The Mid-Year Freakout Tag! | 2023 Edition! 

Allen and I have zero overlap in book taste 😂 I’m literally just here for his personality

"the Phillip of Edan" 🤣 Fire and Blood is so good. You'll hate it

As a history fan, I completely agree with Allen’s assessment of the Cicero trilogy. Probably the best thing I’ve read this year of the history genre.

“The Mid-Year Freak-Out-Stress-And-Anxiety Tag”. You make this tag sound so inviting, can’t wait to do it again. 💀

Great tag Allen. You had some great books! Here are my answers! 1. Favorite Book: Fool's Fate by Robin Hobb 2. Biggest Disappointment: Dreaming the Bull by Manda Scott 3. Biggest Fictional Crush: Mustang from Red Rising

I'm almost done with Guards! Guards! which is my first Terry Pratchett novel ever. It may be one of the very best books I have ever read. It's certainly in my top 2 books of 2023.

Shirt and chair match so well

Favorite: Project Hail Mary Biggest Disappointment: Gwendy’s Button Box Fiction Crush: Kaul Shae

New KJ Parker books?! 😱 Another thing to look forward to this fall! Also, editor-Allen is my new favorite Allen personality 😂

Always enjoy your videos 😊 My favourite this year so far is one of your recommendations, Guns of the Dawn. Next, I like the sound of LPQ and Justice of Kings.

For 2023 so far: Best book :Before they were Hanged Biggest Disappointment: Darkness of Sethanon Newest Fictional Crush: Logan Ninefingers!!

Fictional crush 😂 I’ve changed it in my tag to favourite male character and then changed favourite character to favourite female character. Fixed!

1. What's your favourite book so far in 2023? The Neptune Project by Polly Holyoke. I discovered it when participating in Middle-Grade March. Amazing. 2. What's your biggest disappointment? Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James. This book was too vulgar for my taste. I really wanted to love it, primarily for the cover. 3. Who is your newest fictional crush? Death, aka Suzie from Reincarnation Blues by Michael Poore.

The note cards have returned!!!!!!!!

Fire and Blood is such a great addition to that world. Gave all kinds of information I was always curious about when reading a Song of Ice and Fire

Newest fictional crush - Le honk 😂 Best book I’ve read this year - Lustrum or a Desolation called peace (if we ignore non fiction) Biggest disappointment- the inheritance games

My every time I try to explain why Robert Harris is my favourite author 😂😂. Rereading that trilogy was probably my favourite as well along with tyranny of faith Most disappointing the first Farseer trilogy, I hate Fitz with every fibre of my being, everyone else is doing cool stuff, but let's reduce that to small paragraphs and you're stuck in his pov constantly Favourite new release I haven't read is actually historical romance of all things, my rogue to ruin by Erika Ridley

I can't pick one favorite. Ruin of Kings, We Don't Need Roads: The Making of Back to the Future trilogy, The Physician, Anne of Green Gables, The Last Kingdom, The Way of Kings, Anna Karenina, and The Shadow of What was Lost are the first ones that come to mind.

That's a great list. My favorite of 2023 so far is Shogun with Imperium following closely behind. The biggest disappointment is Frugal Wizard by Brandon Sanderson. I don't know about fictional crush, but Jean Claude is definitely my favorite character this year.

My dad recommends Pompeii! 🔥 2023 Favourite: A Song for Arbonne by GGK / Gnomon by Nick Harkaway / Excession by Iain M. Banks (I cannot choose, I'm sorry!) Biggest Disappointment: Vurt by Jeff Noon Newest Fictional Crush: Norrigal from The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buelhman Boosh!

Now I need to read Cicero- great tag Allen. Favourite book of 2023 so far- The Dead Zone by Stephen King- Least Favourite- Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte Book Boyfriend- um.... not applicable.

Favorite read so far this year is The Forgetting Moon by Brian Lee Durfee. Loved the rest of the series as well. Most disappointing book was House Across the Lake by Riley Sager. Thrillers aren't as fun to read when you figure out the twist.

