Category Archives: Books

The Ominous Omnibus

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Book: The Ominous Omnibus (A Series Of Unfortunate Events, Books 1-3) by Lemony Snicket

Pages/Format: 592/Hardcover

What I Thought: I’ve been meaning to read A Series Of Unfortunate Events for ages, so when I was browsing through the children’s section at the library, I had to pick this up!

I didn’t like it as much as I thought, and if I stopped after reading the first book, I would have been fine.  For those not familiar with the series, it’s about the unfortunate lives of the Baudelaire orphans.  In the first book (The Bad Beginning), we learn that their parents died, so the 3 children go to live with Count Olaf.  He’s after their fortune, which they can’t touch until the oldest is an adult.  He tries to marry Violet, but his attempt fails, so they go off to live with a different relative in The Reptile Room.  Once again, Count Olaf tries to get a hold of their fortunate by murdering their Uncle Monty.  And naturally, this attempt fails, so in The Wide Window, they get sent to live with their Aunt Josephine, who dies in the lake. 

I got through the 1st one really fast but somewhere in the second one, it really started to get boring.  I get the whole point of the series is that all of these really bad things happen to the kids, but I started to get really annoyed with it.  The adults in the series with the exception of one or two, were either evil or completely useless.  The whole Sunny said X, which probably means Y bit got really tired, and while the definition of different words in the books are really great for the kids, I found it somewhat distracting. 

There is a certain quirkiness to the adults, though, and there is something sort of steampunk about Violet inventing things, and looking at the different gears and stuff.

I think I would have liked it a lot better if I didn’t read the 3 books back-to-back.  If I do decide to continue on with the series (it’s not going to be anytime soon), then I’ll definitely take some time in between each one. 

Rating: 2 out of 5.  I felt like I got a pretty good handle on the series just from reading the first book, and the following two were just a repetition of The Bad Beginning, with a few character changes, and a different disguise for Count Olaf.

Harry Potter Movie Review!

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First off, this post has lots of spoilers about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, so if you haven’t seen it and don’t want it to be ruined, don’t read this post!   But since it’s been a week, you should have seen it by now!  If you haven’t, go see it!

I wanted to do a review on Friday or Saturday, but I figured I’d give people a few days (or a week) before reviewing it since not everyone likes to see it the first day or two. 

Overall, I loved it, and thought it did the book justice.  There were a few things that I wished were in the movie (like Percy making up with his family) but overall, I thought it worked out rather well.  I thought it was not only a great movie, but a really good adaptation as well. 

Here’s a few of my favorite things from the move:

  1. Snape’s memories: I thought it was really well done, and I couldn’t help but start crying.  The scene that did me in was the part where he was holding Lily and crying.  Reading it was completely different than actually seeing it on the screen, and it really made Snape’s feelings for Lily come to life. 
  2. The scene with Harry, his parents, Sirius, and Lupin in the forest: that made me cry as well, especially when Harry asked Lily if she would stay with him, and she said always.  It was also really well-done.
  3. And we have a tie between Neville, McGonagall and the duel between Mrs. Weasley and Bellatrix.  “Not my daughter, you bitch!” is one of the most memorable lines from the entire series.  I always pictured it as being yelled across the great hall, but either way, it was a great line, and I wan’t disappointed.  As for McGonagall, I knew she was a stern, yet caring professor, but I was always sort of indifferent to her.  Until this movie!  Her duel with Snape was amazing, and two of my other favorite lines in the movie came from her.  When she was excited about bringing the statues and suits of armour to life, and told Mrs. Weasley that she always wanted to do that spell was hilarious.  It made her seem like one of the very students she taught.  Overall, I saw her in a completely different way.  My other favorite line was when she told Neville to have Seamus do some pyrotechnics, as he had an aptitude for it.  And of course, Neville!  I can’t review Part 2 and leave Neville out of it!  He was awesome, and the change between the Sorcerer’s Stone and Deathly Hallows was unbelievable.  My favorite Neville moment was when he cut off Nagini’s head, closely by his speech to Voldemort. 

