Is it possible to predict how much you will love a book without even reading it? Technically I suppose not, however, there are ways I have found that haven’t let me down so far. To sell a book to me it doesn’t really need to contain that many things; If I already know and love the author, sold. If it delves into cultural mythology/folklore, sold. If it features what appears to be a strong and intriguing heroine, sold. Contains a literary squad, sold. There are soooo many more but the question is: Do all these things ensure the book will be a 5* read? No but I’ve found them to be a pretty good guide to whether or not I will enjoy the book.

This weeks Top Ten Tuesday is focused around books on my TBR I predict will be 5* reads. I’m splitting it in half and doing 5 unreleased 2020 books that I am highly anticipating and 5 books off my TBR that I intend to pick up this year. Have you found a way to guess whether you will love a book before reading? Or like me is it based on tropes/plot lines? Let me know in the comments.

Top Ten Tuesday is run by Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl and you should definitely go give her blog some love.

Dangerous Remedy

I was recently accepted for an ARC of this on Netgalley and I can’t wait to start reading it. Revolutionaries daughter, band of outcasts, dark and disturbing powers… add in 18th century France and this seems to be adding up to 5* already.

The Sisters Grimm

This is another ARC I managed to snag off Netgalley and I mean… the cover had me intrigued but the premise had me hooked. I love the original Grimm stories so when I found this one all about 4 half-sisters with magical powers, who are completely unaware of their own destinies. I’ve read some really raving reviews so I’m eager to dive in.

Aurora Burning

I mean… do I really need to say anything for this one? Aurora Rising broke me in so many ways and yet I absolutely love the rag tag crew Squad 312. I’m sure this will be just as much an emotional rollercoaster as the first but at least I might be a little more prepared this time.

Woven in Moonlight.

Bolivian folklore? A Royal Decoy? What sounds like the beginning of a literary squad. Put it together and what have you got? A Bibbity bobbity awesome sounding book.

Notorious Virtues

I love Alwyn Hamilton! So much! Her Rebel of Sands trilogy had me in hysterics, tears and on the edge of my seat screaming at the pages. So when I found out she would be releasing another series, set in the same universe but years and years later, you betcha I emailed the publisher offering my firstborn.

The Way Past Winter

Just look at that cover! It’s Green, my favourite colour & has some amazing gold foiling. I’ve read a few of the authors books and have loved them all so I have high hopes for when I eventually start this one.

The Fifth Season

This is one of those books I’ve had on my TBR for years purely because I’m afraid it won’t live up to the hype. Jemison is described as a master of the genre and I mean:

“Essun does not care if the world falls apart around her. She’ll break it herself, if she must, to save her daughter.”

If this doesn’t make you want to pick it up I don’t know what will.

The Silence of the Girls

I mean full on Greek Mythology, but swapped around so its from the female perspective. This book tells the unknown stories of the women sent to Achilles bed in the battle of Troy. I’m super excited to read the story I know and love but froma

The Calculating Stars

Female Astronauts! not going to lie with you, that’s pretty much all it took to add this one to my TBR. I’ve recently been watching ‘For All Mankind’ an Apple TV show, and though it isn’t centered around female astronauts, they play a massive part in the plot and it made me hanker for similar stories (BTW everyone should be watching this because its awesome, and in my opinion better than the Morning Show.)

Scythe

After all the amazing reviews I had read about this book and the amount of times Susan has told me that I will love this series, I definitely need to pick it up this year. The plot definitely sounds intriguing and I imagine it will be an easy 5* read.

These are just some of the books that I have/want to own that I feel will be 5* reads. Realistically I never pick a book up if I don’t think I will love it, but there are few that I buy and instantly think this will make my top books of the year. Do you think any of these would be 5* reads for you? Or have you read them already? Let me know what you thought of them.