Wednesday, November 16, 2011

BRIAN WROTE BACK!!!!!!!

Finally an author writes for a change!!!! I will tell you all about it as soon as I do some photocopies.
-Meg

Friday, November 4, 2011

Son of Neptune Review and Other Stuff

First off, I'm soooooo sorry that I haven't got around to posting but honestly there wasn't much to post about. I did end up finishing the Son of Neptune as mentioned my other post and let me tell you that you'll absolutely LOVE it. I also finished This Isn't What It Looks Like and the ending was very interesting. You do find out who P. Bosch is but I'm not telling anyone. (Hee-hee) Rick posted on his blog recently about his new book too, The Kane Chronicles Survival Guide! Here's the post...
I'm pleased to announce a new addition to the world of the Kane Chronicles! The Kane Chronicles Survival Guide will be published on March 20, 2012.


What's inside? Here's the official description:


Fans of The Kane Chronicles series will adore this gorgeous primer on the people, places, gods, and creatures found in Rick Riordan's #1 New York Times bestselling series. Boasting lenticulars, an easy-to-assemble trading card pyramid, and full-color diagrams and maps, this deluxe, lavishly illustrated guide teaches readers how to compile secret messages, read hieroglyphics, and recite ancient magic spells. Featuring enough information and extras to satisfy avid followers and budding Egyptologists alike, this guide will cast a spell on readers of all ages.

I have seen the final product, and it is awesome. The book will provide tons of information on Ancient Egypt, the Egyptian gods, and the people and places featured in the Kane Chronicles. There are lots of brand new, full-color illustrations. If you enjoyed the Percy Jackson Ultimate Guide, then you will have an idea what this book is like. Hope you guys enjoy it!

Other publishing news:

Kane Chronicles Book 3 -- I've finished the manuscript and it is now in the editing process. The book will be out on time, May 2012. I can't tell you the title yet. We will announce that, reveal the cover and give you the exact release date in a few months, probably in January. Stay tuned for more info. 

Heroes of Olympus, Book 3: The Mark of Athena -- I am hard at work on this book right now. It will take one full year to write and publish it, but it will be out on time in the fall of 2012. I'm afraid that's the absolute fastest it can be released (assuming you guys would like the book to be good!). It will be a while before we announce any further information about this title -- probably next summer, after the Kane 3 tour.

And thank you to my amazing readers for continuing to support the books and recommending them to your friends.The Son of Neptune is still rocking along on the bestseller list, celebrating four weeks at #1 on the New York Times children's chapter book list. The Lost Hero just passed fifty-two weeks, one full year, on the same list! 

As I get more information on the future titles, I will post it on the blog. But for now, it's back to writing!



Awesome right? I also wanted to tell everybody about a contest called Letters For Literature. You write a letter to the author of a book that really changed your life. You can find the website here  


-Meg

Thursday, October 20, 2011

The Secret Series and Other Information I Forgot to Say Earlier

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, it's been a little crazy around here. I am re-reading The Secret Series in honor   of the last book, You Have To Stop This. (Which came out in September I think.) No, I won't be meeting P. Bosch in person but I plan to send out an e-mail to him or letter. Whatever comes first. I need questions as soon as possible and the deadline is October 31st. Anyway, other new releases are The Death Cure and soon Harry Potter Page to Screen: The Complete Filmmaking Journey on October 25th. I'm excited but I'll probably wait until Christmas to get it.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Rick Riordan LIVE!!! II And Some Words Of Advice


Some cool giveaway cards!

Button Giveaways


My clay coins 


Lots o' people! Over 2,000!

The view of Rick's setup from the loft.

Me with my battle ax at the SoN poster.

FINALLY!
Sorry I didn't get to this sooner but Blogger decided not to let people blog with Internet Explorer anymore only Google Crome. (Which I do not like so far.) Anyway, a Barnes & Nobles event is NOTHING like a Borders one. During the Borders one we were allowed to sit inside the store and wait around with our letters. At B&N we were stuck outside in the freezing weather waiting for over 4 hours. I got there around
1 1/2 hours early and there were already around 500 people there. I waited until 7:00 PM for them to get the line moving and then decided to start an 1/2 hour late! When I finally got there I gave him my blog and asked a few questions. He said that I'd need my ax in those crowds and I went on my merry way. Also, I was wicked bummed when I found out that I forgot my Heroes of Olympus coin pictures on my printer so hopefully he'll see them here. They also handed out trading cards, buttons, and posters. I sadly didn't get a poster or a Festus button but I did walk away with some goodies. Sorry about the delay!
-Meg

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Brian Selznick!!!

