Category: book tag

Book Tag: Mid-Year Freak Out 2026
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Book Tag: Mid-Year Freak Out 2026

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Hello, reader!

It pains me to say this… but we’re already halfway through 2026 😦 Time is an illusion, I swear. Although the fact that there are only six more months of the year has me in a bit of an existential crisis, there is good news. That also means it’s the perfect time to do the Mid-Year Freak Out Book Tag! I believe this lovely tag was created by Read Like Wildfire over on BookTube, but please correct me if I’m wrong!

Now, let’s jump in, shall we?

Best Book You’ve Read in 2026

Though I started off the year with two five star reads, I really haven’t read a lot of hits this year. I’m currently sitting on only five 5 star reads! You’d think that would make it easy to choose my favorite from the bunch, but I have to admit I wavered a bit. In the end, though, I went with one of the first ones: The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones. I still think about this book fairly regularly even though I read it in January! It’s such a gripping, haunting story that is going to stick with me for awhile.

Best Sequel You’ve Read in 2026

This is much easier because I’ve only read one sequel in 2026 that was five stars! That distinction goes to The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin has to take the prize. Not only was it incredible, but it managed to beat the second-book curse! I’m so glad I finally picked it up because it was well worth the wait. Now I just need to make sure I don’t wait another obscenely long amount of time before reading the last book in this trilogy.

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Book Tag: 2026 Quarter Year Crisis
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Book Tag: 2026 Quarter Year Crisis

kerrimcbooknerd6 Comments

Hello, reader!

I’ve been feeling the urge to do a book tag. Thankfully, I’ve been seeing the 2026 Quarter Year Crisis tag popping up everywhere. I love reading everyone’s post, I’ve been wanting to do a tag as I mentioned, so this just feels right! This tag was created by Roisin’s Reading on BookTube, so go check them out, as well 😊

Now let’s get to the tag!

How many books have you read so far?

I’m currently sitting at 26 books read for 2026. Which means I’m well on my way to meeting my goal of 65 books read this year! According to Goodreads, I’m 8 books ahead of schedule 🥳

More importantly than how many books I’ve read, I’ve been enjoying the majority of the books I’ve read so far this year! I’m also exploring non-fiction a lot more and discovering that maybe I don’t hate it as much as I thought I did, haha. No one is more shocked that my fantasy-loving self. Here’s hoping this trend continues!

Have you found a book that you think might be a 2026 favorite?

I’ve only had two five stars so far in 2026, which makes me sad… But, of those two five stars, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones is definitely the frontrunner! I adored this horror novel. It’s quietly disturbing, which is my favorite kind of horror, and I love the format in which it’s presented. I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned this, but a book written in a journal or diary format is always going to pique my interest. This is freakin’ stunning novel.

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Book Tag: 2026 Reading Firsts
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Book Tag: 2026 Reading Firsts

kerrimcbooknerd10 Comments

Hello, reader!

I’m bringing you another book tag today. I saw this one pop up on @dinipandareads and it looked like a lot of fun! Also, Dini’s blog is not only aesthetically pleasing, but just a good time, so please go check it out. This tag was created by Tanya Patrice @Girlxoxo so go check them out, as well!

I’ve not done this tag before, but I do love a good recap! Let’s dive in.

First Book Read in 2026

My first read of 2026 was His & Hers by Alice Feeney. Though it wasn’t my most disliked Alice Feeney (looking at you, Beautiful Ugly…), I was not a fan of the twists at the end. I want to rant about them, actually, but I don’t want to spoil the book for others, haha. I will say, I was pulled into the story and at least I didn’t want to fight the characters constantly, so… it was okay as a first read of the year.

First Review of 2026

My first review of the year was for The Villa by Rachel Hawkins. This was a Netgalley e-ARC that I read forever ago and just… didn’t review 😅 So, in my pursuit to improve my Netgalley ratio and decrease my backlog, I started the year catching up on reviews I should have written forever ago! You can read my full review here.

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Book Tag: 2026 Bookish Predictions
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Book Tag: 2026 Bookish Predictions

kerrimcbooknerd9 Comments

Hello reader!

