Koistyfishy

5 Clodpoll, Ninny, Lackwit and Coxcomb Stars ⭐

Revisado: 05-08-24

5 Clodpoll, Ninny, Lackwit and Coxcomb Stars ⭐

OK, I totally listened to this because Stardust is one of my all-time favourite movies... and you know what THIS DID NOT DISAPPOINT!

This was sweet, utterly wholesome, and the perfect distraction for while I was doing a little bit of housework. It gave me such nostalgic vibes but was also so unique and captivating.

There are definitely differences between the movie and this dramatisation, and I know that I shouldn't make that comparison, especially since both are based on the book. After listening to this all I can say is, I have put the original book HIGHER on my TBR because it is just whimsical, cosy and adorably fun and wonderful to listen to. The amazing world created by Neil Gaiman came alive and made me re-fall in love with the story.

If you are like me and you cry at the end of Disney movies because they make you so happy, pick this up because it's just cute, sweet and adorable. These voice actors did an amazing job! This is a quick listen that you seriously wont regret!

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4 Corgi Stars ⭐️

Revisado: 05-08-24

4 Corgi Stars ⭐️

This was a stunningly beautiful and enchanting fantasy book and I absolutely adored it!!! This was a buddy read and was meant to be an experience to draw me into Audiobooks. All I can say is I might not be fully converted but if this is what I have been missing out on in Audio - I need to rectify that as soon as possible!!!!

What really drew me into this was how strong the atmospheric ambience of the story was. The overall feeling of fairytale-esque magic and charm weaved into the mood, characters, tone and plot! It was just utterly delightful and whimsical at times (especially in the scenes with Trefor - the little corgi "spy"), that I found myself at times just mesmerised as I sat back and just enjoyed it.

This story is loosely based on the myth of cantre'r gwaelod - which is like a Welsh "Atlantis" and follows a girl called Mer, who happens to be one of the last Water Diviners (this means she has the ability to magically control water). For years she was a tool, used by the Prince, and exploited for her power... until she escaped. Now her past has caught up to her. The old spymaster who originally stole her from her home, all those years ago, has come to find her again. Only this time he has a proposal for her... one that includes a plan to get back at the evil prince.

I am quite glad that I experienced this story as an Audiobook, because Emily Lloyd-Jones does not go easy on the reader with all the Welsh names of people and places. I actually had to look up the spelling of half the things, cause my mind alone would not be able to piece them together without help!!! I mean there were the normal ones - Mer, Fane, Ifanna but then there were also Renfrew, Garanhir, Caer Wyddno, Gwaelod and then castell which in WELSH "ll" has a [ɬ] sound it so sounds like "Castethhh"....

The characters in this were lovely; however, we are still meeting most of them after halfway in the book, so it can feel a little slow in terms of plot progression and can make the characterisation feel weak because we don't actually spend too long with the characters before the main plot starts progressing really quickly in the second half. As such this does not give enough time to fully develop all the characters!

I really enjoyed Mer though. She was caring, determined, and just utterly amazing. She carries a lot of guilt based on the atrocities she had a hand in when being used by the Prince, and so has a strong moral desire to do good and right. Fane was also spectacular and his arc was heartbreaking and still sweet to see unfold. The romance between the two of them is cute, adorable and very understated - this is almost the perfect type of romance for anyone. It's a great experience for readers who don't like romance in their books, as it's not the main plot or subplot. BUT it also gives us romance lovers at heart our little squeals of delight!

The best character in this book however is TREFOR....yes the Corgi! He is basically adorable and funny. The scenes when he was described added youthful humour and comedic relief to the dark seriousness of the main tale. He reminded me of every Disney princess having a silly sidekick and all I want right now is my own little "other-folk" spy!

One of the reasons why this wasn't a five-star for me...BUT might actually be something that could be a 5 Star for some people is to do with the plot... Firstly the main plot centres around a "heist". I am not typically into these types of books as I don't particularly enjoy this type of story - HOWEVER, I know people are dying to find this "trope" in books.

This was one of the books that I did not see the twist coming and when it happened I was stunned into shock and questioning my reality! The last 30% of this book is amazing, fast-action-paced and really does shoot up this story to new heights!

Overall I would strongly recommend this read if you are looking for a cosy, magical fantasy that interweaves lore, myth and legend into an atmospheric and delightful comfort that is perfect to cosy up to on a rainy day!

