A few years ago I saw Cristina @ Girl in the Pages post about her 5 star reading drought (which was originally inspired by Lauren @ Bookmark Lit’s post here), and I thought it was such a great post, so I did one of my own! It was really interesting to see what me 5 star reads looked like for last year, so I’ve been doing it ever since!
Past 5 star books posts
5 star books of 2018
5 star books of 2019
5 star books of 2020
5 star books of 2021
This number is usually low since I’m a picky rater. I had 11 in total (out of 52 books finished), but 7 of them were re-reads, so that means I only had FOUR new 5 star books this year. That is the lowest it’s ever been. How depressing! (To be fair, though, I did read a LOT less books this year, so that’s probably why it’s lower than ever.)
If you don’t count re-reads, my 5 star books only account for 8% of what I read all year – which is actually 3% higher than last year, surprisingly, because I read more overall!
New 5 star reads
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/auroras-end.jpeg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/empire-of-the-vampire.jpeg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/squirrelflights-hope.jpeg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/light-in-the-mist.jpeg)
Let’s be honest, the Jay books were basically guaranteed 5 stars before I ever picked them up. The two Warriors books surprised me! It’s been a while since I read one in that world that was a full 5 stars.
5 star Re-reads
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/13538816.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/15773979.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/endsinger.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/golden-sun-pierce-brown.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/stain.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/night-of-the-dragon-e1583171300534.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/auroras-end.jpeg)
I am a huge fan of re-reading old faves via audio! I can’t handle the Lotus War narration, but the bottom four were all audio re-reads. I actually read Aurora’s End twice this year because it was just so good!
Almost 5 star reads
Here’s the ones that came super close, but fell just a tad short, so I gave them 4.5 stars instead!
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/iron-raven-e1611606905632.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/tales-from-the-hinterland.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/dustborn-e1622809343716.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/house-cerulean-sea.jpeg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/good-girl-bad-blood.jpeg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/cytonic.jpeg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/place-of-no-stars.png)
5 star predictions from last year
Books I knew would be 5 stars
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/auroras-end.jpeg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/empire-of-the-vampire.jpeg)
As if Jay would ever write a book that wasn’t a 5 star read for me. *scoffs*
Books I hoped would be 5 stars
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/iron-raven.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/jade-city.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/lore-bracken.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/tales-from-the-hinterland.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/son-of-the-storm.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/empire-of-silence.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/the-silvered.jpg)
- Iron Raven by Julie Kagawa – ★★★★½
- Jade City by Fonda Lee – never got to it *facepalm*
- Lore by Alexandra Bracken – ★★★
- Tales from the Hinterland by Melissa Albert – ★★★★½
- Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa – DNF
- Empire of Silence by Chirstopher Ruocchio – STILL haven’t read
- The Silvered by Tanya Huff – STILL. HAVEN’T. READ.
Wow, I still suck at this! In a weird and unexpected twist, Iron Raven wasn’t 5 stars for me. I think that may be the first of Julie’s books that wasn’t. I’m mad at myself for not getting to Jade City! I WILL get to it next year!
5 star predictions for 2022
It’s SO hard for me to predict which books I’m going to love (as you can see above, heh), because I just never know. Sometimes I expect to love something, and don’t; sometimes I don’t think I’ll like something at all and I end up loving it. I have high hopes for these, though!
Books I know will be 5 stars
I actually don’t have any this year because Jay doesn’t have any 2022 releases as of right now :(
Books I hope will be 5 stars
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/jade-city.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/the-paths-between-stars.jpeg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/iron-widow.jpeg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/dark-theory.jpeg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/empire-of-silence.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/genesis-wars.jpeg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/under-the-whispering-door.jpeg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/sundial.jpeg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/elder-race.jpeg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/fifth-season.jpeg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/sound-of-stars.jpeg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/beast-hunters.jpeg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/lets-discuss-simple-e1539023328104.png)
How many 5 star reads did you have this year?
![Jessi (Geo)](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/signature.png)
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