 Today we're on a mission to figure out what do I actually give five stars? So welcome back to my channel. I hope you're all good. Today we're gonna do what I'm calling a five star audit. I feel like Lately I've just been picking up the books that you know, I think sound good I hear someone speak about and it kind of sounds like my thing But I'm not thinking critically about what I'm actually giving five stars I could be picking books up over and over again and not enjoying that What's not clicking? What's not clicking? So today I want to find 10 features, tropes, Aspects of books that I give five stars regularly. At least three times is my barometer is my Standard that I need and that way it'll help me figure out what I should prioritize reading What new releases I should actually get that kind of thing. Now I will say I do want to show you maybe one or two examples Of that feature then that's on my tbr But I filmed a video yesterday, which you'll see later in the week that involved me tearing apart my tbr basically And usually I know where pretty much every book is like it all has its place They stay in the same place in my car on the shelves. I could tell you wherever a book is I have no idea where any of my books are right now So I might just have to like put pictures in if I think of them if I can think of stuff It's on my tbr But also it's going to make it a little bit harder for me to look for stuff because I really like I I don't know where stuff is Anyways, let's just get into us figuring out the first trope feature that I do give five stars Okay So I have got my Goodreads open because I find it easier to make the links when I see All of the five stars grouped together and with the covers. I could use a spreadsheet I have spreadsheets with all of my like rating info But that will just say the name of the book and I find it easier to visualize here looking at the Goodreads Also, rather than like standing in front of the bookshelf where all the books are messed up by rating I feel like this is gonna help me Make the connections More easily. So I guess one that we can start with that's like pretty obvious And I think I like I feel like I've got two in my mind that I know And then after that we'll struggle. Let's go mixed media mixed media is something that I love And we can see we've got as good as dead by holly jackson and a good girls guide to murder Which is there. I just gave true crime story by joseph nox five stars night swim by megan golding I guess you could say has mixed media elements as well I guess you could say one of my favorite books of all time the strange case of the alchemist daughter Where is that that has some mixed media elements like with them cutting in and the whole idea of it being a letter I guess so yeah mixed media. I would say something that always gets me. So mixed media. I do Love mixed media. It just listen it gives a little bit of extra spice. It gives a little bit of extra drama. This is good Do you know what I mean? I love The kind of new storytelling elements that come with mixed media Like we said the good girls guide to murder series is absolutely wonderful for mixed media True crime story was a lot of interviews the night swim by megan golding was podcasts If a book has mixed media in it, I'm probably gonna give it five stars Like I don't know. I just love it. I just love mixed media I love books and novels that in general tear up the traditional structure Of water buckets, you know the kind of chapter linear format However, a book can mess with that and like, you know, gender is a construct tear it apart. You know what I mean? Like Mess it up a bit. I love it. So a few examples. I can't find them But a few examples I can think of on my tbr We have the twyford code by janice hallett. Now to be fair, I did give the appeal four stars But I think that's because I expected so much of it So the twyford code and the um alpiton angels, which is janice hallett's next book that comes out in january But I know that that is like a box of research on a cult that is found So it's all research items. So I think that could be really great Also six stories by matt waslowski is mixed media That's all I can really think of right this second But like I said My tbr is a mess Another one that I can think of right off the top of my head. It's very relevant for now Is dark academia. I seem to love dark academia. Let's find some examples for you They never learned by lane fargo could cost as dark academia Uh catherine house definitely dark academia Uh ninth house dark academia secret history dark academia I would say almost all of the dark academia books I've read I have given five stars the exceptions I can think of are Uh, if we were villains, I didn't really like that Is there any other ones? I guess truly devious would cost classes dark academia, which I gave four stars I liked that. So I'm just a sucker for dark academia. I don't know I just seem to love it. I just gets me in a chokehold Next is dark academia very relevant for the time. Everyone's reading dark academia But you know, I think I have like a a link to dark academia in my blood That's quite dramatic because the secret history brown on a tart although I now recognize it has flaws, you know Has flaws to it, but I think it's very influential in the dark academia space It's not necessarily the ultimate dark academia to ever exist But um, you know, that was the book that got me back into reading when I had stopped reading for many years And then ninth house Catherine house Um, what else did I say? Oh, they never learn like I almost give five stars to almost every Dark academia I read so a few examples on my tbr We have in my dreams I hold a knife which will notice doesn't have its dust jacket on because I am reading this right now Only 30 pages in so I literally have no thoughts on