Clearly the Harry Potter bug bit me harder than I thought, and just a few days after finishing the Chamber of Secrets I found myself curled up on the sofa deep in the world of the Prisoner of Azkaban. And I wasn't disappointed.
The third installment of the series is full of little gems, so many of which it's easy to forget amongst the main storyline that sweeps you away. And reading with hindsight is even better. The little remarks, such as it being the second real prophecy that Professor Trelawney has made, are so blatant when you know what they mean.
This book contains my favourite Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher in Professor Lupin. Clearly he's a favourite amongst the pupils too, but his watchfulness over his friend's son is touching. I also like his carefully placed quips about the makers of the Marauder's Map and similar incidents.
Sometimes I think the proof that you've enjoyed a book is after you finished reading. Sure, I was completely immersed in the story at the time and didn't want to be distracted at all. However, the fact that since finishing I've been running through parts of Harry Potter books in my head must surely mean more. I've been smiling as I remembered the elation of the house Quidditch Cup, and feeling pensive about some of the less happy moments. And most of all I've been feeling annoyed at myself that I remember barely more than a few details of the later books. Time to put that right soon I feel!
I'll finish with the end of the book, and a conversation snippet that I had completely forgotten but made me smile broadly (and has done so now just thinking about it).
'It's a letter from my godfather.'
'Godfather?' spluttered Uncle Vernon. 'You haven't got a godfather!'
'Yes, I have,' said Harry brightly. 'He was my mum and dad's best friend. He's a convicted murderer, but he's broken out of prison and he's on the run. He likes to keep in touch with me, though... keep up with my news... check I'm happy...'
And it that didn't make you smile, you need to re-read the book.
Wednesday, 13 March 2013
Sunday, 10 March 2013
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - JK Rowling
Once again I've been through a non-reading patch, and am behind on where I should be for the year. Still, there's plenty of time left to rectify that and yesterday I managed to read almost all of the Chamber of Secrets in one sitting.
Continuing my Harry Potter re-read journey, I started reading the second book a few weeks ago but for some reason never settled in. Slightly unusual as I have always regarded this as my favourite in the series. I guess that the opening scenes aren't what draw me in though.
I find Tom Marvolo Riddle to be an absolutely fascinating character, particularly with the parallels drawn between his and Harry's upbringing. The complete self-assurance of being popular and brilliant is hard to ignore. But I think what I find most interesting is that he is a half-blood, which always puts the reactions of 'faithful' families like the Malfoys into a different context.
Part of me has now got the Harry Potter bug back, and I can't wait to read more. But part of me thinks it might be time to return to Poirot or Holmes for some good old-fashioned detective work. Not sure which will win, I just hope I read something!
Continuing my Harry Potter re-read journey, I started reading the second book a few weeks ago but for some reason never settled in. Slightly unusual as I have always regarded this as my favourite in the series. I guess that the opening scenes aren't what draw me in though.
I find Tom Marvolo Riddle to be an absolutely fascinating character, particularly with the parallels drawn between his and Harry's upbringing. The complete self-assurance of being popular and brilliant is hard to ignore. But I think what I find most interesting is that he is a half-blood, which always puts the reactions of 'faithful' families like the Malfoys into a different context.
Part of me has now got the Harry Potter bug back, and I can't wait to read more. But part of me thinks it might be time to return to Poirot or Holmes for some good old-fashioned detective work. Not sure which will win, I just hope I read something!
Thursday, 7 February 2013
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - JK Rowling
This is the 29th book I have written about in this blog, but the very first one that is a re-read. It's not that I've run out of new books to read (not by a long way), the time just felt right to read something more familiar. And after a book that was pretty heavy-going in places it was nice to read something a bit lighter.
Like a lot of other people, I've read all 7 Harry Potter books. Books 4, 5, 6 and 7 were read as close to the day of release as could be managed. But actually, the Goblet of Fire is the only one of those that I've ever read since. Despite reading the earlier books several times I've never found the motivation for the others. Until now.
My husband has said I need to watch the films, which I've managed to avoid very successfully. The condition for me giving in is that prior to each viewing I will read the relevant book, and so will be fully equipped to complain about portions of the plot which are incorrect or missing. And so yesterday I sat down to read Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. It was somewhat of a novelty to be finished just a few hours later.
The main thing thing to strike me about the book was the content balance. In my head, Harry arrives at Hogwarts really early on, and a large section is devoted to trying to get the Stone at the end. I'm not sure if I should be blaming this on my devotion to Lego Xbox games, but it was a fair distance from reality. Around three quarters of the way through the book it's only got as far as Christmas. And conquering the challenges to reach the stone takes merely a chapter.
This may actually be a good thing, as it helps the book to retain its innocence. The focus is on making friends and adjusting to life in a new school, with inter-house rivalry being of the utmost importance. Sure, the basics of the evil that has occurred are told. Yes, Harry has to face the guy who tried to kill him. But really those parts serve as what they are supposed to be, a warm up for next time.
