If You Want to Read More, You Have to Prioritize Reading

Raise your hand if you've ever thought to yourself “man, I wish I had more time to read,” or “I made it my goal to read 50 books this year and so far I've only read 12.” 🙋🏼‍♀️ One that I’m super guilty of is, “that bookstagram influencer read 9 books last month and I barely even read one! How do they do it!?” Friendly reminder y'all that comparison is the thief of joy. When I compare my reading life to anyone else's, I find it all too easy to start to beat myself up for not being a “better” reader. And then the shame of being a “bad” reader will just put me into a reading slump. And that's a sure fire way to make sure I don't read as much as I want to. So besides not comparing my reading life to anyone else's, here are my top tips for reading more.

1.) Decide if reading more is important to you.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it piggy backs off of the “don't compare your reading life to anyone else's.” If you want to read 100 books a year because that's what all your favorite Booktok accounts read, or because you think reading more equals reading better or makes you a better reader (spoiler alert: it DOESN’T) then you may need to sit down and truly look at your motivation for why you want to read more. At the beginning of this year I decided NOT to set a numerical reading goal like I have in the past because it was actually a hindrance to my reading life, and would put so much pressure on me to hit my reading goal. I wasn't actually enjoying or retaining any of the books I was reading! I realized I wanted to read more QUALITY books, not necessarily more quantity. Finding your “why” for wanting to read more is important because it will help you gauge whether or not reading more is worth it.

2.) Put your phone down!

I know, I know. This one is wayyy easier said than done but my phone not being in my immediate vicinity is by far the biggest influence on if I pick up a book in my free time. It's so much easier for me to ignore my phone and any tempting notifications if it's in a completely different room. So usually at night after my shower, I'll leave my phone in my room to charge and I'll go out to the living room to wind down with my book and my puppies. I've found that not only is this beneficial for my goal of reading more, it's also been a huge plus for my mental health. I've found that my anxiety tends to be at a high after a night of doom scrolling on Instagram reels or Tiktok before going to bed and that does nothing to help my insomnia! Giving myself less opportunity for mindless scrolling has been a total game changer for my reading life!

3.) Be strategic where you put your books.

Out of sight, out of mind. Don't let this old adage keep you from reading as much as you want to read. I am someone who personally LOVES having my books strewn all about my house. Little piles of adventure and knowledge stacked up on various surfaces in my house. Overflowing shelves, neat stacks on end tables, an opened book face down on the kitchen counter are all little reminders of how many physical books I have access to that are on my TBR. And having books in virtually every room of my house means one is never far from my reach, making it that much easier to pick one up in a moment of down time.

4.) Don't overcomplicate it!

I have a tendency to think in absolutes. An all or nothing mindset has held me back from so much in the past and I have to be mindful when those perfectionist thoughts start to creep in. I used to think if I wasn't reading a book a day, or because I wasn't well versed in the classics, or because audiobooks are my preferred medium, then I wasn't a “real reader.” But I'm here to tell you (and myself) right now that that attitude is complete bullshit! It doesn't matter what genres you prefer, how many books you read per year, what format/medium you read in most. What matters is that you are reading. Even more than that, is that you enjoy what you're reading! You don't have to complicate your reading life with all the “shoulds” that make reading less enjoyable. We're readers because reading is fun!

These are just a few of my tried and true tips that help my prioritize my reading. Let me know in the comments, what are some of the tips, tricks, or hacks you use to read more often?

A Summer Lover’s Guide to Embracing Autumn

Alright y'all, it's that time of year already! Pumpkin spice is back on the menu, the days are getting shorter, and if you're a gardener like me the harvest is about to be in full swing. I am a summer girl through and through. My birthday is on the summer solstice, all of my favorite activities are summer time activities (hiking, swimming, camping, gardening, etc.) and my brain is just so much happier when it's warm and sunny outside. 

