Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag 2026 📚 Best Books, Biggest Disappointments & More
It’s somehow already halfway through 2026, which means it’s time for one of BookTube’s longest-running traditions: the Mid-Year Book Freakout Tag! Today I’m answering 14 (okay… 15 😅) questions about my reading year so far, including my favourite book, biggest disappointment, biggest surprise, favourite new author, the books that made me cry (and the ones that made me happy), plus the upcoming releases I’m most excited to read before the end of the year. This is actually the first time I've done this tag, and I’d love to know your answers, too! Let me know in the comments ❤️ Earl Grey Books (the original creator of the tag): • Mid Year Book Freakout: 2016 (ORIGINAL CRE... 🕰️ CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 2:12 Best Book 4:34 Best Sequel 6:46 2026 Release You Want To Read 10:20 Most Anticipated 2026 Release 13:54 Biggest Disappointment 17:29 Biggest Surprise 21:24 Favourite New Author 25:46 New Fictional Crush 26:49 New Favourite Character 27:55 Book That Made You Cry 30:25 Book That Made You Happy 32:11 Most Beautiful Book 34:36 Coolest Cover 35:37 TBR 36:23 Favourite Creators 🏷️ TAG QUESTIONS 1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2026 2. Best sequel you've read so far in 2026 3. New release you haven't read yet, but want to 4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year 5. Biggest disappointment 6. Biggest surprise 7. Favourite new author (debut or new to you) 8. New fictional crush 9. New favourite character 10. Book that made you cry 11. Book that made you happy 12. Most beautiful book you've bought or received so far this year 12.5 Coolest cover of a book you read this year 13. What books do you need to read by the end of the year? 14. Favourite Book Community Member 📚 BOOKS MENTIONED (in alphabetical order by title) Books with an emoji have a longer review/reading vlog linked at the end of the list! Agnes Lives by Halli Elizabeth Newton 7️⃣ Bad Cree by Jessica Johns Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree 7️⃣ Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio Dead Beat by Leigh Bardugo ⚔️ The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow 🌍 Ève de ses décombres by Ananda Devi 🌈 The Girl with a Thousand Faces by Sunyi Dean Hemlock by Melissa Faliveno 🧡 The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker 7️⃣ Kallocain by Karin Boye 🌈 Kill the Beast by Serra Swift Kin by Tayari Jones 🏆 The Names by Florence Knapp 📘 The Night Eaters, Vol. 1: She Eats the Night by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda 📍 Notes of a Crocodile by Qiu Miaojin 🌍 Palace of the Peacock by Wilson Harris 📗 The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett Piranesi by Susanna Clarke 🐇 The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden 📘 Severance by Ling Ma 🌈 Spoiled Milk by Avery Curran 🏆 Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins 7️⃣ We Lived on the Horizon by Erika Swyler 🌈 Whoever You Are, Honey by Olivia Gatwood 🧡 Wizard of the Crow by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o 7️⃣ • Can I Read 7 Books in 7 Days?! 📚 Read It o... ⚔️ • Did I finally find Romantasy I love?? 😭 Th... 🌍 • Reading Around the World: 3 Books & 2 New ... 🌈 • These Books Deserve More Love!! 📚 Pride Re... 🏆 • We need to talk about the 2025 Goodreads C... 📘 • Finally a DNF?? 🙌 Read It or Unhaul It Rea... 📍 • Can I Read a Book from Every Country in th... 📗 • Finally reading two of the most intimidati... 🐇 • Reading the award-winning debut EVERYONE i... 🧡 Patreon Read (book club or buddy read) 🎥 (JUST A FEW) AWESOME BOOKISH CREATORS ❤️ @bookbinch @BooksandLala @BookswithEmilyFox @CriminOllyBlog @ebnovels @GavinReadsItAll @JessOwens @ReadswithRachel @scottieshereereads @SupposedlyFun @thisstoryaintover 💛 Join the PBB Patrons Squad on Patreon! / plantbasedbride 📸 Hang out with me on Instagram: / elizabethturn ❗️Book Cards Database: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/... SOCIAL LINKS 📸 instagram: / elizabethturn 📌 pinterest: / elizabethgturn 📖 goodreads: / plantbasedbride 🐦 twitter: / elizabethturn 🎵 tiktok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZSQoWq9f/ BUSINESS INQUIRIES 💌 [email protected] FAQs What does your channel name mean? I picked "Plant Based Bride" for my blog when I started it back in 2015 as I was starting the process of planning my vegan wedding and wanted to document it. I have been vegan for 13+ years and married since 2016! The name stuck and here we are 😂 What's your real name? Elizabeth Where are you from? I'm a Canadian from Toronto, Ontario, now living in the Canadian Prairies. Are you a natural redhead? No, I'm naturally a brunette. I dye my hair using Herbatint 8R. Are your nails natural? Nope, they're press ons and I do them myself (see how in this tik tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@plantbasedbri... ) #midyearbookfreakouttag #booktube #bookrecommendations
