Mid-Year FREAK OUT Book Tag 2024 📚⚡🪩

[@PhilipChaseTheBestofFantasy]

And my biggest surprise of the year is to hear The Worm Ouroboros mentioned in this video. That said, I'm glad I had something to do with a pleasant surprise. I love to hear the praise for Steven Erikson, and I can't wait for you and John to read WOLAS next year! Great to see Funky Mirage is still busting his moves!

[@BrianBell7]

Thanks, Philip! I tried to throw everything including the oruoboros kitchen sink into this one!

[@readbykyle3082]

Great answers Brian! I may join you guys for the Wars of Light and Shadow readalong in January... lol at crying tears of Joy about finishing Cradle.

[@BrianBell7]

Ha! Thanks Kyle! You are certainly welcome to join along!

[@TheBeardedBookBeast]

Great and entertaining as always😂. Nice tag! Keep up the good work!

[@BrianBell7]

Thank you so much 😁

[@stjepanvaresevaccobets]

Great video as always. I have a few questions about the tag: 1. Which indie author surprised you with his book? 2. Which character from the book would you like to have a drink with if you could? 3. Which book world delighted you, and which one didn't? 4. Which book would you like to visit if you could?

[@BrianBell7]

1. I haven't really read very much indie in the first half of the year... how about I go with "Black Seeds!" 2) maybe Quick Ben from Gardens of the Moon... 3) Malazan delighted, Sun Eater worlds are horrific!.. 4) Discworld!

[@BookishChas]

Awesome update Brian! We can wish for Winds of Winter lol. I’m excited about Wind & Truth as well. I’m hoping to read the Bloodsworn saga eventually too.

[@BrianBell7]

Thanks, Chas! We for sure have some similar TBRs!

[@Johanna_reads]

Hooray for Gardens of the Moon, Mariko, and Rodrigo Belmonte! 🎉 I predict you’re going to become a Malazan fan!

[@BrianBell7]

I suspect you are totally right! :)

[@CNavo.TheNextChapter]

Great freakout Brian, I've been so busy I haven't had the chance to check in with my fellows on the Tube (let alone my own videos), but I saw your thumbnail and had to take 10 (or 20) mins to watch because I knew it was going to be entertaining. Great answers! The Wars of Light and Shadow for an anticipated series next year for sure! So happy Erikson landed well with you, I'm taking my time with the series but I'm about 20% in Memories of Ice.-- Cheers! 🍻

[@BrianBell7]

Thanks, Chris! I know life can for sure be an obstacle to watch all the channels we want to watch! I appreciate you carving out some time today and you know I never miss a Christopher Navo video!!

[@AndrewsWizardlyReads]

I’m super excited for wars of light and shadow

[@BrianBell7]

We are too!

[@heidi6281]

Brian I was trying to think about why I love the Bloodsworn so much. It contains the best of what fantasy has to offer, the story is so epic like a volcano exploding epic, the 3 POV characters are so deep, I got attached to them pretty early on. It is a page turner, I do not remember any slow chapters too.

[@BrianBell7]

Super excited to read it all! His writing is perfect for me. Short chapters that are all page-turners!

[@elainedejong2806]

The best ways of getting joy is with my kids and grandkids and reading. So, today, I bought all of us books 😊😊

[@BrianBell7]

That is wonderful, Elaine!!

[@ZOMGfantasy]

Yesss! Awesome video Brian! Shogun is a serious contender for me as well, and Mariko is the perfect fictional crush 😍

[@BrianBell7]

Thank you! Yes, she really is!!

[@MacScarfield]

