10 posts tagged “harry potter”
Read because: I'm listening to all the HP books on CD
Borrowed from: the Sacramento Library
Rating: 8 out of 10
Synopsis: Harry is back and in fine form in the third installment of his adventures at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. His summer with the hideous Dursley family is cut short when, during a fit of quite understandable rage, he turns his Aunt Marge into an enormous balloon and then runs away. Soon, it becomes quite apparent that someone is trying to kill him; even after Harry is ensconed in the safety of fall term at Hogwarts, the attacks continue. Myriad subplots involving a new teacher with a secret, Hermione's strangely heavy class schedule, and enmity between Ron's old rat, Scabbers, and Hermione's new cat, Crookshanks, all mesh to create a stunning climax. The pace is nonstop, with thrilling games of Quidditch, terrifying Omens of Death, some skillful time travel, and lots of slimy Slytherins sneaking about causing trouble.
My review: I really like book 3 of the series. Things get really dark, with omens of death for Harry, a mass murderer on the loose, and some really close calls for the three wizards. I also love the introduction of Sirius Black (played by Gary Oldman in my head), who is one of my favorite characters in the entire series. He's extra crazy in this book, and it's really fun to watch Rowling develop his character, not to mention the characters of other adults in the book -- Snape, James Potter, Pettigrew, and Lupin. I also really like Lupin in this book, and how he gives support to Harry when most others write him off. And once again, Jim Dale is the best audio book reader out there. (Finished 11/23/09)
Borrowed from: the Sacramento library
Rating: 8 out of 10
Synopsis: This sequel brings back the young wizard-in-training to face suspicious adults, hostile classmates, fretful ghosts, rambunctious spells, giant spiders, and even an avatar of Lord Voldemort, the evil sorcerer who killed his parents, while saving the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from a deadly, mysterious menace. Ignoring a most peculiar warning, Harry kicks off his second year at Hogwarts after a dreadful summer with his hateful guardians, the Dursleys, and is instantly cast into a whirlwind of magical pranks and misadventures, culminating in a visit to the hidden cavern where his friend Ron's little sister Ginny lies, barely alive, in a trap set by his worst enemy. Surrounded by a grand mix of wise and inept faculty, sneering or loyal peersplus an array of supernatural creatures including Nearly Headless Nick and a huge, serpentine basiliskHarry steadily rises to every challenge, and though he plays but one match of the gloriously chaotic field game Quidditch, he does get in plenty of magic and a bit of swordplay on his way to becoming a hero again.
My review: Ah, the adventures of the young Harry Potter continue. Again, I listened on audio book and fell in love all over again with Jim Dale's reading. He just brings everything to life. Also, he sounds exactly like Maggie Smith. Which is weird and awesome. This book is a little more intense than the first, especially toward the end. The characters are expanded more in this book, as are the growing mysteries surrounding Voldemort and Hogwarts. It's was also really well-paced -- unlike some of the others in the series, this one doesn't really get bogged down in the middle (I'm talking to you, Deathly Hallows). Plus, we get to see more of Ginny. And I just adore her. (Finished 10/13/09)
Note: Technically this book doesn't count toward my 2009 Reading Challenge because it is a re-read for me. I'm going through the HP series on audio book because, well, I felt like it and because Jim Dale (who reads) makes me happy. I'm going to number the books as I go, but at the end I'll take them out or count them as extras -- if you are sponsoring me for the challenge, you can decide whether or not they count. :)
Read because: See above. Harry Potter + Jim Dale = Audio Book Perfection
Borrowed from: the Sacramento Library
Rating: 8 out of 10
Synopsis: As the story opens, mysterious goings-on ruffle the self-satisfied suburban world of the Dursleys, culminating in a trio of strangers depositing the Dursleys' infant nephew Harry in a basket on their doorstep. After 11 years of disregard and neglect at the hands of his aunt, uncle and their swinish son Dudley, Harry suddenly receives a visit from a giant named Hagrid, who informs Harry that his mother and father were a witch and a wizard, and that he is to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry himself. Most surprising of all, Harry is a legend in the witch world for having survived an attack by the evil sorcerer Voldemort, who killed his parents and left Harry with a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. There is enchantment, suspense and danger galore as Harry and his friends Ron and Hermione plumb the secrets of the forbidden third floor at Hogwarts to battle evil and unravel the mystery behind Harry's scar.