The battle was a lot more disorganized than I expected it to be, but considering it was a battle, and they were fighting for their lives, I would expect it to be chaotic.  I do wish there was a celebration after Voldemort died, but clearly, I can’t change that part of the movie.   

And of course, I need to mention the epilogue!  The audience definitely had this whole “oh, here we go,” vibe when the 19 years later popped up on the screen.  Honestly, I didn’t mind the epilogue, which surprised me, because I wasn’t a fan of the epilogue when I read the book.  They did cut a lot from it, only focusing on Harry talking with Albus about being in Slytherin, and then ends with Harry, Ron and Hermione watching their kids go to Hogwarts.

This review is getting pretty lengthy, so I think I’ll end it here…there are a few other things I wanted to mention about the movie, so I think I’ll do that tomorrow.

Harry Potter Round-up!

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Today’s Harry Potter related post will be about some of my favorite Harry Potter things!

  • The Last Muggle: It’s a great blog, about this girl reading the Harry Potter series for the very first time.  I haven’t read all the way back to the beginning, but she shares her predictions about the books, and all sorts of other thoughts about Harry Potter.
  • The Harry Potter Lexicon: It has everything you need to know about the world of Harry Potter.  From magical beasts to the characters we know and love, and everything in between, it’s a great resource, and helped me out a lot back in November.
  • The Harry Potter Companion: Another really cool website!  It has really cool artwork, and covers the Harry Potter series chapter-by-chapter.  Plus, there are essays to read.
  • Mugglenet: It’s one of several sites devoted to Harry Potter, and the news surrounding the books, movies, and (I think) the videogames.
  • Potter Puppet Pals: I’ve only seen The Mysterious Ticking Noise and Wizard Swears, both of which are hilarious, and the 2 videos that introduced me to Potter Puppet Pals. Maybe I should watch those other videos.
  • Starkid Potter: They are the geniuses behind A Very Potter Musical and A Very Potter Sequel.  The soundtracks are amazing, and there are so many great lines (Daddy, I have mastered the use of the potty!), plus they’re hilarious.  How can you not love the scarf of sexual preference, or Draco rolling around on the floor?
  • Fanfiction: I like fanfiction, and I am not ashamed to admit it.  I’ve said before that Harry Potter fanfiction is the first thing I wrote, and I still write it.  I don’t read it as much as I used to, but I love seeing the different ideas fans come up with and ways people were inspired by the books.  Yes, there are some not-so-good stories out there, and yes, you have to sift through that to find the things you like, but I’m fan (of fanfiction, heeheehee).
  • Wizard Rock: I know I’ve beaten wrock over your heads, but I’m growing to love it more and more.  I love the creativity of it, and it’s very good at calming me down.  Plus, it’s fun to listen to, and whenever I listen to it, I wanted to start singing and dancing.  In fact, as I write this, I’m listen to Oliver Boyd and The Remembralls.  And it’s so hard to not love wrock when the genre as a whole has done several compilation albums for charity!

So, I’ve mentioned wizard rock a lot, and some are probably really familiar to HP fans, but I hope you find something new and interesting to look at!

More Random Thoughts About Harry Potter

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There’s a few more things I’ve wondered about the Harry Potter series, so I thought I’d share those today!

