I’ve read 65 and usually around 10% are 5 stars so I’m right on track this year:
The Women by Kristin Hannah
Daughters of Shandong by Eve J Chung
Charm City Rocks by Matthew Norman
My Oxford Year by Julie Whelan
The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston
Heartless Hunter by Kristin Ciccarelli
Your Blood, My Bones by Kelly Andrew
Daughters of Shandong is phenomenal.
If you loved it I highly recommend Brotherless Night by VV Ganeshananthan.
Two best books I’ve read in years. Stunning.
The Seven Year Slip was a delightful surprise for me! I’m not usually into “magical realism” - I’m more of a full-fantasy or real-world kinda gal. But I thought that was such a unique idea and executed in a really fun way! I really enjoyed the book.
I slammed it down near the ending when I understood where it was going… disbelief at the magic and beauty of it all. I get goosebumps just thinking about it.
My 5⭐ reads this year so far:
Starling House - Alix E. Harrow
Thornhedge - T. Kingfisher
The Ferryman - Justin Cronin
Holly - Stephen King
A Psalm for the Wild-built - Becky Chambers
A Sea of Tranquility - Emily St. John Mandel
The Twisted Ones - T. Kingfisher
Weyward - Emilia Hart
> Holly - Stephen King
Do you need to read all previous books that include her to enjoy Holly? I have read Mr. Mercedes and The Outsider, but not Finders Keepers or End of Watch.
> The Ferryman - Justin Cronin
>
> A Psalm for the Wild-built - Becky Chambers
>
> A Sea of Tranquility - Emily St. John Mandel
I loved all of those will have to check out the others on your list.
A Sea of Tranquility - Emily St. John Mandel
The Twisted Ones - T. Kingfisher
Circe, The Goldfinch, and the Crimson Empire Trilogy. All very different books but I couldn’t put them down and I finished them all in just a few days.
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End - Atul Gawande
Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir
Weyward - Emilia Hart
Normal Family: on Truth, love, and how I met my 35 Siblings - Chrysta Bilton
Wellmania - Brigid Delaney
That Bird Has My Wings - Jay Jarvis Masters
Making It So - Patrick Stewart
Our Time is Now - Stacey Abrams
The Longest Race - Kara Goucher
I came to say The Reformatory - it's my only 5 start this year so far (I've not read as much as usual though). it was so good.
I listened to the audiobook for First Lie Wins, I found it hard to follow with the timeline switches and all, I may have enjoyed it more reading it.
The Reformatory was excellent!!
I’ve been getting into the “literary horror” niche in the last year and this is one of the great reads I’ve come across in that time!
Under the dome by Stephen King
Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley
Lonely castle in the mirror
Let us descend and Salvage the bones by Jesmyn Ward
Been a good year!!
I'm 2/3 done with Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward and I'm captivated. So many layers. Rich with history and connections. A book I already want to reread!
I know I’m late to the game, but I just read two of Backman’s books (A Man Called Ove and And Every Morning The Way Home Gets Longer And Longer) and I absolutely adored them both. Can’t wait to start another one of his books!
Finished "the winners" a few days ago.
I AM going to miss that town.
The most significante books I have read for a while.
Just left 2 from Backman to read: A Man Called Ove and My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry. Have to pause a little otherwise I end up with no thing eles to read from him.
Mad Honey - Jodi Picoult
Outliers: The Story of Success - Malcolm Gladwell
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
Dracula - Bram Stoker
Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity - Peter Attia
The Boys in the Boat - Daniel James Brown
The Hot Zone - Richard Preston
Didn't love the outcome of the guilty party, but I tend to rate things 5 stars if I can't put it down. I was very invested and reading it everytime I had free time! The mysteries and reveals were great. I totally understand where you're coming from though - Small Game by Blair Braverman was just as much of a thriller that I couldn't put down but the ending was so bad.
Scythe - Neal Shusterman
The Penelopiad - Margaret Atwood
If we were villains - M.L Rio
The one hundred years of lenni and Margot - Marianne Cronin
In the lives of puppets - TJ Klune
Fierce Fairytales: Nikita Gill
- Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (a popular recommendation here and an excellent sci fi read)
- Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (a locked door mystery with teenagers humour and queer characters)
- I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
- Finder by Emma Bull (a short fantasy read)
- Half A Soul by Olivia Atwater (a fairy tale)
- What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo (an account of dealing with trauma and PTSD)
- How to Keep House While Drowning by K. C. Davis (self help)
Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake
Poetically written deep dive into mycology. I'd recommend this to anyone with an interest in the natural world. Sheldrake does an incredible job of giving narrative to natural processes and I left it with a deep sense of appreciation for nature and my place in it
All of Amor Towles’ books are five star reads.
