Midyear Book Freakout Tag 2026 📚 The Best, The Worst, and the Ones That Made Me Cry

My midyear book freakout tag for 2026 - answering 13 questions about the best books, biggest disappointments, and the stories that genuinely broke me a little bit. Grab a tea and let's talk books. Featuring Almost Life by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Assassin's Fate by Robin Hobb, Writers and Lovers by Lily King, Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett, Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry, and so many more. Plus the books I still desperately need to read before the year ends (looking at you, East of Eden 👀). 📚 JOIN THE AFTER HOURS LIBRARY My Patreon is a cosy, low-pressure bookish space with reading sprints, polls, and updates — €4/month, one tier, no extra filming. Link below. 💛 www.patreon.com/aiscahill ⏱️ TIMESTAMPS 00:00 intro 00:46 best book you’ve read so far in 2026?02:32 a book that made you cry? 04:10 favourite new author (debut or new to you?) 04:50 newest favourite character? 05:54 a book that made you happy? 08:18 the biggest surprise you’ve had this year? 11:27 the biggest disappointment you’ve had this year?12:57 who is your newest fictional crush? 13:42 best sequel you’ve read so far this year? 16:35 a new release you haven’t read yet but want to? 18:18 your most anticipated reads for the rest of the year? 20:18 most beautiful book you’ve bought this year? 21:33 what books do you need to read by the end of the year? 23:45 roundup 24:35 patreon announcement 26:46 outro📚 BOOKS MENTIONED Almost Life by Kiran Millwood Hargrave | https://amzn.to/43Vtt4H Heart the Lover by Lily King | https://amzn.to/4bbnjBe Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett | https://amzn.to/4arHgn7 Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry | https://amzn.to/4vBj0aT Flashlight by Susan Choi | https://amzn.to/4oRHxpf Assassin’s Fate by Robin Hobb | https://amzn.to/4vBlwxR The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan | https://amzn.to/4xTTEq5 Exit Party by Emily St John Mandel | https://amzn.to/4eNbyC2 Taipei Story by Rebecca F Kuang | https://amzn.to/44xiizd The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig | https://amzn.to/4bf1S2e East of Eden by John Steinbeck | https://amzn.to/43VtyW3The Little Friend by Donna Tartt | https://amzn.to/4eUmzlo Buy me a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/aislingcahill I earn a small comission (at no extra cost to you) if you buy anything through the links I've provided. 📸 Gear I use: DJI Osmo Pocket Creator Combo | https://amzn.to/3J0cmrz Sony Alpha ZV-E10 Camera | https://amzn.to/4nf1q7w 🛎 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell for more bookish content and reading vlogs! 📬 For Business Inquiries: [email protected] Thank you for watching and happy reading! Chat to you in the comments, and in another video next week! GOODREADS | www.goodreads.com/aiscahill INSTAGRAM | www.instagram.com/aiscahill 💛