Tier Ranking Every Book I've Given 5 Stars! 

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My life goal is to find someone that thinks about me the way Murph thinks about annihilation.

"i remember it cause 2020 was a year, and vanessa was a book." lol, Merphy has such a way with words

The fact that I’ve been watching your channel since before you read WOT and that you read that FIVE YEARS AGO is wild to me. Time what???

Comparing your old 5 stars to your recent 5 stars goes like: maybe this is is not a 5 stars, what was I thinking 😅

I first read Hitchhiker’s Guide when I was nine. Someone told me about the ‘42’ section and young me was so bloody tickled by the weirdness of the joke I got the audiobook and listened to it every night for a couple of years. This book is stencilled on my brain. That being said, I LOVE when other people love Hitchhiker’s! It’s like having an instant friend because of all the jokes and shared weirdness that we’ve both laughed over. I’m so pleased it shot to so many people’s greatest books and they feel it was made for them too.

In your Discworld chronological journey you were actually so close to getting to Reaper Man (I think 1 book away)- that one is SO good and one of my favorites! And after that is Witches Abroad, Small Gods, Lords and Ladies (another all time favorite)… trust me when I say you were about to hit some of the most wonderful ones! 😊

Yes, I do still judge you for Frenchmen's Creek! Yes, My Cousin Rachel is her best.

I saw In A Holidaze straight away and *knew* it would end up in the old Merphy category 😂

You should do a video about book that have a special place in your heart. Not your favorite or the best writing. But juste book that for some reason, you can't explain, have a special place. Like The Secret Garden.

I have been chasing my wife “42” for 20 years, She thought I was calling her old until her 42nd birthday then I told her what t meant.

I need to stop watching these videos, it's costing me a small fortune

I'm going through Southern Reach now and loving it. As a child and a teen Annihilation would be a "made for me" book as I could not resist any woods near me. Although, had a read this as a youngster it would have been over my head.

Backman..."obscure". That's a joke, right Jimmy??? Surely? No you've just been stuck in a different genre. 😅

I read the Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy based on your favourite books of 2023 video. Wow, what a great recommendation. It was outside of what I normally read, but I loved it. I initially found your videos when I was reading the WoT series. A lot of our opinions on the series aligned, so I generally trust your judgement on books, and have many of your favourites on my to be read list!

"Daniel did every book he's ever read...nah. that's a bit much Daniel

Man, I wish i loved Joe Abercrombie as much as everyone else does.

You call your grandmother "oma"? Do you have german or Dutch ancestors?

I think Jimmy was absolutely trolling you. No way anyone could be your friend and not know you love Backman 🤣

I love the middle books/second books too! Because its so easy to fall back into the world and everything is mostly established and you basically have already done the "work" and get to have all the fun😂

The Ocean At The End of The Lane is to me what Annihilation is to you, Merphy, so I totally get the feeling you're describing. Now I kind of want to rank my favourite books like this. No 'bad' tiers, just 'I like this, but I like this one even more!' kind of thing. 😀 Also, I'm glad you still like Amari; I have both books, but I'm waiting 'til closer to the release of book 3 [August 27!] before I read them and then decide if I like them enough to keep them. Same thing with Black Sun and Fevered Star--going to wait 'til a couple weeks before Mirrored Heavens comes out [June 4th!] to read them. I'm very excited, especially since Mezoamerican mythic type stories are so rare, and I've been waiting over a year. Funny how both Amari Book 3 and Mirrored Heavens were supposed to be released around the same time last year, but then they both got delayed.

Seconding what Merphy said about My Cousin Rachel, Rebecca is one of those "made for me" books, even though it's so far from what I usually read (I honestly don't know myself why that book affected me so much, but I still think about it constantly) and My Cousin Rachel was definitely my second favorite Du Maurier book I've read so far!

I missed The Magicians! I read it because of you and loved it :)

The Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas is absolutely unequivocally batshit insane and I love it for that.

