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Percy Jackson & the Olympians
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Percy Jackson & the Olympians is a series of adventure and fantasy books authored by Rick Riordan. It follows Percy Jackson (who narrates the series), a twelve year old who learns that he is the son of the Greek god Poseidon.
Percy Jackson & the Olympians[edit]
The Lightning Thief (2005)[edit]
-"thanks, thanks a lot sir for reminding me" -but I think it is better to die for the proper and complete transmission
The Sea of Monsters (2006)[edit]
- "He's a monster, lord!"
"He's a son of Poseidon. Just like... well, just like me."
"No! Monster! Horse-eater! Not trusted!"
"I'll give you sugar cubes at the end of the race."
"Sugar cubes?"
"Very big sugar cubes. And apples. Did I mention the apples?"
- Percy Jackson and his Chariot horses, 6: "Demon Pigeons Attack", p. 78
- "I told Tantalus to go chase a doughnut."
- Percy Jackson, 7: "I Accept Gifts From A Stranger", p. 85
- "The real story of the Fleece: there were these two children of Zeus, Cadmus and Europa, okay? They were about to get offered up as human sacrifices, when they prayed to Zeus to save them. So Zeus sent this magical flying ram with golden wool, which picked them up in Greece and carried them all the way to Colchis in Asia Minor. Well, actually it carried Cadmus. Europa fell off and died along the way, but that's not important."
"It was probably important to her."
- Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson, 7: "I Accept Gifts From A Stranger", p. 86
- Hermes gazed up at the stars. "My dear young cousin, if there's one thing I've learned over the eons, it's that you can't give up on your family, no matter how tempting they make it. It doesn't matter if they hate you, or embarrass you, or simply don't appreciate your genius for inventing the Internet--"
- Hermes, 7: "I Accept Gifts From A Stranger", p. 104
- Everywhere we went, dead Confederate sailors stared at us, their ghostly bearded faces shimmering over their skulls. They approved of Annabeth because she told them she was from Virginia.
- Percy Jackson, 11: "Clarisse Blows Everything Up", p. 148
- "Before I could figure out how to apologize for being such an idiot, she tackled me with a hug, then pulled away just as quickly. "I'm glad you're not a guinea pig."
"Me, too." I hoped my face wasn't as red as it felt.
- Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson, 12: "We Check In To C.C's Spa & Resort", p. 183
- "What Luke told you back on the Princess Andromeda, about starting the world from scratch.. that really got to you, huh?"
"My fatal flaw. That's what the Sirens showed me. My fatal flaw is hubris."
"That brown stuff they spread on veggie sandwiches?"
"No, Seaweed Brain. That's hummus. Hubris is worse."
"What could be worse than hummus?"
"Hubris means deadly pride, Percy. Thinking you can do things better than anyone else... even the gods."
- Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase, 13: "Annabeth Tries To Swim Home", p. 199
- "Don't you ever feel like, what if the world realy is messed up? What if we could do it all over again from scratch? No more war. Nobody homeless. No more summer reading homework."
"I'm listening."
"I mean, the West represents a lot of the best things mankind ever did-that's why the fire is still burning. That's why Olympus is still around. But sometimes you just see the bad stuff, you know? And you start thinking the way Luke does: 'If I could tear this all down, I would do it better.' Don't you ever feel that way? Like you could do a better job if you ran the world?"
"Um... no. Me running the world would kind of be a nightmare."
- Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson, 13: "Annabeth Tries To Swim Home", p. 199
- "I'm just a kid Chiron. What good is one lousy hero against something like Kronos?"
"What good is one lousy hero? Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain said something like to me once, just before he single-handedly changed the course of your Civil War."
- Percy Jackson and Chiron, 18: "The Pary Ponies Invade", p. 252
- "Families are messy. Immortal families are eternally messy. Sometimes the best we can do is to remind each other that we're related for better or for worse...and try to keep the maiming and killing to a minimum."
- Hermes, 19: "The Chariot Race Ends With A Bang", p. 258
- Damn it, Jackson. Do you have any idea how hard Colchis bulls are to come by?
-Luke Castellan Luke is a Betrayer
The Titan's Curse (2007)[edit]
- "It's okay, Ms. Jackson." Annabeth smiled reassuringly. Her blond hair was tucked into a ski cap and her gray eyes were the same color as the ocean. "We'll keep him out of trouble."
Mom seemed to relax a little. She thinks Annabeth is the most levelheaded demigod ever to hit eighth grade. She's sure Annabeth often keeps me from getting killed. She's right, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.
- 1: "My Rescue Operation Goes Very Wrong"
- "Hey, can I see that sword you were using?"
I showed him Riptide, and explained how it turned from a pen into a sword just by uncapping it.
"Cool! Does it ever run out of ink?"
"Um, well, I don't actually write with it."
"Are you really the son of Poseidon?"
"Well, yeah."
"Can you surf really well, then?"
I looked at Grover, who was trying hard not to laugh.
"Jeez, Nico," I said. "I've never really tried."
He went on asking questions. Did I fight a lot with Thalia, since she was a daughter of Zeus? (I didn't answer that one.) If Annabeth's mother was Athena, the goddess of wisdom, then why didn't Annabeth know better than to fall off a cliff? (I tried not to strangle Nico for asking that one.) Was Annabeth my girlfriend? (At this point, I was ready to stick the kid in a meat-flavored sack and throw him to the wolves.)"
- 3: "Bianca Di Angelo Makes A Choice"
- "Wow," Thalia muttered. "Apollo's hot."
"He's the sun god," I said.
"That's not what I meant."
- 4: "Thalia Torches New England"
- "I don't have much time," my mom said. "Percy, whatever you decide, I love you. And I know you'll do what's best for Annabeth."
"How can you be sure?"
"Because she'd do the same for you."
- 7: "Everybody Hates Me But The Horse"
- "This is why I don't use mortals. They are unreliable."
"They are weak-minded, easily bought, and violent. I love them."
- Luke Castellan and 'The General', 9: "I Learn How to Grow Zombies"
- "Grover was sniffing the wind, looking nervous. He fished out his acorns and threw them into the sand, then played his pipes.
They rearranged themselves in a pattern that made no sense to me, but Grover looked concerned.
"That's us," he said. "Those five nuts right there."
"Which one is me?" I asked.
"The little deformed one," Zoe suggested.
"Oh, shut up."
- 13: "We Visit The Junkyard Of The Gods"
- "Well then, why are you on this quest?"
"Artemis has been captured."
"Oh, Artemis. Please. Talk about a hopeless case. I mean, if they were going to kidnap a goddess, she should be breathtakingly beautiful, don't you think? I pity the poor dears who have to imprison Artemis. Bo-ring!"
"But she was chaing a monster. A really, really bad monster. We have to find it!"
"Always some monster. But my dear Percy, that is why the others are on this quest. I'm more interested in you.
"Annabeth is in trouble."
"I have to help her"
- Aphrodite and Percy Jackson, 13: "We Visit The Junkyard Of The Gods"
- There is always a way out for those clever enough to find it."
- Athena, 14: I Have A Dam Problem (p. 211)
- "I don't know," she admitted. "But thank you for rescuing me."
"Hey, no big deal. We're friends."
"You didn't believe I was dead?"
- 18: "A Friend Says Good-bye"
- "I will not have a sea creature destroyed, if I can help it. And I can help it."
- Poseidon, 19: "The Gods Vote On How To Kill Us", p. 293
- "In each case, your loved ones have been used to lure you into Kronos's traps. Your fatal flaw is personal loyalty, Percy. To save a friend, you would sacrafice the world."
- Athena, 19: "The Gods Vote On How To Kill Us", p. 298
- "I'll fill you in later," Chiron said with forced cheerfulness. "The important thing is you have prevailed. And you saved Annabeth!"
Annabeth smiled at me gratefully, which made me look away.
- 20: "I Get A New Enemy For Christmas"
The Battle of the Labyrinth (2008)[edit]
- "You are okay?" he asked. "Not eaten by monsters?"
"Not even a little bit." I showed him that I still had both arms and both legs, and Tyson clapped happily.
"Yay!" he said. "Now we can eat peanut butter sandwiches and ride fish ponies! We can fight monsters and see Annabeth and make things go BOOM!"
I hoped he didn't mean all at the same time, but I told him absolutely, we'd have a lot of fun this summer.
- 2: "The Underworld Sends Me a Prank Call"
- "I didn't think-. Well, I didn't think you liked heroes."
"Because of that little spat I had with Hercules? Honestly, I get so much bad press because of one disagreement."
"Didn't you try to kill him, like, a lot of times?"
"Water under the bridge, my dear. Besides, he was one of my loving husband's children by another woman. My patience wore thin, I'll admit it."
- Annabeth and Hera, 6: "We Meet The God With Two Faces"
- "Percy, I was kidding myself. All that planning and reading, I don't have a clue where we're going."
"You're doing great. Besides, we never know what we're doing. It always works out. Remember Circe's island?"
"You made a cute guinea pig."
"And Waterland, how you got us thrown off that ride?"
"I got us thrown off? That was totally your fault!"
"See? It'll be fine."
- Percy and Annabeth, 8: "We Visit The Demon Dude Ranch", p. 126
- She looked like she was ready for a fight. Her fists were balled, but I thought I heard a quiver in her voice. Suddenly I realized that despite her angry attitude, she was afraid of me. She probably thought I was going to fight her control of the river, and she was worried she would lose.
The thought made me sad. I felt like a bully, a son of Poseidon throwing his weight around.
I sat down on a tree stump. "Okay, you win."
- Percy Jackson to a River Naiad, 9: "I Scoop Poop", p. 151
- "New lesson class," I announced. "Most monsters will vaporize when sliced with a celestial bronze sword. This change is perfectly normal, and will happen to you right now if you don't BACK OFF!"