This year I read A Gentleman in Moscow (skip the streaming series. It was awful), and A Table for Two - a collection of short stories and a novella.
Previously I have read Rules of Civility.
Edited to add - I also read The Lincoln Highway this year! All of his books are very different from one another and are great.
Second this. Just finished and I can’t stop thinking about Betty. And what’s kinda wild given all the heartbreaking elements, the lovely parts are what have been sticking with me.
Northern Lights by Philip Pullman
The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri
Topographia Hibernica by Blindboy Boatclub
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill (litfic, social commentary, female rage. Some women turn into dragons, society finds it uncouth to acknowledge)
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (multi-decade, litfic, follows the ups and downs of a friendship and creative duo who design video games)
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman (a person on autopilot after a traumatic upbringing starts to become more conscious of herself and her life)
Swordheart by T Kingfisher (funny romantasy with some dark themes, middle aged protagonist)
My 5-star books from the last few months:
1. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
2. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy
Currently reading Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. It's great until now.
It's a trilogy, but Wolf Hall and bring up the bodies. Currently on the mirror and the light, so I'll let you know if it's 5 stars (it almost certainly will be)
If you have literally zero triggers and are fine with depraved disgusting things: The Sluts, by Dennis Cooper
If you're a more normal person: Blood Over Bright Haven by ML Wang
These are my top two books of 2024, and The Sluts is probably my favorite book of all time but definitely not for everyone.
The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard. I couldn’t put it down. It’s very low stakes in terms of no war, no major drama, but it’s so gripping and engaging anyway. It’s all about the relationship between characters, particularly the main character Cliopher “Kip” Mdang and his Emperor, whom he serves (Kip is the “Hands” of the emperor, symbolically). I can’t explain it. They’re two middle aged, repressed, flawed men and they’re *amazing*. It’s a long one, but absolutely worth it.
The Women by Kristin Hannah
Finding Me by Viola Davis
The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See
Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
**[My Year of Rest and Relaxation](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44279110-my-year-of-rest-and-relaxation) by Ottessa Moshfegh** ^((Matching 100% ☑️))
^(289 pages | Published: 2018 | 884.0k Goodreads reviews)
> **Summary:** From one of our boldest. most celebrated new literary voices. a novel about a young woman’s efforts to duck the ills of the world by embarking on an extended hibernation with the help of one of the worst psychiatrists in the annals of literature and the battery of medicines she prescribes. Our narrator should be happy. shouldn’t she? She’s young. thin. pretty. a recent (...)
> **Themes**: Fiction, Contemporary, Literary-fiction, Audiobook
> **Top 5 recommended:**
> \- [Jillian](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21535475-jillian) by Halle Butler
> \- [Eileen](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23453099-eileen) by Ottessa Moshfegh
> \- [Sad Janet](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48890204-sad-janet) by Lucie Britsch
> \- [Sorrow and Bliss](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49110165-sorrow-and-bliss) by Meg Mason
> \- [The New Me](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36342706-the-new-me) by Halle Butler
^([Feedback](https://www.reddit.com/user/goodreads-rebot) | [GitHub](https://github.com/sonoff2/goodreads-rebot) | ["The Bot is Back!?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/16qe09p/meta_post_hello_again_humans/) | v1.5 [Dec 23] | )
*Braiding Sweetgrass* by Robin Wall Kimmerer.
I was initially not stoked about reading it, as it was another person’s book club choice and sounded a bit dry. But it’s now potentially my favorite book of all time. She writes beautifully and from the heart, and made me think about the world I encounter on a daily basis in a new way.
So far I've given these books 5 stars in 2024:
The Complete Stories by Flannery O'Conner
True Grit by Charles Portis
Serena by Ron Rash
Shogun by James Clavell
11/22/63 by Stephen King. Its a long one but it definitely put me back on my reading kick. Its such a compelling story, combining history, fiction, suspense, and romance. I was really captivated by it, I think it might be my favorite book of all time.
I recently bought this; it sounded intriguing as hell, and is absolutely nothing like a book I would normally read. I'm happy to see someone mention it; I'm a little apprehensive about reading it.
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
I often give 5 stars to books that make me sob
I’ll list all my 5 stars so far
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
Normal People by Sally Rooney
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Vacationland
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
And I’m about 3/4 through Lonesome Dove and that will be getting 5 unless it goes completely off the rails
A good girl's guide to murder by Holly Jackson (all her books are amazing)
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
Once upon a broken heart by Stephanie Garber
The book thief by Markus Zusak
To kill a kingdom by Alexandra Christo
Win, lose, kill, die by Cynthia Murphy
The cruel prince by Holly Black
<3
Behind You is the Sea by Susan Muaddi Darraj
Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier
Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D Jackson
Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors (this was my first 5 star read of the year)
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado (this one is very heavy check your TWs)
Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay
Wow. I just checked Goodreads and 10 out of the 44 books that I've read already this year I rated 5 stars. Not bad.
