The Harry Potter Adventure: The Pregame

Tomorrow, October 1, 2010, I begin my challenge to read all seven Harry Potter books consecutively.  The goal is to be finished before the theatrical release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 on November 19, 2010.  That gives me exactly 50 days to read a total of 4100 pages.  That comes out to 82 pages a day.  *WHEW*

 My history with Harry Potter isn't really all that exciting.  I never dressed up like a character and went to a midnight release party.  I can't even say I was one of the fans before the movies were made.  In fact I didn't even see The Sorcerer's Stone in the theaters because I was in the middle of reading it at the time and didn't want the ending spoiled.  But I love the series.  I truly believe it will last through time as one of the great works of fantasy along with Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, Star Wars, and (one of my favorites) His Dark Materials(aka The Golden Compass).  Last year I had the chance to go to the Harry Potter exhibit when it was at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.  While there I had the chance to be sorted.  yep, I wore the sorting hat and it assigned me to my house.  I am a Slytherin.  The thing about Harry Potter that always gets me is how much I fall in love with the characters.  Even the evil ones.  Voldemort is one of the most brilliant villains of all time!  My favorite characters in the series have never been Harry, Ron, or Hermione because the supporting cast is just as well developed as the leading characters.  

As it stands now, my favorites are....
BOOK: 1. The Half Blood Prince 2. The Prisoner of Azkaban
CHARACTER(s):   1. Luna Lovegood  2. Remus Lupin  3. Tom Riddle
MOVIE: The Sorcerer's Stone (I just love the magic of Hogwarts and everything being so new)
MOMENT: Neville Longbottom winning the house cup for Griffindor


Post in the comments your Harry Potter Favorites Lists!

Dear Blog,

So I promised to read and review Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan for you.  However, I just started a new job and have been getting into more rehearsals for the production of Hairspray that I'm doing so that reading hasn't been happening.  I'm still going to read it, but it will be postponed until after I finish my next project.

Next Project?  What, pray tell, could that be???   I'll tell you!

I will be embarking on a journey through all seven Harry Potters!  Yes, I have already read them all.  Some of them multiple times.  However, I thought it would be fun if Jim and I re-read them all together before the next movie.  The question is this: Do I blog about a series of books I assume most of my readers has read?  I could write about things I never really noticed or appreciated about the books until reading them all in succession.  No summaries, no reviewing.  I LOVE these books.  Five Stars(times seven books is 35 stars).  There is the review.  Maybe i'll do short daily updates on the progress since this is a challenge with a deadline.

So how about it bloggers?  would you like to follow me through the Harry Potter Adventure?  Let me know in the comments if this would be at all interesting to you.

Other Posts?

So I've been thinking about adding different kinds of posts to the blog other than just reading reviews.  It's mostly because I am a slow reader and there's no way I can read two books a week(especially when they are 4000+ pages!).  I know a few blogs write about what has been recently released or literary events.  I'm wondering what I can blog about in between reviews.  My one idea was "Reading Memories" in which I would post a blog about books I remember fondly.  This would give me the chance to blog about books I love but that I read before I started blogging.  It would also give me the chance to include non YA titles such as picture books and plays I love. 


What do you think?  Do you like this idea?  Any other brilliant blog ideas that I cannot think up on my own?  This blog is still a baby and I think it has a lot of room to grow.

The Order of Odd Fish by James Kennedy

When she was a baby, orphaned Jo was left on Aunt Lily’s doorstep with a note: “This is Jo.  Please take care of her.  But beware.  This is a Dangerous baby.”  For thirteen years Jo couldn’t find anything remotely dangerous about herself until one day she meets a Russian Colonel who takes advice from his digestive track and his butler, Sefino the cockroach.  Together they go on a rather inconvenient adventure to Eldritch City, the home of The Order of Odd Fish, an order of knights whose purpose is to research pointless subjects.  It is here that Jo finds out that her birth was connected to a mysterious cult and was the cause of the near destruction of Eldritch City.  Jo finally feels like she has found a place where she belongs, but she has to keep her true identity a secret.  This book has some amazing adventures like riding giant squids through underground rivers, cockroaches who find themselves the topic of the gossip columnists, and a millionaire who is trying to become a super villain. 

I do not remember ever laughing more at any book than this one.  I’m not usually one to laugh out loud at books.  It’s probably my catholic school library time that taught me not to make a sound when you are reading.  This book though, had me cracking up.  Much to my embarrassment, I was giggling in my dentist’s office waiting room!  This book just has a flair for the ridiculous that you cannot help but laugh at.  I’ve heard this book being compared to Roald Dahl and even Monty Python.  I can see both of those influences in this novel, but I really think James Kennedy’s first novel has a humor and a charm all its own.  On top of the humor, James Kennedy has a knack for describing things.  There are settings, animals and characters in this book that only exist in the imagination, but they are described so well that the reader has no difficulty understanding the fantastic world of Eldritch City.  I could picture everything so well, that I often felt like I was watching the book happen.  I think this is a great book for those who enjoy adventure and a lot of silliness.  This is James Kennedy’s first novel, but I look forward to more from him in the future!

Update

I've been a slow reader lately so I don't have a review for today.  So Today's post is more of an update.

News: I now have a Twitter!  I'm still confused on how to work it, but I'm trying.  You should follow me at username BkwrmAdventure

Right now I'm reading James Kennedy's The Order of Odd Fish.  So far I'm really enjoying it, and I plan to have the review on it up sometime this weekend!  Check out James Kennedy's website and see for yourself how funny he is!