- 11: " I Set Myself on Fire"
- "Be careful of love. It'll twist your brain around and leave you thinking up is down and right is wrong."
- Hephastus, 12: "I Take a Permanent Vacation", p.220
- "It isn't easy being a brilliant inventor. Always alone. Always misunderstood. Easy to turn bitter, make horrible mistakes. People are more difficult to work with than machines. And when you break a person, he can't be fixed."
- Hephastus, 12: "I Take a Permanent Vacation", p.221
- "You deal with mythological stuff for a few years, you learn that paradises are usually places where you get killed."
- 12: "I Take a Permanent Vacation"
- Annabeth stood still as a statue. She could've said thank you. She could've promised to throw some barbeque on the brazier for Hera and forget the whole thing. But she clenched her jaw stubbornly. She looked just the way she had when she faced the Sphinx-like she wasn't going to accept an easy answer, even if it got her in serious trouble. I realized that was one of the things I liked best about Annabeth.
- Percy Jackson, 19: "The Council Gets Cloven", p. 350
- My mother made a squeaking sound that might've been either "Yes" or "Help".
Poseidon took it as a yes and came in.
Paul was looking back and forth between us, trying to read our expressions. Finally he stepped forward. "Hi, I'm Paul Blofis."
Poseidon raised an eyebrow and then shook his hand. "Blowfish, did you say?"
"Ah, no. Blofis, actually."
"Oh, I see," Poseidon said. "A shame. I quite like blowfish. I am Poseidon."
"Poseidon? That's an interesting name."
"Yes, I like it. I've gone by other names, but I do prefer Poseidon."
"Like the god of the sea."
"Very much like that, yes"
"Well!" My mother interrupted. "Um, were so glad you could drop by. Paul, this is Percy's father."
"Ah." Paul nodded, though he didn't look real pleased. "I see."
Poseidon smiled at me. "There you are, my boy. And Tyson, hello, son!"
"Daddy!" Tyson [shouted] […]
Paul's jaw dropped. He stared at my mother. "Tyson is..."
"Not mine," she promised. "It's a long story."
- 20: "My Birthday Party Takes a Dark Turn", p. 354
- "Dad, when I was in the maze, I met Antaeus. He said... well, he said he was your favorite son. He decorated his arena with skulls and-"
"He dedicated them to me. And you are wondering how someone could do something so horrible in my name. Percy, lesser beings do many horrible things in the name of the gods. That does not mean we gods approve it. The way our sons and daughters act in our names... well it usually says more about them than it does about us. And you, Percy, are my favorite son."
- Percy and Posiedon, 20: "My Birthday Party Takes a Dark Turn", p. 357
The Last Olympian (2009)[edit]
- "Please, man," I said. "It would mean a lot. For old times' sake?"
He whimpered. "As I recall, in the old times we almost died a lot. But okay, here goes nothing."
- "With great power... comes great need to take a nap. Wake me up later."
- p. 132
- "With great power... comes great need to take a nap. Wake me up later."
- p. 132
- Annabeth ran in right behind him, and I'll admit my heart did a little relay race in my chest when I saw her. It's not that she tried to look good. We'd been doing so many combat missions lately, she hardly brushed her curly blond hair any more, and she didn't care what clothes she was wearing - usually the same old orange camp T-shirt and jeans, and once in a while her bronze armour. Her eyes were stormy grey. Most of the time we couldn't get through a conversation without trying to strangle each other. Still, just seeing her made me feel fuzzy in the head. Last summer, before Luke turned into Kronos and everything went sour, there had been a few times when I thought maybe... well, that we might get past the strangle-each-other phase.
- p. 46
- Annabeth wiped a tear from her cheek. "I'm glad you're not dead, Seaweed Brain."
"Thanks," I said. "Me too."
- p. 48
- Annabeth had a make out with percy knowing every one was looking
- I found myself staring at her, which was stupid since I'd seen her a billion times. She and I were about the same height this summer, which was a relief. Still, she seemed so much more mature. It was kind of intimidating. I mean, sure, she'd always been cute, but she was starting to be seriously beautiful.
- p. 62
- I was losing the fight. The pain was too much. My hands and feet were melting into the water, my soul was being ripped from my body. I couldn't remember who I was. The pain of Kronos's scythe had been nothing compared to this.
The cord, a familiar voice said. Remember your lifeline, dummy!
Suddenly there was a tug at my lower back. The current pulled at me, but it wasn't carrying me away any more. I imagined the string in my back keeping me tied to the shore.
"Hold on, Seaweed Brain." It was Annabeth's voice, much clearer now. "You're not getting away from me that easily."
The cord strengthened.
- Percy Jackson after falling into the River Styx, 8: "I Take The Worst Bath Ever", p. 136
- In a flash I understood what had happened. He'd been trying to stab me. Judging from the position of his blade, he would've taken me - maybe by sheer luck - in the small of my back, my only weak point.
Annabeth had intercepted the knife with her own body.
- Percy Jackson, 18: "We Break A Bridge", p. 190
- "So... You had the courage to visit the Styx. I had to pressure Luke in many ways to convince him. If only you had supplied my host body instead... But no matter. I am still more powerful. I am a TITAN!!
- Kronos, 18: "We Break A Bridge", p. 191
- "You're cute when you get worried, your eyebrows get all scrunched together."
"You are not going to die while I owe you a favour. Why did you take that knife?"
"You would've done the same for me."
It was true. I guess we both knew it.
- Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson, 12: "Rachel Makes a Bad Deal", p. 199
- "How did you know?"
"Know what?"
"My Achilles spot. If you hadn't taken that knife, I would've died."
"I don't know, Percy. I just had this feeling you were in danger. Where... where is the spot?"
I wasn't supposed to tell anyone. But this was Annabeth. If I couldn't trust her, I couldn't trust anyone.
"The small of my back."
"Where? Here?"
She put her hand on my spine, and my skin tingled. I moved her fingers to the one spot that grounded me to my mortal life. A thousand volts of electricity seemed to arc through my body.
"You saved me. Thanks."
She removed her hand, but I kept holding it.
"So you owe me. What else is new?"
- Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase, 12: "Rachel Makes a Bad Deal", p. 199
- "You know what would help this boy? Farming."
"Six months behind a plough. Excellent character building."
- Demeter and Persephone, 15: "We Get Help From a Thief", p.281
- Well...sure good to be together again. Arguing. Almost dying. Abject terror. Oh, look. It's our floor.
- Grover, 17: "I Sit On the Hot Seat", p. 302
- I picked up the jar. The spirit of Hope fluttered inside, trying to warm the cold container.
"Hestia, I give this to you as an offering."
"I am the least of the gods. Why would you trust me with this?"
"You're the last Olympian. And the most important."
"And why is that, Percy Jackson?"
"Because Hope survives best at the hearth. Guard it for me and I won't be tempted to give up again."
- Percy Jackson and Hestia, 17: "I Sit On the Hot Seat", p. 308
- My son here convinced me that perhaps I should prioritize my list of enemies. As much as I dislike certain upstart demigods, it would not do for Olympus to fall. I would miss bickering with my siblings. And if there is one thing we agree on-it is that you were a TERRIBLE father.
- Hades, 18: "My Parents Go Commando", p.316
- "I wouldn't worry too much. The last Great Prophecy about you took almost seventy years to complete. This one may not even happen in your lifetime."
"Maybe, but it didn't sound so good."
"No. It certainly didn't. She's going to make a wonderful Oracle!"
- Apollo and Percy Jackson, 22: "I Am Dumped", p. 369
- "She raised an eyebrow. "You got something to say to me, Seaweed Brain?"
"You'd probably kick my butt."
"You know I'd kick your butt."
I brushed the cake off my hands. "When I was at the River Styx, turning invulnerable . . . Nico said I had to concentrate on one thing that kept me anchored to the world, that made me want to stay mortal."
Annabeth kept her eyes on the horizon. "Yeah?"
"Then up on Olympus," I said, "when they wanted to make me a god and stuff, I kept thinking—"
"Oh, you so wanted to."
"Well, maybe a little. But I didn't, because I thought—I didn't want things to stay the same for eternity, because things could always get better. And I was thinking . . ." My throat felt really dry.
"Anyone in particular?" Annabeth asked, her voice soft.
I looked over and saw that she was trying not to smile.
"You're laughing at me," I complained.
"I am not!"
"You are so not making this easy."
Then she laughed for real, and she put her hands around my neck. "I am never, ever going to make things easy for you, Seaweed Brain. Get used to it."
- Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson, 22: "I Am Dumped", p.373
- "You're still my best friend."
He grinned. "Except for Annabeth."
"That's different."
"Yeah," he agreed. "It sure is."
- Percy Jackson and Grover, 23: "We Say Goodbye, Sort Of", p. 377
The Heroes of Olympus[edit]
The Lost Hero (2010)
- "So we call the Gods by their Greek names because that's their original form. But saying their Roman aspects are exactly the same-that's not true. In Rome, they became more warlike. They didn't mingle with mortals as much. They became harsher, more powerful-the Gods of an empire."
"Like the dark side of the gods?"
"Not exactly. They stood for discipline, honor, strength-"
- Clovis and Annabeth, VIII: Jason, p.105
- You named him Festus? You know that in Latin, 'festus' means 'happy'? You want us to ride off to save the world on Happy the Dragon?
- Jason Grace, XVI: Piper, p. 188
- "I'm the son of Jupiter! I'm a child of Rome, consul to demigods, praetor of the First Legion. I slew the Trojan sea monster, I toppled the black throne of Kronos and and destroyed the Titan Krios with my own hands. And now I'm going to destroy you, Porphyrion, and feed you to your own wolves."
- Jason Grace, L:Jason, p.510
- "He called us...what, demigods?" "Don't know what demi means, but I'm not feeling too godly. You guys feeling godly?"