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5 Honeycomb Stars ⭐️

Revisado: 05-08-24

5 Honeycomb Stars ⭐️

I was six years old when "Hello, I Love You" by The Doors came on the car radio and it was the first time that I saw the two people I loved the most in the world have a completely different emotional reaction to music. If anything, it was the first time I saw somebody able to have an emotional reaction to music. My father idolized everything that Jim Morrison stood for absolutely loved the song and loved what it meant. My mother was viscerally angry as the band, music and Jim Morrison were the epitome representation of glamorised sex, drugs, debauchery and rock and roll.

Reading this, I found myself constantly thinking back on this memory. Like a song stuck in my head, this moment was constantly playing on repeat in my mind as if to ask where do you stand in this argument? Do you just enjoy the experience or do you let the person behind the experience influence you and how you feel? I think I ended up in the middle. While I do have some issues with the book, overall I loved it, I loved what it did to me emotionally and I loved the entire experience of getting to know the dark and dirty about Daisy Jones and the Six.

This book is almost "an interview-style conversation" that happens with all the band members and key players that make up or influence Daisy Jones and the Six. It showcases their lives in the seventies - around their initial formation, their rise to stardom, and then what happened after that leading to their eventual breakup.

At the start I thought I would hate this book, I don't like Contemporary Historical Fiction and this almost feels like something" Non-Fiction" (which I like even less). I am also not really into 70's Music. In the end, though as much as I don't connect with this type of story, I feel like something was stolen from me because Daisy Jones and The Six don't actually exist. This is a testament to how fantastic the "worldbuilding" is in this novel is because TJR made me form such a deep emotional connection to a completely fictional band. The characters in this just feel so human and unapologetically real.

I, 150% recommend that if you're going to pick up this book, pick it up in the audiobook form because there is a full cast and because it's done in the style of an interview, you get everybody's individual voices coming through, and they did such an amazing job narrating the story.

There was a sense of almost an unreliable narration to the story because you have characters that would say one thing and then be corrected or contradicted by another character. You would have to choose which side of the story to believe, or do you believe the truth is actually something that's almost in the middle. Again this reinforces typical human nature, relating to how faulty our own memory can be. Or it shows how we might, in situations where we aren't depicted in the best light, change the story up a bit...so we underplay the situation so we don't seem so bad.

Even though there is this "cast element" of characters there, there are two main characters as the main focus of the story: Billy and Daisy. They are awful. I did not want to root for them. This made me question how much I actually enjoyed the book, because normally when I read a book, I root for the main characters. In this, I DID NOT WANT to root for them AT ALL, but the drama and the angst between these two characters, who are essentially so alike, kept me drawn to the flame they created. They are the epitome of showing you that there might be someone that brings out the best in you in some elements but is also super toxic for you.

As much as I didn't root for Daisy and Billy. I found myself rooting for Karen and Graham. When they were not the main focus of the story I felt myself pining to get back to them...They felt the most real and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the voice actor of Karen.

The more I think about this book, the more I think it's a reflection of how tragic human relationships can be and how complicated life can become from a relationship. The Six were amazing together and they made amazing music, but as much as they were great that environment and group of people together was so destructive and toxic.

The ending blew my mind and I actually had to stop listening to compose myself - the last 8 minutes were non-stop tears running down my face.

I can now safely watch the show with more context and can gladly say everyone who raves about this book was so right!

I get it!

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4 Little Mouse Stars ⭐

Revisado: 05-08-24

4 Little Mouse Stars ⭐
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

Okay, so this book is a problem. Like a big problem!!!! In terms of the "Red Flag" counter, it's probably around 70. It's the walking definition of "red flags. And no, there's not really "70. I just thumb-sucked a number...but there's more than one and it's more than ten. I don't know if there's enough for 100. I can see why a lot of people don't like this book.

I am not one of those people, cause I FUCKING LOVED IT!

I'm going to prefix this to say, this book is dark. If you react to trigger warnings or if things upset you when you read about them in books (which doesn't happen to me since I have no triggers)...I wouldn't recommend this book. But if you separate "real" reality from fiction and just take this for what it is. Realize that they're not real and none of these situations happened in real life. As much as it's problematic, it's just a book and not crossing 50 different lines of what is considered "socially acceptable" you will probably enjoy this...if you like things dark

So back to it...I really enjoyed this! I did not mind the blurring lines of consent (I might like CNC in my dark romances) Zade is a little (a lotta) crazy and in terms of obsessed or OBSESSED, he definitely falls into category two. I might not be willing to sacrifice my unborn children to be with him (I have read some crazy reviews y'all) because as much as the duel-coloured-eyed heartthrob is sexy as fuck...he is a little bit much.