Rodrigo!😃 Ouroboros? Well, color me surprised, awesome to hear Brian! 1. Best book so far in 2024: «A Brightness Long Ago» by Guy Gavriel Kay (Fantasy inspired by the Mercenary Wars of Renaissance Italy) & «Imperium» by Robert Harris (Cicero Trilogy #1, Historical Fiction about the Eponymous Roman Politician)! 2. Best sequel so far in 2024: «Brother Red» by Adrian Selby (Grimdark Fantasy, standalone «midquel» to «Snakewood» & «The Winter Road»), «Howling Dark» (Sun Eater #2) by Christopher Ruocchio (Space opera) & «The Fort» (City of Victory Trilogy #1, sequel to the «Vindolandia» Trilogy) by Adrian Goldsworthy (Historical Military Fiction set during Emperor Trajan’s Campaigns)! 3. New release I haven't read: «Disquiet Gods»(Sun Eater, #6) by Christopher Ruocchio (Space opera): A bit cheating, as I have not yet read book 3 to 5, but yeah, really looking forward to the next novels! 4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year: Book #3 of «The Sundered Nation» Trilogy by Vaughn Roycroft, the Standalone Sequel of the «Edan» Trilogy by our dear Philip Chase & «The Fury of the Gods» (#3 in the «Bloodsworn Saga») by John Gwynne! 5. Biggest disappointment: I feel I am a bit spoiled, as I have not read any truly bad novels or have given up reading any books for a long time, but «Idoru» by William Gibson (Bridge Trilogy #2, Cyberpunk) was, while not bad, still a small letdown from book #1, «Virtual Light» (a 3.5 out of 5, compared to «VL»’s 4.5). 6. Favorite new author: Christopher Ruocchio & Tad Williams 7. Biggest surprise: «Islands in the Net» by Bruce Sterling ((Post-)Cyberpunk), a really pleasant surprise, as I had prepared for a good cheesy 80s Cyberpunk story: Is there Hackers, Data Pirate Havens and Rastafarians? Sure, but unlike most dystopian Cyberpunk novels, this broke from the norm by having the 30-something mother of a toddler as the protagonist and interesting concepts such a Economic Democratic Cooperations (almost reminiscent of the ideas floating by Kim Stanley Robinson in his Sci Fi Novels, if not utopian then at least not at all the usual Techno/Neo-Feudalism of most Cyberpunk!) and genuine energy solutions ideas that might benefit smaller nations, as well as a use of psy-ops and drones that made it a lot more forward minded than I expected! 8. Book that made me happy: I have to say «Imperium» by Robert Harris: I had read Harris only once (his alt-history novel «Fatherland», set in a 1960s where the US did not join WW2 (but defeated Japan) and the World is divided into a Cold War between the USA and N@zi Germany: Great read, but obviously not full of laughs) but he not only nails the history and politics of Ancient Rome, following the ups and downs of Cicero is at times borderline satirical (but also serves as an encouraging) take on Modern Politics as well. 9. Newest fictional crush: I guess I have to say Laura Webster from «Islands in the Net», but I also have to give a shout out to Cicero’s Wife in «Imperium» (such a fun contrast but also weirdly fitting her husband! ) and to the Old Couple in «The Buried Giant» by Kazuo Ishigaro: So wholesome and heartbreaking! 10. Newest favorite character: Undoubtedly Cicero from «Imperium» 11. Book that made me cry: «Når landet mørknar» (Approximately «When The (This?) Land Darkens») by Tore Kvæven, Historical Fiction set during the 13th Century decline of the Norse Settlements of Greenland, think of it as a Norse John Steinbeck! Well-worthy winner of the 2018 Brage Prize for Best Norwegian Novel! But will also shoutout «Stonehenge» by Bernard Cornwell (Man, the Human Sacrifice of Children hit me!) and «The Buried Giant» by Kazuo Ishigaro: Heartbreaking! 12. Most beautiful book so far this year: The new cover of my e-book copy «Queen Amid Ashes» (Sun Eater, #2.5) by Christopher Ruocchio, is gorgeous! Also: While it is visually very plain, obviously my inherited copy of «Brothers Karamazov» by Dostoevsky from my late Aunt have immense sentimental value! 13. What books I need to read by the end of the year? After the novels I mentioned in point 4, I have to say the rest of the «Cicero» Trilogy by Robert Harris, the rest of the «Memory, Sorrow & Thorn» «Trilogy» by Tad Williams, the rest of the «Prince of Nothing» Trilogy by R. Scott Bakker, the final two novels in the «City of Victory» Trilogy by Adrian Goldsworthy and the final two novels in «The Expanse» by James S. A. Corey! Cheers!

[@BrianBell7]

I'm always blown away by your reading list, Mac. Truly one of the most diverse (and challenging) of anyone's I know. Interested to get your thoughts when you finish Disquiet Gods. I just finished that book a couple days ago.