The Son of Neptune (2011)[edit]
- A street sign labeled the road to the main gate as VIA PRAETORIA. The other road, cutting across the middle of camp, was labeled VIA PRINCIPALIS. Under those markers were hand-painted signs like BERKELEY 5 MILES; NEW ROME 1 MILE; OLD ROME 7280 MILES; HADES 2310 MILES (pointing straight down); RENO 208 MILES; and CERTAIN DEATH: YOU ARE HERE!
- Percy Jackson, III: Percy, p. 32
- Until that morning, her brother Nico had been the most powerful demigod she knew. The others at Camp Jupiter saw him as a traveling oddball, about as harmless as the fauns. Hazel knew better. She hadn't grown up with Nico, hadn't even known him very long. But she knew Nico was more dangerous than Reyna, or Octavian, or maybe even Jason.
Then she'd met Percy.
At first, when she saw him stumbling up the highway with the old lady in his arms, Hazel had thought he might be a god in disguise. Even though he was beat up, dirty, and stooped with exhaustion, he'd had an aura of power.
- Hazel Levesque, V: Hazel, p. 61
- "Pluto's cool. It's not his fault he runs the Underworld. He just got bad luck when the gods were dividing up the world, you know? Jupiter got the sky, Neptune got the sea, and Pluto got the shaft."
- Frank Zhang, IX: Frank, p. 111
- "Banks can be robbed. Building can burn down. Strange things conspire when one tries to cheat fate."
- Grandmother Zhang, X: Frank, p. 124
- "There! A prophecy. You can add it to your books, engrave it on your floor, whatever."
"This says, 'Go to Alaska. Find Thanatos and free him. Come back by June twenty-fourth or die.'"
"Yes. Is that not clear?"
"Well, my lord... prophecies are usually unclear. They're wrapped in riddles. They rhyme, and..."
"The prophecy is clear! A quest!"
- Mars and Octavian, XII: Frank, p. 149
- "Oh, I'm strictly nonviolent. I can act in self-defense, but I won't be drawn into any more Olympian aggression, thank you very much. I've been reading about Buddhism. And Taoism. I haven't decided between them."
"But... Aren't you a Greek goddess?"
"Don't try to put me in a box, demigod! I'm not defined by my past."
- Iris and Hazel Levesque, XXI: Frank, p. 240
- "What are these guys?" he whispered.
"Canadians," Percy said. Frank leaned away from him. "Excuse me?"
- Percy Jackson and Frank Zhang, XXXIV: Frank, p. 362
- "Your mom used to tell me this Chinese proverb. Eat bitter-"
"Eat bitter, taste sweet. I hate that proverb."
"But it's true. What do they call it these days-no pain, no gain? Same concept. You do the easy thing, the appealing thing, the peaceful thing, mostly it turns out sour in the end. But if you take the hard path-ah, that's how you reap the sweet rewards. Duty Sacrafice. They mean something."
- Mars and Frank Zhang, XXXIV: Frank, p. 363
- "Fair.. You'd be amazed how often I hear that word, Frank Zhang, and how meaningless it is. Is it fair that your life will burn so short and bright? Was it fair when I guided your mother to the Underworld? No. Not fair. And yet it was her time. There is no fairness in Death. If you free me, I will do my duty."
- Thanatos, god of Death, XLIV: Hazel, p. 447
The Mark of Athena (2012)[edit]
- Annabeth put her knee to Percy's chest. She pushed her forearm against his throat. She didn't care what the Romans thought. A white-hot lump of anger expanded in her chest-a tumor of worry and bitterness that she'd been carrying around since last autumn.
"If you ever leave me again," she said, her eyes stinging, "I swear to all the gods-"
Percy had the nerve to laugh. Suddenly the lump of heated emotions melted inside Annabeth.
"Consider me warned," Percy said. "I missed you, too."
- Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson, their first meeting in the series, II: Annabeth, p. 16
- He had no idea where the stereotype of dumb giggly blondes came from. Ever since he'd met Annabeth at the Grand Canyon last winter, when she'd marched toward him with that Give me Percy Jackson or I'll kill you expression, Leo thought of blondes as much too smart and much too dangerous.
- Leo Valdez, V: Leo, p. 52
- She loved the architecture here. The houses and gardens were very beautiful, very Roman. But she wondered why beautiful things had to be wrapped up with evil history. Or was it the other way around? Maybe the evil history made it necessary to build beautiful things, to mask the darker aspects.
- Annabeth Chase, XVIII: Annabeth, p. 229
- Hercules was a bitter, selfish jerk. He'd hurt too many people, and he wanted to keep on hurting them. Maybe he'd had some bad breaks. Maybe the gods had kicked him around. But that didn't excuse it. A hero couldn't control the gods, but he should be able to control himself.
- Piper McLean, XXVIII: Piper, p. 348
- Percy didn't feel powerful. The more heroic stuff he did, the more he realized how limited he was. He felt like a fraud. I'm not as great as you think., he wanted to warn his friends. His failures, like tonight, seemed to prove it. Maybe that's why he had started to fear suffocation. It wasn't so much drowning in the earth or the sea, but the feeling that was sinking into too many expectations, literally getting in over his head.
- Percy Jackson, XXXI: Percy, p. 379
- Annabeth thought she knew pain. She had fallen off the lava wall at Camp Half-Blood. She'd been stabbed in the arm with a poison blade on the Williamsburg Bridge. She had even held the weight of the sky on her shoulders.
But that was nothing compared to landing hard on her ankle.
- Annabeth Chase, XXXV: Annabeth, p. 420
- "Stay where I can see you."
"What are we, kids?"
"Kids are baby goats. They're cute, and they have redeeming social value. You are definitely not kids."
- Coach Gleeson Hedge and Jason Grace, XLI: Piper, p. 472
- "Percy, let me go. You can't pull me up."
His face was white with effort. She could see in his eyes that he knew it was hopeless.
- Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson, LI: Annabeth, p. 567
- Percy tightened his grip on Annabeth's wrist. His face was gaunt, scraped and bloody, his hair dusted with cobwebs, but when he locked eyes with her, she thought he had never looked more handsome.
"We're staying together," he promised. "You're not getting away from me. Never again."
Only then did she understand what would happen. A one-way trip. A very hard fall.
"As long as we're together."
- Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson, LI: Annabeth, p. 568
The House of Hades (2013)[edit]
- "Janus and his doorways. He would have you believe that all choices are black or white, yes or no, in or out. In fact, it's not that simple. Whenever you reach the crossroads, there are always at least three ways to go... four, if you count going backward.
- Hecate, IV: Hazel, p. 22
- "I'll succeed. And Hecate? I'm not choosing one of your paths. I'm making my own. We're going to find a way to stop Gaea. we're going to rescue our friends from Tartarus. We're going to keep the crew and the ship together, and we're going to stop Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood from going to war. We're going to do it all."
"Interesting. That would be magic worth seeing."
- Hazel Levesque and Hecate, IV: Hazel, p. 29
- "It's natural to feel fear. All great warriors are afraid. Only the stupid and the delusional are not. But you faced your fear, my son. You did what you had to do, like Horatious. This was your bridge, and you defended it.
- Mars, XX: Frank, p. 151
- Your beloved has unleashed a special curs-a bitter thought from someone you abandoned. You punished an innocent soul by leaving her behind in solitude. Now her most hateful wish has come to pass: Annabeth feels her despair. She, too, will perish alone and abandoned.
- The Arai, XXX: Percy, p. 235
- Oh, did you expect me to play fair? I am the God of love. I am never fair. [...]
"Is this guy Love or Death?"
"Ask your friends. Frank, Hazel, and Percy met my counterpart, Thanatos. We are not so different. Except Death is sometimes kinder.
- Cupid and Jason Grace, XXXVI: Jason, p. 285
- If this invisible guy was Love, Jason was beginning to think Love was overrated. He liked Piper's version better-considerate, kind, and beautiful. Aphrodite he could understand. Cupid seemed more like an enforcer.
- Jason Grace, XXXVI: Jason, p. 289
- "What have the demigods given you? They have erased your old self, everything you were. Titans and giants... we are meant to be the foes of the gods and their children. Are we not?"
"Then why did you heal the boy?"
"I have been wondering that myself. Perhaps because the girl goaded me, or perhaps... I find these two demigods intriguing. They are resilient to have made it so far. That is admirable. Still, how can we help them any further? It is not our fate."
"Perhaps. But... do you like our fate?"
"What a question. Does anyone like his fate?"
- Damasen and Bob/Iapetus, XL: Annabeth, p. 312
- Maybe love was no match for ice... but Piper had used it to wake a metal dragon. Mortals did superhuman feats in the name of love all the time. Mothers lifted cars to save their children. And Piper was more than just mortal. She was a demigod. A hero.
- Piper McLean, XLIV: Piper, p. 343
- "This took so long to make."
"You can't rush perfection."
"Yes, but will it work?"
"Getting out, no problem. But to get back I'll need Festus and-"
"Festus. My bronze dragon. Once I figure out how to rebuild him, I'll-"
"You told me about Festus. But what do you mean get back?"
"Well.. to get back here, duh. I'm sure I said that."
"You most definitely did not."
"I'm not gonna leave you here! After you helped me and everything? Of course I'm coming back."
- Calypso and Leo Valdez, LII: Leo, p. 401
- "I am the mother of all terrors! The Fates themselves! Hecate! Old Age! Pain! Sleep! Death! And all of the curses! Behld how newsworthy I am!"
- Nyx, LIII: Annabeth, p. 409
- "You remind of my own children, Jason Grace. You have blown from place to place. You are undecided. You change day to day. If you could turn the wind sock, which way would it blow?"
"Excuse me?"
"You say you need a navigator. You need my permission. I say you need neither. It is time to choose a direction. A wind that blows aimlessly is of no use to anyone."
