*As many of you know, I got back into reading towards the end of last year. This year, I have created a goal for myself to keep up the habit of reading. Some of those books that I read have received five stars. And I want to rank those books here. Which one is the ULTIMATE five-star book?*
Five Star Book List (in no particular order... yet)
The Midnight Library By Matt Haig
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins-Reid
Someday Maybe By Onyi Nwabineli
We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds
The Song of Achilles Madeline Miller
The Invisbile Life of Addie Larue by V.E Schwab
Reminders of Him By Colleen Hoover
Now that we got the list together, let's get to the ranking:
7. Reminders of Him By Colleen Hoover
This novel, like most of the novels on this list, was the first book that I have read by this author. Colleen Hoover is known for her writing style and emotional plots. I felt like this book is an example of that. Here is a description of the plot:
After serving five years in prison for a tragic mistake, Kenna Rowan returns to the town where it all went wrong, hoping to reunite with her four-year-old daughter. But the bridges Kenna burned are proving impossible to rebuild. Everyone in her daughter’s life is determined to shut Kenna out, no matter how hard she works to prove herself. The only person who hasn’t closed the door on her completely is Ledger Ward, a local bar owner and one of the few remaining links to Kenna’s daughter. But if anyone were to discover how Ledger is slowly becoming an important part of Kenna’s life, both would risk losing the trust of everyone important to them. The two form a connection despite the pressure surrounding them, but as their romance grows, so does the risk. Kenna must find a way to absolve the mistakes of her past in order to build a future out of hope and healing (Goodreads.com)
Kenna is a great character to follow because once you discover her crime, her good qualities slowly start to diminish. However, once you read more into her character you cannot help to feel sorry for her. You want her to have a relationship with her daughter while also secretly hoping that she doesn't achieve that. I think that this novel has genuine, heartfelt emotions. The anger, love, and frustration, were felt at those times when they needed to be. Ledger Ward also serves as a good costar for Kenna because he wants to help her but cannot find it himself to do that. Overall, Hoover encapsulates the motherly love well and the human emotional journey in this drama.
6. The Midnight Library By Matt Haig
Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better? Nora Seed finds herself faced with this decision. Faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups, realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist; she must search within herself as she travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first place (Goodreads.com).
Just from that synopsis, you can tell this book is going to be a wild adventure. The lesson of this book cuts deep. As you explore Nora's life and see the outcome of the decisions that she made (or the ones she didn't), it makes you look at your own life differently. You start asking questions like: How would my life be different if I had done this or that? What if I did this? What if I didn't do that? A quote that sums this novel up perfectly is, "The only way to learn is to live". The concept is immersive while also being versatile. I would label this book as fantasy, but alos philosophical drama (don't know if that is a real genre or I just made it up). I think that everybody will have that feeling of wanting or regret doing things differently. The opportunity to change your life is what is driving this novel.
5. Someday, Maybe by Onyi Nwabineli
"Here are three things you should know about my husband: 1. He was the great love of my life despite his penchant for going incommunicado.
2. He was, as far as I and everyone else could tell, perfectly happy. Which is significant because…
3. On New Year’s Eve, he committed suicide.
And here is one thing you should know about me:
1. I found him.
Bonus fact: No. I am not okay.
Firstly, I love how the synopsis is on Eve (the main protagonist's point of view). This is a very solid debut novel from Onyi. I can see this novel becoming a huge stepping stone in her career. This almost falls into the same emotions as Reminders of Him, in term of drama. A woman dealing with grief and the author beautifully captures that pain. The grief upon pain make the novel devastating. But, the writing in this novel was extraordinary. The language was heavy, yet airy. Since the writing was flowy it made the novel very digestible. Also, the first-person point of view gives you a window into all of Eve's emotions, experiences, and heartbreak.
4. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo By Taylor Jenkins-Reid
This was my second Taylor Jenkins- Reid novel. My first was Daisy Jones and the Six. Then, I watched the TV series adaptation of Daisy Jones. The TV series and the book was similar and there waere almost no changes in the two. One thing that could be said aboyt Reid is that she writes extreme;y cinematic.
"Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now? Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career. Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story nears its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways (Goodreads.com)
The way that the film follows Evelyn from the 1950s all the way to present day. I did not know this while reading, but this is categprized as hsistorical fiction. IThis is my first novel in this genre and it was a goos branch off from what I usually read. It not only show the struggles Evelyn had to face, but the struggles women had to face. With each husband she finds out something more about herself. The discovery of love is very significant in this novel. A lot is revealed in this book and with every turn, there is always a surprise. Enjoy those discoveries and surprises because ths novel have good representation as well as diversity.
3. The Invisible Life Of Addie Larue By V. E Schwab
"France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world. But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.
V.E Schwab amnges to merge two novels on this list into one. Addie Larue reminds me of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo while also giving off the same vibes of The Midnight Libary. The same fantastical and whimscl factors from The Midnight Library is present in Addie Larue. As Addie Larue is cursed with immortality, she looks at the lives that she could have had if she was not cursed and forgotten. In the same breath, the novel follows Addie throughout the years, just like Evelyn. The book almost traps you from bginning to end.. but in a good way obviously. Schwab manages to pull onto your heart strings even when you want to leave it behind. The dreams that Addie wasnt to have she can no longer accomplsih. The hopes are slipping away from her. But, the small hope that she holds onto in only preserved by one thing.. love.
2. We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds
There is only one word for this coming-of age novel and that is... wow.
Family secrets, a swoon-worthy romance, and a slow-burn mystery collide in We Deserve Monuments, a YA debut from Jas Hammonds that explores how racial violence can ripple down through generations. What’s more important: Knowing the truth or keeping the peace? Seventeen-year-old Avery Anderson is convinced her senior year is ruined when she's uprooted from her life in DC and forced into the hostile home of her terminally ill grandmother, Mama Letty. The tension between Avery’s mom and Mama Letty makes for a frosty arrival and unearths past drama they refuse to talk about. Every time Avery tries to look deeper, she’s turned away, leaving her desperate to learn the secrets that split her family in two. While tempers flare in her avoidant family, Avery finds friendship in unexpected places: in Simone Cole, her captivating next-door neighbor, and Jade Oliver, daughter of the town’s most prominent family—whose mother’s murder remains unsolved. As the three girls grow closer—Avery and Simone’s friendship blossoming into romance—the sharp-edged opinions of their small southern town begin to hint at something insidious underneath. The racist history of Bardell, Georgia is rooted in Avery’s family in ways she can’t even imagine. With Mama Letty's health dwindling every day, Avery must decide if digging for the truth is worth toppling the delicate relationships she's built in Bardell—or if some things are better left buried (Goodreads.com.)
Coming-of-age books or movies will always have a special place in my heart. While they are not my favorite genre to read or watch, they are always the most realistic. At the age of 12, Avery is the youngest main protaganist on thi slist. Twelve is a good age to start this jiurney as she is between being a child an d a teenage. She is at the cusp of that transformation and it shows with her actions. Avery's mom decides to move back in wth Avery's grandmother in their small Southern home. Avery;s grandmother has cancer so thaety want to be with her. That's when you find out that the relationship is strained. This novel follows the struggles of racism, as Avery is biracial) and generational trauma. What's even more impressive is that this is a love story. Hammonds finds a way to balance the excellence of black jpy while also amplyfyong black voices. The journey of Avery's self discovery is so gorgeous to read.
1. The Song Of Achilles by Madeline Miller
"Achilles, "the best of all the Greeks," son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is strong, swift, and beautiful, irresistible to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland after an act of shocking violence. Brought together by chance, they forge an inseparable bond, despite risking the gods' wrath. They are trained by the centaur Chiron in the arts of war and medicine, but when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, all the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the cruel Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice (Goodreads.com) .
When I first read this novel, I almost cried. I love Greek mythology ever since I was little, so this book was right up my alley. Miller mangaes to create a true romance while also staying on topic of the Greek mythology. Achilles is a young demigod (half human, half god) who is growing up to be a powerful hero. Achilles, and his best friend, Patroclus, take on the pressures of being Greek heros. One of my favorite things about this novel in the intricties of the the Greek society. The training that Achielles must endure to become a man. The things that he must give up in order to save hismelf and his future. The story is told from Patroclus point of view so the perspectives are very loving and done in a caring way. Patroclus pushes aside Achielles god side and focuses on the human side. The more soft, gentle, and loving side. This story is inclusive and a way to show the many ways of love.
Written by Mariah Sturdivant
What did you think of this week's article? Did you read any of these novels? If you did, what was your ratings? Let me know in the comments below!
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