Believe me, I'm well aware that I'm in the minority here, but I have a really hard time enjoying fall because in the northern hemisphere I know what's to come afterwards. Nothing but cold, dark, wet winter days until about April of the next year. I used to feel that first chill breeze and I'd try to grab onto something and dig my heels into the ground to stop the world from turning so quickly. But I realized this isn't the best way to live my life as time waits for no one. So a couple years ago I decided I was going to try to make the best of the changing seasons and be present with all the beauty fall has to offer. One of the ways that I do this is I put together a super special spooky/cozy autumnal TBR that I don't touch until September. This gets me excited for fall because it means I get to read some of my favorite genes like horror, psychological thrillers, mystery, and what I like to call “cutesy cozy” books that just feel like a mug of perfectly spiced warm apple cider. Today I'm going to take you through some of my favorite fall reads from years past.

Horror:

1.) I obviously had to start with this category. It is spooky season after all! And starting off strong with one of my favorite authors: Grady Hendrix. If you enjoy horror with a heavy dose of social commentary you can't go wrong with any of his works. Two of my absolute favorites by him are The Southern Book Clubs Guide to Slaying Vampires and Horrorstor. These are two very different stories but both will have you frantically flipping to the next page, and peering into the dark at night wondering if anything more sinister is waiting for you in the shadows. Content warning though, Hendrix is a master of writing some of the most visceral gore I've ever read. 

2.) I was going to categorize this next one as a psychological thriller because it definitely has those elements. It has you wondering which was up or down, and what's actually happening. Is the main character losing her grip on reality or are these things actually happening to her? But it also is one of the books that genuinely scared me while I was reading it. I’m talking full body chills, spine tingling, hair on the back of my neck standing on end kind of scary. I wanted to pause the audio book and bury my head under the blankets. And for this reason I have to put it in the horror genre. This book is We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer. It is a phenomenal debut novel that breaks up the twists and turns of this narrative with newspaper articles, blog posts, comment sections, and theories between chapters that gives you a better idea of what might be going on. 

3.) Bonus! And I'll just leave you with a five word description for this one:

Hunger Games meets The Bachelor.

The book is Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington. Go check it out. 

Psychological Thriller:

1.) One of my all time favorite books in this category is The Quiet Tenant by Clémence Michallon. I read this in the fall of 2023 and I STILL rave about it to anyone who will listen! The book opens through the perspective of Rachel who is being held captive in a locked shed forced to live on the cement floor and wait for “Aidan,” her kidnapper, to come back.When it’s revealed that Aidan has to move himself and his daughter Cecilia to a new home he has no choice but to move his hostage into the house with him and pretend she’s their tenant. The narration is split between Rachel, Cecilia, and Emily (a naive waitress in town who develops a crush on Aidan.) What really ratchets up the suspensefulness of this story is that Raachel’s chapters are written from a second person point of view so it really drags you into the story. This one had me on the edge of my seat, screaming at the characters to just FIGURE IT OUT!! If you’re looking to be sucked into an absolute page turner, try this one out.

2.) Another banger in this genre is I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Ian Reid. I think this is the book I’ll never stop talking about or thinking about or recommending to people. I’ll scream it from the rooftops until at least everyone in the world has at least HEARD of this book. If you’d like a deep dive on it I wrote another blog post about it here It is a relatively short novel, easy to gulp down in one sitting if you’re hooked like I am, but it packs a punch. This is another one that will make you question what’s really happening. The plot twists and turns and just when you think you’ve figured it out Reid pulls the rug out from under your feet again. Each time I read it it leaves me perturbed, befuddled, and wanting to start the book all over again looking for new details that I missed. I can’t recommend this one highly enough!

3.) Bonus! The Last Days of Jack Sparks by Jason Arnopp is a twisty turny, mind fuck with a good dose of British snark thrown in for when things start to get dark. If you're looking for a lower stakes psychological thriller that leaves you questioning what you just read this is the book for you!