it yet But this is a great example babble by rf quang like I feel like dark academia's in its era And I'm gonna be reading quite a lot of dark academia soon So we will be putting this to the test how much I actually give five stars But yeah, there's just something about dark academia that I love. Okay. Now we get to a situation where We're struggling Okay, let's have a think what about like groups like big groups of friends like found family groups of friends I guess I do like I I'm not big on tropes, right? Like when people talk about I love this trope I love this trope like that's not how my brain works. I guess this is us trying to figure that out is Essentially what tropes I like so you found family. We can go for quick kingdom Strange case again. I would say has found family What else do have I given five stars that has like a found family element to it? I think you could say wayward children as well Like especially in the latter books in the series The children who go to elinor west school for wayward children who are the ones who have gone into these portal worlds Only they understand each other only they understand what they have been through So I would say the wayward children series as well. So found family I think is something I really really enjoy So next one was found family. Obviously we have queen strange case of the alchemist daughter Which like, oh my god, the girls the family that they build a family of monsters It makes me cry a little bit. Maybe I'm just gonna cry a bit maybe I'm not gonna cry Maybe I'll cry I just do love in my fantasy if I'm gonna read why a fantasy I love it to be a cast of characters in the found family. I just feel like that's the vibe That's something I love it. I love having a good group of characters You know, it reminds me of stuff that I used to watch and love when I was like buffing the vampire slayer I feel like that's kind of like the og found family because you have giles father figure. Oh my giles Giles giles. We need more like Giles if I write a book. Hmm. I've just decided now. I need a giles. I need a giles So in terms of ones that are on my tbr one that sticks in my brain is the gilded walls by rashani chotsky I know that has a found family element and I do need to read that I think I got it like two christmases ago not last christmas christmas before And I would really like to get around to that soon. So yeah, I know it's starting another series But we'll just we'll just ignore that. Yeah, I can't think of any others right now But I'm sure there's lots but I do love found family. Oh on that note on the note of family I love sisters. I love sister relationships So we can say once in future witches. It's about three sisters the project by corny summers is about Sisters Sadie by corny summers wherever that is that's probably down here. Yeah, Sadie by corny summers I gave five stars is about sisters. I feel like corny summers just does sister relationships like no other Any other ones that I can pick out that I gave five stars Uh, the broken girls has a sister element to it, but it's not really about that. So yeah, I seem to have a thing for sisters I don't know why but I really love. I mean, I don't have a sister I as I don't really understand my fault towards it. Um, I do have a brother, but I really love When sisters have like the sisterhood and this strong relationship and they care for each other so much I think there's something really interesting about that relationship, but often the sisters are often like Opposed against one another. I think there's like young girls as often a theme but seeing them come together in adulthood Is something I really enjoy. So sisters is another one that I need to look out for in my reading in the future And then I guess coming off of found family sisters. I love I love sisters in books again, like I said, I have a brother so I don't have sisters But I think there's a lot of interesting dynamics that come from sister relationships I do really want to reread the once and future witches soon by Alexi Harrow because Wow, the sister relationship in that if you've never read it and you like sisters, please The bond that they have because at the start of the book, they're separate They've been separated for many years and they come back together and relearn each other's ways and what they love about each other Kills me So sisters on my tbr. I'm sure there's loads the og sisters pride and prejudice the bennett sisters excuse me And we've got so many beginnings by bethany c morrow, which is a little woman reimagining a little woman remix This is one I've wanted to get to for ages Yeah, I love sisters guys Oh, I guess one that we can talk about is like an isolated closed circle murder mystery Surely I've given three of those five stars So let's have a look murder on the oren express One by one by ruth wear. I've given five stars I'm being strict on it being a murder mystery by the way. It has to be isolated closed circle murder mystery. Oh the guest list stupid me the guest list the guest list Uh murder on the oren express One by one by ruth wear No exit isn't isn't a murder mystery, but it is isolated closed circle So isolated closed circle is definitely one as well. I do love that. I love when you've got You know your your characters are stuck in this place. Maybe because of the weather or something It's often because of the weather It's often because of like snow or whatever, you know a murder happens and you know It's one of the group and you know the murder is still among you and just oh the tension that that creates I love it and it means like the evidence is contained It's easy for beginners because the evidence is all contained It's not like people can you know go off and do something else or go off and obscure evidence like everyone is there And so I think it makes it easier to