The Whole Truth by David Baldacci

Synopsis : 

Nicolas Creel is a man on a mission. He heads up the world's largest defense contractor, The Ares Corporation. Dick Pender is the man Creel retains to "perception manage" his company to even more riches by manipulating international conflicts. But Creel may have an even grander plan in mind.

Shaw, a man with no first name and a truly unique past, has a different agenda. Reluctantly doing the bidding of a secret multi-national intelligence agency, he travels the globe to keep it safe and at peace.

Willing to do anything to get back to the top of her profession, Katie James is a journalist who has just gotten the break of a lifetime: the chance to interview the sole survivor of a massacre that has left every nation stunned.
In this terrifying, global thriller, these characters' lives will collide head-on as a series of events is set in motion that could change the world as we know it. 

An utterly spellbinding story that feels all too real, THE WHOLE TRUTH delivers all the twists and turns, emotional drama, unforgettable characters, and can't-put-it-down pacing that readers expect from David Baldacci-and still goes beyond anything he's written before.

This is what I say :

It's been a while since I last read a title by David Baldacci.  It's been a while since I finish reading a book actually.  I think I can safely say that this is the first book for the year!

Anyway, it was a good book to start the year. I enjoyed a David Baldacci thriller once in a while and this was good in both the story line and also thrilling factor.  The starting was quite exciting but it kinda mellow down a bit before it picks up again.

I have read better titles by David Baldacci and my all time favourite are still The Camel Club and The Collectors.  Both are from the same series although they are stand alone titles. I haven't had a chance to read characters from this series subsequently.  Must go on a look out for them. 

In the meantime, do enjoy The Whole Truth.

Book Purchase #2 - Finally my Harry Porter Collection is complete!

I bought a pre-loved book via an online seller towards end of January.  It's a title that I already have but what I have was the American version and what I want is actually the British version.

The book I am referring to is Harry Porter and the Philosopher's Stone, Bloomsbury edition.

Yes, finally my collection is complete...with the right edition and covers. Took me a while. 

I am happy.

p.s. It will be my second buy for the year.  I have to start reading again if I am going to start buying again.

Book Purchase #1 for 2021

 

I bought a book recently.

It's my first purchase of the year.

I was very pleased to have bought this as a pre-loved copy.. It was still in very good condition.

It would be the last book in the series by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, a Spanish writer.  The series was originally written in Spanish and translated to English. It's one of my favourite series.

It took me a few years to complete this series.

I am very happy.

Happy Chinese New Year 2021

 

image from freepik.com

It's going to be a real different Chinese New Year celebration this year.  Because of the pandemic and due to movement control imposed, celebration this in is really limited.

No matter what, i am grateful for the break and just taking the opportunity to chill over the next few days. 

Here's wishing you and your family, a very Happy Chinese New Year 2021.

Stay safe and be healthy. Gong Xi Gong Xi

The Case Against William by Mark Gimenez

 

Synopsis :

Criminal defense lawyers must make their peace with one harsh fact of life: most of their clients are guilty.

But when William Tucker, a celebrated and self-centered star college football player, is suddenly arrested and charged with the brutal rape and murder of a college coed two years before, his estranged father, Frank Tucker, a drunken, broken-down, beach-bum ex-criminal defense lawyer, cannot believe his son is guilty. No father can. So he must find a way to sober up and save his son from the death penalty sought by an ambitious district attorney. And father and son learn that only three things in life are certain: death, taxes, and a father's love for his son.

This is what I say :

Yes, it's yet another title by Mark  Gimenez. This time, it's The Case Against William which I read as an e-book towards end of 2020 and which I only finished reading a few days into 2021.

I must also confess that I do have this bad habit of reading titles by the same authors one after the other if I happen to enjoy what the author wrote. In this case, it started with The Common Lawyer which was very good and such, here we are.

The Case Against William wasn't too bad. It was not as nice as some of his other titles but certainly much better than some of his recent titles.

The characters are not too memorable, not that well developed and the storyline wasn't that interesting...I mean, the speed in which they found some evidences at the end are just too fictitious but then it is a fiction and the focus is more on the relationship between the father and son rather than anything else.  Other than that, I am not complaining.

It's a good start for the year.

Happy New Year 2021

 

It's a brand new year.

What will this year bring?

Whatever it is, I am thankful 

and

I speak blessings into the year 2021.

Bless year 2021, Lord. 

May it be a year that give Glory to your Name.

Happy and Blessed New Year 2021 everyone.

Reflection 2020

 

A basic simple light for a basic simple year

The year 2020 will go down in history as an extremely unusual year.  It's a year where almost everything stop..not just locally but globally...all due to something we cannot see with our naked eyes.

2020 will be remembered as year of Covid 19.  I will remember it as a year where I am not able to travel at all.  Who would have thought that the last day trip I made in December last year to Kuala Lumpur would be the last trip I would have for the year.  Who would have thought that the last family trip to Shanghai would be the last trip we took as a family in quite a while.  We were supposed to attend a wedding towards end March 2020, a graduation ceremony in Sept 2020 and I have a couple of places I intend to travel to either solo trip or with friends and family this year.  All 'tak jadi' as the local would say it...not successful.

Anyway, it's still a year where I would count my blessings...from good health to good job to good relationships and time spent with family and supportive and positive friends and circle of contact.  In all things I give thanks, so thank you for a good year.

This year I read a total of 40 books. Out of these, 13 books are electronic and 27 books are actual physical books.  That means I average about slightly more than 3 books per month. 1 book takes about slightly more than 1 week which is not too bad for someone whom I think is watching far much K-drama than reading.  Imagine if I don't watch any k-drama, I think I would have read more titles this year due to the control order (MCO) imposed in my city/country due to the pandemic which created some time bubbles here and there over a period of time..

What are my favourite read?  The top titles would be the three titles by Khaled Hosseini (The Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns and And The Mountains Echoed)

The Shape of Snakes was a rather unexpectedly nice read.  However, the other title The Chameleon's Shadow also by the same author was nice but wasn't that good.

Purple Queen Fairy bought 8 books this year (all pre-loved) and will end the year with 55 posts for the year.  It's 5 posts less than year 2019 but it's still quite a consistent number of posting.

With that I shall end my reflection for this year.  It is an extremely unusual year. One that the world has not encounter before but pray-fully the whole experience will make each of us stronger....physically, mentally and also spiritually..whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger says Kate Perry. It is quite true.

While I have friends who can't wait for 2020 to be over, I on the other hand would like to hold on to 2020 as much as I can as I felt that it went by too fast.  And much as others dislike 2020 for what it represents generally to the world, I would like to say thank you for 2020 and be grateful to it.

I pray for a better year in 2021 for myself, my family, friends and for everyone as well.

Stay safe. Much love from my books and I.