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five star reads
28
items Some of my favorite 4 and 5 star reads from my goodreads list! Find me @ Leah Wett
Sections
2
5/5
4/5
5/5
5/5: I loved this book, and Riley Sager in general. I like how his books have a continuous twist! It keeps it interesting and unpredictable! This would be a great novel to get you out of a reading slump (can attest), or if you're just looking for som...
Middle of the Night | Riley Sager
5/5: I devoured this book on a trip to Maine & it was one of my favorites of 2024! I found this to be an easy read, and while predictable at times, was very heartwarming and lovely overall. Marcellus' character really is something special ❤
Remarkably Bright Creatures | Shelby Van Pelt
5/5: UGH, I loved loved loved this book! It read it at just the right time and found the characters both heartwarming and hilarious. It was the first book in a while that I legitimately laughed out loud at – highly recommend this book! It is the firs...
The House in the Cerulean Sea | TJ Klune
5/5: This was my first introduction to Riley Sager – and through a book club, might I add – and I really enjoyed it! Much like “Middle of the Night” it keeps you on your toes through quite a few twists & turns! Great travel read, or if you're jus...
The Only One Left: A Novel
5/5: This one was a total left-fielder for me – I did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did! The story overall is so unique, and the characters are both odd and endearing. I really, really enjoyed this one! Maybe I'll give it a re-read here soon…...
Piranesi
5/5: I love anything Bourdain; so much so that I was willing to include a non-fiction book on this list – normally it's not really my thing. However “Kitchen Confidential” so eloquently reflects Bourdain's voice, it's like you're in the kitchen there...
Kitchen Confidential Updated Edition (P.S.)
5/5: This was my favorite book of 2025. The story and characters were so heavy – with grief, heartache, the heaviness of a hard life. It was a really insightful glimpse into a world much forgotten for it's mystique – the Appalachians. I'm a big Kings...
Demon Copperhead | Barbara Kingsolver
5/5: I took this on a summer trip to Florida, and it was the most perfect companion. Fatansy, mystery, and romance wrapped into one – this was a really fun beach read and would probably be a great audiobook!
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue | V.E. Schwab
5/5: This book was really enjoyable! It kickstarted me back into reading again, and the way it was told was super interesting and fun to follow along with!
Don't Believe It | Charlie Donlea
5/5: I really liked this book. Not only because of the story it told, but the many underlayers that were woven in. It was, at times, a little overt but I think that's the point. If you're looking for something with a cultural edge to it, I highly rec...
Americanah | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
5/5: I devoured this book! However, I did not sob and weep, like some. Read it for yourself and decide – I lent this to a friend and figured she'd love it, but she couldn't get into it! If you're into Greek mythology and historical fiction, I recomme...
The Song of Achilles | Madeline Miller
5/5: I really enjoyed this book! While some of the tropes were a little cliche, I found this to be really interesting and a fun read overall. It was emotional, funny, and suspenseful – it reminded me a lot of True Detective season 1 (IYKYK). I took t...
Chris Whitaker | All the Colors of the Dark
This was one I felt myself not being able to put down! This is my kind of story – no discernable plot to follow, just the story of the lives of the characters and all the nuances that come along with family, grief, and the unknown. I really, really e...
The Dutch House | Ann Patchett
4/5
4/5: I really, really enjoyed this book! I found the story really compelling and mysterious, however it could have been about 70 pages shorter. If you're looking for a fun spring/early summer lake read, I highly recommend this!
The God of the Woods | Liz Moore
4/5: This had been sitting on my TBR for a very, very long time so after I finally picking it up, I was pleased with the story. I rated it 4/5 because it does start to drag a bit in the middle, but I think all pieces come together at the end.
The Secret History | Donna Tart
4/5: When I say that I devoured this novel – I DEVOURED this novel. Overall, I very much enjoyed it, much like most other Kristsin Hannah books. However, I do find her main characters to be a little woe-is-me in some ways, but overall I do really enj...
The Nightingale: A Novel
4/5: Though I was not a British 20-something, I was a 20-something at some point and fully resonated with all the ins-and-outs that come with it. Again, for someone who does not typically enjoy an autobiography, I found this recount of an early 20s m...
Everything I Know About Love: A Memoir
4/5: I received this book as part of a book exchange, but it was not on my radar at all. I had seen it floating around social media and heard good things, but romance is not really my genre so I'd typically pass titles like this up. However, as it wa...
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo | Reid
4/5: This is one that I've read back-to-back years, when I needed a little taste of what it could give – a story full of heartache. You know those times? You just need something kind of sad, but also kind of…bad? I don't know. Lots of moral conflict ...
The Paper Palace | Miranda Cowley Heller
4/5: This was another book exchange book, so not something that I picked out for myself – however, I ended up LOVING this book and have lent it out to a few friends since reading. It gives off Practical Magic vibes, so this would be a perfect book fo...
Garden Spells | Sarah Addison Allen
4/5: I had to sit with this one for a moment, and then watch the movie to reflect on those feelings. I liked this, but it was quite a ride. It's much, much different than the movie, but it was a great spooky season read! This was also my first-ever S...
The Shining | Stephen King
4/5: I can't say this would be for everyone, but as a Barbara Kingsolver fan I found it interesting. It intertwines multiple characters and stories revolving around the same summer in Appalachia. It was a great late-summer read!
Prodigal Summer | Barbara Kingsolver
4/5: I am typically not a Colleen Hoover fan, however I started this while on vacation and could not put it down. It's not as….idk, ya know….as her other books but it still had it's moments. I gave it 4/5 however, because I did plough through it and ...
Reminders of Him | Colleen Hoover
4/5: This sat on my shelf forever before I picked it up, and I was so disappointed that I waited! Ruth Ware is fun! I've snagged a few of her other books – that have unfortunately become TBR's of their own – but I really enjoyed this book. I'm excite...
The Woman in Cabin 10 | Ruth Ware
4/5: I read this in college and, surprisingly, really enjoyed it. This is my kind of story – there's no concise beginnging and end, but somehow it's a story all the same. This is actually on my TBR to read again, along with East of Eden.
The Grapes of Wrath | John Steinbeck
4/5: Honestly, this book is beautiful. The author's language is just beautiful, so if you're looking for a very ethereal and immersive read, I highly recommend this book of MM's specifically!
Circe | Madeline Miller
4/5: If you're a fan of Ernest Hemingway – or even if you're not – this is a great read. It's a great beach read, or one you could cozy up with beside the fire. I managed to find this in a Little Free Library, but I see copies of this at my local Hal...
The Paris Wife | Paula McLain
With the movie coming out, I wanted to try and cram this in beforehand and I am so glad I did! This was a quick read that kept me entertained!
The Housemaid | Freida McFadden