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Hello, mi gente! I am back. I’m sorry I’ve been MIA but the semester was kicking my ass and I couldn’t risk falling behind because it was my last semester—not including the month-long summer semester which was probably the hardest semester ever—before I graduated. But I am free from university (not counting the online classes I’ll be taking to get certified as medical interpreter) and at the moment jobless so hopefully, I’ll be able to go back to posting regularly. Who am I kidding? I never posted regularly but I am going to try. Today I’m doing a very late Mid Year Freak Out Tag. I love this tag and I believed I’ve never done it before and I am so ready.

The original tag was created by Chami from Read Like Wildfire and Ely from Earl Grey Books. The links are to Chami’s channel since the original video is unavailable and Ely’s original video

I’m going to start by saying my goal was to read 29 books and I’ve surpassed by reading 52. This means it will be very hard to choose just one answer so most of them will have multiple answers.

Question #1: Best book you’ve read so far in 2019

Such a strong start to this tag. This is one of the questions that I just can’t choose one so I choose five. Fight me!

Heroine by Mindy McGinnis

I must say that as intrigued as I was by this book I was also nervous which why I opted for the audiobook because it was on Scribd. I was nervous because I hated The Female of the Species—an unpopular opinion, I know. But my God was this book addicting, I couldn’t stop listening to it. The story was amazing and so was the audiobook. I definitely recommend going the audiobook route. It made the book even better, it made it feel more real like this was an actual person telling you their story. It’s definitely one of my favorite audiobooks of the year. This is the story of a high school athlete who gets injured on a car accident and start taking pain medication for it. This is her story as she becomes addicted to them until, like the title says, she gets addicted to heroin. This was so heart hitting and I loved it. It’s weird saying I loved such a sad book but I did. I don’t know what that says about me but yeah.

I must say this book is extremely graphic so if you’re struggling with an addiction or are a recovered addict PLEASE stay away from this book.

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Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Mi gente, this book was also so addicting. I couldn’t stop reading it until it got to a point that I didn’t want to read it anymore and ignored it for like a week because I didn’t want it to end. It’s a problem, I know. What can I say about this book? If you’re a lover of science you will love it. If you’re not or like me you only have very basic knowledge of it, you might get confused at times. This didn’t stop me from loving it though. This sci-fi thriller is about a genius scientist who wakes up one day to find out that his wife was never his wife, that he didn’t have a son, and that it seems like the life he knows never existed. We follow him as he tries to figure out what happens and tries to go back to the life he knows and loves. I truly, truly, truly recommend.

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My Brother’s Husband Vol. 1 by Gengoroh Tagame, translated by Anne Ishii

This is the cutest most heartwarming book ever. Like all the books on this list, I completely adored it. This is a manga about a man whose brother came out as gay and then moved out to Canada where he married a man and lost touch with his twin brother. Then he dies and his husband travels to Japan to get to know his family and their culture. This book is about this man struggling to accept that his brother was gay and that he married a man. The cutest part of this story was not him but his daughter that accepts her uncle right away and creates a precious bond with him. She was so proud of him that it made my heart happy. As you probably know Japanese culture isn’t exactly the most accepting of queer people, so this is book gives a message of hope to those that feel oppressed. A message that one day things will change. I can’t wait to read vol. 2, it’s definitely on my TBR. Please read it.

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Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan

This is a very polarizing book. I’m going to start by saying that. You either love it or hate. Well, I fell on the love it side. I’m not a fantasy lover but I fell head over heels for this book. I know some say they expected it to be darker and that they didn’t connect with the characters but it was dark enough for me and I did connect to the characters which is why I adored it and why I was destroyed by the end of the book. It took me a long time to get over it.

This is a fantasy world where two kingdoms are at war because one side, the very religious one that worships the gods, consider the other side heretics because of their use blood magic and the other side just wants magic and control of their enemies’ lands. In it, we have a girl who can speak to the gods, a prince that is very powerful and just wants to catch her and win the war, and someone who’s secretly a villain. I must say that I don’t recommend that you read the synopsis as it spoils it.

This book got very confusing at times. I thought it was me but after hearing other people talk about it, I realized it was the book. This made it hard to get into it a time but by the end of it, I was completely in love.

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Birthday by Meredith Russo

This is “a love story eighteen years in the making.” This is definitely the best way to describe to book. But to convince you I want to give you more details. This is an own voices story about a trans girl and her trying to come to terms with it while her best friend, that she’s into and who she has been her best friends since the moment they were born, struggles with his attraction towards her as he is straight but knows her as a boy. This book is told through their birthdays from the moment they turned thirteen to the moment they turned eighteen.

Mi gente, this was so heart-hitting. I just wanted Meredith Russo to give my girl Morgan a break but she wouldn’t. She would just hit her with one thing after the other with only sparks of happiness. But life as a trans person isn’t easy especially for those living in very conservative towns and I’m sure that she speaks from her experience.

I got to say that this, like her other book If I Was Your Girl, became one of my all-time favorite books. Actually, most of the books on this list did. This book is important. Please read it!

