Alan Sanders Sanders itibaren Narasingapur, Karnataka, Hindistan itibaren Narasingapur, Karnataka, Hindistan

First off, yes, I did read this book before taking on one of Eddie Bravo's students at Grappler's Quest. And yes, I did dismantle the guy and shrug off every attempt he made at getting Bravo's patented "lockdown" on me, even as Bravo himself screamed at the guy to do so from the edge of the mat. It was actually a lot like that scene in "Patton" where George Patton defeats Erwin Rommel after reading his book "The Tank in Battle". I even shouted, "Bravo, you magnificent son of a bitch, I read your book!" after the victory (not really). That being said, the book is pretty sweet. You get to hear all about Eddie Bravo's music career (irrelevant? yes. hilarious? of course) and you learn what was going through his mind before his first match in the Abu Dhabi Championships (the words "dude" and "totally" are peppered throughout). I recommend it for the serious grappler as well as for the part-time enthusiast.

Eleven-year-old Mercy Carter lives with her family in Deerfield, Massachusetts, the most remote settlement in the English colonies in 1704. Although life in Deerfield is both difficult and dangerous, with countless chores for even the youngest child and the constant threat of Indian attacks, Mercy takes comfort in her family and her faith. But even her prayers are not enough to save many settlers from brutal deaths at the hands of the Indians, and they aren't enough to save Mercy, who is among the survivors, from capture. Forced to march three hundred miles north to the Indian village in Canada through the brutal winter cold is almost more than Mercy can bear, and many do not survive the journey. Once she arrives in Canada, she finds herself a servant, and her only comfort lies in her faith, her prayers, and the faint hope that she will be ransomed and reunited with the surviving members of her family. Yet as time goes by, Mercy begins to think of herself as less of a captive, and more of a daughter of the tribe. And as this happens, Mercy wonders - if given the chance to become "English" again, would she even want to take it? Is she even still Mercy Carter, the Puritan girl from Deerfield, or an entirely new person? The Ransom of Mercy Carter is a wonderful young adult historical novel. The author really was able to get inside Mercy's head, to make the reader feel what she was feeling, as she struggles to love and not hate, to mourn her lost family and friends yet be happy among the people responsible for their deaths, and to remember her old life without causing herself pain.