At the time of this writing, there were several documents that had been recently released from the highly secretive KGB archives. This information is almost certainly outdated, as the book was published in 1999, but a lot of the information was new to me. Almost all that I know about the Cold War was from a very interesting display at the Berman Museum in Anniston, Alabama that I recently went to that had a lot of spy tools. This book gives a lot of information about pro-Soviet British spies, as well as Soviet operatives in Great Britain. These people, called "Crown Jewels" by the KGB, collected information on all kinds of people. Politicians, political activities, members of the royal household and the nobility, economic activities, etc. were among the most common targets of this fact finding mission. Spies have been used throughout history, and are almost certainly still being used today, so this isn't a shocking book.

I actually bought this book at my favorite used book store for .75. I got it because it was in the World War II section, but this is actually a Cold War book. I just glanced at it and thought this was a book about the British Crown Jewels, which I why I threw it in my cart. I am not really sure I would have picked it up if I would have known otherwise, but I thought .75 was a great price. I have to admit my interest in the Cold War is virtually nonexistent, so I would have never been in the Cold War section to begin with. Despite all of that, this was a pretty interesting read. I am sure there is a lot more information about these activities that are still secreted away or redacted, but perhaps we will continue to learn more about spy activities during the Cold War. 

 This book finds Anita Blake planning for her big wedding extravaganza with Jean-Claude. I loved seeing Edward again. He is one of my top five favorite characters. A couple of other characters showed up in this book that I absolutely HATE, but, wonder of wonders, I found myself hating them much less than normal. I was very shocked about that. Anita and Company face a new adversary in this book, and the character development for that person was really good. I am looking forward to seeing how much all of my favorite characters continue to grow, while hoping beyond hope that a few of these people die in the next book and die quick.

The only complaint I had about this book was Rodina and her use of the word woke. I do not care for Rodina and her attitude, but I am looking forward to seeing how her character continues to develop. I will say that I appreciate that LKH keeps up with the times and includes current events in her timeline to keep it relevant and fresh, but I could really do without that woke nonsense. Granted it was in there twice, but it just crawled all over me. I typically read nonfiction and the two series that I do read that are fiction, I read because I enjoy and it is a nice escape from history and the nonsense going on. I am so sick of seeing and hearing people screaming about wokeness and snowflakes...I just simply do not care for it in my fiction reads. The premise is stupid to begin with, and it makes people sound stupid when they go around screaming woke woke woke. (As though wanting to educate yourself on history and experiences of other people and attempting to recognize bias and be inclusive and generally not a shitty person is so horrible.) Anyway, the point is I hate that and that is the only complaint I have about the book, which isn't really a complaint so much as a personal disdain for something. I will not reduce my four star rating over two sentences, that's equally stupid.

My library FINALLY got this book in for me, so I stayed up until one in the morning to finish it. I have the rest of the series in paperback, and didn't want to purchase a hardback and be all mismatched. I cannot wait until it comes out in paperback so I can add it to the collection. I am so pleased that this book enraged me far less than some of the previous ones. The back half of this series has consistently irritated me with the CONSTANT going over and over the same point in a group conversation about relationships, and this one did have some conversations working through some things, but nothing like some of the previous books where 97% of it was relationship speak and none about getting to the bottom of a mystery and fighting enemies. I have been missing that so much in this series, and am glad to see some of that making a comeback. I am still seeing a lot of complaints about the amount of sex in this book and the rest of the series, but this book didn't have nearly as much of that as some of the other books, so I am unsure why people are still complaining. This is book number 29 in the series....if you do not expect that or understand that sex magic is part of how this whole thing works, I have no idea what to tell you. (I will concede that it is really annoying when we spend the whole book talking about the same relationship issue and having sex and none of the crime fighting or mysteries, but come on.) I am really looking forward for the next book later this year, and plan to do a massive re-read of the series for the 30th anniversary. As much as some of the characters and some of the books get on my nerves, I am so glad that I randomly found this series back in 2009 and caught up on it. This has certainly been one of my comfort series, next to the Vampire Chronicles. I just cannot wait for the next one 

