Everneath

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

I'm always a sucker for greek mythology retellings, and I've read every Hades/Persephone retelling I've heard of. This one beats them all.

Such beautiful writing, amazing characters, fascinating plotlines, and heart-wrenching romance. I think part of the appeal for me was the originality of the mythology and plot. Aside from the Hades/Persephone story, a little bit of the Orpheus/Eurydice story is mixed in (if you're not familiar with that one, click here), along with several original elements of Brodi Ashton's invention. I was completely sucked into this original world and story, but loved that it was grounded in mythology that I'm very familiar with.

And I desperately loved Nikki and Jack's story. It's not that often that I encounter what I consider "true love" in a YA romance, and Everneath has it. And don't be fooled into thinking this is going to be another warped love triangle where Nikki blows off the nice guy for bad-boy Cole. It's made very clear from the beginning that Cole is evil (though complicated evil). I also really enjoyed the other "real world" parts of the plot where Nikki reconnects with her family and other friends and works to overcome depression (I'd be depressed too if I'd just spent 100 years having my soul sucked out by some creepy immortal). This is a gorgeously-written story about recovery and consequences and it ends with a bit of heartbreak, but also on a note of hope. I can't wait to read the sequel.

The Lost Hero

I don't think I need to do any more gushing about Rick Riordan on this blog. But in case you've never heard me rave about his books before....

READ THEM!

I love them. Every single one. The Lost Hero is the first book in Riordan's "Heroes of Olympus" series - the series that comes after the Percy Jackson books. I reread it because Son of Neptune, its sequel, was just released yesterday and I'm dying to get it in my hands (except we're a bit poor to be buying books at the moment so I'm going to have to wait). I love these books - the adventure, the magic, the mythology, the humor, the bits of romance, the plots... everything about Rick Riordan's writing is fantastic. There's something for anyone to enjoy out of these books.

And I'm so excited because he just announced that after Heroes of Olympus and his Egyptian series, he'll be publishing a series based on Norse mythology!!

So, if you haven't read this book, pick it up. But read the Percy Jackson series first (which you won't regret). But don't watch the movie. And be glad that you won't have to wait long to read the sequel to The Lost Hero, especially because of its last sentence. I have never read a last sentence that made me more desperate to read a sequel than the last sentence in The Lost Hero.

Starcrossed

From Goodreads:
How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.
 
 Loved this book! It's original (nobody else has done a YA retelling of the Iliad - at least that I've heard of) and so well-written. Josephine Angelini was able to strike a good balance between giving me enough information to stay invested in the mythology and the story and allowing me to figure things out along with Helen. Helen is a fantastic character - I loved her from the start. I connect with shy people because I've always been one. Also, this is no cliche love at first sight story. Helen and Lucas hate each other for a good portion of the book and try to kill each other, actually. This changes gradually, based on friendship and other cool plot elements I can't mention because I'm anti-spoiler and I ended up loving their relationship.

The other thing I loved about this book is that there is sooo much more to this story than romance. I was completely into the plot and the mythology and the twists and turns. The secondary characters were all awesome and I felt like I got to know them well, which really added to my enjoyment of this book. I can definitely say I recommend this book. Check it out this summer if you get a chance!

The Hero With a Thousand Faces

From the inside jacket:
Since its release in 1949, The Hero With a Thousand Faces has influenced millions of readers by combining the insightsof modern psychology with Joseph Campbell's revolutionary understanding of comparative mythology. In these pages, Campbell outlines the Hero's Journey, a universal motif of adventure and transformation that runs through virtually all of the world's mythic traditions. He also explores the Cosmogonic Cycle, the mythic pattern of world creation and destruction.

As relevant today as when it was first published, The Hero With a Thousand Faces continues to find new audiences in fields ranging from religion and anthropology to literature and film studies. The book has also profoundly influenced creative artists - including authors, songwriters, game designers, and filmmakers - and continues to inspire all those interested in the inherent human need to tell stories.

