the best books i’ve read – according to goodreads

Welcome, today I want to share the ‘best’ books I’ve read, according to the highest ratings on goodreads, then see what I actually thought of them! I’ve seen some YouTube videos on this and I thought it would be fun to show mine too.

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1. Heartstopper Series

Rating: 4.63 (Volume 3. First 3 volumes have an average rating of 4.59!)

Of course it was going to be Heartstopper. Everyone loves this and rightly so, because it’s such a cute and fun read while also touching on some serious topics. I will say though, I’m not sure if I would rate it 5 stars if I re-read it, just because I found it hard to rate graphic novels when I read it in 2020 and definitely gave it a lot of leeway. Still, I loved this and the show, so I agree with this!

2. Black and British: A Forgotten History

Rating: 4.61

I don’t rate non-fiction books anymore, but I did rate this 5 stars (again in 2020). It was well-researched and informative, going much further than the school curriculum (even when doing History at A-Level), which was virtually non-existent. I will say it is a little dense and I could understand that being a criticism, but it does seem like the majority of people who read it also found it valuable reading!

3. Six of Crows Duology

Rating: 4.61 (Crooked Kingdom. First book has 4.49 rating)

Another one I’m not surprised to see here. I adored this series too! I gave Six of Crows 4.5 stars and Crooked Kingdom 5 stars, so that matched the average rating. It’s been a long time since I read them, but I remember loving the characters and their interaction, and having a strong plot too. I actually have a post sharing some of my favourite quotes from Crooked Kingdom.

4. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Rating: 4.47

Another one that’s beloved by many. I rated it 4.5 stars so it’s definitely up there but not my all time favourite. The writing, setting and characters were amazing, but the ending sort of ruined it for me, as well as how Reid handled Monique and her character. Jesse has a great video on their YouTube channel Bowties and Books about some of the problems with the book. I do see why it is so highly rated though of course.

5. In the Dream House

Rating: 4.47

100% agree with this one. I rated it 5 stars and it’s one of my favourite books of the year so far. It was devastating and impactful and original, and I loved the concept of looking at this abusive relationship through different lens, but still having a cohesive narrative.

6. Homegoing

Rating: 4.47

So many of my favourites on here! Homegoing was in my top 10 favourites of 2020, and I’d love to re-read it some day and maybe even own my own copy since I borrowed it from the library. It sparked my love for multi-generational stories, but it will always be a favourite because it was an original narrative and structure that I enjoyed despite not loving shorter stories too much.

7. The Green Bone Saga

Rating: 4.46 (for Jade War)

I’m surprised how much higher Jade War is than Jade City (4.11), because I loved both but rated Jade City 5 stars and Jade War 4.5. I still haven’t read the last book, but it’s been so long since I read them that I will have to re-read them all together. I doubt it will happen soon but hopefully when I have more time like next summer I can do it! The books I have read are so intricate, both the world-building and characters, so it just feels very real.

8. The Sword of Kaigen

Rating: 4.46

I’m so glad this has such a high rating, although it still seems underrated with only about 10k ratings. Another one I’d love to own physically and re-read sometime, because it’s been a long time but I’m still in awe of the story. Also the book I’ve cried over the most, so how can I not love it?? I wrote a review that I have not read for ages so I don’t know how coherent it is, but it’s basically me gushing over it even more!

9. The Art of Drag

Rating: 4.42

I didn’t rate this however I do love it. It’s basically a graphic novel about the history of drag and it’s so fun and informative, plus the artwork is stunning. I’m happy that I requested it for my uni library so hopefully more people can find and enjoy it!

10. The Martian

Rating: 4.41

I’m actually quite surprised that this is on here and so many people loved it. It’s the first book on here that isn’t 4+ stars. I do get the love for the dry humour, however it did get a bit tedious for me, as well as the numbers and physics and constant storyline of problem, solve problem, another problem, again and again. I did give it 3.5 stars because it was still enjoyable, although I think I could have rated it a little lower.

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Thanks for reading! What are your highest rating books and do you agree with this list?

—ella♥

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