Top 5 Wednesdays is a hugely popular meme created and run by booktubers Lainey and Samantha. To participate, check out the GoodReads group here.
This week’s topic is: Books From Before You Joined______, so I decided to focus on books from before I started this blog.
Since this blog is still brand new, there are of course hundreds of books I could’ve picked from for this week’s topic. I had a quick peek at the books I’ve rated five stars on Goodreads over the past few years, and chose these five titles to highlight:
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
I remember not being able to put this book down. Atkinson’s engrossing novel captured me from the first page and didn’t let me go even after I closed the back cover. I would’ve happily read about even more of Ursula Todd’s lives. I keep meaning to read the companion novel A God in Ruins, but am worried it will be a disappointment compared to Life After Life.
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler
I went into this book fully aware of the “twist,”but that fact didn’t lessen my enjoyment one iota. I was really impressed with Fowler’s prose, her complex characters, and the psychological and familial themes woven throughout.
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
This beautiful story of friendship during WWII was a lovely discovery and an impactful read. I loved the characters Maddie and Queenie -their relationship and their courage in the face of unimaginable horrors. Even though this novel broke my heart into tiny pieces, I enjoyed the reading experience and look forward to reading it again.
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
I read this novel shortly after it was published in 2014, and I still find myself thinking about it often. Mandel’s prose is stunning, and Station Eleven is a brilliant blend of quiet beauty and dark despair. One of my favorite post-apocalyptic novels for sure.
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
Everything I Never Told You is yet another novel that has really stayed with me. This exceptionally well-written portrait of a family in the midst of tragedy is utterly gripping. I still think about the members of the Lee family, and I cannot wait for Ng’s new book to be published this fall.
Have you read any of these novels?
Dwell in Possibility 
I haven’t read any of these books but I think I would really enjoy Code Name Verity 🙂
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It’s an amazing read, just be prepared to shed a few tears. Hope you enjoy it
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I think I was one of the few people who didn’t really care for Life After Life. So many people who I usually have similar tastes to loved it. Something about it just didn’t resonate with me. I thought Station Eleven was unexpectedly beautiful though. I haven’t read the others but I’ll be on the look out for them!
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It’s always disappointing when a book you think you’ll love doesn’t resonate with you for whatever reason. I remember being surprised by Station Eleven as well. I keep meaning to pick up something else by Emily St. John Mandel…
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I do too, but it seems like the other books are harder to find.
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