“It’s always hard to wrap up a series. The longer I spend with the characters, the more they become like friends.”

If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself.

Don’t decide yet,” Hephaestus advised. “Wait until daybreak. Daybreak is a good time for decisions.

A hero can go anywhere, challenge anyone, as long as he has the nerve.

Knowledge of any value can’t be given. It must be sought and earned

Think positive girl, or the world ends.

I think I write for reluctant readers. Of course I want everyone to enjoy my books, but if the kids in the back row who normally don’t pick up a book are engaged with what I’m writing, along with the kids who are big readers anyway, then I really feel like I’ve done my job.

Young people don’t always do what they’re told, but if they can pull it off and do something wonderful, sometimes they escape punishment.

Never bet against a cat.

Great victory requires great risk. -Hera

The most dangerous flaws are those which are good in moderation.

Frank stared at him. “Unfair? You can breathe underwater and blow up glaciers and summon freaking hurricanes-and it’s unfair that I can be an elephant?” Percy considered. “Okay. I guess you got a point. But the next time I say you’re totally beast-” “Just shut up,” Frank said. “Please.” Percy cracked a smile.

Like some helpful person (hi, Mom) has tried to “‘clean'” it, and suddenly you can’t find anything?

A giant vulture with a girl hanging from its feet tends to attract attention.

Whathat!” Tyson gasped. “Those are the stables for the pegasi,” I replied, “You know, winged horses?” “Whasthat!” “Um… those are the toilets.

We were just looking at maps.

We choose to believe in Ma’at. We create order out of chaos, beauty out of ugly randomness. That’s what Egypt is all about.

There’s no real template to follow these days for what a band should and shouldn’t be – bands are just becoming these weird little Internet avatars that you either follow or download or interact with in some removed way.

And if we can’t unplug from that machine, eventually we’re going to become mindless.

After a while the car becomes just another thing that he owns. Moreover, when his neighbor next door buys two cars, in an instant our man feels wretchedly poor and deprived.

We have become disembodied. By being always somewhere else we are nowhere.

I have a motto: Work to become, not to acquire.

Mexico has become a robust democracy with a robust press and an active legislature.

The Welfare State, South Africa – and it becomes impossible to seriously confront any of them without understanding their historical background.

Since I’ve become a central banker, I’ve learned to mumble with great incoherence.