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
5 star books of 2022
This number is usually low since I’m a picky rater. I actually had 22 in total (out of 103 books finished), but 18 of them were re-reads, so that means I only had FOUR new 5 star books this year. This is the same amount I had last year, which was the lowest I’d ever had.
If you don’t count re-reads, my 5 star books only account for 4% of what I read all year. Last year it was 8%. (To be fair, I read less books last year so that’s why it was higher.)
New 5 star reads
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/iron-widow.jpeg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/hollow-places-e1668980908122.jpeg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/girl-who-fell-beneath-the-sea.jpeg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/yellowfangs-secret.jpeg)
5 star Re-reads
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/darkfever.jpeg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/bloodfever.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/faefever.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/dreamfever.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/shadowfever.jpeg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/immortal-highlander.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/ten-thousand-doors.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/zero-repeat-forever.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/10626594.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/gemina-kristoff-kaufman.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/nevernight-jay-kristoff.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/godsgrave-jay-kristoff.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/darkdawn.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/13538816.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/LIFEL1K3-by-Jay-Kristoff.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/morning-star-pierce-brown.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Iron-Gold-Pierce-Brown.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/dark-age.jpg)
I am a huge fan of re-reading old faves via audio! I can’t handle the Stormdancer narration, but that was the only one that wasn’t an audiobook.
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/2022/01/ninth-rain.jpeg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/song-of-silver-e1670289067877.jpeg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/crownchasers-e1668906776172.png)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/feverborn-kmm.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/twisted-ones-e1670289252501.jpeg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/the-forgetting.jpg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/belladonna-e1672436187746.jpeg)
5 star predictions from last year
Books I knew would be 5 stars
I didn’t have any for this year because Jay didn’t have any 2022 releases :(
Books I hoped would 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)
- Jade City by Fonda Lee – DNF
- The Paths Between Stars by Amira K. Makansi – DNF
- Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao – ★★★★★
- Dark Theory by Wick Welker – started to read, lost interest
- Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio – DNF
- The Genesis War by Akemi Dawn Bowman – ★★★½
- Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune – ★★★½
- Sundial by Catriona Ward – DNF
- Elder Race by Adrian Tchaikovsky – still haven’t read
- The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin – ★★
- The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow – ★★★
- The Beast Hunters by Christer Lende – still haven’t read
Welp. 1/12 isn’t bad, right? Right?! Lol wowww I fail.
5 star predictions for 2023
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
If Red God (RR #7) and Empire of the Vampire #2 do end up being released in 2023 (I doubt it), they’re on this list too!
Books I hope will be 5 stars
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/heavenly-tyrant-e1672596080292.jpeg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/house-with-good-bones-e1672593689228.jpeg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/godkiller-e1672593706839.jpeg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/briardark-e1672593698972.jpeg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/what-moves-the-dead.jpeg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/some-desperate-glory-e1670289014572.jpeg)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/lives-of-puppets-e1672593874981.png)
![](http://novelheartbeat.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/kill-your-darlings-e1672593881435.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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