While I Live (Ellie Chronicles #1)

The Ellie Chronicles follow the Tomorrow Series by John Marsden. The first of the Ellie Chronicles is While I Live.

A peace settlement has been reached, but in the process Australia has lost almost half of the country to the invaders. But all Ellie cares about is getting back to normal - living on the farm with her parents (and her new adopted brother), going back to school, and being able to eat regularly.

There are rumors of border raids, which doesn't at first concern Ellie although their land in on the edge of the Australian territory. Then one day while hiking with Homer and Gavin, she hears shots.

And with that sound, her world is turned upside down again. She will have to cope with more loss, learn to run a farm on her own, raise Gavin, somehow finish school, and convince the court to appoint Homer's parents as her guardians. And those skills she learned during the war might be put to use again.

Marsden, John. (2007). While I Live. New York: Scholastic.

Tomorrow Series, Ellie Chronicles - John Marsden

The Tomorrow Series I feel I haven't given John Marsden's Tomorrow series the due it deserves. It is hard to write enough to explain the story without giving any of the key points of the plot away. Marsden does a great job of telling an engaging story and including the pain, fear, and triumph of a band of teenagers fighting a war for their country - Australia. Ellie Linton and her friends - Fi, Homer, Lee, Corrie, and Kevin - convince their parents to let them go camping over school break, skipping the Commemoration Day festivities. They are gone for five days to a camp site deep in the bush. When they return, first to Ellie's place, her parents are missing and all of the animals have died. They check each kid's home on the way into town -Wirrawee. And each looks the same. No sign that anyone returned from the Commen Day fair at the Showgrounds. Once they get into Wirrawee, they begin to see evidence of soldiers - and not Australian soldiers. Ellie and her friends know instinctively to keep hidden. They collect supplies and head back to their camp to decide what to do. After realising that they are on their own, the group decides to do what they can to fight back. And for the seven books of the series, the group of friends sneak, fight, scavenge, hide, run, sabotage, and find out what is important in life - at a time when so much has been stripped away from their normal way of life that they took for granted for so long. This is an intense look at war through the eyes of Ellie as she writes about her experiences through the invasion of her country. It is well written, with many lessons to teach. "It seems like suffering's the only time we can see what's essential. If peace ever comes back I'm making a vow: I'll design myself special glasses. They'll block out whether people are fat or thin or beautiful or weird-looking, whether they have pimples or birthmarks or different coloured skin. They'll do everything suffering's done for us, but without the pain. I'm going to wear those glasses for the rest of my life." The Tomorrow Series by John Marsden: 1 - Tomorrow, When the War Began 2 - The Dead of Night 3 - A Killing Frost 4 - Darkness Be My Friend 5 - Burning for Revenge 6 - The Night is for Hunting 7 - The Other Side of Dawn The Ellie Chronicles This series is followed by The Ellie Chronicles. The war has ended in a peace settlement that has left many people who used to spread across the continent of Australia, crammed into only part of the land. All Ellie wants is for life to get back to normal - living on the farm with her parents, feeding animals, going to school... However, it looks like the story has some other plans for her. She may yet need the skills she acquired in the war to protect her family farm. The Ellie Chronicles: 1 - While I Live 2 - Incurable 3 - Circle of Flight

The Other Side of Dawn (Tomorrow Series #7)

The Other Side of Dawn is the seventh and final book in John Marsden's Tomorrow series.

In this final installment of the Tomorrow series, Ellie and her friends are separated. They are still trying to do what they can for the war effort when things go wrong. Without the support of her friends, Ellie feels lost. If she has learned anything, it is how important friends and family are in her life.

The final push by New Zealand begins and will end the war in one way or another. How will it come out? Will Ellie ever see her friends again? Where are her parents? And what will become of everyone once the control of the land is decided?

Marsden, John. (2002). The Other Side of Dawn. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

The Night is for Hunting (Tomorrow Series #6)

The Night is for Hunting is the sixth book in John Marsden's Tomorrow series.

