Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday! This weekly shared “meme” has a different theme each week and is shared by many blogs. We’re aiming to come up with ten things between us each week so they won’t be in any particular order!
Top Ten Tuesday is hosted at The Broke and the Bookish. For a list of past and future Top Ten Tuesday topics and to find out more about Top Ten Tuesday, click here!
This week we’re listing ten of our recent five-star reads. Have you read any of these? Do you agree with our rating?
Either way, I hope you find something to add to your to-read mountain!
Ten Recent Five-Star Reads
1. Lady Helen and the Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman
London, April 1812. Lady Helen Wrexhall is set to make her debut at the court of Queen Charlotte and officially step into polite Regency society and the marriage mart. Little does Helen know that step will take her from the opulent drawing rooms of Mayfair and the bright lights of Vauxhall Gardens into a shadowy world of missing housemaids and demonic conspiracies.
Demon slayers in Regency London? How could you go wrong? It’s basically Buffy meets Pride & Prejudice, and you should definitely get your hands on a copy asap. It’s known as The Dark Days Club outside of Australia.
–Angelya and Philippa
2. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
A tale of two sisters and their experiences during the German occupation of France in the Second World War.
This was our book club read for March. I have a sneaking suspicion that I was emotionally manipulated through most of this novel. Oh well, it obviously worked. Kudos Ms. Hannah!
–Natasha
3. Magic Study (Study #2) by Maria V Snyder
You know your life is bad when you miss your days as a poison taster!
I’m really enjoying this series! I have no idea why I didn’t read it all sooner, although I’m trying to get through them all now before Maria comes to Supanova Gold Coast in a few weeks. It’s excellent, fast paced YA fantasy.
–Ang
4. The Invasion of the Tearling (Queen of the Tearling #2) by Erica Johansen
With each passing day, Kelsea Glynn is growing into her new responsibilities as Queen of the Tearling. By stopping the shipments of slaves to the neighboring kingdom of Mortmesne, she crossed the Red Queen, a brutal ruler whose power derives from dark magic, who is sending her fearsome army into the Tearling to take what is hers. And nothing can stop the invasion.
–Philippa
5. Yellow by Megan Jacobson
Fourteen-year-old Kirra’s so-called friends bully her, whatever semblance of a mother she had has been drowned at the bottom of a gin bottle ever since her dad left them for another woman, and now a teenage ghost is speaking to her through a broken phone booth.
This book not only has a really beautiful cover, but also a great coming-of-age story. Plus, we got to meet Megan last week at the Penguin Teen Aus event and she was lovely!
–Ang
6. Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
Dustwalk is an unforgiving, dead-end town. It’s not the place to be poor or orphaned or female. And yet Amani Al’Hiza must call it ‘home’. Amani wants to escape and see the world she’s heard about in campfire stories.
Then a foreigner with no name turns up, and with him she has the chance to run.
But the desert plains are full of dangerous magic. The Sultan’s army is on the rise and Amani is soon caught at the heart of a fearless rebellion…
A Western film set in a desert with an Arabian feel, supernatural beings hiding in the shadows and a Prince out to take back a kingdom. Rebel of the Sands is a mashup of many types of story, but it works.
It blazes across the desert at break-neck speed! I loved it.
–Ang
7. Prodigy (Legend #2) by Marie Lu
Injured and on the run, it has been seven days since June and Day barely escaped Los Angeles and the Republic with their lives…
–Philippa
8. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
Simon Snow just wants to relax and savor his last year at the Watford School of Magicks, but no one will let him. His girlfriend broke up with him, his best friend is a pest, and his mentor keeps trying to hide him away in the mountains where maybe he’ll be safe. Simon can’t even enjoy the fact that his roommate and longtime nemesis is missing, because he can’t stop worrying about the evil git.
I loved this tribute to magic-boarding-school (but mostly Harry Potter) stories. I just wish I had been able to read the first six books in the “series” first!
–Angelya
9. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
Lydia is dead. But they don’t know this yet.
