My 5 star predictions (2023) – WRAP UP

While I never wrote a post listing all the books I thought were going to be my 5 start reads in 2023, I made the predictions for myself.

I have read most of the books from that list and would now like to talk about them.

I’m first going to say what the book is about, than why I thought it would work for me and than if it actually has or hasn’t.

Several of the individual reviews are already written, but it might take some time before all are published so that’s one more reason to mention them all in one place.

Here are the books:

1. A Curse So Dark and Lonely – Brigid Kemmerer

Rating:

Following two perspectives, this book tells the story of Rhen, a prince who, cursed by a powerful enchantress, now must make a girl fall in love with him in order to be free again, and Harper, a girl from Washington, DC, who is accidentally brought into Rhen’s world thus leaving her sick mother and brother behind.

This is a Beauty and the Beast retelling that reads like a fairy tale. It is also one of the earliest books I discovered on Booktube and one I have really been looking forward to.

While it was a bit darker than I have anticipated, I loved this novel. Short chapters made it easy to read. It was fast paced, but never rushed.

The characters were memorable and their connections are build gradually. There were some interesting discussions too, especially about choices.

Another interesting aspect of the book is the fact that Harper suffers from cerebral palsy, which effects her movement. I thought this was really well handled because it’s always something that she has to account for, without ever becoming her defining characteristic.

2. I Will Wake Up in Shibuya (Probudím se na Šibuji) – Anna Cima

Rating:

After coming to Japan for a vacation, the main character wishes to stay there forever and the wish comes true… in a way. A version of herself ends up stuck there in a form of a spirit, while she goes back home and continues with her life. Years later, she comes across the work of a mysterious Japanese writer which will prove to be the only thing that can help her unite with her other self.

Though a bit uneventful, this book was excellent. It is easy to read, funny, surprisingly relatable at times, but it, also, includes some more serious topics.

What makes this book unique is the fact it follows three different narratives: the main character who is at university, her alter-ego in Japan and the story written by the upper mentioned Japanese author, which all come together in the end.

This was truly a book for me and I loved it.

3. Guards! Guards! – Terry Pratchett

Dragons are believed to be extinct, yet ther’s one ravaging the city right now. Ankh-Morpork City Watch must do something. But what? And how?

Although thi is, technically, the eight book in the series many people say it is the best place to start if you want to dive into Discworld. So I picked it up.

It is absurd and insightful and I thought it will make a perfect read.

Honestly, this book was that and so much more. It is funny, incredible creative and you never know what is going to happen next.

What caught me of guard was how dark it was. Not explicit in any waym it’s just that beneath the crazy setting and characters lies a bleak depiction of our society with all of its flaws.

Still, I loved every second of this book and, after taking a little break from the series, I can’t wait to read more.

4. The Thursday Murder Club – Richard Osman

Set in a luxury retirement village, this book follows four friends who formed a rather unusual club – every Thursday they meet and discuss unsolved murder cases. Things become really interesting when a new murder happens right in front of them and they have an opportunity to help an ongoing investigation.

I love murder mysteries and this seemed like a perfect one.

The setting is unique, the characters are likeable and they all have a story to tell. The book is well written and occasionally really funny. I enjoyed it a lot.

Having said that, the first half of the book is not very interesting. The author needed some time to introduce everyone and to set things up, which is fine, but the investigation doesn’t start until the second half. The book was well written, but it did seem kind of aimless for a while. At one point I even considered a lower rating.

Once the story picks up, it’s great, but this and an unusual ending bothered me a little bit hence 4 stars.

5. Ariadne – Jennifer Saint

Though a Princess of Crete, Ariadne has very little agency in her life – everything is decided by her father. He is a monstrous ruler and the whole family is feared and hated by their people. Not only that, but her mother gave birth to a Minotaur, a beast now kept in a labyrinth beneath the palace where it feeds on human flesh. When Theseus arrives hoping to kill it, Ariadne helps him and they escape together. But, the future is not what she has hoped for.

I love Greek mythology and I wanted to pick this book up since it first came out.

The writing was good and the characters memorable, but what, perhaps, stood out the most about this book were its themes – the position of women in society, the relationship between those who have power and those who don’t, marriage and faith, to mention just a few.

Upon finishing the book I knew it wasn.t a 5 star read, but it was difficult for me to explain why.

I thought the first part of the book, talking about Ariadne’s childhood and her subsequent meeting with Theseus, was a bit too long, never boring, but not compelling enough for me to be truly invested. Also the characters spend a lot of time thinking of certain things and reflecting on their past decisions which only made the stroy seem less eventful.

Ultimately, this was a good book, one I genuinely enjoyed, but it hasn’t quite become an all time favorite.

There was one more book on my list – The October Horse by Colleen McCullough, but I haven’t read it. This is a sixth book in her Masters of Rome series, which my mom read years ago and encouraged me to pick it up. She told me that the books could be read on their own and, considering the first five are no longer available for purchase in my country, I initially planned to start with this one. However, I thought I would get so much more out of the series if I read it in order, truly getting to see the creation of Rome and its development over the centuries. So, I decided to borrow the previous books from the library at some point in the future, I just need to read some other stuff first.

While I haven’t read this book I wanted to mention it here nonetheless.

As far as predictions themselves went, I can’t lie – despite reading some great books I was still a little disappointed that not all of them were 5 star reads. I had such high expectations.

Though, I guess the more you read the more surprises you are going to come across. Thus, it will be interesting to see what happens next, especially as I venture out of my comfort zone.