My review: Well, what hasn't been said about Harry Potter? I managed to avoid reading the series until I was out visiting family one weekend in Massachusetts and I forgot to bring a book with me. So, what did my three cousins (aged something like 11, 14, and 17) have to offer me? Harry Potter! I finished the first five books in less than a week, since they are so easy to fly through. Book six was released a few weeks after that (I was 245 on the hold list at the library in Boston, and got it the day it came out. How many copies did they order?!), and I read book seven when it came out. But I'd only read the series that one time, so I thought I'd give the audio books a shot after the movie for the Half-Blood Price was released. Jim Dale is a master audio book reader (he also narrated the canceled amazing TV show Pushing Daisies, may it rest in Technicolor peace) and he brings everything to life. He also sounds exactly like Maggie Smith, which is weird. The Sorcerer's Stone sets up the series, introducing us to the characters and setting out some of the issues that Harry and the gang will have to tackle throughout the next six books. Rowling isn't the best writer to walk the planet (adverbs! adverbs! adverbs!), but her writing is entertaining and she plots a great story. And if she's getting kids to read, all the better. (Finished 8/10/09)
And in honor of my completing Harry Potter, here is a video.
I am still terrified to go through reading all your past posts due to Harry Potter (which I am 2/3 done with, and still spoiler-free!), but that doesn't mean I can't post myself! So now I present some of the posts I've been composing in my email. Each one will chronicle a part of my fantabulous trip to Colorado. Once I finish HP (tomorrow, I hope), I'll get ready to sift through the past posts of everyone from the last week and a half. I've missed you all!
And I'm sorry for totally flooding your neighborhood reader with my posts! But I think it's easier to write little snippets than one enormous post that Vox will definitely delete and then I'll have to crawl under my desk and eat a whole pie due to loss-of-blog depression.
YAYAY! Siobhan got Harry Potter for me, AND she got the audio book for almost half off. AMAZING! She is seriously the best friend I could ever ask for. Now a forever-long car trip is looking a lot better!
Okay, I'm going now!
Vacation! Sort of.
In about an hour, I'll be off to Colorado, wrangling youth who are hyped up on Mountain Dew and Monster energy drinks for a week-long church conference (my fourth trip to this particular conference). We'll do a lot of singing, learning, praying, bonding, and, of course, eating. Oh, and we're driving there. From Sacramento to Salt Lake City tonight (I'll say "hi" for you, Erin), and then Salt Lake City to Fort Collins tomorrow, and the Fort Collins to Estes Park on Monday. Basically the directions are: Get on I-80 and drive for a thousand miles. Go south a bit. Stop.
I sent Siobhan to get my copy of Harry Potter from WalMart last night, but I'm not sure she was successful. She's still asleep, so I guess we'll find out when she gets up soon. If she wasn't able to get it, let's hope some random truck stop in Nevada has it. Or I'll have to wait a whole week to get it, since we aren't leaving the YMCA campus we're staying on all week. *horrors*
I'll be sans Internet all week, although I might be able to get cell reception up in the mountains. If so...I'll be mobloggin'! Because I know what you all want is a gobzillion pictures of me and my youth wearing matching shirts. You are all so lucky.
I'll be back on Sunday! Enjoy your week, everyone!
Show us what the weekend has in store for you.
On July 21, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows comes out.
I didn't start reading the HP series until last year, right before book six came out. I've enjoyed the series thus far, and I'm looking forward to book seven. I wouldn't consider myself a dress-as-Hermione-and-wait-in-line-at-midnight sort of fan, but I would like to get my hands on the book as soon as possible for one reason and one reason alone:
I DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO SPOIL THE ENDING. Not my friends, or my YG kids, or the media, or the Internet or anything.
Here's where my dilemma lies: I am leaving for a youth group trip to Colorado at 8:00 am on July 21. That means that I somehow have to get my hands on a copy of the book before then, in the eight hours between midnight, when it's released, and 8:00, when I leave. But I haven't pre-ordered it at Borders, so I can only get a copy if there are enough left in the middle of the night (the clerk said perhaps 2:30 am). I'm wondering if WalMart will have them before 8:00 am. I know that some of the YG kids will have their copies (from their midnight line-standing) on the trip and I really really really don't want to overhear them talking about it. Ugh! Maybe I can find it in a gas station in Reno or something.
Any ideas?
