I resisted reading the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series when it first came out (2005) because I don’t like Greek mythology. And when the first movie came out (2010) I still resisted it, because of the mythology thing. I assumed it would be boring.

I never opened The Lightning Thief until recently, when I decided to find out why this is a best seller among middle grades children’s books. If I had read the first three sentences years ago, I would have been hooked:

“Look, I didn’t want to be a half-blood.

“If you’re reading this because you think you might be one, my advice is: close the book right now. Believe whatever lie your mom or dad told you about your birth, and try to lead a normal life.”

That might be the best opening in the history of literature.

Percy Jackson is twelve years old. He’s been expelled from every boarding school he’s ever attended (roughly, every year), because strange things happen around him, things he always gets blamed for. At the end of sixth grade, his current school informs him that he’s not invited back for the next term. He has a tough time getting home, and when he does, his mother senses that he is in danger, and insists on taking him to a special summer camp for his own safety. Sorry if this sounds sketchy. I am skipping over a lot of details because I don’t want to spoil them for you.

While at summer camp, he learns his true parentage, finds out he’s been falsely accused of a crime, and is sent on a quest to find Zeus’s missing master lightning bolt and return it to Mount Olympus. In ten days. Otherwise, war will break out among the gods.

This book has it all. Weird encounters that don’t get explained until later. People who are not what they seem to be. Strange creatures. Mythological history. Danger and suspense. Friendships and betrayals. And through it all, humor.

I can see most kids really enjoying The Lightning Thief. Reading it as an adult, I was on the edge of my seat. Rick Riordan keeps this novel moving along at a fast pace. His characters are multi-faceted and likeable (except for the villains, understandably), seemingly ordinary (or seemingly handicapped) kids who accomplish things that adults would find challenging and life-threatening. The Lightning Thief deserves its reputation as one of the best books for middle grades. That’s high praise from someone who does not like mythology.

Game On by Janet Evanovich is the 28th installment in the Stephanie Plum series. Stephanie is a fugitive apprehension agent (bounty hunter) tasked this time with finding a dangerous international hacker.

You’d think this would be an action/suspense kind of a novel, and it is some of that, but mostly it’s a hoot. Whenever I read a Stephanie Plum book, I have five expectations. One, that Stephanie’s current car will blow up. Two, that her sidekick, Lula, will pull out her gun at some point with unfortunate/hilarious results. Three, that Stephanie will accompany her Grandma Mazur to a viewing at the local funeral home. Four, that Stephanie will have a romantic interlude with either with cop Joe Morelli or security specialist Ranger. Five, that I will laugh out loud at least once.

An added bonus for me is that the action takes place in Trenton, NJ. 38 years ago Greg and I lived not far from Trenton. Two of our kids were born there. So I recognize some of the locations Evanovich uses in her books.

This time, another apprehension agent, Diesel, is also looking for the murderous hacker, Oswald Wednesday. Stephanie doesn’t know if she and Diesel should partner up or compete with one another to find Wednesday first. I won’t tell you if they get their man.

About my expectations. I ticked off all 5.

Game On is not profound. But it is a fun read.