Wednesday, July 30, 2008

The Titan's Curse


Author: Rick Riordan
My Description: A great book. Bunches of action, adventure, cool stuff, humor... but for once in this series, there was death.
Two people died, and I was not expecting it. Yeah, the prophecy did say that 'one would be lost in land without rain' and 'one shall perish by parent's hand' but I really was expecting Mr. Riordan to find away around it. And he didn't. There's hope for one, but none for the other, and the other was a really awesome character who I did NOT want to die. She had such sorrow in her life, and she was finally happy... it just wasn't right. And it really depressed me. These books had never had such grief in them... I just wasn't expecting it. I guess that Riordan felt that for it to be realistic someone had to die. He didn't have to make it them. It wasn't fair.
Now that I'm done whining about death, I would like to say that this book is just as clever, humorous and downright fun as it's predecessors and I recommend it, but be prepared.
Back-of-the-Book Description: Just after finding Bianca and Nico, two newly discovered half-bloods, Percy, Grover, Annabeth, and Thalia end up trapped between a helicopter and a manticore. Artemis and her Hunters save the day, but Annabeth disappears over a cliff; then Artemis rushes off to hunt a dangerous monster. Back at Camp Half-Blood, the Oracle foretells that Artemis must be rescued and makes a prediction that bodes ill for one of their number—but which one? Percy, who is supposed to remain behind while others pursue the quest, follows in search of the missing Annabeth. Their adventures range widely across the U.S., taking them to locales that include Washington, D.C., and the deserts of the Southwest and pitting them against the usual assortment of colorful adversaries.
Starting Date: July 9th
Ending Date: July 10th
Reading Time: Two days
Recommendations: To those who enjoy fantasies and/or Greek mythology with a splash of humor.
Writing Rating: 8
Story Rating: 8
Overall Rating: 8


Book #35 of '08

The Gorgan's Gaze

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Author: Julia Golding
My Description: Another of my types! This one was very very enjoyable. A great come-back and sequel to the first in the Companions Quartet (Secret of the Sirens). I highly enjoyed it and expect you will too.
Also, I really understood and liked the Kullervo part near the end. I truly related as to how Connie felt. In most instances where the lead refuses to kill the villain, I find it very stupid and unbelievable. In this one, it made sense, and I really got it.
Back-of-the-Book Description: Connie Lionheart's calculating great-aunt and uncle try to take her away from the tantalizing reach of the Society for the Protection of Mythical Creatures. What they don't realize (or do they?) is that Connie is the Society's most important member--she is the only universal companion able to bond with all mythical creatures. Connie's great gift also puts her in great danger, as the evil shape-shifter Kullervo needs her power to destroy the Society once and for all. But how can Connie help anyone, even herself, when she hasn't learned how to use her gift yet? In this second book of the Companions Quartet, Connie and her friends team together again to protect the fragile bonds between humans, creatures, and the world we must share.
Starting Date:
Ending Date:
Reading Time:
Pages: 320
Recommendations: To those who enjoy fantasies with adventure.
Writing Rating: 7
Story Rating: 7
Overall Rating: 7



Book #34 of '08

Sunday, July 6, 2008

The Secret Life of a Teenage Siren


Author: Wendy Toliver
My Description: Did I miss something? I found this book on Amazon.com while looking for pictures of some of the books I've read to put up on this blog. The lowest rating in reviews of this book was four stars. I was really disappointed.
The Secret Life of a Teenage Siren is really crass. The other word for a female dog was used at least twice, butt was used a lot (though that word isn't bad, the way that it was used was just weird), and the s-word was uncountable. Teenagers were drinking, and doing other inappropriate things, and not only all of this, but the way the Lead--Roxy--talked was just crass too. It was hard to like her sometimes, and you know me, I need to like the lead.
The story was mostly predictable to me, though the ending was slightly surprising, and though the story did make me laugh a couple times, it really wasn't that funny. As I said in the 'About the Journey' article on my side-bar, there are some books I just can't relate to. Maybe if I had gone to school/high school I would understand the characters better, and I'm sure there are some (thus the five star rating on Amazon) who love this book, but I really didn't. The one redeeming quality was the slightly sweet ending, though at that point it didn't really matter.
Back-of-the-Book Description: Geeky to gorgeous in sixty seconds...
Roxy's about to turn sixteen, but life isn't so sweet. As a band geek, Roxy can barely get the cute guys to notice her, much less go out with her. Then, on her birthday, Roxy is transformed into a siren: seductively beautiful with the power to control all men. She thought sirens were an ancient myth, but suddenly Roxy can get any guy she wants with just a few notes on her flute.
There are only two rules: don't tell anyone about being a siren, and don't fall in love. When she starts dating Zach, the guy everybody's crushing on, Roxy realizes she could get used to this siren thing...but how can she keep herself from falling in love?
Starting Date: June 18th
Ending Date: June 19th
Pages: 304
Recommendations: To people who don't mind bad language and other such things in a romantic comedy--definetly over 14.
Writing Rating: 5
Story Rating: 6
Overall Rating: 3
Book #33 of '08

