J.K. Rowling - "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"

   

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)

     Ahhhh, I love that feeling you get when you can check something off of your to do list.  I can finally do that for all 4,100 pages of the 7 Harry Potter novels.  (Yes, it's an EXACT page count; please withhold all comments regarding my nerdiness, I already know.)  It was a thrilling ride, and I have to say that I was missing out on something great whilst I was refusing to read them simply because they are popular.  (Again, refrain yourself from making the dweeb comments.)

      This book picks up right where the last left off, with Harry newly returned to number 4 Privet Drive days before his 17th birthday.  He is grieving the loss of Dumbledore and is also trying to figure out how to accomplish the mission of destroying the remaining 5 horcruxes Voldemort has created in order to attempt to achieve immortality.  The action in this last book starts right from the get-go when 6 members of the Order of the Phoenix ingest Polyjuice Potion to make themselves identical to Harry so as to hopefully confuse the Death Eaters as to which Harry is the real one while they attempting to move him to one of the Orders' safe houses.  There is a massive airborne battle between the 2 groups, and the ever-growing list of casualties continues to grow.  

     The majority of the book is spent following Harry, Hermione, and Ron as they try to figure out what and where the horcruxes are, as well as how to go about destroying the one they already posses.  Throughout their travels, this little group also learns (by means of the items that Dumbledore bequeathed the trio in his will) of the possible existence of the "deathly hallows" - a trio of objects that allow the beholder to overcome death itself.  Now their search is expanded to include those items as well.  This little band of friends accomplishes a few pretty amazing feats, not the least of which is ***spoiler alert*** breaking into Gringott's bank, rescuing a dragon, and attempting to steal a valuable item right out of the ministry of magic.  *** 

     One of the ideas that runs throughout this novel is that there is a shadow cast upon the reputation of Dumbledore.  Harry genuinely questions the character of his greatest mentor, and it's a struggle that Harry must deal with throughout almost the entire story.  Also, the idea that either Harry of Voldemort will have to die in the end is brought to the forefront of the story as the end draws neigh.  There are also seeds of discord sown into the tight little group of the three friends as tensions run high.  It's interesting to see how all of these intricately woven ideas exhibits themselves through the story to provide the reader with a fantastic piece of literature to enjoy as we watch the tensions build and the ensuing war finally take shape.         

    

     As expected, this is the most "adult-oriented" book in the series, and it tackles some really intricate ideas..  It was really really exciting to see all of the loose ends get neatly tied up as the book (and series) drew to a close.  Ms. Rowling did an extraordinary thing with this entire series by being so intricately detailed.  i could really see that she had the whole storyline drawn out before she even wrote the first book.  It is evident that she knew what she was trying to accomplish from the very inception of the books.  It's hard to accept that the series has come to a close, and that there is no more for me to enjoy, but it was a great ride while it lasted, and I hope this isn't the last we hear from such an amazing writer.

Cheers to you Ms. Rowling!!!!!!!!!!!!!

J.K. Rowling - "Harry Potter and the Half - Blood Prince"

     Welcome once again to the wonderfully weird wizarding world of young Mr. Harry Potter.  Of the six books that I've read so far, this one is quite different.  I think it may even be my favorite one so far too.  This book opens with a description of how there seems to be a cloud of misery over everything and everyone as well as a very mysterious meeting between Severus Snape, Malfoy's Mother, and Aunt Belliatrix.  From that droll scene, the reader is transported to Harry's bedroom at the Dursley's.  He's grieving his lost Godfather when a letter from Dumbledore arrives telling him to be ready to take a little trip with him then head to the Burrow to spend the rest of the summer with the Weasley family. 

