Lost In The Fog

The Percy Jackson & the Olympians series is a blend of fantasy, adventures, and Greek mythology with a touch of humor in it. It involved a middle school student who has some personal problems, Percy Jackson. He has some troubles in school and did not know his father, and there were some strange things that happened to him on school trips and the worst occurred when he turned 15 years old. He later discovered that he was the son of Poseidon, making him a demigod and was in danger from some creatures of mythology. He went to Camp Half-Blood and met the other demigods, went through dangers on different quests.

The Lightning Thief (1st Series)
Percy Jackson was about to be dismissed from boarding school but that was not what’s giving him trouble. It was lately when mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be alive in his Greek Mythology book and into his real life. He has also angered some of them. The master lightning bolt of Zeus was stolen and he was the prime suspect. Percy and his friends at Camp Half-Blood had only 10 days to return Zeus’ stolen lightning bolt that can bring peace to the Mount Olympus. Aside from catching the thief and returning Zeus’ property, he has to come in to terms with his father, Poseidon, and solve the riddle of the Oracle who warned him that a friend would betray him.

The Sea of Monsters (2nd Series)
After his first successful quest, Percy is finding his seventh grade school uneventful. His biggest challenge is dealing with his new friend, Tyson, a 6-foot mentally challenged homeless child who seemed to follow Percy anywhere he went. He later heard that there was a trouble at the Camp Half-Blood where the magical borders that guarded the Half-Blood Hill was poisoned by an unknown enemy, making the safe haven of the demigods in danger. Percy needed the help of his friend, Grover, but who was taken as prisoner on an island somewhere in the Sea of Monsters, which is called the Bermuda Triangle. With the help his friends, Percy needed to bring back the Golden Fleece from the Island of Cyclops’s or the Camp would be destroyed.

The Titan’s Curse (3rd Series)
Goddess Artemis was believed to be kidnapped and Percy and his friends must find the goddess before the winter solstice or it would start a war with the titans. Aside from this quest, Percy must also solve the mystery of an uncommon monster that Artemis was running after before she was “kidnapped”, a monster which they heard as very powerful that it could totally destroy the Olympus.

The Battle of the Labyrinth (4th Series)
When a group of demonic cheerleaders invaded his school, Percy went to Camp where he and his demigod friends were sent on a quest through the Labyrinth while the war between the Olympians and the evil Titan lord Kronos was edging close.

The Last Olympian (5th Series)
Demigods were preparing for the war against the Titans even if they knew that the chances of success were very slim. The army of Kronos was stronger than ever and with each god and half-blood he enlisted in his army, Kronos became more powerful and stronger. As the Olympians tried to battle with the monster Typhon, Kronos himself started advancing in New York City where the Mount Olympus stood virtually unprotected. But there was Percy and the army of young demigods to block the Lord of Time.

Percy Jackson series are good choices especially to the children and teens. As children love stories, they are willing to stay put for the duration of the books. Reading will improve their comprehension, self-discipline, longer attention span, and memory retention. If dieters have their weight loss diet plans to follow for healthier body, the children have these book to have healthier and creative minds.

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973) was a scholar of English language which was specializing in Old and Middle English. He wrote some novels including the famous The Hobbit in 1937 and the Lord of the Rings (1954-1955) which were set in the pre-historic period in an imaginary place Tolkien called Middle-earth. Inhabitants of this world were men and women, Elves, Dwarves, Trolls, Orcs or Goblins and the Hobbits. The Hobbit was criticized but received the recognition nowadays as a timeless classic,

The Hobbit (1937)

It started with:  In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit…..it was hobbit hole, and that means comfort.

The Hobbit was actually written for Tolkien’s children, this introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum, and the spectacular world of the Middle-earth narrated the adventures of a hesitant hero, a strong and dangerous ring, and the mean dragon named Smaug, the Magnificent.

The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings is contained in 4-volume box with maps and illustrations from the movies. The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, was taken from the comfort of his life by the wizard Gandalf and a group of dwarves. He found himself entangled with the plot to raid the treasures of Smaug, the Magnificent. The Lord of the Rings was about the dangerous quest by Frodo Baggins and the Fellowship of the Ring: Gandalf, the wizard; the hobbits namely Merry, Pippin, and Sam; Gimli, the dwarf; Legolas, the elf; Boromir of Gondor; and the tall mysterious stranger named Strider.

The tales of Silmarillion were again products of Tolkien’s imaginative and creative writings. Silmarillion was short for Quenta Silmarillion, “The History of the Silmarils”, where the 3 great jewels were created by Feanor, the most of the gifted elf, and in which he trapped the light of the Two Trees that gave light to Valinor, the land of the gods. Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, destroyed the Trees, there was only the light in the Silmarils. Morgoth captured them. The novel is about the history of the rebellion of Feanor and his people against the gods, about their exile in Middle-earth, and their battles in spite the heroism of Elves and Men against the Enemy. Included in this book are short stories: Ainulindale, the creation myth; Valaquenta, where the powers of every god are set forth; Akallabeth, the downfall of the kingdom of Numenor at the end of the Second Age; and the “Of the Rings of Power” and the Third.

Reading is proven to be an active exercise for the mind to be health as physical workouts are good for those who want to lose weight. Choose reading materials that can improve your imagination.

If you are an avid fan of novels, here are some novels that you should never miss:

• The King’s Mistresses: The Liberated Lives of Marie Mancini, Princess Colonna, and her sister Hortense, Duchess Mazarin (Elizabeth C. Goldsmith)

The Mancini sisters namely, Marie and Hortense, were born in Rome and were brought to the court of Louis XIV of France and later were married by their uncle, the Cardinal Mazarin, to maintain his political power. In those times, women had no independent position under the law and once married, they are considered as one of the possessions of their husband. However, Marie and Hortense were ambitious and although they were miserable in their married life, they decided to live independently. They left their husband and began to live as they wanted to. They won the hearts of noblemen and even kings. They became famous and the Countess of Grignan stated that others talked about the sisters running the countryside in “pursuit of wandering lovers”. Their disgraceful behavior, acting as men, gambling, and arguing with their husbands in public had started arguments across Europe about the legal rights of husbands over their wives. Elizabeth Goldsmith has that vibrant style of writing the life of the Mancini sisters that will lure you to read until you finish that novel.

• Prague Winter: A Personal Story of Remembrance and War, 1937-1948 (Madeleine Albright)

Before Madeleine Albright was 12 years old, her life changed when Nazi invaded the quiet Czechoslovakia and the Battle of Britain, the Allied Victory in World War II, the rise of the communism, and the start of the Cold War. Her experiences and her family were mirrors of how it was during those times. Extracting from her vivid memory, the written reflections of her parents, interviews conducted with her contemporaries, and some records, the author narrated an inspiring story during those times. Prague Winter is an examination of the past that involved dilemmas. Albright also wrote about her reflection when she found out that she came from a Jewish heritage many decades before the war. She told the stories of how millions of ordinary people were forced to become exiled leaders and freedom fighters, resistance organizers, and collaborators, victims and as murderers.  The novel is about experiences of the a growing child in the midst of fear, trust, search for identity, being compelled to obey and conform, the search for independence, and knowing the difference between the right and wrong.

During week-ends and after your workouts as part of your  weight loss program, it is good to get a novel to read and let those brain cells work!

Here are some five bestselling novels that you should read. They received more than 300,000 reviews and an average of 4.5 ratings (out of 5):

1. 1.      Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

By J.K. Rowling

The novel started with Harry, Ron, and Hermione running from Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters who have taken control of the Minister of Magic and starting to change the magic community. The muggle-born wizards were being questioned and all the “blood traitors” were imprisoned. While Voldemort and his followers pursued the fugitives, Potter discovered the truth of his existence.

1. 2.      The Kite Runner

By Khaled Hosseini

The novel was mostly set in Afghanistan where the introverted afghan narrator, Amir, was raised in Afghanistan before the closing years of the monarchy and the early years of the short-lived republican period. Hassan, a son of a servant, was his best and loyal friend but felt he betrayed Hassan when he was unable to help when Hassan was bullied and was thrown out from his father’s household. Amir lived comfortably in Kabul until the communists conquered the place. He and his father, Baba, went and lived in US where he met his future wife and later married her. His father died and he received a letter from the most trusted business partner. The content of the letter made him return to the Taliban-infested Afghanistan to find the truth about himself, his family, and in the end, redemption.

1. 3.      The Time Traveler’s Wife

By Audrey Niffenegger

Henry was 28 years old when he met Clare who was 20. While Clare knew him since she was 6 years old, Henry claimed he never met Clare before. It could be impossible but true since Henry always found himself displaced in time regularly where he was pulled to some period of emotional gravity from his life, past and future. They tried to live normal lives but are constantly threatened by a force they could not control and prevent. This made their passionate love story touching and unforgettable. The Time Traveler’s Wife is a story of hope, fate, and belief and to love that endures beyond the bounds of time.

Trim that belly with weight loss diet plans while enjoying an inspiring novel!

Amidst the advanced technologies and internet, reading is still considered as the best way of learning things. I started reading when I began to read sentences and understand them. I started with comics in elementary, then Nancy Drew series to Mills and Boons paperbacks to Harold Robbins novels in high school. In college, everything seemed to be easy and felt I already went around the world!

Reading is a dynamic mental process that will encourage you to reason out instead of just accepting whatever is read.

Reading will help you improve your vocabulary especially with the challenging books where you will be exposed to new words.

Reading will give you a glance and insight into other cultures and places around the world, thus, it broadens your understanding of peoples and their cultures.

Reading can improve your focus to get and comprehend the content of the material.

Reading can also help in building your self-esteem. When you have gained more knowledge, you will feel more confident and it builds positive self-esteem.

Reading books can improve your memory and this is supported with many studies. Reading enhances your remembering skills, facts, and figures.  Reading literature helps you remember plot of the story, themes and characters.

Reading can improve your creativity and develops discipline. It also reduces your boredom.

So if you want to improve your boring life, grab a book and turn the pages and start exploring a world full of information and journey.

Detective stories can be very entertaining where you are enticed to make a list of those suspects, their motives and alibis, and with the author, we try to make a guess of who the culprit is. Detective stories are like puzzles. I love detective stories. They do not make me cry. They do not make me sleep. And here are some of my favorite fictional detective characters:

Sherlock Holmes is a creation of Arthur Conan Doyle. He is a archetypical detective who try to solve mysteries and crimes through logical reasoning. He  stars in only 4 novels entitled A Study in Scarlet (1887), The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902) which is the most popular. Then they were followed by The Red-Headed League” and The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle”. He employs deduction that believes that any problem or mystery can be solved if the essential information is given. He is surrounded with people who help him solve the mysteries who are less smart than he is. Dr Watson is a keen observer and can narrate details. Inspector Lestrade is not very intelligent police investigator but believed that he was always on the right track.

Hercule Poirot is a creation of Agatha Christie in The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920). This detective is a retired Belgian police officer who went to England as a refugee during the World War I. He solves mysteries with his “little grey cells”. He has strong partiality for symmetry, order, and method. There is Captain Arthur Hastings, his best friend, who depends so much on his intuition to solve mysteries and helps Poirot solve mysteries by his accidental comments and observations. There is also Miss Lemon, Poirot’s secretary, who is very efficient. Chief Inspector Japp is from Scotland Yard is not that intelligent but Poirot sends him to the right direction.

Miss Marple is another fictional detective character created by Agatha Christie which first appeared in a series of short stories in a magazine. Miss Marple is depicted as an elderly spinster with a remarkable talent for amateur detective character. She appeared in 12 crime novels including The Murder at the Vicarage (1930).

Here are some recommended interesting novels you can try to journey with the characters of the story:

Fifty Shades of Grey is a bestselling erotic fiction in a paperback form and e-book written by E. L. James. The story is mainly in Seattle where the trilogy depicts the growing relationship between Anastasia Steele, a young college graduate and Christian Grey, a young manipulative business magnate. Anastasia is compelled by Christian to sign a contract that allows him to have full control over her life.  Then she gradually learns of his sexual tastes which involve oppression, domination and sadism which can be traced back to his childhood background. Christian was abused as a child and left him deeply wounded. She allows experimenting BDSM with him but later struggles a lot to reconcile with herself, who is a virgin and has never had any boyfriend before nor had any sexual experience.

The Hunger Games is a young-adult novel which is written by Suzanne Collins, an American TV writer and novelist. The novel was published on September 14, 2008 in hardcover. The story is told in the voice of a 16-year old Katniss Everdeen who is living in post-apocalyptic period in Panem, where countries of North America were once existed. A highly advanced metropolis called Capitol dominates the whole country. The Hunger Games are event held yearly where a boy and a girl from 12-18 years old from the 12 districts of Capitol are chosen by way of lottery to compete in a televised survival game until one person is left.

Catching Fire is a sequel of The Hunger Games series which is written by the same author, Suzanne Collins. This novel continues the story of Katniss Everdeen and the fictional country named Panem. In this novel, there is a rising rebellion against the cruel Capitol where Katniss and Peeta Mellark are obliged to return to the ground in a special version of the Hunger Games. Main themes in this novel are survival, government-control, rebellion, and interdependence against independence. Other themes are morality, sacrifice, obedience, law and love. Since the novel was published in September 2009, it has received many positive reviews. Later, it was published in e-book edition and audio book format. The movie will be shown on November 2013.

Mockingjay is the third and final sequel of The Hunger Games trilogy which is written by Suzanne Collins. This novel continues the story of Katniss Everdeen who, this time, agreed to lead the rebellion against the cruel leaders of the fictional futuristic country named Panem. This trilogy is inspired by the Greek mythology of Theseus, the Minotaur, and the Roman Gladiator games. As you read this sequel, you will notice the themes which include loyalty, war, truth, and power. In the second sequel entitled Catching Fire where Katniss and Peeta were forced to return to the ground to perform another survival game, Katniss was rescued by rebels from District 13 while Peet was taken to the Capitol. It was Katniss’ friend Gale Hawthorne who informed her that District 12 was destroyed that led her to decide and lead the rebellion against Capitol. Mocking jay was published in August 2010 and its e-book version was released 6 days earlier. Records showed that it has sold 450,000 copies in the first week.  Like the other sequels, Mockingjay also received positive reviews from critics.