- Auster and Jason Grace, LVIII: Jason, p. 433
- So what if he was a hero? So what if he did something brave? Evil was always here, regenerating, bubbling under the surface. Percy was no more than a minor annoyance to these immortal beings. They just had to out wait him.
- Percy Jackson, LXI: Percy, p. 452
- Okay, maybe monsters kept coming back forever. But so did demigods. Generation after generation, Camp Half-Blood had endured. And Camp Jupiter. Even separately, the two camps had survived. Now, if the Greeks and Romans could come together, they would be even stronger.
There was still hope.
- Percy Jackson, LXI: Percy, p. 453
- "Get in the elevator. I'll hold the button."
"Yeah, right! You promised, Seaweed Brain. We would not get separated! Ever again!"
"You're impossible!"
"Love you too!"
- Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase, LXX: Annabeth, p. 521
- Tartarus was in a class all by himself. He was more powerful than the gods or Titans. Demigods were nothing to him. If Percy charged to help Bob, he would squashed like an ant.
But Annabeth also knew that Percy wouldn't listen. He couldn't leave Bob to die alone. That just wasn't him-and that was one of the many reasons she loved him, even if he was an Olympian sized pain in the podex.
"We'll go together."
- Annabeth Chase, LXX: Annabeth, p. 527
The Blood of Olympus (2014)[edit]
- His mother's unkept promise was at the core of who he was. He'd built his whole life around the irratation of her words, like the grain of sand at the center of a pearl.
People lie. Promises are broken.
That was why, as much as it chafed him, Jason followed rules. He kept his promises. He never wanted to abandon anyone the way he'd been abandoned and lied to.
- Jason Grace, III: Jason, p. 31
- When she died, the words would probably be written on her tombstone: There were too many of them.
- Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano, VIII: Reyna, p. 79
- As always, the subject of Bianca lay between them like a loaded gun-deadly, easy to reach, impossible to ignore.
- Nico di Angelo, XIV: Nico, p. 148
- You could make even the most terrifying topic easier to talk about by framing it as something that happened to a couple of Cherokee hunters hundreds of years ago.
- Piper McLean, XVIII: Piper, p. 180
- "We're going to run out there together."
"Then what?"
"I have no idea."
"Gods, I hate it when you lead."
- Piper McLean and Annabeth Chase, XX: Piper, p. 206
- "You've got the wrong impression."
"You've got the wrong impression, if you think you can attack me and take me captive. Where are my friends?"
"Unharmed, right where you left them. Look, it's three to one and your hands are tied."
"You're right. Get another six of you in here and it might be a fair fight."
- Phoebe (A Hunter of Artemis) and Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano, XXII: Reyna, p. 219
- "My mother showed me the truth. I was fighting against my own nature, and it brought me nothing but misery. Giants are not meant to love mortals or gods. Gaea helped me accept what I am. Eventually we all must return home, Praetor. We must embrace our past, no matter how bitter and dark."
- Orion, XXIV: Reyna, p. 242
- "Atlantis?"
"That's a myth."
"Uh... don't we deal in myths?"
"No, I mean it's a made-up myth. Not, like, an actual true myth."
"So this is why Annabeth is the brains of the operation, then?"
"Shut up, Grace."
- Jason Grace and Percy Jackson, XXV: Jason, p. 253
- "You should've died for your crimes. That was the punishment. Instead you got exile. You should have stayed away. Your father Orcus may not approve of broken oaths. But my father Hades really doesn't approve of those who escape punishment."
That word didn't make sense to Nico. The Underworld had no mercy. It only had justice.
- Nico di Angelo and Bryce Lawrence, XXXI: Nico, p. 297
- "Talking to enemy statues now? Futile. You have roughly two minutes of life."
"Oh, but I don't abide by your time frame, giant. A Roman does not wait for death. She seeks it out, and meets it on her own terms."
- Orion and Reyna Avila Ramirez-Arellano, XXXIX: Reyna, p. 373
- Never assume you're safe, and never, ever tempt the Fates by announcing that you think you're safe.
- Piper McLean, XLI: Piper, p. 378
- "You're late."
"Sorry, Sunshine. Traffic was murder."
"You are covered with soot. And you managed to ruin the clothes I made for you, which were impossible to ruin."
"Well, you know. I'm all about doing the impossible."
- Calypso and Leo Valdez, LVIII: Leo, p. 500
See also[edit]
External links[edit]
- The Lightning Thief quotes analyzed; study guide with themes, character analyses, literary devices, teacher resources
- The Lightning Thief quotes at Percabeth World (also includes quotes from the other books)


text:
A new team at Google is aiming to be the cybersecurity superheroes of the Internet.
They're looking to exterminate those nasty computer bugs that let hackers and government spies sneak into our computers -- not just for Google, but for everyone.
The special team is called Google Project Zero. And whether you use products by Adobe (ADBE), Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT) or software most people don't know by name, the team is working on it.
"You should be able to use the Web without fear that a criminal or state-sponsored actor is exploiting software bugs to infect your computer, steal secrets or monitor your communications," Chris Evans, a Google researcher who's leading the new effort, wrote in a blog post.
Related story: Your Internet security relies on a few volunteers
Project Zero is made up of some of the world's smartest, well-intentioned hackers. They spend their days poking at holes in computer code we all rely on -- and making sure those holes get patched.
The Project Zero name comes from the very types of bugs they're trying to eliminate: "zero day" vulnerabilities, which are never-before-seen software flaws that hackers love to exploit.
When Google researchers discover flaws in another company's software, they'll quietly alert that firm. If nothing gets done soon, they'll go public with it on their blog. And if the bug is particularly critical, they'll put extra pressure on the company and try to develop an alternative themselves, Google (GOOG) told Wired, which first reported the story.
The team already spotted holes in Apple's iOS device software and Microsoft's malware protection program, and it got public nods from both.
Related: Cybersecurity: How safe are you?
There's clearly a need for this kind of help. Devastating bugs that undermine our privacy and financial safety have been found in little-supported, community-maintained software we all use. That was the problem that led to the Heartbleed bug in April and the similar Handshake bug in June.
Why the stroke of benevolence? Google says it's part of the company's all-around altruistic mission to make the world a better place. And ex-Google folks tell CNNMoney they back that up 100%.
But it's also good business.
"Google realized early on that what's good for the Internet is good for Google," said Shuman Ghosemajumder, an executive at cyberdefense firm Shape Security.
Related story: Chinese hackers broke into U.S. federal employee network
By creating Project Zero, Google is helping shoulder a burden presently carried by nonprofits. Groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation spot digital weaknesses that threaten online safety and develop privacy tools. But now those volunteers have help from a superpower -- with super money.
"The level of investment and resources, access to Google infrastructure and knowledge takes it to a completely different level," Ghosemajumder said.
Also, putting together a ragtag team of coding geniuses is a relatively small cost for Google compared to what it's getting.
"This gives Google the reputation of taking security seriously," said Jay Kaplan, an ex-NSA analyst who now leads the cybersecurity firm Synack.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Font Designer – Jill Pichotta
David Berlow in 1991, work that included projects for Rolling Stone, Esquire, Condé Nast Traveller, The New York Times, and Apple Computer. She has managed the production of retail releases since May 1993, and has made several contributions herself, including her first original typeface, HipHop. She continues to divide her time between various Retail, Custom and OEM projects. Since 1992 Ms. Pichotta has worked out of her home studio and enjoys living in a small New England seaside town north of Boston.


text:
Mike Shanahan will be the highest paid coach in the NFL this season, provided he doesn't actually coach anybody. Or talk to anybody. Yes, getting fired from a high-paying job is great work if you can get it.
Shanahan still had two years left on his contract with Denver when the team fired him in January, giving him plenty of time to golf with Steve Spurrier. Woody Paige reports—seriously, he actually reported it!—that Shanahan has a clause in that contract saying that he will continue to earn his $7 million salary, provided he doesn't find another coaching job or say anything in public that might disparage the Broncos. Geez, I would have spent a whole year not talking about the Broncos for half that!
Admittedly, it's very difficult to watch Kyle Orton quarterback any team without hurling a string of expletives at anyone within ear shot, but for that much cash I'm sure he'll manage. As long as Woody doesn't rat him out first.
He told a friend privately that the Broncos have added some talent, and he expects them to be better this year. He told another friend privately that the Broncos made a mistake by trading Cutler for Kyle Orton.
Shut up, old man! We're talking $7,000,000 here—don't you dare blow this!
Paige: Shanny enjoying time from the grind [Denver Post]
If Mike Shanahan stays quiet, he'll get $7 million this season [Shutdown Corner]


text:
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text:
2010 sees the 75th anniversary of DC Comics, which launched in February 1935 with the first issue of New Fun. Since then, it's gone on to publish some of the greatest comics ever. Here're seventy-five you really should've read already.
The Superman Chronicles Vol. 1
What is it? The first appearances of the world's first superhero.
Why you should read it: When it comes to historical importance, the origins of an entire genre seems like a kind of big deal, especially when that genre goes on to take over popular culture in all its forms.
The Batman Chronicles Vol. 1
What is it? The first appearances of DC's most popular character.
Why you should read it: Because they're the first appearances of Batman. Weren't you paying attention to what I said above? Also: Hello, historical significance, not to mention the chance to see how the original version of the character differs from his current incarnation(s).
All-Star Comics Archives Vol. 1
What is it? The first superhero team-ups ever published.
Why you should read it: To get a good idea about what superhero comics of the period were like, to see the first super-team in action (Or, sitting around a table telling each other stories, as the case may be), and for the "Oh, old-fashioned people!" amusement value of Wonder Woman being relegated to secretary because she's a woman.
The Spirit Archives Vol. 13
What is it? A collection of the classic newspaper strip that stretched the medium on a weekly basis by taking in influences from movies, pulp prose and anywhere creator Will Eisner could find them.
