Percy Jackson: The Battle of the Labyrinth

Percy Jackson: The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

Release Date: May 6th 2008
Publisher: Hyperion
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 362
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Percy Jackson's fourth summer at Camp Half-Blood is much like his previous three—high-octane clashes with dark forces, laced with hip humor and drama. Opening with a line for the ages—The last thing I wanted to do on my summer break was blow up another school—this penultimate series installment finds Percy, Annabeth and the satyr Grover furiously working to prevent former camp counselor Luke from resurrecting the Titan lord Kronos, whose goal is to overthrow the gods. When the heroes learn that Luke can breach Camp Half-Blood's security through an exit from Daedalus's Labyrinth, they enter the maze in search of the inventor and a way to stop the invasion. Along the way they encounter a lifetime supply of nightmare-inducing, richly imagined monsters. Grover's own quest to find the lost god Pan, meanwhile, provides a subtle environmental message.

This book just sends the story even deeper as it explores not only what it means to be a hero, but also the relationships between the characters. Annabeth and Percy have grown much closer in this book, but there is still a lingering disappointment when it comes to Luke and possible feelings Annabeth may harbor for him. Percy gets the chance to leave the battle behind, and yet he preserves like any true hero, along with the help of his friends.

The reader also gets to meet some more Gods in this book including Hephaestus who is seen in overalls with his name embroidered on it as if he were working at an automobile repair shop. We meet the mysterious Calypso, and some interesting creatures who are obviously up to no good.

The best part of this book that intrigues not only guys but girls who like a little action is the fight scene. It was great to see how even though the army might be small, with companionship and friendship anything can be overcome.

I absolutely love this series and enjoy just getting to enter the world of Half-bloods.

Who Might Like This Book:
Harry Potter Lovers
Mythology Lovers

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Skeleton Creek

Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman

Release Date: February 1st, 2009
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 185
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S trange things are happening in Skeleton Creek . . . and Ryan and Sarah are trying to get to the heart of it. But after an eerie accident leaves Ryan housebound and forbidden to see Sarah, their investigation takes two tracks: Ryan records everything in his journal, while Sarah uses her videocam to search things out. . .and then email the clips for Ryan to see.

In a new, groundbreaking format, the story is broken into two parts -- Ryan's text in the book, and Sarah's videos on a special website, with links and passwords given throughout the book.

This book is unlike anything I have ever read before. It combines reading and the Internet in a spectacular way. The marketing aspect of the book is what really got me hooked when I joined a bunch of kids who were trying to depict whether or not it was real but clues that Patrick Carman set up months before its release at http://www.skeletoncreekisreal.com. It was fun to get into the story before it even came out.

The characters are pretty realistic, especially when you can see Sarah and read Ryan’s thoughts. It feels as if the reader is following along with them as they try and figure out this ghost story. Even the clips that are given throughout the story to show Sarah’s point of view, allow it to become more realistic and intriguing than other books.

The writing style and video style is what one would expect of the ages that are portrayed through the characters. It feels as if you are actually reading the journal of Ryan, instead of just a story that someone is writing. The incomplete and random thoughts that he has, makes the idea of him existing a little more real. By combining that with Sarah’s videos, it makes the entire story more relatable and approachable to those who do not necessarily like to read.

Who Might Like This Book:
Ghost Story Lovers
Mystery Lovers

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Bookcase!

Just yesterday I was staring at my large pile of books that are covering the wall below and around my window. In fact, last night I added two more books to the ever growing pile and found a tub full of books that I had taken to college with me and hadn't unpacked. It has gotten to the point where I desperately need a bookcase and yet have no idea how to go about getting one. Then earlier today I received an email from CSN Office Furniture asking me if I would like to review one of their bookcases. I jumped for joy and immediately started browsing their site!

They have so many bookcases it's hard to choose which one I like more. It was fantastic to see the ones that had drawers and doors. There are ones that look old and antique which appeal to me and my love of anything that looks like it could be part of the medieval era. They have bookcases that are appealing and yet have a reasonable price for those who need to keep to a budget.

I was always happily surprised to see that they had other office furniture. Not only do they have bookcases, but they have desks and Office Chairs for those who those who may want an official space to do blogger, or writing, or whatever else may please them.

I'm so excited, time to go pick out my bookcase!

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George

Release Date: January 8th, 2008
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 336
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Blessed—or cursed—with an ability to understand animals, the Lass (as she’s known to her family) has always been an oddball. And when an isbjorn (polar bear) seeks her out, and promises that her family will become rich if only the Lass will accompany him to his castle, she doesn’t hesitate. But the bear is not what he seems, nor is his castle, which is made of ice and inhabited by a silent staff of servents. Only a grueling journey on the backs of the four winds will reveal the truth: the bear is really a prince who’s been enchanted by a troll queen, and the Lass must come up with a way to free him before he’s forced to marry a troll princess.

This is the first book I’ve read by Jessica Day George, but it was entertaining at the very least. It took the typical Beauty and the Beast story and gave it a fresh new look.

The Lass isn’t necessarily relatable, but at the very least is very enjoyable. Seeing how she deals with not having a name and how the others in her family treats her is almost interesting in itself. However, the most interesting part is when the isbjorn comes and takes her away to his ice kingdom. The mystery of the story keeps the reader in the story trying to figure out why people are disappearing and who is it that cast such a curse on this isbjorn.