I totally agree with the introduction. I knew from the moment I decided to pick up the gentlemen bastards series (on your own recommendation) that I would never doubt another rec of yours. You have not let me down yet.

Merphy is really going to get me to read Annihilation

I noticed you really like nautical/pirates books. Would love to see a whole video dedicated to those, with your recommendations. It would make my TBR grow, but I'm sure I could find some new favorites too! ⛵️😊

Very insightful look at your 5 stars. I could never do a list like this - would change a bunch of the ratings I've given in the past. Also, your picks make it clear I was very right to subscribe :D

A newlynova shout out, love to see it

I subscribed to your channel 5 years ago! So many of these books have become favorites of mine. You have influenced my reading habits more than anyone throughout the years!

"Me llamo es Merphy" 😂

Wait where's Peter Pan?

Merphy, you NEVER have to apologize for loving older books just because others have loved them longer. No gatekeeping here. The fact that new readers can discover Hitchhikers and appreciate it so much just makes me appreciate it more.

Saludos de alguien de Costa Rica! :) Living in NYC now, but yeah, good Spanish haha!

This was a great video! Thank you for posting this!!

The way you talk about "Annihilation" is how I feel about "Piranesi". I just had my 7th re-read this month and it had such an emotional impact on me.

I know u dont want to read more Fitz but I just finished the 3rd book in the farseer trilogy and DRAGONS MERPHY, BIG AMAZONG DRAGONS. U LIKE DRAGONS. Fitz is a lot better in the beggining, now he is a little stupid again BUT DRAGONS

Great Job!!!! I would have the ones I have read a little different order but that is OK. I don;t mean to be the way that I am but I am what I am. 😄😄😄 I have started Richard Swan's Justice of Kings.

Okay, so I guess I’m going to have to read DuMaurier. I have a copy of Rebecca that I will start with

I had taken the Southern Reach novels off my TBR for some reason, but you've made me add the first book to my TBR list again. I like, but don't love, Sanderson but I've wondered about the Skyward series and have added the first to my TBR You also got me curious about Fredrik Backman.

Here's my feelings on the "Hitchhiker's Guide" Series: • "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe" are pretty much one book -- should be released as a single volume with just these two books IMO • "Life, the Universe, and Everything" -- You didn't get enough? Okay, maybe read this one... • "So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish" -- Oh, you like happy endings? Fine, read this one also.... I guess.... • "Mostly Harmless" -- Adams now hates you. All of you. Including you. ESPECIALLY you. No happy ending -- EVER!!!!! ...and another thing... don't ask me about "Young Zaphod Plays It Safe"... or that sequel that Eoin Golfer wrote...

Books made for me: The Way of Kings. The Giver. Enders Game. Enders Shadow. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy The restaurant at the end of the universe. The Dark Elf Trilogy. The Count of Monte Christo. There are doubtless others, but I can't remember them at the moment.

I loved Rebecca. I couldn’t get into Jamaica Inn, but you’ve talked me into trying My Cousin Rachel.

I gave annihilation 1 star. I couldn’t stand it or the series. Yes, read all of the books because I’m a completists.

Hitchhikers is still the GOAT and always funny. great picks

I agree about Hitchhiker’s. Book 1 is wonderful. Book 2 is GREAT. And then it gets bad for me. It became a chore to finish the series but man do I love the first 2

"Don't Trust Old Merphy." Did we start trusting current Merphy?

I have added several of these to my TBR. I keep looking for YTbers that have similar reading likes as me but most of the girls I find like romance or what I would consider really bad fantasy. I have a feeling you might be closer to my reading personality.

Do you have Dutch/German/Afrikaans heritage? I don't hear of Ouma's often on RU-vid.

I think if or when you reread the original First Law trilogy, you might find that it's actually as good, if not better than AoM in many ways. The politics in AoM are still great, but something is lost in the mystery of it by then too because we already know how Union society operates, who the major families and players are, etc. The things Glokta does in the first trilogy alone make those some of the best novels I've ever read. Even his character work by then was already pristine. This is not to take anything away from AoM, by any stretch, but I reread the whole series last year, and honestly the first trilogy does hit harder for me. I'm not sure if any character will ever beat Glokta for me, but I am waiting eagerly for the day that character presents themselves to me.

