The Ranger's Apprentice Book 1: The Ruins of Gorlan

The Ranger’s Apprentice Book one: The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan

The Ruins of Gorlan focuses mainly on a young orphan boy named Will, who does not know where he came from nor who his parents were. All Will knows is that as an infant he was left in Castle Redmont’s ward with the note stating: his father was a good man who died in battle and his mother in childbirth. With this being the only information given of his family history, Will decides to honor his father he will do everything in his power to follow in his father’s footsteps; by becoming a knight. So it comes as no surprise when on "choosing day" Will has his heart set on going to battle school. There is one problem in Will’s plan: his size. He is small, especially for his fifteen years. Although fast, agile, and strong (for his size) he just cannot compete with the much bigger Horace. A fellow ward mate who just happens to be a born warrior or at least possess the skills, and the size, necessary to become one.

When Will is chosen to become apprentice for the mysterious ranger Halt, his life becomes far more interesting. Does Will have what it takes to join rank with the King’s Rangers? Or will he refuse to give up his dream of following his father’s lead in becoming a knight?

The Ruins of Gorlan takes place in an age akin to our “medieval times” With many twists and turns; danger and questions, The Ruins of Gorlan will keep you riveted until the last page and will leave you eager for book two: The Burning Bridge.

The Ruins of Gorlan is book one of twelve which are currently published in the Ranger’s Apprentice series.

Join Will in his adventure by diving into the land of Araluen.

You can purchas The Ruins of Gorlan at:

Amazon

The Ruins of Gorlan (The Ranger's Apprentice, Book 1)

Barnes & Noble

The Ruins of Gorlan (Ranger's Apprentice Series #1)

Or check at your local library.

And don’t forget to checkout John Flanagan’s website:

Rangers Apprentice

My Father Is a Man Worthy of Honor - Jane Grey

This is a post from back in 2009 by Jane Grey. I read it only just this morning and it really convicted me.
Here is a short preview from the post:

"Honor your father and your mother, that you may live long in the land."

"Our culture is barren of honor. We have no idea what it means to honor another person, much less do we seek to honor those who deserve it, and even less do we come close to honoring those who we are commanded by God to honor. The phrase I quoted above is what Jesus called the first commandment with promise. If we obey this command and give honor to our fathers and our mothers, we are promised long life."

"There is nothing more demeaning for a man than to be disrespected and looked down upon by the people he works hard to serve and protect. Sons and daughters, listen to me. Your father is motivated by his success as a father. If you praise and honor him for the good things he's done (no matter how small) without criticizing him for things he hasn't done (no matter how big) he will be motivated. He will work harder to be a better father. This isn't manipulation or flattery. This is doing what God has commanded you to do. Your father is a man worthy of honor by the mere definition of his role. He is your father, he is worthy of honor. You are his child, you must honor him. By your honor, you will see just how honorable, trustworthy, and capable he is."


Here is the link to the post if you are interested in reading the whole thing. (Which I highly recommend it is worth while)
http://janegrey.hubpages.com/hub/A-Man-Worthy-of-Honor

A Cast of Stones by Patrick W. Carr

                   

A Cast of Stones, Book one of The Staff and The Sword by Patrick W. Carr

Special thanks to Patrick W. Carr for providing me with an advanced reading copy of A Cast of Stones.

I would give A Cast of Stones 4.5 out of 5 stars. An enjoyable read (and one I recommend) , the book is exciting, filled with danger, and realistic characters. I eagerly await book two (The Hero's Lot).

In the small village of Callowford lives Errol Stone, the town drunk. Errol's only concern is where he will get enough coin to buy his next mug of ale. When a messenger comes to town with urgent messages for the local hermit priest, Errol volunteers to deliver them. If only he knew how much that one choice would affect the course of his life.
Now hunted by deadly assassins, Errol flees with the priest and a few other travelers. Their journey is plagued with danger, church politics, and secrets. Errol must learn to defend himself and leave his quiet, although rarely sober, lifestyle behind.

