The Titan's Curse

by Rick Riordan

Summary: New half-bloods are found, and the goddess Artemis disappears.

My thoughts: This is the third book in the exciting Percy Jackson and the Olympians series! This might be the most dramatic of the five!

Book of a Thousand Days

by Shannon Hale

Summary: Dashti is a lady's maid. It is her job to serve the Lady Saren, who has just refused a proposal arranged by her father. Saren wants to marry Khan Tegus, a much less financially desirable choice. Her father is so angry that he locks Saren and Dashti in a tower as punishment. The confinement is for seven years, and they are supposed to make their food and water last for that entire time. Their only contact with the outside world is a tiny window, and Khan Tegus eventually comes calling. But Saren is weak in both mind and body, and sends Dashti in her place to speak to him, and in spite of her best effort, she begins to have feelings for him. How will Dashti and Saren survive the tower, and will either of them ever find true love?

My thoughts: This is definitely my favorite Shannon Hale book, and is truly one of my very favorite books ever! Another retelling of a Grimm's fairy tale.

13 Little Blue Envelopes

by Maureen Johnson

Summary: When Ginny is 17, her favorite aunt, a wild and free spirit, dies of brain cancer. She leaves Ginny a "will" of sorts, in the form of thirteen letters and a nice chunk of cash. Each letter contains a task, and the next letter cannot be opened until the task in the previous letter is completed. The letters lead Ginny all over Europe, where she finds adventure, love, and her herself.

My thoughts: I love to travel, and have been to most of the places that Ginny goes in this book. It was like visiting each country all over again! As you read, you're dying to find out what's in each envelope, and it's never disappointing. Inside scoop: I just read on Maureen Johnson's blog that she is currently working on a sequel!

The Sea of Monsters

by Rick Riordan

Summary: Grover is in big trouble, and Percy and Annabeth must try to save him. Percy also meets a new friend who has an exciting connection to him!

My thoughts: The second book of five, and my personal favorite in the series!

Perfect You

by Elizabeth Scott

Summary: Kate's dad quits his job to pursue his dream of owning his own business. Unfortunately, he does this by renting a kiosk at the mall and trying to sell vitamins, and his sales tactics often involve ploys that are very, very embarrassing to Kate. He asks her to work for him, so she ends up spending a lot of time at the mall, the same place Will works, a guy she tries really hard not to like. When he actually shows interest in her, she can hardly believe it. It seems like he doesn't want to go out with her, just kiss her by the dumpsters every day. Her best friend from the year before isn't helping matters. She's suddenly popular and won't talk to Kate anymore. As her dad's career choices start to wear on her mother and brother, Kate has to deal with how she feels about her boyfriend, her family, and her ex-best friend, and start to accept those who really love her for who they are.

My thoughts: This story took me back to middle school. Girls, if you're looking for a portrayal of life as you know it, this is it. It made me sad, though, how hard Kate was on herself. At many points I wanted to reach through the pages and yell at her to just be nice to herself! (Recommended to me by McKenna Brown!)

The Summoning

If the video doesn't work, try this link. http://teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=122980&title=The_Summoning

by Kelley Armstrong

Summary: Chloe is going through a difficult time. Her mom has passed away recently, so when she sees a horrifying ghost at school one day, everyone, including Chloe, thinks she may just be having a mental breakdown. Her aunt sends her to Lyle House, where she meets other teens with supposed psychiatric disorders. One of the guys who lives in the house begins to drop hints to Chloe about "necromancers," people who talk to the dead. Chloe slowly begins to realize that maybe things aren't what they seem to be at Lyle House, and that "crazy" might actually mean "supernaturally gifted..."

My thoughts: Check out the book trailer above! (I made this one myself!) :) This is a really fun book! My only complaint is that it's a series, and it ends on a major cliffhanger! We'll all just have to wait for the sequel, The Awakening, to see what happens!

Skulduggery Pleasant

by Derek Landy

Summary: Stephanie is close to her eccentric uncle, but is still shocked at the reading of the will, in more ways than one. She has inherited his fortune, and meets an odd man named Skulduggery Pleasant, whose face she can't see at the reading. He quickly reveals himself to be a detective, bent on finding the secret behind her uncle's murder, and a skeleton, held together by magic and dressed by a really good tailor. Skulduggery is convinced that an evil man is out to kill Stephanie, so they team up to try to stop him, and have lots of wild experiences along the way, some funny, some terrifying.

My thoughts: What an adventure! Stephanie and Skulduggery are a great pair. Their conversations are smart and funny, and the situations they encounter are sometimes downright scary. If you like The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp, or the Artemis Fowl books, check this one out! The sequel is called Playing With Fire.