Well, yesterday had sadly come and gone so it's time to write my post all about good ol' Brian Selznick. First things first, my dad got lost. Turns out that the address on the website wasn't where the signing was being held. So I followed my dad on Google Maps for about 15 minutes trying to tell him where to go. When he finally got there he was 15 minutes late and didn't get to record or write down any of the information from Brian's 1 1/2 hour long speech so I'm writing from his memory. He talked about his inspiration for Wonderstruck, a movie about a deaf person he saw a 2 years before he finished The Invention of Hugo Cabret. He apparently keeps a scrapbook filled with inspirations for other books and after he finish Hugo he looked through it and decided he would write about that. He also talked about how walking through the set of Hugo was like walking through his drawings and that he uses models for most of his pictures. The girl who posed as Rose in Wonderstruck he met at a movie theater and when it was over he walked over to the family and asked if she would do it. Turns out that the entire family had just finished The Invention Of Hugo Cabret and were now mega-fans! He said that the next book would come out in around 4 years as well. Also, he talked about how he would spend months and months working on a cool scene for a book then find out that it was terrible and have to cut it out. Brian, if you're reading this I honestly feel sorry for you on that matter. When the presentation was over my dad got in line (#52, My favorite number!) and when he finally got to see Brian Selznick they were talking and my dad was all like, yeah, I made this special trip up here from New Hampshire for my daughter... etc... (Remember that this was in Illinois) and Brian stood up and shook my dad's hand and got all excited because apparently he  has a friend who lives here. My dad gave him my letter and he said that he would write back and look at my blog. I'm pumped again! It's great to know that an author might actually hand write (or type) a letter back to me and not just sending me a boring piece of paper that everyone gets. (Yes, Rick, I mean you.) I'm so glad that the night was a success,. Also to make this fun I decided to pull up one of my wicked old post from February 2010. (Keep in mind that I am not changing anything and that it was my 5th post.)

Saturday, February 20, 2010 The Invention Of Hugo Cabret By Brian Selznick

This book is about a kid named Hugo Cabret who's father spent his whole life ting to fix a machine that writes. After he died it was Hugo's job to fix it. Now when his father tried to fix it he made a notebook that said how to fix it because he could fix it except he didn't work while he wrote. So Hugo has been stealing toys for parts from George Melies who runs a toy store. One day George catches Hugo and steals his notebook and says he will go home and burn it, and when George comes back the next day with ashes Hugo isn't so sure it is really gone and with the help of a new friend Hugo just might get it back.
 
Yes, I even kept the spelling mistakes. Hope you enjoyed a really sad trip to the past and I'll tell you if I hear back from Brian Selznick at all.
 
-Meg
 
PS: Did you know that PS stands for Post Script???
 
PPS: The last Secret Series book; You Have To Stop This, is out.

PPPS: If you would like to see A Trip To The Moon click here.

THE SON OF NEPTUNE!!!!!

If you didn't read my last post, please do so now. Anyway, I'm only one day into The Son of Neptune but I can already see that it's going to be the best one yet. I do admit that it is a little confusing but there's a glossary in the back for those who haven't studied Roman Mythology. It's fantastic and I need Rick Riordan questions by October 7 at around 2:00. Please ask because I may not have another chance.
-Meg

PS: SPOILER ALERT!!!! Octavian is eviler than I thought.

Monday, October 3, 2011

URGENT NEWS!!!!!!!!!

It's official, Rick Riordan will be doing a Norse mythology series after The Heroes of Olympus in 2015!!!!! I'm wicked pumped!!!! I also would like to announce (again) the possibility of me meeting Rick Riordan so please ask questions!!! It is also one day until The Son of Neptune so you can post your predictions now!!! I personally think that it's going to be a reverse of The Lost Hero. WHOO-HOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

-Meg

PS: HAPPY ONE DAY TILL SON OF NEPTUNE DAY/HAPPINESS DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Wonderstruck!

I am truly sorry that I haven't been around to post lately but honestly nothing was really going on. Anyway just finished Brian Selznick's Wonderstruck and let me tell you, it leaves you wonderstruck! If anybody has read a book by Brian Selznick then you know what I mean. His stories are mostly these fantastic pictures that take you through the book. This one was about two kids who's stories are set 50 years apart and are  both deaf. They struggle to communicate at times but make it through. Ben's goal is to find his long lost father while Rose just wants to know where she belongs in this world. The best part is that Ben's story is told only through words and Rose's through pictures. I was mesmerized. I also am proud to announce that Brian Selznick along with Rick Riordan will be October's authors of the month! I will not personally meet Brian Selznick but I'm having my dad meet him. If you have any questions just comment by October 2nd. I might meet Rick Riordan so you can ask questions for him to. Last but not least there is new character art,

Hazel Levesque's Stallion
Also known as Arion, this horse makes Olympic sprinters and cheetahs jealous. He's fast. He's also Hazel's most powerful tool.
What do they do? Aside from his lightning-fast feet and some impressive brute strength, Arion is the most loyal horse a girl could ask for.
Noteworthy: Arion was initially a royal treasure of the Amazons, and has a taste for gold, and other metal objects. What's precious to humans is lunch to Arion.

Rick said...

Meet Hazel, a girl with a complicated past. Demigod? Yes. Is that horse important? You bet. Hazel has powers you have never seen before, because her godly parent is on the Roman side. But (major hint) she is related to a character you know well from the Percy Jackson series.Which one? I think that will surprise you.


I personally think it's the roman version of Athena. Anyway, happy one week till' Son of Neptune.
-Meg





Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Lois Lowry Update And Other Information

Sadly, I did not make it last night and nobody had any questions either, so oh well. I will be contacting her by e-mail as soon as somebody asks a question. I highly recommend The Giver Series by her. Also, You Have To Stop This (Secret Series #5) came out today and we will be e-mailing him next month and maybe meeting Rick Riordan again. Another new book that came out today was The Underdogs By Mike Lupica. It's about a kid who loves football but can't get enough people to do it because of money. I highly recommend his books even if you're not a big sports person. To finish off my post here I would like to introduce the newest character, Thanatos.

