The fourth and quite possibly most dangerous novel in the series yet.  The Battle of the Labyrinth takes Percy from another new school, which he may or may not have played a part in blowing up, to the labyrinth underground.  Cronus is summoning an army and his eyes are set on destroying Olympus but in his way is Camp halfblood and the heroes of Olympus.  Seeking to find a way to swiftly move his army across the country Cronus has sent scouts into the labyrinth to find a way through or to find it’s creator Daedalus.  As the minor gods determine their allegiance Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and Tyson must quest to find Daedalus and win him over to the Olympians cause.  This book sets up the series finale in which Cronus will rise to either destroy Olympus or fail in his conquest.

Battle of the Labyrinth is a great inclusion to the series with plenty of action and adventure.  Quick paced, this is a great book for boys and reluctant readers.  Grades 5-8.

Happy Halloween!  Ghosts Caught on Film delivers exactly what the title promises.  Dr. Willin has collected photos from around the world of the unexplained apparitions.  Each photo is accompanied by an explanation of what is going on in the photo as well as expert photo analysis to determine its validity.

This is a creepy little book that is perfect for the holiday.  Ghosts Caught on Film is one of those books that will be constantly pawed over by teens and kids with a love for the paranormal.

Another hero, another quest.  The Titan’s Curse opens at boarding school where Grover has found a set (brother and sister) of half blood’s and in typical fashion a chase ensues.  The monster that was after the siblings was a manticore which is man with lion feature, a scorpion tail, and bat wings (picture included), horrible, I know.  After it seems like Percy, Thalia, Anabeth, and Grover have met their match the Hunters led by the god Artemis swoop in to save the day.  The ward off the manticore but not before he takes Anabeth.  Artemis vows to pursue the beast and demands the Hunters go to Camp Half Blood.  Eventually word reaches the camp that Artemis has been taken also.  Percy, Thalia, Grover and two Hunters are now charged with quest of finding Artemis, Anabeth, and figuring out what the horrible monster that could bring about the end of Olympus actually is.

Riordan keeps a quick pace and the adventures never cease.  However the best part of the series for me is the personality of the gods.  They are hilariously vain and self-serving which makes for great exchanges when the quest has to deal with them.  Another great addition to the series!

The problem with the radio is that they play crap.  No, not all of it but have you ever really listened to an hour of radio where you liked all the songs?  If you said yes, you’re a liar or just very easy to please.  If only there was a way to tell the radio what you liked to hear and based on that the radio choose songs you may like…if only.  WAIT!  That’s where Pandora comes in.

The process is super simple.  You begin by selecting your favorite song or artist.  The song begins and you check whether you liked it or not.  Pandora then selects the next song with similar musical features and you again select whether you like that song or not.  As you make decisions about the music Pandora will become better at suggesting music.

Another great feature of Pandora is the ability to create stations.  You can create a station to fit a mood or that contains only songs from a particular genre.  They are constantly adding music so go ahead give it  a try, you might like it!

Detective Musubi Susono is investigating a series of disturbing child kidnappings.  While at the crime scene Musubi’s partner is abducted.  Instead of being able to look further into the case she is dismissed from police duty.  The kidnapping has been committed by a terrorist group called “the Order”.  The Order is trying to blend humans with technology to become one with the Netsphere.  As Musubi peruses the Order she falls victim her self.

Noise takes place in the Blame! world but it is a prequel and explains how the future has become a world of miles high machines and buildings.  The artwork is sparse as is the dialogue but the overall impact of the manga is not affected.  Great for crossover graphic novel readers looking for an entry into manga.

Chris Hart has made a career out of drawing instruction books.  His latest, Drawing Vampires, follows the things-that-go-bump-in-the-night craze that has seemed to capture the attention of marketers more than the youth but whatev.   Anyone learning to draw knows that you must start with the basics and that is exactly where this books begins.  The first chapter begins with heads, then moves to full bodys poses, and goes to lady vampires.  From there the book covers other vampires, ghosts, ghouls, and creatures.

The book is attractive and will lure younger and older art enthusiasts.  Perfect for the holiday don’t miss this intro to drawing all dressed up for Halloween!

Warren Miller has been the name in big mountain skiing documentaries, well in any skiing documentaries for that matter.  Follow his camera crews as they record some of the most insane skiers and boarders the world over.  Starting in Alaska and touring some of the most famous and less known peaks, Miller’s skiers hit the slopes with style and a sort of free fall that can only be described as  controlled chaos.

The film would be successful if it just showcased the skiing but Warren Miller takes it far beyond that.  This year’s documentary follows Jeremy Bloom the Olympic skier and Philadelphia Eagle’s star as well as portraying the mountains as alive as the person’s skiing them.  There is also a heartwarming juxtaposition between an 85-year-old ski bum and 5-year-old ski whiz.

For ski enthusiasts, scenery watchers, and sports film fans this documentary will not disappoint.

Again it’s the funniest, smartest, most poingant shows that get canceled.  Judd Aptow’s second ill-fated television series follows the freshman year of Steven and his friends in the same style as Freaks and Geeks.  What would have happened to Aptow’s carreer if these series had gotten the full run they deserved?  Would there be The 40 Year Old Virgin or Knocked Up?  Eh, who can say.

Steven is your typical geek in high school looking to shed his old image for a much cooler persona at college.  He doesn’t quite succeed.  What he does though is to develop a series of friendships that are meaningful and taxing just like real life.  Steven is shacked  up with the hottest guy on campus which doesn’t make his quest for a girlfriend any easier.  As the show progresses so do the charectors.  This is an all around hysterical show!

In the second book in the series Percy Jackson discovers he has a half brother only this brother is nothing yours.  Tyson is a cyclops, but only a baby one.  Upon Percy’s return to camp he discovers that Thalia’s tree has been poisoned and Grover has been taken prisoner.  It is decided that a quest to cure the tree must be launched but this time Percy is not the one chosen.  Ignoring the order to stay at the camp, Percy, Anabeth, and Tyson take off for the Sea of Monsters (which you get to by going to Florida and taking a left).  Once there they must retrieve the one item that can save the camp and Grover.  This will be the most dangerous quest yet.

The sequel lives up to its fast paced predecessor with even more twists and turns.  The action will hook most readers between 4th and 8th grade.  highly recommended.

*SPOILERS*

The latest installment in the X-Men movie franchise finally gives viewers more of they want: Wolverine!  X-Men Origins tells the back story of one of, if not the most popular member of the X-Men.  The story begins with James Howlett (Wolverine’s real name) and his brother (Victor Creed) escaping after Wolverine kills his father (kinda accidentally, at least he didn’t it was his father).  After that there is a war montage where we see Victor Creed becoming more and more evil setting up the rift between the brothers.

The military is using the mutants attributes to create an ultimate weapon that will destroy all other mutants.  That is Weapon XI (Deadpool).  The last ingredient in Deadpool was of course Weapon X, Wolverine, more specifically the ability to adapt to an adamantium skeleton making him nearly invincible. In order to obliterate Deadpool Wolverine and Creed must work together.  This is the beginning of the X-Men as Dr. Xavier comes to rescue the captured mutants at the military facility.

The movie is an excellent addition to the X-Men franchise.  Action packed and expertly shot the film moves at an incredible clip.  The different characters stay fairly true the original Marvel creations.  Don’t miss this one!