The Red Pyramid is the first book in the Kane Chronicles, the highly anticipated new series by Rick Riordan, author of the popular Percy Jackson series. As with the Percy Jackson books, Riordan delves into mythology, this time focusing on Egyptian mythology (as opposed to Greek).  The main protagonists in the story are Carter and Sadie Kane, who have been living in separate homes (Carter with his father and Sadie with her grandparents) since their mother died in a mysterious incident in London.  After an incident involving their father, the two siblings realize that there is more to the world than meets the eye and the important role the two play in the fate of the world.  Sadie and Carter work together to avoid their pursuers and explore the possibilities of their new knowledge, hoping to save their dad, possibly their mom, and the rest of the world at the same time.

My biggest concern when starting The Red Pyramid was that Riordan could not achieve the same sense of adventure and humor that was prevalent in the Percy Jackson series. I was very surprised to see that the book had plenty of both, and also avoided being a rehash of his previous books.  The storytelling style Riordan uses, having Sadie and Carter swap narrating duties throughout the story, helps keep the story moving along and helps provide additional insight into the characters that felt very natural. The interplay between the two siblings provides an additional dimension to the story, and you can start to see how the attitude between them goes from almost strangers to strong family bonds.  The introduction of the Egyptian mythology and how it meshes with the modern world is handled deftly like it was with the Greek gods in Percy Jackson. Riordan has a talent of tying the old world and the new without making sound forced or cheesy. The only negative about the book is that there were a couple of plot points that should have been tied up before going to the next novel. In my opinion, there is a little too much out there for the next book to tackle.

The Red Pyramid is a great read for young adult readers (ages 9-12) and older, and especially for any fans of the Percy Jackson books.  The story is very educational without reading like a textbook or too complicated for kids to follow along. This is also a good read for anyone learning about Egyptian mythology or enjoys books with lots of mythological aspects.

Quotes from The Red Pyramid:

“My name is Carter Kane. I’m fourteen and my home is a suitcase.” – Carter

“So you can’t live in Manhattan?” she asked.     
Amos’s brow furrowed as he looked across at the Empire State Building. “Manhattan has other problems. Other gods. It’s best we stay separate.” – Sadie talking to Amos

“Oh, no,” I said, panic rising in my chest. “No, no, no. Somebody get a can opener. I’ve got a god stuck in my head.” – Carter

You can also follow Rick Riordan on Twitter, his username is @camphalfblood .

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars | Publisher: Hyperion | Pages: 528 | Source: Purchased | Buy on Amazon

May is a big month for books! We’ve got the latest in the Sookie Stackhouse series, a new Pendergast novel, and the final book in Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy to look forward to. Check out the upcoming book releases I think you’ll be interested in reading.

Dead in the Family: A Sookie Stackhouse Novel by Charlaine Harris

Available May 4, 2010 (Order on Amazon)

From the publisher:

After enduring torture and the loss of loved ones during the brief but deadly Faery War, Sookie Stackhouse is hurt and she’s angry. Just about the only bright spot in her life is the love she thinks she feels for vampire Eric Northman. But he’s under scrutiny by the new Vampire King because of their relationship. And as the political implications of the Shifters coming out are beginning to be felt, Sookie’s connection to the Shreveport pack draws her into the debate. Worst of all, though the door to Faery has been closed, there are still some Fae on the human side-and one of them is angry at Sookie. Very, very angry…

The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles, Book 1) by Rick Riordan

Available May 4, 2010 (Order on Amazon)
The latest book from the author of the Percy Jackson series will focus on Egyptian gods.

From the publisher:

Since their mother’s death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane.

One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a “research experiment” at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives.

Soon, Sadie and Carter discover that the gods of Egypt are waking, and the worst of them–Set–has his sights on the Kanes. To stop him, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey across the globe–a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family, and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.

Tell-All by Chuck Palahniuk

Available May 4, 2010 (Order on Amazon)

From the publisher:

The hyperactive love child of Page Six and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? caught in a tawdry love triangle with The Fan. Even Kitty Kelly will blush.

Soaked, nay, marinated in the world of vintage Hollywood, Tell-All is a Sunset Boulevard-inflected homage to Old Hollywood when Bette Davis and Joan Crawford ruled the roost; a veritable Tourette’s syndrome of rat-tat-tat name-dropping, from the A-list to the Z-list; and a merciless send-up of Lillian Hellman’s habit of butchering the truth that will have Mary McCarthy cheering from the beyond.

Our Thelma Ritter-ish narrator is Hazie Coogan, who for decades has tended to the outsized needs of Katherine “Miss Kathie” Kenton-veteran of multiple marriages, career comebacks, and cosmetic surgeries. But danger arrives with gentleman caller Webster Carlton Westward III, who worms his way into Miss Kathie’s heart (and boudoir). Hazie discovers that this bounder has already written a celebrity tell-all memoir foretelling Miss Kathie’s death in a forthcoming Lillian Hellman-penned musical extravaganza; as the body count mounts, Hazie must execute a plan to save Katherine Kenton for her fans-and for posterity.