I’m deep in a Stardew Valley binge-playing moment, so I don’t have much of a reading update for this Wednesday. So, instead of my usual WWW Wednesday post, I thought I’d do the 2026 Bookish Predictions tag! I saw this tag over at Twirling Book Princess’ blog and it looked like a lot of fun. Let’s see if I tap into some latent clairvoyance😉 This tag was originally created by Book Princess Reviews, so make sure to go check them out, as well!

Alright, now let’s get to the questions.

Next Read

This is an easy prediction as I’m attempting the read the entire series this year: The Gate of the Feral Gods by Matt Dinniman! I’ve been enjoying this series so much! It’s just appeals to my kind of humor while still having a surprising amount of substance that I’m truly enjoying. I also love Princess Donut so much because she has the exact personality I think my cat would have if thrown into similar circumstances. I’m so excited to read more of their story!

Next 5 Star Read

This is such a tough question because I feel like it puts extra pressure on the book to blow my mind 😂 That being said, even though I’ve heard people say it’s not as good as the first book, I’m rather certain that I’m going to absolutely love Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn. I’ve been meaning to continue the Legendborn series for ages, now, and I think part of the reason that I haven’t is because I’ve hyped it up so much in my head! I have faith that it can live up to the hype and I hope it will prove me right.

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Book Tag: New Year’s Book Tag 2026
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Book Tag: New Year’s Book Tag 2026

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Hello reader!

Happy New Year to you all 😊 I hope everyone had a safe, fun New Year’s Eve and are having a relaxing start to 2026. As happens every time we move to December to January, I’ve been thinking about what I want out of this next year. I know for a fact that I want to get back into the groove of book blogging! 2025 was a bit of a crazy year here in my household and yours truly felt like she was drowning under the chaos on the best of days. But our life is starting to find a more chill balance and I feel like I can finally take a deep breath and get back into hobbies that I used to enjoy!

That being said, doing the New Year’s Book Tag seemed like the perfect fresh start for my little blog! I found this on Ashley’s (@BooksAre42) blog and it seemed like kismet. I’m not sure who the original creator might be, but if you know, please drop a comment! Now, let’s get to the tag.

How many books are you planning to read in 2026?

In previous years, I would always up my reading challenge by five if I managed to reach my goal. In 2025, my goal was 60 books and I absolutely smashed that goal by reading 98 books! You would think I could be bold and pick a goal closer to the 90 range, but reading is my favorite hobby and I find keeping my reading challenge lower helps keep it that way, haha. So, my goal for 2026 will be 65 books!

Name 5 books that you didn’t get to this past year but want to make a priority in 2026.

Hahaha, I could definitely list more than five 👀 I barely read anything from my 25 in 2025 list, so I’m going to go with five books from there:

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Mid-Year Book Freakout 2023
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Mid-Year Book Freakout 2023

kerrimcbooknerd2 Comments

Hello, reader!

We’re going into the second full week of July and the year is officially over halfway done. Which completely blows my mind! I can’t believe that we’re already steaming towards a new school year because I feel like that last one just ended, haha. But with the year being half over, it’s time for the Mid-Year Book Freakout book tag! I always enjoy doing this tag because I get so lost in the sauce during the year and it’s nice to look back at all the books I’ve read. Even if there are a lot of “Oh, I read that this year???” moments. Time has no meaning, y’all 😂

Now, sources seem to differ on who created this tag. I’m going to say it was originally created by ReadLikeWildfire and Earl Grey Books because that’s the version of the tag I’ll be completing today. Thank you to them and all the other credited creators with slightly different tags for such a fun idea.

Alright, now let’s get to it!

Best Book You’ve Read So Far In 2023

Delicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury

This was one of my first reads of the year and, oof, has it stuck with me. I find myself thinking about it randomly even in the heat of summer! It was wonderfully terrifying, with incredible atmosphere and compelling characters. It deals with some heavy topics, so, if you need them, please check trigger warnings. That being said, it’s a powerful book that had me devouring the pages. A perfect spooky read for the upcoming fall season!

