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Still Life Louise Penny

Book Review: Still Life

Still Life - Louise Penny

Still Life – Louise Penny

My sister recommended I read this book. I loved it! It was wonderful to discover this new genre of “Cozy Mysteries.”

And what is a cozy mystery, you ask?

Well… Wikikpedia defines it as books where “the crimes and detection take place in a small, socially intimate community.” Also violence and sexy times are downplayed. (Remember Murder, She Wrote?)

The story takes place in a rural village south of Montreal called Three Pines. I want to go there. It sadly doesn’t exist. I checked.

Heart = broken.

I’m not sure how to write a useful book review, so I will just tell you that reading this book made me feel happy, intrigued but not too nervous or unsettled. A very pleasant read. I’m looking forward to the rest of the series!

Some of the character names are in French. After finishing the book, I watched the made-for-tv movie on Amazon. I realized I was so wrong. hahaha! Beauvoir is not pronounced Beu-boar. It’s Boo-Bwah. Jean Guy is not literally Jean Guy, it’s Shogh-Gee.

Ay, French. Why u so tricky?

While reading, I highlight sentences I like. Cool similes and metaphors, or observations that make me reflect. Here are some of my highlights for Louise Penny’s Still Life:

“Rummaging through the cupboard like a wartime surgeon frantically searching for the right bandage […]”

“This village was old and you don’t get to be old without knowing grief. And loss.”

“I have no talent for choosing my battles. Life seems, strangely, like a battle to me. The whole thing.”

“‘What was his name?’ She consulted the yellowing Rolodex in her head.”

“He spoke calmly, but firmly. Without hostility but with an expectation.”

“Gamache knew that while fear came in many forms, so did courage.”

Reading these again makes me want to start the next book naaaaooooo.

Thanks for reading this book review attempt.
Malu

PS: Go for the book first, not the movie. <- My recommendation. ๐Ÿ™‚

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7 Comments

  • Reply TheAlb

    Sounds interesting. ๐Ÿ™‚
    Normally I don’t read crimy novels. I kind of feel a bit exhausting to read. However I do too often run into a point where I don’t know what to read next. I got a lot of time to read on public transport every day. So atm I just started reading the Witcher Books ๐Ÿ™‚

    August 2, 2018 at 5:41 am
    • Reply malukah

      The crime-related novels I like are those are are pretty straight forward. Like these “cozy mysteries” or what I like to call “airport thrillers”… those books that are always at the airport book shops. hehe! I think I would get exhausted, too, if they were darker or more complex kind of books. ๐Ÿ™‚ It’s awesome that you’re reading The Witcher books! I’ve only ready the first, but I really enjoyed it!

      August 6, 2018 at 3:00 am
      • Reply TheAlb

        I’m almost through the 2nd book. Well the 2nd of the “short stories” books, quiet enjoy them. Quiet interesting to “see” the characters that one knows from in-game and compared how they are portrayed in the books. I constantly find myself reading Geralts lines in the voice acting of the games :p.

        August 6, 2018 at 6:28 pm
        • Reply malukah

          Hahaha in the sexy, raspy Geralt voice! hahaha! Do you by default hear it in the English voice? Or one of the other languages?

          August 11, 2018 at 4:59 pm
          • TheAlb07

            In the English voice. Don’t think I played any of the Witcher games in German .. at least I can’t recall ever doing it. Was in the UK already when the first one came out :).

            August 11, 2018 at 8:49 pm
  • Reply Scott

    You should check out midsommer murders ..British TV show. Same style. Not sure if itโ€™s in book form.

    August 2, 2018 at 8:52 am
    • Reply malukah

      Ooooh, I just googled and it turns out that the series is based on a crime-novel series. Thank you so much for the recommendation! I will read a book first, and then see if I can watch an episode. It’s currently not on Netflix Mexico, but I could watch in on Amazon. They have 20 SEASONNNNS WHAAAAAT??? hahaha! Thanks for reading, Scott!

      August 6, 2018 at 3:05 am

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