The Sea of Monsters

Hello half-bloods,

You know. You know what I did. Lets get down to it.

In the second installment of the Percy Jackson series, The Sea of Monsters, Percy has completed school without any incidents, until one unfortunate dodgeball game that has him, Annabeth, and new friend Tyson, fleeing the school and taking an unconventional taxi back to Camp Half-Blood. The safest place on the planet for demigods is being runover with monsters though. The tree and it's protective force fields are dying, Chiron has been fired, and Grover is in trouble. As Tantalus, the new activities director, has a special hatred for Percy, he won't grant his request for a quest. So basically, everyone's doomed.

I'm not even going to go into what was wrong with the movie. It was just. . . so bad. I'm pretty sure I blocked it all out to protect myself, but I do know that nothing in the book jogged my memory of the movie. Nothing.

Second book wasn't as good as the first, but it's Percy Jackson, so it's still amazing.

10/10 would recommend
~Book Panda

The Problem with Forever

Hey mice,

So, I just finished a book by queen Jennifer L. Armentrout. It's new. NEW! It's called The Problem with Forever and it's absolutely amazing!

Painfully shy Mallory Dodge has decided to finish her senior year in public school after being home schooled for years. Of all the terrifying things that could happen at high school, she didn't think she would be reunited with her best friend from foster care. It was by no means a good foster home, and Rider protected her as best he could, but both of them still have scars from their time there.

Now, this is normally where I say all the things that I loved/stuff that aggravated me. But all of it was lovely. I loved the book. I love Jennifer. I love Mallory. I love Rider. I love Rider's friends/brothers. I love Ainsley and Keira. I love books. Well, Carl was annoying. I wanted to kick Carl in his twenty-million dollar hands, but whatever.

Go read this book and then all the other books by Jenn, because all of them are amazing. I mean, I haven't gotten to all of them yet, but I'm sure they're all amazing.

Now back to Percy Jackson.

8/10
~Book Panda

The Lightning Thief

Hey demi-gods,

Now, if people read this regularly, they'd be all, "Panda, didn't you just finish and/or blog about a book today?" My answer is yes, what's your point?

So I just finished The Lightning Thief and it was just as amazing as it was in intermediate school. If you've been living under a rock for the last eleven years or you're trash and only watched the disgusting production that was the movie, here's what the book is really about. So Percy Jackson is a troubled kid in a school with troubled kids. He's dyslexic and has ADHD, but his problems don't stop there. After a disastrous field trip, he's kicked out of yet another school. His mother, being the angel that she is, takes him on a trip, but since when does the protagonist ever get a break? The trip ends prematurely and awfully. Percy is thrust into a world of half-blood kids with the Greek gods for parents. Not only that, but they seem to be fighting over a lost article. When Percy is claimed by his father, he finds out that Zeus' master bolt has been stolen, and he's the number one suspect. He, his best friend Grover, who happens to be a satyr, and Annabeth, daughter of Athena, are sent on a quest to retrieve the bolt from Hades and set everything right before the summer solstice.

Now let's go to the atrocity that is the movie. I was willing to forgive the age difference, and overlook Annabeth's lack of blonde hair, and even that there was no Dionysus. But I knew the it was trash when freaking Hades attacks the camp and flaunts Percy's mom. Hades doesn't even show up until they actually go to the underworld. Like, bro. Then they sneak out of camp, no quest, no permission, they just leave. On a quest to find the lightning bolt, and pearls. Pearls that are just given to Percy by a water spirit. I was completely done when they had to fight the hydra. THE HYDRA DOESN'T SHOW UP UNTIL THE SECOND BOOK! Agh! It's just awful. Awful. I need to move on.

So, the book is amazing. I like how Percy and Annabeth have that love-hate relationship of being friends but ew, it's a girl. It's great. Grover is adorably scared of everything. I just like everything. It's so good.

Also, I probably won't read this series straight through as I have a bunch of other library books that are due back soon. I can only renew them so many times.