Why you should read it: Because even now, there's little with the verve and humanity of Eisner's Spirit when it's working well, and the 13th volume in particular features some classic material, including the first appearance of P'Gell, the strip's ultimate femme fatale.
The MAD Archives Vol. 1
What is it? The first six issues of the humor magazine, back when Harvey Kurtzman was running the show and it was more anarchic and wholly unlikely to rely on lazy celeb humor.
Why you should read it: To see how far the mighty have fallen, and because these're some of the greatest humor comics ever made.
Showcase Presents: Strange Adventures Vol. 1
What is it? More than 500 pages of classic 1950s pulp sci-fi anthology.
Why you should read it: In part for the historic value of seeing what comics did between periods of superhero dominance (Not to mention the historic value of seeing creators deal with atomic age paranoia), but also for the crazy plot twists and B-movie presentation that take on a new kitsch quality in this day and age.
Showcase Presents: Bat Lash
What is it? Western adventure from an era when the wild west was still enough for America.
Why you should read it: Never mind Jonah Hex, Bat Lash was a more interesting hero; more a lover than a fighter - although he was pretty good at the latter, when needed, and this strip showed off some interesting attempts to play with the genre conventions without breaking them.
Showcase Presents: Sgt. Rock Vol. 1
What is it? The first appearances of DC's premiere war hero.
Why you should read it: Rock remains one of the strips that transcended its genre, and here's where it all began, complete with some of the finest art to grace any comic, courtesy of Joe Kubert, Russ Heath and other greats.
Showcase Presents: The Flash Vol. 1
What is it? The start of the superhero revival that's kept the genre on top of the industry ever since, as well as one of the first franchise reboots, although that's not how those things were thought of at the time.
Why you should read it: To see the style and substance that made a genre live again... and also how old ideas were made contemporary back in those days (When in doubt, add entirely made-up science!).
Showcase Presents: Justice League of America Vol. 1
What is it? A large slab of the first Justice League stories ever told.
Why you should read it: For the innocence and inventiveness of Gardner Fox's writing and the underrated blocky brilliance of Mike Sekowsky's artwork, as much as the chance to see the comic that directly led to the creation of the Fantastic Four and the entire Marvel Universe.
Showcase Presents: The Doom Patrol Vol. 1
What is it? "The World's Strangest Heroes!" according to the series' own cover. While the rest of DC's superheroes were fine, upstanding and clean members of society, the DP seemed like a dysfunctional family of freaks.
Why you should read it: The weirdness of DC's pulp SF mixed with superheroics, Doom Patrol was a series curiously out of step with everything else that the company was publishing at the time, and also years ahead of itself.
Showcase Presents: House of Mystery Vol. 1
What is it? A comic book horror version of The Twilight Zone, complete with spooky host.
Why you should read it: While lacking the amount of dark humor as the classic EC horror comics of the '50s, DC's 1960s updating of their horror anthology still has enough spark to overcome the perils of censorship and Comic Code Authority-friendly chills.
Diana Prince: Wonder Woman Vol. 1
What is it? The beginning of Wonder Woman's "women's lib" makeover, which saw her stripped of her superpowers, dressing in mod outfits and fighting crime and finding adventure in a particularly skewed take on the Swinging '60s.
Why you should read it: Somewhere between kitsch guilty pleasure and interestingly different take on the Wonder Woman idea, these stories are a historical oddity that've aged surprisingly well, in an admittedly Austen Powers way.
Green Lantern/Green Arrow Vol. 1
What is it? The beginning of superhero comics' attempts to become socially relevant, starring a space cop and a former millionaire traveling America to find the true heart of the country... and themselves. No, really.
Why you should read it: Overly-earnest politics aside, there's a lot to enjoy in these stories, especially the birth of this particular color-coordinated buddy team and Neal Adams' still-impressive artwork.
Showcase Presents: Teen Titans Vol. 2
What is it? The second black and white collection of the premiere teen sidekick team as they decide to ditch the superhero outfits and join a cult. But a nice, helpful, cult. Oh, and there's some stuff about space, and race, as well.
Why you should read it: By the time the issues collected in this book were being created, it's clear that the people behind the series were looking for a new direction as its audience began to get older and demand more from their superheroes. Reading all the issues in one sitting, though, you see them trying multiple different directions one after another, which makes for an unusual but fascinating look back at a comic industry in flux and uncertain of itself.
Jack Kirby's Fourth World Vol. 2
What is it? The second collection of Marvel creator Kirby's attempt to start a new mythology of New Gods at the former competition by creating three brand-new series and overhauling Superman's sidekick into something much more interesting.
Why you should read it: Kirby's comics revitalized the superhero genre at Marvel, and by the time he was creating these issues for DC, he was at his peak - Each issue crackles with new ideas and grand themes, with the art leaping off the page. The series didn't last long enough, but what we did see was amazing.
The Legion of Super-Heroes: The Great Darkness Saga
What is it? Arguably the most popular Legion storyline of all time, written by future DC publisher and president Paul Levitz: Superteens in the 30th Century have to deal with the return of an evil god, as well as some familar faces to longtime comic fans.
Why you should read it: One of the first shortform story arcs in superhero comics, "Great Darkness Saga" is also where the Legion started to really live up to its potential, mixing fanboy Easter Eggs, soap opera and a scale that other superhero comics couldn't compete with (Planets invade other planets!).
The New Teen Titans: The Judas Contract
What is it? The most famous storyline from the comic that showed fans in the 1980s that DC could be just as daring and innovative as Marvel.
Why you should read it: With double-crosses, big fight sequences and some classic superhero soap opera angst, this feels as much more like a Marvel comic from the 1970s than anything else, but it's a great example of what the cutting edge of comics looked like at the beginning of the decade that would change everything.
Saga of The Swamp Thing Vol. 1
What is it? Alan Moore's first American work, and the one that led to Watchmen as well as a couple of really bad movies of its own.
Why you should read it: Because it's a genuinely groundbreaking (No pun intended, etc.) work that still stands up to today's standards, and a chance to read early Alan Moore before he started to worship an imaginary deity and fall out with everyone. Plus, it's a masterclass in how to reinvent what seemed like a tired old idea and make it something new and unexpected.
Showcase Presents: Ambush Bug
What is it? An almost-complete collection of the series that poked fun at comic fans, comic culture, DC Comics and itself.
Why you should read it: Keith Giffen and Robert Loren Fleming managed to find the right mix of snark and affection for their antennaed creation, making the evisceration of their own publisher all the sweeter, in multiple ways. The latter, Ambush Bug Nothing Special, at the end of the collection is especially fun.
Crisis On Infinite Earths
What is it? "Worlds will live! Worlds will die! And the DC Universe will never be the same!" DC celebrated its 50th birthday by changing all their rules, killing characters, rebooting other ones and it all centered around this epic series full of cosmic drama and fanservice.
Why you should read it: Probably still the benchmark for superhero crossovers, Crisis is a rare example of a series that actually delivered on its promise that nothing would be the same again, as well as a textbook example of superhero comics straining to become more complex while still having each character introduced by name in dialogue for the benefit of the reader.
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
What is it? Frank Miller's first recreation of Batman, this time as a cranky old man who's mad as hell and isn't going to take it anymore.
Why you should read it: Because, two decades later, this mix of social satire, gritty superheroics and angry optimism still thrills as much as it gets misinterpreted.
What is it? Oh, come on. You know exactly what it is. There was even this small film made of it last year, maybe you heard something about that?
Why you should read it: Love it or hate it, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons changed superheroes forever with this complex, formally-experimental, dense work. And even if you don't care about superheroes, anyone with an interest in comics will find themselves appreciating the execution of the story. A masterpiece, if an overrated one.
Batman: Year One
What is it? Frank Miller's second recreation of Batman (This time with David Mazzuchelli), this time as a cranky young man who's not necessarily the best at what he does yet.
Why you should read it: To my mind, superior to The Dark Knight, Year One remakes Batman into the noir hero fitting against a corrupt city - and winning - that he's always meant to be successfully for the first time. With sparse writing and amazing artwork, Batman may never have been better than he is here.
Superman: Whatever Happened To The Man Of Tomorrow
What is it? Alan Moore's send-off to the Superman of his youth, complete with all the goofier trappings of more innocent times, illustrated by the classic Superman artist, Curt Swan.
Why you should read it: Literally the end of an era, Moore and Swan got to provide an imaginary ending to Superman's Never Ending Battle prior to the character's 1986 reboot that celebrated his past with only a slight hint of pessimism and bitterness. As a plus, the new Whatever Happened collection also includes Moore's other Superman stories, which are well worth reading as well.
Batman: The Killing Joke
What is it? The archetypal Batman Vs. Joker story, by Moore and Brian Bolland.
Why you should read it: It's the book that launched a thousand ships, if "ships" were code for "psychological explanations for the duality between Batman and his most famous foe." But even if you don't like the armchair psychology, how can you deny that artwork?
The History Of The DC Universe
What is it? Having destroyed and recreated the DC Universe in Crisis, creators Marv Wolfman and George Perez tried to pull it all together in this look back (and forward) at how everything happened in the revised timeline.
Why you should read it: An odd curio, this piece of continuity repair was already outdated as soon as it was published, but it demonstrates that there was, at one point, a plan behind the rewriting of history, even if that plan - like the cylons' - was quickly abandoned by reality.
Batman: A Death In The Family
What is it? The Joker kills Robin - Or does he? You decide, with the help of a well-made phone call!
Why you should read it: The in-questionable-taste phone-in stunt that killed off Batman's partner may not be of the highest quality, storywise, but for historical value alone, this is one of the more important books in the DC library. Never forget. Brave soldier.
