Half-Year Book Tag: 2021

Aha! And here I am with another book tag to check in on my reading progress so far in 2021.

This one is the Half-Year Book Tag, which was created by BexnBookx.

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Favorite standalone book hauled and read so far in 2021

In the Garden of Spite by Camilla Bruce

Again, I’ll have to start this off with In the Garden of Spite because I liked it that much. Plus, all the other stuff I loved are part of a series. In the Garden of Spite is a historical thriller about a female serial killer.

Favorite series that I started or continued to read in 2021

Fables, Vol. 1: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham, illus. by Lan Medina, Steve Leialoha, & Craig Hamilton

Series started — Fables, Vol. 1. I enjoyed it so much and am a little upset with myself for taking so long to get started on it. It’s a fantasy comic book about fairytale characters and creatures living in the modern world, but this volume was more of a whodunit mystery.

Phèdre’s trilogy by Jacqueline Carey

Series continued — I am really enjoying Carey’s fantasy series. I continued it this year by reading the second novel, Kushiel’s Chosen, which picks up with the characters sometime after the events in the first book, Kushiel’s Dart.

Favorite bookish items purchased or received this year

Probably these bookmarks I bought from the Bookables. One is of David from Schitt’s Creek, one is of Bernie Sanders in his mittens (lol, so cute!), and the other is of the Duke of Hastings from the Bridgerton TV show.

Favorite debut author

Mateo Askaripour

I really liked his Black Buck although I didn’t expect to. It’s a contemporary satire about a young Black man from Brooklyn who gets a sales job at a startup company. It was a really good read.

Favorite underhyped book that I read this year

Ramayana: Divine Loophole by Sanjay Patel (illus.)

That would be Ramayana, an illustrated middle-grade book about a story from Hindu mythology. The book packs in a lot about Rama, an avatar of the god Vishnu, and how he defeated the demon king. It is beautifully illustrated as well.

Favorite book read this year that I was late to the party on

Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins, Vol. 1 by Matthew Colville & Matthew Mercer, illus. by Olivia Samson

Since I already used Fables for an answer, I decided to go with this Critical Role comic book, which was such a treat. I believe it’s based on (or is) a Dungeons & Dragons campaign. I like the characters, especially the bard, and like the illustration style too.

Potential favorite that I haven’t gotten around to reading yet

Mort by Terry Pratchett

Well, I don’t know if I’ll get to it this year, but I do intend to read it at some point, and I have a feeling that it will be a favorite. However, I’d like to finish the Witches books first and probably the Rincewind ones too.

Favorite reread in 2021

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

Of course, it’s this one. I reread it simply because I was in the mood to experience the story again. I listened to it on audio and think the narrator, Kyle McCarley, did a great job with it. I look forward to trying the second book which was recently published, The Witness for the Dead.

Favorite cover on a book released this year

DCeased by Tom Taylor, illus. by Trevor Hairsine, Stefano Guadiano, and many more

And again I end with DCeased. I went with a book I’ve read so far this year because I’m not keeping track of what has been released. DCeased is a horror comic book that features superheroes in the DC universe battling a zombie virus that spreads through social media and infection. I liked it.

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And that’s it!

What underhyped book have you read so far and liked?

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