papsti's reviews
284 reviews

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

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3.0

Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay

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3.0

The Creep by Michael LaPointe

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dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

3.5

Interesting and pretty original premise, but for a book whose first two-thirds was written as a thriller, the ending was a bit disappointing.
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Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

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dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Lovely, but dark.
In the end, it was very touching. I’m very glad Raymond and Eleanor didn’t end up together romantically at the end of the book, as was maybe hinted they would. That would have weakened the overall story of friendship and self-discovery for me.
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The Swap by Robyn Harding

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dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

Overall this book was a pretty enjoyable, though dark, read.
The violent climax felt a bit gratuitous, however.
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Still Life by Louise Penny

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dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

There’s something really charming and stimulating about the way Louise Penny writes. I don't often find myself completely lost in fiction, but there were a few times where I’d be reading this book and I’d find myself in a kind of trance. As soon as something would shake me out of it, it would take me a few seconds to remember where I was. 

I accidentally stumbled upon book 16 in this series a while ago, without realizing that it was part of a long-running series. I absolutely fell in love with Gamache and his friends/family on the spot. I’ve been waiting to get “Still Life” from the library for months, to start the series properly, from the beginning. It did not disappoint. 

That said, this wasn’t a straight five stars for me because the depiction of Agent Nichols was almost cartoonishly incompetent and bullheaded. Though I did like the inclusion of this kind of character as a foil for Gamache, it was all laid on a bit too thick. 
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Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

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funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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The Cousins by Karen M. McManus

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mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

It was entertaining but something felt like it was missing, especially when it came to the was the unit resolved for the oldest two brothers. 
Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Joe never really got what was coming to him. It all worked out a little too nicely for a guy with a body count of... 7? 8? Still don’t understand how Love could just accept all his past murders.
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The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

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5.0