[@MacScarfield]

@@BrianBell7 Always a pleasure! Listen to this (as well as Jimmy Nuts and John from Talking Story’s recent chat) doing volunteer at a local music festival, among the artists were «the Dolly Parton of Scandinavia», Carola (Häggkvist): Given that her most famous song is «Fangad Av En Stormvind» («Caught In A Storm Wind»), which is something of the most aggressively 80s that I have ever heard…made in 1991…my spidey senses wondered if Rick Thunder was a afoot, and that he might have a Carola story from a European Tour? 😄😂 Might have mentioned it before, but if all goes to plan, I will be meeting Professor Chase during his European Vacation this Summer! 🤩 All the best! 😊

[@TomOrange]

Great video as always! Was pretty surprised by some of your feelings on Suneater. I feel like I always just hear glowing praise for it. It’s not a series but I kind of have a similar experience with Cormac McCarthy. He has some of my favorite books of all time and some of my least favorite

[@BrianBell7]

Thanks, Tom! Y'know, it's tough with Sun Eater because the first 3 books were amazing (so was 6 in the 2nd half), but I feel like I owe it to the viewers who want my true opinions to be honest. Neither 4 or 5 were badly written books. I don't think he's capable of doing that. It was just the storyline that was a bummer for me. And that could legit be just where I was in my own mind while reading. Felt similar to Dark Age.

[@ChrisPJ_reads]

Oh a surprise Funky Mirage visit! I have faith in the Winds of Winter release, surely it's happening.

[@BrianBell7]

it must be!!

[@vduncan3171]

Always enjoy the Mid-Year freakouts so thanks for doing it! I'm looking forward to The Shadow of the Gods, it's on my TBR for this month. Great "one for the road", and lol @ Funky! 😆

[@BrianBell7]

Funky!!!! Glad you like!

[@gryftkin]

Poor Jakob. Shots fired! :D

[@BrianBell7]

It's my reverse reverse psychology!

[@KindlesandKicks]

😂 I hate you for getting me so good with Winds of Winter. So glad to see you loved Gardens as much I do. Also LOVE Funky!

[@BrianBell7]

Ha! What's really not to love about him?!?!

[@TF-lk6co]

Shogun will likely be my next book, and I'm hoping for one of two realizations within the first 100 pages: 1) It's great and I can't wait to keep reading, or 2) It's clearly not for me and an easy DNF. The worst case is that it's *just* interesting enough to continue, but will still feel a bit sloggy...for 1200+ pages lol.

[@BrianBell7]

Please keep me posted what you think! I'd give it at least until Blackthorne and his crew arrive in "the Japans"

[@StoryGirl1128]

Loved your freak-out! I think my favorite book of the year so far as been Tress of the Emerald Sea, I was completely charmed by that story for some reason. My biggest disappointment so far has been Ryan Cahill’s The Fall, which I expected to like and was unimpressed. A book that made me cry was Beartown. A book that made me happy (and surprised me in a good way) was The Witcher: Blood of Elves. I love his dialogue!

[@BrianBell7]

I'm so glad you shared those prompt answers here with me and the community! I can't wait to read Tress still this year!

[@esmayrosalyne]

This tag honestly feels like it was made for you, hahahah. I am cackling at the shade you are throwing at Cradle with your answer for the book that made you cry 🤣 And oooh, I really need to get to Shogun... but it just keeps not happening lol. I am bored so I will give this a shot: - Best book: Hell for Hire by Rachel Aaron / The Storm Beneath the World by Michael R. Fletcher - Best sequel: Empire of the Damned by Jay Kristoff - New release I haven't read yet but want to: Herald by Rob J. Hayes - Most anticipated release 2nd half of the year: The Sundering Hours by Jacquelyn Hagen (which I am reading and loving right now!!!) - Best surprise: A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams - Biggest disappointment: The Atlas Complex by Olivie Blake - New favourite author: Anna Smith Spark / Zammar Ahmer - New fictional crush: Justin from Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez / Delilah Green from Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake (bisexuals get two answers hahahah) - Book that made me cry: Requiem for a Star by UG Gutman (in a damn novella... amazing writing!) - Book that made me happy: Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver - Best adaptation: My Lady Jane (just started streaming on prime and it's a blast!!) - Must read before the end of the year: Darkblade by Andy Peloquin Happy reading, Brian!! 🥰

[@BrianBell7]

I feel like it was made for me too! That said, your answers are amazing! I love when you drop in the comments, Esmay!!