He's also a tad bit aggressive and possessive. But, hey! Addie seems to like it and that's all that mattered. I loved listening about their interactions together, I was at the literal edge of my seat listening to this book. Michelle Sparks and Teddy Hamilton did an excellent job of bringing these characters to life. Not only are they great at expressing the emotion that was on the page. But when Teddy Hamilton, tells her to "suck his cock like a good girl", I turned into a pile of goo and I'm not going to be ashamed to admit it. I was mostly listening to this just to perv over his voice. And he did an excellent job at successfully keeping me enraptured and captivated while listening to a story that is not socially acceptable but fucking entertaining!

Ultimately, this book follows Adeline, who is an author and at a book signing this man sees her and becomes ultimately obsessed with her that he starts stalking her. This man also happens to be this super "pro-hacker dude" who runs a vigilante organization that brings down child prostitution rings and sex traffickers. So he can be a good guy when it suits him... there are deaths, there's delicious smut, there's murder, and there's a murder mystery element. It was hot, it was dirty and problematic. It has this feel of being the drug I needed to satisfy this dark craving and gave me just the high and fix I needed and now I want MOAR!

The aspects that kept this from a full 5 stars were I wanted more on the plot and A LOT more of the relationship development between the two of them. I felt at times Addie fell for Zade just because of his proximity, and not really because of his character. They didn't spend a lot of time on page talking and getting to know each other, it was basically just rough sex to "you've been in my life for 3 months and scare the shit out of me"...so I guess I love you now? There's nothing really from a personality point of view that draws the two of them together. And I wanted more from a relationship point of view. I also didn't truly believe that she was "the manipulator". She's constantly referred to as this manipulation expert but I never actually saw it within the writing. And if she's so good at it in her books, I expected her to be really good at it as a person as well. And I didn't get that coming through.

I also wanted more plot on some of the side characters such as Max and I'm not sure maybe this does come into book two, but I felt a little bit of that was lacking. The book also has a weird flow where it can at times feel really slow and then really fast.

I did love the side characters of Jay and Daya and really want more of them. I lit up every time Daya was in the scene and almost wish she gets her own spinoff....

The tropes if you wanna know them:
▶ Stalker Romance
▶ Touch her you die (Literally)
▶ Anti-hero/Grey Hero
▶ Dark Romance
▶ Dual POV
▶ Posessive MMC
▶ Murder Mystery
▶ Laundry List of Trigger Warnings

Ultimately this was "vibes", not always good vibes but it gave you vibes. It was dark, gritty and dirty, and you felt scared when you needed to feel scared. You felt turned on when you needed to feel turned on. I'm not going to be praising the actions of Zade and I am not going to be praising the actions of Addie (cause that girl is stupid sometimes). Overall, I see the hype! I appreciate the hype. And Teddy Hamilton can call me a good girl any day and I will just be a puddle on the floor.

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3 Recharging Station Stars ⭐

Revisado: 05-08-24

3 Recharging Station Stars ⭐
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5 (It's not Kinky, just graphic)

So I am in a little book dilemma because I don't particularly like typical "cookie-cutter" rom-com in books (Do not judge though when I am watching my 17th Christmas Hallmark Romance). From a high-level view, it's very superficial but then as you start to analyse, that superficiality starts being an issue and that left me in this weird realm of not being really sure how I feel.

I have attempted to write this review multiple times. At the start of the book, I was really into it. It gave me that classic rom-com movie vibe and I was eating it up. I loved the spoilt little Rich Girl who is forced to learn a humble lesson in a small town of fishermen. But then I started thinking about this a little bit more... and as I did that beautiful bow, the adorable, cute, charming rom-com started fraying along the edges and unravelling.

I mostly didn't like this because I didn't really like the main characters. Piper, while she does have a slight redemption arc, the timeline for this redemption is too quick. I don't believe a spoilt, vapid, extremely financially short-sighted person can, within a month learn the value of money. She threw around flippant comments which is almost a slap in the face to anybody who has actually struggled financially. At the start, she was a spoiled rich girl who was obsessed with Instagram and by the end she was a spoilt girl with a rich boyfriend.

