The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan

In this first book in the newest series by Riordan, The Trials of Apollo, the Greek god Apollo finds himself cast down to earth as a mortal, bound to a demigod, and forced to undergo a series of trials in order to regain his divinity. The power of prophecy has deserted the Oracle (aka Rachel Elizabeth Dare) and it is up to Apollo, now a sixteen-year-old boy with a major case of acne, along with his fellow campers to return the prophecies and defeat a new evil.

In this new series we see a lot of familiar faces from Percy Jackson and the Olympians and The Heroes of Olympus, though of the main characters only Percy and Leo make an appearance. As a fan of mythology I continue to enjoy these books, though some of the originality and excitement has worn away as Riordan continues to build on previous story lines from his earlier series.

376 pages

The Reluctant Widow by Georgette Heyer

Set in Regency England, Elinor Rochdale has been reduced to a penniless governess after her father gambles away his fortune and shoots himself. Traveling to the country to accept a new post, she steps into the wrong coach and encounters Lord Carlyon, who has advertised quite a different sort of position. Lord Carlyon is seeking a wife for his dissipated younger cousin, whose estate he would rather not inherit. Believing Elinor to have come in answer to his advertisement, misunderstanding ensues. In the end, Carlyon persuades Elinor to accept the position he has to offer, and she marries his cousin on his deathbed, becoming both wife and widow in a matter of hours. Shortly after, Elinor finds herself caught up in a series of strange events including midnight intruders, treason, and murder.

This is a lighthearted historical novel, with a dash of mystery and romance. Heyer’s books are reminiscent of Jane Austen’s novels, though with a bit more spunk (that’s not a criticism of Austen). Also, the historical detail is wonderful.

278 pages

How Right You Are, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse

Bertie Wooster is tooling down to his Aunt Dahlia’s estate while his incomparable valet Jeeves is on vacation. But Bertie’s sojourn is marred by the presence of his former schoolmaster Aubrey Upjohn and the famous nerve specialist Sir Roderick Glossop, who is posing as butler under the name Swordfish. Add some romantic entanglements involving an old school chum, a kleptomaniac, and the disappearance of a silver cow creamer and you have the makings of a first-rate Wodehouse adventure.

Ever since I read my first Bertie & Jeeves books I’ve been a Wodehouse fan. Sure all the plots start to look alike after the first book or two, but the humor is always fresh and Wodehouse’s use of language always amuses. I highly recommend anything he’s written!

206 pages