[@jcmberne]

Man. Harsh shots fired there at my boy Wil!

[@BrianBell7]

Gotta call 'em like I see 'em. I commend him on a giant success of a series - it just wasn't my flavor.

[@jcmberne]

@@BrianBell7 you're certainly allowed to like what you want! Heck, I dislike LoTR and ASoIaF.

[@SheWasOnlyEvie]

I’m glad that The Vanished Birds didn’t make the cut for the Most Disappointing prompt. 🤣

[@BrianBell7]

same! Overall I liked it, thankfully!!

[@rsimpson235]

Great video! I'm excited to hear you are loving the Discworld City Watch series. I just finished that series this year myself, and loved every book in it! I also really liked your one for the road in this video too. Such an important message! Here is my shot at the mid-year freak out: Best book I read in 2024: Thud! by Terry Pratchett Best sequel I read in 2024: Before They are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie New release I want to read: The Way of Edan by Phillip Chase Most anticipated release in 2024: The Fury of the Gods by John Gwynne Biggest disappointment: The Helping Babies Sleep Method by Dr. Sarah Mitchell (non-fiction) Biggest surprise: Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman (non-fiction) New favourite author: John Gwynne Newest fictional crush: Angua von Überwald (Discworld) Newest favourite character: His Grace, His Excellency, The Duke of Ankh, Commander Sir Samuel Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City (Discworld) Book that made me cry: Circe by Madeline Miller Book that made me happy: All the Discworld books I read this year, which is the City Watch series from Jingo to Snuff by Terry Pratchett Favourite book adaptation: I haven't really watched any TV this year since I became a father in December :P A must read book before the end of the year: Jade City by Fonda Lee

[@BrianBell7]

You have some amazing books on that prompt list!!

[@rsimpson235]

@BrianBell7 Thanks, Brian! I hope you continue to enjoy the Discworld books!

[@groofay]

The idea of Jakob going straight from Mistborn into Wars of Light and Shadow made me laugh. It's great to see the Erikson appreciation here too!

[@BrianBell7]

Jakob is a wildcard! Don't count him out!

[@seanquirk2390]

Good stuff. I don't have a channel but I got into stormlight and dungeon crawler Carl so most everything would be between that. Also shout out to the bound and the broken. Great half year so far for sure

[@BrianBell7]

Good stuff on your list too!

[@nick_a_93]

Don't tug on my heartstrings with Winds of Winter like that! Haha I'm working through WoT this year, i liked The Shadow Rising the most so far. I've been considering getting into Wars of Light and Shadow recently too. Maybe 2025 as well. Great video!

[@BrianBell7]

Thank you so much! I’m keeping the faith!! WoT is a long haul but I found it totally worth it!

[@Talking_Story]

awesome freak out my brother

[@BrianBell7]

thank you Brother John!

[@Talking_Story]

@@BrianBell7 u r correct Jakob will not be reading 😂

[@AndrewsWizardlyReads]

I’m here with with my second cup of coffee

[@BrianBell7]

And I know it's not only your second cup of coffee, it's a magical cup of coffee. 100%

[@AndrewsWizardlyReads]

@@BrianBell7 😂

[@heidi6281]

Brian I appreciate your shout out to your subs as sometimes I think booktubers cater only to other booktubers and not their thousands of subs. Each corner of booktube has a clique of booktube colleagues so it is not a unique phenomenon. I think most subs are intimated to join live discussions as you can easily get ignored. Not by the tuber running the livestream but by the other very small channel booktubers. It can feel like junior high all over again. As a former attorney and Wall Street employee it would take a lot for me to be intimated but I wonder sometimes where are all the subs?

[@BrianBell7]

I think to some extent, a lot of people are either casual viewers or lurkers by nature. And that's cool. I just try to always make it a point to myself to remember that I'm here for the viewers, not myself, so I want to include them as often as they'd like to be included :) I really appreciate you noticing!