After that, I am so so so excited to read Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan.  It's my first Westerfeld book and my first adventure into the Steampunk genre.  Check out this video trailer for the book Here!

In other news, one of my favorite authors, Neil Gaiman is going to make an appearance on the PBS kids show Arthur!!!!  I think he makes an awesome animated cat.  Yay Neil!  Check it out October 25!

Thanks for reading!  Let me know in the comments if there's any books you'd like to see me read in the future!

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

I cannot even begin to tell you how difficult it is to write about this book without spoiling.  I am trying very hard to only tell you my feelings about the book and not what happens.

The end of a series is often bittersweet.  I have been waiting all summer to read this book, and many fans have been waiting much longer.  It’s been a wonderful journey through this series, and it’s always sad to see it end.    

What did I think of the book?  That is a difficult question because of the nature of The Hunger Games.  The story isn’t happy.  It has a lot of confusion and pain that I felt as a reader.  I do think it was a beautiful series.  I appreciate the growth Katniss went through in the series.  I think she developed a lot from the the little girl hunting in the woods that we met in the beginning.  I enjoyed how this book kept me guessing.  Suzanne Collins definitely took some risks and did not go in the direction of the expected.  Bravo.  Nothing is certain in Panem from page one of The Hunger Games all the way to the final page of Mockingjay.  Along with Katniss, the reader questions who to trust and what is right.  I liked that.  Real worlds do not have happy tied up endings with no questions.  I don’t feel like the book left me with so many questions that I was frustrated though.  There is an element of the unknown without the feeling of being cheated.  I think the best thing is that Mockingjay stayed tuned-in to the theme I found most important to The Hunger Games, the affect of the media and the nature of entertainment. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the series.  I really recommend it to everyone.  I think the characters are very real and the plot is both exciting and meaningful.  It’s a page turner for sure with some really beautiful moments.  If you haven’t, I think you should read the series.  If you have read the series and want a full account of the book (Spoilers included), I really recommend reading Malinda Lo’s blog about it here.  I think she says everything I felt about the book, the series, and the fan response to both.  You should also read her blog about Why I'm Team Katniss.

Please leave comments with your thoughts on the series and your feelings about the ending!

Remembering 9/11 with hate?

Please read American Libraries article Fighting Fire with Free Speech: ALA Will Protest Book Burning with 9/11 Qur'an Reading | American Libraries Magazine


As a reader and an educator, I am appalled that there are still people who think that burning a book is the right way to get rid of an opposing view point. I'm 100% behind the American Library Association on this one.

Banned Books week is a favorite of mine. It is totally fine to dislike or disagree with a book, but it is never ok to get rid of it entirely.  Freedom of Speech means there will be people who say things you don't like.  They have that right.  You have the right to not read it.  You do not have the right to stop others from reading it.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on these issues, the article, banned books, burning books.  Would you like posts about favorite "Banned Books" for Banned Books week?  Septembe 25-October 2  Please Comment!

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

I read this book so quickly, that I didn’t really get as excited about it as I did Hunger Games. However, as I think back on it, I feel like it was the more interesting of the two books so far. I don’t want to give away any plot points for those who haven’t read the books, but I liked how this book gave us a chance to get to know some of the other characters better.

The stakes are higher in this book as Katniss is challenged by the President of Panem to calm the people’s ideas of rebellion. While the first book was mostly about The Games and Katniss, this book digs deeper into the country and government of Panem along with the characters Katniss is in contact with. Katniss has the opportunity to meet and learn about some of the previous victors of the Games, and I really enjoyed learning about the characters from other districts. This book gives the reader the chance to learn more about Panem as a country instead of just District 12 and the capitol. This book also builds more on the relationships between the characters. The Hunger Games spent so much time with just Katniss and Peeta, but Catching Fire illustrates Katniss’ growing relationships with other characters as well.

It is a great second act with lots of excitement. It definitely builds the reader’s anticipation for book three. If The Hunger Games didn't live up to your expectations, read Catching Fire. I think that it could make a believer out of you.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

In honor of the release of Mockingjay on August 24, I have decided to do a post for the first two books before I review the final installment. In a lot of ways, I came late to the Hunger Games party. I remember hearing about the first book from a librarian when it first came out and it interested me enough that I filed it away in my “to read” section of my brain. But I didn’t actually get around to reading it until this spring. I finally had the time to sit down and read the book after so many people raved about it and told me I had to read it.

In The Hunger Games we are introduced to a dystopic world in which the land and all of its resources are divided into 12 districts. The people and everything produced by these districts are controlled by the government of The Capitol. Every year, in order to demonstrate their control over the districts, The Capitol selects two children from each district to participate in the nationally televised Hunger Games. In these games, the tributes are forced to fight to the death, and the last one standing wins glory and riches for his district.

In Katniss Everdeen we are given a hero who is both vulnerable and vicious all at once. Katniss is an incredibly complicated character that I think readers will both relate to and learn a lot from. She is passionate and a fierce fighter, but still loving and kind. Katniss has to struggle with maintaining her humanity in some of the most savage situations. I love what the book has to say about the world, about government, survival, freedom, love, and most importantly about what people view as "entertainment". The idea that the entire country watches these children kill each other on television is a staggering thought. It makes you reconsider the idea of “reality” television. The characters are well crafted and the reader can truly connect with Katniss and those she loves.

What were your thoughts on The Hunger Games? What made this book so special?

Stay Tuned for Catching Fire and Mockingjay!!