And for me that next time may be very soon indeed, as easy-reads are about all I can manage this week!
Like a lot of other people, I've read all 7 Harry Potter books. Books 4, 5, 6 and 7 were read as close to the day of release as could be managed. But actually, the Goblet of Fire is the only one of those that I've ever read since. Despite reading the earlier books several times I've never found the motivation for the others. Until now.
My husband has said I need to watch the films, which I've managed to avoid very successfully. The condition for me giving in is that prior to each viewing I will read the relevant book, and so will be fully equipped to complain about portions of the plot which are incorrect or missing. And so yesterday I sat down to read Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. It was somewhat of a novelty to be finished just a few hours later.
The main thing thing to strike me about the book was the content balance. In my head, Harry arrives at Hogwarts really early on, and a large section is devoted to trying to get the Stone at the end. I'm not sure if I should be blaming this on my devotion to Lego Xbox games, but it was a fair distance from reality. Around three quarters of the way through the book it's only got as far as Christmas. And conquering the challenges to reach the stone takes merely a chapter.
This may actually be a good thing, as it helps the book to retain its innocence. The focus is on making friends and adjusting to life in a new school, with inter-house rivalry being of the utmost importance. Sure, the basics of the evil that has occurred are told. Yes, Harry has to face the guy who tried to kill him. But really those parts serve as what they are supposed to be, a warm up for next time.
And for me that next time may be very soon indeed, as easy-reads are about all I can manage this week!
Sunday, 3 February 2013
Assassin's Quest - Robin Hobb
Books are powerful things. They can transport you to another time, to another world. They can temporarily change your perception of reality, and permanently change your perception of yourself. They can make you wish for more in your life, and completely take over your life.
Now that reading is becoming more of a habit for me, I'm managing to become more absorbed in stories. And as is now tradition, reading the third book of a trilogy meant that many other things moved down the priority order. The final component in the Farseer trilogy had me reading through my lunch break, and going to bed earlier just to get more chapters in. One day I even got some reading in before work.
As might be expected from the title, Assassin's Quest follows the storyteller assassin on a quest. The quest takes different forms as he and the world around him change. A quest for revenge, a quest for knowledge, a quest to serve, a quest to save. Much of the story is a journey with changing purpose. Do you fight to harm your enemy or to help your friends? How do you know who your friends are at all?
One theme that runs throughout is that of family, friendship and love. When most of the world thinks you're dead, trusting people with the knowledge of your true identity isn't so simple. The journey into the mountains that features in the later section of the book brings together a misfit group who are forced to lean on each other to survive. The struggles they have each faced bring them closer together as a 'pack'.
Ok, so I haven't been the most specific here. And there's a good reason for that. I'm not actually sure how I felt about the book. All I know is that it made me think about what is important. I guess that has to be a good thing, but along the way there were aspects of the plot I struggled with. Some of the Skilling got a bit much for me, and while I know it was supposed to be unclear when things were Skill-influenced I still got confused and slightly annoyed. There were also a few times when I quickly read through pages as they seemed to be background detail on a subject about which I no longer cared.
The characters, as ever, were wonderful in their quirks and secrets. The ever-evolving relationships between those characters was beautifully written. And for all I got confused with the Skill aspects of the plot, I couldn't help but feel for its users and those used by it. For the White Prophet and the Catalyst, the constant struggle to interpret the prophecies and not be disheartened by them also tugged at my emotions.
I think the impact from the trilogy is going to take some processing, and maybe in a few days I will feel a bit clearer about the whole thing. But I can't dwell for too long, there's another story out there just waiting to pull me in.
Now that reading is becoming more of a habit for me, I'm managing to become more absorbed in stories. And as is now tradition, reading the third book of a trilogy meant that many other things moved down the priority order. The final component in the Farseer trilogy had me reading through my lunch break, and going to bed earlier just to get more chapters in. One day I even got some reading in before work.
As might be expected from the title, Assassin's Quest follows the storyteller assassin on a quest. The quest takes different forms as he and the world around him change. A quest for revenge, a quest for knowledge, a quest to serve, a quest to save. Much of the story is a journey with changing purpose. Do you fight to harm your enemy or to help your friends? How do you know who your friends are at all?
One theme that runs throughout is that of family, friendship and love. When most of the world thinks you're dead, trusting people with the knowledge of your true identity isn't so simple. The journey into the mountains that features in the later section of the book brings together a misfit group who are forced to lean on each other to survive. The struggles they have each faced bring them closer together as a 'pack'.