  • To J.K. Rowling: did you really need to name Harry’s kids James Sirius, Lily Luna and Albus Severus?  That is so cliche, and something I totally expected.  I get Harry would want to honor his parents and Sirius, and even Dumbledore, but Snape and Luna were slightly unexpected, so she gets some points for that.  I think I figured she would do that around book 5, and I hoped I would be wrong.  Clearly, I wasn’t.
  • Why on earth were Harry’s eyes (and looking like his dad) so darn important?  Maybe it was just a connection factor, like she wanted people to be reminded of what had happened to his parents.  But it seemed like it was a lot more important than it really was.
  • What exactly did Harry’s parents do after graduating from Hogwart’s?  Where they full-time Order members or did they have a job outside of that?  If they did have jobs, what were they?
  • If someone is an animagus, is that animal different from their patronus, or is it the same?  Can they be the same, or do they have to be different?  We know your Patronus can change, is it at all possible for the form of your animagus to change? 
  • Did Harry ever get another owl after Hedwig died?  If so, what did he name it? 
  • We know Hermione got 10 outstanding’s for her owls, and only one class is unnamed.  What is this unnamed class?  And for that matter, are there more classes than what’s been mentioned in the book?  That would certainly be interesting, and I wonder what other subjects there could possibly be.  It would have to be one of the elective classes, of course, because if it were one of the main subjects, we probably would have heard about it.
  • Did using the time-turner age Hermione at all?  I know I’ve seen it pop up in a few fanfics…would we have heard about it if it did, or did it have no effect on her? 
  • Did George really need to marry Fred’s ex-girlfriend?  I get naming his son after him, so that wasn’t a big surprise, but really?  Of all the people you could have fallen in love with, it had to be Angelina?  Whatever floats your boat, I guess…
  • I mentioned the other day that someone comes to speak to the muggle-born students when it’s time for their Hogwarts letter to come.  Why is there no wizarding studies?  I know an education at Hogwarts is the equivalent would be an education in the wizarding world, but there have to be a few different traditions and such in the wizarding world.  Say McGonagall went to talk to Hermione about her Hogwart’s letter.  Did McGonagall go over the transition to the wizarding world, and some of the basic traditions and stuff?  Or is it something they’re thrown into?

I think that’s about it, if I think of anything else, I’ll be sure to do another post on it!

It All Comes Back To Harry Potter

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For me, I owe a lot to Harry Potter.  It’s the one series I can read over and over, and never get tired of, it’s the example I use for so many things, and most of all, the very first thing Iwrote on my own, besides journal entries, was a Harry Potter fanfiction.

The fact that Harry Potter inspired me to start writing on my own is amazing!  Would I have started writing my own novels regardless?  Maybe, but it might have taken me a lot longer if it weren’t for Harry Potter.  Writing fanfiction gave me the confidence to come up with my own novels and commit to the the screen.  The more I write, the better I get at writing, but writing Harry Potter fanfiction let me write, and just focus on my writing.

Hogwarts is one of the very few places I can escape to when I need a break from the real world.  It’s comforting to know that Hogwarts is always there when I need it.  And if I ever have kids, Harry Potter is one of the stories I’m going to share with them.

Here’s a great video for everyone: It’s from the London Premiere of Deathly Hallows, Part 2, and it’s speeches from Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and J.K. Rowling.  I started crying during Emma’s speech and completely starting bawling during J.K. Rowling’s speech.  Watch it now!  You know you want to!

Giada’s Family Dinners

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Book: Giada’s Family Dinner’s by Giada De Laurentiis

Pages and Format: 254/Hardcover

What I Thought: This was another cookbook I checked out from the library, and like Everyday Italian, I didn’t get a chance to make everything I wanted to. 

This one was geared more towards family dinners and entertaining, so the servings were slighter bigger than they were in Everyday Italian.  Like Everyday Italian, there were a lot of fresh herbs and veggies, and were pretty simple. 

The only complaint I had was that a couple of the ingredients were what I considered to be expensive.  Example: Fontina Cheese.  I first looked at the cheese section, and found a little block of it for like, $10, but found a different brand of it in the deli section for around half that price.  I like cheese and all but $10 for a little block of cheese…it’s not my thing.  Overall, though, I did like it, and it’s something that I plan to buy at some point. 

It was easy to follow, organized well, and had some good recipes in it.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 because it’s geared towards groups, and I’m cooking for one.

Everyday Italian

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Book: Everyday Italian by Giada De Laurentiis

Pages and Format: 255/Hardcover

My Thoughts: Since I checked this out from the library, I only had time to make a few of the recipes, all of which were really good!  Plus, there’s a few more I wanted to try, but I didn’t get the chance.  It’s definitely something I want to buy when I get the chance.  Or maybe I can just check it out from the librayr another time.  The recipes I did make were interesting: lots of fresh herbs and veggies!  I managed to not hurt myself while chopping the vegetables up, which is a miracle.  And washing/rinsing and then chopping them the second I got home from the grocery store is a really good idea!  It made everything go a lot faster knowing that everything was ready to go. 

