Tag: Remy's Reading Challenge

Reading Goals for 2023 – Blogmas 2022

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

I’ll be the first to admit that my reading goal for 2022 was a little… unobtainable, especially once my luck with the job market happened.

It wasn’t the total amount of books that was the problem. No, I’ve done that before and more. It was the fact that I was reading the same type of book over and over again. It just got… tiresome? I guess? You could also say exhausting. Or just… very one note. Basically, reading only one type of book made me not want to read, because if I wasn’t reading a book from my challenge, then I felt like I wasn’t reading the right thing.

For 2023, I’m going to try to broaden my palette, as it were. I still have my “reading challenge,” but I have a few others that will let me read basically anything I want. Let me explain.

Owlcrate’s 2023 Reading Planner Goals

Every year, my favorite book box Owlcrate sends out a reading planner with their November box. This year, the planner included a small list of 14 prompts as a way to encourage people to read something they wouldn’t normally.

For example, one of the prompts is to “read a collection of poetry or short stories.” Another is “an epistolary novel.” There’s also a prompt for “a book set in a library or a bookstore.” Two personal favorites of mine are “a book from a country that you’d love to visit this year” and “a recommendation from a friend with reading tastes different to yours.”

I’ve already come up with a few books that might fit some of these prompts, though I won’t start actually reading until January 1st. But I’m okay with that. Mentally planning is important.

The Nest’s 3 Degrees of Difficulty Annual Reading Challenge

Hilariously, this is also Owlcrate. They just launched The Nest, which is an app to connect with other booklovers in a safe and welcoming space (#notasponser). One of the things I like is that they are hosting their own reading challenge, with three levels. To make it slightly more challenging, each level features 25 prompts.

Level one is pretty simple. It has the normal prompts, such as “YA Historical Fiction,” “A Library Book,” or “A Classic High Fantasy.” Pretty much every prompt is one that can be found on another list someone else. It’s meant to be an easy list to fill.

Level two gets a bit more difficult. There are some more specific prompts, such as “set in the 1920s.” “More than 500 pages” sticks out because most prompt lists don’t have a prompt like that. “Portal Fantasy” is something I’ve never heard of as of writing this post. There’s also a “contemporary duology” and a “super serious sci-fi,” which means I’ll be scouring the internet for those and others.

I’ll admit, Level three is the one I’m not sure I’ll finish. Most of the prompts are ones that I wouldn’t normally pick up, and even if I did, I probably wouldn’t enjoy it. “African Magical Realism” is something I’ve never even thought of (though I am intrigued). “Healthcare Worker POV?” No offense, but I avoided that line of work for a reason, I’m not looking forward to that one. And I’ll be honest, unless I get lucky, I’m probably to have trouble with the “2022 Hugo Nominee” as I’m usually not a fan of their choices… Oh wait, Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir? Okay, that one might be okay.

But Wait! What About Your Reading Challenge?

I’m still going to do it! I’m midway through the Trials of Apollo, which is the last major pentalogy in the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles. I still have the two spinoff trilogies (The Kane Chronicles and Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard) as well as the companion books.

I also would love to work my way through The Keeper of the Lost Cities series by Shannon Messenger, which was already in the challenge. Considering the size difference between KotLC and the other complete series in the challenge (The Shadowhunter Chronicles by Cassandra Clare), the former is at least obtainable.

One important things is that this challenge won’t be my main goal. I’d love to complete more than just the CHBC portion (which will get done next year if I have anything to say about it). I’m just going to prioritize reading for the other challenges more than just this. It will probably help with my anxiety as well.

Wrap Up

I’m hoping that having what amounts to nearly 100 prompts, I’ll get a lot of reading done on my offtimes. I do have some grand plans for reading, some ideas I’ve already jotted down, though of course nothing is set in stone just yet. We shall see what 2023 shall bring in the form of reading!

Until next time!

My 2022 Reading Challenge – Update – Blogmas 2022

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

Back in March of 2022, I made a series of bad “bets” on a few different TV shows, basically on what was going to be shown on screen or during the marketing of different episodes. And when I say I made some “bad bets,” I mean I kept on getting it blatantly wrong. Since a few of my (former) friends and I were pseudo-gambling on it, I had to set my own, for the lack of a better term, punishment for getting things wrong.

So I set out to do what I named “Remy’s Reading Challenge.”