 This book takes a deep look into people held captive in their own lands by the imperialization of the British Empire. This perspective is the antithesis of the traditional education that a lot of us were given during school. The words of the people that experienced imperialism in a negative way are loud and moving. As an American, I am pretty proficient in the history of colonialism here. I also learned a great deal about the British Empire in India. I really appreciated this book and the information it contained about the British Empire in the Mediterranean, which is something I knew very little about. I also really appreciated all of the personal accounts in this book, because the experiences of people on the ground are so valuable to the historical record.

The book read really well. There were a lot of points where it read like a historical fiction book. It was very entertaining, but also very educational. I think most of us are familiar with the colonization of various places during the Age of Imperialism, so this book does not really come as new and shocking information. The biggest takeaway I had from this book was hearing about the effects of colonization from the words of people who were living on the other end of it- the colonized. It was a bit different to the generic "these lands were colonized for these products" type of lesson that we received several times throughout middle school up to college. I really enjoyed this book a lot. 

The Grosvenor was a three masted ship, belonging to the East India Trading Company. The ship went underway in March of 1782, under the command of Captain John Coxon. While underway near the Cape, several crew members reported seeing lights, but dismissed them as a weather phenomenon. A while late, another crew member reported seeing land, but everyone dismissed that as well, believing they were on a different course. The reports were correct, brushfires were indeed burning on land that was in their path. The ship ultimately ran aground, with ninety one of the crew and seventeen of the passengers surviving that incident. I will not spoil the book by going into any details about what happened to the survivors of the shipwreck, though I will say they went through it.

I picked this book up at my favorite local used bookstore a while back for a couple of dollars. I would say that this book was certainly worth the price I paid for it. I had never heard of this particular shipwreck, and just grabbed it because it was in the world disaster section. This tragic tale was told in an informative and respectful way, even though it was hundreds of years ago. I appreciated the descriptions of life aboard ships like this, as well as the definitions of certain things. I like a book that teaches me things, and this one did. It was also just over 200 pages, so it didn't take long to get through at all, which is helpful for meeting my reading challenge.

 Pan Am Flight 103 departed Frankfurt, Germany on a regularly scheduled flight to Detroit, Michigan on December 21, 1988. The flight had a brief layover in London before resuming it's flight. When the plane reached the altitude of 31,000 feet over the town of Lockerbie, Scotland, the plane jolted and broke apart. 243 passengers and `16 crew members were on board the plane at the time of the incident, and all perished. Subsequent investigation discovered the cause of the crash was a bomb. The book went into detail about the bomb, which was concealed in luggage, and how it affected the plane upon detonation. Several notable people were on this flight, including government officials from a couple of different countries, an Olympic sailor, and a rock musician. Eleven residents of the town of Lockerbie were killed by debris from the plane, increasing the death toll for this event. After investigation, two people were charged in this incident.

After reading what happened to the passengers in their final moments, I am more sure than ever that I am too anxious to get on a plane. I cannot imagine what must have been going through their minds in their last three minuets. The attitude of the airline was infuriating to me, the Reagan administration's response was infuriating to me, and the fact that the families of these victims were dismissed in the way that they were was exceptionally infuriating to me. I think the families of the victims were strong people to continue the demand for justice and their fight for compensation (which was absolutely deserved after having to wait for the release of death certificates and such to file claims). Libya did not claim responsibility for this incident until 2003. (I would like to say that is disgraceful, because it is, but I imagine the United States has done similar nonsense to other people, so I cannot be too judgmental.) Pan Am and their lax security was also extremely infuriating, and then for them to say they had made these huge changes and everything was so safe, only to have 9/11 show how lax airport security still was just a few short years later.... ridiculous.