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You by Caroline Kepnes

This is a story about a man who meets this woman and becomes obsessed with her to the point that he starts stalking her. This book tells the story of everything he does to be able to get her to be with him. One of the thing that makes this book both interesting and creepy is that he narrates the story as if you were her. So, all the time he’s like you did this, you looked this way, I watched you, I followed you*, etc. The weirdest part is that the “love interest,” if you can call it that, is so unlikeable that you kind of root for him.

I am obsessed with this book, pun not intended, it was so crazy and honestly, scary. It made me realize how public my life is thanks to social media and how it just needs a little research to find out everything about me. If you need the motivation to make your life more private on social media and to be a little more careful about what you do in real life, I recommend this book. It definitely worked for me.

Theme song for this book: Sucker by Jonas Brothers. Yup, I just totally ruined the song for you. You welcomed.

*Fun fact I’ve heard the audiobook makes it even creepier.

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Question #2: Best sequel you’ve read so far.

Lady Killer Vol. 2 by Joëlle Jones

So, I’m not a fan of series, therefore, I rarely read sequels to the point that this year I’ve only read graphic novels sequels. From those, it’s hard to choose one ‘cause I can’t tell them apart. So, I think I’m going with Lady Killer Vol. 2 by Joëlle Jones. What can I say? I adore this series and it breaks my heart that there’s no news for a third volume. This series is about a homemaker in the 60s whose also a paid assassin. It is as good as it sounds but it ended on a cliffhanger which both makes me mad and tore me apart. I truly recommend this series. Plus, LOOK AT THE ART! Swoon.

Add Vol. 1 on Goodreads

Question #3: New release you haven’t read yet but want to.

Choosing an answer to this is both hard and easy. I usually get to new releases way after they’re published but there are some that I want to get to before the end of the year and those are:

Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian

This story is about Reza an Iranian boy who’s gays in the 80s during the aids epidemic. This deals with him being terrified of someone finding out since the only things he’s seen in the media is about gay men dying from aids. Then we have Judy who’s an aspiring fashion designer who worships her uncle who’s a gay man living with aids. She never imagined romance until she falls for Reza and they start dating. Then we have Art who’s Judy’s best friend and the only out and proud gay teen at their school. As Reza and Art get closer, Reza is looking for a way to stop the deception without breaking Judy’s heart. Or at least that’s I believe it’s about. I skipped a lot of details so this post won’t be a thousand pages long.

I mean, doesn’t this sound amazing? Not only does it sound great but it also has a gay main character who’s also a person of color. AAAHH! I can’t wait to read it. If you’ve read it please let me know your thoughts.

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Kings, Queens, and In-Between by Tanya Boteju

This book is about Nima Kumara-Clark who’s in love with her straight best friend and trying to move on from her mother’s unexpected departure. She then discovers the world of drag and gets immersed in it.

Drag queens, kings, in between AND a lesbian main character? Sign me the F in! I’ve always wanted to venture into this world and may even try drag so I’m excited. The fact that one of my good friends used to do drag makes me even more excited. I want to see a little into his world. If’ you have read it let me know your thoughts.

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The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan

This is the story of Rukhsana Aline who’s secretly gay and trying her hardest to live up to her conservative Muslim parents’ expectations. One day her parents catch her kissing her girlfriend. They then send her off to Bangladesh “where is thrown headfirst into a world of arranged marriages and tradition.” But only through reading her grandmother’s old diary she is able to gain perspective.

I know the reviews haven’t been the greatest but I’m still very excited. I feel like most queer books feature white main characters so I’m always on the search for queer books with intersectional main characters. But I’m not excited just because of that but because the premise has me intrigued. If you have read it let me know what you think.

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Don’t these just sound amazing? I just can’t wait to get to them.

Question #4: Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.

I don’t know many new releases but these are ones that I can’t wait for.

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

I am so hyped for this book. This is either a sequel or a spinoff of The Handmaid’s Tale, the synopsis has me a bit confused about which of these categories this fit. I must admit that The Handmaid’s Tale isn’t the most entertaining book ever but it was so interesting and I am just so ready to know more about this world.

Add The Handmaid’s Tale on Goodreads

Starsight by Brandon Sanderson

This is the sequel of Skyward which is why I can’t give details of what it’s about. Just know that I liked Skyward enough to get me to continue with the series and that never happens. This is why I prefer standalone novels because usually even if I like the first book, I normally can’t commit to the rest of the series. But this series is the exception and I can’t wait to continue it.

Ps that cover has me dead. Definitely one of the prettiest cover I’ve seen this year.

Add Skyward on Goodreads

Gideon The Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

This is about a lesbian necromancer in space. That’s all I have to know. Count me the hell in. But seriously this just sounds so amazing and different to what I normally read—if you don’t count Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh. And apparently, I’m really into stories about women necromancers (saying female excludes people from the trans spectrum that identifies as women) who likes other women. And I know I’m not the only excited. This seems to be on many people’s most anticipated releases TBR.