[@Zivilin]

I actually expected you to mention The Worm Ouroboros since i remember you liked it in the dnf challenge. 😂

[@BrianBell7]

You know me too well :)

[@mythologypress9470]

I just bought Guards! Guards! based on the mid-year freakout recommendation by ToriTalks! -Palmer

[@BrianBell7]

I love Guards! Guards!

[@1siddynickhead]

First! I see Shogun in the thumbnail and i click!! I finished Shogun this year and I'm obsessed ❤ so much so that i actually hated the FX adaptation😂

[@BrianBell7]

I can totally see how certain elements that don't make it onto the show could get you to feel that way!

[@1siddynickhead]

​@@BrianBell7I really shouldn't have watched it right after I finished the book..a recipe for disaster😅

[@OnlyTheBestFantasyNovels]

Shogun was fantastic, my only problem with it was that I had a hard time separating Toranaga from Tokugawa in my brain 😂 Definitely deserves the spot. Damn, you're the first person I've met who liked The Worm Ouroboros. I finished reading it, but it really didn't do anything for me.

[@BrianBell7]

I think I liked it because it was a) completely outside my normal kind of writing style and b) I expected to hate it, so when I didn't, I was happy!

[@OnlyTheBestFantasyNovels]

@@BrianBell7 Hey, at least you liked it! Always a pleasant surprise when you enjoy something far more than you expected to.

[@Fianna1775]

Yeah it’s this funny combination of history and fiction. You have these obvious stand ins for actual people but also stand ins for people from other time periods and actual historical people like Queen Elizabeth. Does anybody know if there a reason Clavell chose to do it this way? Cheers!

[@Fianna1775]

Did this for Allen and Joanna’s live stream. This whole year has been……ok for me so far. Mind you, I have read some great books but I am surprised at how few books I have read where I remember vividly thinking “this is a book of the year contender.” I am planning on changing my strategy a bit and just recklessly going for those books that have been staring at me forever which I think might do the trick. Best book I have read so far has probably been The Heike Story by Yoshikawa. Best sequel or short story you've read so far in 2024…….The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan probably. This was quite surprising to me. I find these books very relaxing on my way to work. Favorite re-read……Under Heaven. My book of the year for 2023. Genre you've been loving/reading the most……I read a lot of nonfiction and historical fiction. New release or authors you haven't read yet but want to……Adrian Tchaikovsky and Miklos Banffy. I also plan on finishing the Xanth series (I really treasure those books as my birth dad gave me his collection of them the first Christmas I spent with his family. It was his favorite series). Most anticipated release for the second half of the year…..I haven’t honestly been paying attention. I’ll look into that. Biggest disappointment…….honestly, the first house of cards book. It just didn’t capture my imagination. I did have the flu when I was reading it though. Biggest surprise…….I like Cormac McCarthy. Favorite new author. (Debut or new to you)….Yoshikawa again here. People who like Shogun might really like his books. Newest favorite character….Lord Tengen from demon slayer. On my god. Book that made you cry…..the demon slayer volume with the spider kid. If you know, you know. Book that made you happy….Letters from Father Christmas by Tolkien. Most beautiful book you've bought so far this year (or received)……..the colored illustration edition of Myths and Legends of Japan by Davis. They usually cost a fortune, but I found one being sold by a German man cheap. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?………What a question! Well, Judgement at Tokyo, Lord of Emperors, Children of Time, the rest of Yoshikawa’s books, the original Tale of the Heike, the rest of Kawabata’s books, and the rest of Legend of the Galactic Heroes.

[@BrianBell7]

I forget sometimes how much you read! That’s awesome. Love The Great Hunt and I had tons of fun watching Johanna and Allen’s double episode 🤣

[@Fianna1775]

Loooooooooong commute. Have to keep up with you people somehow! 📚

[@AndrewsWizardlyReads]

I think Historical Fiction is a close cousin to SFF

[@dougsundseth6904]

