Top Ten of My Recent 5 Stars Reads

TTT is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

I tend to be a bit stingy with my 5 stars ratings, especially since I'm prone to giving half stars so a lot of my favourite reads would have a 4.5 star rating rather than a full 5 stars. As a result, I had to look back all the way to the middle of last year to find the last 10 books that I gave 5 stars rating to but I think the hunt is worth it.

A interesting side note is that, looking back, I realized I have given 5 stars ratings to these books for different reasons. Some of them is because of their amazing story arcs, some because of their character development or imagination, some because they made to think, and some because they were truly entertaining. But yeah, without further ado, here are the 10 recent books that I felt were worthy of the 5 stars rating!

1. You Were Here by Cori McCarthy

This book completely blew any expectations I had prior to reading completely out of the waters. I honestly didn't expect to cherish it as much as I have. For more of my thoughts, check out my review of it here.

2. Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

By the way, this by extension includes some but not all the instalments of the Throne of Glass series. I think I also gave a 5 stars rating to The Assassin's Blade as well for being an awesome series of novellas that fleshed out Celaena as a kickass assassin. I think I really enjoyed The Heir of Fire because I felt it took the whole series onto another level.

3. The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman & Chris Riddell

Neil Gaiman surprises me at every turn. He really doesn't have a particular genre he sticks to and I have a hard time pigeon-holing some of his works. The Sleeper and the Spindle for instance, is charming and quirkly unique in its own way. I really enjoyed how imaginative it was, definitely not what I was expecting.

4. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Definitely mind-blowing. I delayed picking this one up for the longest time because of all the hype. But it wasn't what I was picturing and this series... I just can't wait for the final book! Check out my review of it here.

5. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

I almost never give new adult novels a full 5 stars rating but this one - it was just charmingly so well rounded in its own way that I really couldn't fault it at all. Love it to pieces.

6. Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

I really enjoyed the Grisha trilogy though overall, I would probably give the whole trilogy a 4 stars rating. However, Siege and Storm stood out for me because it was a solid book 2, which traditionally is always the weakest book of a trilogy. So kudos!

7. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

V.E. Schwab is one of my auto-buy authors. And this series just cements her position even further. Imaginative story arcs, complex world building, intriguing cast of characters - what is there not to love?

8. The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot (Audiobook format)

The novel itself deserves a 4 stars rating and I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I had read it when I was younger. However, what made this book perfect for me was I borrowed it from the local library in audiobook format and it was narrated by Anne Hathaway! It really felt like Mia Thermopolis was narrating all her secrets out loud. Hathaway's narration earned that extra star. Check out my review of the audiobook here.

9. All the Lights We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

I am so glad to have picked up this book. It was amazing and heart-breaking at the same time. Check out my review of it here.

10. The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Marie Lu is another recent addition to my auto-buy authors list. The Young Elites is possibly even better than her Legend trilogy. I can't wait to see how it all ends!

So there you have it, my most recent 5 stars reads. Which books made your list this week?