‘I’ve only rated 7 books 5 stars in 2025 – here they are’ | Books | Entertainment
It’s the middle of the year, and many people will be well on their way to achieving their Goodreads reading goals for 2025. But how many five-star reads have you consumed this year?
One woman, Jen, who posts on TikTok as @sillylittlebookss, shared that she’d only given out the coveted five-star rating seven times this year.
She said that she was trying to be a little more “conservative” with how many books she rated five-stars because she’s “known” for giving them out freely, but these are her favourites of the year so far.
1. Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonham-Young
She said that this five-star rating was “absolutely deserved,” because the book is now one of her “favourite romance books of all time”.
Jen explained that it follows a boy and a girl who meet at a party, and their “initial click is that they both have a physical disability”.
In the plot, the pair have a one-night stand and the woman gets pregnant. The book follows their relationship and how they “overcome” their struggles.
She said it was the “exact type of book” that she needed at the time, saying it was the “sweetest and loveliest romance book” that she’s ever read.
2. The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
Jen said that this was her first ever book by Kristin Hannah, saying that she “devoured it”.
The book follows Leni and her family. Her dad has just come back from the Vietnam War and he’s “a changed person”. Jen added: “He’s super angry, and very impulsive, and quite dangerous to be around”.
When he decides to up and move his family to Alaska, it’s a big change for them, and there are so many things going on at the same time. Jen said that she’d “recommend this to everyone”.
3. Play Along by Liz Tomforde
Jen referred to this book as “everything,” saying that she’d been waiting for it for so long “and it did not disappoint”.
She explained that it follows Isaiah and Kennedy – who are caught in the difficult situation of forbidden love.
Isaiah has “been in love with Kennedy for years, but she is his team’s physiotherapist”.
Jen praised Tomforde’s romance writing style, saying that she writes “a level superior” to other romance authors.
4. Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston
Jen described this novel as “like a Harry Styles fan fiction,” saying it’s “so so good”.
She gave a trigger warning for dementia in this book, saying she bawled her eyes out at it. Jen added: “Be aware of that going into it”.
5. Glow of the Everflame by Pen Cole
This is the “second book in the Kindred’s Curse Saga” – and it made Jen fall in love with the series.
She couldn’t explain the plot because she’s so far into the series now that she can’t remember where she started.
However, she gushed that the books are “so good” and make for a seriously “underrated series”.
6. And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman
Jen described this book as “small but very powerful,” saying that it’s about losing people to dementia.
She said it’s “told from the perspective of a man with dementia, his son and his grandson”.
Jen explained that the book is just 74 pages, but she was “crying the entire time” that she was reading it. It sounds like a great option for anyone who likes a tear-jerker!
7. The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand
“This is a book I did not think I would love as much as I did. But I literally binge-read it in one day,” Jen admitted.
The plot follows a woman who is taking over the “very famous but very controversial Hotel Nantucket”, which has been “closed for years”.
There’s a lot of “scandals” and “history” about the hotel and “people think it’s haunted” – so prepare for plenty of twist and turns!
Jen loved that the ending was “satisfying” and described the novel as the “perfect beach read”.