Mystery:

1.) I hope you'll agree with me that when I read a mystery I want it to be silly, light-hearted, and relaxing even though most of the time the characters are putting on their detective hats to try to solve a murder or other crime. I want my horror and psychological thrillers to be high stakes and have my heart pounding, but I want my mysteries to be fun. I can't think of a better mystery book that delivers exactly what I'm talking about than Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto. It follows a nosy, head strong elderly woman who wakes up each day following the same old routine. When she discovers the body of a dead man on the floor of her ransacked tea shop she knows she has to take matters into her own hands so the case doesn't get bungled by the incompetent investigators. This book is full of suspicions, mouth watering food prepared by Vera herself, and themes of found family. The sequel Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping on a Dead Man is just as phenomenal if you want to stay in Vera’s world for just a bit longer. 

2.) If I can contradict my earlier point of loving light hearted mysteries to put you guys onto All The Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby. This is one I read for book club last year and I wouldn't have normally picked something like this up, but I ended up being hooked! Titus is Charon Virginia's first Black sheriff and he's having to contend not only with the ugly truth of his small town's Confederate past, but also a serial killer who seems to have been lurking in plain sight. Unlike the Vera Wong mysteries, this one is much more distressing so be sure to check the trigger warnings for it. If you want a propulsive plot, suspense, and a political commentary on the insidiousness of small towns with a dark past this is the book for you. 

Cutesy Cozy:

1.) To round out my four favorite genres to read in the fall we have what I refer to as the “cutesy cozy” category. I'll admit this one is a little more subjective, but basically it's any book that makes me want to curl up under a blanket with a mug of warm apple cider or maple tea. Anything that evokes the most general sense of autumn, this usually involves witches and spell work. The first book that meets this criteria is The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall. This book has plenty of witchy magic and strong family themes as well as delicious recipes sprinkled between the chapters. It was one of the first books I read that really fit this cutesy cozy theme I now look for every fall season. I will warn you this has some major triggers - family loss, grief, and a suicide attwmyto name a few. Definitely check into these first before picking this one up. 

2.) The second book that fits into this genre is A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey. While this story is set during the summer after Lila Rayes graduates from high school, it takes place in England and compared to the Miami heat she's used to the cool, drearyness of England reminds me a lot of fall in Northeast Ohio so I'm counting it! This is a young adult novel that I just ate up. The mouth watering pastries Lila used to make with her grandmother pair perfectly with the tea Orion brews up and it makes for a very cutesy, cozy story. I really loved how Lila pursues what she loves even if it doesn't look exactly how she planned it. Highly recommend this book if you're looking for a fun, easy read!

Deja Vu

I get the most bizarre bought of deja vu as I'm stacking up the logs from a downed tree against my garage. Suddenly I'm a child again and I'm stacking the split wood not against my own garage, but up on my grandma's porch right underneath the window that looks into her living room. I can see her through that window, sitting on her retro green loveseat. I'm messing around waving and making faces at her through the window panes. 

"Quit playing around Liv, it's freezing out here." My dad grumbles. He's right it is freezing out and there's snow piling up on the railing, but grandma needs the wood to heat her house. 

I pick up the pace and am trying to quickly stack the logs while also keeping them in a neat and tidy pile so that way my grandma doesn't grab one and the whole thing topples over on her. This is something that I'm super mindful of because my dad is always warning me about it. In my rush I get a little over zealous and one of the logs slips out of my hand and hits the side of the house. I cringe as I anticipate my dad's quiet scolding,"Don't go busting up Grandma's siding!"

I look up but I'm no longer a kid on my grandma's porch stacking wood for her. I'm in my own yard, stacking the freshly cut wood from downed trees on my own property, and the log just hit the siding of my garage. I check to make sure I didn't crack it and carry on, smiling to myself thinking how the simplest tasks carry the most poignant memories.

3 Things Saving My Reading Life Right Now

I first heard of this concept on one of my favorite book podcasts What Should I Read Next with Anne Bogel. I believe it was one of their bonus episodes where she and a member of her team talked about little things that were saving their reading lives as well as their actual day to day lives. I LOVED the idea of slowing down and really appreciating the things that help to fulfill my reading life.

