Top Ten Tuesday: 5 Star Books

Hi guys,

For Top Ten Tuesday this week (hosted by The Broke and the Bookish), it’s all about our recent 5 star reads. But first, let’s talk about what makes a book a 5 star read. For me, I would give the book 5 stars if the characters are memorable and they are not annoying the crap out of me, it is most likely a 5 star candidate. Other than that, I would also give 5 stars to books with good settings and with great storylines that I can relate to. For example, if I say I want to go live in that book, that is definitely a good thing! Furthermore, 5 stars books also need to be able to attract me from the very start, with the right pacing that is not too slow but not too rushed either. That, for me is the perfect ingredient for 5 stars books. Also, although dramatic genres like fantasy, sci-fi are good, those are not my cup of tea so my reads are mostly something that is very simple, straightforward. Bonus points if they’re set in a cafe somewhere. Bonus points if it’s in a small town, cos I love small town stories 🙂

So anyway, here goes my top 10 for this week:

First Frost (Waverley Family #2) by Sarah Addison Allen – I’ve only just discovered Sarah Addison Allen recently and gosh, I wish I had discovered her sooner! Her writing is on point and I love all the magical realism she included in her books. Makes me wish to experience that!

The Little Shop of Happy Ever After by Jenny Colgan – I want to be Nina, guys!! Like seriously, having bookstores in a van going around places in the Highlands selling your books, getting to meet a lot of different people along the way. What is better than that?

Kindred Spirit by Rainbow Rowell – It’s very hard to give a 5 star to a short story but I have to give 5 stars to this and I’m not even a huge Rainbow Rowell fan. Sure, I like Fangirl but I’m not crazy obsessed with that. But this one, it’s such a cute story. I wish it wasn’t as short because I think it has a potential to be a longer story.

Welcome to Rosie Hopkins’ Sweet Shop of Dreams by Jenny Colgan- released a few years ago but I just had the chance to read it this year and this book makes me want to have a sweet shop of my own. A lot of the sweets mentioned in this book are not something I am familiar with so I always ended up googling it just to know how it looks like and it always makes me drool. Not good, guys, not good.

Snowflakes on Silver Cove by Holly Martin – I love the characters in this one: both Libby and George are lovable and very believable as friends. I fall in love so much with George. He’s like that reliable best friend ever. I would want one George in my life. And I also love the setting of the story! It’s the second in the White Cliff Bay series so getting to go back was really fun. Can’t wait for the next book to come out in the summer.

Four Weddings and a White Christmas by Jenny Oliver – Jenny Oliver is another author that I had newly discovered. I first read her Cherry Pie Island series and just fell in love with all the characters, the settings, the storylines. It’s a five-book miniseries set over a period of time and each book is just less than 150 pages so it’s a very easy and quick read.

Ivy Lane by Cathy Bramley – I love how each part of the stories started with a season because it’s like every season begins with a new beginning, which definitely fits the gardening themes. I know nothing about gardening but this is a winner in my book. I look forward to read more from this author.

The Marble Collector by Cecelia Ahern – Cecelia Ahern has never failed me with her stories (so far) and I love this so so much that I get teary when I think about it. It makes me think of my own relationship with my father and how would I feel if I’m in Sabrina’s shoes, to discover a secret your father had been keeping from you and the rest of the family.

The Mince Pie Mix-Up by Jennifer Joyce – I thought the premise of this story was brilliant. It’s about a pair of husband and wife switching place because of the mince pie, so they have to live their lives in the other person’s life. Makes you think about how the grass is definitely not greener at the other side.

One Wish in Manhattan by Mandy Baggot – I love the storylines for this one and with great characters, I just can’t help loving this book. 9 year old Angel definitely has my heart. And is there anything better than Manhattan during Christmastime? That’s my ultimate bucket list, right there.

Have you read any of the books in this list? What do you think? What’s in YOUR list? Let me know 🙂