marekcornett's reviews
755 reviews

A Winter Wish by Emily Stone

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emotional hopeful mysterious 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? No

4.0

Emily Stone is one of my must-read authors, and she didn’t disappoint in this winter’s novel. Classic enemies to friends, I really enjoyed these characters and the way they were pulled together. Worth a read.

The only thing that had me disconnected was the actual wishing jar (not a spoiler). It felt forced. 

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Pictures of You by Emma Grey

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challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

Wow. Just wow. This one was 1) intriguing, 2) easy to fall into, 3) well-written. I loved the premise & it was executed so well. Add this to your TBR now.
Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano

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

4.5

Can’t believe this is the 5th book of the series and… dare I say it… my favorite since the first one!

Finlay & Vero are back to their usual antics, and this time Nick is along for the ride. Ms. Haggerty is back in a big way, and it was so fun!

Thanks to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced copy. 
A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall

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

2.5

This book was… a lot. Honestly, it felt like it could have been two different books. I’m also not a fan of conveniences when it comes to thrillers, and this one has a big ol’ one that the entire story is based upon. There were plenty of twists throughout, but I was already past being excited or looking for them by the time we got there. 
How Does that Make You Feel, Magda Eklund? by Anna Montague

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

4.0

What a heartbreaking and beautiful story. A true story of grief pulling someone into inner-reflection of wants, needs, loves. 
Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show by Bethany Joy Lenz

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challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad fast-paced
(I don’t rate memoirs.)

Wowza. I had no idea this was all going on as I was a loyal One Tree Hill devotee. Seeing how terrible people can use religion to coerce and control others is always surprising. This book goes deep in how easy it is to fall into. 
The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins

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

2.0

I almost DNF’d this one. It moved SO slowly through the first 60% of the book. There was never much tension built, very few twists. It’s just not what I’m looking for in a thriller.
Tell Me What You Did by Carter Wilson

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dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense 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

5.0

Everything a good psychological thriller should be - hits early, hits often. I loved the premise & the author executed on it perfectly. I definitely think you’ll be hearing quite a bit about this one this year.

Thanks to NetGalley & Poisoned Pen Press for the advanced copy!

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The Favorites by Layne Fargo

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

4.5

It took a little while for me to get into this one, but once I took a turn, I was completely invested in this story of extreme athletes/romantic partners. Things get *messy* and I love how the story unfolds. Lots of Taylor Jenkins Reid vibes.

Also, tip: this audiobook is incredible. The cast of characters come alive, and we get to hear Johnny Weir be his fabulous self. 
Brooke Shields is Not Allowed to Get Old: Thoughts on aging as a woman by Brooke Shields

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informative reflective fast-paced
*I don't rate memoirs*

I had a tough time with this one, but I think it's a me thing and not necessarily what's going to be general consensus about this book. Within the story about her lived experience based on gender- and age-related biases (I enjoyed this storytelling and learning more about things I didn't know previously), she included SO many studies, article sources, etc. to back her up (I did not enjoy this at all). After the first chapter, when I would hear "one study reports..." or "studies show" with data presented, it made me cringe even more. It came across as a reference paper like we all had to do in high school rather than memoir. That said, data lovers will like the mix, I believe! 

Thanks to Macmillian Audio and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this audiobook.