Books for Christmas

Christmas is a great time for getting books. Although not many of the presents under the tree were books this year, I did get lots of gift cards, and the books that I did get were good ones.

Books under the tree:

Collision Course by Gordon Korman
S.O.S. by Gordon Korman
Torn by Margaret Peterson Haddix


Books I bought with gift cards:

Erak's Ransom by John Flanagan
Inheritance by Christopher Paolini
Slayers by C. J. Hill
I also got some movies:

A Christmas Carol The Musical
The Princess Bride

What books did you get for Christmas?

The Siege of Macindaw by John Flanagan

The Siege of Macindaw by John Flanagan
293 pages

    Will and the warrior, Horace, hold the fate of the kingdom in their hands. Sir Keren has captured Castle Macindaw after poisoning its rightful leaders. He plans on letting the Scotti in to Araluen, where they plan to take over the who country. Will and Horace quickly round up a small army of Skandians and outcasts who live in the forest.With so much at stake, they cannot afford to make any mistakes. But the kingodm is not the only thing is terrible danger. Will's friend, Alyss, is being held captive by Keren and who knows what he plans to do with his prisoner.

**Book 6 in Ranger's Apprentice**
Previous book: The Sorcerer of the North
Next book: Erak's Ransom

The Sorcerer of the North by John Flanagan

The Sorcerer of the North by John Flanagan
295 pages

    Will is finally a real ranger-his apprenticeship is done-so he has his own fief to look after. Nothing is happening in his fief and Will is quite bored. But suddenly, he gets reassigned to a castle in the north, where the lord has been struck with a mysterious illness. Local residents say that the illness is the result of sorcery. In disguise, Will travels to uncover the mystery.
    When he first arrives, the solution seems simple: the lord's son is teaming up with the evil sorcerer, Malkallam, who lives in the woods. But after further investigation, Will realizes that superstition has a lot to do with the hasty conclusions everyone has been making. And no one in the castle is as they seem.

**Book 5 in Ranger's Apprentice**
Previous book: The Battle for Skandia
Next book: The Siege of Macindaw

The Always War by Margaret Peterson Haddix

The Always War by Margaret Peterson Haddix
197 pages

    When Gideon Thrall gets chosen to receive a medal of courage, Tessa is overjoyed. Their small town now has something to celebrate about! But Gideon runs off the stage, saying her is not a hero and he doesn't deserve the medal. Tessa is very confused, so she follows him to see why he reacted in such a way.
    Soon, the two teens are caught up in a mystery that is dangerous and frightening: why are they fighting this war? And why are the computers giving them contradicting information about the battle sights and enemy territories? Can they be brave enough to face the truth when no one else is?

    Tessa's body reacted as quickly as her mind. Before she was even concious of moving, she was already on her feet and running toward Gideon. Her legs tangled in the blanket, but she kept going, diving for Gideon. She knocked him sideways onto the floor of the plane, so if any of the enemy were already trying to shoot him, the bullets would just whiz harmlessly past. But this wasn't enough. It wasn't enough to tackle him, to hold him down, the mud form her ragged clothes rubbing off on his spotless white uniforn. Guns could ne reloaded, re-aimed, fired again and again and again.
    Tessa rose up and slammed her hand against the control on the wall.

The Battle for Skandia by John Flanagan

The Battle for Skandia by John Flanagan
294 pages

    Will and Evanlyn are close to escaping the northern lands when Evanlyn is kidnapped. Halt and Horace rescue them just in time, but they suspect something big behind the kidnapping. With further investigation, they see that the Temujai's are planning on attacking Skandia, and then Araluen.
    Only an alliance with the Skandians will save both countries, but will it work? What about the Oberjarl's vow to kill Evanlyn?

Captured!

 As she pushed her way through the snow-laden bushes, becoming wetter and wetter in the process, she felt a surge of pleasure. The first snare in the line held the body of a small ground-foraging bird. Evanlyn smiled grimly as she thought how once she might have objected to the cruelty of the bird's death. Now, all she felt was a sense of satisfaction as she realized that they would eat well today.
    Amazing how an emty belly could change your perspective, she thought, removing the noose from the bird's neck and stuffing the small carcass in her makeshift game bag. She reset the snare, sprinkling a few seeds of corn on the ground beyond it, then rose to her feet, frowning in annoyance as she realized that the melting snow had left two wet patches on her knees as she'd crouched.
    Evanlyn sensed, rather than heard, the movement in the trees behind her and began to turn.
    Before she could move, she felt an iron grip around her throat, and as she gasped in fright, a fur-gloved hand, smelling vilely of smoke, clapped over her mouth and nose, cutting off her cry for help.

**Book four in Ranger's Apprentice**

Previous book: The Icebound Land

Next book: The Sorcerer of the North

 Australian Cover

The Icebound Land by John Flanagan

The Icebound Land by John Flanagan
266 pages

    Will and Evanlyn have been captured by the Skandians and taken north. Halt arrived just in time to see they sailing away. Vowing to rescue them, he went to get help. He is determined to do anything to save his apprentice and the king's daughter.
    Will and Evanlyn soon find the Erak, the Skandian Jarl that took them, is rough, but sympathetic. But when they reach the village, things get more complicated. They hear that the Oberjarl has taken an unbreakable oath against Evanlyn's family. Can she keep her identity a secret long enough to escape?
    Meanwhile, Halt and Horace travel northward to find their friends, battling knights on their way. but one ruthless knight proves to be more than they expected. Can they escape his fortress in time to save Will and Evanlyn from certain death?

