Hey bookworms!
Finally, after a whole week of procrastination, I’m bringing to you a brief of all the wonderful, amazing books I read this year. Only 12 out of the 73 I read. Harsh, I know. But I couldn’t possibly do a whole list to include all of them and finish it this decade.
So without further ado, let's have a look at all of my five-star reads this year
*Note- None of the books are in by order by rank. It is completely random because they are all 5 star reads.
1) Chain of Gold and Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare- This has officially become my comfort book for life.
Even though there might be downsides of continuing a series in an established world, the Last Hours series beautifully carries forward all that we expect from a Shadowhunters book.
Swoon-worthy characters, sharp representation, a classic dose of love, angst, drama, complicated relationships....all whilst there is a murderer on the loose and wicked demons at work.
Reading this book felt like settling into your favourite armchair at home, and I couldn't have asked for more.
“That's everyone's dream, isn't it, really? Instead of many who give you little pieces of themselves-one who gives you everything.”
2) First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie-
As my first foray into grim dark, I think I did a pretty good job of not being squeamish. I had no idea that I would love this series as much as I did, because of all the hype surrounding it. But it turns out, it deserves all the hype that it gets.
The blatantly wicked, flawed and memorable characters create the backbone of the story, since the plot is a little meandering, but the punch at the ending is the perfect pay-off.
It's a multiple POV story, with a light magic system and a lot of political scheming and betrayals. It's not especially bloody or filled with gore, compared to other grim dark stuff, but I think it's the whole vibe of it. The constant abuse of power, the bloodshed, the absolutely hopeless ending and they way it shows that whole cycle will just keep repeating.
I LOVED IT...
“You were a hero round these parts. That's what they call you when you kill so many people the word murderer falls short.”
3) Again and Again by E. Lockhart- This was the book that made me cry the most this year, not kidding. It's brutally honest, and so creative with the way it's structured.
It's so sad, and so hopeful, and some of the character moments will knock the breath out of your lungs and your eyes will sting with tears.
It's a refreshing take on fate, destiny, alternate realities, and handles the most difficult topics with the utmost respect and sensitivity.
TRIGGER WARNING- drug abuse, grief, depression, addiction.
“People befriend me because they think I’m happy. I’m not even sure why they think I’m happy, but they do. I get distracted, and I laugh, and I turn something on in myself that makes me, maybe, fun to be with. And I’m just— I want you to know up front that I’m false advertising.”
It talks about addiction, substance abuse, and the stigma that recovery always carries with itself. It’s about one of the most gut-wrenching yet heart-warming sibling relationships that I have ever read about. It made me want to laugh and put the phone down and cover my eyes to hold back the tears.
4) If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales-
Okay, I just can't stop talking about this book, can I? This book...alright, this book, gosh!! I could not get enough of this author's other works, and I love this one no less.
Aside from being a queer boy band romance, the themes and the issues it handles, plus the intense and up-close behind-the-scenes look of the music industry that we get- it's an unmissable package of goodness. The things I found out after reading this shattered any crystal palace assumptions I had about being a pop star or boy-bands, and celebrities in general.
But don't let me scare you off, because the boy-band itself is every 1D fanfic come true, but a x100 better. The protagonists, Ruben, Zach, Angel and Jon are absolute sweethearts and will leave you wishing desperately that they were real.
"The night our whole world falls apart, I spend most of our concert lost in thought."
5) People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry- With her amazing debut, Beach Read, Emily Henry captured my heart. And now with her second book, People We Meet On Vacation, I think it's gonna stay there awhile.
Something about her writing style just clicks with me. I love the characters and the relationships and the dynamic she creates in her stories. Her writing style is very character- driven, and they are so well done that it's as if you can feel their literal heartbeat.
I love road trip stories, and the best-friends trope, and all things considered, it was one of the warmest, sweetest things I had read all year.
6) Fireborne by Rosario Munda-
“Bring what fury you have and I will answer it with ours.”
I honestly have no clue why nobody is raving about this book. This is a Russian+ French revolution inspired fantasy world, and it has so many themes and observations weaved into the plot that it could be a history textbook.
The dragons are SO COOL! The sequel sets the pages on fire, and the two main POV's slow-burn romance is not too far behind. It's a character examination, while also examining the consequences of a bloody revolution, while also exploring how the current government might not really be any better than the one they overthrew.