With the fate of the Kingdom hanging in the balance, will Errol answer the call to be the man Deas (God) has ment him to be?


You can purchase A Cast of Stones at:

Amazon
 http://www.amazon.com/Cast-Stones-The-Staff-Sword/dp/0764210432/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357329304&sr=8-1&keywords=a+cast+of+stones

Christian Books.com
http://www.christianbook.com/cast-stones-staff-and-the-sword/patrick-carr/9780764210433/pd/210433?item_code=WW&netp_id=1021490&event=ESRCG&view=details

Barnes and Noble
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-cast-of-stones-patrick-w-carr/1111413417?ean=9780764210433

Also check out Patrick W Carr's Website:
http://patrickwcarr.com/

The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson

                       

The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson takes place in the year 1386, in a town called Hagenheim, in the Holy Roman Empire, or Germany. 

Rose Roemer, a poor woodcutter's daughter has been given a rare opportunity, to apprentice for the town healer, Frau Geruscha. Rose knows that if Frau Gerscha became displeased with her as an apprentice, Rose could lose her apprenticeship to the healer. If that happened she would be forced to accept one of the suitors her mother has picked, could it be the widower with seven children? Or perhaps the wool merchant who is old enough to be her father. No, Rose decides that no matter how much the smell of blood makes her stomach churn, or the whimpers of people in pain breaks her heart, she will be a good apprentice and maybe someday a healer.


Lord Wilhelm Hamlin is the Duke of Hagenheim's eldest son and heir, and as such he has a strong sense of duty and honor. Lord Hamlin's main focus is to rid the land of the evil sorcerer Moncore. Moncore has sworn to take his revenge on the Duke Godehard (a neighboring duke) by hurting his daughter Salomea. Lady Salomea is Lord Hamlin's betrothed, but to avoid Moncore she has gone into hiding.

Rose's world is flipped upside down when Lord Hamlin is injured and it is Rose who must care for his injuries. As Rose nurses Lord Hamlin's wound she starts to experience emotions completely new to her. Rose tells herself time and time again how foolish she is being, she cannot fall in love with Lord Hamlin he is betrothed, and far above her station in life. Nevertheless with Lord Hamlin's chivalrous manor and kind words, Rose cannot help her growing affections for him. 


I give The Healers Apprentice 3.5 stars out of 5. The Healer's Apprentice is well written and the story is exciting, however the book in my opinion is more like a "chick-flick", and guys might not enjoy this story as much as girls will. 

You can buy the Healer's Apprentice at:

Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_15?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=the+healers+apprentice&sprefix=the+healers+app%2Caps%2C0

Abe Books
http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?sts=t&tn=the+healers+apprentice

Christian Books.com
http://www.christianbook.com/the-healers-apprentice-melanie-dickerson/9780310721437/pd/721437?product_redirect=1&Ntt=721437&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP

Thrift Books.com
http://www.thriftbooks.com/viewdetails.aspx?isbn=0310721431

Half.com
http://search.half.ebay.com/the-healers-apprentice_W0QQ_trksidZp3030Q2em1446Q2el2686QQmZbooks

Or check at your local library.

And visit Melanie Dickerson's website
http://www.melaniedickerson.com/

Fast Facts on False Teachings by, Ron Carlson & Ed Decker

           

Fast Facts on False Teachings by Ron Carlson & Ed Decker.

I picked up this book more out of curiosity than to learn anything, but whether I wanted to learn or not, I did.
Fast Facts focuses on the major religions in today's world, gives a brief history on how they got started and points out any major flaws in some religions. Fast Facts is not only a great way to learn about what other people believe and why, but you just might learn something about your own religion that you did not know before.
Fast Facts is not a story, or purely entertainment, it is however a worth while book to read.
In Fast Facts you will read about: Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Roman Catholicism just to name a few religions Ron and Ed write about.