This book is fairly old, but contained a lot of really good information about this incident and the outcome. I just happened to come across it while I was browsing at my local library, and decided to pick it up since I like disaster books. I was very pleased with my selection, and, despite the morbidity of the content, enjoyed reading this book and learning about this terrorist attack. One of the victims was the son of an artist, Suse Lowenstein, who created a memorial sculpture that featured a personal item inside each one. There is a monument at Arlington National Cemetery, as well as one at Syracuse University (some of the victims were students). The University of Rochester also has a memorial plaque for the victims belonging to that school. There is a monument in the United Kingdom at Dryfesdale Cemetery, close to Lockerbie. If you are near any of these locations, you can check out these memorials. If you are interested in disasters, this is a good book to look into. 

 Melanie Chisholm was born in 1974 in Lancashire, England. She attended the Doreen Bird College Of Performing Arts, though she left just shy of getting her degree in singing, dancing, and musical theatre. She did obtain teaching credentials in tap and theatre dance with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. She saw an advertisement and went on to audition for a girl group, eventually becoming part of the Spice Girls. They signed with Virgin Records and their careers took off. She did her own solo music as well, having a decent amount of success. She has several songs in films, including Bend It Like Beckham, an extremely popular film back in my childhood days. She has been on a few television shows, including Celebrity Gogglebox, (one of my favorite things ever), X Factor Australia, and Drag Race.

I have this book on Audible, so it took me a little while to get through since I usually only listen at night. I typically really enjoy a memoir, especially if it is someone who I have some type of connection with. Spice Girls hit the scene when I was in Middle School, and I LOVED LOVED LOVED them. I had all types of Spice Girls merch and posters. In fact, I convinced my Mom to buy me the Sporty, Scary, and Baby Spice Barbies. I really enjoyed getting to know the person behind the name and voice that I knew for so long. (And do not think I am above playing Spice Girls really loud in my car, because I do!) I was certainly unaware of her struggles with depression and eating disorders, and this just goes to show you that people we look up to or are fans of often struggle with the same things that us regular folks do. If you were a Spice Girls fan, don't miss out on this book. 

 This book goes into the history of the House Of Borgia, an Italian-Aragonese Spanish Noble family. The family was from the area of Valencia, and rose to new heights during the Italian Renaissance. (Which happens to be one of my favorite time periods to read about, simply because I love the art.) There are some very notable names within this family of notable people. Alfons was a diplomat for the King of Aragon before becoming a Cardinal, eventually being elected Pope Callixtus III. Alfons' nephew, Rodrigo also achieved Pope status, taking the name Pope Alexander VI. My favorite Borgia to read about was, clearly, Lucrezia. I had heard a lot about her from a couple of history podcasts that I listen to, as well as reading about her in brief passing several times. I was very pleased to get the opportunity to read more about her. She was the daughter of Rodrigo and his mistress from when he was still only a Cardinal. She was married off to a family to strengthen Rodrigo's power as Pope, but the marriage did not last...suspiciously. She was notorious for her conversational skills, as well as her manipulation and political interference. After her, throughout the generations, this noble family tree has offered up some brilliant artisians and even a President. Of course, as with any family, there are skeletons in some closets. It was interesting to see the backstabbing, back room deals, and the murder conspiracies within this prominent family.

My husband actually brought this book back from his last deployment, so I appreciate him for thinking of me and I always appreciate a book gift. It took me a while to get around to it, but it was well worth the wait. I learned a great deal about this family, and it was such an enjoyable read to me. I love reading about family dynasties, so this was certainly right up my alley. I think the writing was very well done and objective, as well as well researched. I am very interested to look up some of the work from the poets and painters that were in this family, since I am also a lover of art. If you are interested in nobility or family dynasties, this may be a good book for you to look into. I was very pleased with it. 