Also known as the god of death. This guy controls where souls go after people die. Fun job, huh?
What does he do? Acts as a lieutenant of Pluto (Hades), Thanatos acts as border control to keep souls from crossing between life and death without his permission.
Noteworthy: He's a good looking guy. Who knew the god of death was a looker?

Rick said...
Time for our Tuesday character reveal!
You will meet many gods in The Son of Neptune, but here's a fellow most mortals would prefer not to meet: Thanatos, the god of death. What part will he play, and what's up with those chains? For that, you will have to wait for the book. However, if you'd like to read up on Thanatos, I'd recommend one of my favorite online resources for Greek mythology: theoi.com.

Why has Rick been so boring with his character reveal posts lately. Grrr

-Meg



Thursday, September 15, 2011

Author of the Month!!!

Why I call it that I don't know. Anyway there is a chance that I will meet bestselling author, drum roll please, LOIS LOWRY!!!! (PS: That's a girl) She's coming to town and I might just get to run by and see her. If you have a question just comment it by Monday afternoon. I will be doing a final check at around 5:00. Just keep in mind that I'm not exactly positive that I'm going because the time is a little rough, don't give up hope though because I also will e-mail her if it comes to that. Also, there's been a new character release. Here's what everybody's said about Ella the Harpy...

This is not your typical ridiculously skinny half bird half woman. Ella the Harpy is more than meets the eye, and a very useful ally for demigods Percy, Hazel, and Frank.
What does she do? If an encyclopedia could take the form of a woman (or bird), it would be Ella. Any questions from Latin phrases to the definition of photosynthesis, she knows the answer.

Noteworthy: Don't let her tiny body fool you, she's got a massive appetite - just don't feed her cheese. Ella doesn't like cheese.

Rick didn't say anything interesting, but he did share this awesome picture...


...with a hot of the press copy of The Son Of Neptune!!!! I'm really excited for the new book and was wondering what you guys were going to on the release day if you're as pumped as I am. I plan to head to the bookstore as soon as school's out then reading until the day's done. Then maybe if I'm lucky I'll get to go meet him on tour. Alas, I must stop this rambling post,

-Meg

Monday, September 12, 2011

Phantom Tollbooth and Pottermore!

Another great book. Definitly a good one if you're looking for a laugh. It's about Milo's adventure through the lands of Dictionopolis, The Doldrums, Digitopolis, and other strange places. Him, Tock the Watchdog, and the Humbug must rescue the two princesses, Rhyme and Reason, to save the kingdoms. This is a very funny book. I had a good laugh while reading it. I also would like to say that I got into Pottermore and that it hates me. I was sorted into SYTHERIN!!!!!! They tried to make me feel better but it didn't work. Grrrrr. Anyways, Pottermore is sort of like reliving the books. You get to explore everything Harry Potter with lots of new info that nobody knew. It's really good minus all of the maintnence I've been getting today. There's also TONS of cool artwork for each page. Anyway, I also hope that you guys like my new header! I love Wordle!!! I was messing around and gave it a shot.

-Meg

Friday, September 9, 2011

Meg Finds Out That She Really Need To Read The Lost Hero Again

I found out that I really, really, really need to read The Lost Hero again. This has been about the 5th time this week that I have messed up on TLH Info. I would like to say sorry for this post I did a while back about Festus not being the Bronze Dragon. I was on Camp-Half Blood Wiki and noticed that they said that he attatched them himself. I am a bad fan.

Here's the post...
Most Percy fans thought that Festus was the bronze dragon from The Demigod Files but I have figured out that it's almost impossible. The bronze dragon did not have wings and Festus did. So yeah short post but it's a little informal I guess.... Anyway happy reading,

Sorry
-Meg

PS: Anja you were right.


Thursday, September 8, 2011

The Giver By Lois Lowry

WOW!!! That was a really good. I just finished The Giver and is now probably one of my favorite classics. It's about a kid named Jonas who lives in a world filled with order and nobody has any decisions on what they want to do or not. It's not like the people hate it though, they can't imagine life with choices. Then Jonas gets called out from the rest of the Twelves to go through special training with the Giver. I won't tell you anymore except that it's worth the read.
-Meg

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Never-Ending News!

Meet Octavian!
It's Tuesday and that means that a new character has been released! I would like you to meet Octavian and his sacrificial teddy bear. Here's what Rick said about him...

Tuesday again, and time for another character reveal from The Son of Neptune! Meet Octavian and his unfortunate collection of stuffed animal friends. What Octavian's story? You can get some hints at the Heroes of Olympus website, but only time will tell if he's friend or foe, and what part he will play.
The good news: only four more weeks until the book is released!
 
And here's what THOO site said...
 
Octavian's Sacrificial Teddy Bear
Stuffed animals around the world should fear when Octavian is around - meet his newest victim.

What does it do? Act as a willing participant in this young demigod's regular rituals. By sacrificing stuffed animals, like this poor teddy bear - Octavian is able to read the will of the gods - very handy, if gruesome.