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Question #5: Biggest disappointment

Five Midnights by Ann Dávila Cardinal

Sadly this was the easiest answer. My biggest disappointment was Five Midnights by Ann Dávila Cardinal. I was so hyped. I mean, it’s a story written by a Puerto Rican author with Puerto Rican main characters set in Puerto Rico about el cuco. It’s a freaking horror-thriller!!! This was supposed to be good and Puerto Rican af but the representation was way off. The author was not born and raised in Puerto Rico, at least that’s what I think, and you could totally tell. It definitely felt like it was written by an outsider in the sense that the image it had of Puerto Rico and its people and culture is one from someone who isn’t from here—expect a post with more details—still, I can see why some people might like it.

*I’m not saying that you’re not a real Puerto Rican if you aren’t born and raise in Puerto Rico but it’s just the image we each have is usually not the same. Please don’t feel offended.

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Question #6: Favourite new author (debut or new to you)

This was so easy to answer. Ashley Herring Blake is officially an auto-buy author for me. I’ve read three of her books this year and I have adored every single one of them. I’m not a fan of middle grades but hers are so amazing. The fact that she writes queer books, even her middle grades, just makes me love her even more. If you haven’t read a book by her, you must.

Question #7: Biggest surprise

The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James by Ashley Herring Blake

To answer this question we have to go back to Ashley Herring Blake. I was expecting to like The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James but I didn’t like it, I adored it. It is a book I will forever recommend. Even if you don’t like middle grades you need to give it a chance. This is about a girl who gets a heart transplant and decides she wants to truly live her life and she has a plan. On that plan there are two important things 1) make a new best friend. 2) kiss a boy 3) do awesome things. She then meets a Puerto Rican blue-haired girl (!!!!) and they instantly became best friends. But what happens when she realizes that she might also want to kiss a girl the same way she wants to kiss a boy. This book also deals with her mother coming back after giving her away and how she deals with it. Please, please, please read this book.

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Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan

But that’s not the only surprise Wicked Saints, the book which I gushed about in question #1, was a total surprise. I was intrigued by the synopsis but what truly called me was the cover—call me shallow, I don’t care—but since it was a fantasy I wasn’t sure if I was going to truly love it but I did. I am so freaking glad I gave it a chance because I am obsessed. You can see me gushing about it on my highlight on Instagram.

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Question #8: Newest fictional crush

I never get fictional crushes so next question.

Question #9: Newest favorite character

This one is easy. My newest favorite character is the girl, whose name I can’t remember, from My Brother’s Husband. She was just so accepting and adorable that I couldn’t handle it. Oh, and also Quinn from The Might Heart of Sunny St. James and not just because she’s Puerto Rican. She’s just so smart, adorable, and a great friend.

Question #10: Book that made you cry

So I rarely cry with books but this year two books have made me cry and of course, they were Ashley Herring Blake’s books. To be more specific both of her middle grade. The first one was Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World which is about a girl who loses her house to a tornado and then loses her notebooks where she had drawn pictures of girls holding hands. Then someone starts putting her drawing on her lockers while asking her to please open up and talk to someone about it. The scene between her sister and her just destroyed me. I’ve realized that I get really emotional when I read those kinds of scene as I am very close with my older sister. The other is The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James which I have already explained what it’s about. Now this one affected me even more. I was crying nonstop during the last sixty pages and that NEVER happens. I just adore that book.

Add Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World on Goodreads

Add The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James on Goodreads

Question #11: Book that made you happy

I have a couple of books that fit this and those are:

My Brother’s Husband which I have already gushed enough for you to get the picture.

The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James which you’re probably tired of me talking about it.

Aurora Rising which is about the star student on a space pilot academy that after missing the choosing ceremony gets stuck with the misfits, the one no one wanted. But the reason he missed it was because he rescued a girl that has been in cryo sleep for two centuries and who might be a catalyst for a war millions of year in the making. This sci-fi book is so hilarious that it was constantly making me laugh out loud in public which probably made people think I’m crazy. In here we have a disabled character who might also be bisexual and that’s always a plus.

Question #12: Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)

This goes for both Wicked Saints and Aurora Rising. I mean, look at those covers!

Question #13: What books do you need to read by the end of the year

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Pretty much every single book on my TBR. But to actually answer the question with a book I’m going with The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I own both the book and the audiobook ever since the movie came out. I loved the movie and usually, the books are better than the movies so I don’t know why it’s taking me forever to get to it. This is historical fiction set in World War II about this girl that stars stealing books and how the family she’s staying in is hiding a Jew in their basement.

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If you’re still here, THANK YOU! So that’s my very late Mid Year Freak Out Tag. I hope you enjoyed it and that I have convinced you to give some of these books a chance. Thank you for reading and

HAPPY READINGS!

A VERY late Mid Year Freak Out Tag Hello, mi gente! I am back. I’m sorry I’ve been MIA but the semester was kicking my ass and I couldn’t risk falling behind because it was my last semester—not including the month-long summer semester which was probably the hardest semester ever—before I graduated.

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