I’ve known this tag was a thing for awhile, but I didn’t want to participate in this tag until other people in the book community posted their End of the Year Book Tag. All this time, I was wondering why no one was posting it. Then, I finally found out that this book tag is more popular to do in October or November. Book tags and trends are like school–I always end up being late. I still wanted to do this tag though because I thought it would be a nice first book-ish post and insight to what my reading year has been like. Shoutout to Ariel Bissett, the creator of this book tag, and let’s get started!

1. Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?

I’m currently reading Blood & Honey by Shelby Mahurin. This is the sequel to Serpent & Dove, and I’m enjoying the book immensely. For awhile, I forgot my love for Serpent & Dove, and the story within the novel. Blood & Honey has reignited my passion for this series, and I’m extremely happy to be with the characters again, even if their circumstances aren’t the greatest. I think I’m going to finish this book by the end of the year because I’m almost half-way through it. However, it depends how much I end up procrastinating. I’m heading off to Florida tomorrow, so we’ll see how much I read on vacation. My family is driving to Florida, so there will be plenty of time to read in the car. Hopefully, there won’t be any steamy scenes anytime soon because I refuse to read those when my family is around. It’s just so weird and awkward *shudders*.

2. Do you have a book or autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?

Oh geez, this is where I start to panic. I’m so bad at recommending books from the top of my head, especially when it comes to specific categories. I’m not sure if I can think of any autumnal books right now. Oh! I’ll just take this time to advertise my favorite series ever, The Ghost Bird Series haha. I love this series, but I haven’t actually finished all the books that are out yet. The author is planning to have possibly twenty books in this series! Even though my top two favorite books are a part of a series, I’m actually more of a stand-alone book type of girl. When it comes to The Ghost Bird Series, I always read a few books, take a long break, and then start over from the beginning again. Even though I’ve only read up to book seven, I’ve probably read the first book over five times haha. This series is not for everyone though, and I acknowledge that. If you’re interested in reverse harem or just books that I like, then I recommend giving this series a try.

3. Is there a new release you’re still waiting for?

I don’t believe there is a new release that I’m anticipating for this year. I’m also really bad at being up-to-date with new released books. I still have a mountain of books I still need to read on my bookshelf! The only book I am waiting for won’t be published until January which is technically next year, but I’ll include it in this tag anyway. I’m very excited to read Eyes That Kiss in the Corners by Joanna Ho. This is a children’s book that doesn’t come out until January five. Even though it’s a children’s book, I really want to read it because it’s about a young Asian girl who notices that her eyes are different from her classmates’ eyes. I relate to this very much because I live in a very small, Dutch community. While I’m excited for this book, I’m also extremely nervous. I have really high expectations, and I hope it delivers. It would mean the world to me to use this story for individual speech in the storytelling category. I really hope this book is a success!

4. What are three books you want to read before the end of the year?

This is such a bad question to ask me. There’s less than two weeks left of the year, and I’m a slow reader. There is NO WAY I’m finishing three books by the end of the year. However, I did pack three books along in my bag for the trip to Florida, so I’ll tell you those books. Besides from Blood & Honey, I also want to read Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao and Lady in the Mist by Laurie Alice Eakes.

I’m excited to read Rent a Boyfriend because Gloria Chao is an author that I’ve really enjoyed in the past. I was even thinking about starting a Gloria Chao collection on my bookshelf. I was torn between buying this book and another book when I was at Barnes and Noble, but my dad tried making a joke and told me that renting a boyfriend sounded like something I would like. I’m still happy with the decision though because the premise looks pretty interesting, and I think the cover is really cute.

If I’m being honest, I probably would’ve never picked up Lady in the Mist on my own. I switched favorite books with one of my friends, and she told me that I had to read this one. I don’t know what to expect because we’ve had conflicting book opinions in the past. I’m not that interested in historical fiction, but I do like romance. I think this book will really confirm how well our book preferences line up.

5. Is there a book you think could still shock you and become your favorite book of the year?

Ohhhh my favorite book of the year? Honestly, I don’t think so. I’m bad at giving books low ratings, but I’m also picky. I’ve never given a book a rating lower than a three out of five, but there’s probably less than ten books that I’ve given a five star rating. I’m also extremely doubtful because I’ve already found a new favorite book this year, so I don’t believe I will find another one that can top that. The book that has made its way into my heart is Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman.

6. Have you already started making reading plans for 2021?

I don’t really make reading plans because I’m such a mood reader. However, I do have some required reads for English class, and my school has an activity called book bash that will take up a lot of my time. My Goodreads challenge goal this year was to read thirty books, and I’ve read thirty-six so far this year. I think for next year I’ll try to up my goal to thirty-five books, but I don’t know how busy I’ll be when it comes to preparing for college.

Comment down below any books that you think I should read for 2021, or any book tags/book-related content that you would like to see me post in the future. I hope you enjoyed this blog, and I’ll see y’all next time!