The challenge was deceptively simple. I was to read every book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series by Shannon Messenger, every book in the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles series by Rick Riordan, and every book in the Shadowhunter Chronicles series by Cassandra Clare. To save you the math, the grand total is 46 novels, 60 short stories, 1 novella, and 1 online novel.

I set out to do this challenge with a bit of a gusto, as I really did want to read all of these books. It was something that, in February and March, was completely obtainable. And then it wasn’t.

April 1st, I got hired with my job, and cut off from the majority of my family. May 4th, I left the friend group that had been my support for over a year at that point, and in the process lost the “friends” that had helped set these challenges. End of June? I was knee deep in training and had my entire fandom life implode around me, which also almost resulted in the loss of my job. July through Septempber was simply trying to build myself back up, October was a low point, November was a disaster, and December? Well, at least 2023 is right around a corner. And on top of this, medical issues. Just… medical issues.

That’s a very long-winded way of saying that I am nowhere near completing the challenge in any way.

As of today, December 11th, I have read the first ten Camp Half-Blood Chronicles novels and one companion novel (which held two of the short stories, if I remember correctly, have to check that). No, you’re not reading that wrong, that’s it. That’s all. I never touched The Shadowhunter Chronicles or The Keeper of the Lost Cities, even though I did get Book 9, Stellarlune, for my birthday.

With everything going on, I’m honestly surprised I got this far. I really did want to read more of them, but I never was either in the mood or I didn’t have the time when I did want to read. It’s been a challenge all the way. It’s the same reason I don’t really think I’m going to do a reading wrap up this year, because I really haven’t read all that much.

Depression sucks, y’all.

While I’ll be doing a few reading challenges in the new year (hilariously all hosted by Owlcrate in various forms, I’ll talk about those later this month), I also am hoping to get through with at least part of this challenge by the end of 2023. I’m not making any promises.

But for now, I’m going back to The Hidden Oracle, since that’s where I left off and I’m just over halfway through… I will get done with Apollo’s books. One day, anyway.

Until next time.

31 Books in 31 Days?! – Blogtober 2022

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

Well, kinda.

I have a lot of books. So many that they can’t fit on my shelves anymore. So many that I’ve forgotten which ones I own and which ones are still on my list. It’s just slightly a problem that needs fixing.

In the interest of freeing up space (my birthday and Christmas are right around the corner and I usually get some books), I’m trying something to free up at least a few spaces.

Every day during October, I’m picking a random book of my shelf. My options are ones I haven’t read yet that aren’t part of a collection (Owlcrate or Barnes and Nobel’s YA Book Club). That means that a good thirty to forty percent of my current library is up for grabs. Right now I’m letting Mom pick for the first few days, after that I’m putting titles in a hat and picking that way. (I may have forgotten to prep for this thanks to Whumptober and Writer’s Month colliding, on top of some other things, whoops!)

With each book, my goal is to read either 50 pages (novel) or 100 pages (graphic novel). If by that point I’m at least enjoying it, or it hasn’t done anything to be particularly egregious, the book will stay (with the goal to revisit it in November and finish it if I don’t already do that on the day). If there is anything about the book I’m not happy with (art style, writing style, plot, character), I’m donating it.

Yes, that means I’m somewhat judging books by their cover. I’m also going to be very picky. Yep. I’m probably going to be donating more than planned (I have twenty or so books already earmarked to be donated already for various reasons, these will be added to that list).

But I think it’s worth it.

Now, a few caveats. None of these are going to be added to Goodreads this month, unless I finish the book that day (like the graphic novel that was picked for day one, I’m publicly withholding my thoughts until the end of this). I’m also still reading through the Heroes of Olympus series right now (I’m on the last book!). I might end up skipping a day or two due to work related reasons (Monday’s are in office days and the drive sucks).

My goal is to get at least ten books marked for donation. No, I’m not going in with a negative mindset, I just think that ten is a good number to donate. If it’s more or less, I’m okay with that.

So that’s the project. 31 books to be tested out in 31 days. Can I do it? We will have to see what happens. I will do a full write up with titles and brief thoughts when the whole thing is over with.

Until next time!

(I’m adding this to my Reading Challenge tag for a couple reasons. It is a reading challenge by defination. But also, I will not be making my goal this year by a lot, so I’m going to use this tag for any sort of reading challenge that I’m taking part in that is reading related.)