I have been reading this book for probably three months now and I finally finished it because I couldn't renew it from the library any more times and I figured it would be ridiculous for me to check it in, only to check it right back out. Just because it took me forever, though, doesn't mean that this isn't an awesome book. It is. I loved it so much. I started reading it because I took a class last semester that examined the Hero's Journey (in art, film, music, and literature) and I have been fascinated with the subject ever since. I love the idea of the monomyth (that there's just one universal story and that all myths, tales, and adventures fit into it) and I love all the psychology I learned about in this book. I thought Campbell gave Freud a bit too much credit sometimes, but it was still interesting to read. I personally love Jung and archetypes and the fact that certain stories and elements will always ring true in the human soul because they are part of us and part of what we all go through on our own heroic journeys.

Joseph Campbell is a genius. He compares myths from all different cultures in this book to show how they all fit into the monomyth. I love that he didn't just use greek and egyptian myths; this book is full of stories from native american tales, religious texts (of all different religions), medieval european stories, indigenous folk tales, chinese stories, african, south american, Indian, and on and on. I think this book is an incredible resource and I plan on buying it. I think it works better as a resource than a for-fun read. I really did have a hard time reading this straight through.

The reason for that is that Joseph Campbell speaks with a pretty heavy academic dialog. He throws out massive words like the people reading them should be walking dictionaries (things like "obfuscation" and I can't remember what else but I do remember having to look that one up). I have a good vocab, but it can be hard to cut through this kind of book - like whacking bush to get through the jungle. Anyway. The other thing is that Joseph Campbell is too smart. Have you ever had a college professor who you could tell got their job because they were super smart and not because they had amazing teaching skills? That's what reading this book is like. Genius brains like that tend to jump from subject to subject, without regard for the fact that people of lesser intelligence are scrambling to keep up. I found myself wishing that this book could have been edited a bit better; I didn't think it flowed very well. Like I said, it makes an awesome resource, but it's not so easy to just sit down and read it cover to cover.

I discovered so many things while reading this book. I love archetypes. I love mythology. I can tell why so many people have been influenced by this book, particularly storytellers (George Lucas cites this novel as a MAJOR influence for Star Wars). Disney has also admitted to relying on Hero With a Thousand Faces while writing scripts for several movies: Aladdin, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast. I think this book is genius. Fascinating. Revelatory. If you can make it through, it's well worth it.

The Lightning Thief (Graphic Novel)

I wasn't planning to read this, but walking through the library last week it caught my eye on a shelf, so I picked up and decided to see how one of my favorites turned out in the graphic novel format. I tried it and liked it with Twilight, so I had high hopes. And you know, it was kind of fun. It didn't take long for me to read this and all the important key plot points were there (unlike the horrible, horrible movie which we will not discuss) with some fun illustrations. Rick Riordan's wit didn't quite translate over, which is why this graphic novel didn't totally click with me. Reducing this story to just the major plot moments got rid of Riordan's funny chapter titles, hilarious dialogue, and awesome action scenes - which wasn't a good thing for this book.

Jon took a look at it after I was done and wasn't very impressed either. So far, he's read the Lightning Thief graphic novel and seen the movie and he's just not understanding why I love the original book so much. I tell him he never will until he reads the book... There's really no replacement for Rick Riordan's unique storytelling style in its original format.

Reading this made me sooooo excited, though, because look what's coming out this fall...

I am such a fangirl when it comes to mythology in books!!! And really, I'm just a major fangirl for Rick Riordan. I have loved, loved, loved everything he's written.

The Throne of Fire

I love Rick Riordan.

Here's the official blurb for this second book in the Kane Chronicles:

Ever since the gods of Ancient Egypt were unleashed in the modern world, Carter Kane and his sister Sadie have been in trouble. As descendants of the House of Life, the Kanes have some powers at their command, but the devious gods haven't given them much time to master their skills at Brooklyn House, which has become a training ground for young magicians.

And now their most threatening enemy yet - the chaos snake Apophis - is rising. If they don't prevent him from breaking free in a few days' time, the world will come to an end. In other words, it's a typical week for the Kane family.

To have any chance of battling the Forces of Chaos, the Kanes must revive the sun god Ra. But that would be a feat more powerful than any magician has ever accomplished.

First they have to search the world for the three sections of the Book of Ra, then they have to learn how to chant its spells. Oh, and did we mention that no one knows where Ra is exactly?

