Book Tags

The 2026 Mid-Year Check-In Tag

Dini @ dinipandareads22 Comments

When Caro tagged me in her mid-year post the other day, I at first couldn’t believe that it’s already time for the Mid-Year Check-In! The last few months have been ✨ stressful ✨ over here, and I’m still going through the trenches until the end of the month—which is only a few days away, so I’m hanging in there. But I digress. Despite kind of prioritizing gaming as my favourite form of unwinding in recent months, I am still reading, albeit very slowly. So I’ll be curious to see what answers I can come up with for this year’s check-in! We’re halfway through 2026, folks and what a time it’s been… 😶‍🌫️

Check out my previous check-ins:
2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025

For a general bookish update, as of today, I’ve read 49 books. I’ve also fallen off updating everything on Goodreads and Storygraph over the past few months, but luckily, I’ve kept my Notion tracker updated. Considering how I’ve slowed down massively with my reading in the past few months, this number doesn’t surprise me, but I think I’m still on track(ish) to achieve my year end goal of 100 books! I’m going to be having a lot more free time coming up very soon, so hopefully this means that I can find my way back into reading even more.

Notes: I’ll do my best to not repeat too many books but there’s a chance it’ll happen because it’s me and I’m indecisive. Also, covers are linked to my reviews if you want to read my thoughts (and if by some miracle I’ve written one, lol).

Best book you’ve read so far in 2026?

I’m going to share my Top 3 so far and these are my only 5-star reads of the year! We’ve got A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett, Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan, and The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty. I love all three books so much! 🥹

Best sequel so far of 2026?

I’m going to go with a different answer to what I would’ve said initially because I want to use different books for each question. 🤭

So for this we’re going with The Voyage of the Basilisk by Marie Brennan. After the first book, this third installment in the series was my favourite. I loved the action-packed adventure, Pacific-inspired setting, and the characters especially. It was so wonderful to see more of Isabella as a mother, her wonderful son Jake, and I loved meeting Suhail! 😍

New release you haven’t read yet but want to?

Gosh, I have too many options for this one! I’m gonna go with a contemporary / lit fic that has a bit of a mystery to it? This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum sounds really good and I can’t wait to read it!

Most anticipated release for the second half of 2026?

I AM READY FOR VICTORIOUS by V.E. Schwab! Please. I need. 🥹

Biggest disappointment?

🚨 Unpopular Opinion Alert (probably). I was so disappointed that I didn’t love The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley. Still unsure whether I’m giving it a 3-star rating or lower.

It’s a bit perplexing because the overall feeling that I have is confusion and… Like I somehow missed something? There were bits I enjoyed but for the most part, I don’t think I got what the author was trying to do or say. Nothing really came together in a cohesive way, despite the mash of really strong themes, and so it felt a bit like a ‘whomp-whomp’ moment for me at the end. ☹️ Bummed fr.

Biggest surprise?

What It Means When A Man Falls From the Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah is not in my usual wheelhouse but I remembered hearing great things about it and I couldn’t agree more.

This was such a beautifully written collection of short stories that ties in together the experiences of mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, lovers, friends, and strangers in Nigeria and of the diaspora. Most of all, these stories are about women and girls with fire in their bellies and who refuse to be stamped out.

Favourite new author (Debut or new to you)?

Ooh, always a toughie this. I think this year I’m going with a favourite new-to-me author and that’s S. A. MacLean. I buddy read Voidwalker a couple months back and really enjoyed it! It was tense, hilarious, sexy, and nail-bitingly good. I’m so excited for the sequel and can’t wait to go back and read her 2024 debut!

Newest fictional crush?

Ooh, I got nothing this time around… 🙃

Newest favourite character?

Oh gosh, there are so many new characters that I’ve met and loved! First to mind are:

Book that made you cry?

As always, there have been several because I’m a super emotional reader, but these three had me ugly crying big time!

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy, The Ocean Would Paint Me Blue by Zoulfa Katouh, 10 Minutes and 38 Seconds in this Strange World by Elif Shafak

Book that made you happy?

Forgive-Me-Not by Mari Costa was so freaking cute! There were definitely dark moments, but for the most part, this made me feel giddy and buoyant, especially that cheesy ending. 🤭

Favourite book to movie/TV adaptation that you saw this year?