Frenchman's creek is also made for me! Is amazing, we can share the love for it😂 Rebecca was my love and favorit till i read My cousin Rachel, you are right, is a better book

I DNF'd Annihilation half way through. The mystery just wasn't that interesting and the story is slow. It's a tower, I get it.

I picked up the last cuentista after your original review of it years ago. I just re-read it and it’s still a solid 4 maaaaaaaybe 4.5 star. 😅

Too much vacuous talk and so little content. It needs immense patience to watch this video. I gave up halfway.

Nothing is better than rereading a very good four star book and coming away with a five star favourite

That's a lotta books!

I saw you had annihilation on the list and then got confused you hadn't read the next 2 in the trilogy. I mean you haven't even reached the middle book and it might be your favorite lol. I have them on my shelf and definitely plan to read them next now that I see you loved it that much.

the Dark Forest doesn't echo, it HAUNTS

Dead Beat is widely considered one of the best if not the best of the Dresden Files novels.

The Secret Garden is 10000% a 5 star book for me!

A five star comment! To please the algorithm!

GET STEVEN ERIKSON ON THE CHANNEL

You have an Oma!?😢 I miss my Omi

Yay🎉 Puerto Rico 🇵🇷🎉🙌🏼

Would The Count of Monte Cristo get 5 stars?

Merphy, i just got annihilation from the library, i will probably start it thos weekend, YOU CAN STOP SHOUTING ABOUT IT NOW😂

QUIT ADDING MORE AMAZING BOOKS TO MY READING LIST!!! BAD MERPHY!!!

A feel that at this point I have to read Annihilation

I'm about to do a Dresden reread since it's been years. I think Ghost Story was my fav years ago. I actually read House of Salt and Sorrows on a whim. I really enjoyed it. I think I gave it 4 stars.

I picked up Gentlemen Bastards and Stormlight because of you and adore them both. Annihilation though... I gave it 3 when I read it, but thinking back on it I have to knock it down to a 2. I also tried Malazan because of you Merph and dnf-d it, but I migh try it again sometime because I have fomo.

Here's the 5 star system I use! It helps me to have each star specifically defined rather than just a feeling. 5 - Amazing! I loved it. One of my favorite books. Would reread and recommend. 4 - Good! I enjoyed it. Would definitely recommend, might reread. 3 - Okay. I feel neutral or somewhat enjoyed it. Might recommend, wouldn't reread. 2 - Not good. I didn't like it. Wouldn't recommend. Love-to-hate goes here. 1 - Terrible. I really didn't like it. A lot of DNFs go here.

Unpopular opinion DNF’d Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy 3/4 the way through.

Good video...what this shows is that a 5 star ranking system is not adequate. I think 10 point rating systems with decimals to tenths is more granular and better for ranking so many books...but I get it, 5 is quicker and easier - its just not accurate. There are several booktubers using 10 point systems so hopefully more will catch on eventually.

Merphy, I have read a lot of the books on your list. "the Shattered Sea" trilogy was the first books I read by Joe Abercrombie. "Hitchhikers Guide" " Frenchman's Creek" and "Jurassic Park" I read a while ago. A lot of the Books are on my TBR. 5 star books this year "The Cradle Will Fall" Mary Higgins Clark. "Flowers for Algernon" Daniel Keyes and "the Flatshare" Beth O'Leary. Love your channel

I actually prefer Rebecca over My Cousin Rachel. I haven't read Jamaica Inn or Frenchman's Creek but I did recently read Flight of the Falcon and really enjoyed it.

I did roll a 42 on a percentil die my last D&D session and said, "Well, I guess my 8 intelligence Barbarian just knows everything now." It's just such a relevant book to every situation. On the middle book topic, are you a middle child by chance? I would just think it's funny and self-fulfilling :)

Jurassic Park the book has more details, but it's been a long time since I read and watched it so I cannot compare. There's so much space between each WOT book that can't remember my feelings, as well as details. I mean, I remember I've enjoyed them.