So begins this exquisite novel about a Chinese American family living in 1970s small-town Ohio. Lydia is the favorite child of Marilyn and James Lee, and her parents are determined that she will fulfill the dreams they were unable to pursue. But when Lydia’s body is found in the local lake, the delicate balancing act that has been keeping the Lee family together is destroyed, tumbling them into chaos.
This book is like a steam train. It starts off very slowly, but as it gains momentum, it is very difficult to stop. An intriguing and powerful examination into discrimination and parental expectations.
–Natasha
10. The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness
What if you aren’t the Chosen One?
The one who’s supposed to fight the zombies, or the soul-eating ghosts, or whatever the heck this new thing is, with the blue lights and the death?
What if you’re like Mikey? Who just wants to graduate and go to prom and maybe finally work up the courage to ask Henna out before someone goes and blows up the high school. Again.
This was my first book by Patrick Ness and it was seriously so good! A big two thumbs up and 5 stars from me.
–Philippa
Related Posts
Anni
Anni lives in Brisbane, Australia with her young family. She loves everything fantasy and science fiction and believes sleep is really very underrated.
Chrissi Reads
Glad to read that you enjoyed The Rest Of Us Just Live Here. That’s coming up for me soon. I adore Patrick Ness!
Chrissi Reads recently posted…Ten Of My Most Recent 5 Star Reads
Liz @ Freyja Eats Books
Great list ! I have Rebel of the Sands in mine too 🙂 LOVED the Poison Study series, really want to re-read them soon.. Dark Days Club is on my TBR soon !
My TTT
Angelya
I hope you enjoy Dark Days Club! I’m hoping to get my hands on the third Study one asap 🙂 Thanks for your comment Liz!
Greg
The Invasion of the Tearling looks good- I have the first one to read and am hoping to get to it soon. Love the premise.
Sya @ Bookish Sya
I really want to try reading Patrick Ness’ books. I’ve heard good things about him 🙂
My TTT
Heather Fineisen
Everything I never Told You and the Nightingale are both on my TBR lists. I’ll have to check out the other titles.
Vickie Wilson
Wow, there’s so many here I’m planning on reading! We call it The Dark Days Club here (UK), which is a bit less of a mouthful. It’s currently sitting on my shelf waiting to be read soon but I’m trying to re-read The Winner’s Curse books first so that when my copy FINALLY arrives (*shakes fist*) I can read it immediately.
I loved Poison Study but the series went downhill for me. I’m hoping it picks up again in book 4, whenever I get round to reading it…
Angelya
Well Philippa told me that the ‘Glass’ trilogy were her favourites. I’m enjoying the Study ones though so I’m looking forward to what’s coming! I hope you enjoy The Dark Days Club Vickie 🙂
Lianne @ eclectictales.com
I still have yet to read The Nightingale but I really want to, the premise and the setting sounds like my kind of read. Great list! 🙂
Lianne @ eclectictales.com recently posted…Top Ten Tuesdays
Rachel
I really enjoyed both the Nightingale (though its not my favorite Kristin Hannah book- I love her book, Night Road), and also Everything I Never Told You. I haven’t read the others on your list but whatever ‘Yellow’ is- it has a great cover 🙂
Rachel recently posted…Top Ten Of My Most Recent 5 Star Reads!
Cate
“Prodigy” is one of my next (immediate) reads! “Legend” is in my list. 🙂
Lisa @ Captivated Reader
I haven’t read any of the books on your TTT list this week. Time to add more book titles to my ever growing reading wishlist!! Happy reading to you!!
Lisa @ Captivated Reader recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday — 5 of My Most Recent Best Reads & 5 of My Most Disappointing Reads
Angelya
Excellent, our work here is done xD Thanks Lisa!
Charnell @ Reviews from a Bookworm
So many awesome books on your list, these are ones I have either loved myself or am desperate to read. I absolutely loved Rebel of the Sands, that book was just to incredible and I am now just so desperate for the next book in the series. I am definitely going to be adding some of these to my already endless TBR, so thanks for the awesome recommendations!!! 🙂 Here’s my most recent five star reads, if you want to check them out 🙂
Angelya
Aha, excellent, we love TBR adding, haha! Rebel of the Sands is awesome, isn’t it? Thanks Charnell 🙂