The first thing that's saving my reading life right now is giving myself grace. As silly as this sounds, it's a pretty new concept for me. I used to experience a reading hangover or rut and I'd beat myself up so bad over it which would only cause me to go deeper into the rut. For about 2 months now I've been finding it really hard to focus on a novel where I have to meet new characters in a new world and follow the plot. I'm attributing this rut to being busy with all the things summer brings me. Longer days spent outside in the garden or pool, more time spent with family and friends, lawn and house projects, etc. By introducing a little bit of grace and giving myself time to recover from the book hangover I'm experiencing, it actually helps me pick another book up faster than I would have if I badgered myself into it. As a mood reader this actually allows me space to find a title that really resonates with me in the moment and nine times outta ten it's gonna be a book I end up loving. So this is a win win strategy!

The second thing saving my reading life is non fiction books! Normally I read a few non fiction titles per year, but I've read three just in the last month of my reading slump! I've found that in this season of my life having a couple non fiction books in my rotation at once is allowing me to pick up a book when I have a little down time, read a couple pages or chapters, and then come back to it again when I have some more time. And to be clear all of the non fiction books I have going right now are very easy to just pick up and put down at my leisure. I'm not reading thick, door stopper books containing an entire discertation on the Ottoman Empire (if that's your thing, more power to you I just don't have the attention span for that right now.) One that I've been loving recently is 100 Ways to Change Your Life: The Science of Leveling Up Health, Happiness, Relationships, and Success by Liz Moody. This was the PERFECT book for me right now. Split up into 100 bite sized sections, this book allowed me to reflect on different areas of my own life and gave me some helpful tips on how to optimize certain areas I've been struggling with. It's full of helpful tips, tricks, and hacks. If you're in a reading rut like me and are looking for something easy breezy this is definitely a good pick!

The third thing saving my reading life right now is author Mirabel Osler. I picked up her book A Gentle Plea for Chaos at my local library’s book sale and it has been such a joy to read. As someone who tends to bite off more than I can chew and who struggles with the self imposed notion of “if you can't do something perfectly 100% of the time, it's not worth doing at all,” Osler’s words are a balm for my perfectionist soul. It is a gardening book in which the author takes you throughout her property and shares musings on her own personal gardens. But as the title suggests she's asking us to let go of the idea of a perfectly kempt and tidy garden with hard lines and plenty of empty space between plants. She implores us gardeners to allow nature to do what it does best and take over. Let some herbs go to seed, let the weeds grow up, plant things in tight bunches, and see what Mother Earth creates. Reading it is like a meditation for me. This is another book I can pick up and set down again at my leisure, and I've found it makes the perfect night cap before bed. I'm already on the lookout for her other books as well!

These three things are saving my reading life, and allowing me to get the most of my reading in this season of life. I'd love to hear in the comments what's something saving your reading life?

The Absolute Best Psychological Thriller I’ve Ever Read

Have you ever read a book that stuck with you long after you've read the last page? That you can't stop thinking about, turning the twist over and over in your mind, reading back through the book to see how you missed it. Ecstaticly telling anyone and everyone who will listen about the amazing, mind blowing, world changing story you just read as you excitedly push the book into their hands practically BEGGING them to read it. I have one of those books that I obnoxiously proselytize to anyone I meet until they read it. 

The book that has occupied many of my waking thoughts the past few months is I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid. I've read this book twice on audio and I get chills every. single. time. Actually, I've gotten chills MULTIPLE times throughout reading this book. 

I'm a HUGE audio book reader, it's actually how I get most of my reading done, and even if you prefer physical or e-books I urge you to read it in this medium. It is SO well done and the narrators do a phenomenal job of ramping up the eerieness of this story. However, if audio format is just NOT for you, I understand and I don't hold it against you. Reading it in print will be just as rewarding I can almost guarantee it.