As amazing as it is Ellie and her friends are still making it on their own in the war. They have been hiding in town for a while and are about to head back to their camp - the only place they feel safe anymore.

But this time they will not be going alone. They have added a few members to their group. The trip back over Tailor's Stitch and into Hell will be the most frustrating trip so far.

At this point, Ellie and company should probably lay low as long as possible. There may be soldiers still looking for them from their last mission. They may not leave camp for any reason other than to get food.

Marsden, John. (2001). The Night is for Hunting. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Burning for Revenge (Tomorrow Series #5)

Burning for Revenge is the fifth book in John Marsden's Tomorrow series.

By this point it seem like torture that the series is continuing - not because of the story line which is still riveting - but because Ellie and her friends need a break! Of course, for a realistic series the war couldn't be neatly wrapped up so soon.

Obviously Ellie and her friends are still doing what they can against the invaders. The more they do, however, the higher the risk for them to stay around Wirrawee. So, after a rest in their camp, they decide to head for the other side of the mountain. They don't have an exact plan yet, but it is better than sitting around waiting.

They get into a situation that they can only see one way out of - and that way leads to a surprise - a surprise that could be the most dangerous thing they have had to face so far.

Marsden, John. (1997). Burning for Revenge. New York: Scholastic.

Darkness Be My Friend (Tomorrow Series #4)

Darkness Be My Friend is the fourth book in John Marsden's Tomorrow Series.

Ellie and friends have been safely removed from the war. However, they are now asked to go back and guide soldiers into Wirrawee.

Each risk they take increases the odds of things going wrong. The deaths are starting to add up and Ellie is having a harder time convincing herself to keep taking risks where there are professional soldiers to do the job.

But once again the friends find themselves in the thick of it, running and hiding for their lives.

Marsden, John. (1996). Darkness be my Friend. New York: Scholastic.

A Killing Frost (Tomorrow Series #3)

A Killing Frost is book three of John Marsden's Tomorrow Series.

Ellie and her friends are still surviving on their own. After recovering from their last attack on the enemy invaders, they have been laying low in their camp. But it is time to do something. The longer they sit around, the more boredom and depression set in.

One of them mentions that they ought to have a look at Cobbler's Bay. It is the bay that the enemy is using to supply the entire area.

On the way to the bay they get a surprise. Colonists have started to move into the abandoned farms. And Australia prisoners are being turned into farm slaves. As they are passing one farm they recognize a friend. Can they help him escape? If they can, it would not only give them someone else to talk to, but he would have information on their families, who are still being held in the Wirrawee Show grounds.

Marsden, John. (1995). A Killing Frost. New York: Scholastic.

The Dead of the Night (Tomorrow Series #2)

The Dead of the Night is the second book in John Marsden's Tomorrow Series.

After surviving a few months on their own, Ellie and her friends are trying to figure out what to do next. There last attempt to strike a blow to the enemy was a success but they lost a friend that night.

The plan is to go into town and break their friends out of the hospital. They should have had time to recover by now. But when they get into town, much has changed.

Now that the enemy is settled, it is a wise idea to find a back way out of their camp. So most of the friend set off down the river to see if the way is passable. What they find is a camp of other resisters. But when they arrive, in spite of their efforts thus far, they are treated like children.

At first it is nice to let the adults take over, but how long can they just sit there waiting for something to happen. This group thinks they are heroes but their attacks have not been nearly as successful as those of Ellie and her friends. Will they be able to sneak back out of the camp and away from the adults?

Marsden, John. (1994). The Dead of the Night. New York: Scholastic.

Tomorrow, When the War Began (Tomorrow Series #1)

Tomorrow, When the War Began is the first book in the Tomorrow series by John Marsden.

Ellie and her friends go camping for a week and when they return, their country (Australia) has been invaded.

"When we set out on our camping trip, we had no idea that we were starting out on the greatest and saddest adventure of our lives. We had no idea we were going to be together, not just for a week but for a time that we couldn't measure. There we were, lying about in the bush, eating and sleeping and talking, and without our even knowing it, a rush of enemy soldiers had overrun our country."