solve stuff. Maybe that's why I like it But that is definitely one as well. Okay next was isolated closed circle murder mystery is I do They get me the the obsession that I got with it was was borderline unhealthy I don't know how i'm gonna integrate in society The drama like I said, they're good for beginners all the evidence is contained all our characters are contained There's also a lot that I've given four stars that I do think of a lot like an unwanted guest by sherry lapina was great There's a lot of really great ones that I didn't necessarily give five stars, but I absolutely loved what isolated closed circle mysteries Have I got on my tbr? Have I got many? I feel like I've read a lot of the ones that I have Oh in the hall with the knife by danna peter Freud another dark academia one as well This is a cluedo retelling where it's like y a all of the cluedo young characters Are stuck in a storm at their private boarding school and the um headmaster is murdered So I think maybe one of them is suspected. So yeah, that's definitely one. What else have we got? Is the christmas murder game one? I feel like that is one. Yes snowstorm cuts them off from the village That's one. I think I'll be reading that in december the christmas murder game which came out last year to not the highest of priests So anyway, that's a few that I'm excited to read soon. I really do. I notice for my adult fantasy I prefer it to have beautiful lyrical writing Like a skin full of shadows. I would say by francis harding Uh, erin morganston my queen. Where is she? You know the starless sea? I'd say alex e harrow as well I would say almost without fail if I read a fantasy that has this almost like Fairy tale like you know the plot may be a bit skew if but who cares? It almost feels as if there's like a narrator above everything narrating it I think I love that if that counts as one I think I need to make sure that I prioritize but it's hard because I feel like A lot of people when I watch them review fantasy that isn't necessarily something this isn't necessarily something They always point out, especially if it's not something they're looking for But I need to prioritize fantasy that has this kind of gorgeous like rich Abundant writing so next was you know lyrical beautiful fantastical writing a lot of my favorite fantasy books I would say do have this element to them like erin morganston my queen I bow down to you In terms of ones on my tbr Unraveller by francis harding is my next francis harding I'll probably read and I've read a little bit of it and that definitely has it But like I said, I don't feel like people mention this when reviewing books as much as I would like them to I feel like maybe daughter of the moon goddess might have this style of writing which if so let me add them Let me read it right now. We need this. This is essential. This is a crisis I feel like when I watch other people talk about it I place writing at a higher Level than other people I often speak about some people are writing some people have plots Some people have characters and I feel like those three are always going to be like different levels of importance for different people for me Writing is number one then plot than characters. A lot of people I watch I feel like characters is number one So that's what they're going to talk about. So, you know people have different levels of importance for different stuff in books So I feel like I just don't Hear people say oh, this has beautiful writing lyrical writing the kind of vibe that I'm looking for because it's a specific vibe You can have people writing But not the alexie harrow's erin morgan stands france's hardings of the wild like that's a certain Vibe that's difficult to pin down and difficult to know Before you read it that book is gonna have that I will say I also do love strong female celebrity memoirs I'm not big on reading celebrity memoirs, but I feel like you know There's just a certain aura about all the ones I do like like I'm glad my mum died I gave five stars. Listen the meaning of mariah carry. Let me get it up here If you've ever thought about liking mariah She's an icon the audiobook of this is so good so good Becoming by michelle obama. I loved and I guess like hearing you know someone like mariah carry There's like we know the outward persona of her and that definitely is one thing But I like reading and autobiography And learning something about them that I didn't know before so strong female memoirs, right? I don't really have many on my tbr I feel like I kind of read them often by chance and then just enjoy reading them I have a lot of like non-fiction about women on my tbr These aren't necessarily celebrities, but I think you know a hard-hitting memoir that I do have Is educated by tara westover. I still haven't read this This is probably now one of the oldest books on my tbr This is about a girl who I believe wasn't taught. Yeah, her family grew up preparing for the end of days And so she didn't go to school had no medical records and when she gets older she decides to teach herself I also do have a biography of mord west lady detective who opened her own detective agency in 1905 Which is pretty unheard of for a woman to do that So I do really want to read this as well And I feel like mord like takes no prisoners like mord would like you know You don't want to come up against mord is what i'm saying So I feel like this could be a good kind of similar thing in that vein But I don't think I have anything else on my tbr of this nature Okay, this one that I think is probably too broad But I would say it's probably over 50 of the graphic novels. I've ever read. I've given five stars You know heart stopper. I gave five stars the tea dragon society. I gave five stars recently I gave delicates five stars I feel like I don't tend to read a lot