Books 15-20

Oh my, this will be a list.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J.K Rowling

Ok, so, if you haven't read any of the Harry Potter books yet, you're behind. Really behind. And, I get it! When Harry Potter I was very "anti everything trendy". Pretty much, if other people liked something, I didn't. So I didn't like the Harry Potter series because it was popular. And then I saw the first movie, and I realized what I was missing to a degree.

When beginning your journey through the world that is the world of Harry Potter, you need to keep in mind one major thing: In the first book, Harry is 11 and it is geared towards audiences of a similar age. So don't expect anything too intensely deep, because you'll not get that. What you will get, though, is a decently written novel for tweens and teens that is pretty captivating. You are able to forget the age of our favourite young wizard and get involved in the story. I can't say the same for the movie, but that's now what this blog is here for....

I think that *most* people in the developed world who have any connection to pop culture understand the basics to the Harry Potter series. Harry is a wizard who doesn't know it, he's raised in a family of "muggles" (non magical people) who have done the best to crush his abilities out of him by years of living under their thumbs. He has no idea what he is or, really, anything about his past until he's accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Then he gets to learn about the amazing, magical world that he's a part of... and famous in. As a baby a very famous, evil wizard tried to fail, and what happened is still a bit of a mystery. What his world doesn't know is that Lord Voldemort is attempting to come back.....

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling

 So this one, for all it attempts at being mildly creepy still kind of fails since it's geared at 12 year olds. But that doesn't matter because... well... it's Harry Potter. So Harry goes back to school for his second year, having barely survived the first one. But when the caretaker's cat is attacked and  a note on the wall says the Chamber of Secrets has been opened, rumours start flying around. What is the Chamber of Secrets, and who would be able to open it? What is that voice that Harry can hear that no one else can? And has one of his best friends set a monster on the school?

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

This is where the series starts getting good. The darkness that is apparent as a background theme is coming to the foreground now... J.K's target audience has grown with Harry a bit and are able to deal with more intense subject matter. One of Lord Voldemort's biggest supporters has broken out of the wizard prison, Azkaban. And that means a whole lot of trouble for Harry...

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

This was my favourite of the books when they were still new to me, and the movie was a huge letdown. The world of magic was so vivid and apparent to me when I read it, and now Harry is 14 and a lot more mature.

So Harry has survived another year, and this year is extra exciting... the Quidditch World Cup has come to Britain and Harry gets to go. But when the Dark Lord's signature is blasted into the sky when a number of his followers start harassing the muggles who own the camp ground, the amazing night quickly turns terrifying. Then, when Harry returns to school his finds out the Triwizard tournament is being held. He's not old enough to enter and somehow ends up being thrown into the mix anyway. And finally, Lord Voldemort officially rears his snakelike head.


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

I really hated this book the first time I read it. Not because it was badly written (though it's a huge book and there's quite a bit that could/should have been cut) but because I spent the whole time being ANGRY. I remember being at the family cottage and literally throwing the book across the room, I was so angry. I also remember reading it in two days. I'm just not able to put Harry down. One annoying thing about this book is that Harry is 15 and boy, does J.K write the age well. He's an angsty little douche and I get really fed up with him... but it's true to the age of the characters and I have to give J.K kudos for making me hate one of my favourite characters so much.

Lord Voldemort is back, and terribly, his existence is being kept hidden from the wizarding world at large. People refuse to believe Harry's account of Voldemort's return, and the Daily Prophet is painting a picture of a very different Harry, an attention seeking boy who is possibly touched in the head. The searing pain that shoots through the scar on his forehead doesn't help matters. But, there's a band of warriors who will fight Lord Voldemort, the ones who believe he's returned, and they're willing to give their lives to do it.  The other part of their job involves keeping Harry alive.

The Dogs of Babel: A Novel - Carolyn Parkhurst

This book is sweet, sad, deep, lighthearted, and easy to read. How's that all possible? I don't really know. But it's true. I picked this one up cheap, on clearance, on my trip to Chicago. I grabbed it for two reasons... it mentioned dogs and I vaguely recognized the name. And I'm glad I did! When Lexy falls from a large tree in her yard, the only witness is her faithful Rhodesian Ridgeback, Lorelei.  It just so happens that Lexy's husband, Paul is a linguistics professor and he decides the only way to gain insight into Lexy's death is to teach Lorelei to speak.

This book has a few outwardly funny moments, but mostly it is sad and beautiful.

****

Book Count: 20/50

Books 13 & 14

The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

This book is really... really... GOOD. A young boy (Daniel Sempere) is taken to the Cemetery for Lost books by his book seller father, and the book that chooses to leave with him is The Shadow of the Wind. Taking the book leads him, eventually, into a Hollywood style mystery. Who is the man with the rough voice that seeks the book so badly? Is he the same man who is systematically burning every book ever written by Julián Carax? This is a book that really draws you in, and satisfyingly so. I absolutely loved it. The book was lent to me and I will happily add it to my private collection in the future.

The Dog Who Wouldn't Be - Farley Mowat

Farley Mowat tells the story of his childhood in the Canadian prairies with tales of his beloved dog Mutt in The Dog Who Wouldn't Be. Mutt didn't fancy himself dog or human... clearly he was above both of them! I really did laugh out loud at this little book, and it was an interesting shot of Canadian geography and history at the same time. Though it really is more of a pre-teen aged book, reading it really helped illustrate to me why Farley Mowat is one of Canada's best known (and best loved) authors.

****
Book Count: 14/50