Narrated in two different wisecracking voices, featuring a large cast of new and unforgettable characters, and with adventures spanning the globe, this second installment in the Kane Chronicles is nothing short of a thrill ride.

I was a little 'iffy' after the first book, because I didn't feel like it had quite the same wow-factor as the Percy Jackson books, but after this sequel I'm completely sold. I enjoyed the whole ride and felt the characters were better developed and the story more engrossing. There's really no matching Rick Riordan for writer's voice. He keeps the story moving along, his dialogue is amazing, his word-choice is clever and witty, and his chapter titles always make me laugh. He's definitely on my top 10 favorite author list. Maybe in the top 5. At least the top 7. :D

It's genius the way he merges mythology with modern story-telling. I learned so much about Egyptian mythology, but it never felt dry, boring, or lecture-y. Everything he's written is just so much fun. I loved all the new characters in this book. I laughed out loud several times. Anyway, I'll probably be buying everything Rick Riordan releases for the rest of his life. I'm a fan, and I recommend you check out something by him this summer. His books are perfect summer reading.

Abandon

I know. The cover is a little scary. I'm always wary of covers like this, because they scream "Smutty romance!" to me. I couldn't help wanting to read this, though, after reading on book blogs everywhere about this great modern retelling of the Persephone myth. I love Greek mythology (I'm sure I've mentioned that before once or twice). And the book turned out to be perfectly clean, by the way. Here's the goodreads blurb:


New from #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot, a dark, fantastical story about this world . . . and the underworld.

Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.

Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.

I'm surprised it's taken me so long to read something by Meg Cabot. She's pretty much the queen of YA chick lit, which is a genre I read pretty frequently. She wrote the Princess Diaries books, in case you haven't heard of her. Anyway, I think I'll need to check out something else by her before too long, because I really enjoyed reading Abandon. The mythology was well-balanced with the modern world. A lot of other reviews I've read on this book have complained about the pacing, which is, admittedly, kind of slow. It takes a long time to get the whole story on events that are hinted at in the beginning. Personally, I didn't mind. I like slower, more psychological stories sometimes. Anyway, I'd consider it a winner and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel, Underworld.

Warped

Summary from Goodreads: Tessa doesn't believe in magic. Or Fate. But there's something weird about the dusty unicorn tapestry she discovers in a box of old books. She finds the creature woven within it compelling and frightening. After the tapestry comes into her possession, Tessa experiences dreams of the past and scenes from a brutal hunt that she herself participated in. When she accidentally pulls a thread from the tapestry, Tessa releases a terrible centuries old secret. She also meets William de Chaucy, an irresistible 16th-century nobleman. His fate is as inextricably tied to the tapestry as Tessa's own. Together, they must correct the wrongs of the past. But then the Fates step in, making a tangled mess of Tessa's life. Now everyone she loves will be destroyed unless Tessa does their bidding and defeats a cruel and crafty ancient enemy.

This book has a lot going for it. I loved the time travel, the nordic mythology (the tree at Yggdrasil and the three Norns/Fates? So cool), the fantasy, and the magic. This book has an all-around solid plot. It was tight and original - interesting and refreshing (there's beginning to be far too much dystopian and paranormal YA lit these days). Other things I loved are the fact that Tessa lives in a used book store and the secret behind her name (which I won't reveal because it's far too much fun - especially if you're a fan of classic children's lit). A lot of plusses for this book.

There's only one thing holding me back from giving this book a stellar review, and that's the romance. It wasn't awful, just a bit bi-polar. By that I mean that one minute Tessa and Will hated each other (screaming and fighting), and a page or two later they were madly in love. And it seemed to happen over and over again. There was a lot of back and forth and I just wasn't buying it. I would have liked this book so much better if the romance had been better portrayed. Still.... with the cool plot and other good things I didn't finish this book feeling dissatisfied. I really enjoyed it - but I don't think it's earned a place on my bookshelf.