I'm Thinking of Ending Things opens with our unnamed female protagonist telling us how she's thinking of ending things while she's on a road trip to meet her partner, Jake's, parents. At first you're lead to believe she's talking about breaking up with her partner, but as the road trip and story progresses you learn she's being terrorized by a strange man who is stalking her. She keeps getting these creepy, cryptic voicemails from this stalker. And once they arrive at Jake's parents house something immediately feels off and the mounting sense of unease really ratchets up. There's a sense of danger in this part of the story but you're not sure who is at risk.

I read this book and quite obviously loved it, as well as rated it 5 stars. And maybe I've peaked your interest and you're wondering if you should pick it up. While I'm biased and think absolutely EVERYONE should read this book, I understand that every bookish person has their preferences along with a long and ever growing TBR (and not nearly enough time to read everything on it.) Not to fear! That's why I'm here - to help you decide if this book is one that's worth picking up. 

First things first, I'm Thinking of Ending Things will have you questioning everything! As a reader who loves to be dropped into the middle of someone's story and left to figure it out as it unfolds, this was a perfect fit for me. There are parts of this book that had me confused what was up and what was down! However, if you're someone who likes to have omniscience over a story and to be let in on facts and secrets the characters are not yet privy to this may not be the book for you. I've read some reviews saying that people found it frustrating because it twisted and turned in ways that weren't super obvious until the very end. I'll admit I was disoriented the first time I read it, but the payoff is oh so worth it! If you enjoy psychological thrillers that aren't overly gory but still make you feel a mounting sense of unease and terror with every page turned. I don't want to say much more about it because I don't want to give too much away.

Another thing to note is there is a Netflix movie adaptation of I'm Thinking of Ending Things, however, it is somehow MORE confusing and open ended than the book. The ending is much more artsy and ambiguous and the director of the movie has been quoted as saying he intentionally went a different direction with the movie which I really appreciate as someone who is often let down by the movie adaptations of books. There are certain parts I feel like the movie did exceptionally well with and I felt genuinely unsettled by much of it, but the end just didn't pack as hard of a punch as the book did. If you're someone who doesn't mind going out on a limb and risking being disappointed by a movie adaptation I'd still recommend watching it, but definitely watch it AFTER reading the book. I feel like the movie having such an open ending would be so frustrating that I wouldn't have even opened the book had I watched the movie first. 

I hope this post has peaked your interest and you're diligently jotting down my recommendation to your TBR. If not, no hard feelings. If you have already read this book, PLEASE comment down below and let me know what you thought of it. I want to hear all your opinions and hot takes on this one. 

Happy reading folks!

Going Out on a Limb for my 2025 Reading Goal

We’re about three and a half weeks into the new year and I think I’ve finally nailed down my reading goals for 2025! And as someone who is a bit scatterbrained, perpetually late, and an over thinker that’s got to be my own personal best! Hooray! So without further ado, let’s get into my bookish goals!

To numerical book goal or not to numerical book goal, that is the question!

I went back and forth with myself for about a month or two, weighing the pros and cons of setting a numerical book goal for the year. While I’m someone who really enjoys finishing a book and going immediately to StoryGraph (my personal favorite book rating app check it out if you haven’t already) to mark it as “read.” It gives me such a rush of serotonin crossing another book off my list! While I do love to challenge myself to read more every year I ultimately feel setting a goal of “x amount of books read” hinders my reading life. 

For example, I set the goal of reading 75 books in 2024. I missed that goal by quite a few books. Due to a summer long reading slump that I clawed my way out of in August I only read 54 books. I acknowledge that’s still a LOT of books and as someone who reclaimed her bookish identity 2 years ago I’m really proud of that number. BUT! There were times when I found myself opting for a shorter read that I wasn’t all that jazzed about over the longer books on my TBR list that I’d been eager to read for a while. I did this in an attempt to “catch up” and get back on track with my reading goal. 

