The Red Pyramid - by Rick Riordian

Perhaps you've heard of Rick Riordan?  Yes, he's the hottest thing in children's literature in the last few years, and he's at it again, topping his Percy Jackson series with this Kane Chronicles collection.  I was a little late getting to this book, though a certain young lady in my class (after reading it at least three times herself), kept bugging me until I picked it up.  I'm glad I did!  This book has all of the interesting mythology and action of his earlier books with the nice twist of switching between two narrators in each chapter.

Carter and Sadie Kane are teen siblings who have been separated since their mother's death years earlier.  When their father unites them for a mysterious trip to a museum, they begin to feel suspicious.  When their father disappears and various Egyptian gods begin trying to kill them, they know that all is not well.  Doesn't it figure that now they have to go and risk their own lives trying to save humankind from the biggest and baddest Egyptian god, Set, and that time has almost run out?

This is a fast-paced action novel, but also a crash course in Egyptian mythology.  You can tell that the author has a great sense of humor, because there are countless laugh-out-loud moments and the interactions between characters are sometimes ridiculous.  Read this book if you enjoyed the Percy Jackson series, if you're curious about Egyptian mythology, or if you just want a sure bet for something good to read.