I also had a problem with Brandon. He's been loyal to his dead wife (view spoiler) and within a month is so completely in love and has changed just because he finally wants to have sex with a woman again. I do not mind him starting a new relationship, but...(view spoiler)

If I haven't already made it clear....this TIMELINE is SUPER FAST....everything happens in 1 month...That's way too fast to go from Hate to Love... Hate to Lust SURE....but not undying professing eternal love!

There were also aspects of the writing I didn't enjoy...I am not a shy girl when it comes to smut...BUT this book made me uncomfortable. The overly descriptive descriptions. It was cringe and awkward. There were also so many unanswered questions and plotholes. (view spoiler).

So if you like these tropes and don't care about looking deep you might like it... You will certainly get a cliche cheesy Rom-Com.
▶ Hate to Love
▶ Small Town
▶ Opposites Attract
▶ GrumpyXSunshine
▶ Schitt’s Creek Vibes

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3 Word Mark Stars ⭐

Revisado: 05-08-24

3 Word Mark Stars ⭐
Spicy Level: 0/5 (Kissing is not spicy!)

TL;DR
WHAT IN THE EVERLOVING YA DELUSION did I just listen too????
Loved the plot... Hated the characters
DOWNGRADE TO 3 STARS...

Long Review...If I can get through this...
I have never had a book make me feel old before... I have also said for a while that I have been put off reading Young Adult and ended up trudging through this book which was the literal epitome of why I feel my reading taste and YA DO NOT mix any more. And it all comes down to the entitled, underdeveloped, childish, annoying, FRUSTRATING character Celaena Lillian Elentiya Aelin, whatever her name is!

What, you're telling me she's the best fucking assassin in the world? But she's 18 and all she fucking cares about is sweets and pretty dresses. And for being such a good assassin, she's not very good at, you know, aspects that an assassin would need. Yes. There are a couple of fighting scenes and a couple of training montages that happen, but it felt so much like we are just going to "TELL" you she is good and never show you!

Overall this was all just like high school drama llama. "Oh does he like me" "Oh but he kissed me" "I still have feelings for Sam" and any time she mentioned her time in Endovier it just felt brushed off or petulant monaing and not dealing with the trauma. I really battled to connect with her, especially with her "woe is me" attitude because I couldn't see how she was impacted "apparently" by her year as a captive. She just felt like a brat!

Given what she had gone through and experienced, the amount of time she moaned about not being pampered or not allowed to go to the court functions, or her clothing was all wrong, was EXHAUSTING!!!! I. just. could. not. with. her.

Everyone has said to wait till the end of book three to like the story... I NEED TO BE HOOKED BY BOOK 1, not read like 7000 pages before I start liking a "main character". I really cannot find anything to like about this. Celaena-Lillian-Elentiya is entirely conceited and awful. Her obsession with money and trivial objects for somebody who has seen people suffering and dying is not existent, but she's upset because she wasn't invited to a BALL!!!!

AND DO NOT GET ME STARTED on the whole love triangle in this book... all the unnecessary angst and drama llama (which is why I can't) - the push and pull of a love triangle feel like a cop-out and such a cliche plot device in a book to make the girl feel more special than she is since not one, BUT TWO men want her golden vagina... BECAUSE obviously, she is not like the other girls...

I just don't see it. I don't see the appeal. I don't see the amazingness of this book.

Will I read the rest of the series? Yes.
Because I have somehow committed to putting myself through torture and I have purchased all the audiobooks and I have nothing else to listen to...(at least until I get more credits)

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5 Homecoming Stars ⭐

Revisado: 05-08-24

5 Homecoming Stars ⭐
Spicy Level: 🌶️🌶️.5/5

I knew from the first chapter that I was a goner and would fall for this book, and fall hard. Never mind the fact that the narration and performance by Samantha Brentmoor and Teddy Hamilton were superb; the entire story just melted my heart in a way that is very difficult to explain.

Juliet... was an utterly broken, poor sweet darling who is so incredibly hard and belittling to herself. She never allowed herself to be truly happy, punishing herself for being "bad." It was agonizing to read how Danny, Donna, and the Pastor seemed to walk over her so easily, and she would remain meek with a smile on her face. This perception caused her to take forever to realize that Luke’s disdain was not a commentary on her worth but on their actions.

I used to think I didn’t have any triggers; I mean, I read some of the darkest and most depraved books out there, with seriously blurred lines of what is acceptable. In many cases, those books often enter into realms of "this is messed up."

