Other Books!

First, let me just say, I'm sorry I haven't been posting, I don't really have an excuse...I guess I'm just starting to run out of ideas....if you have any, please, leave a comment or email me (percyjacksonjunkers@gmail.com)!

Anyways, I received a couple of emails recently (from readers) with things like, "I love Percy Jackson, but I just can't find anything else to read. All other books suck!" So, I feel like I should give some recommendations.

First, let me start off by saying that I hate reading unless it is a book that I will like. So, here goes.

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
(The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay)

Now, I'm sure most of you know about The Hunger Games, and have probably read all three books, but if you haven't, you really should! Plus, unlike most books, the movies are phenomenal. I just saw Catching Fire, and I was amazed!

Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth
(Divergent, Insurgent, Allegiant)

Again, a very popular book series. The final book, Allegiant, came out recently, and it was a great ending to the trilogy. If you aren't an experienced book reader, you may not know that The Hunger Games is a dystopian novel. Basically, that is a newly rising genre of books, and I love it. The Divergent Trilogy is another great example of this genre! Plus, Divergent is set to hit theaters in March!

Legend Trilogy by Marie Lu
(Legend, Prodigy, Champion)

From what I've seen, this is a much less well-known series. Again, this is a perfect example of dystopian, and Marie Lu does a great job of portraying it. Champion, the final book, came out recently, and it is sitting on my desk, waiting for me to read it. I just can't find the time! Anyways, if you have the time, these books are a great read, and I'm pretty sure Legend is going to be made into a film!

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

(The Sorcerer's Stone, The Chamber of Secrets, The Prisoner of Azkaban, The Goblet of Fire, The Order of the Phoenix, The Half-Blood Prince, The Deathly Hallows)

These books need no introduction, what-so-ever. You are one of three people. Either, you've seen the movies, and read the books (good for you!), you've seen the movies and haven't read the books (you have no idea what your missing), or you've either seen the movies and hated them, or never even bothered to see them (what is wrong with you!?). But, if you're one of those people who've seen the movies, but haven't read the books, please read them! It will make you incredibly happy, and it will give you seven more books to add to your list!

Anyways, that's four series that everyone should at least try. I've been trying to get myself to read the Artemis Fowl series, but just can't find the time (I heard it's great!) 

Another thing, people have asked me to do a stats post. I'd love to, but I think I'm going to wait until my blog has been around for a full year (coming up next month!) so I/we can see the progression I've made!

Finally, for all of you Americans (like me!), take some time to think about everything your thankful for. I know that all of you guys are going to be included on my metaphorical list!

THANKS FOR READING!

Random Facts!

Here are just some things I stumbled upon that I found interesting...

.@Zupzee8 are you thinking about writing any more about percy jackson and carter kane's meeting? /Working on a follow-up story right now....
— Rick Riordan (@camphalfblood) October 23, 2013

I'm assuming this isn't just sarcasm, and he actually means this; so, that answers a big question: There will be a The Son of Sobek sequel!

(https://twitter.com/camphalfblood/status/393114329576255488)

.@TheBiaL how do you feel about the end of the PJ sagas being so close? /Well I thought I was done once before, after Last Olympian, so...
— Rick Riordan (@camphalfblood) October 23, 2013

WHAT!? Does this mean that there may be another Percy Jackson story in the future?! The only problem is that if Rick's Norse Mythology series is 5 books...the next Percy Jackson (if there would be one) would be at least 6 years down the road from now...But still...there's hope!

(https://twitter.com/camphalfblood/status/393113079052922881)

And finally, Rick recently updated his FAQ, and included a question/answer about Nico. It's pretty interesting, so I'll post it here, and give you the link (scroll all the way down - it is the 4th to last question)

• Q. How did you decide on Nico's character development in House of Hades? (SPOILER)

   A. Here's my statement concerning Nico in The House of Hades: 

  
  

  One of the most important reasons I became a teacher was to advocate for marginalized children – those who are bullied or misunderstood, those who feel lost and alone. As a middle school student myself, I certainly felt that anguish. As a middle school teacher, it was critical to me that all my students saw my classroom as a safe, supportive environment where they could be honored for who they were and express themselves without fear.

  
  

  I’ve taken the same approach with my writing. It’s essential to me that young readers find a variety of relatable, positive role models in my books. Every child can be a hero. No child should be shamed or shunned for being different.

  
  

  Nico’s sexual orientation became clear to me the longer I wrote about his character. It was not something I planned. I had no agenda. But when I realized this was a major part of his life experience and the reason for so many of his difficulties with the other characters, it would have been a disservice to his character, the plot of the books, and all my readers simply to sweep the issue under the rug and pretend it didn’t exist. Turning a blind eye to children’s needs is never an acceptable answer.

