The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan

Dear Readers,
This book is the third book in the wonderful Heroes of Olympus series by Mr. Riordan. The series follows the characters of the Percy Jackson series after the defeated Kronos. Let me just say it pretty AWESOME!!! I feel in love with the characters, story, and writing style of the Percy Jackson series and I was extremely excited when Mr. Riordan decided to continue their story. Some character have been added and some of my favorite characters from the previous series do not show up except for mention, but you lose some you win some.
You really can't understand this book with out first reading the other two in the series. It would be best if you read the original Percy Jackson series first, but if you find it to kiddish you would no be completely lost starting with this series. The first two books in the series are The Lost Hero and The Son of Neptune.
To understand my review I will give a very brief synopsis of the series. Two camps. One Roman. One Greek. Many Demi-Gods. Need to Cooperate to Fight Giants. Percy and Jason Switch. Make Sense?
No, not really? Okay I can go a little more in depth. Buckle your seats and be prepared for a mini history lesson. When the Romans took over Greece they adopted many of their major gods. They did however change their names and some aspects of the gods. Many people are more familiar with the Greek gods and goddess. For example Zesus, Hera, Athena, Hercules, Hades, Aphrodite, and Poseidon. Countless retelling of their stories are made into movies and books. Their names are common and so are many of the attributes. Roman gods however are not as commonly known. Roman gods? How are these Roman gods you speak of? I have never heard of them. Well yes you have you just didn't know they were the names of gods. Jupiter, Venus, Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, Juno, Mercury, and Vulcan. Those aren't gods, those are the names of planets, capitals, elements, and something from the geeky show StarTrek, you says. Yup. You are correctly, but all of those things were conveniently named after Roman gods. See Greek and Roman gods are still part of our culture even today.
These gods also come with many legends. They each have their own story, although many of them are connected. It was said the gods would occasionally appear in human form and have relationships with humans. When these relationships happened demi-gods were born. A demi-god is someone who is half god half human. They usually have some sort of special power. If you know anything about mythology you know what I am talking about. Since each god has two aspects, Roman and Greek, there are two separate camps (at least in the books there are, we are know branching into the fiction part of this review). Romans and Greeks don't get along, so the different demi-gods have been separated.The first two books take place in each of the camps. A war is coming and both camps need to work together the keep the mortal world from being destroyed. Hera decides to take matters into her own hands and get these demi-gods to unite. She takes one hero from each camp, erases their memory and drops them in the opposite camp. Percy Jackson, a Greek demi-god in dropped into New Rome. Jason Grace, a Roman demi-god, is dropped in Camp Half-Blood. After their memory slowly comes back Jason and Percy are able to unite the camps, or so they think.
A flying ship from Camp Half-Blood flies to New Rome to discuss and pick up the other members of their crew for the quest. A prophesy of old said seven demi-gods from both camps would be needed to help defeat the earth goddess Geae. While the Greek ship hovers above New Rome the two camps meet and discuss the quest. unexpectedly missiles rain down from the ship. The two camps, which were at peace for a few hours, are now again at war. The three members destined of New Rome make it on to the ship with the Greek demi-gods and get out in enough time. The seven are now assembled. Percy, Jason, Annabeth, Piper, Leo, Hazel, and Frank. This hodge-podge group of demi-gods set out to save the world.
I will not tell you the twists and turns of this book because then it would be no fun for you to read. I will tell you that it is really fun to read. Riordan not only has a wonderful plot, but amazing voice. Each chapter is narrated by a different character. They all have their different voices and quirks, but all of the chapters flow seamlessly. Another part I enjoyed was the use of popular culture. A younger reader may not be able to pick it out, but Riordan includes popular phrases and well known things into the book to make it more modern day.
This series is not only a wonderful piece of fiction, it also works great as a history lesson. You will learn more about Greek and Roman gods then ever wanted to, and have fun doing it! So pick it up and read it!!
Lindsey