I would highly recommend Fast Facts on False Teachings, it is a well written book, gets right to the point but gives enough details for you to understand or at least get a good idea about different religions.

You can purchase Fast Facts on False Teachings at:

Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Fast-Facts%C2%AE-False-Teachings-Carlson/dp/0736912142/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348503177&sr=8-1&keywords=fast+facts+on+false+teachings

Christian Books.com
http://www.christianbook.com/fast-facts-on-false-teachings/ron-carlson/9780736912143/pd/912142?product_redirect=1&Ntt=912142&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP

Thrift Books.com
http://www.thriftbooks.com/viewdetails.aspx?isbn=1565071689

AbeBooks.com
http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?sts=t&tn=fast+facts+on+false+teachings

Jill Williamson's The New Recruit Mission 1: Moscow

                                     

Special thanks to Jill Williamson for providing me with an advanced copy of The New Recruit.

The New Recruit , Jill's latest book, I would give a rating of 4.5 stars. The New Recruit in my opinion is not her best work, but still is a good read. At the start of the book it is a little confusing and takes a bit to get into the story, but by the 2nd or 3rd chapter it started to grab my attention, then I was hooked.

Spencer Garmond, just a "regular" teenage guy, lives with his grandma. Because of his knack of getting into trouble, he has had what you could call a rough past. Even though he has been in a few tight spots, the only thing he really wants is to play basket ball. His world is flipped upside-down when he is told that he was "chosen by God" to be some sort of secret agent. But the other teens "chosen by God" to be secret agents are what Spencer calls "churchers" (that is christians). The last thing he needs is to be associated with the churchers, or worse still what if Spencer's friends think he is a churcher. Never the less Spencer is curious, exactly what do a bunch of teen churchers have to do with secret agents? So he decides (with a little persuasion from his grandma) to give the "Mission League" or the christian spy network a chance. Little does he know that his decision to give the Mission League a chance will change his life, for better or worse all depends on him.

I would recommend you join Spencer on his adventure with the Mission League.
The New Recruit Mission 1: Moscow, once you start the adventure you will be in suspense waiting to see just what will happen next.



You can purchase The New Recruit at:

Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/The-New-Recruit-Mission-ebook/dp/B0097ADIGW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1348104963&sr=8-3&keywords=the+new+recruit

Christian Book.com
http://www.christianbook.com/1-the-new-recruit/jill-williamson/9781935929703/pd/929703?product_redirect=1&Ntt=929703&item_code=&Ntk=keywords&event=ESRCP

Barnes & Noble
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-new-recruit-jill-williamson/1112808619

Don't forget to visit Jill Williamson's website
 http://www.jillwilliamson.com/

Great Authors

On a hot summer day, while you are basking in your air conditioning or on a frigid winter evening curled up in a warm blanket what is something (aside from watching TV) you can do?
How about read a good book!
A few of my personal favorite authors are:
Bryan Davis
Jill Williamson
Karen Hancock
Madeleine L'Engle 
Christopher Paolini
And of course the classics, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Louisa May Alcott, and Jane Austen.
I personally enjoy a good fantasy story, one with danger, peril, and true love.


Bryan Davis stories are deep and make you think about what you believe and why. Bryan creates memorable characters that become so real it is heart wrenching when a good and sometimes even a evil character dies.


Jill Williamson and Karen Hancock write stories that are more for those who enjoy using their imagination. The stories are usually filled with great battle scenes, sacrificial love, and true heroes and heroins.


Madeleine L'Engle has a true talent for writing the unexpected. You never know just what will happen in one of Madeleine's fantastical stories.You will be swept away to another planet or maybe our own just in the past , future, or even alternate dimension.


Christopher Paolini writes with detail enough for you to mentally create the scene in your mind with out over doing it. His books are filled with danger, suspense, dragons, elves, and other imaginative creatures.