Shipping forever: Percy and Annabeth

10/10 would recommend
~Book Panda

Willowgrove

Those invisible people out there: stop judging. I didn't mean to.

Look. So you know how I was like, yo, Percy Jackson! But after I finish the Hemlock series?

Well I got impatient. So I was reading them simultaneously.

Leave me alone. It's so good! It just makes the movie that much worse and I'm totally okay with that.

But Willowgrove. So this book is basically about Mac and Company trying to figure out who was involved with the Willowgrove experiments and how everything was connected. While they're looking for proof, tensions about possible werewolves grows and no one feels safe. It's a struggle.

It was a good book, just don't read Percy Jackson books while you're reading it. There was mention about packs in the beginning and the consequences of not joining once you've pledged but then it was never mentioned again. I like that Jason is better about the werewolf thing now, because earlier he was annoying me. Hank? Molding bread. Sinclair? Dumpster. Ummm. . . . Go read it, it's good. Best in the series.

Truth: I can't really concentrate because. . . you know. You know.

I have a problem. Sorry, not sorry.

Shipping: Mac and Kyle, Jason and Serena
Wanted to see more of: Tess
Kick in the face: People, because they can't just love everyone

8/10
Series: 7.85/10
~Book Panda

Thornhill

Happy Teen Wolf Tuesday!

For those of you who watched last week, I know and I understand your pain. I cried. For those of you who are confused, you can leave.

Anyway, in honor of Teen Wolf Tuesday, I finished the second book about the werewolves. Disclaimer, people said this series was like Teen Wolf. I'm here to tell you that they are not only wrong, but they're liars.

But yeah, so this book is called Thornhill by Kathleen Peacock, second to Hemlock. Kyle ran off like a little girl so Jason and Mac have gone off to go find him. And they find him. Then they get captured by freaking Trappers and are sent to a camp that's supposed not supposed to be open yet.

That's kind of all I can say without retelling the entire book for you. So I have a few things I need to happen after reading this book. I need Jason and Serena to be a thing. I need Kyle to stop acting like everything is his fault. I also need Kyle to stop telling Mac that everything isn't her fault, because it is. I need a certain someone to have a heart-to-heart with someone else so awkwardness can leave. I need Mac to stop hallucinating about Amy.

The book was good though. I liked it more than Hemlock. I didn't like when the characters did dumb things, but it's part of the plot. So maybe I don't like plot? LOL, no. That would mean I don't like books. I love books. More than people.

Shipping: Kyle and Mac, Jason and Serena
Want death for: Sinclair
Shady af: Curtis

8/10
~Book Panda

Hemlock

Hello werewolves,

Get excited. Get turnt. Because it's Thanksgiving break, baby! NO SCHOOL! ALL THE HAM! I'm so excited about ham, you have no idea. And sleep! I haven't had a restful sleep in weeks. Gah! I'm so happy! And I finished a book! And I just received the Percy Jackson series! That isn't what I finished today though. I'm going to finish this series then read Percy Jack
son. But anyway. . .

So today I finished a book called Hemlock. I actually read this earlier this year, but when I went to get the others I had no idea what happened so I was like, what the hey. Let's read it again. This book begins after the murder of Mac's best friend. Of course, this is me, and we don't read normal murder mysteries.That would be boring and mundane. No, Amy was murdered by a werewolf. Ever since the government admitted that there werewolves existed, the public has been wary. After the governors granddaughter dies because of one of "the infected" a radical group of werewolf hunters is brought to Hemlock. Mac is losing friends because of the group, so she decides to try and find out what happened on her own.

I like this book, I just shouldn't have read it again. I mean, I had to for memory purposes, but this wasn't a reread it book for me. This isn't like The Mortal Instruments and I can just reread it five times and it's amazing every time. You should defintely read it though. It's good. Mac tries to fix of everybody, which is adorable. Kyle's a sweetheart, as is Trey. It's a good time. Go read and be grateful about it.