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes

Dear Readers,
My past few weeks have been as close to hell on earth as my life has gotten. I won't go into to many details, but it was not fun. Because of that shit I haven't been reading much. I started reading Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes before the shit started, and I read it sporadically over the past three weeks. It was a very good escape. It was exactly the book I needed to read. Another great one by Chris Crutcher. It is really one of those books that makes you realize how wonderful your life is, and how hard some people have it.
The main man of the novel Eric, also called Moby, struggled with weight all of his life. He has never been the skinniest kid. He was really never accepted by anyone but Sarah Byrnes. Sarah Byrnes is a breed all her own. When she was younger a pot of boiling pasta supposedly fell onto to her face and left her horribly disfigured. Eric always felt comfortable around Sarah Byrnes. They both were rejected by the normal kids at school.
One day Sarah Byrnes stop talking in class. When the bell rings she doesn't move, doesn't said a word. She is sent to the hospital because no one knows what is wrong. Eric feels alone and confused without his partner in crime. As Eric visits his friend in the hospital he flashes back to better times. The Crispy Pork Rinds articles, the other mischief they got in to, and trying to stay fat for Sarah Byrnes.
It is basically a book about friendship, helping others, and confronting your troubles. It was a very consoling    book in my shitty weeks. It is bad to say the book showed me that others are worse off then me, but it really did. I am not a huge heifer, my face isn't burned, I have never had an abortion, and my parents really don't pressure me into anything. But along with showing me that I have it pretty good, it showed me not to underestimate other peoples problems. What I might not think is bad, might cause someone else to break. Everybody has problems. Everybody deserves kindness. Treating someone like crap because you don't like how they look, act, smell, think, or speak is not okay. So remember, dear readers, that you have it pretty good and that what you might think is okay might be hell to someone else.
Pick up this book. I liked it, so see for yourself. It is an easy read, but it isn't meaningless. The book like the other Chris Crutcher books I have read brings up very good points. So read it.
Lindsey

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Dear Readers,
So if you pay attention to when I post these reviews you would notice that I am posting this review only two days after the last one. Yep that's right. It only took me one day to finish this book, and one day to get around writing the review. I checked it out from the library the other morning and picked it up Friday night. I read until eleven thirty and then work up this Saturday and read for two hours and I was done. It really wasn't a hard read. In fact it was a very very very easy read. I posted in my last review that Brave New World was an easy read, and compared to Brave New World this book is children's play. Honestly this book is really easy.
But don't get me wrong! Just because it was easy doesn't mean it wasn't good! I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It was an easy read that took you away from where you were. It was like a tinny vacation in a book.
Ginny receives a letter from her aunt, who ran away two years ago. Her family hasn't heard a word from her, and then one day out of the blue a little blue envelope comes in the mail. It tells Ginny to go to New York and there she will receive more instructions. Once in New York she is given a thick manila envelope with 12 little blue envelopes. Each letter contains a task from her aunt to complete. The letters lead Ginny on a wild adventure around Europe. A colorful parade of characters marches through out the rest of the book. Ginny breaks out of her bubble and meets new people. And of course like most teen novels, actually just novels in general, there is a love story. It is just another stereotypical teen book.
Something is to be said about those teen novel though. Most teen novels that are published today are honestly excrement. Paranormal Teen Romance? Fantasy up the wazoo? Really is that what the future leaders of this country should be reading? No not at all. Now don't get me wrong this book and many others are proof that I often pick up teen lit for a little light reading, but please steer clear of all the awful out there.
I have already said this but it is so true. This book was like a vacation. It was written well enough that I was taken somewhere else and allowed to live in someone else's shoes for a while. The book took me on a clear trip to some of Europe's major cities. The romance wasn't weird. The story line wasn't weird. The characters although corky were not weird. This book is a good teen lit. This book is the kind of book that future leaders of the world should be reading, not the gawd awful other stuff. So if you need to indulge yourself and go on a vacation without actually leaving your bed I would recommend picking up this book. If you like cute, happy ends, and characters who figure out their lives in a few short weeks then crack it open. If you want something more challenging then this might not be the book for you, but remember the title and save it for a rainy day.
Lindsey