**Book 3 in Ranger's Apprentice**
Previous book: The Burning Bridge
Next book: The Battle for Skandia

  Australian Cover

Disney After Dark by Ridley Pearson

Disney After Dark by Ridley Pearson
325 pages

    Five Florida teens-Finn, Maybeck, Willa, Charlene, and Philby-have been chosen as the new DHIs for Disney World. Each is copied as a hologram to guide guests around the park. This new technology turns the five ordinary kids into celebrities. Soon they find out that this new job is not as it seems. each has been recruited by Wayne, a mysterious man who works at Disney. They must stop the Overtakers.
    The Overtakers are a group of Disney Villains, led by Maleficent, who have come alive and want to take over the part-and maybe the world. The teens are able to 'cross over' into Disney as their holographic images at night. With technology no one understands completely and evil characters with magic powers, time is running out to save the park and the world.

**Book one in The Kingdom Keepers**
Next book: Disney at Dawn

The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan

The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan
262 pages

    Gilan has chosen Will and Horace to travel with him to a neighbouring village, but no one is there when they arrive. It seems as if all the inhabitants have left in a rush. But why? After finding other villages in the same state, Gilan goes ahead to report their findings.
    While they travel, Will and Horace run into a group of Wargals working for Lord Morgarath. When they follow them, they find out a big secret, one that could change the outcome of the upcoming battle.

 THEY'RE COMING . . .

    The chanting was closer now. It no longer died away as the breeze came and went. It was growing louder and more defined. Will, Horace, and Evanlyn crouched among the bushes, listening as the voices can closer.

    "Maybe you two should move back a little, Will suggested. He had left himself a relatively clear view of the road. He knew that, wrapped in his Ranger cloak, with his face concealed deep within the cowl, he would be virtually invisible, but he wasn't so sure about the others. Without any reluctance, they squirmed back, deeper into the cover of the thick shrubs. Horace's reaction was a mixture of curiosity and nervousness. Evanlyn, Will noted, was pale with fear.
    They had already struck the camp and moved the horses back about a hundred meters into the rocks. He glanced around quickly now to make sure they had left no sign of their presence. Satisfied that they had done everything they could, he turned his attention back to the road.
    " Who are they?" Horace breathed as the chanting grew louder still. Will estimated that it was coming from somewhere around the nearest bend in the road, a mere hundred meters away.
   "Don't you know?" Evanlyn replied, her voice strained with terror. "They're Wargals."

                                                             ~from The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan

**Book 2 in Ranger's Apprentice**
Previous book: The Ruins of Gorlan

Next book: The Icebound Land

 Australian Cover

The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan

The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan
249 pages

    Fifteen-year-old Will wants to be chosen as an apprentice for Battleschool, but he is rejected. Instead, he is accepted by the Ranger, Halt. No one really knows what the mysterious Rangers do, but everyone is afraid of them. Some even think they practice black magic. So, naturally, Will is horrified at his new job.
    But soon he finds out that the Rangers are the king's helper and they protect the kingdom. Will is quickly caught up in plans for protecting the people from Lord Morgarath, the exiled lord who is ready to attack.

THE EPIC BATTLE HAS BEGUN . . .

    It was ten minutes before they heard the screaming. It was an unearthly sound the twisted the stomach into knots of fear and turned the blood cold. Involuntarily, the Baron and Sir Rodney reined in as they heard it. Their horses plunged wildly against the reins. It came from straight ahead of them and rose and fell, until the air quaked with the horror of it.

    . . ."What is that?"

   It's the Kalkara, " Will said. "They're hunting."

**Book 1 in Ranger's Apprentice**
Next book: The Burning Bridge

 Australian Cover

The World Above by Cameron Dokey

The World Above by Cameron Dokey
                            A Retelling of "Jack and the Beanstalk"
175 pages

    Gen lives in the World Below. When her twin brother, Jack, trades the family cow for magic beans, Gen is furious, but, to her surprise, their mother is not-she's happy. She tells the twins that the stories she told them about the World Above are real, and the beans will grow magic beanstalks so they can climb there.
    In the stories, Gen's mother was the duke's wife, but she had to escape when her husband was murdered. Now, she knows she can go back with her children and claim what is rightfully theirs.
    But when Jack doesn't come back from the World Above and Gen goes after him, they realize that things are much more complicated.


    "I'm sorry I never really believed," I said. "Not the way Jack did."
    "It doesn't make any difference," my mother replied. Her eyes focused on the beanstalk for a moment, then returned to mine. "You believe now. Be safe and smart up there, my Gen. Be yourself.
    Before I could answer, my mother turned away and walked quickly toward the house. I turned to face the beanstalk.
    There is no going back, now, I thought.
    For better or worse, there was only going forward. There was only going up. Seizing the trunk of the beanstalk with both hands, I pushed of from the World Below and began to climb