Shipping: Mac and Kyle
Rooting for: Trey, Tess
Meh: Jason

7.5/10
~Book Panda

Sweet Temptation

Hey guys,

So I finished Sweet Temptation today by our recent friend Wendy Higgins. This is a companion novel to the Sweet Trilogy. It's from bae-Kaidan's perspective in all three books. I love how we see Kaidan's thoughts and feelings for Anna when she believes he hates her or is indifferent to her. I don't always read companion novels, but if it's the same story with a different perspective I will. I just love seeing things from the males viewpoint. It makes me happy.

I really don't have much to say about this book tbh, it was just good. First book has angry, distrusting Kaidan. Second book has pissed, self-hating Kaidan then lovey Kaidan. Third book has worried, lovey, self-doubting Kaidan. Epilogue is wonderful. I love it. It's all great. If you read the first three, you'll love this one. If you haven't, you might be a little confused but it all works out.

Shipping: Anna and Kaidan forever

8/10
~Book Panda

Sweet Reckoning

Hey Luvs,

This will be relatively quick since I'm about to drive to Chicago and I'm leaving my beloved laptop behind. So, today I finished Sweet Reckoning, the final book to the Sweet Trilogy. It was so sweet. So sweet.

So Anna returns from L.A. after all the jazz that went down there. Hiding from Dukes and trying to keep their rebellion a secret and whatnot. Kaidan and Anna have agreed to stop pretending they don't
love each other and all that jazz. The Dukes are becoming suspicious of the Neph's though, Anna in particular. Basically everything is leading up to a big boss battle.

Some high points that I enjoyed that may be a bit spoiler-y are

• Patti getting to nurture a big family
• Kaidan being horny af
• The marriage
• John/Belial possessing a famous rapper
• When Anna got piss drunk
• Kaidan
• The epilogue

So yeah. I enjoyed the book a lot. It gave me a lot of joy. The series as a whole was also pretty good. Not I'd-read-it-again good, but not why-did-I-pick this-up bad. So yeah. Take that with a pinch of salf or however the poop that saying goes.

Btw: there's another book. It says it's the fourth one, but it's from Kaidan-bae's perspective so it's actually like 1.5 or something. Just thought I'd throw that out there for anyone who looked it up and was like yo, why is it a trilogy with four books. Alright, bye.

Ship: Anna and Kaidan, Kopano and Zania, Jay and Marna, Ginger and Blake, Belial and Patti

8/10

Series: 7.8/10

~Book Panda

Sweet Peril

Hey Neph's,

How's life? Did you have a nice day? Good. Today, on an uneasy day for America, I finished a book. I would have been finished yesterday, but I had a thing.

So, I finished a book called Sweet Peril today. It's the second in the Sweet trilogy. This one, dang. So good. So good. After Miss Anna Whitt swears to herself that she won't tempt others towards substance abuse, she becomes the ultimate party girl. Though it's been almost a year, Kaidan still haunts her memories, even though he was and still is kind of a douche to her. John the good Duke sends her and Kopano on trips to persuade other Nephilim to join their cause. Because Anna is the one that's pure of heart. She can damn all the demons and redeem those that see error in their ways. She can give the Neph's a chance.

I enjoyed this one more than the first one. The first one seemed kind of amature to me after reading this one. It has more angst and love triangle and stuff, but sometimes I like that. At first I wanted Anna and Kopano to just be together because, like I said, Kai was being a douche. Then I remembered that there was a white guy on the cover of all of these books so that wasn't happening. I like that Anna comes out her shell more. Despite the fact that she had to adopt the party girl facade, she stayed herself and I liked that as well. Kaidan became a sweetheart, so that's always good. I hate that sweet moments were ruined by demons but it meant something to the plot, so meh.

Sweet Peril was a good book overall. I got to see new sides of characters and met a few new ones along the way. It seems that Wendy got the hang of it in this book.

Shipping: Kaidan and Anna (duh), Kopano and Zania
Love: Blake, John, Patti, Marna
Should be shot: Dukes

8/10
~Book Panda

Sweet Evil

Hello Nephilim,

Hows life? Are you enjoying your weekend? I am, as I finished a book.

