June 2007 – JenniElyse

Title: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Author: J.K. Rowling
Series: Harry Potter #3
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 435
Reason Read: Just Because
Rating:

Also in this series: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

My Thoughts

Like the previous two books, this is my fourth time reading HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN. It’s also my favorite story in the series. I love the dynamic of everything found in its pages–the characters, the adventure, the “mystery,” etc.

I love that the students finally get a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who knows his stuff. I love seeing the students learn how to battle boggarts, grindylows, hinkypunks, etc. I think it’s fun to see how the students handle each of these obstacles. Professor Lupin is one of my favorite characters. I love getting to know him, learning all about him and his life at Hogwarts as a student and as a teacher.

I had a hard time with Snape in this story. He made me so angry that I wanted to reach through the pages and strangle him on more than one occasion. I remember hating him after finishing this book for the first time. I thought he hated Harry in the first two books, but there’s nothing like his hatred for him in this story. I completely understand why Harry, Ron, and Hermione don’t trust him. I wouldn’t have either.

It was fun to see the growing pains Harry, Ron, and Hermione go through. At first, it seems as though their friendship is perfect, none of them can do wrong in each other’s eyes. But, their friendship is just as susceptible to anger, hurt, indifference, and jealousy as any other friendship. I’m glad their friendship is strong enough that it can weather the hiccups and become stronger because of them. As I’ve said before, their friendship is one to be jealous of.

I love exploring Hogsmeade. It was fun to delve deeper into the wizarding world and explore all the different shops. It made me kind of jealous as I’d love to experience everything they did.

My favorite thing is the Marauders and the Marauders’ Map. I love the backstory of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. This part of the story is actually the main reason I don’t like the movie adaptation very much. I think it doesn’t give enough time to explain the importance of the Marauders themselves.

Update: When I’ve reread this series, I’ve sometimes listened to the audiobooks narrated by Jim Dale. I love how much Dale brings the stories to life.

Unfortunately, the audiobook for this story misses a huge chunk of the story near the end when the characters are in the Shrieking Shack. Because the Jim Dale audiobook was first produced on CDs, the part that’s missing happened when transitioning from one CD to another.

Title: New Moon
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Series: Twilight Saga #2
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult
Spice: 0.5 / 5
Format: Hard Cover
Pages: 497
Reason Read: Just Because
Rating:

Also in this series: Eclipse, Breaking Dawn, The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, Life and Death, Midnight Sun

My Thoughts

I finished reading TWILIGHT yesterday morning. I had borrowed the book from one of my coworkers. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to start reading NEW MOON. Unfortunately, I was sick yesterday and I didn’t like the idea of waiting to start it until I felt better and went back to work. Fortunately, I texted one of my really good friends asking her if she had read TWILIGHT yet. She said she had and that she had borrowed both books from her neighbor. She also said she would ask her if I could borrow their copy. Thankfully, the neighbor said yes and my friend brought it over. I pretty much read it in one day.

NEW MOON was the most excruciating book I’ve ever read, even more excruciating than how I felt after Dumbledore died in Half-Blood Prince. I felt those blank pages after Edward left in my very core. I felt the depression and despair. I couldn’t put the book down because I had know if and when Edward came back.

At this point, I’m not sure how I feel about Jacob. I didn’t like that fact that his relationship with Bella will cause conflict in the upcoming sequel, ECLIPSE. I did loved meeting all the Quileute characters and I loved that the Quileutes being descended from wolves that we learned in TWILIGHT actually manifested in NEW MOON.

My favorite part of this story was the end. I loved the whole dynamic of Alice having a vision of what she thought was Bella killing herself and how it sent Edward into a spiral. I loved meeting the Volturi and being in Volterra. I’m very excited to see how the danger from the Volturi of Bella being human and knowing about the vampire world comes to play in ECLIPSE.

I wish I didn’t have to wait until August to read ECLIPSE. I’m almost more anxious about this release than HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS in July. Almost.

Update: When I read this for a third time, I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed it. I thought both Ilyana Kadushin did an amazing job.