Book Toss-Up: A Match of Mythological Proportions

Book Toss-Up is an occasional feature in which two of us each choose a book that we've read and swap the selections to see what the other person thinks of the book recommendation that has been given to her.

The books being tossed up this time around are:
Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Ally Read: Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Lee's Thoughts on This Book: Infinity mixes paranormal with a bit of mythology and lots of humor, thanks primarily to the snarky commentary provided by its teenage protagonist, Nick Gautier. I loved Nick's narration; he just says whatever is on his mind. There were also some really cool characters, such as Nick's zombie-hunting pals, Bubba and Mark, and barbecue-sauce-loving demon Simi.

Why I Wanted Ally to Read This: Like me, Ally's a big fan of sarcastic male characters, so I thought that she'd really appreciate Nick's wit. She also loves anything to do with zombies, and you've got zombies in this book. Ally is a mythology buff, too; I figured that she'd go for the mythological element in Infinity.

Ally Says: My reading parabatai did not fail me! I enjoyed Infinity a great deal, and that was mainly due to the characters. I loved how the whole zombie apocalypse thing was the center of the story. There is something huge going on, and I won't stop reading until I figure every last thing out!

Lee Read: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Ally's Thoughts on This Book: The Lightning Thief was my first introduction to mythology in a work of fiction, and I absolutely adored it! I was already quite fond of Greek legends and had a little fangirl moment when I learned about Rick Riordan's books. The characters are just amazing, and I love how the old myths are polished to have a more modern theme.

Why I Wanted Lee to Read This: I knew Lee was going to love this book. You kind of just know things when you have cousin telepathy. The book had three factors that would draw Lee in: 1) the NYC setting- we native New Yorkers are very proud people, 2) mythology- which everyone finds fascinating, and 3) the dry sarcasm that erupts from the book like a fountain. Plus, I like gushing about books with people, and I needed my reading parabatai on board.

Lee Says: Once again, Ally's cousin telepathy was spot-on. I couldn't help but squee a little when The Lightning Thief began with Percy going on a class trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I absolutely loved how Mount Olympus was located in the Empire State Building. Percy is an awesome hero, and I can't wait to continue reading about his adventures.

Book Toss-Up: A Tale of Two Annas

A few months ago, I read Stephanie Perkins's Anna and the French Kiss and loved it. I tried to get Ally to read it, but she very rarely reads contemporary and pretty much scoffed at my book recommendation. I then approached Melissa about reading it, and although she was skeptical, she wasn't outright dismissive, either. Then I got an idea. Melissa had been urging me to read Kendare Blake's Anna Dressed in Blood, which she loved, for quite some time. Aha! A bargaining chip! So Melissa and I made a deal: I'd read Anna Dressed in Blood if she read Anna and the French Kiss, and then we would write a post on how our little book swap went . . . .

And here's the post! We actually had a lot of fun doing this and would love to toss books at each other again. Now for the results of our first toss-up:

Melissa Read: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Lee's Thoughts on This Book: I loved Anna and the French Kiss! It's one of my favorite contemporary reads. Anna is an extremely likable, yet realistic, protagonist. And Étienne St. Clair? He's handsome, charming, and has a British accent. Need I say more?

Why I Wanted Melissa to Read This: I thought that she'd like the story, which centers around American Anna spending her senior year in Paris and slowly falling for St. Clair, who already has a girlfriend. Even if Melissa didn't like the book, I was pretty sure that she'd at least love St. Clair (I know I did!).

Melissa Says: At first, I thought that Lee was off her rocker. I usually don't read contemporary books, so I was a little shocked when she recommended it to me. However, Lee insisted I would like it, and she was right. I loved everything about Anna and the French Kiss! It was wonderful, and I can't wait to buy it! I'm so glad Lee forced me to read it.

Lee Read: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Melissa's Thoughts on This Book: I love ghost stories, so when Goodreads recommended this book to me, I put it on hold at the library ASAP. It was awesome! Anna Dressed in Blood was my kind of book. I loved all of the characters and their backstories.

Why I Wanted Lee to Read This: I loved this book so much, I had to share it with someone else. I didn't really expect Lee to like it; I just wanted to push her out of her comfort zone and make her read something she normally wouldn't read. Mwahaa (evil laugh). Lee doesn't really like horror-related stuff, so I thought it would be fun to hear her rant about it.

Lee Says: Melissa kept trying to convince me to read Anna Dressed in Blood, and when she sets her mind to do something, man can she be persistent! I'm a big chicken when it comes to all things horror, so I was a little reluctant to read this. I didn't expect to like Anna Dressed in Blood, but I did! What surprised me the most was how hilarious the main character, Cas Lowood, was. The story was also quite sad, which I hadn't expected, either. Naturally there were some scary scenes, but I didn't mind them at all; the book was just so engrossing. I really have to thank Melissa for pestering persuading me to read this.

You can check out our reviews of these books below:
Anna and the French Kiss: Lee | Melissa
Anna Dressed in Blood: Lee