maggies's reviews
623 reviews

You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian

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emotional funny hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Boy oh boy do I love romance and baseball and baseball romances. Mark and Eddie made me laugh and cry and fall in love! This is a great example about how in-universe series should work—allowing the previous characters to make an entrance every once in a while but introducing new, interesting characters to steal the spotlight. The Robins baseball team was so cute, and George felt so lovely.
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The List by Mick Herron

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

4.0

An intriguing interlude. I'm glad I read book 4 before this novella, despite it being set between books 2 and 3, because it felt more like a flashback for Coe. I'll be interested to see if this novella and the others have much of an impact on the full series' events.
Spook Street by Mick Herron

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This series is so readable (or listenable, as it were). This is the first entry I've read before watching the show adaptation, and I can confirm that it's still twisty but easy to follow. I have become attached to the characters, which makes it all the harder when they leave or die or otherwise disappoint me. I'm intrigued by the new additions to the cast, especially Coe, and I'm interested to see where they lead.
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Real Tigers by Mick Herron

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adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Another fun entry in the series. I saw this season of Slow Horses before reading, which allowed me to more or less skim. The show is a faithful adaptation, so I recommend both!
2666 by Roberto Bolaño

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 24%.
This is too long for me to try to stick with it. I need more plot, more connection, and more payoff sooner. Not for me.
The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston

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

5.0

Nods to some great romantic movies—including Just Like Heaven, The Princess Bride, and He's Just Not That Into You—made this book absolute catnip to me. I loved it and got exactly the ending it deserved. An easy listen, sufficiently cheesy and emotional.
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Acting the Part by Z.R. Ellor

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emotional hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

I really struggled with this one—the narration was good, but I never connected with the main character or their journey, and the plot of the television show was hard to follow. It was decidedly meh, and I won't be seeking out this author again.
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Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca

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adventurous emotional lighthearted fast-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

3.0

A light, fun, slightly spooky romance. I loved Cassie learning to appreciate the ghosts and I came around to Cassie and Nick's relationship, but it definitely moved faster than I normally like. Unfortunately, I also was taken aback by the reveal about Cassie's
infertility
.
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Bad Graces by Kyrie McCauley

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adventurous challenging mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Bad Graces is fantastic in every sense, and I loved it. Creepy and horrifying but magical and uplifting. Super fast-paced. Every revelation felt like a gut punch. I'm not a Greek mythology buff, but what references I understood were pitch perfect. The theme of healing and growing and changing was so well executed. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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Veronica by Mary Gaitskill

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challenging sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

*Read as part of my challenge to (attempt to) read all 100 of NYT's best books of the 21st century*

This book was readable, but it didn't feel as though much happened. It was mostly a reflection on a harsh life, with visceral analogies that sometimes grossed me out. The narration kept me listening.
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