Battle Cry of Freedom

"Battle Cry of Freedom" by James McPherson is an overview of the Civil War. The book starts before the beginning of the war and details/looks into both sides of the war, Confederate and Union, as well the different areas of life the war affected.

This book is awesome if you're into war stories or American history. Don't try to read it to kids, they'll be bored out of their minds. It's definitely a read for adults, as it's not exactly in story form and doesn't follow one specific person through the war.

Favorite Chapter- Amateurs Go To War

Sourcery

The fifth book in the Discworld series picks back up with Rincewind, who has been named the assistant librarian at Unseen University. Twoflower has gone back to the Counterweight Continent, but he's left the Luggage, a walking trunk with a mind of its own. All is well until a little boy with ridiculously amazing magical powers comes to the University and demands to be made head wizard. After stepping out of the University for a drink, Rincewind gets "kidnapped" by the thief who stole the head wizard's hat- a girl named Conina. Oh, and the hat talks, by the way.

Favorite Quote: "The Ankh-Morpork Merchants' Guild publication Wellcome to Ankh-Morporke, Citie of One Thousand Surprises describes the area of Old Morpork known as The Shades as "a folklorique network of old alleys and picturesque streets, wherre exitment and romans lurkes arounde everry corner and much may be heard the tratitinal street cries of old time also the laughing visages of the denuizens as they goe about their businesse private." In other words, you have been warned."

Mort

Fourth in the Discworld series, the book follows Mort, Death's new apprentice, as he tries to change fate and keep a princess alive. The problem is that Reality isn't listening, so even though he stops her assassination, everything keeps existing as if she's died anyway. During all of this, Mort is trying to put up with Death's annoying adopted daughter, Ysabell.

This book is funny as crap! Any scenes with Death are great, so an entire book with him is awesome. He and Mort are two of my favorite characters in the Discworld series.

Favorite Quote: "The world is a funny old place in which, metaphorically speaking, one should never be so proud as to turn down an offer of a perfectly good hot meat pie."

The Light Fantastic

The second in the Discworld series, this book is a continuation of Rincewind's travels with Twoflower the Tourist after almost getting chucked off the Disc. During this adventure, the pair are on the run from a psychotic senior wizard who wants the spell that is lodged in Rincewind's head (long story). Rincewind and Twoflower meet an interesting array of people during their travels, including a couple of heroes, and even get a couple of visits from Death himself. They travel to and from danger, all the time trying to figure out what the new red star in the sky means. Whatever it is, it can't be good...

Favorite Quote: "In much the same way that gnats appear before a thunderstorm, really heavy buildups of magic always attracted things frrom the chaotic Dungeon Dimensions-nasty Things, all misplaced organs and spittle...They won't be described, since even the pretty ones looked like the offspring of an octopus and a bicycle."

The Eyes of the Dragon

The Eyes of the Dragon (by Stephen King) tells the story of two Princes and an evil magician determined to destroy their kingdom. The story is told in small sections, following each of the characters: Peter, Thomas, and Flagg (main characters). It also follows Peter's friends in the second half of the book.

Flagg the Magician, wanting a rebellion/overthrow of the monarchy, devises a plan to put Peter in jail and make Thomas king of Delain. The story shows the different ways the boys grow up, Peter with his mother and Thomas without. The loss of his mother makes Thomas the less-liked of the two boys, and the more susceptible to Flagg's bullying. Once his brother is put into the Needle (the jail for royalty), Thomas is completely at the magician's mercy.

Favorite Quote: "I think that, soomer or later, things like you always begin to repeat themselves, because things like you know only a very few simple tricks. After a while, somone alsways sees through them. I think that is all that saves us, ever."- Peter

The Sea of Monsters

Percy Jackson runs away from Camp Half-Blood to help his best friend Grover and find a cure for whatever's poisoning the camp's boundries. He also gets another piece of information about his family...one that he's not exactly happy about it.

I think this book is my favorite in the series so far. While the first book introduced a lot of the monsters and themes of Greek mythology, this one gets into the actual stories/legends a lot more. It also gets into the characters more than the first book. In "Lightning Thief" we met a lot of characters, but Percy didn't get to interact with a ton of them. That changes in this book.

Favorite Quote: "Do you have a favorite constellation, Percy?"- Hermes
"Uh, I like Hercules."- Percy
"Why?"
"Because he had rotten luck. Even worse than mine. It makes me feel better."

The Color of Magic

The Discworld is, as the name indicates, a world shaped like a disc. It is carried on the backs of four elephants who stand on the shell of a "Celestial Turtle." Seriously. The Color of Magic (by Terry Pratchett) follows Rincewind the (failed) Wizard as he tries to keep the Disc's first tourist from getting robbed, killed, or both at the same time. Not exactly the easiest of tasks, especially when the tourist has a walking trunk made of the Disc's most valuable material, carrying loads of the Disc's second most valuable material...

The Color of Magic is definitely a book for older readers. It has mild swearing, and there are some things that would go over kids' heads. It starts a bit slowly, but the pace picks up after a few pages. This one is the first in the Discworld series and is, as all the rest are, hilarious!

Favorite Quote: "Let's just say that if complete and utter chaos was lightning, he'd be the type to stand on a hill in a foot bath, wearing copper armour and screaming 'All Gods are bastards.'"- Rincewind

The Lightning Thief

The Lightning Thief (by Rick Riordan) is one of the books I picked up to fill the void that the end of the Harry Potter series caused. The story follows Percy Jackson through his adventures after he finds out he is a half-blood, half Greek god/half human. With this unsettling discovery comes the added trouble of finding out that Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen, and he, Percy, is the number one suspect.

This book is great for kids and older readers alike. For the older readers, some parts of the book may be a little predictable, but the way they come together isn't. There are little twists every so often and Percy's sarcasm/sense of humor is great!

Favorite Quote: "I'd love to tell you I had some deep revelation on my way down, that I came to terms with my own mortality, laughed in the face of death, et cetera. The truth? My only thought was: Aaaagggghhhhhh!"- Percy