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A Look Back: Five Star Books

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2020 is coming to an end, and for my own curiosity, I thought I would share the books that moved me in the last 12 months. I count December 2019 in this collection since I’m obviously not done with December 2020 yet.

Vicious – The first book in a duology by VE Schwab. All of her books usually garner a four or five star for me. In this book, there are two scientists trying to figure out how to give themselves special powers. And when they finally figure out what it takes, things go horribly wrong.

The Starless Sea – Erin Morgenstern’s most recent book. I love her lyrical writing and fantastical settings. A man finds a scene of his life written in an incredibly old book. Upon further investigation, he finds an entire world of magic that is on the brink of trouble.

The Stationery Shop – I love this book by Marjan Kamali because it addresses pregnancy loss and mental health, though it is not really a part of the main plot. Two lovers get separated during a revolution. Decades later, they are reunited and discover exactly what happened and why it happened on that fateful day in history.

When God Made the World – Any book of Matthew Paul Turner usually gets a five star from me (as you will see on down this list). The illustrations are beautiful. Lovely children’s book that explores God’s creation and how we play a wonderful part in it.

The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands – One of my absolute favorite nonfiction/self-help books this year. Lysa Terkheurst shares the beauty of boundaries and changes the perspective of saying no to waiting to say the best yes.

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle – The other favorite nonfiction/self-help book. Written by sisters Amelia and Emily Nagoski, it explores stress as a study and how to work through it to live a healthier, slightly more sane life.

Don’t Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy to Your Life – Sweet memoir kind of book from Anne Bogel, who has a blog (Modern Mrs. Darcy) and a podcast (What Should I Read Next). Very appropriate book for this year.

Lovely War – Julie Berry Novel set mostly during World War One. The twist of this book is that the author incorporates Greek Gods who narrate the story. Aphrodite is trying the tell Hephaestus what love is when he finds her in the arms of Ares.

This Tender Land – William Kent Kruger novel that gives both Odyssey and Tom Sawyer vibes. Set during the Great Depression. Odysseus and Albert escape the abusive boarding school in the North and travel along the Mississippi river in hopes to reunite with their aunt.

The Color of Compromise: The Truth abut the American Church’s Complicity in Racism – Jemar Tisby’s excellent look at the history of the American church and slavery. I learned so much about how everything has evolved throughout time and how it has complicated everything today.

A Darker Shade of Magic – One of my hands-down favorite authors, V. E. Schwab. This was probably the series that put her in the spotlight, though I read some of her other novels first. It really does live up to the hype. The story takes place in London but there are four Londons, four worlds, once connected by magic. But when one world fell, it was shut out in hopes of containing the destruction. However, Kell and Lila have stumbled upon something that could change and destroy everything.

The Jane Austen Society – Natalie Jenner’s novel. Another historical fiction set in the town of Chawton, England after World War II. The town is known as one of the last places Jane Austen resided, writing some of her last novels there. A group of people connect over her books and seek to preserve her memory when the famous estate her brother owned might get sold off by its owner. TW: There is pregnancy loss in the book, but it is well-handled

All the Colors of Christmas – The second Matthew Paul Turner book on this list. No surprise here. Very beautiful book for Christmas that talks about the different colors that we find during this season, including ourselves as part of the beautiful picture.

How to Be an Antiracist – Ibram X. Kendi’s memoir-esque book about his journey to becoming more antiracist. It includes history and the people who inspired him along the way.

The House in the Cerulean Sea – This absolutely lovely book by TJ Klune is magical, fantastical, sweet, heartbreaking, and the closest thing to a perfect story. Linus Baker is a social worker who observes orphanages of magical creatures to see whether they are appropriately caring for their wards. When he is given a special assignment, his isolated, quiet life is turned upside-down in the most delightful way. Lucy was my favorite character.

Middlegame – A Seanan McGuire alchemical story about two people created as counterparts to each other and how they try to stop the end of the world. Beautiful, hopeful and heartbreaking.

What are some of your 5 star books this year?

What I Read In May

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Whereas April was a great reading month, where I felt like I was devouring book after book, May sort of slowed down. I still managed to read four books, so I’m not in a slump. I just learned what I like and don’t like in my books, honing my tastes even more.

Here are the books.

How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids: A Practical Guide to Becoming a Calmer, Happier Parent. I read this right after “How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen” and I think they work pretty well together. This book focused more on anger management in parenting, how normal it really is and ways to prevent it. Of course, it also talked about how to deal with the aftermath when you do lose it with your kids, because it’s going to happen, but it did it in a nonjudgmental way. Carla Naumburg has a social worker’s background, which really drives the book. Also, as you can probably guess in the title, this book has a bit of profanity. I think most of the chapter titles included some form of a cuss word. However, if language bothers you, I urge you to look past it because this book has so many great points and tips on how to interact pretty much in any relationship. I realize that this is technically a parenting book, but it felt more like an anger management book that used parenting in its examples. Definitely a recommendation.

Journey to the Center of the Earth. This was my first Jules Verne book, which was a book I read for the Life’s Library book club. And I did not like it one bit. I can see why Verne is such a lauded author. He seamlessly interweaves real science with fantasy. In this particular book, it’s geology and mineralogy that are highlighted, but it really goes into the details of these sciences. I just wasn’t interested in the long paragraphs about gems and rocks and the tools that are used. Also, the narrator (the nephew of the professor who goes on the journey with him) is really dramatic and whiny. While I think it is meant to actually create drama and intrigue, I found myself just rolling my eyes a lot. I see value in the book, see why others might like it, especially if they find those sciences fascinating, but it was not for me.

Lovely War. Julie Berry tricked me. This was the May book for the Modern Mrs. Darcy book club, so it wouldn’t have been I honestly would have sought on my own. And when I realized it started with a conversation between Greek gods which transforms into a story of four people during WW1, I thought it would be slightly interesting (because I am a fan of mythology). Hazel and James are the first couple introduced and their pining love story was really sugary sweet for me. Little did I know, I was being lulled into feeling safe, like this was one of those sweet historical fiction romances with a little drama and action on the side. And then, bam! After meeting the other couple (Aubrey and Collette), the story roller-coasters me into racial injustices and death and loss and pain and mental health issues when I least expected it. By this point, I’m invested in these characters to the point that I literally threw the book down towards the end, disbelieving where Berry was taking me. It is so good, worth every page, even the sweet romantic ones. Usually I award 5 stars if the author makes me cry, but this author managed to pull a plethora of emotions out of me. If I could give more stars, I would. Big recommendation!

The Gilded Wolves. I bought this book last year because I loved the cover. I’ve never really bought a book for that reason, but it also was hyped at the time by booktubers I followed, so I thought why not? Roshani Chokshi pulls from various beliefs and mythologies to create a world set in the 1800s where people have “Forged” powers, the ability to create things from other things, whether with matter or the mind. Basically, the plot is a heist. The main characters all come from different backgrounds with different abilities (some can forge, others do not), and they are a part of the heist for different reasons. It was very Oceans 11 in that respect. I’m not actually a fan of the heist plot, but the book has other merits. Each chapter comes from a different perspective and the book ends on major cliffhangers. I definitely want to read the next one but only because I am curious how relationships will be repaired or completely broken. If you like a good heist book, this is definitely one for you!

Those are all of the books I read in May. Of course, this next month I’m going to be reading different books and sharing book reviews a bit more like I used to share them, one at a time. But that’s a discussion for next month. Happy reading!

What books have you read lately, or what books should I have on my next TBR?