Favorite book so far: I'm going to cheat and say the Penric & Desdemona novellas by Lois McMaster Bujold. They're short, so they should count together. Or maybe Exile's Honor, by Mercedes Lackey. Probably one of those. Maybe. Favorite new authors: Reavis Z. Wortham - I tried The Rock Hole because my wife had bought it and it turned out to be a brilliant period suspense novel set in North Texas in the '60s with engaging and well-rounded characters and a strong plot. Or possibly Bryce O'Connor, for the Warformed: Stormreaver series, which was an excellent school progression Science Fantasy with strong characters and a tightly woven plot. (Quite reminiscent of Drew Hayes's Super Powereds series, which I consider high praise indeed.) Favorite Sequel: First Frost, Craig Johnson. The Longmire books have been a longtime favorite, and this is one of the best in the series. Biggest disappointment: a tie between Manitou Canyon, William Kent Krueger, and Residue, Michael McGarrity. Both books are deep into series that I've liked and both were just bad. The first was a political screed (are terrorists really _that_bad?) in the guise of a suspense novel ... that also lacked agency for the protagonist. The second was just mailed in by an author that can write brilliantly, lacking plot, character development, and sense of place. Oh, and best anthology, which I'm sure must have been one of the numbers: Beginnings (from the Worlds of Honor series). It has several absolutely excellent novellas and not a dud in the basket. Oh, and ISTR that I cried more than once, so just in case there was (unaccountably) not a best anthology question, you can use it for that one. 8-)

[@BrianBell7]

Doug, you continue to astound me with both the sheer amount of books you get through and the depth / diversity of material. I still haven't read Drew Hayes. I'm guessing I should pick up the Super Powered series...

[@dougsundseth6904]

@@BrianBell7 I've read the entire series twice. One of those times was on a road trip with my wife and son. When we got back, my son finished the series in about a day and a half and then went back to the start and finished the series again. Excellent and memorable characters (many of them), strong storylines for each of the main characters plus an excellent overarching main plot, and a world that is tightly drawn. If you don't hate the idea of supers in your books, I really recommend the series.

[@terabyter9000]

Freakout!

[@BrianBell7]

YEAH!

[@thefantasynuttwork]

I’m glad my copium has rubbed off on you

[@BrianBell7]

"If we stay positive, do the right thing, and hope for the best, all will work out." - King Joffrey Baratheon

[@thefantasynuttwork]

@@BrianBell7 lmao

[@SpacedOutWizard]

No Brian! No, no, no! Kingdoms of Death is the best book of the series! Nah, that’s okay, I see what you mean. But it’s definitely my top read of the year 😅

[@BrianBell7]

It's completely cool with me! I hope you did love it!! Could also be a timing thing for me.

[@SpacedOutWizard]

@@BrianBell7 Oh no, your criticisms were definitely spot on! Its Dark as hell, is Australians are just a little sadistic 😅😅

[@thatsci-firogue]

You non-DNFers I'll never understand. Respect the hustle tho. For me: 1. For standalone: A Brightness Long Ago/ GGK For series: Fool's Errand / Robin Hobb 2. Fool's Fate / Robin Hobb 3. Play of Shadows / Sebastien De Castell 4. Kithamar 3 and Witness 2 5. Of Darkness &Light / Ryan Cahill was a DNF, couldn't have cared less if I tried and I don't get the hype. Michael Crichton's Grave Descend which was forgettable. 7. Shutter Island / Dennis Lehane 6. Larry McMurtry and Dennis Lehane 8. Fool's Errand 9. Don't have any. 10. Paragon from Liveship Traders, Augustus McCrae from Lonesome Dove, Guidanio Cera from A Brightness Long Ago 11. Fool's Fate / Robin Hobb 13. Whatever the f*** I want 😂 I lowkey hate this question, just read wtf you want when you want

[@BrianBell7]

I'm just glad you took the time to do the prompts Rogue! Yeah, Gus McCrae is an all-timer for me too. Same with RoTE :)

[@Benjamin-w41]

Would you say that you liked Lonesome Dove - which was your 2023 book of the year - even more than Shōgun?

[@BrianBell7]

Excellent question. I'd probably give a slight edge (as of now) to Lonesome Dove because there are some humor elements in it that Shogun doesn't have. But it's very close.

[@Benjamin-w41]

​@@BrianBell7, interesting! As of now, I have read neither the one nor the other, but I intend to read Lonesome Dove this year as so many people on booktube seem to be blown away by it.

[@BrianBell7]

@@Benjamin-w41 for sure keep me posted when you read it. The characters are really top-tier IMO

[@Benjamin-w41]

@@BrianBell7 , I will!