The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis
My rating: 3 stars for this book, 4 stars for the series as a whole.

I had a brilliant time reading through the Narnia series again with my daughter, both because of the nostalgia of the books, which I hadn't read since I was about her age, and because they're just such fun, creative adventures.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I decided to pick this book up after my daughter read the series because she loved it so much. I'd seen the Lightning Thief movie adaptation a few years ago, so between that and my daughter's commentary I had a decent idea of what to expect, though I was pleasantly surprised by a few of the differences between the book and movie.

The world of Percy Jackson is ours but with Greek gods and other mythical creatures living among us in hiding. (Basically Middle Grade urban fantasy.)
I really liked the way Riordan incorporated so many colorful myths and legends into his world building in a solid and believable way. The writing was fast-paced and easy to read, perfect for the MG level and/or adults looking for something light.