Books that were rated 5 stars by our members in 2020
Books that were rated 5 stars by our members in 2019

Comedy

• Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare (Sa13+)

Contemporary

• Crazy Rich Asians (Crazy Rich Asians, #1) by Kevin Kwan (Sa16+)
• A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi (Sa13+)
• Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty (Sa16+)
• Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple (Sa16+)
• Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia (Sa16+)

Fantasy

• Children of Blood and Bone (Children of Blood and Bone, #1) by Tomi Adeyemi (Sa16+)

Historical Fiction

• Cleopatra's Shadows (Fall of Egypt, #1) by Emily Holleman (Sa16+)
• Circe by Madeline Miller (Sa16+)

Mystery

• The Night Olivia Fell by Christina McDonald (Sa16+)

Science Fiction

• Archenemies (Renegades, #2) by Marissa Meyer (Sa13+)
• Scythe (Arch of a Scythe, #1) by Neal Shusterman (Sa13+)

Suspence/Thriller

• Inherited Truth (Blood Secrets, #1) by Alicia Anthony (Sa16+)

I'll kick us off by recommending a few of my favourite books that I have read so far this year! *realises as I write this that there are SO MANY books I want to recommend*


Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia (Sa16+) | Genre: Contemporary

CW: Mental health (anxiety/depression and some mention of a parent's suicide)

This was the first book I read this year and I instantly loved it! It's about when fandom and fame meet. It's good representation for anxiety and I really enjoyed the characters. Without giving too much away, it centres around Eliza, the girl behind a very popular webcomic series. The story explores what happens when her identity is no longer anonymous.


Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi (Sa16+) | Genre: Fantasy

CW: Violence

LOVED. THIS. BOOK. I can't wait for the sequel! I'm terrible at summarising books, so here's the blurb from Goodreads:

SPOILER!!: blurb

They killed my mother.
They took our magic.
They tried to bury us.

Now we rise.

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers and her growing feelings for an enemy.

Scythe by Neal Shusterman (Sa13+) | Genre: Science Fiction

CW: Death. Violence.

This book has such an interesting premise! What if natural death had been eradicated, could be reversed, and technology took care of almost all of humanity's needs? The population is managed using Scythes who are individuals trained to 'glean' a number of people yearly without bias. The book doesn't contain too much graphic violence. It talks a lot about death, but in a way that we don't in real life.

The Night Olivia Fell by Christina McDonald (Sa16+) | Genre: Mystery

CW: Death, Teen Pregnancy(?)

I very much enjoyed this book, for anyone who likes Young Adult (it's not specifically a YA, but it very much read like one to me), Mystery, Crime.

Compared to many of the other books of the Mystery/Crime genre I read (which are not YA), this one is rather mild in those bits, but the plot is basically a big mystery. I quite liked some of the characters, the author made it easy to dislike other characters, and I miiiiiight have shed some tears at the end It's also told from alternating perspectives of Olivia, in the months before the fall, and her mother Abi immediately after, and for a few months after the fall. So, yeah. Here is the blurb (also from Goodreads because I also am horrid at explaining things)

SPOILER!!: blurb

In the vein of Big Little Lies and Reconstructing Amelia comes an emotionally charged domestic suspense novel about a mother unraveling the truth behind how her daughter became brain dead. And pregnant.

A search for the truth. A lifetime of lies.

In the small hours of the morning, Abi Knight is startled awake by the phone call no mother ever wants to get: her teenage daughter Olivia has fallen off a bridge. Not only is Olivia brain dead, she’s pregnant and must remain on life support to keep her baby alive. And then Abi sees the angry bruises circling Olivia’s wrists.

When the police unexpectedly rule Olivia’s fall an accident, Abi decides to find out what really happened that night. Heartbroken and grieving, she unravels the threads of her daughter’s life. Was Olivia’s fall an accident? Or something far more sinister?

Christina McDonald weaves a suspenseful and heartwrenching tale of hidden relationships, devastating lies, and the power of a mother’s love. With flashbacks of Olivia’s own resolve to uncover family secrets, this taut and emotional novel asks: how well do you know your children? And how well do they know you?

I think I recommended this book very often on Twitter

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan (Sa 16+) | Genre: Contemporary

CW: none

This recommendation might sound a little bit biased because I'm an Asian recommended this book from Asian writer about Asian life but if you need a light, no-brainer, fun reading, this is the book. Is the book better than the movie? Oh, yes. I mean they did change some scenes at the movies and the book is pretty much funnier (plus you can study how complicated the old money family in Asia works)

A little blurb from Goodreads:



and this is just the beginning of the trilogy.

Archenemies by Marissa Meyer (Sa13+) | Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
*Archenemies is the sequel to Renegades.

I greatly enjoy her writing and wanted to recommend one of her novels here. Trust me, she has written a ton of great stuff!

