52 Book Challenge - Book Two: The Red Pyramid

The Red Pyramid is the first book of The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan. This series follows siblings Carter and Sadie Kane, who find out that they are direct descendants from two Pharaohs of ancient Egypt after their father disappears from the British Museum after he tries to summon the Egyptian god, Osiris. Unfortunately this act not only releases Osiris (and traps him in their father’s body), but also releases several other gods, as well as Set, the god of storms, who then entombs their father in a tomb. This thrusts Carter and Sadie into an adventure like no other as they discover the power they have inside of them. Not only do they have to defend themselves against the minions of the evil god Set, but they also have to avoid The House of Life, which is a group of magicians that believe that the Egyptian gods should not interact with magicians. With the help of the cat goddess Bast, their uncle Amos, an unlikely friend from the House of Life, and seeking assistance from Set’s brothers and sisters, Carter and Sadie travel around the world, searching for a way to stop Set as he builds his Red Pyramid, intending to rule the world.

If you have read and enjoyed the Percy Jackson series by Riordan, then you will enjoy the Kane Chronicles. It’s full of ancient history, battles, romance (well, as much romance as 12 and 14 year olds can get!), and humor. The book bounces back and forth between the views of Carter and Sadie, so you get to hear from both of them throughout the book. I am very excited to see where this series go. The second book,The Red Throne, was released in December of 2011, and the third (and final) book will be released in May 2012, so I won’t have to wait very long! J

Rating: 5 Stars

Wordless Wednesday: Frozen

Wordless Wednesday: Soaring over California

52 Book Challenge: The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner is written from the point of view of Thomas, a boy who wakes up in an elevator with no idea of who he is and where he is. The elevator takes him to the “Glade”,  the central area of a large Maze where he meets a group of boys who have lived in the Glade, trying to find a way out of it by sending runners into the maze during the day to map it’s twists and turns. A new boy is delivered once every month, but the day after Thomas arrives, the elevator brings another person: a girl. Her arrival sets things in motion that cause Thomas, and the rest of the boys, to question why they were sent to the Maze and whether or not they can ever escape from it. 

Rating: Four Stars 

While this was a very good read (I couldn't put it down), I wasn't thrilled about the how the characters spoke. They created some of their own words, which they used like swear words (for example, "shuck" was one of them). I think the reason the author had the characters do this, was because they could remember some words/images from their past, and I think the words they created were based on those words (Shuck would be sh** and f*** combined together). While I understand WHY the characters may have done that, I did find it a little irritating.

Next Week's book:

The 52 Book Challenge

A friend and I were discussing our desire to read more in 2012. We both love to read, but haven't read as much as we like in the past. She wanted to set a goal to read x-amount of books in one year. After talking about it, we finally decided to do one book a week, so 52 books for the whole year, and blog about each book that we read.

The one rule is that it has to be a NEW book - one that you have never read before.

It can be an genre, any size, any shape, any color. :)

My first book is 'The Maze Runner' by James Dashner

2012 New Year's Resolutions...

In 2012, I want to...

...sing more.

...read more.

...write more.

...bake more.

...get new ink!

-M-

December.

It has been one heck of a December this year.

From colds, to injuries, filing claims with the owners of my apartment for said injury, to the passing of my grandmother, to trying to make ends meet while missing work, flying to California and back for my grandma’s funeral, finishing up Christmas gifts, plus what seems like a million things in-between… and now I’m back to being sick again.

I won’t lie – I’m not feeling very merry and joyful this Christmas. In fact, it doesn’t feel like Christmas to me at all. Sure, there’s a tree up at the house of my parents… with beautifully wrapped presents around it. There are Christmas carols on the radio, and at church, and in the stores. There are Christmas lights twinkling in the neighborhoods and Christmas cards coming in the mail. Even with all these things shoved in my face, I just can’t get in to it, which is very abnormal for me. Christmas is my favorite time of the year, but with the all the hustle and bustle and craziness that has gone on this month, I’m just not there. 

Tonight, as I was watching the Glee (believe it or not) Christmas episode, I was reminded of what Christmas is all about. 

In this episode, the Glee club is asked to put on the Christmas Program for the local TV network. It’s full of singing, funny moments, and was actually filmed in black and white (which was pretty cool). At the end of their program, their fellow classmate, an Irishman by the name of Rory, was supposed to read “Frosty the Snowman” and then end the program with a song. Instead, Rory reads the Christmas story from the Bible. 

Glee is known for pushing limits and dealing with a lot controversial issues (mainly focusing on the gay agenda), so it shocked me that they would put that in the episode. 

What hit me was this: it doesn’t matter if I’m in the mood to decorate, or buy and wrap presents, or sing Christmas carols. All Christmas is about is the birth of Jesus. And that is something I should be celebrating each and every day – not only on December 25^th! Even when times are tough and all the craziness of the world are bringing me down; I need to remember the real reason for this season.

“¹In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. ²This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³And all went to be registered, each to his own town. ⁴And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. ⁶And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. ⁷And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. ¹⁰And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹²And⁾ this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger." ¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

¹⁴"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace among those with whom he is pleased!"

¹⁵When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." ¹⁶And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. ¹⁷And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. ¹⁸And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. ²⁰And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.”

Luke 2:8-20