Justice League International Vol. 1
What is it? A reaction to the grimness of Watchmen and the comics it influenced, creators Keith Giffen, JM DeMatteis and Kevin Maguire took over DC's premiere superteam and turned it into a sitcom... and it worked.
Why you should read it: The first issues of the series are less comedically-broad than it became later, but that's to its benefit; eager to please and dripping with flop sweat, this is classic JLI at its best before success made them lazy.
Animal Man Vol. 3: Deus Ex Machina
What is it? The final volume in a run that took an obscure, forgotten superhero and made him into one of the most human characters at the company.
Why you should read it: Maybe unrecognized as such as the time, Grant Morrison's first American series is the greatest reaction to Watchmen-inspired doom-and-gloom, celebrating the less-than-serious characters lost in the rush to claim maturity and bringing a humanity and kindness to writing that was already trending towards the cruel.
The Sandman: Fables and Reflections
What is it? A collection of short stories from the run of Neil Gaiman's famous Sandman series.
Why you should read it: Taking the baton of fantasy storytelling champion from Moore, Gaiman's Sandman brought even greater respectability to comics (and DC in particular); this anthology of shorts is probably the best taster of what to expect, as well as a great showcase for the many artists involved.
V For Vendetta
What is it? A particularly British take on revolution and politics, both personal and party, in Alan Moore and David Lloyd's 1980s future dystopia.
Why you should read it: Rescued from the canceled pages of British anthology Warrior, V lacks the reputation and impact of Watchmen, Swamp Thing or even Killing Joke, but it's better than any of them; quieter, more subtle and warmer, with characters more flawed and human.
Why I Hate Saturn
What is it? A tale of life in the big city, love and sisters who think they're from another planet.
Why you should read it: Kyle Baker's second graphic novel (following the equally wonderful The Cowboy Wally Show) is that rare thing: A comic for adults that doesn't feel self-conscious about that fact. It's also another rare thing: A genuinely hilarious comedy comic.
What is it? One of the first real "What if there were superheroes in the real world?" comics, as well as one of the first superhero comics to not apologize for, or hide, its gay characters.
Why you should read it: Peter Milligan and Duncan Fegredo's early-'90s series was rescued by DC from a failed Disney comics line, and placed at the center of their Vertigo launch, deservedly. Smart, funny and surprisingly touching, it's an underrated classic.
Static Shock: Rebirth Of The Cool
What is it? A collection of the first issues of later-to-be-a-Saturday-morning-cartoon Static (along with a more recent revival of the character) from Milestone Media.
Why you should read it: Ignore all the talk of Milestone's racial diversity - as worthy as it may be - and focus on the stories, because Static (co-created by Dwayne McDuffie, who'd later find some fame on the Justice League cartoon) and the other Milestone books were some of the best superhero series of the early-to-mid 1990s, bringing energy to the genre in a way that hadn't been seen in years. Static, an update on the Spider-Man formula, was one of the best of the line.
Batman: Mad Love And Other Stories
What is it? A collection of comics from Bruce Timm and Paul Dini, the men behind the awesome 1990s Batman: The Animated Series.
Why you should read it: As fun as their cartoon counterparts, these stories also showed off some impressive comic storytelling chops, especially from Timm's dynamic artwork.
Understanding Comics
What is it? Scott McCloud's guide to the medium, how it works, and its potential.
Why you should read it: Another book rescued from a defunct publisher by DC, McCloud's textbook explains the medium so well that it should pretty much be required reading for anyone who's interested in comics in the slightest.
The Invisibles Vol. 1: Say You Want A Revolution
What is it? The beginning of Grant Morrison's series about revolution, anarchy, freedom and the 1990s. Later ripped off shamelessly by The Matrix.
Why you should read it: Because it's the starting point for one of the more ambitious (and, at times, successful in fulfilling that ambition) series of the last couple of decades, one that captured a pre-millennial zeitgeist in more ways than even its creators realized. Other volumes may contain more impressive work - the final chapter still feels like one of the most science-fictional comics ever made - but this is where it all began.
Starman Omnibus Vol. 1
What is it? Bucking the trend for gritted-teeth, shoulder pads and heroes that kill, James Robinson and Tony Harris' mid-90s superhero series offered a quieter, more reflective take on the genre at a time when it needed one.
Why you should read it: One of those series that feels like it never quite got the attention is was due at the time, Starman may be the Velvet Underground of comics; you can feel its influence in Geoff Johns', Brian Michael Bendis' and others' writing today.
Preacher Vol. 1
What is it? The beginning of Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's blasphemous tale of religion and America. Oh, and vampires, as well. And guys with faces that look like assholes, literally. I think that about covers it.
Why you should read it: This was where Ennis and Dillon, both former 2000AD creators, managed to bring all their influences together and created what's still the closest thing in tone to 2000AD in American comics: Simultaneously funny, heartbreaking and sacreligious, it's a love letter to times and places that never really existed, and faith in things other than God. Plus, of course, there's all the ridiculous toilet humor.
Stuck Rubber Baby
What is it? Devoid of supernatural or superhuman elements, Howard Cuse's story of civil rights, homosexuality and bigotry is nonetheless more compelling than a hundred Crises on Infinite Earths.
Why you should read it: Simply because it's that good.
Kurt Busiek's Astro City: Life In The Big City
What is it? Busiek went from Marvels' man-on-the-street look at well-known superheroes to creating his own heroes, men, street and world in this still-ongoing series as much about the superhero genre itself as its characters.
Why you should read it: At once filled with a nostalgia and entirely its own thing, Astro City shows Busiek's skills as a writer off to a degree that even high-profile gigs like Avengers and Trinity can't, allowing him a freedom to tell whatever stories he wants, ably assisted by artist Brent Anderson and cover artist/designer Alex Ross. Life In The Big City, the first volume, is as good a place to start as any.
Kingdom Come
What is it? An apocalyptic end to DC's superheroic debauchery, set in a future populated with older versions of the familiar heroes, plus new characters full of Easter Eggs for longtime fans.
Why you should read it: Whether you're looking for meta-textual commentary on the state of 1990s comics, injokes about DC continuity and characters (or, in one case, the Monkees) or just a straight-forward tale about the potential end of the world being well told, Alex Ross and Mark Waid's uber-epic delivers.
Road To Perdition
What is it? Depression-era crime drama, courtesy of writer Max Allen Collins and Richard Piers Rayner. Later adapted into a Tom Hanks movie version.
Why you should read it: A more sober take on the manga Lone Wolf and Cub, Perdition's crime comic do-over is, like Stuck Rubber Baby above, a reminder not only of what comics can offer outside of the superhero and SF genres, but also of DC's support of less obvious moneyspinners.
Transmetropolitan: Back On The Street
What is it? Warren Ellis' American breakthrough, an SF series that mixes Hunter S. Thompson, William Gibson and a healthy dislike of any and all politicians. Also, the thing that introduced the term "filthy assistant" to the world. Thanks for that. No, really.
Why you should read it: Part-pastiche of familiar elements, part-distillation of Ellis' personality into pure comic form (with more-than-able assistance from artist Darick Robertson), the 60-issue series builds to something that's much more than the sum of its parts. On the unlikely chance that you haven't already read this, Back On The Street - the first collection - is the place to start.
JLA: Rock Of Ages
What is it? The time-traveling, alternate-reality heart of Grant Morrison's over-the-top version of the Justice League of America.
Why you should read it: The story where the madness of his Invisibles infected his grand-scale take on DC's #1 superteam, Rock of Ages takes two separate large ideas - "What if there was an evil version of the Justice League?" and "What if the bad guys won, and took over the Earth?" - and pushed them together in a different way than you'd expect, linked by a McGuffin with unlimited powers and some time travel. Brimming over with ideas and invention, superhero comics have rarely been better - and Morrison's JLA never was.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol. 1
What is it? Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill take the ultimate literary game of What If and make it work as a story.
Why you should read it: Crossing over genres and characters from various public domain stories, what makes LOEG work is that it doesn't always go for the obvious idea, but what makes the first volume work in a way that later volumes didn't is that it doesn't always go for the "Oh, look how smart we are" idea, either. An impressive, but accessible, intelligent story about stories.
Absolute Promethea Vol. 1
What is it? The first year of Alan Moore and JH Williams III's celebration of female power in fiction and comic books, in oversized hardcover format.
Why you should read it: What may, in other hands, have been a Wonder Woman rip-off becomes something much more involving and deep as concepts of magic and gender are explored through the prism of superhero comics. Even if Moore starts to become self-indulgent at times throughout this volume, Williams' stunning art keeps the reader's interest (especially in the larger format) and brings a necessary heart and gravity to the story.
The Golden Age
What is it? An alternate history look at McCarthyism, nuclear paranoia and a country so afraid of itself, it forgets not to demonize those who seek to protect it.
Why you should read it: Starman creator James Robinson brings a stoicness and seriousness to the last days of the WWII-era Justice Society, as well as some fun for alternate history buffs to chew on. Paul Smith's artwork is also suitably strong.
The Absolute Authority Vol. 1
What is it? The complete run of Warren Ellis and Bryan Hitch's tenure on the increasingly-stakes-raising superhero team to end all superhero teams.
Why you should read it: Arguably the most influential superhero comic - at least in terms of comics that Marvel have taken their cues from over the last decade - in recent memory, Authority is what happened when Ellis and Hitch decided to take the superhero genre as far as they could.
What is it? Paul Pope's (much-discussed-by-me-here) SF story of life and love and art in a post-Philip K. Dick, post-John Cassavetes future.
Why you should read it: Fully-realized and heartfelt, Pope's story avoids SF cliche while seeming more involving and future-facing than most around him.
Absolute Planetary Vol. 1
What is it? The first half of Warren Ellis and John Cassaday's genre-exploration mystery series, excavating genres and ideas lain dormant for too long.
