Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish meme originally created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits, where every Friday, bloggers write discussion posts based on a weekly prompt and Dini @ dinipandareads has cohosted since the beginning of 2025.

This week’s topic is:

July 25: The Elusive 5-star Read

Prompts: What makes a book a 5-star read for you? Do you give books 5 stars easily, or are you more selective with them? What are your all-time favourite “can’t-live-can’t-breathe-without-them” 5-star reads? Is there anything that makes a book automatically 5 stars for you? Or the opposite — what makes you drop to 4 stars?

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What makes a book a 5-star read for you?

This is such a great topic because I have been questioning how I rate my 5 star reads this year. A 5 star year has to make my heart pound, my jaw drop and take me on an emotional journey – not necessarily to make me cry, but I have to be blown away. But lately I wonder if I’m too strict with my 5 star rating?! 🤷🏻‍♀️

Do you give books 5 stars easily, or are you more selective with them?

I do not give them easily but I wonder if I’m too strict because there are books out there that are messy, and not perfect but the vibes are so immaculate. I kind of envy the giving a book 5 stars just for vibes lol.

What are your all-time favourite “can’t-live-can’t-breathe-without-them” 5-star reads?

All time? That’s too hard for me. This is just some random my 5 star reads I have tracked on Goodreads. I used to give them so much more easily before I became a blogger!

• The Awakening L.J. Smith – gave this one 5 stars when I read it as a teenager.
• Catching Fire by. Suzanne Collings
• Daughter of Smoke and Bone by. Laini Taylor
• Kristin Hannah by. The Nightingale
• The Cruel Prince by. Holly Black
• A Court of Silver Flames by. Sarah J Maas
• Heart Forger by. Rin Chupeco
• The Poppy War by. R. F. Kuang
• Bing Me Their Hearts by. Sara Wolf
• The Bridge Kingdom by. Danielle L. Jensen
• Legendborn by. Tracey Deonn
• The Women by. Kristin Hannah (many of her books are 5 star reads for me)

I think it’s interesting to see how my 5 star ratings changed over time. I really lived in a time when Twilight, Hunger Games, Divergent, etc… and those type of books came in my 20’s! I ate those books up so fast. Young Adult has changed so much – the books became LONGER. Kristin Hannah books always get me and almost always a 5 star read. This is a random list, but my 5 stars definitely got fewer the older I got, which is kinda of a bummer and I might be changing the way I rate a 5 star book next year.

Is there anything that makes a book automatically 5 stars for you? Or the opposite — what makes you drop to 4 stars?

5 stars are never automatic these days, but if I was gripped by the story, read it in one setting and my heart is thumping from adrenaline or heartbreak or something and I was engaged with the characters and story overall – then it’s a 5.

Dropping stars is maybe because pacing was a bit off, book was too long without much going on, rushed ending, or something to that effect. Or I wasn’t invested as much as I wanted to be.

July Topics:

July 4: Duologies vs. Trilogies

  Prompts: Do you prefer duologies or trilogies, and why? What are the pros and cons of having two books vs. three books in a series? What are some of your favourite duologies and/or trilogies? Do you think there are benefits to these shorter series, compared to ones with 4+ books, or are fewer books limiting?

July 11: Book Hype (Melanie @ Melanie’s Book Blog)

  Prompts: Has the hype ever ruined a book for you? Has the hype ever made a book better for you? Do you like lesser-known reads, and finding a gem of a book that no one’s heard of? Or do you prefer to read the more popular, mainstream books? Where are the majority of the books you read, in terms of popularity? 

July 18: Reading Beyond Books

  Prompts: What do you read other than books? Do you like non-novel forms of literature, like poetry and plays? Do you read a lot of news articles, op-eds, or essays? Do novels make up most of your reading, or is it a mix of those other kinds of writing? Do you ever listen to podcasts in place of audiobooks?

July 25: The Elusive 5-star Read

  Prompts: What makes a book a 5-star read for you? Do you give books 5 stars easily, or are you more selective with them? What are your all-time favourite “can’t-live-can’t-breathe-without-them” 5-star reads? Is there anything that makes a book automatically 5 stars for you? Or the opposite — what makes you drop to 4 stars?

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish meme originally created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits, where every Friday, bloggers write discussion posts based on a weekly prompt and Dini @ dinipandareads has cohosted since the beginning of 2025.

This week’s topic is:

July 18: Reading Beyond Books

Prompts: What do you read other than books? Do you like non-novel forms of literature, like poetry and plays? Do you read a lot of news articles, op-eds, or essays? Do novels make up most of your reading, or is it a mix of those other kinds of writing? Do you ever listen to podcasts in place of audiobooks?

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What do you read other than books? Do you like non-novel forms of literature, like poetry and plays?

😬 Blogs! Um…does Twitter count?! lol…and email? Or mail? Once upon a time I liked poetry but I never read plays unless it was Shakespeare back in school

Do you read a lot of news articles, op-eds, or essays?

I do! If I find a link on social media and want to read more about the topic. I’ve read my sons essays to double check them! lol. I read a lot of stuff my daughter writes.

Do novels make up most of your reading, or is it a mix of those other kinds of writing?

Yes I only read novels these days.

Do you ever listen to podcasts in place of audiobooks?

I have no patience for podcasts and I barely have patience for audiobooks lol…but I have FINALLY listened to more than one audiobook in one year (this year).

July Topics:

July 4: Duologies vs. Trilogies

  Prompts: Do you prefer duologies or trilogies, and why? What are the pros and cons of having two books vs. three books in a series? What are some of your favourite duologies and/or trilogies? Do you think there are benefits to these shorter series, compared to ones with 4+ books, or are fewer books limiting?

July 11: Book Hype (Melanie @ Melanie’s Book Blog)

  Prompts: Has the hype ever ruined a book for you? Has the hype ever made a book better for you? Do you like lesser-known reads, and finding a gem of a book that no one’s heard of? Or do you prefer to read the more popular, mainstream books? Where are the majority of the books you read, in terms of popularity? 

July 18: Reading Beyond Books

  Prompts: What do you read other than books? Do you like non-novel forms of literature, like poetry and plays? Do you read a lot of news articles, op-eds, or essays? Do novels make up most of your reading, or is it a mix of those other kinds of writing? Do you ever listen to podcasts in place of audiobooks?

July 25: The Elusive 5-star Read

  Prompts: What makes a book a 5-star read for you? Do you give books 5 stars easily, or are you more selective with them? What are your all-time favourite “can’t-live-can’t-breathe-without-them” 5-star reads? Is there anything that makes a book automatically 5 stars for you? Or the opposite — what makes you drop to 4 stars?

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish meme originally created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits, where every Friday, bloggers write discussion posts based on a weekly prompt and Dini @ dinipandareads has cohosted since the beginning of 2025.

This week’s topic is:

July 11: Book Hype (Melanie @ Melanie’s Book Blog)

Prompts: Has the hype ever ruined a book for you? Has the hype ever made a book better for you? Do you like lesser-known reads, and finding a gem of a book that no one’s heard of? Or do you prefer to read the more popular, mainstream books? Where are the majority of the books you read, in terms of popularity? 

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Has the hype ever ruined a book for you? Has the hype ever made a book better for you?

Yes hype has ruined a book for me AND made a book better. At the end of the day, if I like a book, I like it. If I don’t because the writing just isn’t something I vibe with then I just don’t. Hype can be fun though! I think Fourth Wing was one book where the hype was crazy and I jumped early into the hype and loved it – unfortunately as a series I’m not loving it as much I did as when I read the first book but I’m hoping things change. There are a few books on booktok, which has soooo much hype though, and they have fallen short of my expectations. I definitely am the type of person who will try a book out because of the hype though.

Do you like lesser-known reads, and finding a gem of a book that no one’s heard of?

I do like lesser-known reads because then you don’t quite have the hardcore fandom hyping it up or people coming hard for it because they are not in the fandom. 😅 I can like or not like a book in peace.

Or do you prefer to read the more popular, mainstream books?

I love it all, popular mainstream and lesser-known reads!

Where are the majority of the books you read, in terms of popularity? 

Majority of books I read are popular I’d say but maybe I’d say 60% popular – 40% lesser known reads. At least that’s what I think.

July Topics:

July 4: Duologies vs. Trilogies

  Prompts: Do you prefer duologies or trilogies, and why? What are the pros and cons of having two books vs. three books in a series? What are some of your favourite duologies and/or trilogies? Do you think there are benefits to these shorter series, compared to ones with 4+ books, or are fewer books limiting?

July 11: Book Hype (Melanie @ Melanie’s Book Blog)

  Prompts: Has the hype ever ruined a book for you? Has the hype ever made a book better for you? Do you like lesser-known reads, and finding a gem of a book that no one’s heard of? Or do you prefer to read the more popular, mainstream books? Where are the majority of the books you read, in terms of popularity? 

July 18: Reading Beyond Books

  Prompts: What do you read other than books? Do you like non-novel forms of literature, like poetry and plays? Do you read a lot of news articles, op-eds, or essays? Do novels make up most of your reading, or is it a mix of those other kinds of writing? Do you ever listen to podcasts in place of audiobooks?

July 25: The Elusive 5-star Read

  Prompts: What makes a book a 5-star read for you? Do you give books 5 stars easily, or are you more selective with them? What are your all-time favourite “can’t-live-can’t-breathe-without-them” 5-star reads? Is there anything that makes a book automatically 5 stars for you? Or the opposite — what makes you drop to 4 stars?