#22 - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
By: J.K. Rowling
Narrated by: Jim Dale
672 pages (19 hours)
Published: 2005
ISBN: 0307283658
My Copy: Borrowed from library (I own the book)

REVIEW COMING SOON!

#20 - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

By: J.K. Rowling
Narrated by: Jim Dale
896 pages (27 hours)
Published: 2003
ISBN: 0807220299
My Copy: Borrowed from library (I own the book)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was released on midnight on June 21, 2003 and I was there, standing in line at my local Borders, to get one of the first copies in line. I will always remember this book release because a) it was the first Potter-related midnight book release party I had been to and my best friend, Kristina, and I ended up waiting until after 1:30 AM to finally purchase our copies of the book, and b) it took place exactly one week before my wedding.

Committing yourself to reading an 896-page book the week you are getting married is a tall order, but I had absolutely decided that I would have finished by the time I walked down the aisle. I knew I wouldn't be able to concentrate on my "I do's" if I was secretly trying to work out what was really contained in the Department of Mysteries and wondering what would happen during the climatic Voldemort vs. Dumbledore duel at the end.

The book is long, the longest of the series, but I still thought I could polish it off in a single day. Sadly, I was wrong, and it took me two or three days to finally have the whole thing completed (that did leave me more than enough time to get to the rehearsal dinner though). The same is true of listening to the book. It is 27 hours long! 27 hours! That's an entire day of listening and then some, so yeah, one day was not going to be enough.

The one good thing about the book coming out that week was that I was able to get several other copies to give to members of our bridal party as thank you gifts. Since no one in our circle of friends and family was as obsessed as me, I knew no one had started it yet!

One of the mistakes I made on my first reading was rushing through the story a little. After that, I learned to never rush another Potter novel, but to read carefully, soaking in all the details. After all, you only get one chance to read a book for the first time. When I finished the book, I remember being underwhelmed, and given its placement in the series, I can understand why I felt this. The story doesn't put forth any grand details, except that we learn that Harry is destined to kill Voldemort, or else be killed by him. It really isn't until the sixth and seventh book that we start to get the whole picture and understand how and why Harry must destroy Voldemort. But, of course, those seeds are planted here in this fifth story.

But, the book is a gem in its own right. Sure, Harry is moody, maybe a little bit too moody, but, after all that's happened, doesn't he have a right to be? I think Rowling really adeptly captures teenage angst and the first stirrings of love subplots in this volume. And, of course, the author gives us two uniquely wonderful female villains - Dolores Umbridge and Bellatrix Lestrange. A passive-aggressive, power hungry, government official - is there anything worse? And hateful, evil, sadistic Bellatrix is a force to be reckoned with (though, for the life of me, I can't understand why Jim Dale gives her a foreign accent? Shouldn't she be British?)

And then there is the death of Sirius, who Harry was beginning to regard as kind of a surrogate father, all at the same time that he is discovering that his own father was not all he thought him to be. Rowling could have easily left James and Lily Potter and perfect beacons of goodness, who sacrificed themselves to save their only son, but she is brave enough to give them flaws. Even Sirius, who has suffered so horribly and unjustly, can be, at times, an unsuitable guardian and role model. We're left to wonder if maybe Harry isn't better off without his influence after all.

As far as the movies go, Order of the Phoenix is easily my favorite. I think the filmmakers managed to perfectly capture the spirit of the book, while also significantly compressing the action (Phoenix is the longest volume in the series, but the shortest movie to date). Does that mean Order of the Phoenix itself could've stood a little editing? Perhaps, but in the end, I'm glad it didn't get any. The more Harry the better, as far as I'm concerned.

Overall, an excellent book, a great step in the series, full of excellent details adding to the overall story.

Rating: A

#16 - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
By: J.K. Rowling
Narrated by: Jim Dale
734 pages (21 hours)
Published: 2000
ISBN: 0807282596
My Copy: Borrowed from library (I own the book)

When I first began the Harry Potter series, it was on the recommendation of my best friend, Kristina. She and I were hanging out at the library one day (we were doing some research for a college class we were both in), and she suggested I try reading Harry Potter, a series I'd heard of, but hadn't had much interest in exploring.

"Aren't those kids book?" I scoffed. "Yes," she said, "but you'll love them!" And, fellow readers, was she ever right.

I read straight through Philosopher's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, and Prisoner of Azkaban, before settling in to read what was the largest volume of the series at the time, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Of course, I adored the first three books in the series, but Goblet of Fire is what really got me hooked. I talked before about how desperately I love "hinge novels," and Goblet of Fire is one of my favorites. The world becomes so much bigger, the story so much more political, the evil so much more dangerous and present.