 Noteworthy: Octavian is a demigod for Percy and friends to watch - if not careful, their fate could resemble that of this pile of fluff.

 I don't like the sound of him. Whoever would destroy stuffed animals isn't my type of person. Anyway that's the Rick Riordan news for the week. L also would like to update our James Dashner fans that he is doing a contest for a advanced copy of The Death Cure at his site http://jamesdashner.blogspot.com/ All you have to do is write a comment about his new podcast, Wordplay at http://www.wordplaypodcast.com/ They will be doing a kid's podcast every third Monday. I also want to say that The Scorch Trials is wicked good. I can't tell you what it's about because it would ruin the first one, The Maze Runner.


Saturday, September 3, 2011

My Life As A Book

My Life as a Book is not what I expected it to be. I thought that it would be a story about a book's life with everyone reading it and all, but no! It was a about a kid who hates reading and had to read 3 books for summer reading. He's more of a cartoonist though. His parents have tried everything to get him to read, give him a chocolate chip per page, let him draw his vocabulary words, and hired a tutor! He still won't read. Then he escapes into the attic and finds an old article about a girl who drowned in Massachusetts, but they live in California. Why would his mom have kept that??? Read the book to find out.

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Meet Reyna!!!

Well the second new character art has been released and let me tell you, I LOVE THOSE SHINY GREYHOUNDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She definitely looks like my type of person minus that evil look. Here's what was said on the Heroes of Olympus site...

These dogs are precious in more ways than one. They protect Reyna, a very important demigod who holds a hand in Percy's fate.
What do they do? Aside from sparkle (one is silver, the other gold), these hounds act as Reyna's personal bodyguards.
Noteworthy: These dogs are not just encased in metal on their bodies, they have rubies for eyes. Talk about valuable pets!

And Rick's blog said....

Time for our second character reveal for The Son of Neptune. Meet Reyna, with her automaton hounds Aurum and Argentium. Reyna's godly parent? Hint: it's a god you haven't met yet. Is Reyna powerful? Yes. Are those hounds deadly? Yes. Will she be friend or foe to Percy Jackson? Ah, that's a good question.

I LOVE THOSE DOGS!!!!!! Anyways, those dogs are adorable and I totally want one. The next character reveal is the 6th.

-Meg


Monday, August 29, 2011

The Power of Six, The Maze Runner, and New Movies!




Woo-Hoo! There's a lot of new book movies coming out soon so I thought that I should share them with you guys. First off we have The Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins. She's actually wrote most of the script for the movie so I'm expecting it to be good. There's also Hugo which is based on The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick who's new book comes out September 13th called Wonderstruck. The movie premiers November 23. Anyway moving on to my The Maze Runner by James Dashner review...
The Maze Runner was a great book. It's about a kid named Thomas who wakes up to find himself in a place called 'The Glade,' a small field surround by a giant maze. He has absolutely know recollection of his past or where he came from. He is soon greeted by the other 'Gladers' who also arrived with no memory. A glader arrives every 30 days but the next day a girl shows up, the first one ever to arrive. I don't want to say much more except that I give it 4 stars! Next up is The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore,
This book I can't say much about at all without completely spoiling the other book. But I can say that it's really good!!! If you've read the first book, I Am Number 4, this one is a must! I'm truly sorry that's can't say any more but I really don't want to spoil it. If you're not in the mood to buy hardcover though, I Am Number 4: 6's Legacy sounds like a good read exclusive for the nook! It's 4 bucks and 60 pages but I'm gonna get it anyway! I hope that everyone had a terrific summer,
-Meg

Saturday, August 27, 2011

The People of Sparks By Jeanne DuPrau

The People of Sparks is the second book of the Ember Series and was actually quite good. Lina and Doon are back in this new adventure and wind up in the city of Sparks, which is finally beginning to prosper after years of hard work. It takes place after 'The Disaster' were basically everything was destroyed and people had to start from scratch all over again. The only issue is that Lina and Doon's people, the Emberites know absolutely nothing about the world above and have never really worked a day in their life. If it helps they all had know idea what chickens were and find them scary. Anyway, food has been an issue for the people of Sparks and now they are being told they must share some after many years of extremely hard work. I also think I should mention that Sparks only has around 375 people while Ember had 400. Great book but I highly recommend that you read 'The City of Ember' first.
-Meg
Read on my nook

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Exciting Events!

Great news everybody! The Power of Six (Lorien Legacies #2) and Darth Paper Strikes Back (The Strange Case of Origami Yoda #2) came out yesterday! Also, Pseudonymous Bosch appeared on the Today Show this morning but I sadly missed in because it was in the first hour. Character art from The Son of Neptune has also been supposedly released as Rick said on his blog but on The Heroes of Olympus website it isn't there. Strange. You can see Frank Zhang above. The other great news is that Barnes and Nobles has given out crucial evidence to what the Roman Camp is called. Now we all know that it's called Camp Jupiter (A.K.A. Camp Zeus for us Greeks.) And if you want to hear the second chapter of The Son of Neptune you can hear it here. It's amazing and you really must listen to it!
-Meg

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Spread the Word!