Plus, I love the simplicity of the recipes: I did have some trouble finding some of the fresh herbs at the grocery store, but thankfully it was really easy to substitute them with the ones I could find. 

Rating: Based on the few things I managed to make, it gets a 4 out of 5.  I love the easy-to-follow recipes, and the layout of the book.

Fact, Fiction and Folklore In Harry Potter’s World

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Book: Fact, Fiction and Folklore in Harry Potter’s World by George Beahm

Pages and Length: 256/Paperback

What I Thought: The book goes into detail about the different people and myths found throughout the Harry Potter series.  It’s basically the story behind the story, and I found it to be really interesting. 

It’s divided into 4 different sections- the fabulous beasts, famous wizards, magical objects and magical places.  I thought it was organized really well, and how connected a lot of the places and things and people were to different myths, legends, and history.  Each entry ranged from a few sentences to a page or two, and I was amazed at the different events and people and myths that she worked into the series. 

I knew that she drew on different myths and stuff, but to see how much she really drew from that was completely amazing, and made me love the series even more.  The thought she put into it was something I didn’t fully realize until this book.  And I would recommend to everyone, not just Harry Potter fans, because of that.

I also liked the different quotes from J.K. Rowling scattered throughout the book, and it shed some light on the series as well.  One of the quotes was about how she saw a big fluffy ginger cat in London in the late ’80’s that looked like it ran face-first into a wall.  This cat would later become Hermione’s cat, Crookshanks. 

Rating: 4 out of 5.  I felt like some entry’s were way to short, and others went a little longer than they should have, but overall, it was a great book.

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone

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Book: Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

Pages And Format: 309, Paperback

My Thoughts: This was the book that started my obsession love with Harry Potter.  In The Sorcerer’s Stone (aka Philospher’s Stone everywhere else in the world), Harry Potter turns eleven, and learns he’s a wizard.  He goes to Diagon Alley, and travels to Hogwarts on the Hogwarts Express. 

For a debut book, it’s really good!  Plus, we get introduced to a lot of the major characters, life at Hogwarts and Quidditch.  My love of the Weasley twins definitely started when they joked about sending a toilet seat back home, and I love that they’re so funny! 

Every time I read Sorcerer’s Stone, I’m reminded of how magical the books are, and what made me fall in love with them.  At random intervals, I imagine one of the actors saying one of the lines.  And what’s weird is that I don’t really imagine the people and places from the movies when I read the books.  Maybe it’s because I became a fan after the 1st movie came out, and so I had plenty of time to read the first 4 books before the 2nd one came out. 

Rating: 4 out of 5.  Not the best thing ever, but for a debut book, and for the book that changed my life, it’s really good.  Harry Potter will always be a part of my life.

Fruits Basket, Volume 4

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Book: Fruits Basket, Volume 4 by Natsuki Takaya

Pages And Format: 216/Paperback

My Thoughts: This installment of Fruits Basket was another fun read.  We finally get introduced to Akito, the head of the Sohma family.  The rest of the family wonders how it’ll affect Yuki and how he’ll deal with Tohru.  We also meet Ayame, who is the snake in the Zodiac.  Ayame is also Yuki’s older brother.  They don’t get along, and there’s a definite contrast between the two brothers.  Tohru also visits her mother’s grave on the one-year anniversary of her mother’s death, and Kyo and Yuki are surprised when Arisa, Hanajima and Tohru have a graveside picnic.

There’s a page at the end devoted to the year of the dog, and the interview with the author that started in volume 3 continues in this volume.  She mostly talks about her love of video games, which any fan of the manga knows because of the random notes scattered throughout the series.  She also talks about how she came up with the idea for Fruits Basket- Tohru just appeared one day while she was finishing up her last series.

I really do like Fruits Basket, and I think everyone should read it!  The artwork keeps getting better and better.

My Rating: 5 out of 5.  The artwork keeps getting better, and I love the story.