Many of you likely know by now that I love to create themed or different types of TBRs. One of my new-to-me TBRs in 2019 was a 5 Star Predictions to-be-read list, in which I chose 6 backlist books that came out before 2019 that I believed would be 5 star reads for me. Out of the six books I chose, I only read 4 out of 6.

I still have to read Jennifer E. Smith’s The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. In an effort to get to more backlist titles on my TBR, I plan on picking it up from the library in 2020. I did not pick up I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman, partly because I lost interest in its synopsis, partly because my local library system does not have it and I’m not sure if I want to buy my own copy (it’s also not sold here in the US).I also created a 5 Star Prediction list for 2019 releases and posted my results a few weeks ago. 

I ended up enjoying all the books on my TBR. The books that ended up not receiving 5 stars were only slightly off.

 My Correct Predictions

A Heart in a Body in the World by Deb Caletti- A Heart in a Body in the World basically earned a 5 stars from me as soon as I started reading. I really couldn’t let go of this book, in love with its fantastic cast, story, and writing style. After surviving a horrific tragedy, Annabelle decides to run 2,700 miles across the country, followed by her grandfather and brother in a RV. It’s definitely a very relevant book, following a hot-button issue here in the US. While heart-breaking, Deb Caletti approached the situation and Annabelle’s reaction so incredibly well.

My Real Name is Hanna by Tara Lynn Masih- My Real Name is Hanna was such a unique historical fiction read set during the Holocaust, following a Jewish girl whose family is forced to go into hiding in the woods when the Gestapo raids their Ukrainian village. I learned so much while reading this book, all complimented by Tara Lynn Masih’s beautiful and vivid writing style.

My Not-So Correct Predictions

The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jenn Bennett | My Rating: 4.5/5

At the time of reading it, The Anatomical Shape of a Heart was the only published YA book of Jenn Bennett’s that I hadn’t read. The book is set in San Francisco and follows a girl who wants to be a medical artist. As always with her books, I really enjoyed the setting, relationship development, family incorporation, and maturity. I think what ultimately prevented me from giving the book a full 5 stars was that it didn’t really surprise me or give me a hard-hit in the feels and leave me having all the fangirl squeals like Jenn’s other books.

 Open Road Summer by Emery Lord | My Rating: 4/5

Open Road Summer was a solid summer contemporary, following two girls on a country music tour for the summer. It was fun, but I did have a major disconnect with the book because I didn’t like the main character, Reagan. I read two Emery Lord books and reread The Start of Me and You this year. While I do enjoy her work and will always pick her latest work, I think I realized she isn’t one of my all-time favorite authors and that’s okay! The Names They Gave Us will always remain one of my favorite YA contemporaries though.

Have you read any of the above books? Share in the comments!