The 2022 Mid Year Book Freak Out!

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

It’s that time of the year, and this year I’m not wanting to scream because I’m behind!

The Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag was created for Booktubers so long ago that the original video has been privated. Just from a quick search, it looked like at least ten years ago. Since I’m not really doing on camera stuff this year, baring streaming (if my internet is ever stable again, but that’s a rant for another day), it’s always better for me to do this via my blog.

There are 13 questions in the tag that I am again using for this year. I’ve actually read more this year than I though, so there shouldn’t be much doubling up! I’ll also try to keep this spoiler free, or at least spoiler light, but no promises.

Let’s jump into it.

1. Best book you’ve read so far in 2021.

There are two books that have stood out to me this year. One is a book that I reread (because of my reading challenge) and the other is a novella. The Lightning Thief remains one of my favorite middlegrade books of all time, and wow it holds up really well, even after all of these years. Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire is the latest installment in the Wayward Children series series, and I truly do think it’s a great addition to the series.

2. Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2021.

This will have to go to Heartstopper Vol 2-4. I ended up blasting through them last month, since I have it in my head that I can’t watch an adaptation until I’ve read the source material. (I may have not watched the show yet. I’m going to, I promise! Like, next weekend or so!) I just love Alice Oseman’s art style, though I still have some trouble reading the text, but if that’s my only complaint, am I really complaining?

3. New release you haven’t read yet, but want to.

It’s not exactly new, but Alice Oseman’s Loveless has been sitting on my shelf since May, and I really want to crack into it. It was the existence of this book as a Barnes and Noble YA Book Club choice for April that even alerted me to Heartstopper being so blatantly popular. So popular, in fact, that when I went to order the Book Club edition of the book, they’d sold out of it entirely, and it won’t be restocked. When I find a break in my reading schedule, that’s next on the list.

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.

Because of my reading goal, I have to give this to Stellarlune by Shannon Messenger. It’s the penultimate book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series, and I’m actually curious about it. Well, only mildly, since I’ve only ever read book one, and this is book nine (technically ten, since there was a book 8.5…)

5. Biggest disappointment.

I didn’t think something could make me scream as badly as Blood & Honey did last year. But As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson managed it. The first half of the book felt like a normal Good Girl’s Guide to Murder book, but with protagonist Pip making mistakes and being more paranoid than normal. But the back half? It’s like this other character possessed her and the entire cast and wow, it made no sense. I almost threw it across the parking lot I was sitting in when I finished it. The amount of four letter words was… telling.

6. Biggest surprise.

We Were Dreamers by Simu Liu. It’s his first autobiography, telling his story. His life has been insane, and his voice came right out of the page. I read it on a whim and I absolutely loved every second of it.

7. Favorite new author. (Debut or new to you)

So here’s the problem. Everyone on my list I’ve either read, or they just wrote a one off, or they aren’t an author I’d probably pick up again, because I didn’t really enjoy their book. I haven’t read anyone new to me this year (yet, I do have a few books I’m planning on cracking into very soon).

8. Newest fictional crush.

Look, everything I’ve read this year has basically featured exclusively under-18 characters. There isn’t a way I can answer this without it being creepy.

… Simu Liu. There. I’m gonna go rewatch Shang-Chi now.

9. Newest fictional character.

Jason from The Heroes of Olympus series. While I do like all the new characters, I think Jason has had the most potential in this series (I’ve only read through three, no spoilers over books that have been out for years!). There’s something about an amnesiac character trying his best through no fault of his own, but still succeeding on his quest, that just does it for me.

10. Book that made you cry.

There’s a specific scene in The Last Olympian that downright made me sob, and I read it while I was at work (luckily, work from home that day). I won’t say what, but it more than earned it’s 5-star rating that day.

11. Book that made you happy.

(I did this last year and I’m stealing it again.) Sarcastic answer incoming: Watch Over Me by Nina LaCour. I downright one of her previous novels, We Are Okay, which came out in 2017. But Watch Over Me just did not do it for me in any way. I sped read that book just to get it over with, and I was happy to do so, since I was bored.

12. Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received).

Every. Single. Owlcrate. Book. Released. This. Year. No serious, google them. For the most part they are either entirely redesigned, or the coloring is much different. I’ve really enjoyed seeing how Owlcrate works with the publishers for most books since one of my favorites years ago (Eliza and her Monsters, highly recommended!). Nine times out of ten, I love them more.

13. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

… Well. I guess this is when I give an update on my lovely “Remy’s Reading Challenge!” Let me get my calculator. Well, basically… 39 novels and a bunch of short stories. Yeah, I’m way behind. (Technically since I’m no longer apart of that friend group, I don’t have to do that challenge, and damn that reminds me of a joke for another day, but I’m doing the challenge anyway.) Beyond that, there’s a bunch of other books I want to jump into, it’s just that I have it in my head that I can’t step away from a series until I reach a natural stopping point (end of that specific book series, like The Heroes of Olympus for example). I’m going to try to get through more by the end of the year. It just depends on how busy I get with work, since that has to be my priority.

And that’s the tag! I’ve done this for a few years now, and it’s always fun to see how my answers change. I really do enjoy doing things like this, so let me know if you want me to look for some other book tags across Youtube/Tiktok. I’ll look for them!

Until next time!

Book Review: The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

Title: The Lost Hero

Author: Rick Riordan

Series: The Heroes of Olympus, Camp Half-Blood Chronicles

Publish Date: September 24, 2019 (originally published October 12, 2010)

Publisher: Disney Hyperion Books

Format: Paperback

Goodreads Summary:

Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up on a school bus holding hands with a girl. Apparently she’s his girlfriend Piper, his best friend is a kid named Leo, and they’re all students in the Wilderness School, a boarding school for “bad kids.” What he did to end up here, Jason has no idea-except that everything seems very wrong.

Piper has a secret. Her father has been missing for three days, and her vivid nightmares reveal that he’s in terrible danger. Now her boyfriend doesn’t recognize her, and when a freak storm and strange creatures attack during a school field trip, she, Jason, and Leo are whisked away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood. What is going on?

Leo has a way with tools. His new cabin at Camp Half-Blood is filled with them. Seriously, the place beats Wilderness School hands down, with its weapons training, monsters, and fine-looking girls. What’s troubling is the curse everyone keeps talking about, and that a camper’s gone missing. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist they are all-including Leo-related to a god.

Rick Riordan, the best-selling author of the Percy Jackson series, pumps up the action and suspense in The Lost Hero, the first book in The Heroes of Olympus series. Fans of demi-gods, prophesies, and quests will be left breathless–and panting in anticipation for Book Two. 

Review: Well, I wasn’t expecting to like this book. But I did, a lot.

When I first picked this one up, I recognized the first two chapters. But that was where my reading had ended. And honestly, it took me a bit to get into this one, based entirely on those two chapters. While I have a passing knowledge of this pentalogy (as well as the other novels from the series as a whole), I didn’t know exactly how this would go. I was pleasantly surprised!

Having one of the main characters be amnesiac was an interesting narrative choice, especially with the tiny details being slipped in. Jason is clearly a complex character stuck between two worlds, and he’s lucky to have two built-in friends to help him navigate this. One small detail bothered me, however: the reveal that he is Thalia’s much younger brother. I would have rather that surprise have come when Thalia came into the story, instead of being pretty early on. But that’s just personal preference.

For new main characters, I found Piper and Leo’s voices to be strong. They both had pasts that drove them forward, bending them but not breaking them. However, I feel that they are a bit overpowered, especially Leo (the first child of Hephaestus who can control fire in centuries). But, they back it up by making him a part of the Second Great Prophecy.

Actually, I do have a slight issue. Does everyone know about the prophecy? It’s mentioned I don’t even know how many times that Jason, Piper, and Leo have to be a part of it. I mean, I’m not surprised that everyone at Camp Half-Blood knows, but it’s just treated as general knowledge, which is the opposite of how the first prophecy (which drove the first pentalogy) was treated.

Something that made me happy was to see the characters from the original pentalogy still around, not just completely sidelined. Annabeth isn’t in this much, considering that she’s searching for Percy. Rachel makes appearances, similar to how she did since her introduction. Others also make appearances that fit their characters.

I was also surprised that this book did away with the “one book a year” thing that the first series had (every book barring the third was set a year later from the first, similar to Harry Potter). Starting in winter immediately shows me that Roirden did something different with this series, and I’m happy about it.

All in all, this was a pretty satisfying opening to the next part of the series. I’m looking forward to seeing exactly how everything plays out.

