Sniffing A Book

Author:  Rick Riordan Read:  8/30/2017 Pages:  376 Rating:  5/5 Format:  physical Response: The Hidden Oracle is the first book in Rick Riordan's newest series The Trials of Apollo. It follows Apollo after he was cast out of Olympus by his father Zeus, sent to Earth to live as a mortal and complete trials for a half-blood that claims his service. He gets off to a rough start when he lands in a dumpster, and then as he struggles to adapt to not being handsome, or having any of the powers he was so used to. It was fast paced and fun the whole way through. It was nice to have Apollo basically normal. Riordan didn't make the story complete itself too easily by letting Apollo have the answers to everything, which was nice. It gave a little suspense to the book as you tried to figure things out along with Apollo and Meg. Apollo also brought the appropriate level of humor to the situation as he learned the world did not in fact revolve around ...

Author: Seanan McGuire Read: 8/20/2017 Pages: 169 Rating: 4.5 Format: physical Response: Nancy comes back from her adventures to be sent to a school that is full with other children that have gone through similar adventures, though hardly ever to the same place. All each of them want, is to go Home - to the place they belong the most - in their stories. When Nancy arrives at the school, tragedy strikes and it's up to Nancy and her new schoolmates to find out who's responsible. Every Heart A Doorway  was a very cute book. It was short, but that didn't stop the story from feeling complete. The characters were interesting and easy to keep track of, which is always a plus. It would've been nice to have an additional couple of chapters for what happens after, but even without that, it was still a decent ending. After finishing this, I'm even more excited for Down Among the Sticks and Bones,  also by Seanan McGuire. From what I understand, th...

Author: Kazu Kibuishi Read: 8/12/2017 Pages: 192 Rating: 3.5 Format: graphic novel: physical Response: Emily and Navin move with their mother to their great-grandfather's house who went missing many years before. It's a creepy old house from the first moment you see it. There was a weird Indiana Jones moment when the amulet showed up after Emily activated it with her hand and blood. The story has a weird combination of robots and magic, but it kinda works for the book. The only flaw this book had was that one of the main points was forgettable. I'm not sure how the monster got away with the mom, but it obviously isn't that big of a deal. As the first graphic novel I've ever read, I was satisfied with it for the most part. It was cute and easy to finish in one sitting. 

Author: W. Bruce Cameron Read: 8/12/2017 Pages: 319 Rating: 4.5 Format: physical Response: Toby's first life isn't eventful other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It shows the cold truth of what happens to dogs that are "unadoptable". His next life is his main life where he's Bailey. Bailey's human is a little boy named Ethan who he loves and stays by his side until the end. In each life, Bailey tries to learn what a dog's purpose in life is. It's not until he finds Ethan in one of his next lives, that he really understands his purpose. It's a cute book that'll make you cry and genuinely feel for the characters. I was so upset when Ethan was in danger and Bailey tried to go back and save him, and Cameron had me worried for a couple of minutes. I felt Bailey's anger when she bit the human hurting her boy, and I felt Ethan's grief at the end of Bailey's life. It was so sweet and perfect that I do...

Author: Rick Riordan Read: August 10, 2017 Pages: 516 Rating: 4.5/5 Format: physical Response: As a final book in the Heroes of Olympus series, it was a good conclusion that tied up the lose ends very well. We met Pegasus, which I've been waiting for since The Lightning Thief. 10 books ago. It was well written and action packed. A lot was foreshadowed or you just knew what was going to happen... to an extent. Team Leo and Calypso and Nico and Will all the way. Nico has had some of the best character development over the course of this series, and The Blood of Olympus just pounded home the feels for him. While the first 4 books were okay for the most part, I would highly recommend the series if only so you can get to The Blood of Olympus.