So… I haven’t actually watched any adaptations this year and there have been so many so I haven’t got anything to put here! 😶‍🌫️

Favourite review you’ve written this year?

This has been another year where I’ve struggled to write reviews. 😮‍💨 Maybe once I have more time after June I’ll be able to do better with this!

Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)?

I’m subscribed to Illumicrate and Afterlight, and I always find their editions absolutely stunning. It’s so hard to choose!

What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

Well, it’s not so much a need because I don’t really do ARCs these days, but the books I want to read before the year ends? What book don’t I want to read before then? 🤭 Here are some that come to mind:

Heart the Lover by Lily King, The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang, Arcana Academy by Elise Kova, Bat Eater by Kylie Lee Baker, The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow

And that’s it for the end of the 2026 mid-year check-in! How has your year of reading been so far? Have you read any of these or are they on your TBR?

Blog signature that reads: Let's Chat! xoxo, Dini

22 thoughts on “The 2026 Mid-Year Check-In Tag”

  2. It feels like this year is flying by! I hope that you find some peace of mind and don’t stress anymore, Dini!

    I have a few of the books mentioned on my TBR, so it makes me happy to see them here, especially Elif Shafak. I have been meaning to get to her books for quite some time, and this is the perfect reminder to do so.

    OMG V.E Schwab is an old-time fave author of mine, and I need to catch up with her books. I have Bury our bones… I need to get to first!

    Have a wonderful weekend, play some games, unwind and relax ❤

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    • Thanks, Lin! It’s been a pretty stressful last couple of months, but I’m just hanging on until the end of June, after which I can do a proper reset and see where things go from there! I loved the Shafak book that I read and I can’t wait to read more by her—I hope that you enjoy her writing as well! I also have Bury Our Bones… I don’t know why I’m hesitant to pick it up, lol. I hope I’ll love it as much as I’ve loved the rest of her books! Hope you’re doing well and have had a wonderful week/weekend too! 💜

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      • I’m very sorry to hear about that Dini. But glad that you will have the time to unwind and reset.
        Thank you. I added her book to my TBR, and I hope to get to it by the end of the year! Fingers crossed you enjoy that one too. I love Schwab’s books and I hope this one doesn’t disappoint either 🙂 Thank you, right back at you ❤

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      • That’s funny, because pretty much every opinion I’ve seen about it (including my own!) was very lukewarm about it! I guess it just goes to show that the world/Internet is such a large place there’s always the possibility of getting a different vibe on things!

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  9. Gaming is a very valid form of decompressing 🙂 I also can’t believe that we’re already at the end of June..what!? Also I still haven’t read The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi! Yesss Voyage of the Basilisk was sooo good and I haven’t read many sequels this year yet. I feel like I’ve only heard negative things about The Ministry of Time in my circles definitely not one that I’m keen to try :S May I put Suhail forth for a literary crush option? 😝 I bought Forgive-Me-Not at a comic convention earlier this month and met Mari Costa so I’m super looking forward to getting to it (so happy you loved it!)

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  13. I always love reading these tags and should try and do it myself sometime this month. I loved The Adventures Of Amina al-Sirafi too and definitely consider it a newfound favourite. A Drop Of Corruption and Voyage Of The Basilisk were also superb reads though. Both such addictive series. I wasnt a fan of The Ministry Of Time either. I feel bad saying it but to me it kind of felt like the authors own fantasies about the historic figure 🙈 I found it a slog to get through, although it had bits I enjoyed, and the end just ugh.

    Ooh I’ve seen a few rave reviews for Voidwalker over on Instagram too. Sounds like one I’ll have to try and pick up soon. I’ll definitely have to try your crying choices sometime too as I’m oddly determined to find a book that can move me to tears 😂

    Ooh I have Bat Eater out of the library at the moment. Have you read anything else by the author? Japanese Gothic made me an instant fan. I also need to get to The Everlasting before the end of the year. And am buzzing at Illumicrates July and August choices – two months running the titles have been ones from my most anticipated list. Now I just have to hope that September is too as it’ll be a shame for my birthday month to break the pattern.

    I hope you have a wonderful rest of the year.

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  15. You are doing great reading wise! Even if it’s slower than you would prefer! I’m so glad we started the Paladin books!! We need to figure out if we want to jump into the next one! There are some books on here that k haven’t heard of so I’ll have to look those up! I do hope the rest of the year is less stressful! 💜

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