Tell-All is funny, subversive, and fascinatingly clever. It’s wild, it’s wicked, it’s bold-faced-it’s vintage Chuck.

Innocent by Scott Turow

Available May 4, 2010 (Order on Amazon)

From the publisher:

The sequel to the genre-defining, landmark bestseller Presumed Innocent, INNOCENT continues the story of Rusty Sabich and Tommy Molto who are, once again, twenty years later, pitted against each other in a riveting psychological match after the mysterious death of Rusty’s wife.

The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ by Philip Pullman

Available May 4, 2010 (Order on Amazon)

From the publisher:

The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ is the remarkable new piece of fiction from best-selling and famously atheistic author Philip Pullman. By challenging the events of the gospels, Pullman puts forward his own compelling and plausible version of the life of Jesus, and in so doing, does what all great books do: makes the reader ask questions.
In Pullman’s own words, “The story I tell comes out of the tension within the dual nature of Jesus Christ, but what I do with it is my responsibility alone. Parts of it read like a novel, parts like history, and parts like a fairy tale; I wanted it to be like that because it is, among other things, a story about how stories become stories.”
Written with unstinting authority, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ is a pithy, erudite, subtle, and powerful book by a controversial and beloved author. It is a text to be read and reread, studied and unpacked, much like the Good Book itself.

Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin

Available May 11, 2010 (Order on Amazon)

From the publisher:

Tessa Russo is the mother of two young children and the wife of a renowned pediatric surgeon. Despite her own mother’s warnings, Tessa has recently given up her career to focus on her family and the pursuit of domestic happiness. From the outside, she seems destined to live a charmed life.

Valerie Anderson is an attorney and single mother to six-year-old Charlie–a boy who has never known his father. After too many disappointments, she has given up on romance–and even to some degree, friendships–believing that it is always safer not to expect too much.

Although both women live in the same Boston suburb, the two have relatively little in common aside from a fierce love for their children. But one night, a tragic accident causes their lives to converge in ways no one could have imagined.

In alternating, pitch-perfect points of view, Emily Giffin creates a moving, luminous story of good people caught in untenable circumstances. Each being tested in ways they never thought possible. Each questioning everything they once believed. And each ultimately discovering what truly matters most.

Fever Dream by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Available May 11, 2010 (Order on Amazon)

From the publisher:

Yesterday, Special Agent Pendergast still mourned the loss of his beloved wife, Helen, who died in a tragic accident in Africa twelve years ago.

Today, he discovers she was murdered.

Tomorrow, he will learn her most guarded secrets, leaving him to wonder: Who was the woman I married? Why was she murdered? And, above all . . . Who murdered her?

FEVER DREAM

Revenge is not sweet: It is essential.

61 Hours by Lee Child

Available May 18, 2010 (Order on Amazon)

From the publisher:

Jack Reacher is back.

The countdown has begun. Get ready for the most exciting 61 hours of your life. #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Child’s latest thriller is a ticking time bomb of suspense that builds electric tension on every page.

Sixty-one hours. Not a minute to spare.

A tour bus crashes in a savage snowstorm and lands Jack Reacher in the middle of a deadly confrontation. In nearby Bolton, South Dakota, one brave woman is standing up for justice in a small town threatened by sinister forces. If she’s going to live long enough to testify, she’ll need help. Because a killer is coming to Bolton, a coldly proficient assassin who never misses.

Reacher’s original plan was to keep on moving. But the next 61 hours will change everything. The secrets are deadlier and his enemies are stronger than he could have guessed-but so is the woman whose life he’ll risk his own to save.

In 61 Hours, Lee Child has written a showdown thriller with an explosive ending that readers will talk about for a long time to come.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson

Available May 25, 2010 (Order on Amazon)

From the publisher:

The stunning third and final novel in Stieg Larsson’s internationally best-selling trilogy

Lisbeth Salander-the heart of Larsson’s two previous novels-lies in critical condition, a bullet wound to her head, in the intensive care unit of a Swedish city hospital. She’s fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she’ll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three murders. With the help of her friend, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, she will not only have to prove her innocence, but also identify and denounce those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. And, on her own, she will plot revenge-against the man who tried to kill her, and the corrupt government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life.

Once upon a time, she was a victim. Now Salander is fighting back.

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham

Available May 25, 2010 (Order on Amazon)

From the publisher:

A perfect murder
A faceless witness
A lone courtroom champion knows the whole truth . . . and he’s only thirteen years old
Meet Theodore Boone

In the small city of Strattenburg, there are many lawyers, and though he’s only thirteen years old, Theo Boone thinks he’s one of them. Theo knows every judge, policeman, court clerk-and a lot about the law. He dreams of being a great trial lawyer, of a life in the courtroom.

But Theo finds himself in court much sooner than expected. Because he knows so much-maybe too much-he is suddenly dragged into the middle of a sensational murder trial. A cold-blooded killer is about to go free, and only Theo knows the truth.

The stakes are high, but Theo won’t stop until justice is served.

Brimming with the intrigue and suspense that made John Grisham a #1 international bestseller and the undisputed master of the legal thriller, Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer will keep readers guessing and pages turning.