I would also set all my audiobooks to 1.75x speed on Libby in an effort to listen to books in half the time that they were advertised as. While I can read some audiobooks that fast and absorb the material just fine my sweet spot is more around 1.5x speed. When I would listen to books that fast I found that I would finish it, check it off my list, and then a week or two later I would realize I had completely forgotten major plot points on a book that I rated 5 stars. That just didn’t sit right with me. Now don’t get me wrong, I am a girlie who loves a “no thoughts just vibes” kind of book, and there’s definitely a time and place in my reading life for those types of books. I found that turning my audiobook speed up that high made me more likely to zone out and not really absorb what was happening in the story. All of this was done to try to get me closer to achieving my reading goal for the year, but if I couldn’t remember the plot or characters of some of my favorite books, what was even the point of hitting my goal?

The last way a numerical book goal hindered my reading life last year was the fact that it filled me with anxiety and disappointment every time I logged into StoryGraph and saw the “Only x amount of books until you’re back on track to hit your reading goal” message. While I’m sure some people really love this feature and feel motivated by it, it just sent me spiraling and actually kept me from picking up a book when I was in the thick of my reading slump. Seeing that I had to read 22 books just to get back on track to hit my reading goal made me feel like reading 75 books was so out of my reach why even bother  picking up another book. Obviously this is totally NOT a grounded or realistic way to approach my reading life. I get so much from books and reading and it enriches my life in countless ways, why would I want to rush through that? Racing against myself to reach some arbitrary number I picked at the beginning of the year. That’s not how I want to spend my reading time, and I have a feeling many of you probably feel the same way.

At this point it’s probably pretty obvious that I decided NOT to set a numerical book goal for myself this year. Instead, I decided I want to slow down, sink into, and really savor the different stories I pick up this year. I wanted to go after some of those 500+ page books that have been on my TBR forever but I have been too intimidated to pick up. I want to prioritize quality over quantity, so that’s why I decided to make my 2025 reading goal to have at least two 5 stars reads each month. This felt like a very realistic number for those months that come around when it feels like I just can’t pick em right and everything I read I end up rating 3 stars or less. If you’re curious what qualifies as a 5 star read to me, I go into more detail about that here:

Another one of my goals for this year is to cut down on the amount of books I have sitting on my physical TBR shelf in my bedroom. I currently have 16 books on these shelves (some of which have been sitting there for several years) and ideally I’d like to read all of them so that way I can either move them to my permanent “favorites” bookshelf, give them to a friend, or donate them to the Little Free Library I set up. While I know this isn’t the most realistic goal, I feel up for the challenge because all of them are books I look at and feel SO excited to pick up. 

So these are my main reading goals for this year. I will definitely be checking in with them about half way through the year, and seeing if I need to re-evaluate anything. I will obviously also be taking you along on my journey towards slowing down and getting even more out of my reading life. I also plan to do monthly blog posts about what I read and how many books I rated 5 stars to see if I’m on track to hitting my goals. Now that you know my bookish goals for the new year, tell me what yours are!

What Makes a Book a Five Star Read?

In a recent post I shared my 2025 reading goals, and how I ultimately want to prioritize quality over quantity when it comes to the books I read. One of the ways I’m hoping to achieve this is by NOT setting a numerical book goal for myself. Instead, I set the goal of having at least two 5 stars reads each month. That probably leaves you (and myself) wondering, “What makes a 5 star read anyways??” Well, the answer is different for everybody. I figured that the most crucial part of being able to reach that goal was to hone in on what books/themes really knock it out of the park for me. I really enjoyed the process of digging deep and examining the books I love and (maybe more importantly) why I love them. Let’s crack into it, shall we? 