     Pretty much from that point on, it's a non-stop magical ride.  Harry and Dumbledore make a stop on their way to the Burrow for the purpose of visiting Horace Slughorn in order to persuade him to resume his post as the Potions Professor at Hogwarts.  Once again the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is empty after another year, and Snape finally gets his dream job!  In the last book, Dumbledore assigns Snape to take Harry on for private lessons, and it did not bode well.  So this time Harry begins private lessons with Dumbledore himself in which Harry learns a lot about Voldemort's personal history.  At the end of the last episode there is a prophecy revealed that basically states that there will be a great fight between Harry and Voldemort and one will end up killing the other.  This is one of the reasons that it is so very important that Harry learn as much about Voldemort as he can; he must know what he's up against as well as the weaknesses of his greatest enemy.  One of the most interesting things that our hero discovers is the reason for Voldemort's "immortality."
 

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6)

      Not only is this whole novel a wild ride for Harry, but also for those reading along!  Young Mr. Potter yet again finds himself in situations that far exceed his level of education, yet he still manages to overcome them, even if it does require a little help from time to time.  But then again, don't we all?

     I do have to say that even though this was one of my favorite Potter books so far, I did have quite a few unsettled questions at the end.  It left me hungering for more, craving the satisfaction that only answered questions can provide it's readers.  ***Spoiler Alert*** It was also downright heart-rending when Harry has to literally force a questionable potion down Dumbledore's throat in order to complete their mission, even as Dumbledore begs him to stop.***  This book was not as riddled with teenage angst as the previous, but there is a lot of attention placed upon the growing love interests of our main characters.  Harry Potter is growing up, right before my very eyes....  Yes, I am FULLY aware of how terribly nerdy I am, thank you very much! ;)

     I really have enjoyed this series so far, despite the fact that I really didn't want to read it in the first place.  This book is no exception; it's a great read from start to finish.  Check it out, and let me know what you think.

     Summer is here, what better time to delve into a stack of amazing literature!?

J.K. Rowling - "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"

     What has young Mr. Potter gotten himself into this time?   It is now Harry's 5th year at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, and so far it's one of the most stressful yet as his O.W.L. exams are fast approaching.  The story begins as usual with him trying to survive life with his miserable muggle family, the Dursleys.  Summer is coming to a close and all the while his two best friends, Hermione and Ron are totally incommunicado, and there has been no word whatsoever about the return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named despite the fact that Harry saw Voldemort return to his own body with his very own eyes.  Just as Harry is at his lowest, a pair of dementors from the wizard prison, Azkaban, approach him and his terrible cousin, Dudley, right there on bland ole' Privet Drive!  Harry casts a charm to defend himself and Dudley, and comes to find out from his crazy neighbor, Mrs. Figg (a person from a wizarding family that isn't able to do magic), that the man assigned to protect him had fallen down on the job and Dumbledore would not be pleased to hear about it. 

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix

     It's at this point that Harry finds himself being rescued from his locked bedroom at the Dursley's house by a motley crew of witches and wizards who scuttle him off to the headquarters of the order of the phoenix.  This "order of the phoenix" Harry discovers is a secret society of magical folk dedicated to raising up an army against the newly arisen Voldemort.  This group includes the Weasley family, Mad-Eye Moody, Sirius Black (Harry's godfather), Professor Snape, Dumbledore, and a number of other characters.  Just as the Order is beginning to from a resistance to the Dark Lord, the Ministy of Magic is taking it's own strides to deal with the recent turn of events.  One of these ways is to discredit Harry and those who believe his talk of Voldemort's return, as well as to attempt to meddle in the education of the Hogwart's students.  This is where Hogwart's newest Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Deloris Umbridge comes into the picture. 

     We have seen in previous books that Harry has a fairly active dream life, but it is even more so in this episode.  Harry has a reoccurring dream throughout this book that involves a long dark hallway with many doors, and usually some kind of strong emotion.  It's very interesting to see how this function plays a significant role in the telling of this tale.  One other prominent storyline involves the beautiful Cho Chang.  In the last book she had caught Harry's eye, but at the time she was dating the now deceased  Cedric Diggory.  Just as in the last story, Harry finds himself attracted to her, but he actually begins to find himself wanting to impress her and to get closer to her, but is at a loss of how to go about doing so.

