Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
4 and 5 star reads (as a picky reader)
9
items I read 70+ books last year, and only gave FIVE books a 5-star rating in 2024. (this list includes books I read in both 2024 and 2025).
Sections
2
5 Star
4 Star
5 Star
I don’t rate many books 5 stars, but this has the perfect blend of action, romance, and is a GREAT intro fantasy book with phenomenal but realistic world building. Lots of character development as well!
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, Paperback
5 stars - Arguably the best book in the series (#2 in the ACOTAR series), chapter 54/55 are absolutely KILLER and had my heart doing all sorts of things. I would read the entire series again just to enjoy this one book.
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas
5 stars - I laughed, I cried, and absolutely fell in love with the characters. So much so I still think of them to this day. Sci-Fi with a twist, but not too much world-building so it's fairly easy to understand and a great intro into the genre. This...
In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune
5 stars - would've been a 4.3 star but THAT ENDING (you'll be dying to read the third book guaranteed). I've been in love with the characters since the beginning, and the character development is unmatched. Modern-day fantasy, with lots of action and...
House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City, #2) by Sarah J. Maas
5 stars - don't be intimidated by the length because this book FLEW. It was worth every second, and I very quickly fell in love with the characters. The FMC had a high range of emotion and maturity, which made her feel so REAL. Even the "slow" parts ...
House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1) by Sarah J. Maas
5 stars - when I tell you I was HOOKED from the start. Definitely had my mind going the entire time, and I would not consider this a "leisure" read unless you really want to think during your relaxation time. The good kind of thinking though. Sci-Fi ...
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
4 Star
4-star read. Not as good as the first book "Fourth Wing", but still action-packed and filled with emotional scenes (that last scene though definitely caused some tears). Absolutely OBSESSED with the characters and their continued development!
Iron Flame (The Empyrean, #2) by Rebecca Yarros
Honestly, a pretty slow start to the series, but I promise it gets better. Not the best "first fantasy" read, but definitely for those who are getting more into the genre! A decent amount of world-building to start understanding more about fantasy an...
A Court of Thorns and Roses
4.75 - I'm a sucker for realistic characters. The ones who are both strong, but flawed, and this book definitely had it! Fantasy with action and romance, I wasn't too keen on the whole "vampire" thing at first but this was such a refreshing take on i...
The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent