Bookshelf Tour, Pt. 18 | Middle Grade (continues)

Okay, so today we’ll tour a row that has nothing but middle grade books on it. It has some of my favorite series as well, majority Rick Riordan — which I can’t help because I really enjoy the Percy Jackson series. It even held up well on my recent reread of it.

I didn’t read the Percy Jackson books until a couple years after they were published. People kept comparing them to the Harry Potter books, which made me think they were like them and I wasn’t feeling that. When I finally gave them a try, I was a little annoyed at myself for waiting so long to read such an entertaining story.

The books are light, fast reads that are like a crazy rollercoaster ride from beginning to end. And I just love that it’s based on Greek and Roman mythology. That made me like the stories even more and made me do my own research on such mythologies, mostly because certain things I thought Riordan made up I later learned were from the myths (like the Clazmonian Sow).

But anyway, we aren’t here to review Rick Riordan’s books, we’re here to tour my bookshelves. Here’s a look at the bookcase we’re on:

And now, we’re on the second row of the second shelf from the bottom — where the middle grade books begin.

SITTING ON TOP

Revenge of the Witch by Joseph Delaney, illus. by Patrick Arrasmith

The Wingsnatchers by Sarah Jean Horwitz

Juniper Berry: A Tale of Terror and Temptation by M.P. Kozlowsky, illus. by Erwin Madrid ★★★★☆

I consider it fantasy-horror since parts of it give off horror vibes, but it’s not scary. It’s about a girl whose parents become cruel and uninterested in her the more they acquire their hearts’ desire. It was a good read for me, and I liked the illustrations.

The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene

I’m being hard on myself again here because although I’ve read this story and considered it my favorite Nancy Drew book as a kid, I don’t consider this particular copy as read since I haven’t yet read it.

Destiny, Rewritten by Kathryn Fitzmaurice

STACKED: LEFT TO RIGHT

The Neverending Story by Michael Ende, illus. by Roswitha Quadflieg, transl. by Ralph Manheim ★★★★★

A childhood favorite, the Neverending Story is one of the books that got me hooked on fantasy. It’s about a boy who steals a book from an antique bookshop and is able to enter a fantasy world when he reads it. I loved the story and read it many times when I was younger. I think the last time I reread it was when I was in college, so it’s overdue for a reread.

The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

The following 3 books make up Riordan’s Kane Chronicles series, which are based on Egyptian mythology. I enjoyed reading all three books but thought the story is unfinished. The third book didn’t seem to be the end of the series. They are listed here from the last book to the first.

The Serpent’s Shadow by Rick Riordan ★★★☆☆

The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan ★★★★☆

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan ★★★☆☆

The next 5 books are from the Heroes of Olympus series, which focuses on several demigods (including those from the Percy Jackson books) and is mostly based on Roman mythology. I had fun reading these books and will start rereading them soon. They are listed here from last book to first.

The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan ★★☆☆☆

The House of Hades by Rick Riordan ★★★☆☆

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan ★★★☆☆

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan ★★☆☆☆

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan ★★★★★

STACKED: LEFT TO RIGHT (CONTINUED)

The next 6 books are all from the Percy Jackson series, which is about the demigod son of the Greek god Poseidon. I enjoyed these books the first time I read them and again more recently when I reread them. Apart from the 10th edition of the first book, they are listed here from last book to first. (I don’t consider the 10th edition of the first book as read since I haven’t yet read that edition.)

The Lightning Thief (10th ed.) by Rick Riordan

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan ★★★★☆

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan ★★★★☆ ½

The Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan ★★★★☆

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan ★★★☆☆

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan ★★☆☆☆ ¾

The low rating is mostly for the quality of the audio version I listed to. I hated it. On my first read, I gave the book 5 stars.

Next up are my Septimus Heap books. I believe there are 7 books in the series, but I own 5 of them. Goodreads tells me that I read and rated Syren, but I don’t remember doing so. I know I read the first 4, but I don’t remember much about them. I blame the lack of memory on a very hard senior semester in college. These books were a welcome break from my studies. I should probably reread them, though. They are listed here from last book to first.

Syren by Angie Sage ★★★☆☆

Queste by Angie Sage ★★★☆☆

Physik by Angie Sage ★★★★☆

Flyte by Angie Sage ★★★☆☆

Magyk by Angie Sage ★★★★☆