Booniecat

Wow! Engaging and eye opening.

Revisado: 03-14-25

This book, wonderfully narrated by the author, captured my attention immediately and did not let up. seeing "the other side" of the news articles and topics I have followed over the past decade or so was interesting and eye opening. I have some back ground in some of the topics and the interactions rang very true - especially the "I don't live in your reality" personalities and the snails pace of governments to recognize the importance of anything not happening within their next election cycle.

So much was laughably, tragically relatable from my own work life... and so much explains how we got to where we are today with not just facebook but social media and technology at large. Can things change? I hope so. I certainly understand why the author chose to publish the book now, and how important it is... but I fear the people who most need to hear it's message will continue to be deaf to it.

I definitely recommend listening! warning: starts with an extremely graphic shark attack that on post-listening reflection was kinder than the retribution given to whistleblowers who fail to toe the line.

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Fantastic

Revisado: 07-16-23

One of my favorite books, I have listened to this one a few times over. The narrator is fantastic, and I found she did a great job creating different voices for the female-heavy cast. It's important to note that the narrator changes chapter to chapter and sometimes within the chapter, so sometimes I did need to rewind to figure out who was narrating. However, close listening always clarified things.

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Just what I needed to hear!

Revisado: 05-04-23

It's like having a mentor in my pocket.

The podcast episodes are fantastic - there are several guest speakers who really shine who share their stories and insights, and who share some real gems. Christy is the highlight though- energetic, asking the deep questions and you can feel the passion. The guests are from all kinds of backgrounds and experiences, and very easy to relate to. Topics are varied, interesting and relatable- I find myself coming back to certain episodes over and over again.

Hearing a story so similar to my own made me feel less alone- my struggles are not in a vacuum. How often have I, like the women in these podcasts, thought or been told I need another degree, another certificate, or been told to just work hard and recognition would come or been reluctant to say NO to anything because I felt like I needed to be everything to everyone to have value. Sometimes uncomfortable, but always important.

Where this podcast really shines though is the coffee breaks- these short insights are perfect for lunch breaks or coffee breaks. It's like a private one-on-one with Christy, with one focused topic. Sometimes these come out of nowhere and hit you right where it matters with insights you didn't even know you needed to hear.

Christy has some tough truths, and really pushes for action. I am starting with the older podcasts and moving to the more recent, so I can say they get better and better!

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Another excellent novel by Kingfisher!

Revisado: 04-12-23

Regardless of whether writing as Vernon or Kingfisher, this author is always an automatic buy for me. Her stories always promise to be interesting, with amusing asides and creative world building.

In general, gothic novels (especially southern gothic) hit a weird place for me- I like them, but I don't love them, but they do fill me with nostalgia. This story, in many ways, hit that same mark of like-but-not-love because I could have listened to a story twice as long as this and explored the mystery more.

All the major gothic buttons are pushed here: This genre is dark, eerie, and mysterious, often containing elements of terror, horror, and the macabre and the bizarre. Common themes and motifs of the Gothic include power, confinement, and isolation. I also note that gothic novels don't spend a lot of time trying to explain the unexplainable, it just is. This story strikes me as an intersection between "What Moves The Dead" and "Twisted Ones" - both excellent stories on their own, and A House With Good Bones hits the same notes, although with a shorter overall story.

I don't want to spoil the mystery at all, it is an enjoyable ride, so I will skip plot points and characters except to say that I love how normal the inclusiveness of the characters feels.

Worth the credit and a must-buy for fans, though if this is your first gothic Kingfisher book, I would recommend starting with Hollow Places or Twisted Ones.

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Another hot romance, but a frustrating plot.

Revisado: 02-26-23

Katee Robert does not fail to deliver on another Dark Olympus steamy romance. I really enjoyed the characters of Apollo and Cassandra, and how the myth of Cassandra is woven into the story. However, the plot of the story was so frustrating: it was clear what was happening, and while I appreciate the ties to the Cassandra myth with no one heeding her warnings, it was almost enraging to read.

Especially the ending: The final chapters are where my greatest frustrations with the book came in, to the point I almost DNF'd. Over and over again we are told none of the 13 are saints, and willing to get their hands dirty, but the most simple and obvious solution to the plot here is not taken. While this does set up the next book(s?) for the deeper overarching plot introduced in Wicked Beauty, it is frustrating to read that the obvious answer isn't even really discussed! It's so jarring and out of line from what I expect from the characterization of players from many of the books, it impacted my enjoyment of the entire book due to those few short chapters.

