it pulled the curtain back on the TV world.

10. Most beautiful book I've bought.
There are so many beautiful books this year! I've been stunned by how many gorgeous books that have been coming off the presses. I think that it has to be a tie though. Both of these covers caught my eye from the moment I saw them in the catalogue. I knew they were going to be amazing books, and they've become some of my favorites.
The Best Lies has the prettiest cover. The pastel pink with the bright lollipop is both pretty and intriguing.
The Art of Breaking Things also has the perfect look. The lavender color is light with hints of the sadness hidden in the pages, and the illustration of the girl on the cover is stunning.

11. Most underrated.
While I'm never going to think that any of my favorites get enough recognition, I'm going to give it to Wild and Crooked. I haven't seen much buzz for the book, but it really is not to be missed!

12. Favorite Book to Film Adaption
I haven't gotten to see many adaptions this year because The Sun is Also A Star didn't play in my town. I did finally get around to seeing The Hate U Give, and it was amazing. I loved how it interpreted the book (and Angie's cameo).
I did also really enjoy Five Feet Apart, though it's a movie to book adaption (contrary to popular belief).

13. Favorite community members.
I'm so happy to have @VickyWhoReads as part off the book community! She's a teen blogger, super nice, incredibly supportive, and is always spot on with her recommendations!

14. Favorite post.
My favorite post I've done so far this year is a discussion I did about the YA community and inclusivity to teens. I called it Is YA For Me, which you can read here if you missed it.
I also did a post about how trigger warnings show empathy to others which was another post I loved. I think it's an important topic to discuss in the hopes of making changes to how we handle and view them in books (Click Here).

15. Favorite interviews. 
I've done so many different interviews that have made my heart sing with happiness at how they turned out. I owe an immense amount of gratitude to all the authors who agreed to give me a little bit of their time! I'm going to limit myself to only two which breaks my heart, so you can find them all here in my Into YA section. I strongly encourage you to check them out!
My interview with Erin Hahn made me so excited because I got a little more insight into a book I became a little obsessed with. Erin had amazing, truly thoughtful answers. Check it out here.
My second pick is one of my most recent interviews with Sarah Lyu! She had amazing answers that helped dissect her twisty, turning book.

I know it's super late, but I hope you enjoyed seeing me highlight some of my favorites of this half of the year! I love all of these books and authors so much, and I'm excited for another half a year of amazing books for 2019.