It's no accident that the story begins with Harry travelling to the Quidditch World Cup and learning about wizards and witches from around the world and then, later, the Triwizard Tournament brings those very same people to his door. Harry's world is expanding and, as everything gets bigger, we see that danger looms from everywhere. Rowling sets the stage for the rest of the series by resurrecting Voldemort at the of Goblet. Evil is no longer hiding in the shadows and scattered in the outskirts, it is alive and poses a clear and present danger to our hero and, indeed, the world at large. The actions of the entire series seem to hinge on that scene in the graveyard and now everything can be said to be either before Voldemort was back or after he came back. The series also gets serious, killing off a main character at the end. The first death for us in a long line to follow.

The political message of the story also becomes crystal clear in this volume. Hermione's new found interest in the plight of house elves. Prejudice in the magical world. Themes we have touched upon in other stories, but which are placed front and center here. As Harry learns about the intolerance in his world, we learn as well and become just as resolved as our hero to fight these injustices.

When I had the honor of meeting J.K. Rowling in 2007, I wore my S.P.E.W. shirt because, for me, S.P.E.W. embodies everything I love about the series. It conveys the author's fervent desire for us to see inequality in the world and to do something about it, with her acute sense of humor. House elves, after all, do not very much want to be free, but that doesn't stop Hermione from doing her best to convince them of it. It's fitting that Ron and Hermione's first kiss should take place in book seven when he finally expresses his support for her efforts to overturn the injustice of house elf enslavement.

Speaking of S.P.E.W, I do sorely miss having it in the movie version. In fact, though Goblet of Fire is one of my favorite of the series, the movie version is easily my least favorite of the adaptations. I think there was just too much to include and it just wasn't done well enough. That and Ron and Harry's hair is just too scruffy. Maybe they should have started breaking the movies into two at this point (no, I'm actually glad they didn't... too many movies to see!).

The first time I finished Goblet of Fire, I realized that I would have to wait until who-knew-when to read the next chapter in the series. At the time, J.K. Rowling was still hard at work on the not-yet-titled Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and she had simply left me and the rest of the world to wait with baited breath to see where her story would go from here.

After all is said and done, it was certainly worth the wait.

Rating: A+

#13 - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
By: J.K. Rowling
Narrated by Jim Dale
435 pages (12 hours)
Published: 1999
ISBN: 0807282324
My Copy: Borrowed from library (I own the book, though)

Prisoner of Azkaban is one of my favorite Harry Potter novels. It's refreshing to breeze through it after plodding along during Chamber of Secrets. There's just so much to love about it.

Jane Austen isn't one of J.K. Rowling's favorite authors for no reason. She has the same incredible ability to misdirect the reader and make us feel exactly the opposite of what the truth is (think Elizabeth and Darcy as Harry and Sirius). This book also starts feeding us information about Harry's parents, which we glory in along with Harry. And since I've seen parallels between all the other books, I imagine that this one ties pretty closely to Order of the Phoenix. Harry begins his relationship with Sirius here, and ends it in Order of the Phoenix. Harry believes he will be expelled for the use of underage magic in the beginning, and in Phoenix, he almost is expelled for just that. Professors Trelawney's prophecies feature in both. Also, Harry learns information about his father that makes him proud and happy in Azkaban, but in book five, he starts to see a different, more complete version of his father emerge.

I think the scene in the Shrieking Shack is one of my favorites of the whole series. I included a (somewhat poor quality) clip from the film adaptation. The movie does a nice job of condensing it. Plus, Gary Oldman, Alan Rickman, David Thewlis, and Timothy Spall are brilliant. You can tell even the three kids up their game a bit around them. Swoon...



Rating: A+

#11 - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
By: J.K. Rowling
Narrated by: Jim Dale
352 pages (9 hours)
Published: 1999
ISBN: 0807281948
My copy: Borrowed from library (own the book, of course)

Of all the Harry Potter books, I'd have to say Chamber of Secrets is possibly my least favorite. The bit about the flying car is just not that exciting and it just drags in some places (even though those sections do add to the story). I was also rather annoyed by the fact that everyone seems to think they are about to get expelled at every turn. Harry and Ron are constantly ready to pack their bags and Ginny is terrified to tell what she knows about the Chamber of Secrets because she could be kicked out of school. Has anyone, except Hagrid, ever been kicked out of Hogwarts? And that was only because they thought Hagrid had killed someone. So it seems like the standard for expulsion is a little higher than the kids are making it out to be.