 I am a firm believer that United States history is extremely whitewashed and that, nine times out of ten, we are only taught the things that portray us in the best possible light. The bad things are glossed over and hidden a lot of the time. Every President has the potential to do great and terrible things, and even if their presidency is good overall, they cannot please everyone all the time...however, some presidents seem to attract shenanagins and controversy. One of President Nixon's most notable shenanagins was his involvement in the Watergate Scandal, but as I have come to find out, that was just the tip of the iceberg. This book discusses the 1971 Bangladesh Genocide, and the roles that President Nixon and Henry Kissinger played in the deaths of those people.

In March, 1971, the government of Pakistan began a crack down on the people of Bangladesh because they thought they were "too Bengali" and inferior people. They declared that Bengali women were "public property" and began a campaign of systematic rape. Somewhere between 200,000 and 400,000 women were raped during this time, but some may not have reported so this is just an estimation. Additionally, the Bengali government claims some 3,000,000 people were killed during the genocide, and millions more were displaced due to the genocide and subsequent conflict. President Nixon refused to condemn or help stop these actions, because he viewed Pakistan as an ally during the Cold War. He actively worked to squash reports of the genocide to prevent public condemnation. His administration also paid other country to ship weapons to Pakistan, so they could continue their horrible program. Kissinger, of course, helped out with this and those two were thick as thieves. If the estimations given by the Bengalis are correct, this would have been the largest genocide since the Holocaust during World War II...and only thirty years after the widespread horror of such.

The book was extremely well researched, and the information was conveyed in a way that was enjoyable to read. I learned a great deal from this book, which I appreciate above all things. I had never heard of this genocide prior to reading this book, which shocked me because I typically read any and all disaster and genocidal type of books. This was a truly shameful moment in foreign policy and in the history of the United States, and the fact that President Nixon and Mr. Kissinger worked so hard to make people think their reputations were gleaming is just gross to me. I feel that this book is essential reading, especially in our current times, because people really need to know what their candidates are capable of doing if elected, and what kind of track record they have before voting simply based on political party. It also is a great educational tool/reminder that the United States cannot seem to keep it's own house clean and should not be intervening and bossing everyone else about their houses... If you are interested in presidents and United States history, I would strongly suggest picking up a copy of this book. 

 This book follows the lives of Rothschild women from 19th through 21st centuries. The book is filled with historical events and facts, and I did find myself making several notations to look up things later on that were interesting to me. I love to learn, so I really appreciated that about this book. I was pretty familiar with several of the male counterparts of these Rothschild women, as they are from a deeply patriarchal family and society, so learning about the women was a lot of fun for me. They were very influential behind the scenes for a lot of public figures, and even influential publicly. It was really interesting to see how many other "famous names" these ladies were associated with. It was also very interesting to see their struggles. I love books about family dynasties, so this was certainly right up my alley.

The content of this book was really good. I would have happily given it a four star rating, but I have the Audible version and I did not enjoy the narrator of this book at all. It made for a very tedious 13 hour listen. I love the author of the book, Natalie Livingstone, and am a great fan of her work. Her research is well done, and I love her ability to convey historical facts in a manner that is both educational and interesting. She is also very nice to interact with on Twitter, and I am looking forward to reading more of her work. I think I will be sure to get physical copies from now on, or double check the narrator in the future. 

 This book discusses some pretty well known and key events in the 1990s, from presidential races to pop culture. I was born in 1988 and grew up mostly in the 1990s. I remember a lot of these events, such as when cell phones became the norm. (I still remember our landline number from when I was five, though.) It also discusses the world pre-9/11 and how that affected society and other issues. (I was in eighth grade during the events on 9/11, and I remember very clearly how different the whole world was the next day.)

I am going down my Audible library, trying to get the amount of books I have not listened to yet under control, and this one happened to be next in the queue. I learned a little about Ross Perot, whom I knew very little about. It was kind of fun to relive some of these big 1990s milestones, and think about the music and film influences. This was not my favorite book that I have read so far this year, but it certainly wasn't a terrible book. I would rate it as pretty middle of the road, but there is some good value in it.