School is back in session! Right now is a great time to please spread the word about Meg's Book Blog! As you're asking people what they were up to this summer tell them that you were checking out MBB!!! Hopefully we will have some new faces around here soon. So please spread the word.
Thanks,
-Meg

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Happy Birthday Percy!

Happy Birthday Percy Jackson! Rick says he's still 16 but I believe he would be 18. In honor of him you can find a party pack on his home website and the Olympian Week winners have been announced on Rick's Blog. Also, Rick said to keep an eye out on the heroes of olympus website for new character art and such. Right now the only thing new is the Son of Neptune video which is a must see because it show all of the character art but dosen't tell you who it is. Anyways, happy birthday PJ!
-Meg
PS: You can leave happy birthday notes for him on the comments.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda By Tom Angleberger and Other Things

Great book but very quick. It was only about 140 pages so I finished it in less than 24 hours. But all in all it was a great book. It's the story of a origami yoda finger puppet that gives out the best advice and can practically predict the future but the kid who has the puppet on is completely crazy, so to speak. Yoda will tell anybody what they need to know unless they're rude. This is a collection of files to help figure out if origami yoda is real or not. Also, Darth Paper Strikes Back comes out August 23 along with The Power of Six (Sequel to I am Number 4) The next important release date after these two is You Have To Stop This (Last book in the Secret Series) which come out October 1st. I also think that I should address the sad news about Borders. Please leave a departing message for them in the comments. Alas, they are out of business and now I must drive a half-hour at least to get to the nearest bookstore. All of us people who won't use a electronic reader now must hope that Barnes and Nobles don't leave like Borders. I pretty sure that they can't get rid of bookstores completely because most of the time kids can't bring electronic readers to school. We have to get the good old paper versions. I had a nook and wouldn't use it because a) I can't read to books at once b) I can't bring it to school and c) There were to many extras like Internet, sudoku, and chess. (I seriously need to learn how to play that game) Now you can even buy stuff like Angry Birds for them! Anyway I hope you get my point now because I'm beginning to ramble.
-Meg

Sunday, August 14, 2011

The Potter Blog


Hello! Sorry I haven't been posting for a while, but there's been nothing much to post about because I've been so busy I haven't finished many books except for the PJO series again. And I really don't want to post about it because it ruins the greatness of the books. (I don't feel that way about all books, it's really just PJO) I also didn't want to spend all of my time posting about Harry Potter but that's really the only thing going on because of Pottermore and such. So I am now doing The Potter Blog with the one and only... MaggieMoo! (AKA: Maggie) It's going to have everything a Potter fan could want. I would like to call it MuggleNet without all of the viruses that shut down my computer. There's going to be tons of revealing secrets about the magical world of HP. Like for example, did you know that at one point Harry, Hermione, and Ron were featured on Chocolate Frog Cards? I think not. You can find it at http://www.the-potter-blog.blogspot.com/ I also am glad to announce my new blog that I will be doing solo, Snickerdoodles!!! It will feature random facts every week about a random topic like Jelly Beans! You can find it at http://www.insanesnickerdoodles.blogspot.com/ ! Thanks every body and I hope to see you soon!
-Meg



Friday, August 12, 2011

Contest Winner!!!!

Congratulations Anja!!! For being the only one who entered and having a fantastic Hobbit review. I almost read that book but couldn't even finish the chapter because I thought it was a bit boring like Anja says in her review. Now I would like to know if you guys want more contests. Simply comment (Commenting works with pop-ups enabled) on what a good contest would be because you guys clearly didn't care for this one.

Title: The Hobbit
Author: J. R. R. Tolken
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co.
Year of Publication: 1937
Reader's Rating: 3


In a Nutshell: Bilbo Baggins is a well-to-do hobbit who is respected by many and never dreamed of doing anything adventurous or unexpected. However, his perfect life is suddenly disrupted as Gandalf the wizard thrusts him into the wilderness with thirteen dwarves to find a vast treasure and slay the dragon guarding it. With a surprising amount of luck, Bilbo survives trolls, giant wolves, mysterious elves, and a strange ring, before finally arriving with his companions at the evil mountain wherein lies the treasure, and the dragon! The company awakens the dragon, who flies about the land, and soon elves, men and dwarves are all after the treasure! Will Bilbo's company be able to save the treasure from greedy hands, or be killed in the resulting Battle of Five Armies?

(SUMMARY NOT BY ME.)

The Fantastical Stuff: Bilbo always wants to do the right thing, even though it's hard. He helps out the dwarves a lot and even though they didn't like him at first, he gained their respect by his actions. The scene with Gollum is my favorite. It's quite funny. ;)

The Not-so-fantastical Stuff: There's not really a whole lot of bad stuff. I guess Gollum was a little too... ummm... let's say... overly obsessed with his ring. But what I didn't like so much is that this book did not keep my attention very well. It's a good story but how the story is told knocks it lower on my charts. Having both a good story and an amazing writer are two very important things. His ideas were definitely worth reading about but he should have worked a little more on his "exceedingly dry" way of telling a tale.

Wrap Up: This book definitely has a cool storyline. The ideas and imagination are intriguing. But, as I already mentioned, the writing is quite dull. It would have helped if Tolken added more things that "spiced up" the slightly boring edge to his composition.



Saturday, July 30, 2011

Pottermore Release Thingy And New Contest!!!

Woo-hoo!!! Pottermore is having it's early admission contest thing start today! (PS this is a scheduled post so I have no idea whatsoever what it is.) I'm not really sure what it is because I haven't looked yet. I am really excited though and if any of you guys receive this early admission please let me know what Pottermore really is. I am also happy to announce our first ever contest. Sadly I will not be giving away stuff but will be featuring your work in a post. I call it... drum roll please..... THE SUMMER READING REVIEW CONTEST THING!!!!! Anyway all you have to do is write a review and comment it then I will choose one of them to dedicate a post for. Pick any book you've read this summer or even an old favorite. The contest ends August 11th. I won't be posting until again until the day after with the winner.
Good Luck,
-Meg

PS: I have figured out what it is now and have gained the early access. All you have to do is go on Pottermore and answer a trivia question then add the answer to the end of quill.pottermore.com for example,

How many Harry Potter Books are there? Multiply by ten.          Answer=quill.pottermore.com/70

Then you will have to levitate the magic quill by moving your mouse in circles towards the top then the registration process will begin.

Friday, July 29, 2011

Bronze Dragon Mishap

Most Percy fans thought that Festus was the bronze dragon from The Demigod Files but I have figured out that it's almost impossible. The bronze dragon did not have wings and Festus did. So yeah short post but it's a little informal I guess.... Anyway happy reading,
-Meg

PS: On the comments please tell me what your required summer reading was.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Rick's Mistake :Edited:

 :

All of us Percy Jackson fans remember Blackjack right? Percy's Pegasus from the Titan's Curse? Anyway at the end of The Sea of Monsters when Percy 'freed' Blackjack it said that Blackjack was a girl. Then in the Titan's Curse it clearly stated and sounded like Blackjack was a boy. So that is the first PJ mistake I have ever found and it's driving me crazy. Let me know if you have noticed any more. Also, please use my check box things. I working to make all 6 options show up but I could take a while.

Edited-Also does anybody else remember that Percy and Annabeth both have grey streaks in their for holding up the sky?
-Meg

Friday, July 22, 2011

Whoo-Hoo!!!

I completely forgot that there may be people who do not want the movie spoiled so I can't say to much but it was great! After watching all 7 movies with my dad a finally got to see it last night. (A long 18 hours approx.) I loved the book and The movies were just as good. There is only one mistake from part 2 that I can remember and it has to do with a boathouse. I can't really say more without spoiling anything so I guess you'll have to see it if you want to find out.

Sorry,
-Meg

PS: I'm reading the PJ series right now for the 3rd time so I may not be posting for a while because I don't do reviews for them unless you want me to of course. I am also still looking for help.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Success!!!

Alright great news! I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for the 3rd or 4th time in a matter of 5 days! I will do a review after I see the movie (Which I will by the end of the week) Hopefully it will be a side-by-side review so you can compare book and movie(s). I have been screaming all week because I wore my favorite HP hat that says 'Wizarding World of Harry Potter' on it and my deathly hallows necklace. So everybody I run into says 'Have you seen the movie yet?' And I am stuck saying no. I probably could have seen it already but I'm watching all of the movies over again for preparation. (Even as I write this I'm listening to HP music-current track-The Hogwarts Hymn) So please no spoilers on site. I really don't want it ruined even though I know exactly how it ends. OK, switching gears. I'm sorry I haven;t got to post for 5 days, I was traveling and even those post were on a schedule. (I wrote them before I left and changed the post time.) Also I am ready for some feedback! I see that my blog really needs some more followers and I wondering what I can do to make it better. If there's no way to make it better than please just tell people!!! That really is the hardest part of blogging. You need to get your name out there so you tell people and they never get to it. So what can I do to make my blog worth the 15 seconds it takes to type in http://www.megsbookblog.blogspot.com/ ?  Last time I got some great feedback and I am hoping that this time I will get even better.

Thanks,
-Meg

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

A Whole Nother Story By Dr. Cuthbert Soup



The Cheesemans are on the run from 2 top secret agencies in which I don't know their names, but I can tell you that the villain's names are Mr. 5, Mr. 207, Mr. 88, and Mr. 29 from one secret agency and Leon the monkey, Agent El Kyoo, Agent Aitch Dee, and Pavel Dushenko. from other agencies. The Cheesemans have the LVR, a work-in-progress time machine and that's why the 'spies' are following them. They hope to go back in time to save their mother/wife, Olivia. Maggie is a the middle child, plays archery, takes great care of her hair, and finds her brothers crazy. Fun Fact: Her shampoo alone has wheat germ, honey, strawberry, coconut, apple pectin, pineapple, Canadian bacon, and her hair brush is made of porcupine quills. There is also Gerard, who is the youngest, has a sock puppet named Steve, (See cover) has balancing issues, and eats a lot of gum. (He says it helps him focus.) Jough, (pronounced 'Joe') Is the oldest child and would like to play at the world series. Fun Fact: Every time he has a dream where he's in the world series he doesn't have any pants. There's Pinky the physic, toilet bowl drinking dog, and of course Ethan Cheesman, the father, leader of the group. This was a great book and I recommend it if you're looking for a bit more humorous book.