  
  

  I’ve been lucky enough to teach all sorts of students – fifth grade to twelfth grade, rich and poor, from numerous ethnic backgrounds, with diverse religious traditions and a variety of learning differences. I’ve also taught gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students. Some self-identified as early as elementary school. Some came to terms with their sexual orientation later in high school. Most had a hard time during the middle grades, which are tough years for any child. All my middle school students enriched my classroom. They made me a better teacher and a better writer for children, and they all deserve my support.

  
  

  I am committed to writing appropriate books for the middle grades. This means no bad language, no gratuitous or explicit violence, and no sexual content beyond what you might find in a PG-rated movie – expressions of who likes whom, holding hands, and perhaps the occasional kiss. The idea that we should treat sexual orientation itself as an adults-only topic, however, is absurd. Non-heterosexual children exist. To pretend they do not, to fail to recognize that they have needs for support and validation like any child, would be bad teaching, bad writing, and bad citizenship.

  
  

  Having said that, a good book, like a good classroom, should raise questions, not insist on a particular set of answers. It certainly should not ignore difficult questions. Whatever a family’s moral and religious beliefs on the topic of sexual orientation, I hope The House of Hades will provide an opportunity for parents to talk to their kids about what they believe, and why they believe it. Most importantly, I hope the story continues to entertain and keeps kids reading!

(http://rickriordan.com/about-rick/faq.aspx)

Anyways, just wanted to share that with you guys!

The Prophecy of Seven!

I want to make a full analysis of the Prophecy of Seven, and include all of the possibilities. If you know of anything that I may have missed, please, comment below, and I'll add it.

Seven Half-Bloods Shall Answer the Call

Seven half-bloods, Percy Jackson (son of Poseidon), Annabeth Chase(daughter of Athena), Piper McLean (daughter of Aphrodite), Leo Valdez (son of Hephaestus), Jason Grace (son of Jupiter), Frank Zhang (son of Mars, legacy of Poseidon), and Hazel Levesque (daughter of Pluto), will answer the call to defeat Gaea and her rising army of giants.

To Storm or Fire the World Must Fall

- Leo could represent fire, as he has control over fire
- Frank could represent fire, as his life is dependent on a piece of wood
- Camp Half-Blood could represent fire, as
- Jason could represent storm, as his father is Jupiter, king of lightning
- Percy could represent storm, as his father is Poseidon, and he could create a hurricane
- Camp Jupiter could represent storm, as Jupiter is the symbol of a storm (stated above)
- Gaea could represent world, as she is the goddess of the earth
- According to Piper, either Jason or Leo will defeat Gaea, and the other will die
- The world must fall could refer to the fact that either the Greeks or Romans will prevail

An Oath to Keep with a Final Breath

- Most likely represents a swear on the River Styx, as once broken, the swearer dies
- Leo swears to Calypso that after the war, he will find Ogygia again, and rescue her
        - Goes in accordance with Piper's prediction, as if Leo fails to do this, and dies, "Fire" would have                    fallen, while "Storm" could strive
- It could have nothing to do with the seven (similar to how the "hero" wasn't Percy in the Great Prophecy) 

And Foes Bear Arms to the Doors of Death

Demigods (Percy and Annabeth), Titans (Iapetus), and Giants (Damasen), who are usually enemies, must work together in order to close the doors of death.

**blue writing means that I got the information from a comment from one of you guys - if the comment is anonymous, no name will be listed, if there is a name for the comment, you will be credited**

Deaths!

Beautiful title, isn't it?

Anyways, if you read my review of The House of Hades, you'll have gotten a glimpse as to what I am going to talk about. If you haven't, well you should....CLICK HERE...

Okay, well first, this is probably going to contain The House of Hades spoilers - you should have finished the book already - if you did, you have nothing to worry about - if you haven't, why are you reading this? Go finish the book already!

Anyway, I know that some (well, maybe a lot) of you are going to completely disagree with me, but in my opinion, the worst part of HoH was that there were no major deaths. Everyone, including Rick himself, was debating who would be the one to close the doors of death - who would be the one to stay behind - who would be the one to throw down the ultimate sacrifice. But this didn't happen.

Yes, I like that the 7 can live happily ever after (for now at least), but, seriously Rick, come to reality (or at least as real as a book about Greeco-Roman Mythology could be)! In my opinion, there is only one way to make up for this crucial mistake: someone has to die in The Blood of Olympus! There's no other way to get around it. Now, let's assume that this is going to happen, and that someone is going to die in BoO.

Who will it be?

I could spend the time going through all of the characters, but none of my reasoning is true, necessarily. One thing I want to point out is that basically every "greater-being" in the books has said that Percy's fatal flaw (too loyal to friends) will doom him, and that still hasn't been put into effect (unless it is that he went into Tartarus, but I don't think that's it). So, maybe...but probably not.

Now, another question arises: What will happen to the heroes who succeed (yes, I'm assuming the cliche ending that the good guys win)? Will they be offered a gift from the gods, as Percy was after The Last Olympian? If so, who will claim godhood?

Anyways, please leave comments if you have any!

Thanks for Reading!