The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

The Egyptian gods are real. They are, after many years, being released from the Duat and not all of them are very happy. Sadie and Carter Kane find they have amazing powers. Their discovery of their powers shoves them into the ancient world of Egyptian mythology, only in present-day. Having to battle magicians, beasts, and even gods, the Kanes go on a journey they will never forget. And they cannot allow the completion of the Red Pyramid.

I must admit, I am obsessed with Egypt. Specifically ancient Egyptian Mythology. So naturally when I passed the book section in Meijer, The Red Pyramid caught my eye. A second glance confirmed my hopes were true: I found an Egyptian book. Now, you must understand, Egyptian books are a rare find so I was quite excited. However, this book has a young adult reading audience so I was somewhat cautious as to if the book would be to easy. Obviously, I gave in, and I was not disappointed in the least! Here is a succulent piece of fantasy marinated in the juices of Egyptian mythology, grilled over the fires of magic, drizzled with suspense, and sprinkled with humor. My one mild disappointment was the occasional "kid" reference or term such as "I hate it when grown-ups..." however, other than this, excellent book Rick!

   

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S.Lewis

Edmund and Lucy Pevensie, along with their nuisance of a cousin, Eustance return to Narnia. They are brought aboard the Dawn Treader, the best ship Narnia has seen for ages. Now that Narnia is at peace, Caspian is fulfilling his oath to sail East and find the lost seven lords and (to Reepisheep's delight) possibly sail to the utter East, the end of the world.

I first read this book about 3 years ago then I re-read it, hopefully in time for the movie (I half succeeded). It is a book for children, but I think any adult will be fine reading it. It's a relatively quick read, and it has some great spiritual aspects and good morals. One of my favorites in the series, due to all the magic and tropical islands. An excellent classic.

The Sacred Meal by Nora Gallagher.

The body brutally broken for us. The blood mercifully shed for us. This is the heart of Christianity. This is what communion is about. This book is about the author's personal insight and experiences with communion. It is supposed to answer your questions about the Sacred Meal.

The majority of this book is filled with personal experiences "about communion", though almost all of them have nothing to do with communion. Some may be good Christian testimonies, but I don’t think they belong in a book about "communion". Further, it scarcely speaks of the first communion, the Last Supper, and slightly more often (though not nearly enough) does it speak of Jesus.

There are many things I disagree with in this book; most are flat-out, hands-down false teachings when placed next to the Bible. Here are a few examples of the poisonous doctrines mixed throughout the text:

TSM: Communion is all about community. P.6,11-13
MR(My Refute): Recall what Jesus said, Luke 22:19 "...This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." Remembrance of JESUS, not the community.

TSM: When Jesus turned water to wine at the wedding feast, the wine was "hidden" in the water; Jesus found and restored it. P. 65-66
MR: Really now? Is Dr.Pepper hidden inside a coconut? No. Jesus made (Greek – ginomai: to come into existence) the water into wine.

TSM: Nora speaks about how she "accidentally" ended up participating in an Islamic dance/prayer ritual and how amazing it was. P. 98-100
MR: The God of the Bible is not the some of that of the Quar'an. Exodus 20:3 "You shall have no other gods before me."

TSM: We make Jesus into our personal savior; but he was half that, half political activist. P.111
MR: I don't know about you, but Jesus is my personal savior. Can't he be that and also against political corruption? Against corruption doesn't make him less a savior. I am all novel lover and I still love movies. I’m not half and half.

TSM: When we die, we become part of the earth, the birds, the trees - just like Jesus. P.134-137
MR: I was very disturbed by this choice morsel. While this theology may look dazzling in 3D and bring millions to the box office (Avatar), it is not in line with the Bible. 2Corinthians 5:8 “…we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”

TSM: "We are all the ongoing incarnation." P.137
MR: No refute even necessary.

Zero stars. I strongly recommend you DO NOT read this book! 

 Normally I would include an Amazon link to the book, however, as I am strongly against this book, I am including a link to the NIV Bible instead:

The Truth of The Matter by Andrew Klavan

Charlie West has been on the go endlessly since he woke up with a year of his life gone from his memory, and being wanted by the police for murder. Oh, and did I mention the place he woke up in was a terrorist torturing chamber? But that's the first book. We're on book three.

Charlie finally finds a hope, however small, to remember- Waterman. Whether friend or foe, Charlie doesn't know, but he is not going to let hope slip through his fingers.

I read this without first reading the first two in the series. Why? I suppose you could call it laziness. I apologize; my opinion is slightly unfair plot wise.

Surprisingly, I was not confused once. It was quickly paced but not much description- I can't call the vocabulary an art. I felt the story to... simple; like I could‘ve spent a month and came up with the same result. Furthermore I detected his style, voice, and choice descriptions all in one book. The story was simple: hope, fear, hope, fear. And every time the character ate he was instantly filled with strength!

This is the book where the mysteries are revealed (always great) but for me it was spewing facts. I will not count that against it, it is my own fault. Overall, decent book. I may read the next book, but I'm not pulling my hair out in anticipation.

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

It is down to the final battle for control of Olympus. The titans are planning their final attack while all the gods are busy fighting Typhon. Thankfully, Camp Half Blood knows of their planned attack and will do their best to stop them. Unfortunately, they also know that a spy is still in their midst. And no matter what they do, Kronos seems to predict it. The Great Prophecy is finally revealed, and every line will be fulfilled. And the only one who can save Olympus is the last Olympian.

Probably the best of all five, although quite different than the previous four. While they are basically Percy and a group going on a quest to retrieve ______, The Last Olympian is basically a battle the whole time and all Camp Half-Blood is involved. There are a lot of little things that I think all help make a perfect ending. Although throughout the book you do have a sense that this is the end of the series. It was a great series and I am sad it's over. But the story doesn't end here. It picks up in The Lost Hero. Great Job Rick!

   

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

When Percy Jackson runs into a mortal "friend" at freshman orientation, things get strange. The final battle between titans and gods is drawing near, and Camp Half Blood learns that Kronos somehow plans to attack the camp itself, piercing its very borders. Percy & co. must go underground into the never-ending, ever-changing maze of the Labyrinth in an attempt to stop them. Though there is no way to avoid the Battle of the Labyrinth.

In my opinion, each book is better than its preceder, with the exception of Sea of Monsters. Although, this is where it starts to get a little annoying that every stinkin' monster is impossible to defeat, when of course they defeat it anyways.

I was glad that Rick made one of the books about the Labyrinth, and I liked how it was made to be a living maze that always was expanding, and while I'm on it, now is a good time to mention how clever it was to make the Labyrinth, Mt. Olympus, and other Greek mythological places move over to America. Though I wonder, how does this make people in other countries feel when they read it?

   

The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson & friends race to the rescue when Grover calls... well sort of. Two new very powerful demigods have been found, and no one knows either parent. Their history is quite foggy, but before they can think about that, they must rescue them, and it won't be easy. The group runs into an old bunch of “frenemies” that sends all Camp Half Blood in a spin. And on their next journey, they run in to a very dangerous, very powerful titan, and one of them must bear his curse.

This book was quite enjoyable, though somewhat different than the typical greek mythology you think of. This book goes back to a few beginnings and explains not only the titan's curse, but the curse on Percy's sword, riptide, as well.

This book was kind of sad. I saw it coming, but nevertheless, it was sad. Unfortunately, if you plan on continuing the series, get used to it! The series is full of action and humor, but from here on out expect sadness as well. But don't let that stop you- sadness is good. Awesome read!