Rating: 4/5

Goodreads Goal 8/52

Book Review: The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

Title: The Last Olympian

Author: Rick Riordan

Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Camp Half-Blood Chronicles

Publish Date: June 3, 2014 (originally published May 5, 2009)

Publisher: Disney Hyperion Books

Format: Paperback

Goodreads Summary:

All year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds of victory are grim. Kronos’s army is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, the evil Titan’s power only grows.

While the Olympians struggle to contain the rampaging monster Typhon, Kronos begins his advance on New York City, where Mount Olympus stands virtually unguarded. Now it’s up to Percy Jackson and an army of young demigods to stop the Lord of Time.

In the momentous final book in the New York Times best-selling series, the long-awaited prophecy surrounding Percy’s sixteenth birthday unfolds. And as the battle for Western civilization rages on the streets of Manhattan, Percy faces a terrifying suspicion that he may be fighting against his own fate.

Review: It should come to no surprise that my first reaction to finishing this was WOW, followed by, “What’s the next book and which shelf did I put it on?”

I realized early on that I hadn’t ever finished this book. In fact, I don’t think I read it when I was younger. I stopped at the end of The Battle of the Labyrinth, because I didn’t want the series to end for me. But let me tell you, it was worth waiting all these years, because it just blew my mind out of the water. (And I totally read it while in training for my new job, since we’re in a holding pattern anyways, and what better way to keep motivated than the final battle between the Olympians and the Titans.

This was a satisfying conclusion to the series. The title refers to Hestia, the Goddess of the Hearth, as she is the only one of the Olympians to stay behind at Olympus. The prophecy refers not to Percy, but to Luke, though both are heroes in the finale of the battle. The Oracle finally moves onto a new host, in this case being Rachel. And of course, Percy and Annabeth finally get together after the final battle.

I was really happy with the pacing of this novel. The story only takes place over a few days, but what is told works. We finally learn the history behind Luke’s family and what caused him to turn his back on his friends. We also learned so much about the choices that Annabeth had to make when she left home, and how this has shaped every decision that she has had to make her entire life. Percy has to make some decisions that could have devastating consequences on both his family and the world, and the book justifies each decision.

Reading these books as an adult has been amazing. I’m seeing things that I would have never picked up on when I first read them, because I was still in the mindset that “Middle Grade books just aren’t that good.” Obviously my opinions have changed in the past several years. And as a finale, this book is solid. It sets up for the next set of books without being too overt or heavy-handed. It’s still a solid ending for people who just don’t want to continue past this book, which is totally fine. (Unlike me, who technically has to keep going. And I am.)

I’m very impressed. And I can’t wait to jump back into this world very soon.

Rating: 5/5

Goodreads Goal 7/52

Book Review: Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

Title: Battle of the Labyrinth

Author: Rick Riordan

Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Camp Half-Blood Chronicles

Publish Date: June 3, 2014 (originally published May 6, 2008)

Publisher: Disney Hyperion Books

Format: Paperback

Goodreads Summary:

Percy Jackson isn’t expecting freshman orientation to be any fun. But when a mysterious mortal acquaintance appears at his potential new school, followed by demon cheerleaders, things quickly move from bad to worse.

In this fourth installment of the blockbuster series, time is running out as war between the Olympians and the evil Titan lord Kronos draws near. Even the safe haven of Camp Half-Blood grows more vulnerable by the minute as Kronos’s army prepares to invade its once impenetrable borders. To stop the invasion, Percy and his demigod friends must set out on a quest through the Labyrinth – a sprawling underground world with stunning surprises at every turn.

Review: The plot thickens, battle lines are being drawn, and all the players are taking their sides.

Starting this book for the first time since I was a teenager was an experience. The series has managed to mature with the characters, which I believe is helped by the fact that each book represents a summer (barring the previous book, which was the only winter book of the five, and the midpoint). Percy is getting older, and it’s clear that a crush (mutual, though he doesn’t know it yet) is growing in Annabeth. 

The decisions that the heroes have to make are more serious then ever before, such as deciding to not kill Ethan in a battle to the death. Percy sees the dark side of being a demigod, and how his actions have massive consequences.

Though there are times I had to remind myself that these kids are just fifteen or so, the choices and mistakes they make are completely believable, but also tragic. They are, after all, tasked with an almost impossible quest for the fourth time in their young lives. But they survive it, though not without loss.