That said, the end is rather good and makes a lot more sense in light of the information we find out in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. J.K. Rowling said in an interview somewhere that she had originally intended to explain more about horcruxes in the second book, but, in the end, decided to save it all for the sixth book. I think I wish she had a put a little more into Chamber of Secrets, so everything revealed in Half-Blood Prince didn't seem like a big, too-late-to-introduce-this surprise.

But, I like that those two books parallel each other (just as, in my mind, the first and seventh book do). In Chamber, we meet the young Voldemort and in Half-Blood Prince, we learn more about his family background and his life among muggles. Harry also begins to wonder about the similarities between himself and Voldemort in CoS and then again in HBP. The second book also sets up the relationship between Harry and Ginny, which culminates in their kiss in the sixth book. Even the two new teachers from these books, Gilderoy Lockhart (who is a brilliant creation, by the way) and Horace Slughorn resemble each other in that both use the accomplishments of others to bolster their own importance.

All in all, a great book, though still my least favorite in an excellent series.

Rating: A-

#7 - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
By: J.K. Rowling
Narrated by: Jim Dale
309 pages (9 hours)
Published: 1997
ISBN: 0807281956
My copy: Borrowed from library (own the book, of course)

What can I say about this book that hasn't already been said? I must have read the first volume in the Harry Potter series three or four times now, but it just keeps getting better every time I pick it up.

When I decided to re-read all the Harry Potter books this year as part of the Harry Potter Reading Challenge I thought it might be fun to hear all of them on audiobook. I was right. And I'd highly recommend it for anyone embarking on the books again. Jim Dale is perfect. I can't believe the number of voices he can keep straight in his head. I also tend to absorb a lot more detail when listening, whereas, when reading, I might be tempted to skip over a rather long descriptive passage. Audiobook is definitely a new and interesting way to experience the books.

Rowling is a masterful writer. Having read the entire series, I can't help but appreciate all the little details she throws in that come into play in later books, especially the last book in the series. Wandlore. The invisibility cloak. Gringott's. All tiny details that play a small part in forming not just an incredible first novel, but a truly magical series of stories.

If you haven't read these books yet, I feel sorry for you.

Rating: A+

#5 - The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
By: Douglas Adams
256 pages
Published: 1980
ISBN: 0345418921
My copy: Mooched via BookMooch

Part of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe details the further adventures of Zaphod, Trillian, Arthur and Ford as they stumble about the universe. Here's the official product description (which probably won't make any sense if you haven't read the first book):

Facing annihilation at the hands of the warlike Vogons? Time for a cup of tea! Join the cosmically displaced Arthur Dent and his uncommon comrades in arms in their desperate search for a place to eat, as they hurtle across space powered by pure improbability. Among Arthur’s motley shipmates are Ford Prefect, a long-time friend and expert contributor to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy; Zaphod Beeblebrox, the three-armed, two-headed ex-president of the galaxy; Tricia McMillan, a fellow Earth refugee who’s gone native (her name is Trillian now); and Marvin, the moody android. Their destination? The ultimate hot spot for an evening of apocalyptic entertainment and fine dining, where the food speaks for itself (literally). Will they make it? The answer: hard to say. But bear in mind that The Hitchhiker’s Guide deleted the term “Future Perfect” from its pages, since it was discovered not to be!

I really liked the first Hitchhiker's book as the plot was more fast-paced, funny, and interesting. This one is certainly has a lot of twists and turns, and is pretty much hilarious, but it didn't hold my attention like the first book did (sorry, Hitchhiker's devotes). I suppose the trilogy (which consists of five books) has to be taken as whole along with the radio broadcasts and television show and movie. You can't really separate out one of the books and review it individually. But that's what I'm doing anyway.

All in all, I'd recommend the series as it is very funny and Douglas Adam is a masterful satirist. I just had to plod through this one a bit.

My Rating: B-
Overall Series Rating: B+

Typically British Reading Challenge 2010

Okay, one more...

Timeline: 1st Jan 2010 - 31st Dec 2010. Only books started on January 1st count towards this challenge.

Details:

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.

2. There are four levels:
* "Put The Kettle On" – Read 2 Typically British novels.
* "Gordon Bennett" – Read 4 Typically British novels.
* "Bob's Your Uncle" – Read 6 Typically British novels.
* "Cream Crackered" – Read 8 Typically British novels.

3. Any book format counts. Must be fiction not non-fiction.

4. You don't have to select your books ahead of time, you can just add them as you go. Also if you do list them upfront then you can change them, nothing is set in stone!

5. The books you choose can crossover into other challenges.

6. Obviously only British authors count!

I think I'll try for 8 since I tend to read a fair amount of British lit. Plus, I need to find out what Cream Crackered means! Here they are:

1. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams
2. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling
3. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling
4. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
6. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
7.
8.