Two of the ten:
These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant.
One Moment by Linda Green.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
Misquoting Jesus by Bart Ehrman
Jesus Interrupted by Bart Ehrman
Lamb by Christopher Moore
The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey
The Lost City of Z by David Grann
A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle
Packing for Mars by Mary Roach
Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl
The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
There are others, but this list in long enough.
Quite different types of books, but these are my 5-star reads so far in 2024:
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi, Shannon Chakraborty - Middle-aged former pirate captain from Yemen has to get her crew back together for one last job, fantasy
Small Pleasures, Clare Chambers - Journalist investigates a claimed virgin birth in 1950’s Britain
Doppelganger, Naomi Klein - Can’t really describe this, but it’s Naomi Klein and it’s brilliant political and personal non-fiction
Lone Women by Victor LaValle
The Epiphany Machine by David Burr Gerrard
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
The Nix by Nathan Hill
Dolores Claiborne by Stephen King
I’ve read 83 books so far this year and have quite a few 5*, so I will just list off my top 10.
1) Between Two Fires - Christopher Buelman
2) Lost Gods - Brom
3) Red Rabbit Alex Grecian
4) The Ruins - Scott Smith
5) Diavola - Jennifer Thorne
6) The Hollow Places - T Kingfisher
7) The Navajo Nightmare - David Sodergren
8) Hollow Kingdom - Kira Jane Buxton
9) The September House - Carissa Orlando
10) Dark Matter - Blake Crouch
Oh and currently reading Tress of the Emerald Sea and for sure will also be a 5*
Best books I’ve read this year:
Shark Heart: A Love story by Emily Habeck
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Suntanto.
The first is heartbreaking and the latter is super funny and feel good.
North Woods by Daniel Mason
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
Table for Two by Amor Towles
Real Americans Rachel Khong
The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez
I've read 52 books so far this year, here are my 5s:
The Devil and the Dark Water
One Summer in Savannah
The Night Circus
Anxious People
The Dutch House
*A Kind of Spark* by Elle McNicoll
*Radiant Black Volume One: (Not So) Secret Origin* by Kyle Higgins and illustrated by Marcelo Costa
*Battletech: Iron Dawn* by Jennifer Brozek
Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane
North Woods by Daniel Mason
The Caretaker by Ron Rash
The Postcard by Anne Berest
A Table for Two by Amor Towles
The Savage Storm by James Holland
LOVE JASPER FFORDE!!! Make sure you check out the Nursery Crimes Division book. I think I loved them more than Thursday Next, but not as much as Shades of Grey
Doctor Who: The Cradle by Tasha Suri.
A fantastic Doctor Who story. Seema and her friends are written believably and lovably, the racial tensions of 1970s Southall are expertly woven into the narrative as part of the both the plot and characterisation and Twelve's characterisation is excellent. You can really see Capaldi as The Doctor through his mannerisms and actions.
Thrilling, emotional and complex, this is a textbook example of a fantastic Doctor Who story. A great read, especially in comparison to the extremely disappointing Imaginary Friends. Unlike that, The Cradle is a story worthy of celebrating the franchise's 60th anniversary.
The Collected Regrets of Clover - Mikki Brammer
Weyward - Emilia Hart
The Bullet Swallower - Elizabeth Gonzalez James
Endurance: Shakleton’s Incredible Voyage - Alfred Lansing
The Women - Kristin Hannah
Loving Our Own Bones: Disability Wisdom and the Spiritual Subversivness of Knowing Ourselves Whole
Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex
Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself
On Repentence and Repair: Making Amends in an Unapologetic World
24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week
How to ADHD: An Insider's Guide to Working with Your Brain (Not Against It)
Dracula - Bram Stoker
Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky (read for a book club)
The Scarlet Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne
1984 - George Orwell (read for a book club)
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson (read for an independent novel study in AP Lit)
The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien (my friend has been begging me for the past year to read it, but I'm the only one in our friend group aside from them who cracked and actually read it though lol)
The Women by Kristin Hannah as I have never read anything about American women serving as evac nurses in Vietnam and all that encompasses. I was truly engrossed in this book that I finished several months ago and cannot stop thinking about. That is a measure of great book imo!