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Dear Readers,
"O brave new world that has such people in it."
What is there to be said about Brave New World that has already not been said?
It was amazing. It is one of those books everyone needs to read. It is a classic. Wow! Thank you Aldous Huxley. Loved it! Read it! Must read. Fantastic. Have all already been said, so what more can I say. Can I say anything else that will convince you to read this book? Probably not, so I am going to explain to you why I loved it. Maybe, just maybe that will convince you.
I picked up this book not really knowing what to expect. I knew it was a classic. I knew it was one of those books that would screw with your mind and your ideas. But I had a vague idea that it was going to be hard to understand and completely out of reach. 
Well, I was wrong.
I read my fair share of classics, and some are hard, labor intensive, and very disappointing. Brave New World was nothing like that. This book was well written while still be accessible. It wasn't an easy read, but it wasn't extremely difficult. Now you know that it isn't to hard and you will be able to make it through without getting bored, but you  still don't know if you want to read. What is it about you ask? Why will it mean anything to me?
I am not even sure if I can accurately put into words what this book taught me. It was one of those books that made sense to me; that completely clicked with my brain and way of thinking. What I got from the book may not be what Huxley intended. What I got may not be what you get from it, but I will try to describe it.
In the Brave New World people are not born. Mothers and Fathers are a thing of the past. The family is no more. People are produced in test tubes. Conditioned from the moment the sperm meets the eggs. Their future is chosen for them, and they are brain washed into blindly accepting this future. Soft voices whisper while they are sleeping; telling them what class they are, what they are to do, and that they need to be okay with it. Everyone works for everyone else. Everyone is happy. Everyone.
In this futuristic society when you want something you get it. When you want someone you have it. There are no boundaries. There are strong bonds between people. There are really no problems. And everyone is lead to believe that. There is no God. There is no unhappiness. There is no anger. There are no reasons to be unhappy. You have everything you could ever want.
It is chilling. While reading I could not help but compare this book to other dystopia novels I have read. Particularly 1984. In 1984 the people are denied sex and happiness. There are controlled by fear, which is drastically different from Brave New World. The people in Brave New World have everything they could want and they do not want it taken from them. They want to stay happy, so they don't question things. They don't try to know more. They blindly accept the "facts" that where imprinted on their brains as children. Why would they need anything more then what they have?  Why would they need freedom to think and act when they are already so happy? Why would they need God when they already have Ford?
That was one of the things that really got me about this book. God was non-existent. The people did not believe in God. No need to when they already had everything they could ever want. No need when they were already happy. No need for God. Religion is really there to fill in the parts we are missing. Religion explains the unexplained. These people had no questions. All of their needs were met, so there was no need for religion.  It started me thinking about my reasons for believing. I cannot say I have all of the answers yet, but this book made me think more about religion than any Christian book I have ever read.
At one point some of the characters have the choice of going to a place where they can be different and thinking different things then the rest of society, and staying civilized and happy. Ignorance can really be bliss, and they had to choose between that bliss or the freedom to think for themselves.
The book has a lot to say about happiness, society, human kind, religion, and freedom. It does not answer question so much as bring up ideas for pondering. And even though it has already been said I will say it again. READ IT!!
Lindsey

Lost by Jacqueline Daveis

Dear Readers,

A friend of mine has been telling me how amazing this books is for years. She continually told me that I MUST read it. I finally picked it up, and I was not disappointed. For anyone who loves a good historical fiction that waves together fact and fiction in a manner that leaves you wonder which is which this book is a MUST!
While reading the book to story comes in two parts. Each chapter switches between the past and present. Esther, affectionately called Essie, works for the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory is main character of the book. At the age of 16 she has experienced more than many adults. At a young age her father died, and that same year her younger sister was born. Her mother hardly raised her sister, so the task fell to Essie. Zelda, which means luck, was a little ball of energy that kept Essie very busy.
The one event that separates the past from present in the novel is Zelda's death. At the age of 6 Zelda ran out into the street and was ran over by a cart. Esther refuses to face the fact the Zelda is dead, and she believes Zelda is just hiding and will come out soon. She lives her life around Zelda. The part of the novel before Zelda's death is filled with Esther's happy memories and stories of her times with Zelda. The part after is filled with Esther denying the truth. They weave in and out and you never know the whole story till the end of the novel.
Lost contains more then Esther and Zelda though. A new girl comes to work at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory with Esther. The new girl is quiet and hardly says more than two words to a person. But she seems lost. She seems as if she has something to hide. Esther befriends the new girl, Harriet. As her and Harriet become friends they both have a past they seem to be hiding. Esther continually refuses to acknowledge Zelda's death, and Harriet is build lies upon lies to cover up her past. There is also Jimmy. The attractive neighbor who has know Esther since she was young. Esther has grown up loving him. Saulie is Esther younger brother, who continually causes trouble. And Esther's mother, a stern strong women, is always in the background of Essie's mind. The characters are one of the amazing threads woven together to create this amazing story.
As with most historical fiction the theme was not really the main point of the book. That would go to a creative retelling of a few historical events messed together. As with many books, there is a section at the end of the book telling you what is fact and what is fiction. Fact vs. Fiction actually seemed to be one of the driving points of the novel. Many of the characters are forced to decide what is the truth and what is not. The battle between truth and not was more then just the historical fiction of the book.
I loved it, and I would highly recommend Lost to anyone looking for a good book. It is wonderfully written. It is one of the best historical fiction books I have ever read, so read it!!
Lindsey  