The writing is nothing spectacular. While it is not necessarily an easy flowing read, it keeps the reader engaged well enough. Overall, it was a nice retailing of my favorite fairy tale.

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The Spell Book of Listen Taylor

The Spell Book of Listen Taylor by Jaclyn Moriarty

Release Date: September 1st, 2007
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 464
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The Zing family lives in a world of misguided spell books, singular poetry, and state-of-the-art surveillance equipment. They use these things to protect the Zing Family Secret -- one so huge it draws the family to the garden shed for meetings every Friday night.

Into their world comes socially isolated middle grader Listen Taylor, whose father is dating a Zing. Enter Cath Murphy, a young teacher at the elementary school that Cassie Zing attends, suffering from a broken heart. How will the worlds of these two young woman connect? Only the reader can know!

I bought this book a couple months ago when the title of it caught my eye. My first thought that it was some book about witches, even the cover can give that suggestion. However, it was not about witches like Harry Potter was. It was completely different, and yet I was not disappointed.

The characters are completely relatable. I found myself knowing exactly how Listen was feeling as she dealt with the issues of losing friendship of girls she had been friends with her entire life. It was also comforting to watch her overcome the challenges put forth by the book. The other character Cath, helped add a little more purpose to the plot through the added mystery of how she relates to the Zings and Listen’s world.

This book was a fast read. It was fun and lively and it was cool how everything just came together in the end. Definitely a good book.
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Son of the Shadows

Son of the Shadows by Juliet Marillier

Release Date: June 17th, 2009
Publisher: Tor Fantasy
Age Group: Adult
Pages: 608
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Second of the Sevenwaters trilogy of novels about the last days of heroic Ireland, Son of the Shadows takes up the story of the children of Sorcha, who saved her enchanted brothers, and Hugh, the Briton she married. Sorcha's daughter Liadan is a gifted seer and healer who thinks, in spite of her visions, that she knows what the future has in store for her--caring for her dying mother and then an alliance marriage to Eamonn. A chance meeting on the road carries her off to care for a dying man--one of the mercenaries of the sinister Painted Man, Eamonn's archenemy and a killer for hire. Liadan discovers that she cannot choose whom she loves and that she and the Painted Man are as bound up in destiny as her mother and father were before her.

This is the second book in the Sevenwaters trilogy. This book is just as good as the first one. The magical charm that Daughter of the Forest had is seen in the Ireland landscape once again in the sequel.

The new characters that are introduced are just as interesting as the first book’s. Liadan is just as head strong as Sorcha was, set on getting what she wants out of life: love, adventure, and family. She expresses herself and refuses to be swayed from her love for the Painted Man even though her family frowns on her choice. The Painted Man is also an ideal bad boy that girls fall for with the haunted past that has created the man he is.

This book is a great folktale, continuing the first magical story. The third book is only bound to be as great.

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Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment

Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment by James Patterson

Release Date: May 1st, 2006
Publisher: Little, Brown Books
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 464
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Fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride, better known as Max, knows what it's like to soar above the world. She and all the members of the "flock"--Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel--are just like ordinary kids--only they have wings and can fly. It may seem like a dream come true to some, but their lives can morph into a living nightmare at any time...like when Angel, the youngest member of the flock, is kidnapped and taken back to the "School" where she and the others were experimented on by a crew of wack jobs. Her friends brave a journey to blazing hot Death Valley, CA, to save Angel, but soon enough, they find themselves in yet another nightmare--this one involving fighting off the half-human, half-wolf "Erasers" in New York City. Whether in the treetops of Central Park or in the bowels of the Manhattan subway system, Max and her adopted family take the ride of their lives. Along the way Max discovers from her old friend and father-figure Jeb--now her betrayed and greatest enemy--that her purpose is save the world--but can she?

The story is a new fairy tale in the making. Every kid who has read it would be ready to make or buy fake wings and pretend to be one of the bird kids in the Flock. Even though it is set for a younger age range, I even feel the need to act the same way.

The characters are new and refreshing. The spunky character of Max is witty and fun loving. Fang is a great counter-part with is silent and brooding manner though you can tell he really cares about the Flock in his own way. Nudge and the Gasman are great comic reliefs to the serious advantage to rescue the gifted Angel. Iggy is a personal favorite because he is just as capable even though he is handicapped.

This was a fun read, and it was easy. The writing was simple, not to difficult at all. It was also written in a way where you feel like part of the adventure. It is also the first in the series and is a great beginning to the story being told.

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The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Release Date: October 1st, 2008
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 374
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Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games." The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When Kat's sister is chosen by lottery, Kat steps up to go in her place

I found this book on Stephenie Meyer's website and was iffy about reading it. It wasn't until my friend basically forced it onto me that I picked it up and read it. And I'm greatly glad that I had. It was a GREAT book. I absolutely love it!

The plot was new and original. The creation of the world was one I've never seen before and was enjoyable to learn about. It was intense and made me read into the early hours of the morning. Since it was written in the present tense, there was no way of knowing how it was going to end. For all I knew, it could have ended in disaster. Each of the chapters left a cliffhanger and there was no choice but to keep reading until the end.

The characters were new and original. It immediately made you fall in love with Katniss and Peeta as they fought through the Hunger Games. It made it hard to decide who I would want to win the story because I loved the characters so much.

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