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Some books just stay with you, long after you\u2019ve turned the final page. Since 2021, I\u2019ve read 823 books<\/a> (to date), and I wanted to share some of my top picks with you to see whether I could encourage you to try something new.<\/p>\n I used to be the sort of person who would read romance <\/a>\u00a0only. I\u2019d pick up book after book of soppy, cookie-cutter text, and don\u2019t get me wrong, I still absolutely love a good romance, but as I\u2019ve gotten older, I think I\u2019ve become far more adventurous with the novels I choose to read, which has been only a good thing as I\u2019ve managed to explore so many different worlds<\/a>.<\/p>\n So, here are 10 books I\u2019ve rated five stars. I\u2019m going to tell you a little bit about them to encourage you to give them a whirl, too. This book is set in Manchester, where I\u2019m from, so it was love at first sight. However, the part that kept me turning those pages quickly was the fact that the book was written in mixed media, including interviews and important documents. It\u2019s a gripping, edge-of-your-seat story, and had me desperate to read Knox\u2019s other books – which I did, and would also recommend those. This was his best hitter for me, though. As we\u2019ve all probably worked out by now, Stephen King is an author who just writes banger after banger for me. This book was possibly the one that shocked me the most in the past few years. The main character travels back in time to try and stop one of history\u2019s most prolific events, and a lot happens along the way. It may be a long book, but it\u2019s gripping and so much fun.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The perfect book for you if you\u2019ve ever felt like you\u2019re chasing a dream that isn\u2019t really meant for you. It takes a look at the often toxic and dysfunctional relationships that women often have with what is perceived to be their dream career. It\u2019s about two women who join forces and realise that their careers may just not love them back.<\/p>\n The second book in the ACOTAR series was my favourite (almost pipped to the post by book five, but not quite), and I\u2019d recommend this series to anyone and everyone. There\u2019s just something about it that manages to sit heads and shoulders above other fantasy book series, and I really hope if there are more books coming in this series that they blow me away as much as this one did.\u00a0<\/p>\n I had this book on my shelf for ages before deciding to pick it up, and I was so annoyed with myself for waiting so long when I did. This is feminist, funny, and a book that I genuinely think about several times a week. No spoilers, but if you have this, read it, and if you don\u2019t, get it ASAP. Grady Hendrix\u2019s mind is just something else.<\/p>\n Sometimes it\u2019s the books you don\u2019t anticipate yourself reading that are the best, and this was the case here. My partner bought me this book while in London for work, saying he thought it sounded like \u2018a bit of me\u2019 and he was so right. Focused on a taboo relationship, this book will have you squealing and kicking your feet all the way.<\/p>\n Whenever people ask me what my favourite book in recent years is, I do feel like it has to be this one. There\u2019s something about the way Meg Mason writes that is so tragically hilarious. The main character is dealing with undiagnosed mental health issues, and she\u2019s dealing with the breakup of her marriage. It\u2019s intense, it\u2019s dark, and it explores her quest to find identity and happiness among grief.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n This book will have you in tears, more than once. Whether you believe in signs from the universe or not right now, I genuinely believe this book will be able to (even slightly) change your mind. Go into this open-minded, and ask for your own signs, and make them niche. I think you\u2019ll be pleasantly surprised.<\/p>\n If you miss the Gossip Girl days and having drama in your life, then this is the book series for you. It currently has five books within the universe (with potentially more to come, according to Jessa), and they\u2019re juicy, dramatic, and so much fun. Yes, the relationships aren’t exactly #goals, but each book will leave you desperate for more.<\/p>\n I started the list with a Manchester-based book, and so I\u2019ll finish it with one. This book honestly floored me. It felt like it had been written by one of my best friends. It was side-splittingly funny, made me cry, and was such an important foray into mental health and the importance of friendships, honesty, and living your life to the full while you can.\u00a0<\/p>\n Like these recommendations?\u00a0You can sign up for my newsletter,\u00a0The Bookish Drop, on Substack<\/a> for free.<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/strong><\/p>\nTrue Crime Story by Joseph Knox<\/h3>\n
<\/strong><\/p>\n11.22.63 by Stephen King<\/h3>\n
Careering by Daisy Buchanan\u00a0<\/h3>\n
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas<\/h3>\n
The Southern Book Club\u2019s Guide To Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix<\/h3>\n
You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi<\/h3>\n
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason<\/h3>\n
Signs: The Secret Language of the Universe by Laura Lynne Jackson<\/h3>\n
Magnolia Parks Universe by Jessa Hastings\u00a0<\/h3>\n
Spiralling by Cal Speet<\/h3>\n