Why you should read it: The home to an optimism that occasionally gets hidden in Ellis' other work, Planetary shines with a love of stories and ideas, even if you chose to ignore the metatext and just read it as a straight adventure mystery. Plus, Cassaday's art (with colors by Laura Martin) is amazing.
Hellblazer: Haunted
What is it? Keeping with Ellis, the first half of his tragically short run on Vertigo's flagship title and character, John Constantine.
Why you should read it: Every writer writes a slightly different version of the long-running magical bastard, and Ellis offers up a melancholy, poetic take, haunted by past decisions and the people missing from his life. Just as important, though, the sense of place that he brought to the title made it feel more grounded and real than ever.
Sleeper: Season 1
What is it? Donnie Brasco gone darker, with added superpowers and hopelessness.
Why you should read it: A classic of noir nihilism, Ed Brubaker and Sean Philips' first collaboration set the bar high for everything that followed (Criminal, Incognito) and remains one of the best, and most satisfying, superhero series of the last decade.
Wildcats Version 3.0: Brand Building
What is it? The onetime premiere 1990s superteam tries to save the world by going corporate and selling salvation to everyone.
Why you should read it: Joe Casey and Dustin Nguyen's ballsy corporate rebranding may not have been for everyone - It clearly wasn't, as the series was canceled two years in - but it was smart and stylish, and a new take on some very old ideas. Considering the backroom politics that Marvel's Dark Reign sold itself on for the last year, it may also have been just a few years ahead of its time.
Gotham Central Vol. 2: Jokers and Madmen
What is it? Batman's world turned into a police procedural, as Gotham's police department take center stage during a Joker-led attack on the city.
Why you should read it: All of Gotham Central is highly recommended, as writers Greg Rucka and Ed Brubaker brought a tightness and personality to the mix of crime fiction and superheroics (with some great art from Michael Lark and others), but the stories in this volume are particularly strong, and contain more than a few hints that they may have influenced The Dark Knight movie.
100 Bullets Vol. 1: First Shot, Last Call
What is it? Crime noir that spins from high concept to wide-reaching criminal conspiracy.
Why you should read it: The series that brought a new edge to crime comics - and, in the process, proved that there was a market for books like this again - started with a simple idea (What would you do if a stranger offered you the chance for revenge, with no strings attached?) and grew from there into something impressively labyrinthine. Brian Azzarello's scripting is taut and fast, but the star is really Eduardo Risso's art.
Y: The Last Man Vol. 1: Unmanned
What is it? The End Of The World As We Know It, as all males die for mysterious reasons with the exception of one man and his monkey, leaving them alone in a world trying to rebuild itself.
Why you should read it: Containing new spins on old ideas throughout its run, Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra's post-apocalyptic road movie was smart enough and pulp enough to win over fans throughout its five-plus year run, including Lost's writing staff, who hired Vaughan midway through the series.
The Filth
What is it? A particularly skewed take on many SF ideas, from parallel universes, miniature Earths, and giant alien sperm that becomes a treatise on the value of the discarded and corrupt.
Why you should read it: A bizarre story that looks beyond shock value to try and redeem ideas others leave behind, Grant Morrison and Chris Weston's Filth may make you feel uneasy along the way, but that's partially the point.
Ex Machina Deluxe Edition Vol. 1
What is it? The West Wing meets Watchmen, to use a high concept analogy.
Why you should read it: Brian K. Vaughan's second high profile DC creation (with Starman artist Tony Harris) mixes pop (culture) and politics with its hero, a former superhero turned New York City mayor. But it's the character interaction - and political naivete of its hero - that makes this series worthwhile.
Fables Deluxe Edition Vol. 1
What is it? What happened after the Happily Ever Afters at the end of all your childhood fairy tales, once everyone involved has grown up a bit.
Why you should read it: Funny, smart and only cynical in the right places, Bill Willingham takes what may not be an original idea and makes the best of it, coming up with unexpected combinations of characters, modern takes on old concepts and managing to make it all seem as effortless and fun as the original fairy tales themselves. If you sign up for the whole series, there's a lot to be said for the evolution of artist Mark Buckingham into a mix of Jack Kirby and Mike Mignola, too.
Bizarro Comics
What is it? Almost a decade before Marvel did the same thing to much acclaim with Strange Tales, some of indie comics' biggest names offer up their take on DC's most well-known superheroes.
Why you should read it: Most respectful than you might expect, some of the stories in this anthology seem to display greater understanding of the characters than their regular counterparts. Also, Kyle Baker's Letitia Lerner, Superman's Babysitter may be the greatest cartoon never made.
Human Target: Chance Meetings
What is it? Reviving an old, forgotten 1970s creation (Now, of course, a Fox TV show, but that wasn't the case back then), this is a tense psychodrama where there's no guarantee that anyone is who they seem to be - or think they are, either.
Why you should read it: Peter Milligan's subtle writing is matched by Edvin Biukovic and Javier Pulido's art, giving this pulp thriller an energy and grit that the TV version, as fun as it is, is completely lacking so far.
What is it? Cyborg pets versus the world. Really, that's all you should need to know, other than the fact that your heart will be broken by the end of it, or else you are made of stone.
Why you should read it: The Incredible Journey with added SF may not sound like a classic, but somewhere along the way, Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's short series about three animals escaping from a military lab became a masterpiece. Whether it's the writing that manages to give each animal personality without seeming gimmicky (Stink Boss, indeed) or Quitely's breathtaking storytelling and design, this is a book that's the definition of "Better Than It Has Any Right To Be."
DC: The New Frontier
What is it? A retelling of the origins of the Silver Age DC Universe, set in the time period during which the stories were originally published.
Why you should read it: Amazingly stylish, Darwyn Cooke's visuals for the book would make it worthwhile even if the story wasn't as good as it is (In this case, "good" can be defined as "Large scale yet intimate, thrilling, and full of optimism and drama"); if there was such a thing as Mad Men for comics, it'd be this.
Green Lantern: Rebirth
What is it? The return from death of Silver Age Green Lantern Hal Jordan, accompanied by all manner of guest-stars (And the beginning of the story that led to the current Blackest Night mega-event).
Why you should read it: Even if you're not interested in Lanterns of Green or any other color, Rebirth has historic value as the beginning of the current era of mainstream DC superheroes; written by Geoff Johns, now DC Entertainment CEO, this series set the tone that has since spread across the entire DC Universe line.
Seven Soldiers of Victory Vol. 1
What is it? A massive 30-part storyline that both connects and runs independently of all of its individual moving parts, revamping forgotten characters, creating new ones and revitalizing genres along the way.
Why you should read it: As much formalist exercise as story (stories), the Seven Soldiers banner linked eight different series (One for each Soldier, plus a Seven Soldiers two-parter to bring it all together) and multiple storylines that overlapped, crossed over and colored each other to varying degrees. An amazing example of writing from Grant Morrison, backed with equally impressive art from an army of artists including Cameron Stewart, Doug Mahnke and others.
52 Vol. 1
What is it? DC's year-long weekly series that tried to lay the ground rules for how things worked in their rebooted universe.
Why you should read it: For something with no big-name stars and the stated aim to show how politics, religion, magic and other such areas worked in the New DC Universe, 52 could've ended up the most insular, fanservicey comic ever made. That it was, instead, easy-to-understand and exciting-to-follow speaks to the skills of its four-man writing team (Geoff Johns, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid and Grant Morrison) and the strength of its core concepts.
Wonder Woman: Who is Wonder Woman?
What is it? The latest attempt to reposition Wonder Woman as something that new readers could enjoy, by recalling the Lynda Carter-era for the first time in decades, and adding some Alias-style spy chic.
Why you should read it: Gail Simone's current WW run may be quantifiably better in terms of quality, but there's something endearing about the way in which it was set up by Allan Heinberg and Terry Dodson's gleeful return of all the classic superheroic elements to the character, including secret identity (and twirling-to-change-outfits!), supervillains and excitable action scenes. It's an oddity for WW, if only to see the character being approached without the warrior gravity that's become her trademark over the last few decades, but it's also an undeniable pleasure... if a bit of a guilty one.
The Winter Men
What is it? The superhero concept is translated to Russia for a political comedic drama that is almost David Simon-esque.
Why you should read it: Brett Lewis' story finds a grim humor in its subject matter unusual for comics, while John Paul Leon's art matches it in blocky brilliance. For a genre so old and, it seems at times, played out, this is something that feels new and worthwhile.
Doctor 13: Architecture and Mortality
What is it? Self-commenting metatext about the nature of continuity reboots and the growing seriousness of comic books wrapped up in a story about a man who may be the ultimate skeptic.
Why you should read it: Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang's under-the-radar series (It ran as a second strip in Tales of The Unexpected but gained a fanbase online, leading to its collection) may have its tongue firmly placed in its cheek, but there's something charming nonetheless about seeing forgotten characters like I... Vampire and Genius Jones proclaim their worth to the audience while begging to appear in future comics.
All Star Superman
What is it? I'll go ahead and say it: Probably the only Superman comic you'll ever need.
Why you should read it: Didn't you read that part about it being the only Superman comic you'll ever need? Okay, I'll go on: Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's 12-issue tour of Superman mythology touches on all the core ideas, and introduces new ones along the way, managing to distill everything important about the character, his supporting cast and the appeal of the whole thing into less than 400 pages of material. Recapping his origin story in eight words is only the start of their genius.
Water Baby
What is it? From the short-lived Minx line, a story about a teenage girl who loses a leg from a shark attack while surfing.
Why you should read it: Although deemed unsuccessful by the powers that be, the Minx line offered an alternative to manga for teen girls into comics, and Water Baby may have been one of the strongest of the line, pulling few punches in terms of content and refusing to speak down to its audience.
Bayou Vol. 1
What is it? Magical realist fantasy, set in a depression-era town south of the Mason-Dixon line.