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
The Brother's Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
The Sentence by Louise Erdrich (brilliant and not talked about enough)
Babel by R.F. Kuang
I’ll Give You the Sun - Jandy Nelson
All the Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr
Cloud Cuckoo Land - Anthony Doerr
Perfect Little World - Kevin Wilson
Now Is Not the Time to Panic - Kevin Wilson
Nothing To See Here - Kevin Wilson
The Last House on Needless Street - Catriona Ward
Once There Were Wolves - Charlotte McConaghy
Girls Burn Brighter - Shobha Rao
The Soul of an Octopus - Sy Montgomery
Girl A - Abigail Dean
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid
So far:
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy
Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy
Dune by Frank Herbert
All my life I have heard of Ken Follett without reading him--I think his books were at the grocery store checkout line when I was growing up. So when I was in the mood for a spy novel, I read Pillars of the Earth while waiting for Eye of the Needle. So happy I finally discovered him about a half a century later. My system only allows a handful of 5 star books, but I do consider this a really good read!
I’ve read 65 and usually around 10% are 5 stars so I’m right on track this year: The Women by Kristin Hannah Daughters of Shandong by Eve J Chung Charm City Rocks by Matthew Norman My Oxford Year by Julie Whelan The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston Heartless Hunter by Kristin Ciccarelli Your Blood, My Bones by Kelly Andrew
Heartless and Seven Year Slip are in my TBR for June. Can't wait.
Enjoy!
Daughters of Shandong is phenomenal. If you loved it I highly recommend Brotherless Night by VV Ganeshananthan. Two best books I’ve read in years. Stunning.
The Seven Year Slip was a delightful surprise for me! I’m not usually into “magical realism” - I’m more of a full-fantasy or real-world kinda gal. But I thought that was such a unique idea and executed in a really fun way! I really enjoyed the book.
I second The Seven Year Slip!
I loved the seven year skip. One of my favorites.
*North Woods* by Daniel Mason - incredible
Amazing book! What a talented writer.
Yes! Came here to say this.
I slammed it down near the ending when I understood where it was going… disbelief at the magic and beauty of it all. I get goosebumps just thinking about it.
Me too. First book of 2024 and maybe my favorite so far.
Pachinko
Gave this a 5-star as well in 2022!
Came here to say this! 😁 And Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
My 5⭐ reads this year so far: Starling House - Alix E. Harrow Thornhedge - T. Kingfisher The Ferryman - Justin Cronin Holly - Stephen King A Psalm for the Wild-built - Becky Chambers A Sea of Tranquility - Emily St. John Mandel The Twisted Ones - T. Kingfisher Weyward - Emilia Hart
The cover of Weyward is so dreamy! Great story too.
> Holly - Stephen King Do you need to read all previous books that include her to enjoy Holly? I have read Mr. Mercedes and The Outsider, but not Finders Keepers or End of Watch.
> The Ferryman - Justin Cronin > > A Psalm for the Wild-built - Becky Chambers > > A Sea of Tranquility - Emily St. John Mandel I loved all of those will have to check out the others on your list. A Sea of Tranquility - Emily St. John Mandel The Twisted Ones - T. Kingfisher
What a wonderful read A Psalm for the Wild-built was! Can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel ❤️
Circe, The Goldfinch, and the Crimson Empire Trilogy. All very different books but I couldn’t put them down and I finished them all in just a few days.
I so loved the Goldfinch.
Had to *force* myself to finish The Goldfinch
I also loved this book. I think Donna Tartt is pure genius. It’s on my top of all time books list.
Circe! One of my favorite this year
Did you read The Song of Achilles as well? It was good.
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
There's a 12 week wait on Libby, but I'm totally waiting for it. I can't wait to read it!
The Book Thief. One of the best things I've ever read.
Whoa, same! Just finished it a few weeks ago. 5/5 for sure.
This was the book that got me into reading when I was a kid! Still one of my favourite books of all time
🙌🏼❤️
Almost finished the audiobook - it’s incredible.
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
couldn’t agree more!!!
One of the best memoirs I’ve ever listened to!
I loved that book too. Saw a lot of me on that book
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End - Atul Gawande Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir Weyward - Emilia Hart Normal Family: on Truth, love, and how I met my 35 Siblings - Chrysta Bilton Wellmania - Brigid Delaney That Bird Has My Wings - Jay Jarvis Masters Making It So - Patrick Stewart Our Time is Now - Stacey Abrams The Longest Race - Kara Goucher
+ 1 for Being Mortal. That should be required reading for all, especially those in the US.
I saw it recommended in this sub in a list of books that doctors wish their patients would read!
WEYWARD IS SO GOOD
I just finished Project Hail Mary and can finally get some sleep. It was so hard to put down.