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

Dear Readers, 

An interesting title for an interesting book. Don't get me wrong, I loved it! It was just interesting. Not really what I expected. A friend recommended it (although I can't remember which friend) because it is about food and it is widely known that I am a food lover. And although I know you aren't suppose to judge a book by its cover I could not help looking at the cake on the cover and wanting to dive right in. It did not leave me hungry or disappointed! 

It starts out with Rose, the main character, as a young girl of 8. She was getting home from school and her mother decided to make a delicious lemon cake. She watched as her mother mixed together the eggs, butter, flour, and additional ingredients. She waited with anticipation as the lemony smelled filled the kitchen while the cake baked. Once out of the oven she couldn't wait, so she stole a chunk from the corner and smothered it with creamy chocolate frosting. As she hurriedly ate the bit of cake Rose tasted something more then just lemon and chocolate. She tasted sadness. From that day on she was able to taste the emotion of the cook who made her food. 

The rest of the novel follows Rose through the years. Most of the story happens in her peak years where remembers being especially afraid to eat food and taste peoples emotions. Those years were full of vending machine snacks and heavily processed food. She demonstrated courage when faced with cakes, cookies, and pies that I could never in a million years have. 

I really don't want to say to much more about the book because I really want you to read it and discover everything in the manner I did. All I can say is read it. It is amazing. It turns out a little unexpected, but you really get to understand why some people make the choices they do. Everyone has difficult choices and you need to learn not the judge people who have to make choices. What is good for them is not always good for you, and as Rose starts to realize this you are taken on an exciting and wonderful adventure filled with emotions cleverly portrayed as flavors. Then end of the book will leave you with a sweet taste in your mouth and a full stomach. So read it!!!! 

Lindsey 

P.S. There are amazing chapters in which Ms. Aimee very accurately portrays the passion I have for food. If you like eating at all this book is wonderful!! 

 

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Dear Readers,
Truth be told this is not my typical book. I do not really like the scary, dark, depressing books. It's just not my style. I don't like horror, and this book could almost fall into that category. It is one of those books you don't want to read when you are alone at home during the night.
Somehow though this book is good. I didn't hate it. I actually looked forward to reading it when I had the chance, and I thought about it in between readings. It wasn't to dark. It was more gray then black. The poetic nature of the writing helped mask the scary subject of the book. McCarthy really knew what he was doing when he wrote this creepy post-apocalyptic novel.
I have told you it is creepy, scary, not something you read at night, written about the end of civilization, and you are wondering why would I want to read this book. Well, hold your horses and don't judge a book by the cover. Let me get into the good parts!
You start out simple (truthfully you end simple too). All you know is there is a man and a boy traveling down the road. They need to get south before the winter. Where they start you don't know, where they end up you don't know. Their names you don't know. Their background you don't know. Really you know nothing. The simplicity of the plot allows McCarthy to focus on the amazing wording and descriptions in the novel.
My brother described this book to me a poetic, and I believe that description fits. All of the wording have a soothing, calming poetic nature to them. Even at the points where burned dead bodies are being described you still feel calm (the scariness comes after putting the book down and realizing that it might happen some day). The dialogue has the same repetition of a lot of poetry. The coloring, even though mostly gray tones, felt very poetic. It over all was kind of like reading free verse poetry, calming, distracting, and wonderful.
It was one of those books that after I finished it I wasn't really sure how I felt. I didn't really connect with characters because there wasn't much to connect with. I did enjoy the book as a whole, and I would recommend it to anyone. It wasn't to scary until after you stopped for the night. It has meaning and purpose if you are willing to think. It definitely is a chilling shot of what the future could look like.
Lindsey