Now Ellie and her friends have to decide whether to hide until the war is finished, try to free their families, or fight back in any way they can.

In this first book, the friends set up camp where they had been camping for fun the week before. They must find out how to ration their food because they do not know how long they will be there. Any food or supplies brought from town come at a price. The soldiers will shoot on sight if they are seen.

Marsden, John. (1993). Tomorrow, When the War Began. New York: Scholastic.

Twisted

Laurie Halse Anderson is the queen of teen angst. Not to take anything away from her book Speak, which was extremely powerful, but Twisted might be the best book I have read dealing with teen emotions in a crisis.

Tyler Miller grew up being a geek. No one noticed him unless they happen to be beating him up. But over the summer he filled out. It probably had something to do with the hours of community service and digging holes for a landscaping service to pay off the damage that he did to the school. Now people at school notice him - he is not sure if it is because they saw him driven away in a police car or, as his sister says, because he is now a hottie.

With his new reputation he has the respect of some classmates - the bullies don't pick on him much anymore. But, when a crime is committed against a fellow student, he is the first one to be blamed.

Anderson does a phenomenal job of capturing the desperation of being a teen. I wish I had read Twisted when I was one; it proves that no matter how bad it gets, you still have choices.

Anderson, Laurie Halse. (2007). Twisted. New York: Viking.

Godless

In Godless, by Pete Hautman, Jason is struggling with the religion his parents have assigned to him. They are Catholic, but he is not sure what he is, or if he believes at all. Really, since you can't prove otherwise, how do we know that the water tower is not God?

It is the highest structure in the land. People need water to live. And no one can prove it is not God. Jason gatherers friends into his new religion - worshiping the ten-legged One. They call themselves Chutengodians.

But as Jason soon finds out, it is easier to start a religion than it is to control one.

Hautman, Pete. (2004). Godless. New York: Simon Pulse.

The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall

The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall is yet another Anne McCaffrey book about life on Pern. This one is a collection of stories that fill in the blanks between some of the other books.

In The Survey: P.E.R.N. we finally find out how the name got its name. The first humans ever to set foot on Pern spend ten days determining whether the planet is fit for human settlement.

The Dolphin's Bell is the story of the escape from the Southern continent with the volcano erupted and covered the original settlement in ash and lava. The dolphins brought from Earth play a great part in the escape.

The Ford of Red Hanrahan is the settling of Ruatha Hold.

The Second Weyr is the founding of the second, third and fourth weyrs when the number of dragons got too large for Fort.

Finally, Rescue Run is the story of what happened when the emergency message that was sent in the ninth year on Pern is intercepted by a ship - almost 50 years later. The team that lands on Pern is headed by Admiral Benden's (the leader of the settlers journey to Pern) nephew.

Although I don't normally like stort stories (they end right about the time they get interesting) this is an intersting chronicle of what happened between the other novels about Pern.

McCaffrey, Anne. (1993). The Chronicles of Pern: First Fall. New York: Del Rey.

Deeper (Sequel to The Descent)

In Deeper, Jeff Long takes us back into the underworld he created in The Descent. (Both of which are most likely based on Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne).

It is ten years after a plague destroyed all of Hadal life in the tunnels that run under the Earth's crust. There are settlers and entrepreneurs all over the deep.

One film maker and his crew are following the route of the Helios expedition (from the first book) to create an IMAX film called "Hell." There are other teams also exploring the deep, including a NASA subterranean team that is mapping the largest fresh water lake on the planet.

But something is still killing off the settlers and explorers. At the same time, something is drawing people into the tunnels. Could it be that not all of the Hadals perished?

On Halloween, hundreds of children are kidnapped from the United States by monsters from underground. Now there is proof that Haddie is still alive. Teams are organized to find the children and bring them back.

But there are two snags to the planning - 1) the international peace treaty for the subterranean planet says no military may enter the tunnels; and 2) Ali Von Schade, one of only two people to survive the original Helios expedition, refuses to return to the depths.