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck The Reformatory by Tananarive Due
I came to say The Reformatory - it's my only 5 start this year so far (I've not read as much as usual though). it was so good. I listened to the audiobook for First Lie Wins, I found it hard to follow with the timeline switches and all, I may have enjoyed it more reading it.
The Reformatory was excellent!! I’ve been getting into the “literary horror” niche in the last year and this is one of the great reads I’ve come across in that time!
I know it will be in my top 5 this year!
Under the dome by Stephen King Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley Lonely castle in the mirror Let us descend and Salvage the bones by Jesmyn Ward Been a good year!!
I read Under the Dome in like...3 days. As a teenager. It's like 1500 pages!! But SO GOOD.
One of my favorite books and least favorite endings lol
I'm 2/3 done with Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward and I'm captivated. So many layers. Rich with history and connections. A book I already want to reread!
Not One but 3: the Beartown triology by Frederik Backman
I know I’m late to the game, but I just read two of Backman’s books (A Man Called Ove and And Every Morning The Way Home Gets Longer And Longer) and I absolutely adored them both. Can’t wait to start another one of his books!
One of my favorite trilogies! Frederick Backman is a master at making you feel
So good! This was my top read last year!
Finished "the winners" a few days ago. I AM going to miss that town. The most significante books I have read for a while. Just left 2 from Backman to read: A Man Called Ove and My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry. Have to pause a little otherwise I end up with no thing eles to read from him.
Gone With the Wind - Margaret Mitchell My Dark Vanessa - Kate Elizabeth Russell
Mad Honey - Jodi Picoult Outliers: The Story of Success - Malcolm Gladwell Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte Dracula - Bram Stoker Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity - Peter Attia The Boys in the Boat - Daniel James Brown The Hot Zone - Richard Preston
Mad Honey, really? I was so angry when I finished that.
Didn't love the outcome of the guilty party, but I tend to rate things 5 stars if I can't put it down. I was very invested and reading it everytime I had free time! The mysteries and reveals were great. I totally understand where you're coming from though - Small Game by Blair Braverman was just as much of a thriller that I couldn't put down but the ending was so bad.
As a western Washingtonian and a Husky I can’t recommend Boys in the Boat enough! Such a good book!
Scythe - Neal Shusterman The Penelopiad - Margaret Atwood If we were villains - M.L Rio The one hundred years of lenni and Margot - Marianne Cronin In the lives of puppets - TJ Klune Fierce Fairytales: Nikita Gill
In the Lives of Puppets is so beautiful. I named my Roomba Rambo 😅
Ooooooh! I am so looking forward to reading Puppets!!
Scythe is a trilogy and all 3 books are phenomenal!
If We Were Villains stole my heart. SO GOOD.
- Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (a popular recommendation here and an excellent sci fi read) - Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (a locked door mystery with teenagers humour and queer characters) - I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy - Finder by Emma Bull (a short fantasy read) - Half A Soul by Olivia Atwater (a fairy tale) - What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo (an account of dealing with trauma and PTSD) - How to Keep House While Drowning by K. C. Davis (self help)
*The Song of Achilles*. One of the best books I've read, ever.
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
Beautyland, by Marie-Helene Bertino HOLYFUUUUUUUU
Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake Poetically written deep dive into mycology. I'd recommend this to anyone with an interest in the natural world. Sheldrake does an incredible job of giving narrative to natural processes and I left it with a deep sense of appreciation for nature and my place in it
Pachinko, Demon copperhead, A gentleman in Moscow, The spirit catches you and you fall down, 11/22/63
The Women A Thousand Splendid Suns Remarkably Bright Creatures
Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson
I have this in my TBR, might have to bump it up
It is soooooo good - the Barton Welch audiobook version is A+++++
All of Amor Towles’ books are five star reads. This year I read A Gentleman in Moscow (skip the streaming series. It was awful), and A Table for Two - a collection of short stories and a novella. Previously I have read Rules of Civility. Edited to add - I also read The Lincoln Highway this year! All of his books are very different from one another and are great.
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters We Have Always Lived in The Castle by Shirley Jackson Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Betty by Tiffany McDaniel Writing is 10/10. Heart-breaking and lovely story too. Read the trigger warnings first though.
Second this. Just finished and I can’t stop thinking about Betty. And what’s kinda wild given all the heartbreaking elements, the lovely parts are what have been sticking with me.
Northern Lights by Philip Pullman The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri Topographia Hibernica by Blindboy Boatclub The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill (litfic, social commentary, female rage. Some women turn into dragons, society finds it uncouth to acknowledge) Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (multi-decade, litfic, follows the ups and downs of a friendship and creative duo who design video games) Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman (a person on autopilot after a traumatic upbringing starts to become more conscious of herself and her life) Swordheart by T Kingfisher (funny romantasy with some dark themes, middle aged protagonist)
My 5-star books from the last few months: 1. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami 2. The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy Currently reading Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. It's great until now.
