Pugad Baboy 22

May Pugad Baboy 22 na!

Lampas isang taon na rin nung nilabas yung 21. Ang theme naman ng cover ngayon e Costume Party. Mula comics hanggang movie characters kinosplay nila. Tignan nyo kung sino yung mga ginagaya nila:

Astig talaga ni PMJR.

Syempre walang pinagbago 'to sa mga naunang Pugad Baboy. Puno na naman ng mga antics ng mga residente ng pugad. Marami ring topics na nauso this past year na hinaluan ng humor gaya ni Manny Pacquiao, pati Road Rage, Swine Flu, hanggang kay Michael Jackson.

Syempre 22 lahat ng characters sa cover.

Yun nga lang, wala na namang story arc sa Pugad Baboy 22. Abangan na lang natin kung may Sunday Comics 3, baka meron. Sa mga magtatanong, P180 ang bili ko sa National Bookstore. Sa Trinoma ko pa lang sya nakita. Pero malamang meron na rin sa ibang bookstore.

P.S.

Bilin nyo naman yung mga comics, wag nyong buksan at sa bookstore na lang basahin. Malulugi sila nyan baka hindi na sila magbenta. Haha! XD

The Lost Hero

I can't even remember when or how I found out about this book. All I know is that I wanted to read it since I've found out about it. This is the first book of The Heroes of Olympus, the sequel series to the bestselling Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, so yeah, the two are heavily connected.

Synopsis:

What better way to give the synopsis than having Riordan tell it himself.

Here's the sneak peek. So Jason wakes up in a bus on the way to a school field trip with Piper, claiming to be his girlfriend, and Leo, who was supposed to be his best friend. (I wonder if Riordan ever watched Charmed. It's Piper and Leo, come on!) Anyway, just like in the first series, an undercover satyr, Coach Hedge, was scouting for possible demigods, and he found these three. They had their first encounter with the Greek mythology world when they were attacked by a monster at the Grand Canyon Skywalk, and they eventually ended up in Camp Half Blood in New York.

As expected, the three were granted a quest. Along this quest, Jason gradually picks up pieces of his memory and his purpose; Piper deals inner conflicts brought about by her bad dreams; and Leo struggles with his past. And of course, they meet and beat up (most of the time) monsters, mortals, demigods, and gods from Greek (and Roman) mythology.

Official artwork and book cover for The Lost Hero

Review:

The Lost Hero is the longest of Riordan's books so far. It's twice as long as the Sea of Monsters, and they traveled to more places than The Battle of the Labyrinth. They rode that metal dragon above from Quebec, Canada, to closed down car shops in Detroit, to an underground department store in Chicago, even to a gold mansion in Omaha. They also went to Pikes Peak in Colorado, Mount Diablo in California, and Sonoma Valley.

The book is packed with action and adventure. Of course, the three heroes have special powers related to their Olympian parent. However, Piper and Leo each have a rare power that even their siblings don't have. Each of them have a special unique weapon, just like Percy's Riptide and Annabeth's cap. Jason has a coin that turns into a sword or a spear, Piper has a mirror-like dagger that shows more than the looker's reflection, and Leo has a tool belt that gives him anything he asks for.

Jason, Piper, and Leo with their weapons

Early on, we see that there are a lot of Roman mythology references, despite the Greek theme of the first series. This means that the Big Three: Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades were also referred as Jupiter, Neptune, and Pluto. And it's obvious that this will be a major part of the series, along with the great prophecy given in The Last Olympian.

I really love how this book turned out. The writing, I think, is better than the first series, as it shifts between Jason, Piper, and Leo's points of view; and it's in third person so it won't be confusing. I think the writing style grows up with its readers, which also means that the hilariously named chapters are now gone. How sad. Hehe.

Just as any decent sequel, this one improves upon what Percy Jackson has started. Anyone who loved Percy will greatly enjoy this new series. I know I did.

Artemis Fowl Series

I was so hooked in this series that I read the first seven in just a month. I got curious enough when I read the synopsis at the back of the sixth book. The idea of a genius teenage criminal mastermind going back in time to face his ten year old self was just a great formula for a story. But to get there, I had to read the previous five. I’m glad I did. It was great.

Synopsis:

Artemis Fowl II is a twelve year old genius who inherited his criminal mastermind status when his father went missing, presumed dead, on a way to a business deal in Russia. His mother has refused to accept her husband’s death and has lost her sanity. Now, Artemis has taken over determined to keep his family business alive.

One of his biggest projects: Fairies. He was young enough to believe in them and has a brilliant mind and resources to do something about it. He ventured in this all new world when he abducts Captain Holly Short, a Lower Elements Police officer for several tons of fairy gold. And the story begins.

Along the next books of the series, Artemis’s and Holly’s paths cross and joins together, most of the time trying to prevent an incident that would lead to the exposure of the fairy world to the human one. From a goblin rebellion, to arctic expeditions, to a stolen gadget that can expose fairy magic, to surviving an elaborate revenge plot, to saving an entire society, and even time travelling; Artemis’s genius and Holly’s magic had faced them all.

The series actually has a music video. How cool is that?

Review:

Artemis starts out as an anti-hero. He’s the bad guy. But he’s not evil. He’s just a genius teenage criminal mastermind. Of course, we all know that he’ll turn out to be a good guy, but just when it seems that he’ll be going straight, something happens that makes him do bad things again.

The fairy thing might be a turn off for some, but the fairies in this series are very different from the ones you're thinking about. No, the fairies here are bad-ass. Underground cities, with different species like dwarves, goblins, elves, sprites, and even demons. Their technologies are centuries more advanced than humans, and their magic (even with limits) are a big help too.

Artemis and Holly in The Time Paradox

The action scenes in this series are battled with advanced fairy weapons, from laser guns, to invisibility cloaks, to anti-gravity belts. Of course, the mind games, elaborate plans, quick thinking, and outsmarting the enemies are Artemis’s forte; and he even has Butler, virtually the best bodyguard in the world.

The great thing about the series is that each book has its own main story. No cliffhangers. There are no prophecies and destinies to be fulfilled, which is typically how a series ends. Every time you finish a book, you won’t wonder what would happen next, as if the series could just end then and there. My favorite so far is The Lost Colony, as it has events and twists unfolding one after the other and the heavy personal consequences for Artemis up to the bittersweet ending.

One of my favorite book series. A must read indeed.