CW: Violence

"The Renegades Trilogy continues, in this fiercely awaited second installment after the New York Times-bestselling Renegades by Marissa Meyer, author of the Lunar Chronicles. Time is running out. Together, they can save the world. But they each other's worst nightmare. Nova's double life is about to get a lot more complicated: As Insomnia, she is a full-fledged member of the Renegades, a syndicate of powerful and beloved superheroes. She works with Adrian's patrol unit to protect the weak and maintain order in Gatlon City. As Nightmare, she is an Anarchist - a group of of villains who are determined to destroy the Renegades. Nova wants vengeance against the so-called heroes who once failed her when she needed them most. But as Nova, her feelings for Adrian are deepening, despite the fact that he is the son of her sworn enemies and, unbeknownst to Nova, he has some dangerous secrets of his own. In this second installment of the Renegades trilogy, Nova, Adrian, and the rest of their crew - Ruby, Oscar, and Danna -- are faced with escalating crime in Gatlon City, while covert weapons and conflicting missions have Nova and Adrian questioning not only their beliefs about justice, but also the feelings they have for each other. The line between good and evil has been blurred, but what's clear to them both is that too much power could mean the end of their city - and the world - as they know it. this is part of 'The Renegades Trilogy #2”

I wasn't sure where else to log this so *throws caution to the wind and ignores the format*

Ern made this nifty list on Goodreads of ALL the books that we Book Seekers rated 5 stars in 2019 in the reading log thread. They are, essentially, recommendations, after all. I've tucked it away for safe keeping in the log at the top of this page. Feel free to browse it and let it inspire your reading this year.

Inherted Truth (Blood Secrets #1) by Alicia Anthony
Sa16+
Genre: Suspense

CW: Violence, murder

I so enjoyed this book. Alicia is actually a co-worker of mine and I wanted to support her with her first published book, but we all know how that can go. You either will be able to or feel bad if you didn't like it. Well, there was no need to feel bad about this one. It was such a great book. From the minute I started reading I couldn't put it down, I love trying to guess who the person will be at the end and how the mystery will be fully solved.

SPOILER!!: from goodreads

A woman with buried secrets…
An agent with an impossible mission…
An inheritance that will destroy them both…

When Liv Sullivan’s dead grandmother beckons for help from beyond the grave, the reluctant psychic is forced back to her small Ohio hometown. Scrambling to make sense of her grandmother’s legacy, Liv finds herself face to face with undercover Agent Ridge McCaffrey.

Assigned to protect the woman whose gifts unnerve him, all for a covert psychic intelligence operation he doesn’t understand, Ridge struggles to place duty over desire. But when a body is found at Sullivan Farm and Liv’s allegiance is called into question, Ridge’s mission becomes clear.

Can Liv unearth family secrets that are best left buried before the ghosts of her past destroy her dreams of a normal future?

1. Cleopatra's Shadows (Fall of Egypt #1) by Emily Holleman

Rating: Sa16+
Genre: Historical Fiction

I'm a huge history buff, and I'm especially interested in royal families throughout history and that includes Cleopatra and her Macedonian lineage. I loved this book because it was a story of Cleopatra's sisters - Arsinoe and Berenice. It's a side of history you don't often see explored. The author did a pretty solid job of using what little information we have on these figures and creating relatable characters around them. It was fast moving, too, AND there is a sequel. The ending, of course, is a bit predictable because - duh, history. But I hope this author continues to explore the story of Cleopatra and her reign over Egypt from the viewpoint of the supporting characters!

2. Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

Rating: Sa13+
Genre: Comedy

Ok so, you're probably wondering why I'm recommending a Shakespeare play. Well, in addition to being the FIRST Shakespeare play I was introduced to, I truly believe this is one of his best works to start with if you have never read Shakespeare before. The plot is relatively easy to follow, and it's one of his comedies - a much lighter play compared to his dramas, for obvious reasons. I remember seeing this play as a freshman in high school and being amazed that I could follow it all - and it was actually funny! It's a nice quick read too, and a great introduction to his works. It's one of my go-to feel good movies as well! (The Kenneth Branagh version, obviously).

3. Circe by Madeline Miller

Rating: Sa16+
Genre: Historical Fiction/Greek Mythology

I have been wanting to read this book for literally over a YEAR but also wanted to wait for it to come out on paperback because...I dunno. I saw the hardcover and thought it was too big lol. Anyways, I LOVED this book so much. It follows the story of the mythological witch Circe, and is of course tied to all sorts of stories in Greek mythology. I thought it was a unique idea to follow a character who doesn't really get a whole lot of development in stories that she DOES traditionally appear in, and the ending literally made me GASP out loud. If you're familiar with Greek mythology you can probably guess much of what happens, but it really does suck you in and I can't wait to read her other book The Song of Achilles.

another recommendation from RandomRaven is coming~

• A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi (Sa 13+) | Genre: Contemporary
  TW: Islamophobic, Xenophobic

This book was recommended by a blogger I followed on my twitter. What makes me interested because this book is written by a American Muslim woman about American Muslim teenage girl with hijab who faces the negative stereotype especially after 9/11 attack (the setting was in 2002).