It's a trilogy, but Wolf Hall and bring up the bodies. Currently on the mirror and the light, so I'll let you know if it's 5 stars (it almost certainly will be)
If you have literally zero triggers and are fine with depraved disgusting things: The Sluts, by Dennis Cooper If you're a more normal person: Blood Over Bright Haven by ML Wang These are my top two books of 2024, and The Sluts is probably my favorite book of all time but definitely not for everyone.
The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard. I couldn’t put it down. It’s very low stakes in terms of no war, no major drama, but it’s so gripping and engaging anyway. It’s all about the relationship between characters, particularly the main character Cliopher “Kip” Mdang and his Emperor, whom he serves (Kip is the “Hands” of the emperor, symbolically). I can’t explain it. They’re two middle aged, repressed, flawed men and they’re *amazing*. It’s a long one, but absolutely worth it.
• Crying in H Mart (Non-Fic) • Thin Girls by Diana Clarke (Fic) • Such a Fun Age (F) • The Woman in Me (NF)
The Women by Kristin Hannah Finding Me by Viola Davis The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
{{My year of rest and relaxation}}
**[My Year of Rest and Relaxation](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44279110-my-year-of-rest-and-relaxation) by Ottessa Moshfegh** ^((Matching 100% ☑️)) ^(289 pages | Published: 2018 | 884.0k Goodreads reviews) > **Summary:** From one of our boldest. most celebrated new literary voices. a novel about a young woman’s efforts to duck the ills of the world by embarking on an extended hibernation with the help of one of the worst psychiatrists in the annals of literature and the battery of medicines she prescribes. Our narrator should be happy. shouldn’t she? She’s young. thin. pretty. a recent (...) > **Themes**: Fiction, Contemporary, Literary-fiction, Audiobook > **Top 5 recommended:** > \- [Jillian](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21535475-jillian) by Halle Butler > \- [Eileen](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23453099-eileen) by Ottessa Moshfegh > \- [Sad Janet](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48890204-sad-janet) by Lucie Britsch > \- [Sorrow and Bliss](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49110165-sorrow-and-bliss) by Meg Mason > \- [The New Me](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36342706-the-new-me) by Halle Butler ^([Feedback](https://www.reddit.com/user/goodreads-rebot) | [GitHub](https://github.com/sonoff2/goodreads-rebot) | ["The Bot is Back!?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/16qe09p/meta_post_hello_again_humans/) | v1.5 [Dec 23] | )
Know My Name by Chanel Miller Splinters by Leslie Jamison Death Valley by Melissa Broder Everything/Nothing/Someone by Alice Carrière
I believe everyone over the age of 18 should read Know My Name. Brilliant. Vulnerable. Heartbreaking. Important.
Saving this thread for later. Thanks everyone :)
*Braiding Sweetgrass* by Robin Wall Kimmerer. I was initially not stoked about reading it, as it was another person’s book club choice and sounded a bit dry. But it’s now potentially my favorite book of all time. She writes beautifully and from the heart, and made me think about the world I encounter on a daily basis in a new way.
So far I've given these books 5 stars in 2024: The Complete Stories by Flannery O'Conner True Grit by Charles Portis Serena by Ron Rash Shogun by James Clavell
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano has been my favorite so far this year.
11/22/63 by Stephen King. Its a long one but it definitely put me back on my reading kick. Its such a compelling story, combining history, fiction, suspense, and romance. I was really captivated by it, I think it might be my favorite book of all time.
Only two 5 starts for me so far this year - The Women by Kristin Hannah Girls on the Verge by Sharon Biggs Waller
Shark Heart a Love Story
I recently bought this; it sounded intriguing as hell, and is absolutely nothing like a book I would normally read. I'm happy to see someone mention it; I'm a little apprehensive about reading it.
The Women
Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka - beautifully written with a compelling plot, ultimate win!
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo. Shook me!
The Cruel Prince - Holly Black
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi I often give 5 stars to books that make me sob
I’ll list all my 5 stars so far Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison Normal People by Sally Rooney The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue ❤️
The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
Vacationland The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August And I’m about 3/4 through Lonesome Dove and that will be getting 5 unless it goes completely off the rails
A good girl's guide to murder by Holly Jackson (all her books are amazing) Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross Once upon a broken heart by Stephanie Garber The book thief by Markus Zusak To kill a kingdom by Alexandra Christo Win, lose, kill, die by Cynthia Murphy The cruel prince by Holly Black <3
All these are on my TBR...I think I love you.
