It’s crazy to think that a brand new year is already upon us. This year I achieved a huge goal of mine, which was to publish my first book! BLIND ITEMS AND BRITISH BOYS is my debut novel, and I learned so much while working on it. However, I still made sure to make time for hobbies that I love. One such hobby is obviously READING!
Reading is critical when you’re an author. The more you read, the better you write. I read a total of 52 books this year, which is exactly what my reading goal was! That averages out to one book a week. So which books were my FAVORITE reads this year? While these are not ALL of my five star reads for the year, these are my top 5. Be sure to follow me on Goodreads to see all my reviews for the year including the rest of my 5 star picks!
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1. The Seven Year Slip
This is the year I was introduced to Ashley Poston’s writing and she has quickly become my favorite romance author. “The Seven Year Slip” is a book I picked up simply because the title sounded familiar, but I didn’t really know what the book was about. I was totally shocked when the plot was revealed – that the main character, Clementine, lives in an apartment that sometimes sends her back seven years into the past.
Naturally, she meets Iwan, a man staying in her apartment seven years prior, and naturally things start to heat up between them. In the present, Clementine has to figure out how to navigate a relationship with present day Iwan, who has become a famous chef in the past seven years. It touches on loss, grief, and accepting people as they change over time and it was absolutely wonderful every step of the way. Ashley Poston’s other romance novel “A Novel Love Story” also features a dash of magic, so be sure to check them both out if you love witty rom coms!
2. The Borrow A Boyfriend Club
This YA coming of age novel stars Noah – a transgender teenager who starts over at a new school where no one is aware of his transition. To try to get in with the cool kids, he tries out for the most prestigious club at the school – the Borrow A Boyfriend Club.
Joining the club is harder than he anticipates, especially when he starts falling for the club leader, Asher. While struggling to keep his secret and earn acceptance into the club, an adorable love story ensues.
I was completely hooked from start to finish with this book. Not only was it so fascinating to read about the struggles that thousands of trans youth are going through on a daily basis, but it also was hilarious and had a fantastic cast of supporting characters. I truly feel this book will eventually be synonymous with the LGBTQIA+ YA, and highly recommend it!
3. The Midnight Library
Once again, I picked up this book simply because I saw it everywhere, but knew nothing about it. The plot of this book is basically “It’s a Wonderful Life” for the modern age – the protagonist, Nora, gets a rare opportunity to see how her life would have turned out if she had made different choices. Guided by the mysterious librarian, she sees her life as it could have been if she’d become a famous rockstar, become a glaciologist, stayed with her ex-boyfriend – and so much more.
It was a fun page turner that kept me hooked throughout the whole novel. I kept wondering what sort of crazy reality Nora would stumble into next, and which one would end up being the “right” reality for it. It was such an interesting concept, especially when things didn’t turn out the way you expected as Nora traveled through alternate lifetimes. This book will make you analyze how grateful you are for your own life, and how you should be thankful for the way things ended up.
4. Remarkably Bright Creatures
An elderly widow who lost her son to the sea decades ago makes friends with – an octopus?
It sounds absolutely insane, but this adorable contemporary novel was one of my favorite books this year. The fact that part of the book is written from the point of view of the octopus was so brilliant, and before you know it, there’s a mystery unraveling before your eyes as well. I was literally YELLING at the main characters by the end, urging them to see the connections they had to each other right in front of them. It was funny, heart warming, frustrating, and heartbreaking all at the same time. Not to mention the cover art is absolutely gorgeous!
5. A Dawn of Onyx
I think one of my favorite genres is definitely romantasy. I love a well-thought out magic system, enemies-to-lovers tropes, mythical creatures, and all the other glorious elements of the genre. For me, this TikTok recommended book series had all of that and had me immediately hooked.
This book has everything – warring kingdoms (all named after precious stones) magical Fae, spicy romance scenes, enemies-to-lovers, plot twists, and a witty heroine with long braided hair who has to accept her destiny and save the realm. I read this whole book on my recent trip to California and couldn’t believe how fast it sucked me into the story! There are three books in the series and each one was excellent. If you want a romantasy series that isn’t one of the “popular” picks like ACOTAR or Fourth Wing, definitely check this series out.
These books were not my only 5 star reads this year, but I’d say they were definitely my top five favorites. I also had quite a few books that didn’t live up to the hype that I read – and even a few that I didn’t finish (which is rare for me!)
Being an author also means consuming the work of my fellow authors – and this year, I’m aiming to do that even more, with my reading goal being a whopping 102 books! I can’t wait to see what five star reads I find this year!
Don’t forget to check out my debut romantic comedy on Amazon, and be sure to subscribe to my newsletter to get notifications when I post new content and to keep updated on my indie author journey!
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