A book? Like, a book? You exclaim. You? How! It's only been three days. Have you been out of school, Book Panda? No. I just didn't do homework.

Anyway, today I read I finished Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins. We're back in fantasy land, people and won't be leaving anytime soon. Sweet Evil is about a girl named Anna Whitt who's a perpetual good girl. She doesn't swear, she doesn't do drugs, she's nice as potato pie. Anna also has the nifty ability to see and feel the emotions of others. She thinks she's just weird until she meets drummer Kaidan Rowe who's anything but nice. There encounters leave her changed forever. . . . that was so cliche I think I threw up a little. I'm so sorry.

By the way, I picked up this series because it was referenced in The Lux series, by Jennifer L. Armentrout. I read everything and anything she writes and she practically told me to read it, so I listened. If you're into aliens or demigods or half gargoyle/demons or contemporary stuff then she has something for you. Go find it.

Anyway, I really liked this book. Anna's innocence and naivete made me cringe so much, but it got better. Jay, her best friend, was awesome, and Kaidan made me want to kill and love him simultaneously. When she finally met her dad I was skeptical but I ended up loving him. He's so precious. Some events in the book I felt could have been avoided, but then the book wouldn't be interesting so I'm conflicted. You invisible readers should go read it. I enjoyed it.

Shipping: Anna and Kaidan, Jay and Veronica, Blake and Ginger

Love: John, Marna, Kaidan, Patti
Hate: Dukes

7.5/10
~Book Panda

Still Alice

Hey butterflies!

Wow! Three in two days! This won't happen again until the week of Thanksgiving when I'll be reading Percy Jackson, so enjoy.

Alright, so I finished a book called Still Alice by Lisa Genova. It's about a well known Harvard professor named Alice Howland getting diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease and the degeneration of her condition as the year goes on. It was quite sad though I didn't cry for once, which is quite shocking. The fact that she couldn't recognize her family was heartbreaking and how she couldn't remember what she liked and didn't like.

It wasn't my normal choice of book, but my teacher recommended it to me so I thought, what the hey. It's at the library, pick it up. It wasn't like my favorite, but I liked it. It was a good book. I've already decided I can't watch the movie because she doesn't even work at Harvard. I hate when they do that. Was it so hard to choose the correct setting? Also, Kristen Stuart. . . yeah no.

7/10
~Book Panda

Their Eyes Were Watching God

Hello Pear Blossoms,

So, I finished a book for school and felt obligated to tell you about it as I'm not done with my current book yet. I mean, it hasn't been that long, but you know. It's a book. This is a book blog. Gotta do the thing.

Alright, so for school they had us read Their Eyes Were Watching God. Why? Who knows. What educational value does this give us besides actually reading something written by a black person for once? Not much. But whatever, I do what I'm supposed to. So this book follows the story of Janie Crawford. She lives in like the 1930s I believe and is swiftly married off after just a kiss with a boy named Johnny Taylor at the age of sixteen. It was her first kiss. The novel goes through an account of her life with three husbands, two who tried to hold her back and one who just wanted to love her but was super shady. It wasn't a romance novel so much as a feminist novel. It wasn't a book so much about racial oppression as much as gender oppression.

Many people in my class didn't like the book as they found it hard to read and thought it had a bunch of miscellaneous stuff in it. I didn't find it that hard to be honest. It shifts from eloquent writing to black southern dialect in the dialogue. I transitioned between the two pretty well so I didn't find it very difficult. And I thought that the miscellaneous stuff was mostly to show an example what everyday life was like in that setting. What's this mean for me? Probably that I read too much and that my ability to translate and make assumptions about books is too advanced for my peers. Do I care? Not really.

I didn't hate the book. For a school book, I thought it was alright. Would I ever pick it up voluntarily? No. But of all the books I was forced to read against my will, this was the best one.

6/10
~Book Panda