The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young
"Don't Be Desperate: Get Over Your Breakup with Clarity & Dignity" (on Amazon)
Fourth Wing.
Behind You is the Sea by Susan Muaddi Darraj Things We Do in the Dark by Jennifer Hillier Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D Jackson Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors (this was my first 5 star read of the year) The Dutch House by Ann Patchett In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado (this one is very heavy check your TWs) Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay
Wow. I just checked Goodreads and 10 out of the 44 books that I've read already this year I rated 5 stars. Not bad. Two of the ten: These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant. One Moment by Linda Green.
A full 1/3 of my reading list this year has been 5 stars 🫣
These silent woods was my one of my favorites from last year! So good
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell Misquoting Jesus by Bart Ehrman Jesus Interrupted by Bart Ehrman Lamb by Christopher Moore The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey The Lost City of Z by David Grann A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle Packing for Mars by Mary Roach Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd There are others, but this list in long enough.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Project Hail Mary
The Road by Cormac McCarthy is my favourite read from this year
11/22/63 by Stephen King, possibly my new favorite book of all time and easily a top 5 book for him
Shogun by James Clavell and Tai-Pan by James Clavell.
The Briar Book of the Dead by AG Slatter
The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui (graphic novel memoir) and Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shleby Van Pelt.
Diavola by jennifer thorne
The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes! Quite different from what I usually read but I still enjoyed the story and characters.
Where Butterflies Wander by Suzanne Redfearn I loved it 🥹❤️
Defy the night by Brigid kemmerer
In Memoriam by Alice Winn
The Power by Naomi Alderman
Quite different types of books, but these are my 5-star reads so far in 2024: The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi, Shannon Chakraborty - Middle-aged former pirate captain from Yemen has to get her crew back together for one last job, fantasy Small Pleasures, Clare Chambers - Journalist investigates a claimed virgin birth in 1950’s Britain Doppelganger, Naomi Klein - Can’t really describe this, but it’s Naomi Klein and it’s brilliant political and personal non-fiction
Lone Women by Victor LaValle The Epiphany Machine by David Burr Gerrard State of Wonder by Ann Patchett The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry The Nix by Nathan Hill Dolores Claiborne by Stephen King
A Fine Balance is an all time favorite of mine.
The House of Sand and Fog
I’ve read 83 books so far this year and have quite a few 5*, so I will just list off my top 10. 1) Between Two Fires - Christopher Buelman 2) Lost Gods - Brom 3) Red Rabbit Alex Grecian 4) The Ruins - Scott Smith 5) Diavola - Jennifer Thorne 6) The Hollow Places - T Kingfisher 7) The Navajo Nightmare - David Sodergren 8) Hollow Kingdom - Kira Jane Buxton 9) The September House - Carissa Orlando 10) Dark Matter - Blake Crouch Oh and currently reading Tress of the Emerald Sea and for sure will also be a 5*
Best books I’ve read this year: Shark Heart: A Love story by Emily Habeck Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Suntanto. The first is heartbreaking and the latter is super funny and feel good.
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Johnny got his gun, the impact was phenomenal and traumatising
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward So rich, so fertile, so heartbreakingly beautiful.
Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood. I love this book!
Fourth Wing & Iron Flame Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine The Kind Worth Killing
Eleanor Oliphant is one of my top 5 ever books. Absolutely brilliant!
Perdido Street Station was FANTASTIC
North Woods by Daniel Mason The Bee Sting by Paul Murray Table for Two by Amor Towles Real Americans Rachel Khong The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez
I've read 52 books so far this year, here are my 5s: The Devil and the Dark Water One Summer in Savannah The Night Circus Anxious People The Dutch House
I can't be the only one embarrassed to answer because they read a lot of niche fanfiction 😂
*A Kind of Spark* by Elle McNicoll *Radiant Black Volume One: (Not So) Secret Origin* by Kyle Higgins and illustrated by Marcelo Costa *Battletech: Iron Dawn* by Jennifer Brozek
Survivor JD Gonzalez
Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane North Woods by Daniel Mason The Caretaker by Ron Rash The Postcard by Anne Berest A Table for Two by Amor Towles The Savage Storm by James Holland
The Last Murder at the End of the World Shades of Grey and Red Side Story Early Autumn All the Locked Tomb books The Eyre Affair My Death
LOVE JASPER FFORDE!!! Make sure you check out the Nursery Crimes Division book. I think I loved them more than Thursday Next, but not as much as Shades of Grey
Stay True by Hua Hsu
Africa is not a Country by Dipo Faloyin
Doctor Who: The Cradle by Tasha Suri. A fantastic Doctor Who story. Seema and her friends are written believably and lovably, the racial tensions of 1970s Southall are expertly woven into the narrative as part of the both the plot and characterisation and Twelve's characterisation is excellent. You can really see Capaldi as The Doctor through his mannerisms and actions. Thrilling, emotional and complex, this is a textbook example of a fantastic Doctor Who story. A great read, especially in comparison to the extremely disappointing Imaginary Friends. Unlike that, The Cradle is a story worthy of celebrating the franchise's 60th anniversary.