-Meg




PS: Congrats to Dr. Cuthbert Soup for becoming July's author of the month! I will be contacting him if you guys have questions. I need questions by the 20th.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Crazier Than Ever!

OK, we all know that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 comes out on the 15th. We also know that normally it is 'tradition' to read the books again if you are going to see any book turned into a movie, especially if it's the last movie. So right now HP fans across the globe are spending their time reading the books. I remembered a bit late. The other day I ran around screaming, "I AM THE WORST HARRY POTTER FAN EVER!!!" so yesterday I did not start the series over but started to read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and made a bet with myself to read in a week remembering that I will be away for 3 days, (Don't worry I have posts planned for you guys) and that it's 760 pages. I read a whopping 330 yesterday I hope to maybe finish the book today or tomorrow at that rate. So yeah I'm insane trying this but I know if I had set my mind to it I could have read it in a day. (I know a girl that read Order of the Phoenix in a day, didn't eat dinner, didn't do nothing but read.) I might do a side by side review comparing both movies to book on what was the same what was different type of thing.

-Meg

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Racing In The Rain, My Life As A Dog By Garth Stein




This is an adapted version for kids of The Art Of Racing In The Rain. Even if you don't like dogs, read this book. It was one of those books that I will never for a day of my life forget. When you see life from a dog's point of view everything is different. This is the story of Enzo, her human family, and how to race in the rain. This is going to be very hard to explain because of reasons I don't know. Denny lives somewhere in Seattle, races a Porche, and works at a repair shop. Suddenly his wife dies of brain cancer and her parents want to have custody of his daughter, Zoë and begin to slowly make him broke. This is a good story anyway but when you see it how a dog sees it it's so much better. Anyway I highly recommend it. (5 Stars!)


-Meg

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

I Am Number 4 By Pittacus Lore



They caught Number One in Malaysia.

Number Two in England.

And Number Three in Kenya.

They killed them all.


I am Number 4.


I am next.



Daniel and Henri are living in Florida until word is that Number 3 has been killed. The Mogadorians will be after him next. They destroy everything that has there mark on and make new passports, birth certificates, new names for Daniel, now John, new ages, etc. and set off for Paradise, Ohio. Their goal here like everywhere else is not to be noticed so they can leave silently when the time comes. John is having a tough time with that. It all starts when Mark, the school bully, throws a meatball at him and this kid Sam's head. John and Mark are driving each other crazy mostly because they also fallen for the same girl, Sarah. She broke up with Mark a year ago and he still hasn't gotten over it and Sarah loves John. Anyway, John's Legacies begin to develop, and I won't tell you which ones in particular because that would ruin the story but Legacies are powers in a way. I probably should have mentioned this first but John and Henri both are from the planet Lorien but they and all of the other 'numbers' had to leave Lorien because they were ambushed by the Mogadorians in hope that one day they could come back and bring back all of the Loriens. There are also two types of Loriens, Garde, who develop powers like John, and Cepan, people like Henri who teach the Garde how to use their powers and such. This is a great book even though I make it sound awful and sorry about how I mention the important stuff last, I don't know what my issue is and I didn't have the patience to go back and fix it. Also this book is a great book for quotes like the one above and there's a second book as well, The Power of Six.


-Meg



Sunday, June 26, 2011

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma By Trenton Lee Stewart

OK, first off I am not trying to trash this book but it was awful. The first one was great, the second OK, and the last bad. It was confusing, it droned on a bit, and I should have reread the other books first because it didn't really recap thing in the past very well. I had no idea what was going on half the time but the story line was probably good. (I couldn't tell what it was, hence no summary.) It also took me around a month to read which is never good because then you begin to forget things that happened in the beginning. The guy knows how to write a book but doesn't know how to make it make sense. Anyway there was one part in the back that cracked me up...



Why I Find Green Plaid So Annoying, And What I Intend to Do about It:


An Explanation of My Heroic Actions




For one thing, plaid's hideous, a pattern cooked up


By dimwit designers who must have been mad.


It's also perfidious (a word I looked up -


It means lots of different things, all of them bad).


Why it's nothing but lines! Lines and more lines!


Not one single curve! Not one polka dot!


What monstrous minds could have called these designs?


They ought to be caught and tied up in the spot!




But worse, even worse, is the fact that it's green,


The color you turn when you've eaten a bug,


And of all gross and nasty things I've ever seen,


Like pond scum and slime molds, or a horrible slug


All covered with fungus out in the backyard


That I say Tuesday night right before I got sick.


No matter how hard I have tried (I've tried hard)


I can't see green things without thinking, "Ick!"




So what can I do? There isn't much for it


If I'm to get rid of this hideous sight:


If green plaid I hate (and I do, I abhor it)


Then action is called for! A battle! A fight!


I must free the man who so long has been held


Behind prison fences ( that crisscrossing plaid)!


Long covered by so much grass-green it's a veld!


I must save this man who will soon be my dad!




(For if he's my dad, then with him I'll be seen!


So away with this plaid, and good day to this green!)




-Meg


PS: Try to 1+ stuff that you find useful! Thanks!

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Summer Books

All right people now that summer has started I hope you're all still reading. This summer my personal #1 reads are...

-I Am Number 4
-The Maze Runner
-Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf (A story told through stuff)
-The Strange Case of Origami Yoda
-Fire Star

I'll probably read more but that's my starter list. Anyway happy summer and hope you guys read some good books!!!!

-Meg

Saturday, June 11, 2011

The Fire Within By Chris D'Lacey



Great First Book!!! I read this in about two days it was so good. David Rain is a college kid who decides to rent out a house nearby. He had no idea what was in store. First he meets a 11 year old girl, Lucy, the daughter of Elizabeth Pennykettle, owner of the house. She tells him the story of some squirrels that used to live in their neighbor's tree until he cut it down and how apparently one of them, Snigger, has an eye injury and can't find his way around. Then he discovers Elizabeth's clay dragons and the Dragon's Den, the one place he isn't allowed. These Dragons seem to walk and talk but nobody will believe him. This is his story of how he proves his point and what a cat can do. (Long story, literally. It's 340 pages!)



Saturday, May 28, 2011

OMG!!!

OMG!!! SON OF NEPTUNE COVER REVEALED!!!!!!!!!!!!! This I'm guessing was the big news!!!!! You can also read the sneak peak at www.heroesofolympus.com !!!! Percy's BACK!!!

-A very excited and anxious Meg

PS: GO READ PRONTO!!!!!!!!!

Friday, May 6, 2011

Rick Riordan LIVE!

BEST NIGHT EVER! We got there around five so we had an hour to spare before Rick did a little speech. There was sooo much to do! First you could get Snake Spit (Italian Soda) or Phunkey Pharaoh (Sweet fruit smoothie) at the Cafe. Then you could get your picture taken as Carter or Sadie is one of those stick-your-head-in things or have kohl (Pharaoh eyes) drawn on your face, then you could make ankhs or use hieroglyphic stamps. It was a blast! Then after waiting for an hour he made a speech. He said that Son of Neptune would be coming out on October 3 or 4, (I forget and my camera died so I couldn't tape it and none of us could understand Mag's cell phone video.) and to check his website in 2 weeks for important news. (I forget what.) Then we waited 2 more hours for our turn to get signed. Everybody who bought a book go a wristband and let's just say we were number 11 and it took around 15 minutes for each letter to go. (Stupid letter K.) But we made it there eventually. And here our your answers...

Q: What inspired you to write The Kane Chronicles?

A: All of you fans

Q: What was your inspiration for Sadie?

A: British school girls and his mother who was raised in Britain like Sadie but was born in America.

So there you have it. I also asked him what Carter's birthday was and he told me he had to check his notes. But there's more yesterday he made a post about the event and here's what he said...

Everyone was so polite and enthusiastic, despite the long signing line. I met several ‘Sadie Kanes’ with combat boots and highlighted streaks in their hair. One even had her own boomerang wand, and was accompanied by Thalia Grace, with aegis shield and a sword. Awesome!

Me and Mag were the only ones int the building with highlighted streaks. Also check this out...


Favorite comment of the night: I signed a book for a young girl who looked down at the inscription with absolute disgust. “What is that?” she demanded. I replied, “Er, that’s my signature.” I almost thought she was going to demand I erase it, or shout, “How dare you defile my book!” She accepted the explanation, but still looked pretty repulsed. Yes, my signature is not very pretty. Oh, well. Guess I’ll have to work on that.

And one more thing,

Favorite Questions of the Night

Q: Do you like Greek mythology?
A: What gave me away?


That cracked me up! Anyway thanks for the question and putting up with this long post,
-Meg

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

THRONE OF FIRE!!!!

The website is booked with new stuff!!! New pictures and A NEW SWEEPSTAKES!!! The winner gets to have their name printed in the next book. Anyway, WOO-HOO THRONE OF FIRE!!!!

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Early Author Of The Month

OK everybody, are you ready for some great news? Me and Maggie are going to meet Rick Riordan in person on his Throne of Fire tour. Before I say anything else though I just want to say thanks to you guys and the chat box. If I hadn't checked it we would never be going. I will take questions but they must be posted by May 3. I'll check at about 7pm and anything after that will not count. I also cannot guarantee any answer due to the fact that I have no idea how many people will be there. So congratulations Rick for becoming May's author of the month!

-Meg

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Sorry Again!

My computer has crashed yet again so I won't be on for a little bit.
Sorry,
-Meghan

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Sorry

I was told to delete my lovely story because anyone could take it and publish it under their name. I am EXTREMELY SORRY!!

-Meg

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Kane Chronicles 2 & More


Well the cover gave it away. huh? I was going for a dramatic drum roll then a wait till' next time kinda thing but I don't think that there will be a next time for a while. So there you have it, the Throne of Fire!!! You can read the first chapter here. Sound pretty good so far. For a better post go to Long Live Percy Jackson, my all Rick Riordan blog. Since I've been gone I've read some pretty good books so I thought that I mine as well just list them.
  • Heat by Mike Lupica
  • Travel Team by Mike Lupica
  • Million Dollar Throw by Mike Lupica
  • The Alchemyst by Michael Scott
  • The Magician by Michael Scott (I never finished it but it was still good)
  • and currently reading FreeK Camp by Steve Burt

FreeK camp is super good so far and I highly recommend it. Until next time...

-Meg