Long, Jeff. (2007). Deeper. New York: Atria Books.

Protect and Defend (Mitch Rapp Series)

Vince Flynn has done it again. His books are always impossible to put down. Protect and Defend is the ninth book featuring Mitch Rapp.

Rapp is an assassin. He works for the CIA. But he only kills the bad guys.

If you like political thriller, spy thriller, or the like, you will love this series of books.


This is the series so far:
Term Limits
Transfer of Power
The Third Option
Separation of Power
Executive Power
Memorial Day
Consent to Kill
Act of Treason
Protect and Defend

Flynn, Vince. (2007). Protect and Defend. New York: Atria Books.

Heir Apparent

Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde is the story of a girl who gets trapped inside of a video game.

Giannine Bellisario is given a gift certificate for Rasmussem Entertainment for her birthday. She can use is for either 45 tokens or 1/2 hour of virtual reality gaming. She chooses the virtual reality.

The game is Heir Apparent. The set up is that she is the illegitimate child of the king raised in the country by sheep farmers. Now the king has died and named her their heir.

Unfortunately, while Giannine is in the game, the OPOC (Citizens to Protect Our Children) break into the game center and destroy enough that she is trapped in the game. The only way to safely be removed from the game is if she can manage to win.

Technicians have determined that if she stays in the game too long brain damage will occur. Giannine doesn't know this. Although a hologram has warned her that she must win soon she does not know the risks to herself.

Velde, Vivian Vande. (2002). Heir Apparent. New York: Magic Carpet Books.

Holes

Holes by Louis Sachar is a great book! It is the story how people are connected through generations. That is to say, what happened to Stanley Yelnats's no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather is still affecting the family today.

Stanley was in the wrong place at the wrong time (the story of his life) and was arrested for theft. He is sent to Camp Green Lake, a boys' juvenile detention center. There is no lake at Camp Green Lake - it has been dry for over a hundred years.

The daily chore for boys at this camp is to dig a hole. One hole each day. Five feet deep and five feet wide. The sooner it is done, the more free time the boys have in the afternoon/evening. The warden claims that digging the holes will build character.

This is a humorous tale of crime and punishment and a curse passed down through Stanley's family line. I highly recommend it! It is a well thought out and written tale that weaves the story of many generations together in parallel tales of chance, justice, and decision that will change the course of the Yelnats family.


Sachar, Louis. (1998). Holes. New York: Frances Foster Books.

Letters from the Inside

Letters from the Inside by John Marsden is the story of Tracey and Mandy. Tracey puts an add in a magazine for a pen pal. Mandy answers it. Neither of them thought it would lead to finally having a friend to confide in.

Tracey says she put the ad in as a joke. Mandy doesn't even know why she would answer the ad. She doesn't want a pen pal. But soon they are sharing stories of their lives and families. Or are they?

Soon, things that Tracey says don't add up, they contradict what she wrote before, and no one knows her at the school she says she goes to...

Mandy will not give up. She has promised to harass Tracey with letters until she finds out the truth.

John Marsden is also the author of So Much To Tell You, a riveting story of a girl who doesn't talk (much in the style of the book Speak). He writes about difficult situations in an honest and compelling way that pulls the reader into his stories. He is yet another of Australia great young adult authors. There must be something in the water down there!

Marsden, John. (1991). Letters from the inside. New York: Laurel-Leaf Books.

Rashi's Daughters, Book II: Miriam

Rashi's Daughters, Book II: Miriam by Maggie Anton is just as compelling as the first installment - Joheved. This book begins where the first book ended but changes focus to the second of Rashi's daughters.

Miriam is engaged to Benjamin and cannot wait to marry him and start a life together. His is going home for the holidays and will return for the wedding soon. Unfortunately, while he is away he has an accident and dies. Miraim is devastated and cannot imagine marrying someone else.