Best Sequel You’ve Read So Far In 2023

Network Effect by Martha Wells

Honestly, I could put all of the books from the Murderbot Diaries into this category (beyond the first one, of course). The full length novel, however, stands out as my absolute favorite. Probably because we get so much more Murderbot! Who will, perhaps, make another appearance in this post 👀 Either way, this series is incredible and I cannot wait for the new book that is coming in November!

New Release You Haven’t Read Yet, But Want To

The Golden Frog Games by Claribel A. Ortega

There are so many I could name, but this is definitely at the top of the list. I loved the first book in this middle grade fantasy series, Witchlings, so I was excited to receive an ARC. Then life happened and I still haven’t gotten a chance to continue Seven, Valley, and Thorn’s story. If this story is anything like the first book, it’s going to magical with a lot of heart. I’m looking forward to finally giving it a read.

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The Quarter Year Crisis Book Tag
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The Quarter Year Crisis Book Tag

kerrimcbooknerd10 Comments

Hello, reader!

I’ve been rather MIA for the last few days, haven’t I? I thought I’d make that up to you by participating in a book tag! We are already a quarter through 2023 which blows my mind. Like… how is it already the end of April?! That being said, I thought this would be a great time to do The Quarter Year Crisis Book Tag! I was tagged by the wonderful Dini @ dinipandareads and it looked like too much fun to skip! Also, if you haven’t checked out Dini’s incredible blog, please go give it a look. Not only does she have great bookish posts, but her blog is just so aesthetically pleasing 🥰

This original tag was created by Roisin @Roisin’s Reading over on BookTube, so make sure to go check out her channel, as well!

Alright, now let’s get to the tag.

How many books have you read so far?

I’ve managed to read 34 books so far in 2023 and I’m pretty stoked about that! This is the first year that I’ve been bold enough to set my goal at 100 instead of a lower number even though I’ve read over 100 books for the last two years. I dunno… there’s something about those triple digits that made me nervous! But, as you can see, I’m currently five books ahead of schedule and going strong. I’m excited to see if I can beat my number for 2022!

Have you already found a book you think might be a 2023 favorite? If not, what was your favorite book you read that wasn’t quite five stars?

Oof, that’s always a tough question for my undecisive-self, haha. Of all my five star reads so far this year, I think the two top contenders for ‘favorite of the year’ would be Delicious Monsters by Liselle Sambury and Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao. Both were so incredibly written and completely swept me away when I was reading them, though they certainly have very different tones. I have a review for Delicious Monsters and I’m working on one for Song of Silver, Flame Like Night.

Any 1-star books / least favorite book of the year?

No shade to the people that love Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren. I know this is a pretty beloved romance. I, however, hated this 😬 The characters made me want to shake them. One is a straight-up stalker and I will never be convinced that it was cute or okay! The other is bad at communicating (well, they both kind of are) and it’s so frustrating! Mix in the twist that made me want to toss the book across the room and this just did not work for me. The only reason it got two stars instead of one is because I loved the fact that both of the main characters were bookish.

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The In Or Out Book Tag
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The In Or Out Book Tag

kerrimcbooknerd2 Comments

Hello, reader!

Today feels like a good day for a tag! I’ll be doing the In Or Out Book Tag, which asks whether you love (or hate) certain bookish tropes. I was tagged by the wonderful Ashlee @ Books Are 42 and it looked like a lot of fun. By the way, if you haven’t visited Ashlee’s blog, you should definitely take a look. Go for the awesome blog name, stay for the even better blog content! This tag was created by Rick MacDonnell over on BookTube.

Now, let’s get to the tag!

1. Reading the Last Page First

Out!! I avoid spoilers for books as much as possible, so there’s no way I’d read the end of a story before I had read the rest of it. If I know how a story ends, what’s the motivation to continue reading? Although, if it’s a book I’m thoroughly enjoying it, I’m sure it would be fine, but still… I like the satisfaction of waiting til the end. There are times where a book is giving me ✨anxiety✨ and I skim ahead a bit to make sure everyone is okay, but, other than that, no reading ahead.