The decision to start wrapping up series spanning plot lines works well here, starting with Grover’s journey to find Pan. I was saddened to see such a scene be so short in comparison to the size of the quest, but I also understood it. And it was a warning to all that read the books, that we need to do more.

I’m actually hesitant to read the fifth book coming out of this one (which is the same feeling I was left with the last time I read through the series). I almost don’t want it to end, but I do because I have the entire rest of the saga to read through. I mean, I’m absolutely going to, but still. STRESS.

For being a book that leads into the finale, it doesn’t feel like a set up. Yes, there are plotlines left waiting to be wrapped up, but the main storyline is completed, and it holds up. I’m happy with this one.

Rating: 5/5

Goodreads Goal 6/52

[Edit Update: This novel was originally read on March 28, 2022.]

Book Review: The Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

Title: The Titan’s Curse

Author: Rick Riordan

Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Camp Half-Blood Chronicles

Publish Date: June 3, 2014 (originally published May 1, 2007)

Publisher: Disney Hyperion Books

Format: Paperback

Goodreads Summary:

When Percy Jackson receives an urgent distress call from his friend Grover, he immediately prepares for battle. He knows he’ll need his powerful demigod allies at his side; his trusty bronze sword, Riptide; and . . . a ride from his mom.

The demigods race to the rescue to find that Grover has made an important discovery: two new powerful half-bloods, whose parentage is unknown. But that’s not all that awaits them. The Titan lord, Kronos, has set up a devious trap, and the young heroes have just fallen prey.

Hilarious and action-packed, this third adventure in the series finds Percy faced with his most dangerous challenge yet—the chilling prophecy of the Titan’s curse.

Review: As Percy matures, so do his stories.

This installment doesn’t take place over the summer, but rather during winter break, only about six months after Sea of Monsters. Percy is now fourteen and starting to really understand this whole hero gig he’s involved in.

We also get to see just how dangerous the world really is, as the stakes rise higher with every passing quest. The Titans are getting more bold in their plans, and they cleverly use the half-bloods’ own fatal flaws against them.

One of the things I really enjoyed about this one is that we don’t really get all that much detail about two introduced characters, one of whom will go on to be a major character. [For context, I’m already midway through book 4, but this isn’t too much of a spoiler.] The reveal that something isn’t quite… right about Bianca and Nico di Angelo is carefully unfolded over the course of the novel, while leaving a lot for readers to discover in future installments.

While I did appreciate the introduction of Artemis’ Hunters, I kinda felt that they were just introduced to get Talia out of the way. We spent two novels hearing about her, and now she gets to take Annabeth’s spot as Percy’s right handed woman for this novel… only for the ending to happen. I totally understand why this decision was given, no spoilers obviously, but at the same time it felt like the author didn’t know what to do with two strong female characters. 

One thing that stands out to me is that Percy isn’t just a perfect character. He makes mistakes, he screws up, he talks back to Gods when he needs to… And I enjoy that. I also like that the Gods and Goddesses feel more fleshed out in this novel (at least a bit more, anyway), as Percy ends up having several different interactions with them.

All in all, it’s still a great book that is setting up for what seems to be a satisfying conclusion, though there is a part of me that felt like this novel did suffer a bit from fatigue halfway through. 

Rating: 4.5/5

Goodreads Goal 5/52

[Edit Update: This novel was originally read on March 27, 2022.]

Book Review: The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

Title: The Sea of Monsters

Author: Rick Riordan

Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Camp Half-Blood Chronicles

Publish Date: June 3, 2014 (originally published April 1, 2006)

Publisher: Disney Hyperion Books

Format: Paperback

Goodreads Summary:

The heroic son of Poseidon makes an action-packed comeback in the second must-read installment of Rick Riordan’s amazing young readers series. Starring Percy Jackson, a “half blood” whose mother is human and whose father is the God of the Sea, Riordan’s series combines cliffhanger adventure and Greek mythology lessons that results in true page-turners that get better with each installment.

In this episode, The Sea of Monsters, Percy sets out to retrieve the Golden Fleece before his summer camp is destroyed, surpassing the first book’s drama and setting the stage for more thrills to come.

Review: Percy just can’t catch a break, I swear.

In this edition of “why my summer vacation is more amazing compared to yours,” Percy learns that he’s related to cyclops’s, has a half-brother named Tyson, plays some part in a major prophecy that no one will tell him about, and he really needs to just go on a vacation. I hear the Bermuda Triangle is lovely this time of year.