Both narrators were fantastic, the writing and romance/erotica was all superbly done, but this is not a book I plan to revisit. I have faith this will all serve a purpose in coming book(s), but with that in mind, I wish I would have waited til closer to the release of the next book before listening to this one.

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wow! I was not expecting to like this so much

Revisado: 12-23-22

A story to turn the myth of King Midas on its head.

Pretty heavy themes (r*pe, abuse, assault, manipulation, etc) in this book with graphic but not explicit portrayals of the same. All work in regards to the story though, and captivated me as I learned more about the MC and how she copes with her past experiences and current situations.

Initially I thought to try this title out as a time-filler waiting for the next book(s) to be released in series I am following, but it has immediately jumped up on my list of series to follow - it's really good!

Narration is good, some weirdly pronounced words occasionally made me smile, but very even pacing. The narrator really filled out the MC too, doing a good job of showcasing the story and how the MC 's mental coping mechanism is slowly eroding.

Story itself is fantastic, but I really have to give credit to the author on the character of Midas. it would have been easy to make him a one note character, but the author did an amazing job really building him out, showing (not telling!!) his manipulation and gaslighting... I don't like him, but I enjoyed watching him interact with different people and groups and subtly manipulate them and orchestrate his plans.

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Intriguing plot & story, dissatisfying narrator

Revisado: 12-03-22

Updated: I added back a star to change this from 3 ⭐⭐⭐ to ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.

Although I didn't care for the change in narrators, nor how that changed some characterization, the story itself was good. everytime I thought I knew the answer to the mysteries and tangle of events, I was surprised, and seeing how threads from all the books came together in the big finale scene was so deeply satisfying.

this one is quite a bit longer than previous installments of the series, but answers a lot of questions and ties things up while leaving the world open for additional books. I am quite excited for the spin off.

some really good, natural feeling representation here as well, appreciate the positive message.

******

Like other reviews have mentioned, the narrator changed for this book and I am unsure why. while nothing is wrong with the narrator in general, and I am sure I would enjoy her work on other books, her presentation and representation of the characters is very different from previous books. Wyn is given a new, robotic voice and pacing, changing the way his character comes off completely to the point I dislike him and cannot stand scenes he is in (which is...a lot), but all of the characters come to life differently in this book compared to previous. I listened to these books back to back, so it was particularly jarring. Her narration speed is also noticably more fast paced, which also changes the way certain characters and scenes come across.

I am only a few chapters in, and while the storyline continues to be intriguing and interesting, I am so thrown off by the narrator I may end up returning the book and reading it on my Kindle instead.

I recommend perhaps another book between this and the previous - perhaps that would help ease the very drastic difference in narrator. I did not realize how much this would matter to me as a listener until some characters were nearly recognizable based on the performance.

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cute retelling

Revisado: 04-29-22

loved the narrator with a range of voices. The audio production caught me off guard, but I decided I liked it as well. A cute, very YA (pre-teen and perhaps younger) loose retelling of sleeping beauty. This is not a 500 novel, but has the same general feeling to it. Lots of time spend in MC head and thoughts, and while she was a bit over the top with special abilities, she was not emotioanl and whingeing. Very relatable and reasonable, with some successes and some failures. No romance or love triangles here, and interesting world building with a magic system a bit less explained than her other novels but thats okay. I think the author had fun writing this one and I had fun listening to it!

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H O T

Revisado: 07-23-21

Contemporary retelling of Jasmine and Jafar's relationship... if you ever wonder where the scene in the Disney movie could have gone with slave girl Jasmine, well... here is an answer. detailed, sexy and very- very - graphic sex scenes and language, this book hit all the right notes. I especially appreciated how the author emphasized consent and healthy D/s relationships, and how being sub doesnt mean someone has to be submissive in every facet of their life. A few uneven notes, but nothing that stuck with me. Introduction of a few more characters I am keen to read more about.

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excellent listen

Revisado: 12-31-19

really enjoyed the book, and Trevor Noah's accents and emotions really carry this to a whole new level. I have a whole new appreciation of a culture I didnt even understand. Laugh out loud in several areas, but some huge thought provoking takeaways too.

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