2. Enemies to Lovers

In! This is one of my favorite tropes. In romance, it’s my favorite trope, but in other books it’s still pretty high up there. Though, let’s be real, most books are really just rivals to lovers, but I’m okay with that, too. There’s something about the tension between two characters who are attracted to each other but refuse to acknowledge it because they “hate” each other that is just *chef’s kiss*

3. Dream Sequences

Out? I’ve honestly not read a lot of books where a dream sequence was a big thing in the story. I feel like I wouldn’t like it, though. Depending what happened in the dream, I’d probably feel cheated, haha. I know I’ve always disliked it when it happened in a movie or TV show, so I feel like that would hold true for books, as well.

4. Love Triangles

Out. This is probably my least favorite trope because, in my opinion, it’s very rarely done well. It feels formulaic and dull, for the most part, and it’s usually fairly obvious which love interest the author has picked as the end game. Now, if said love triangle leads to a possible polyamorous relationship that is done well… then I can get on board. I’m not poly, but I feel like we need more polyamorous rep in books!

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Characters of the Year Book Tag
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Characters of the Year Book Tag

kerrimcbooknerd4 Comments

Hello, reader!

Today is a good day for a tag! I’ll be doing the Characters of the Year Tag, which I always mean to do at the beginning of the year, but never quite manage, haha. Thankfully, I was tagged by Ashlee @ Books Are 42, who is an incredible book blogger and helped remind me to get this done in 2023. If you haven’t checked out her blog before, I highly suggest you do ❤ I’m not sure who originally created this tag, but if you know, please share!

Alright, now let’s get to the tag!

Favorite Male Character of The Year

Piranesi (Piranesi by Susanna Clarke)

I found the titular character in this book to be absolutely fascinating! I loved getting the story through his various journal entries and seeing the world through his eyes. It made learning about the world feel more personal, somehow, and certainly connected me to Piranesi quickly. I was very invested in his well-being!

Favorite Female Character of The Year

Eudora Fellowes (Inheriting Her Ghosts by S.H. Cooper)

I read a lot of incredible female characters this year, but Eudora stands out in my mind. It read this book closer to the end of the year but I knew I was going to love her from the moment I read the first excerpt for BBNYA. She’s independent, smart, and a great dog mom. I also love that we get to see both her strong and softer sides throughout this story. And she’s an older character which we need more of, honestly!

Most Relatable Character of The Year

Literally all the POC characters (Babel by R.F. Kuang)

Literally all of them! Though mostly Robin, Ramy, and Victoire, of course. The things they had to put up with resonated to my soul and the willful ignorance of their white counterparts made me want to rage right alongside them. I will admit to relating to Victoire the most, which makes sense as she is a Black woman, but I felt a true connection to all three of them in one way or another.

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New Year’s Book Tag
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New Year’s Book Tag

kerrimcbooknerd10 Comments

Hello, reader!

It’s time for my first tag of the new year! I’m going to try to keep up with these in 2023 because I very much failed to do so in 2022 😅 This tag seems to be a perfect one for a fresh start. It’s the New Year’s Book Tag and I was tagged by the wonderful Ashlee @ Books Are 42. If you haven’t checked out her blog before, I highly suggest you do!

Alright, now let’s get to the tag!

How many books are you planning to read in 2023?

My goal for this year is my most ambitious yet. I’m hoping to read 100 books this year! I think it’s totally doable as I’ve read over 100 books the last two years. It’s still daunting to see that number sitting on my Goodreads homepage 😂

Name 5 books that you didn’t get to this past year but want to make a priority in 2023.

Hahaha, there are so many books that I wish I had gotten to last year. I had two whole TBRs that I left… quite a few books on. I would love to get to all of the books that were left behind, but these five are ones I am going to try and prioritize in 2023.

What genre do you want to read more of?

I’d like to continue my romance journey and delve more into the genre! I’ve really only been reading rom-coms, so far, and I wouldn’t mind dipping my toes into different romances. If I don’t like them, I can just retreat into my fluffy, rom-com world 😂 I’d also like to make a conscious effort to pick up more science fiction this year! I feel like I’ve been ignoring the SF side of my SFF roots, lately, and I want to get back into it.

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