The DaVinci Code

I have read this novel before, but it is my favorite Dan Brown novel. It's not as gory and graphic as Angels and Demons, and it doesn't have the objectionable content The Lost Symbol was full of. I actually really enjoy reading DaVinci Code. It's smart. It's full of interesting (and true!) history. It has descriptions of incredible pieces of art that you absolutely have to look at while reading (and will be shocked by the things you never noticed). There are tons of codes and secrets embedded within secrets and symbols. This book also is a breathtaking race to the finish with a surprise ending. I'm a good predictor of books, but I never have been able to predict a Dan Brown ending.

I know there are some people who object to this book's subject matter, but it doesn't bother me. Why couldn't Christ have been married? I just don't follow the logic that if He was, He wasn't divine. Rubbish. There's no reason He couldn't have been. I'm not saying I believe for sure that He was, just that it wouldn't bother me if He was. This book is completely compatible with my faith. I don't think the Catholic church has all the answers. The fact that many of their rites and beliefs were based on pagan beliefs doesn't bother me. It just shows that eternal truth dates back to the beginning of time. Truth has been passed down from the beginning and distorted. Just look at how many cultures have creation myths that have similar elements! It just goes to show that at the beginning, there was one truth. I believe that the LDS faith has restored the real truth about the creation, fall, Atonement, and real purpose of life on earth.

This really does have to do with DaVinci Code, because reading it will make you question what you know and the source of your beliefs. It doesn't surprise me that Catholics take issue with this book. It severely attacks many of their beliefs. And I believe it's right. BUT, we have to remember that, however brilliantly researched, DaVinci Code is still a work of fiction. We don't have to accept everything Dan Brown says as fact. Anyway, this is a smart book. An interesting book. A fabulously written tale of suspense. I love it and recommend it.

The Lost Hero

And oh it was good. Possibly my favorite book read all year. This is exactly my kind of book. I love the mythology, I love the action and adventure, I love the characters and touch of romance, I love it all. Huge fan of new characters, Piper, Jason, and Leo. LOVE the blending of both Greek and Roman mythology. I am such a fan of Riordan's writing. He is never boring and knows how to jump right in to a story. There's no taking a few pages to get into it. In the first chapter we have electrocution, amnesia, and a jump head first into the grand canyon. You know, I liked The Red Pyramid just fine, but it was just so nice to be back in Percy's world. This book has some big surprises, and it will be another 5 book series. I don't know if I can take the anticipation! One should be released each fall. Bring on October!!! The next book is called The Son of Neptune.

The Red Pyramid

I was very excited to start a new series by Rick Riordan, as I'm a huge fan of his Percy Jackson books. This new series is based on Egyptian mythology (another favorite of mine) and this first book is a great start to a new adventure. I really enjoyed the whole ride. I have a feeling that this series is a little more serious and heavy and a little less fun that the Percy books, but Egyptian mythology is by nature more serious than Greek. It suits me just fine, so I'm not complaining, just saying. The book had all of Rick's signature traits, though, from clever chapter titles to great dialogue to fantastically described action sequences. He really makes this mythology come alive and makes it more accessible for kids, teens, and adults to understand. I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series!

Mythology

I am a lucky girl. Not only do I have beautiful kids, a great life, and an awesome husband who works crazy hard, but that awesome husband of mine is also my best friend, and it so happens that we hardly have any interests that we don't share. We both love learning, reading, writing, music, being outdoors, politics, history, etc... We both love mythology. So...I got him this book as a graduation present this year, and waited what I thought was a respectful amount of time before sneaking it off the shelf and reading it before him. :D He said it was ok. He's not allowed to read anything for fun until after the bar anyway.

I LOVED this book!!! I have always loved greek mythology, and this book is great because it can be used as a reference book, but is also so accessibly and entertainingly written that it can be a recreational read. Along with all the greek myths, roman and norse mythology are included. Someday I'd like to expand my library to include mythology from many other cultures as well (particularly egyptian). One of the amazing things about mythology is discovering how much of it has seeped into our daily lives and pop culture: names, planets, days of the week, ideas, thoughts, and words, words, WORDS! I am obsessed with etymology. Our language is so rich and fascinating as is, but when I discover the stories and circumstances that created the words I use it adds even more zing and zest to everything!

This is a fabulous book! I recommend it to any fan of mythology.