Why you should read it: The first product of DC's online comics line Zuda, Bayou is a sensitive (At times, too much; the censorship of the word "nigger" is oddly intrusive while reading; either use the word or don't - "n*****" is doing neither) series that mixes pop-culture influences like Pogo and Song Of The South into a racially-charged story that plays like Alice In Wonderland in reverse. Unlike anything else DC publish, Bayou's success speaks, perhaps, to the audience who want to read comics but don't trek to the store every Wednesday for that week's new releases.
Blackest Night
What is it? The latest Big Event comic, wherein death itself is redefined, and the birthplace of all life is identified once and for all.
Why you should read it: Perhaps cheating by including it here - The collected edition isn't available until June - but no other selection would more clearly display the state of DC Comics today: Coming from grand ideas and reaching for an epic scale, but filled with moments of smaller, more relatable drama to demonstrate that - hey! - these characters are human, too, Blackest Night successfully straddles the divide between the soap opera popularized by Marvel's superheroes that's become the bread-and-butter of comics fans for decades and the big ideas that made DC's reputation in the 1950s (and even before) - But is that something that other comics can continue to do?


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Meet Dutch violinist Janine Jansen
December issue on sale now
Acclaimed her fresh and emotionally direct playing, Dutch violinist Janine Jansen has become one of the most popular players of her generation. And as she releases her 'dream disc' of Beethoven and Britten's Violin Concertos, Jansen takes a break to talk to Rebecca Franks about life at the top.
Also in the December issue, photographer Clive Barda shares the secret of taking iconic photographs of classical musicians, and pianist Leif Ove Andsnes talks to Daniel Jaffé about the challenge of bringing Musorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition into the world of modern art.
Plus your free cover CD features the first ever recording of Prokofiev's Second Violin Concerto, played by Robert Soetens and a a performance of the same composer's Violin Sonata No. 2 by the sensational Canadian violinist James Ehnes.


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My baby warrior is finally 90!
I have very special feelings for both my mage and my Warrior as they are the same toons I have had since Vanilla, they have gone through moves, changes and factions with me and are the only two characters I have had since then. My priest was created in BC, and she is the next oldest toon I have.
My warrior started out as a my wait toon, back in the day before btags, when you had to be on a toon that people could see you on to get credit for DKP. I never really leveled her all that much, I more sat around in the main cities chatting to the guildies that were waiting with me, but I could never let her languish because of that connection I forged with her.
So she makes the 4th toon to 90 that I have and is now mostly decked out in Timless isle gear already, I had three pieces which I took off my pally (shoulders, legs and boots) and whilst opening chests I found braces, gloves, chest, trinket, helm and ring…not too bad for a about 40 minutes of death…yes I was getting my butt handed to me by all the rares 🙂 I only mention the gear because I found this achievement quite funny when I got rid of one of my rings :
That is for superior items with a minimum of 333 in all slots…That's where I was at gear wise trying to kill mobs on the Timeless Isles…just think about that for a moment….333!! Crazy…that is me 🙂
I also laughed when I got this achievement when I landed…Clearly I have no idea how I managed to actually get to 90 doing so few quests?? I must have done dungeons for one levelling period or something?? No idea…
Comparatively my mage has done 7946 quests according to the statitics tab 🙂 I love it!
So deciding what toon to level next? Shammy who is already 85 or hunter or priest…soo undecided….


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Baby In Car Cell Car Sticker Custom Dragon Ball Anime Car Accessories
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Baby In Car Cell Car Sticker Custom Dragon Ball Anime Car Accessories
All of our Anime Car Decal Stickers are custom-made to order and handcrafted to the highest quality standards.
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Please allow 7-9 business days to receive a tracking number while your order is hand-crafted, packaged, and shipped from our facility.
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The Jacksonville Jaguars running back turns 29 in March and is coming off the worst statistical season of his career. This is not the ideal time for him to hit free agency, but that's exactly what's about to happen.
When Around The League caught up with the three-time All-Pro on Wednesday at Radio Row, we asked what was the percentage chance he returns to Jacksonville.
"I don't really know what the percentage is," he said. "Obviously, I would love to end my career there but that's not necessarily up to me anymore.
"What I can control is how I work this offseason getting back ready. We'll see how it plays from here. All this uncertainty, it's kind of exciting to see what opportunity and doors open. We'll see when that time comes."
Given his age and the underwhelming current state of the Jaguars, we asked if it even made sense for him to return.
"For me, that's where I started at. I always want to finish there," he said. "I don't know if they feel the same way I do. We'll see; there's no hard feelings. I enjoyed my career there up to this point. If I'm able to finish, that'd be awesome. If not, there will be another opportunity somewhere else and be able to get somewhere to play and enjoy that experience there."
You get the feeling Jones-Drew held out following his monster 2011 season out of fear of this exact scenario. He's unsure if his current team still wants him and he didn't put enough good tape out there this season to make himself an attractive option on the open market.
*The latest "Around The League Podcast" breaks down the Media Day stars and reflects on the significance of Super Bowl XLVIII. *


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First Communion Book Recommendations
Book Review by Ann Jonas, Tradebook Buyer - CSB/SJU Bookstores
this review was published in the St. Cloud Visitor
Jesus Speaks to Me On My First Holy Communionby Angela Burrin; illustrated by Maria Cristina Lo Cascio; published by Word Among Us Press, January 2009
This is a very nice gift book for First Communicants. The beginning of the book has a dedication page, along with pages for a photograph and Mass program or invitation. The text is told in Jesus' voice and begins with "I am Jesus. And I want to say, 'Happy First Holy Communion Day!'" In twelve stories from Scripture, beginning with Creation and ending with Pentecost, Jesus speaks to children who are receiving him in the Eucharist for the first time. It is colorfully illustrated and includes traditional Catholic prayers and room for more photographs and memories in the back. The book stresses the importance of First Holy Communion and the child receiving the sacrament and is a lovely keepsake of First Communion Day.
God's Dream by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Douglas Carlton Abrams; illustrated by LeUyen Pham; published by Candlewick Press, August 2008
Archbishop Tutu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his lifelong struggle to bring equality, justice and peace to his native country of South Africa. God's Dream is a lovely picture book for children of all ages that articulates Tutu's message of forgiveness, empathy and love. The theme of the book, God's dream that we are all brothers and sisters, "even if we speak different languages or have different ways of talking to God," is conveyed with clear text and delightful illustrations. The message and beauty of this book make it an enjoyable gift for all occasions.
Prayers for Each and Every Day by Sophie Piper; illustrated by Anne Wilson; published by Paraclete Press, December 2008
Sophie Piper's collection of prayers, psalms and bible verses has a morning and evening prayer for each day of the week, along with prayers and reflections for special days in the church year. Each day of the week has a theme, including "Choosing the Right Way", "Living Wisely" and "Love One Another". Some of the prayers are simplified translations of familiar favorites and others are Piper originals; all are thoughtful and have lively illustrations. Piper is an experienced author/compiler of gift and prayer books and has created a colorful prayer book that would make a great First Communion gift.
Confirmation Book Recommendations


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Pushpak Collection PU Waterproof 20.32 cm Soft Sided Shopping Bag
- Material: PU Waterproof
- Colour: Blue
- Dimension: 13 inches x 7 inches x 10 inches
- Volume: 11.93 Litres
- Number of Compartments: 1
1 in stock
Product Specifications
|Item Height
|20.3 Centimeters
|Item Length
|33 Centimeters
|Item Width
|17.8 Centimeters
|Volume Capacity
|11.93 Liters
|PU Waterproof, Non Woven
|Warranty Description
|6 Months
|Warranty Type
Product Description
This is an ingenious bag from Pushpak collection, giving you a solution for carrying your stuffs while travelling. This bag is featured with blue colour and has pu waterproof material and is a unisex product with 1 compartment and has a capacity of 11.93 litres with soft shell type and zipper closure type.
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Happy New Year! You know what would have made it even happier? The non-existence of the Copyright Act of 1976, which blocked classic works of film and literature from the public domain (and your laptop and e-reader) this January 1st.
Before the law's 1978 passage, copyrights expired after a maximum of 56 years beyond being published—meaning works from 1954 would have dropped into our laps at the start of this year. This is far from the case now. But what if we close our eyes and try to imagine a world in which Congress kept culture, rather than royalties, in mind? Yes, a world of fantasy!
Had the law not passed, a whole host of wonderful works by brilliant dead people published in 1954 would have found their way into the public domain—meaning they'd be fair game for free, digital consumption and enjoyment by all of us. Anything you might have heard of or cared about? Probably not, unless you're into minor works like The Lord of the Flies or The Fellowship of the Ring—or cinema classics such as Rear Window, On the Waterfront, and The Seven Samurai. All of them could have been available in your pocket, for free.
The Duke University School of Law's Center for the Study of the Public Domain has a rundown of what else could have been, lamenting that although these big name titles are the most striking cultural loss, the consequences of the copyright extensions are far greater:
Most of these works are famous – that is why we included them here. And the authors of famous and commercially successful works would probably renew the copyright for a second term of 28 years. But we know from the Copyright Office that 85% of authors did not renew their copyrights (for books, the number is even higher – 93% did not renew), since most works exhaust their commercial value very quickly. Under the law that existed until 1978 . . . Up to 85% of all copyrighted works from 1982 would be entering the public domain on January 1, 2011.
I'm not opposed to copyright law. Everyone needs to make a living. But Samuel Beckett, whose Waiting for Godot would have been up for public domain grabs over the weekend, doesn't need to make a living—because he's been dead for 30 years. He also probably wouldn't give a damn if you were able to freely read his plays on your Kindle or iPad starting this year. Unfortunately for us, we won't be able to until 2050, thanks to 1998's most recent Congressional bootlicking addition to copyright interests. Start the ball drop! [Center for the Study of the Public Domain]
Photo by Ben Smith