of graphic novels But I do think it's probably over 50 of the graphic novels that I have read I've given five stars. I do tend to give most of my graphic novels five stars like looking at my at my Graphic novels I've read I do give a lot of graphic novels five stars I currently don't have a lot of graphic novels on my tbr I definitely need to get a few more. Let's also specify Cute graphic novels. She's huge, but she's so beautiful. She's a mammoth, of course This is okay. I should have further specified Cute wholesome cinnamon roll graphic novels is what I give five stars I do have the last two tea dragon books. I keep saving these for like a rainy day But I do I should probably read I think festival is the one I want to read I need to read next. This is a prequel and then this is the last book So I reckon I'm having a thought right I do want to take part in weekend wean this year And I know one of the prompts is like read something with a monster And I feel like I could read this because the tea dragons are like little monster creatures As if you know, let's let's reclaim the word monster monsters don't have to be Scary. So maybe I'll read this because it's good for a readathon Maybe I'll do that. Let me know if you approve I also think I love books and they can't they can't be hard to come across That sit perfectly at the 33% 30% 30% intersection of history fantasy mystery We have got strange case the alchemist daughter. Of course again Is one want some future witches. I think could be classed as that a skin full of shadows Absolutely another one of those devil in the dark water I think would support that as well in some regards cook a kingdom I think you know, although it's set in like another world I do think it has like a historical, you know element to it. It does feel like older than our current time So, yeah, books that sit at that intersection. I'm always looking for more of them This is probably one of the things I'm constantly looking for most is books at that intersection of historical fantasy mystery. I Adore it like I can't describe to you how much I love it Books on my tbr That fit this I'm not sure I really have many if I had to guess maybe when women were dragons by kelly barn Hill, I've heard kelly barnhill also has beautiful writing as well. So maybe this could fulfill a few different ones This is set in america in 1955. Maybe the gilded wolves as well. Maybe that's another good option But yeah, I'm constantly looking for books that are like 30 30 30 percent Of these different genres. So if you ever know any, please let me know and I will say I think the last one would be I do love like Contemporary books and by that I don't mean like, you know contemporaries I mean books set in the present day in our world with like a slight Speculative edge to them with something that's not quite right. So I think broken girls by Simone st. James definitely classes at this Um dig by as king is another one. You must not miss by Katrina Leno to some extent horrid by Katrina Leno Or I think that does veer, you know a bit more into the speculative than I guess the other examples I'm talking about but yeah something that's set in our world can be any genre But something that's set in our world in our time but has like a little bit of something that goes beyond the the laws of nature that we Suppose exist. So, yeah, the last one is like Speculative slightly speculative little bit weird little bit strange Just a little hint of like something being off in case you haven't noticed I'm weird I'm a weirdo. I feel like in terms of horror maybe and the trees crept in by Dawn Kurtigich This is about these girls who go to live at their aunt's home and like The woods the trees start moving in on them and this is definitely told in a very like unique way also kind of mixed media as well I guess it seems to have letters lots of like different ways of writing and telling the story So this is another one I need to get to soon It's interesting seeing books that like fulfill more than one because you're like wow that that needs to happen I definitely need to read the two anime mac camors that I own I haven't read anime mac camo before but probably one of the authors I keep wanting to try out the most this one can also be difficult to know because until you start a book You don't necessarily know to what extent a book is going to go there But if anyone has any recommendations for more books that think fit this vibe your as king Nina Lacour Katrina Leno I feel like all kind of fit in this kind of genre Please let me know any recommendations that you have. Okay. So there we have it That was my five star audit trying to figure out what I actually give five stars And I feel like it was pretty successful It's highlighted a few books on my tbr that I definitely need to read soon because they fulfill certain elements of this Maybe when I put my tbr back in its usual places I will be able to like visualize it a bit more But you guys it's actually really upsetting me not having my tbr how it's usually put in its normal place Like it's really it's really upset me to my core I hope you guys enjoyed this video. Let me know if you were to do a five star audit What are some things that you think would come up like mixed media Speculative sisters like which features do you think you tend to give five stars? And if you have any recommendations for books that fulfill one or multiple of these features Please let me know because that is what I'm looking for I'm looking for books that I am probably going to have a good chance of liking or loving Based on the features that I already know. I love multiple times. So yeah, if you go into the end What should we comment comment a star emoji comment a star emoji if you got to the end Thanks so much for watching and I'll see you very soon in another video. Bye