She focuses all of her attention on being a midwife as her aunt has been teaching her to do. But eventually she will have to start looking at suitors. She is too young to stay single.

Judah ben Natan is a scholar in Mayence - at the yeshiva that Rashi used to attend. He has never been interested in getting married. His only passion is the study of Torah. However, as time passes he starts becoming attracted to his study partner and realises that he must get married to control his yeter hara (evil inclination). But he will not marry just any woman. She must know Talmud.

Where on earth would he find such a woman?

Anton, Maggie. (2007). Rashi's Daughters, Book II: Miriam. New York: Plume.

Rashi's Daughters, Book One: Joheved

Maggie Anton writes books that not only read like historical fiction, they teach the reader Torah and Talmud. The first book - Rashi's Daughters, Book I: Joheved - is an informative and engaging read.

Salomon ben Isaac, known as Rashi, is one of the most studied Talmud scholars of all time. His commentary changed the way Talmud is studied.

In the year 1068, Salomon had to return to Troyes, France to take over the family winemaking business. He was heartbroken to be away from the yeshiva and his students and teachers. So he began to teach Torah and Talmud to his daughters - secretly. Women were not taught Talmud in those days (and even now in many places). It was thought to be dangerous knowledge.

His oldest daughter, Joheved proves to be a dutiful and serious student. She keeps her knowledge a secret to save her father's reputation. He is starting a yeshiva in Troyes. She doesn't even tell her betrothed, Meir ben Samuel, until the young couple faces it first crisis and she must decide between marital happiness and her true self.

Anton, Maggie. (2005). Rashi's Daughter, Book I: Joheved. Glendale, CA: Benot Press.

The Rules for Hearts (sequel to Empress of the World)

The Rules for Hearts is the second book by Sara Ryan featuring Battle Hall Davies. The first was Empress of the World, where Battle met Nicola at summer camp.

It is now one year later and Battle is moving to Portland, Oregon. She will attend Reed in the fall but is moving early to reunite with her brother, Nick. She hasn't seen him for almost five years, since he left home.

Battle will soon find out that Nick is not necessarily the kind of person she wants her brother to be. In the mean time, she will live in Forest House - a group house where her brother lives - and join the play that everyone in the house is participating in.

Ryan, Sara. (2007). The Rules for Hearts. New York: Viking.

Magic's Child (Magic or Madness trilogy #3)

Magic's Child is the final book in Justine Larbalestier's Magic or Madness Trilogy.

Reason, Jay-Tee and Tom are still reeling from what happened to Reason. She now has more magic. Jay-Tee, on the other hand, has almost used hers up. Unless the vision that Jason Blake had about Reason being able to fix the problem of running out of life when running out of magic comes true, Jay-Tee will not live much longer.

But Jason Blake is not done trying to steal the magic from Reason and is not above using others to trick her into a vulnerable position. Will she be able to defeat him? Will she find a way to save Jay-Tee?

Larbalestier, Justine. (2007). Magic's Child. New York: Razorbill.

Eclipse (Twilight series #3)

Eclipse is the third book in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer.

In the third installment of the series, Bella has to choose between Edward and Jacob. They are both in love with her and she loves them both. What makes this decision more intense than some love triangles, she will be choosing between a vampire and a werewolf.

Again, I really can't say much without including spoilers, which I do not want to do. This is an exciting, well thought out series that is addicting. I cannot wait for the fourth book!

Meyer, Stephenie. (2007). Eclipse. New York: Little, Brown and Company.

New Moon (Twilight series #2)

New Moon is the second book in the Twilight trilogy by Stephenie Meyer.

Bella is just as klutzy as ever and it soon puts her in an awkward situation with Edward and his family. Although they all care about her, they are not completely immune to the lure of human blood. They are vampires after all.

The story between Bella and the Cullens continues and Bella reconnects with her friend Jacob.

I really can't say much without fear that I will accidentally add a spoiler. So just read it. If you like the first you will like this one, too.

Meyer, Stephenie. (2006). New Moon. New York: Little, Brown and Company.