Well, well, well. It’s the last month of the year and what a year it’s been. I started 2023 with one goal in mind: read 50 books this year. It was the same goal as last year but with a better mental state and a more disciplined mindset, I was determined to make it work! And I did! I will be finishing out the year with over my goal of 50 books read! Woohoo! Now as the year comes to a close, I want to do some reflection on the books I’ve read. So today, I’ll be telling you guys (my lovely little readers) about five books that I’ve rated five stars this year. Let’s dive in.
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
This was such a surprise to me because I was not expecting to (nor did I really want to, the world doesn’t need another girl obsessed with this series) like this book at all. However, it is so well written it was hard to tear me away from the book! Even at times when nothing exciting or particularly interesting was happening, I was still captured by the beauty of Meyer’s words. She has a wonderful way of laying out a scene even if the entire chapter takes place in Bella’s mind. Plus, the overall vibes of the novel are much different than that of the movies. When I see clips from the movies, I don’t feel as drawn in and that may be because they have been criticized so much over the many years that it just feels clingy and ironic. But the books feel timeless. From the first page, I was captured by the story in a way that I hadn’t been by a book in a while! I now understand and submit to what the hype was about with this series. Also, I totally understand the hype over book Edward. It’s hard not to fall in love with him–that is once you get past the fact that he’s hundreds of years old. Overall, this was a 5-star read for me because of how I was transported into the book I was. Nothing was breaking my immersion once I picked this one up.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Theif by Rick Riordan
This book may feel out of place in this list, but as one of my favorite books ever, I had to include it. At least once a year, I return to this book and to the absolute glee I felt while reading it for the first time. I could not explain the chokehold this book and series had on me as a child. And for good reason! The world that Rick Riordan creates is addicting and so complex that it’s insane. The way he is able to revamp and retell Ancient Greek mythology and make it entertaining in a revolutionary way grabs you and doesn’t let you go. Not to mention the characters are just amazing. Percy has the perfect and most realistic angst for a young boy and when I first read this I connected with him in a way I wasn’t able to do with other books I was reading at the time. Now as an adult, I still feel the same. Young and old can enjoy this book and for me, this is a classic fantasy read. Always worth 5 stars.
The Island by Adrian McKinty
If I had to name the perfect thriller novel, this would not be it but it’d be pretty damn close! I knew I’d enjoy this novel because I loved reading The Chain by McKinty a few years ago. For a quick summary, the novel follows a family of four on a business/vacation trip to Australia when a day trip to see some wildlife goes terribly wrong. Now being hunted by this secluded family, Heather has to try and save her own life and the lives of others. When I tell you that my body was shaking while I was reading this book, I mean it. From the jump, there’s so much tension between the main characters that sets up such an interesting dynamic throughout the entire story. The beginning does start a little slower, but once the action starts it doesn’t stop and I was ripping through those pages like there was no tomorrow. This “kill or be killed,” fight for survival novel was easily a 5-star book and I could NOT put it down (nor could I stop telling my friends all about it teehee).
Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison
As you may know, if you frequent the blog enough, Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison was my favorite read of October. This is a body horror novel but feels entirely like something else, though there are pages and pages of deep details centered around body horror. Truthfully, I couldn’t put a label on this book; there were just so many genres and topics covered, but they were never muddled together. The novel had such great ebb and flow. My favorite part about the novel was the symbolism between werewolf-isms and female rage which is so subtle yet perfectly written. Plus the way Harrison was able to navigate through the heart-warming to heart-breaking to laugh-your-butt-off moments made reading this such a beautiful experience. The relationships between all the characters are so complex, but the complexity is flawlessly conveyed. I also loved getting to experience werewolves from a female perspective since typically it’s from a male one. Add this to your TBR for the next spooky season.
If We Were Villians by M.L. Rio
I am rounding out the list with my favorite read of the year. When I say this book was transforming, I’m not lying. I first added this novel to my TBR based on the fact that I liked the cover and I thought it was going to be a fantasy thriller. At the time, it was so unassuming. Before I even officially started this novel, I knew it was going to be a story that would leave me crying at the end, and I was right. M.L. Rio writes such a beautiful letter to the reader at the beginning of the book that I was already tearing up. That’s when I knew this book was going to mess me up. I have to give it to her that for days after I finished this book I was left speechless and couldn’t stop thinking about it. It’s honestly hard for me to put into words what I even liked about this. The intricate relationships between all of the characters are unlike anything I’ve ever seen in writing, especially considering the point of view is through one character’s perspective. But it’s all in the little details, the small observations that may not seem important that make this the masterpiece it is. Not to mention the hidden details that aren’t explicitly given to the reader add to the mastery. I don’t want to say much else about this because I feel everyone should just experience it for themselves. Just know that this book left me bawling my eyes out and contemplating everything I ever knew in silence for a long time. This book stuck a dagger in my heart, twisted, then ripped it out. 1 million stars for this book.
So, that's that! I hope you enjoyed reading about some of my favorite books from the past year, and I hope you are as excited as I am for the year to come! More time to read more books! Yay!
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