The thing that makes this book fun is that it’s clear that Percy has learned from the events of the previous summer, but he’s still just barely a teenager. He still makes mistakes and he still has to deal with the consequences, but he’s also more aware of those mistakes. He’s also willing to work with people that he really really doesn’t want to, in this case Clarisse La Rue, daughter of Ares. They come to a begrudging respect by the end of the novel, but they are in no way friends (which is fine).

Annabeth joins Percy on his God given quest (thanks Hermes), and learns more about herself than she could have ever believed. She has the opportunity to hear the Siren’s Song, and make peace with a part of her past that caused a minor wedge between Percy and Tyson before his almost-death early in the novel.

One aspect of this novel that I enjoyed was that choices and decisions mattered. The simple act of poisoning Thalia’s tree almost destroys the entire camp. This causes Chiron to be fired (because Dionysus is still a jerk), and in his place comes Tantalus from the underworld. Percy goes after the Golden Fleece, which is successful, but using it to heal Thalia’s tree ends up freeing her from it, which means there are now two Half-Bloods that are related to the “Big Three”. It’s a dangerous prospect.

I was sad to see that both Luke and Grover were pretty underutilized in this. Luke is now a henchman for Kronos working to revive the Titan. He’s pretty much all talk, though there is one fight scene with Percy that shows he still has his skills. Grover, on the other hand, is completely reduced to being just a plot device, there to be saved. It sucks for him, but there’s nothing for him in this novel.

All in all, a satisfying continuation of the series, one that I haven’t read in almost fifteen years.

Rating: 55/5

Goodreads Goal 4/52

[Edit Update: This novel was originally read on March 18, 2022.]

Book Review: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

~ Liz Harrison ~ Leave a comment

Title: The Lightning Thief

Author: Rick Riordan

Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Camp Half-Blood Chronicles

Publish Date: June 3, 2014 (originally published June 28, 2005)

Publisher: Disney Hyperion Books

Format: Paperback

Goodreads Summary:

Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can’t seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse – Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy’s mom finds out, she knows it’s time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he’ll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends—one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena – Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.

Review: I’ve never been happier to reread a book from my teenage years.

The entire Percy Jackson series is so weird to me, because it came out right when I was aging out of reading Middle Grade, but it was so enticing that I wanted to keep reading it. And the first one has always been a favorite of mine for a variety of reasons. 

The Lightning Thief is a creative way to open the world of mythology to readers who may have never been exposed to it before. It’s a sanitized version of the tales, very much not getting into detail with some of the more… violent and ranchy stories. But, as an adult reader, it’s surprising just how much is implied, without being overt with the details. It’s done very well.

The three main heroes from this first tale are all dynamic and can stand on their own. Percy may be the main character, but he is far from perfect. He makes it out of situations by sheer dumb luck, or by coming up with plans on the fly. That’s not saying it’s a bad things, oh no. It makes sense. He’s twelve. He’s just finding out about the world, he literally watched his mom vanish before his eyes, he’s having a bad month. Annabeth has the skills and knowledge, but she’s been held back for years. By the time she meets Percy, she’s a bit jaded by life. But she comes to life on the pages. Grover’s past slowly comes to light in a sensible way, first with his drive to earn his Searcher’s License, and then his past with Annabeth, Luke, and Thalia. It serves to make his character stronger, though he does end up as the comedic relief in several scenes.

One of the things I really liked is that the story doesn’t take itself seriously. There are obvious logical leaps and choices that police/media would never make, but I’m okay with it. The fact that Ares feels so threatened by Percy is honestly hilarious, to the point they have a battle on a beach in California of all places. And something that made me smile is that while Percy does come out the hero at the end of the novel, he’s still pretty low on the Camp Half-Blood totem pole. He’s made some friends, but also massive enemies. It’s realistic.

Rereading this has brought all sorts of good memories back to my mind, and it makes it just that much more special. I cannot wait to continue on with the series.

(As a quick aside, I have watched the first movie, and though it is a total dumpster fire, I did enjoy Logan Lereman and Alexandra Daddario’s takes on the characters. And that’s about it on that subject.)

Rating: 5/5

Goodreads Goal 3/52

[Edit Update: This novel was originally read on March 10, 2022.]