The Sea of Monsters--Percy and the Olympains #2


Author: Rick Riordan
My Description: Another of my kind of books. This one being a little more serious than 'Siren Song', it's still light-hearted and fun. I really loved it. It has a tiny bit of humor and many surprises and twists that make it a real page turner and is sure to give you all the action and excitement that you could want in a book.
Back-of-the-Book Description: In this second installment in the series, Percy, Poseidon's 13-year-old demigod son, is desperate to rescue his friend Grover, captive of the bloodthirsty Cyclops Polyphemus, and to retrieve the healing Golden Fleece. The sheepskin is needed to restore the protection around Camp Half-Blood, the only safe haven for the children of gods and humans, heroes-in-training in our modern world. However, the camp has already been compromised and the quest for the Golden Fleece has been awarded to the bully Clarisse. Encouraged by Hermes, Percy sets off for the Bermuda Triangle anyway with his friend Annabeth and classmate Tyson, who turns out to be a half-brother and a Cyclops as well. Adventure follows chaotic adventure at a rapid pace, and readers with even a passing acquaintance with the Odyssey will enjoy this fresh use of familiar stories.
Starting Date: May 31st
Ending Date: June 2nd
Reading Time: Three days
Pages: 288
Recommendations: To anyone who likes Greek Mythology or adventure.
Writing Rating: 8
Story Rating: 8
Overall Rating: 8


Book #32 of '08

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Siren Song--The Cronus Chronicles


Author: Anne Ursu
My Description: This is my kind of book! I loved it! Anne Ursu gives us humor, fun, and at the same time suspense. This book is one that can make you you feel the thrills and suspense without getting gloomy and at the same time make you smile. This is a very rare book--a light hearted one! I just can't get over how fun it was, though it was a little unjust here and there, but you couldn't really get around that with what happened in the first book in this series. I do promise you this, though, it ends happily!
Back-of-the-Book Description: Ever since Charlotte Mielswetzski and her cousin, Zee, saved the world, life has been rather ordinary. Ordinary, that is, if you call being ultramegagrounded (in Charlotte's case) or treated as if you might fall to pieces (in Zee's case) ordinary. Either way, heroes deserve better.
Of course, no one knows Charlotte and Zee are heroes. It's not like they can simply announce that Greek myths are real or proclaim they have returned from the Underworld, where they rescued all of mankind from Philonecron, a deranged demigod with delusions of grandeur. Instead, they are forced to keep this terrible knowledge to themselves, and are stuck in a state of extraordinary ordinariness.
But things aren't quite as ordinary as they seem. For Philonecron is the grandson of Poseidon, and you don't mess with the progeny of the second most powerful god in the universe. And Philonecron himself isn't so happy about having all of his delicious plans thwarted by mortal children. He wants revenge, and with his grandfather to help him, he is going to get what he wants.
For Charlotte and Zee, their not-so-ordinary lives are about to be disruptedonce again. This time it's not the world they must save -- it's themselves.
Starting Date: May 28th
Ending Date: May 30th
Reading Time: Three days
Pages: 448
Recommendations: To anyone who likes Greek mythology but wants a little twist, or likes adventure with a constant sprinkle of humor.
Writing Rating: 9
Story Rating: 7 1/2
Overall Rating: 8

Book #31 of '08

Pirate Curse

Author: Kai Meyer
My Description: Great first part. Despite Munk's parents getting killed it was light-hearted and fun and I really liked it. And then it came to the next part and it just went down hill. It became frightening, gloomy, frustrating, and sad. Can't there be any lighthearted books out there? (that stay lighthearted anyway) Oh, and it's kind of silly that the description doesn't even mention Griffin, a boy who likes Jolly, who quite infuriated me because Munk likes Jolly too, and I liked Munk (not in that way, of course).
Back-of-the-Book Description: Fourteen-year-old Jolly is a polliwog. She can literally walk on water. Raised by a pirate captain, she loves her life until Bannon and his crew are betrayed and only Jolly escapes. She is washed up on a tiny island, discovered by Munk (another polliwog), and quickly drawn into the plans of the mysterious Ghost Trader, who insists that the very existence of the world is threatened by the imminent return of the Maelstrom. Somehow, the polliwogs hold the secret to defeating the ancient malevolent force, even if they are only teens.
Starting Date: Somewhere around May 20th?
Ending Date: May 28th
Reading Time: Approximately 8 days?
Pages: 336
Recommendations: To people who don't mind goriness, and to those who like pirates. I didn't really enjoy this book, but I'm sure others will.
Writing Rating: 8
Story Rating: 8
Overall Rating: (for me) 4


Book #30 of '08