Being a teenager is hard, let alone being a teenager from a minority group. Shirin was sixteen years old and she just started her sophomore year in a new school. Her first day sucked badly because her teacher butchered her name's pronunciation and assumed she was a fresh off the boat immigrant from Middle Eastern. To avoid being a target of racial and Islamophobic slurs, she decided to not engage in any kind of social life and doesn't even have friends besides her brother, Navid, who later created a break dancing club in their school and let Shirin join him with his friends. One day, she was assigned in a bio assignment with Ocean James. Ocean became intrigued with her and tried to be more social despite he kept being pushed away by Shirin.

Yeah, I know it sounds like a cliche YA romantic but The portion of romance in this book won't make you feel diabetic and cringe because it's well balanced with other elements. I really love the relationship of Shirin and her brother, not to mention Navid reminds me of my brother (minus the break dancing one, but he didn't mind to let me join him and his friends back when we were little). Does this book also contain Islamic matter? Yes, but not that much (and I think it's enough for a non religious novel).

To go off what Ulfa said, Crazy Rich Asians (the whole trilogy) is SO GOOD. The movie was great too, but it doesn't hold a candle to the series! Lol. I really felt like I learned a lot from reading these books, and I love love love the author's writing style and characterizations. I mean, there are a LOT of characters in the series and I felt like all were fairly round/well-developed. It's hard to even say which one was my favorite!

So anyway, two recent reads that have been sticking with me:

Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple (contemporary, Sa16+). This is an excellent book and a pretty good movie (directed by Richard Linklater). The book is amazing though. I would call it multi-genre (or I guess epistolary) and an absolutely perfect example of indirect characterization. Everything you learn about the titular character is through someone else's perspective. It's also LOL hilarious. Seriously. You will laugh when you read it. I loved this book. Here's a description I think from Wikipedia: "Where'd You Go, Bernadette is a 2012 epistolary comedy novel written by Maria Semple. The plot revolves around an agoraphobic architect and mother named Bernadette Fox, who goes missing prior to a family trip to Antarctica." Fun fact: I did not name my RPG character after her, but they do have some similar characteristics. LOL.

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty (contemporary, Sa16+). Here's another hilarious book which could be considered a thriller but nah not really. Here's a description I adapted from Wikipedia: Nine Australians from different walks of life attend a pricey 10-day "Mind and Body Total Transformation Retreat" at a place called the Tranquillum House. Chaos ensues.

Liane Moriarty is one of my favorite thriller authors; you might recognize her name from Big Little Lies. She is seriously a master of creating a large cast of funny but well-developed characters. In fact, I feel like she has a lot in common with her protagonist, Frances, in this novel. Annnnnd I just found out Nine Perfect Strangers is going to be adapted into a Hulu series starring Melissa McCarthy, coming out next year! WOOT! That's gonna be funny.

Okay so I'm recommending my two favorite books that I read last year, but please know that they are both very tough reads for different reasons, which I'll highlight in my descriptions of them.

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara (contemporary, literary fiction, Adult)

I am making this warning larger than the title so it is ABUNDANTLY CLEAR that it is important. A Little Life is not a fun book, it's extremely depressing and hard to get through. If you are easily emotionally distressed (especially if you get very emotionally attached to characters), or if you are triggered by domestic abuse, self harm, sexual violence, pedophilia and/or suicidal thoughts/actions, you may want to skip out on this one.

That being said, this was probably the best book I read all year and will be one of my favorites for a long time. The story follows a group of four men from college to middle age that live in New York. The story holds a particular focus on Jude, a troubled man with a terrible past. It's beautifully written (though definitely a bit pretentious), and the characters are so well developed that they feel like real people. If anyone reads this book and doesn't cry by the end they're a sociopath or medically can't cry. It is also a chonker of a book at somewhere around 710-730 pages if I remember correctly (at least my copy was). If you're in the mood for some extremely sad life story realness, then this one's the book for you.

The Troop by Nick Cutter (horror, Adult)

This is a gory mess of a book and I loved every second of it.

Horror is one of my favorite genres, and this is one of the best horror books I've read, period. The story is about a troop of five boy scouts and their scoutmaster that take a trip to a deserted island in the Canadian wilderness. While there, a man with a bio-medically engineered, uh.... contagion seems like the right word—and an insatiable hunger decides to come to their campground. And the rest is blood-soaked chaos.

The Troop is a masterpiece of body horror literature. And, yes, that does mean blood, guts and generally gross imagery. It's told in a mixture of news articles that clue you in about the situation and prose from the perspective of the campers. Speaking of the campers, they're all 14, so if you're uncomfortable reading about horrible things happening to 14-year-old boys, or just generally don't want a side of nausea with your reading experience, this might not be for you. For any horror fans, though, this one is a must read.

I am back with another Thriller, this book has MANY triggers and isn't going to be for the faint at heart. It is based around some serious topics, but it was so good.

Fractals by Alicia Anthony

This book is about a 17 year old and the life she has been dealt and one of her teachers who has a past of his own and through her is trying to honestly save them both. This book will keep you wanting to finish it to see how it ends for everyone. It has twists and turns that make you ponder, question, worry, and at points be happy.

From goodreads: Fractals is an emotionally intense psychological thriller that explores the impact of trauma on our perception of right versus wrong.
Content Warning: This book contains elements of human trafficking which may be difficult for sensitive readers