I was reminded how much I love clark kent this year so that’s my fictional crush answer 😂

I didn't have a fictional crush either. I just finished editing my video and it'll go up Friday. But spoiler...you and I had a very similar answer for New Release You Haven't Read But Want To. I said The Way of Edan, but I'm waiting for your audiobook!!! :)

Fave was Fool's Fate by Robin Hobb, disappointment was Albatross by Terry Fallis, and crush was Helena from Tyranny of Faith, because by gosh does she start kicking ass in that book!! 😍 Love her so much.

New KJ Parker?!? Woo Hoo!!!

The Cicero trilogy is so amazing! Pompeii is good, and Fatherland is interesting (it’s a ‘what if the Nazis won the war’ setting mystery). I’ve also read Enigma and Munich but I can’t recall a thing about them! Best book 2023 so far: Ship of Destiny Biggest disappointment: of Blood and Bone trilogy

Going to get to Imperium in July 🎉

I'm so glad you hosted that Cicero trilogy readalong as it's officially my favourite series of the year. I honestly loved every single book and can't pick just one as one would be incomplete without the other (though that last book did move me in a special way). I picked up Cicero's De Amicitia right after reading Dictator and found it truly thought-provoking and comforting (I would definitely reread it). I now have borrowed De Senectute and De Republica/De Legibus (two texts in one) from my library and can't wait to dive into them as well! I can't wait to read Craddock's Alchemy series when the time comes, but for now I've started The Riftwar saga and read chapter 1 of book 2 (The Servant of The Empire) and I'm already intrigued. It'll be my priority July read. That first book was phenomenal in my opinion. 👌 My most disappointing read was The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa. It was sold to me (on booksta) as a dystopian novel but it truly was magical realism with very surface level character work in my opinion (and world-building, of course). The title obviously caught my eye because of its parallel with 1984 by George Orwell (which I thought was great), but yeah, nope, not my cup of tea at all. At least it was very short. 😅 My fictional crush would be Cicero, and even more now that I've read De Amicitia. But now that I think about it he did exist (👀) so I have to say instead Mara from The Riftwar saga. She's a loveable and complex main female character and I'm just so excited to continue following her journey! 👏

Jean-Claude deserves alllll the love, he is honeslty just the best!! And I hope you enjoy the new KJ Parker books! My best book is The Necessity of Rain by Sarah Chorn. Biggest Disappointment is The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz And new fictional crush... help 🤣Let's just say everyone in the A Chorus of Dragons series by Jenn Lyons. Happy reading Allen 🤩

Loved Imperium too! Such a vivacious quality to his writing. Really glad you had that readalong to give me the excuse to finally pick it up. Carlos

my newest fictional crush is Michael Knipp and his channel

Favorite book: Swan Song by Robert McCammon Most disappointing book: Die Trying by Lee Child Newest fictional crush: Rachel Howarth from Speaks the Nightbird

“Shut up if people like other people’s books.” 😂 If The Labyrinth of Scions and Sorceries had Bowie 😍🤤. Kidding!

My favorite of 2023 is a sci-fi book, "A Case of Conscience" by James Blish. No big disappointment yet and defenetly no fictional crush. The book by Harris is "Fatherland", a triller about a murder investigation in Berlin, in an alternative universe where the Germany won the WW2. Is very good in my opinion, but I've red it many years ago.

Favorite this year : "Shogun" . Most dissapointing was "Dreadgod" (Cradle 11) i read only the start of it and dnfed immediatelly and the author is in the blacklist. Fictional crush : Mariko from Shogun

Favourite book of the year so far is Renia by Karl Forshaw! Dark fantasy with a mystery and very stellar prose!

Guy Gavriel Kay's Under Heaven is my favourite book of the year so far. And my favourite sequel is Tyrant's Throne. Tbh Greatcoats is the only Fantasy series I've finished this year 😅

Going by ratings, so far Tress of the Emerald Sea was my favorite book of the year. Biggest disappointment might be Ubik by PKD. I've seen people rave about it, but it was just ok. There are other books I did not like as much as this one, but I wasn't expecting to, either. Like many, I reject the "fictional crush" question.