It's so masterful and so, so good.
“They watch us kneel, they see the back of our heads, and they think we've given in. They don't realize you can think from your knees just as well as from your feet.”
7) Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston- I know, I know, the hype surrounding this book is way too much, and that makes you very hesitant to get into it. But I actually read this book around the first few days that it came out, and it wasn't the hype that got me like this book.
It was the characters. And the side-characters. And the relationships. And the story. Everything!
The romance and the relationship dynamics that it explores have never been done before, and it''s the perfect of mix of unbearably soft, simpin' character moments with a very introspective look at American queer history, set in a world where America has just had its first female President, and the upcoming elections raise the stakes even higher for our protagonist, Alex, the First Son.
It's hilarious, heart-warming and a tear-jerking must-read.
8) Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater- After Raven Boys, I honestly thought that it couldn’t get better than this, but it did. So much so that a few honestly took my breath away.
The magic system is so unique and so fresh, and the way it is described, with such a breathtaking vividness and the feeling of reading this is like being in a fever dream...
"Adam. Ronan missed him like a lung."
"Does any part of you still look at the sky and still hurt?"
The characters captured my heart from the very first page, and they are so, so precious. The things that happen, and the way the rawness with which the emotions came through was overwhelming and and absolutely heart breaking.
I CANNOT talk about this book enough, even though I'm gonna stop now.
If you’re wondering if you have to read Raven Boys before you begin the Dreamers trilogy, you really don’t. The characters from Raven Cycle are mentioned repeatedly but a lot of them don’t necessarily make an appearance.
9) Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zapia- If you're looking for something to read after Fangirl, this is going to be right up your ally.
This is the story of Eliza, a socially-awkward teen who is practically invisible, but is hugely talented with her drawings and stories. She is the writer of this tremendously popular web-comic, Monstrous Sea under an anonymous name.
And then she meets this new boy at her school who is a fan of her work and unknowingly befriends him, being not so invisible anymore; and chaos really stars ensuing from that point on.
The protagonist was immensely relatable to me, with all the things that she goes through, and kind of struggles with the relationship with her parents. She's an intense introvert, but the joy that she has creating characters and stories and worlds was something I could really connect with. It was a very emotional, very important novel.
TRIGGER WARNING- anxiety, panic attack, depression, online abuse, suicide attempt.
10) Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart- I have a complete in-depth review for this, if you would like to check it out.
It's a genre-bending fantasy story with elements of horror and sci-fi. It's a little creepy. It has incredible characters,and truly refreshing things it does with its structure and the way it delivers information.
The magic system is unlike anything I've ever seen, and it balances it really well in a way that it never gets too dense. Two of our POVs are heavily fantasy oriented, while the other are two are more political scheming and the brewing of a revolution.
It’s got brilliant characters and the plot moving at break-neck speed to keep you hooked through every page.
“I was Lin. I was the Emperor’s daughter. And I would show him that even broken daughters could wield power.”
11) Monsters of Verity by Victoria Schwab-
“Not with a bang, but with a whimper. In with gunfire and out with smoke.”
I just like, get a tattoo that says, 'Read all V.E Schwab books!" so I don't have to say it again and again here. Dark, addictive, and terrifying, Schwab creates a world where human sins create monsters who roam free in the world. We follow two main characters, Kate, a monster hunter, and August, a monster.
Due to some circumstances, their paths end up crossing and they are forced into a reluctant alliance, and the story starts off from there.
It's fast, action-packed, violent and completely unputdownable. It explores the question, what it means to be a human, what makes you a monster and morality.
It's way too good to be side-lined as Schwab's less popular works and it deserves so many more glorious review and readership.
If you're looking to get into it, it's a perfect fall time/ Halloween/ winter read, and also it's just a duology, so you can fly through this in a snap. Although I should warn you beforehand, it won't leave your head too easily.
“We are the darkest acts made light.”
Time to Chat!
Yay! So that was it for today. I hope you all enjoyed reading this post. Don't forget to tell me how was your reading this month. What were some of your favorite reads of the year? Did you have any new auto-buy authors you found this year?
Until next time,
I hope everyone stays safe,
Aamna