1. Found/Chosen Family

One of the themes that really resonates with me is the concept of found/chosen family. As someone who grew up in a family who, despite their flaws, were exemplary models for welcoming people with open arms. When I was younger, I’d bring my friends over to my 

grandma’s farm and she’d insist that EVERYONE call her “grandma” and make themselves at home. Community is something I feel I’ve been lacking in my own life, and I’m working at connecting with others around me and forming community with them. I love when characters have a bond so strong, it’s present throughout all parts of the story. Some examples of 5 star reads where this theme was showcased is Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto. This book features an unlikely band of characters who are all under the suspicious eye of Vera Wong. Despite Vera suspecting each of them for the murder of a man she found dead in her teashop (not a spoiler this literally happens in the first chapter,) she forms an unlikely attachment to these younger characters who give her life a new purpose. She often makes huge batches of the most delicious Chinese dishes you’ve ever heard of to share with her newfound family. Vera and her chosen family of suspects lean on each other during tough times and rally together to uplift and support each other’s dreams and goals. And don’t you worry, the book has a happy ending for Vera and her family.

2. Feels Like A Hug

I’m a sucker for a good cozy read where I can curl up under a warm blanket with my pups by my side and a chai tea latte in my hand. A cozy read to me is one where I can sink deep into the story and not want to leave. Where things are light and fluffy, and if there are some heavier topics brought up I trust the author is using those hard things to further the story or develop the characters for the better. I find that mystical realism is my go to genre for a book that feels like a hug. A few examples of 5 star reads that were just so cozy and comforting are, The Kamogawa Food Detectives series by Hisashi Kashiwai, A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers (this is the first book in the Monk and Robot series,) and the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. These were all short novels that you can read in an afternoon if you’re really committed, or you can read them in short spurts to really soak in the good vibes. And now that I’m thinking about it, these three examples also all have the common theme of centering around food/coffee/tea. What can I say, I consider myself to be a major foodie and often eat my feelings so it checks out that I find books about food to be very comforting.

3. You Can Tell The Author Had Fun

Now this one is a little harder to nail down as it’s so subjective to the individual reader, but do you ever get that giddy feeling as you’re reading a book where you’re just so excited to turn the next page. Or if you’re an audiobook reader like myself, do you ever look for another chore to do around the house just so you can listen to one more chapter. And these stories don’t necessarily have to be compulsively readable page-turner thrillers. They could be slow paced, deep dive, slice of life books. As long as they suck me in and have me hanging on every word because I can feel the joy and fun leaping from the pages! A lot of the time, my most unexpected 5 star reads (and all time favorites) come from this category. My most recent five star read that falls under this category is Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki. If violins, alien refugees from an intergalactic war, a deal with the devil himself, and GIANT DONUTS sound unrelated and not that interesting, do yourself a favor and go read this book. It’s got heart, tenderness, queer joy, high stakes, and humor. It was absolutely delightful and I could tell the author had a lot of fun bringing these unlikely characters together.

Another book I read at the beginning of this year that was just so much fun was The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis. This book was a little on the longer side, but I ate up every word of it. An alien tumbleweed who kidnaps our main character and forces her on an epic road trip collecting a ragtag band of characters along the way, only to end up right back where they started - in Roswell. It’s only after they dodge conspiracy theorists, federal authorities, cultural differences (between the humans and aliens of course) and a language barrier that they’re able to find out just what the heck this extraterrestrial creature wants.

In Conclusion

For the moment, these themes are my reliable big three when it comes to predicting if a book will be a 5 star read. Now of course this isn’t an exact science, and I may come across a book that fits into one of these themes and it ends up NOT being 5 stars which is okay too. These are more just guidelines that have helped me realize the types of books I like and helps me gravitate towards those instead of the shiny new #Booktok or #Bookstagram title that may not even be something I’m genuinely interested in reading. A whole new world of TBR possibilities were opened up for me when I started analyzing which books I loved and why I loved them. I’m also excited to see how these themes shift and change depending on the context of my reading life and my regular life. I’ll be sure to keep everyone updated if another automatic 5 star theme pops up for me. In the meantime, I’d like to know, what themes make a 5 star read for you?