BUT, this is the book I battled to complete and then didn't want to finish because then it would be over, and I wouldn't be able to experience it for the first time again. I struggled with this story as I found myself in a constant state of sobbing my heart out. There are so many aspects of Juliet’s story mirrored in my past, and it was not something I was expecting to be faced with. Her self-deprecating, self-degrading, and defeated internal dialogue that I know I can’t judge her for because it sounds exactly like mine at times.

Juliet’s story meant so much to me, and while I might not be special or the only one who feels this way, there is a small aspect of her story we share. Yes, there were slight differences between them, and they might not have happened the same, but the underlying theme and underlying feeling we both felt were the same—the guilt and blame for situations that are not her fault but still carry the burden and blame as if it were. There is just something about a book that can validate and articulate all your insecurities in a way you have never been able to fully articulate yourself.

I love Luke. While he is very much a man of few words, when he does choose to speak, he does so with reason. He spent his life wanting the one thing he couldn't have, but that didn't stop him from fighting for it and standing up for Juliet when no one else would.

Overall, I do see some problems in this that not everyone would appreciate; there are heavy elements of actual and emotional cheating. We don't see much of Luke in the present, and when he does talk, his actions of wanting to be with Juliet and how they just fall into sleeping together didn't line up fully as there wasn't much build-up—he felt a bit distant to me, both as his older self and who he was in the past as they never seem to have a conversation, there is just distant pining.

But that lack of emotion is made up of all the emotions or emptiness that Juliet feels. So yes, I know some things could be better, and I know not everyone will love this. I, however, did because it was just what my heart needed to hear.

▶ Dual Timeline
▶ Boyfriends Best Friend
▶ Forbidden Love
▶ Second Chance Romance
▶ Celebrity Romance (Surfer and Singer)
▶ Forced Proximity
▶ Found Family

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5 High Lady of the Night Court Stars ⭐

Revisado: 05-07-24

5 High Lady of the Night Court Stars ⭐

**I am not going to talk about the plot in the book because then you've clearly been living under a damn rock if you don't know....Like hello????...THIS IS ALL ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE OF THE GRAPHIC AUDIO!

Quite frankly, this is amazing! This cast is amazing and yes they did have an AMAZING story to work with, but the ease with which they convey the feeling and emotions behind the dialogue is just astounding.

I am totally obsessed with Anthony Palmini’s voice and totally replayed ALL of the "iconic quotes" from Rhys about 5 times just to experience the chills all over again. Yes, this made this book a little longer...but I am not complaining!!!

• Hello, Feyre Darkling - ooh...do it again
• To the stars who listen—and the dreams that are answered. - oooh...do it again
• There you are. I've been looking for you - oooh...do it again
• She's mine - oooh...do it again
• She is my mate. And my spy, and she is the High Lady of the Night Court. - oooooooh...do it again! and again! and again! AND AGAIN!!!!

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5 Starlight Stars

Revisado: 05-07-24

5 Starlight Stars ⭐

**I am not going to talk about the plot in the book because I am pretty sure half the world probably already knows it...THIS IS ALL ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE OF THE GRAPHIC AUDIO!

I don’t actually have words to describe how much I loved this!
It’s just perfection in Audio form and takes the story to heights I didn’t even know were possible!

I would have that poor baby High Lord purr in my ear all day if I could and yes – I did rewind the part where he said “Hello, Feyre Darling” THREE times because I got chills!

The cast make this SPECTACULAR and basically if you have read ACOMAF or even if you haven’t –
THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST WAYS to experience this story!!!
Everyone should just experience this, JUST GO DO IT NOW!!!!!!

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5 High Lord Stars

Revisado: 05-07-24

5 High Lord Stars ⭐️
But if I could give this more I TOTALLY would!!!!

This was an utterly amazing experience! The cast, music, sound effects and voice acting just adds a whole new level to this book, that I would actually urge anyone who loves ACOTAR, or even those who don’t…to give this experience a try!

I was completely lulled, entranced and captivated by the spell of Prythian that it made for a very unproductive me at work…. (don’t tell my boss) as all I wanted to do was pay attention and listen.

This is NOT a traditional audiobook, you won’t find any “he said”, “she said” in this. Instead the characters will actually just speak, so the flow of dialog actually follows the form of real conversation between people. This is not “word for word” the original text from the story either. Lines would be adapted for the audio so a character who stutters a line would ACTUALLY stutter as they said the line instead of “Feyre” saying “he stuttered as he said”…

BUT don’t let the adaption part scare you….this is just amazing! Totally something to shout about from rooftops and place on billboards!

I cannot wait for part two!!!

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