The Lone Wolf Agenda

Synopsis:

With “The Lone Wolf Agenda,” Joseph Badal steps back into the world of international espionage and military action thrillers and crafts a story that is as close to the real world of spies and soldiers as a reader can find. This fourth book in the Danforth Saga brings Bob Danforth out of retirement to hunt down lone wolf terrorists hell bent on destroying America’s oil infrastructure. Badal weaves just enough technology into his story to wow even the most a-technical reader.

“The Lone Wolf Agenda” pairs Danforth with his son Michael, a senior DELTA Force officer, as they combat an OPEC-supported terrorist group allied with a Mexican drug cartel. This story is an epic adventure that will chill readers as they discover that nothing, no matter how diabolical, is impossible. 

Review:
   This was a book that started off fast paced from the start but like most that have an immediate start it didn't slow down. It was full of surprises all the way up til the last chapter. The book in an intense page turner that will pull you in from the start and it wasn't even my normal read. 
I give the book 5 penguins!! 


*Pictures will come later, I am on my phone posting this right now due to computer issues*

Black Caesar

This is the remarkable story of Frank Matthews, a charismatic drug kingpin from the late 1960s and 1980s who organized a huge criminal enterprise before jumping bail and 1973 with $15 million and a beautiful woman. Nicknamed Black Caesar, Matthews has never been seen again in what has become one of organized crimes most intriguing mysteries.

Review

This was an amazing read and very informative. The author did an amazing job researching Frank Matthews and his life and put it all together so amazing well. I have always loved crime type books but this one has to be one of my favorite. This book has made me look more into Frank Matthews and read more into his life and his story. If you love true crime you should really check this book out. It is one my top 10 list of favorite true crime. I give this book 
 

 

Birthdays of a Princess

About the Book:
 
Almost from age one, Tiara has been a star of the American Child Beauty Circuit. When she grows too old to win anymore, her mother leaves Texas and returns to Vancouver. Tiara is twelve years old, she refuses to attend school or interact with other children, becoming more and more reclusive. Her relationship with her mother deteriorates and they become estranged.

One morning, three years later, Tiara’s mother is shocked to find her daughter the subject of a big story on the morning news. A violent assault has just occurred at a local coffee shop and it seems Tiara is the perpetrator. The brutal and seemingly unprovoked assault lands her in the Burnaby Secure Youth Centre for a court ordered psychological assessment.

When the police investigate the incident they begin to slowly unravel her confused and dark childhood. They discover her history as a child beauty queen star, managed by her mother and aunt while living in Texas. It also becomes increasingly apparent that explicit photos of Tiara were taken and posted to many internet sites The photos seem to capture Tiara over many years and lead the detectives to wonder whether she is the victim rather than the perpetrator.

Tiara herself cannot provide any insight. She has buried the memories of her childhood deep in her sub-consciousness, and even if she could remember, she is deeply traumatized and unresponsive. Any attempts by the authorities to probe result in more withdrawal and unexplained expressions of grief and anger.

Carefully guided by the adolescent forensic psychiatrist in charge at the Secure Youth Centre, she begins to write a journal, anchoring her memories on her birthdays as she remembers them. At the same time, her mother tries to explain the past from her own perspective, insisting she only wanted the best for her daughter and refusing to acknowledge any responsibility at all for what Tiara has experienced. It becomes very obvious that Tiara has been greatly damaged by her childhood.

Slowly the two story-lines merge until they arrive at the moment when mother and daughter recall the trauma that eventually leads to the attack. Tiara begins to understand the horrific nature of her abnormal childhood. She allows the psychiatrist to read the notes in her journal, subconsciously guiding him toward the truth.

But the truth is not clear cut. Tiara is guilty of aggravated assault. Even the detectives can't find motive to explain her action, which means the judicial system has no choice but to keep her locked up as a dangerous juvenile criminal. Tiara remembers much of her past but she has no idea why she stabbed a strange woman in a coffee shop. Her mental isolation doesn't allow her to confront this important question. Only the psychiatrist, with the assistance of the detectives who keep digging in the past, might be able to unlock the secret buried in her soul.

And they are successful, but in a way they never expected. When Tia remembers all that had happened and what had motivated her to attack another human being, the final answer, the solution to the puzzle, surprises them all.


My Review: 
   Reading the book I had a ball of emotions but never the less I liked the book and it was an on the edge of your seat type of read. I can't really go into much without giving the book itself and plot away but I enjoyed the always guessing of which way the book was going to go. I love thrillers to begin with and when I got the chance to read this book I jumped on it! It may be a trigger to some people who may have gone through sexual assaults of their own  so I just want to put that out there. I highly enjoyed the book though and give it 4 penguins!

A Spoonful of Sugar

 About The Book: 

From Britain's beloved oldest living nanny comes a charming and uplifting memoir of a real-life Mary Poppins.

In her extraordinary memoir, Brenda Ashford shares her endearing and amusing experiences as a British nanny caring for generations of children over the past sixty-two years.

Brenda's lifelong love for children began the minute she laid eyes on her baby brother, David. As a teenager, she applied to London's Norland College, famous for producing top-class nannies, and, after a grueling interview, she was accepted on scholarship. It was a radical change from her idyllic country life in the village of Surrey. The training was rigorous and discipline strictly enforced, as Brenda and her classmates scrambled to pass inspections on everything from morality and neatness to needlework and pram pushing. Meanwhile, World War II began, and Brenda's heart was broken twice. She vowed never to fall for a man again and devoted her life to caring for other people's children, never having any of her own.

Brenda's memoir offers readers an enticing glimpse into the joys, frustrations, adventures, and mishaps of children of all ages and situations. She peppers her story with delightful bits of cultural history and timeless life lessons. A Spoonful of Sugar is an irresistible Mary Poppins story that will touch your heart and remind you of what is truly important in life



 My Review
I loved reading this book just simply to look into someone else's life. I loved how it had the schedules of her days along with having her tell her story. I loved how it was kinda like a parenting lesson while reading at least to me. If you like getting a glimpse into someone else's life who also happens to be a British nanny(which is seriously what interested me) then you will want to read this book! I had always dreamed of being a British nanny and since I couldn't I highly enjoyed getting to see into the life of one. I give this book 4 penguins.

Goodnight Brian

I don't know where to begin with this book, I had such a mix of emotions the whole time I was reading it. I cried, I laughed, I smiled, I sighed, I got mad, I wished that something happened. This book had me wrapped up into it like it was a family member telling me the story. I fell in love with the characters and related to them. I admired them and learned from them. Mama more so out of any of them. I tell myself sometimes when I get done reading a book that it is my new favorite but I had never read this book. I don't think another book is going to top this one on my list for a long time. I think everyone should read this book and let it wrap you up in it's story like it did to me. The author did an amazing job with describing scenes, I felt like I was really there with the characters. I was honestly sad to finish the book and sad to see it end but I was happy with how everyone's life turned out and how they grew up right before me through the whole book. I want to keep talking about this book but to do so would give away the story and I don't want to ruin any of the magic for anyone else so with that being said I give this book 5 penguins only because I can't go higher!