Great video, Allen! My favorite book for the first half of the year was The Terror by Dan Simmons. I honestly think it's his best book - even better than Hyperion 😅.

I love getting pumped to read things on my shelf like the Cicero trilogy and Taipan and you’re really making me want to try out Curtis Craddock as well! Best book of 2023 so far: the Mad Ship/A Clash of Kings/Tiamat’s Wrath Biggest disappointment: the Tyranny of Faith (I loved Justice of Kings but this one lost me for some reason I can’t figure out)

My newest fictional crush is Genius Allen

Two years before the mast by Richard Henry Dana Jr is my favorite so far. Biggest disappointment would be the invisible man. And my current fictional crush is Maud Brewster from the Sea Wolf❤

Favourite Book So Far: The Girl and the Moon by Mark Lawrence. One of the best payoffs in any fantasy series I have read. Biggest Disappointment: Rubicon by J.S Dewes. I had literally the opposite problem with this. Its marketed as a standalone, however it ends like a first book in a series. I've never come so close to throwing a book across the room before. Fictional Crush: Not so much a crush, but a favourite character; Sigrud from City of Miracles by Robert Jackson Bennett. I just loved his entire story arc from the entire trilogy, especially in this final book where he becomes the main character.

I only read one by Robert Harris, and that was Act of Oblivion back in January. Really good, tho, I still think about it. I knew next to nothing about the execution of Charles I and the events that surrounded it, until I read it. Anyways, just started Butcher's Crossing yesterday, and I'm diggin so far. I've only heard of John Williams from you and Johanna, and now I can see why his books are loved. His writing is addictive

My friend sent me Pompeii for my birthday after listening to me talking about Robert Harris non-stop. My favourite book: The Dragon's Path (Imperium was a biggest surprise) Most disappointing: The Great Hunt Fictional crush: Sokol from A Deed of Dreadful Note

"fictional crush sigh, not this again" 🤣🤣🤣 i just filmed my video for this tag and i DEFEND THIS QUESTION!!!!! HAHAHA and my newest fictional is adolin from stormlight 😌 who is this mysterious jean claude i keep hearing about, i must find out that discworld book looks so cool 😱

Favorite book - Lonesome Dove Disappointment - Lone Women by Victor Lavelle Crush - I guess would be Kettricken from Robin Hobb's Farseer

😆 I baint seen a video as good as this

Favorite: Assassin’s Fate by Robin Hobb Disappointing: Bleed into Me by Stephen Graham Jones (because I finally DNF’d it, and he’s my favorite non-SFF author) Crush: Elric of Melniboné

I'm delighted to hear that you're looking forward to The Prophet of Edan, Allen! I promise that I am looking forward to your narration of The Edan Trilogy at least as much as, if not more than, you're looking forward to reading it. Also, I boldly predict that you'll like POE more than WOE!

Despite my loathing of Cicero, I’m going to have to check out this book.

My favorite so far this year was confess by rob halford My biggest disappointment might fire and blood by grrm(while I still liked it, it never really clicked with me) I don't think I have a fictional crush this year

My newest fictional crush?? How dare you I am a married man!!

hold my pint🤣🤣🤣...Yey for Tai-Pan!!!!!🥳... anyway..favorite book of 2023: The Dark Forest by Liu Cixin; biggest disappointment: Heather Morris😔 AND new fictional crush(read as fave character):...Pryce Rubenson from The Wolf by Leo Carew😎

