At the end of the year last year, I did a post for this for the entire year, but given that I have a lot of books preordered this year, I thought it’d be fun to check out the first half of the year before we get to the second half, which is going live in a couple weeks. When I checked in on this a few months ago, I was not in a good place, so I’m really curious to see where I’m at now!

Look, I am just as shocked as you are that I haven’t read The Weeping Tide by Amanda Foody yet. She’s one of my favorite authors, Wilderlore is one of my favorite middle grade series, and this was definitely one of my more anticipated books this year, but alas, it still remains unread on my shelf. I did have a plan of reading it last month, but I picked up another book on this list instead, so I guess that’s a win? I’m hoping to read this very soon, though.

I read I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys almost immediately after release. Sepetys has become an auto-buy author for me, and I adore her books so much. I was so hyped for this, and I’d been craving some historical fiction big time, especially with her short chapters, so this was everything that I wanted it to be.

I also haven’t read Base Notes by Lara Elena Donnelly! I know why on this one, though. I have not been in the mood for this kind of story at all this year, which is really bumming me out because it’s the kind of story I’m writing, so you’d think I’d want the same, but nah, I’ve been looking for lowkey and fun. I can feel myself inching back toward these types of stories, though, so hopefully soon!

Gallant by VE Schwab was one of the few books that I took with me to Portugal, and it was such a good read for traveling. I don’t think I ended up starting it until the end of my trip, and I zipped right through it once I started, but I was so glad to have it. It was also definitely one of my more favorite Schwab books, and it’s made me even more excited for whatever comes next.

Not only did I read Locke & Key: The Golden Age by Joe Hill Gabriel Rodríguez, but I watched the new season, so I am ahead of the game in several different ways. I said this in my review, but I didn’t realize the first two stories in this were ones I’d already read in other volumes, so this was the fastest read of my life. It was nowhere near my favorite of the universe, but still pretty good!

I also read Lakelore by Anna-Marie McLemore pretty immediately after its release, what can I say, I always know that McLemore is going to deliver on a five star read, and I was not wrong. This was beautiful and heartbreaking, and I’m so sad that I read it right away because now we’ve got to wait eons for the next book, and you know what, maybe I should do a McLemore marathon reread.

I just read Hunters of the Lost City by Kali Wallace! Literally only a couple weeks ago. It was the last book of May for me, and it was such a good one. Wallace perfectly tied it up at the end, but I would give anything to see more of this universe. Truthfully, I want a young adult CW show for it, but that’s a whole other ask, and I’ll just settle for adoring what we do have.

As of drafting this post, it’s June 3rd @ 11:35AM, and I haven’t yet read I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston, but that will change in about an hour. I was saving it for Pride because that’s my favorite way to celebrate, and it was the second book on my list, which should have meant it was going to wait a few more days, but I binge read the first book so damn fast, and now it’s up! I’m hella excited, so by the time this goes live, this will also be read.

Another win, not only have I read Bravely by Maggie Stiefvater, but I also finally read Mister Impossible, and I think that’s all we need to say about that. This was, admittedly, not as good as I wanted it to be, and I think that was a Disney thing, not a Maggie thing, but still really enjoyed it!

The Feeling of Falling in Love by Mason Deaver was pushed back to August for publication, so I haven’t yet read it, and I’m really bummed out it’s no longer releasing in time for Pride. I’ll definitely be reading this as soon as it releases, though, because it will break my heart, and I am so ready for that.

Out of 9, I’ve read 7, so I’m feeling pretty good about that! The two leftover will likely happen in the next month or two, as well, so we’re in a much better place than I thought we were going to be.