     This is almost a 900 page book so there are NUMEROUS different threads of storyline wafting throughout it's copious pages, and this is a poor attempt to sum up quite so many pages.  As usual, I recommend reading the book to get a  taste of what's going on in Mr. Potter's life.  Also, as I've said in previous blogs that the overarching story matures with it's readership, and this is especially true in this novel as Harry begins to explore the world of girls, and is having to begin to think about his future after his education is finished at Hogwarts.  I would say these are characteristics that most 15-year old's deal with; I would also say that in this book, Harry is especially "angsty" and anxious just as most kids are at that age.  It makes me think that Ms. Rowling has had some pretty in-depth experience with teenagers.  Of all of the book in this series that I've read so far, this one is probably my favorite because it really feels like there were a lot of questions answered, and there were MANY events that take place that make the story feel like it's really starting to progress quickly.  This book, more so than it's predecessors, begins to paint a picture of what is to come as the series draws to a close.  ("The Goblet of Fire" (book 4), in my mind, gives this one a run for it's money for the title of "favorite so far" just because that one was so imaginative and generally fun to read.)  It was a little tough to read this one as poor Harry was pretty "riled up" most of the time, but I think that is just something that goes with the territory of being a teenager...

     What does the future hold for Harry James Potter?  I guess we'll find out soon...

J.K. Rowling - "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire"

(My normally busy life + the super bowl being hosted in my neck of the woods) /  the fact that I work in the service industry     =   Not much time to read

     I'm not exactly AWESOME at math, but I think it all adds up to give you a semi-accurate picture of my life as of late.  We did just experience an "arctic blast" (Texan for cold weather coupled with frozen precipitation that doesn't melt immediately) that did allow me a few days off to catch  up on reading.  You may think, "With all that time, you should have been able to finish a book or TWO?"  Yes, I should have, but this is a 734 page book.  Plus, I got beaucoup amounts of housework done, including, but not limited to: laundry, ironing said laundry, sweeping, cleaning the shower, vacuuming, hanging all of the wall art that we bought for the new place and haven't had time to hang prior to now, washing dishes by hand due to the line to the beloved dishwasher being frozen, AND giving myself a hard-earned pedicure.  Oh, yeah, and I read some...

     Now, on to the good stuff!  Of the four Harry Potter books that I've read, this one is so far, my favorite. 


Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4)

As I've said in previous Harry Potter posts, this series "grows with its readers," and this book really proves that point to me.  Harry is now 14 and entering angsty teenage-hood along with his cohorts, Ron and Hermione.  Also, as I said in the last Potter post, this book and it's most recent predecessor both have grown a little bit "darker" than the one before.  In the last book Harry was pursued by creepy beings called Dementors while Voldemort's power slowly grew.  ***spoiler alert***  In this book, Voldemort grows even stronger, and Harry actually comes "face to face" with Voldemort, and for the first time in a Harry Potter book, someone bites the dust! ***end of spoiler***

     Another thing I liked a lot about this book is that there were quite a few different story lines drifting in and out of the spotlight.  I know all good books have few different threads of story peeking out every now and again, but this one had at least five or six; a couple of those were not just interwoven tales, but were mysteries in themselves.  What I mean to say is that there was a lot of mysteries to be solved throughout the various stories.

     I really didn't have many gripes about this book at all.  It was a bit long, and I did have a harder time "getting into it" that it's predecessors.  Once I was about 200 pages in, I was hooked and had trouble putting it down (except to do all of that grizzly housework).  This book was also a little "scarier" that it's ancestors,
too, but I don't know if I'd call that a gripe, per se.

     I do have something to say about the movie though.  Yes, this IS a BOOK blog, but my movie-loving Hubby insisted that we watch the flick.  I believe the movie in itself is as entertaining as all of the others, and it was just plain fun to watch.  It did leave a LOT to be desired when compared to the book though.  There were so many parts left out, that it felt like it only covered half of the contents of the beloved book.  I know it would take six hours to watch a movie that had all of the book in it, but I was still sad to see so much missing.  This just proves that I was right to read the book first so as not to be disappointed in the book that takes much longer than 157 minutes to read.  On the flip side, if I had seen the movie before reading the book, I may have just been pleasantly surprised to see that there was more between the two covers than the movie had led me to believe.  Hmmmm, it'll always be a mystery...

     Well, looks like there's more snow headed my way, I'll try to avoid the housework and keep my nose in my literature.  ;)

J.K. Rowling - "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban"

     Well, here we are on the dawn of a new year, the year 2011.  I hope you have had the opportunity to read some wonderful books, as well as to enjoy some of the finer things in life, such as loved ones, good food, and of course, coffee! 

     Mr. Potter has done it again, he's managed to break almost every rule in the book, and not get expelled from Hogwarts for yet another year!  Harry, Hermione, Ron, the usual cast of characters, as well as some new characters appear in book three to grace us with the latest enthralling episode of the life of Harry Potter. 

     Once again, we see poor Harry's miserable life with the Dursleys while he waits for the next term at Hogwarts to begin.  Harry accidentally causes his awful aunt Marge to blow up like a balloon after she continually taunts him throughout her visit.  Needless to say, this does not go over very well with Harry's guardians!  Harry decides that anywhere is better than staying there, so he grabs his trunk and heads off on foot.  As Harry is angrily running away, he senses that he's being watched, and he is...  Harry finds himself being observed by a very large black dog; as he backs away and stumbles; suddenly the Knight Bus appears just in the nick of time to whisk him away to the Leaky Cauldron. 

     Once Harry finds himself back among wizarding folk, he discovers that Sirius Black, the man apparently responsible for the death of his parents, has escaped from azkaban and is now after Harry to kill him too.  Because Siriuis is on the loose, azkaban prison has sent Dementors (scary, azkaban guards that literally suck the happiness out of you) to stand watch over Hogwarts.  It is discovered that these terrible creatures have a unique effect on little Harry.  Also, new to the Hogwarts scene is professor Remus Lupin, the newest Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor.  He proves to be a wonderful ally to Harry throughout the tale. 

     As the year progresses full of homework, classes, Quiddich matches, and all sorts of mischief, Harry finds himself haunted by the Dementors, the Grim (an omen of death that appears as a large black canine),  as well as the threat of Mr. Black's dark desire to kill him.  Throw in a magical Marauder's Map that shows all of the secret passages in and out of Hogwarts as well as where everyone is in the castle, and I would hazard to say that you have a fairly exciting and entertaining premise for a story!  Once again, Ms. Rowling whisks her readers away to a universe where the "norm" is far from normal and where natural laws only apply sometimes.

 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3) (Hardcover) 
      As was true of the previous Harry Potter book, this one too is a little darker than its predecessor.  It really is true that this series "grows along with it's readers."  I think Ms. Rowling has done a great job of weaving a tale that always has you on your toes or the edge of your seat, depending on whether you are standing or sitting...  There is always a way around a situation, a possibility to make things happen that isn't possible in the muggle world, an animal that is completely unknown to the natural world, and so many "otherworldly" objects and actions.  I can see why she's a bestseller!

I hope you have a healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year!

J.K. Rowling - "Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets"

               Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2)

   What to do, what to do, It's my first day off in 11 days????  Laundry, ironing, exercise, organize the recipe drawer, continue to unpack from the move, make the bed, or read Harry Potter for 4 1/2 hours.  I'll let you guess.  I read the last 2/3 of the book curled up on my couch on my day off with the gingerbread latte that was a sweet surprise from Hubby.  Is there anything more perfect, I ask?  Not in my world...

     I usually try to avoid reading two books from the same series too close together in order to avoid what I call, "Runover."  You know it, where the end of the previous book "runs over" the beginning of the next book, and you can't recall what happened in which book.  I experienced this throughout the Twilight series, and have tried to space my series books out a little since then.  Maybe what I should be doing instead is to work on my reading comprehension / retention instead?

     So, this book picks up with poor Harry right back at the dreadful Dursley's house, basically a prisoner, he's mighty discouraged as he's not heard a peep out of his friends from Hogwarts.  The next thing you know, Dobby the pitiful house elf appears in his room and warns Harry not to return to Hogwarts because danger awaits him.  After an eventful evening with Dobby, Harry finds himself in a flying car accompanied by the infamous Weasley twins and his best friend Ron who've come to rescue him from the Dursleys.  Through a fascinating series of events, Harry, Ron, and Hermione return to Hogwarts, and yet again find themselves smack-dab in the middle of yet another mysterious scenario.  People (and animals) are becoming petrified by a dark magic that is very powerful.  Once people find out that Harry is a Parselmouth (has the ability to speak "snake") they naturally suspect him of these mysterious happenings.

     Another year at Hogwarts unfolds as Ron, Harry, Hermione, and the usual cast of characters try to discover who is behind the petrification epidemic, as well as clear Harry's name in the process.  After a few twists, turns, and other plot line happenings, the case is solved, and the trio of amigos is headed home to enjoy their summer break before returning as third year students.

     I've only read the first two in the series, and I'm already catching a glimpse of the "grows with it's readers" phenomenon.  This episode was written to a slightly older audience than was the previous.  What I mean to say is that the vocabulary was a little more broad, the plot was a little "twistier" and the experiences that the characters go through would appeal to someone on the cusp of "junior high" and still not be too far above a ten-year-old kiddo.   (For example, Hermione and the other Hogwarts girlies hint at a crush on Gilderoy Lockheart, the "celebrity heartthrob" of the wizard community.) This book was ever so slightly "darker" than the last, I think mainly due to the broaching of the subject of "possession" of a person's actions by Voldemort.  There was some of it displayed in "The Sorcerer's Stone," but this story seems to exemplify it in a more concrete way.

     I must say that Ms. Rowling certainly knows what she's doing to sell 325 million books!  Just as in the last book, the plot is full of mystery, adventure, and the unusual.  Her characters are both eccentric and quaint, and the "universe" that she has imagined and set her story in, is enthralling to say the least.  I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

     Cheers to you, and yours! 

J.K. Rowling - "Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone"

.     I've finally succumbed to the Harry Potter craze.  Yes, I DO realize I'm like a whole decade behind, but I like to take my time about things.  You know, let other people test out the waters first, and it seems that this is a series I'll be working my way through as well!

     I've obviously not read the whole series, but I've been told that it's a series designed to "grow with it's readers."  The tale begins with ten-year-old Harry living a miserable life with his aunt, uncle, and awful cousin believing that his parents had been killed in a car crash when he was a tiny baby.  This same crash is where his lightning bolt shaped scar is supposed to have originated as well.  On the eve of his eleventh birthday he receives a letter in the mail addressed to him.  This has never happened before!  His aunt and uncle destroy it because they know it contains things that point to Harry's past, and they are of the belief that the past is best left in the past.  It's through this that Harry's true nature as well as pieces of his past are revealed to him.                                                                               Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Book 1)


     Harry is in fact the son of a witch and a wizard and is, in fact, a wizard himself!  The letter that he receives in the beginning of the story is his acceptance letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where his parents met and where, unbeknownst to young Mr. Potter, his name is famous as being the first person to survive an attempted murder by Voldemort.  Through a long, eventful, and magical adventure, Harry finds himself at Hogwarts with his newfound friends Ron and Hermoine.

     Throughout the course of the story Harry, Ron, and Hermione find themselves entangled in a plot to prevent the heist of the very powerful sorcerer's stone by one of the Hogwart's professors.  As the trio works towards their end, they discover that it takes the skills and strengths that each of the three possesses in order to protect the precious stone from falling into the wrong hands.
                                                                      
     The story is cleverly written and highly entertaining to readers of all ages (I'm rapidly nearing the big three-oh...It doesn't look so scary when it's spelled out in letters rather than numbers).  I love how Ms. Rowling has truly created an entire world of her own down to the smallest detail.  She writes in a way that is easily understandable to her "intended audience," but is not so easy that it's beneath it's older readers.  Every time I opened the book, I was (as cliche' as it is...) whisked off to a land far, far away.  I highly recommend it to readers of all ages!

      Now I just need a few weeks of undisturbed reading to get through the rest of the series.