1. Best book I have read so far in 2023: «The Veiled Throne» by Ken Liu (book #3 in the «Dandelion Dynasty»), followed by «The Winter King» by Bernard Cornwell, «The Farthest Shore» by Ursula K. Le Guin, «The Winter Road» by Adrian Selby and «The Way of Edan» by Philip Chase 2. Best sequel I have read so far in 2023: «The Veiled Throne» by Ken Liu, followed by «The Farthest Shore» by Ursula K. Le Guin, «The Winter Road» by Adrian Selby and «Excalibur» by Bernard Cornwell 3. New release I haven't read yet but want to: «The Children of Gods and Fighting Men» by Shauna Lawless, «Bold Ascension» by Vaughn Roycroft and «The Prophet of Edan» by Philip Chase. 4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year: «Return to Edan» by Philip Chase 5. Biggest disappointment: «Enemy of God» by Bernard Cornwell (here I am a being bit spoiled, but it was my least favorite in the Warlord Trilogy and definitly the most overhyped) 6. Favorite new author. (Debut or new to me): 1) Bernard Cornwell, 2) Philip Chase, 3) Alfred Duggan and 4) Sean Poage 7. Biggest surprise: The Main Duo of Agonni and Jarr in «When the Elves are Gone» by JB Allen (a 3 star read overall, but man!, do the trauma those two suffer from stil stick in my head!), how downright nasty Professor Chase can write in «The Way of Edan» (!) and «Gurzil» by «I, Anonymous» (a self-pub debut: Was way too short and my edition needed some spelling checks, but how he managed to mix Arthurian Myth with real history and Biblical stories: Outstanding!) 8. Book that made you happy: «The Veiled Throne», followed by «The Winter King», «The Way of Edan», «The Retreat from Avalon» and «In the Grip of the Minotaur» 9. Newest fictional crush: Teyr from «The Winter Road», Goztan and Fara (with special mention to Widow Wasu😆) from «The Veiled Throne» 10. Newest favorite character: Galahad from «The Warlord Chronicles», Kinri & Goztan (with special mentions to Fara, Widow Wasu and the one-scene «Best Supporting Actor» stealing cameo of my literary alter ego Cogu Yelu: Ma Man!) from «The Veiled Throne». And both Vuco Firna from «The Veiled Throne» and Felix from «The Little Emperors» by Alfred Duggan, deserve a shout out as ardent defenders of civilization! 11. Book that made me cry: «Speaking Bones by Ken Liu and «The Winter Road» by Adrian Selby 12. Most beautiful book I have bought so far this year (or received): «Flatøybok book I» (a late Birthday gift, a leather-bound special edition of the Norse Saga illustrated by the simply brilliant Anders Kvåle Rue, google his art, amazing!), «The Children of Gods and Fighting Men» by Shauna Lawless and «The Way of Edan» by Philip Chase 13. What books do I need to read by the end of the year? «Under Heaven» & «River of Stars» by GGK, «Bold Ascension» by Vaughn Roycroft and «The Prophet of Edan» & «Return to Edan» by Phiip Chase

I was looking back on everything I've read so far this year after watching someone else's mid-year tag. I have read very few books that really blew me away. I guess my favorite is the whole First Law trilogy. My biggest disappointment is probably the Cassandra Clare book I read. I read those to clear my head and not take everything so seriously, but the book was just annoying and too long. And I don't have a fictional crush, well, maybe James Holden from the Expanse. Lol

Favorite book of 2023: Guy Gavriel Kay, Lord of Emperors (really The Sarantine Mosaic as a whole) Biggest disappointment: I don't know. Maybe Seasons of Albadone? I enjoyed the book, but based on the cover I just had very different expectations than what I got, as the cover looks pretty cheerful so I was expecting a light hearted Disney type fairytale but the story is very original Grimm's fairytale, way darker than I expected. Newest fictional crush: I dunno. I just read Small Favor, and it was novel seeing Luccio as attractive, so maybe her?

Am looking forward to Prophet of Edan. However, a New Englander accent for Ahsdrahlahd-ers, Fahlahdria, has crept into my head. This might be worse than Scottish dwarves. On an unrelated note, was listening to a Biblical scholar who pronounced it Kikero as at some point the 'c' went soft?

Do DnD rulebooks count? Cause I started playing DnD and read all the books 😅