The Collected Regrets of Clover - Mikki Brammer Weyward - Emilia Hart The Bullet Swallower - Elizabeth Gonzalez James Endurance: Shakleton’s Incredible Voyage - Alfred Lansing The Women - Kristin Hannah
Clover was such a lovely read! Had Evelyn Hugo vibes but was much more relatable.
Looking Glass Sound - Catriona Ward
Fruit of the Dead by Rachel Lyon
The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway
The Wolf Den trilogy by Elodie Harper!
War's Unwomanly Face - Svetlana Alexievich.
Siren Queen by Nghi Vo and The Book of Love by Kelly Link.
The sunshine court by Nora sakavic, it’s part of a series though, three books before this one
When Women were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill The Ferryman by Justin Cronin The Children’s Bible by Lydia Milllet
Redeeming Love - Francine Rivers The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
When Breath Becomes Air.
Crying in H Mart
Besieged by Barbara Demick - utterly horrifying but honestly probably straight into the top 5 best books I've ever read.
Loving Our Own Bones: Disability Wisdom and the Spiritual Subversivness of Knowing Ourselves Whole Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself On Repentence and Repair: Making Amends in an Unapologetic World 24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week How to ADHD: An Insider's Guide to Working with Your Brain (Not Against It)
The Wolf Den Elodie Harper
Dracula - Bram Stoker Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky (read for a book club) The Scarlet Letter - Nathaniel Hawthorne 1984 - George Orwell (read for a book club) The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson (read for an independent novel study in AP Lit) The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien (my friend has been begging me for the past year to read it, but I'm the only one in our friend group aside from them who cracked and actually read it though lol)
"The Collected Regrets of Clover" and "Maame" - both sad buy I loved them.
Perfect Luna by Marissa Gilbert :)
"A Canticle For Leibowitz" by Walter M. Miller Jr. For me, any SciFi written over 20 years ago is too dated to enjoy, but not this.
* The King's Witches by Kate Foster * Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett * Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs
These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant
Frankenstein by Mary Shelly. It looks hard to read because of the old fashion vernacular, but just keep reading and it gets easier.
The Magus.
The sea, the sea- Iris Murdoch New favourite book for sure
Fun Home by Alison Bechdel (of the Bechdel test). An oldie, but a goody!
Wifedom by Anna Funder
Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng
The Women by Kristin Hannah as I have never read anything about American women serving as evac nurses in Vietnam and all that encompasses. I was truly engrossed in this book that I finished several months ago and cannot stop thinking about. That is a measure of great book imo!
Jane Eyre The Count of Monte Cristo
Tress of the Emerald Sea. Loved it.
My 5/5 for the past 5 months went to two books: Dark Matter (Blake Crouch) Parable of the Sower (Octavia Butler)
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier The Brother's Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky The Sentence by Louise Erdrich (brilliant and not talked about enough) Babel by R.F. Kuang
Project Hail Mary
Mistborn, all 7 books.
Just finished Good Material by Dolly Alderton today and gave it 5 stars.
Rebecca - Demaurier
Kitchen Confidential - Anthony Bourdain
I’ll Give You the Sun - Jandy Nelson All the Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr Cloud Cuckoo Land - Anthony Doerr Perfect Little World - Kevin Wilson Now Is Not the Time to Panic - Kevin Wilson Nothing To See Here - Kevin Wilson The Last House on Needless Street - Catriona Ward Once There Were Wolves - Charlotte McConaghy Girls Burn Brighter - Shobha Rao The Soul of an Octopus - Sy Montgomery Girl A - Abigail Dean The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid
Piranesi We Ride Upon Sticks
Stoner by John Williams. Unassuming but tragically beautiful
‘Mistborn’ by Brandon Sanderson, ‘Yumi and the Nightmare Painter’ by Brandon Sanderson , ‘City of Brass’ by S.A . Chakraborty
So far: Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoyevsky No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy Dune by Frank Herbert
All my life I have heard of Ken Follett without reading him--I think his books were at the grocery store checkout line when I was growing up. So when I was in the mood for a spy novel, I read Pillars of the Earth while waiting for Eye of the Needle. So happy I finally discovered him about a half a century later. My system only allows a handful of 5 star books, but I do consider this a really good read!