One of the first reviews of yours I saw… I was like 16/17 (I’m 22 now and graduating college in like two months) and you recommended Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer. That book is still my favorite book ever. I’ve read it more times than I can count. It got me back into reading. And I actually met Kemmerer a few months ago when she was on tour and got my copy signed!

Hi, there are 2 books coming out in May and I was wondering if you have heard of them and your thoughts: Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland (May 10th) Heaven Breaker by Sara Wolf (May 21)

Probably only needed three tiers for this…how can you separate 5 star reads another 5 ways. Anyway, the middle three tiers would suffice…Echos/5 stars/Maybe

Please don't say you read wheel of time 5 years ago, you're making me feel so old 😅❤ edit: I just looked back at your oldest videos on your (og) channel, and I remember finding you right around the start of those videos, which means you must have privated quite a few videos. Thanks for many years of book recs. I found many of my favorite books because of your recommendations!

I didn't know you adopted. My wife and I adopted 2 kids almost 3 years ago. It's nice to see it being talked about.

Lots of great ones here. I’m in the minority camp of Beartown being overrated…which led me to not finishing that series. I did adore Man Called Ove though.

I love middle books too. I usually feel a bit lost reading the first book and I am fairly disappointed in endings of the last book. The middle book is the perfect book because I am familiar with the world, story, characters but it leaves me wondering how it will end. So I always overthink and analyze stories after book 2, which I love.

You just have to read "Last Chance to See" by Douglas Adams, you'll probably like it

Anyone else wonder if Merphy would like romance if it were from Korean dramas? 😂 Just a curiosity of mine who knows the genre isn’t for me when it comes to books or Hollywood films due to several reasons, but LOVES it from other places for the exact opposite reasons 😅

I don’t know why I just thought of this now, but I’m pretty sure Merphy would really like Inda by Sherwood Smith. Edit: I know why. It’s the mentions of nautical and pirates. Still surprised I never thought of it earlier.

High Merphy, just to let You know Spanish is My first language, and just wantto advise You that it is helpfull to find how certain things are said in the specific country You are going to visit. For example "jardín" may not be the Word they use in puerto rico, they may call it kindergarden, o kinder. Maybe not super important when You are first starting to learn. But is a good thing to keep in mind.Love your videos

Oh wow, Merphy's favorite book from her favorite author doesn't rank as "Made for me"? Sorry, I discovered And Every Morning... thanks to Merph and it's now one of my favorites!

Jurassic Park, Sphere, and Disclosure are all five star Michael Crichton books.

Has she read ‘his dark materials’?

I read Rebecca first and it's still my favourite but I can agree My Cousin Rachael is just an amazingly written book! i'm actually sad that i'm running out of the "best" Daphne du Maurier books to read, only got Jamaica Inn left of what i think are regarded as the better ones.

Rebecca and Frenchman's Creek I'm obsessed with. My cousin Rachel and Jamaica Inn were both good

I picked up and read Lies of Locke Lamora because of you... And my reading world will never be the same. I'm planning on reading the other two by the end of the year. And its all your fault!! Rebecca is on my list because of you... Ember Blade is on this list because of you... The Tainted Cup... You've done quite a number on my TBR!!

Oh, my mom is having demencia, old age is finally tacking it's toll. I don't know if I can read/watch a book or movie about that. If You know a book for coping with it, I might.

I love Frenchman's Creek! Granted, it's the only DuMaurier book I've read, but this is one I've reread within a year of initially reading the book.

Time for a wheel of time re-read.

Merphy, you said Oma, do you have german roots?? Greetings from Germany

not seeing Piranesi makes me sad

Did you see where there’s going to be a 4th book in the Annihilation (or whatever it’s called) series? And they’re redoing all the covers and they look really artsy & cool! It was on Fantasy News.