Ok, so I haven't been the most specific here. And there's a good reason for that. I'm not actually sure how I felt about the book. All I know is that it made me think about what is important. I guess that has to be a good thing, but along the way there were aspects of the plot I struggled with. Some of the Skilling got a bit much for me, and while I know it was supposed to be unclear when things were Skill-influenced I still got confused and slightly annoyed. There were also a few times when I quickly read through pages as they seemed to be background detail on a subject about which I no longer cared.
The characters, as ever, were wonderful in their quirks and secrets. The ever-evolving relationships between those characters was beautifully written. And for all I got confused with the Skill aspects of the plot, I couldn't help but feel for its users and those used by it. For the White Prophet and the Catalyst, the constant struggle to interpret the prophecies and not be disheartened by them also tugged at my emotions.
I think the impact from the trilogy is going to take some processing, and maybe in a few days I will feel a bit clearer about the whole thing. But I can't dwell for too long, there's another story out there just waiting to pull me in.
Thursday, 24 January 2013
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
For my next literary adventure I took a dip into the world of short stories. This made quite a nice change from longer novels that demand you keep reading, particularly with my habit of reading short chunks in my lunch break. That's not to say I now have a preference for the shorter format, just that variety is a good thing.
Continuing my journey through the world of Sherlock Holmes, the first two novels are followed by a collection of short stories. While each story has its own plot, references are frequently made to past cases that have been 'documented' by Dr Watson. Although the references are small, it is enough to feel some small reward for loyally reading everything in order.
One thing I did struggle with was the timeline. The first story, A Scandal in Bohemia, is set shortly after The Sign of the Four, however the pattern does not continue. While some stories play out in order others are from an earlier time, even from between when the two novels are set. The year is usually given at the start of the story but, particularly with references to earlier documented cases that were actually later, I still found it a little hard to keep track of.
As would probably be expected of a collection of short stories, my reaction to the individual plots was mixed. In some cases, particularly The Adventure of Copper Beeches, I managed to work out the major plot point very early on, which isn't something I particularly enjoy in a mystery book. However with others I found the story interesting and the mystery intriguing. The only problem is that as I read each story in a row it's hard to remember the individual plots!
And now I think I will return to novels for a while. Not for too long though, as my obsession with Sherlock Holmes is getting stronger, and I'm sure the next collection of short stories will start to call my name.
Continuing my journey through the world of Sherlock Holmes, the first two novels are followed by a collection of short stories. While each story has its own plot, references are frequently made to past cases that have been 'documented' by Dr Watson. Although the references are small, it is enough to feel some small reward for loyally reading everything in order.
One thing I did struggle with was the timeline. The first story, A Scandal in Bohemia, is set shortly after The Sign of the Four, however the pattern does not continue. While some stories play out in order others are from an earlier time, even from between when the two novels are set. The year is usually given at the start of the story but, particularly with references to earlier documented cases that were actually later, I still found it a little hard to keep track of.
As would probably be expected of a collection of short stories, my reaction to the individual plots was mixed. In some cases, particularly The Adventure of Copper Beeches, I managed to work out the major plot point very early on, which isn't something I particularly enjoy in a mystery book. However with others I found the story interesting and the mystery intriguing. The only problem is that as I read each story in a row it's hard to remember the individual plots!
And now I think I will return to novels for a while. Not for too long though, as my obsession with Sherlock Holmes is getting stronger, and I'm sure the next collection of short stories will start to call my name.
Saturday, 12 January 2013
Royal Assassin - Robin Hobb
Ok, so reading another book before the end of the year didn't happen. Actually, it almost did. I managed to get started reading, but the inevitable array of Christmas activities sidetracked me from getting any further. And so with the majority of the book read this week, Royal Assassin becomes the first book of the 30 that I aim to read in 2013.
Having been eyeing up the book for a few months, I returned to the world of the Six Duchies with the second book in the Farseer trilogy. The story resumes a few months after the last one finished, and the first chapter contains lots of handy reflections to remind you of what happened before. Fitz continues as narrator, again providing a philosophical view of the events in his life.
It felt easier to connect with the characters this time round, all though part of that may be leftover connection from reading Assassin's Apprentice. One of the joys of reading books written in first person is to share the narrators wish of knocking some sense into someone, while at the same time wishing yourself that someone would knock some sense into the narrator. This certainly happened to me more than once over the course of the story. But, as his world grew more complicated and started to fall around him, it was difficult not to feel bad for the situations FItz found himself in. Even if he was an idiot at times.
For the first time in a while, I inadvertently received a spoiler before reading this. Generally I try to go into books (or films) untainted from knowledge of what will happen. On mentioning to my husband that I was going to continue with the trilogy, he enquired "Is that the one with [x] in?" I confusedly said no. Several chapters into the book [x] appeared and then turned out to be rather important for the rest of the book. Cue one rather sheepish looking husband.
As with the first book, the immediate plot lines are sewn up enough that you don't feel the need to immediately stay up all night to continue, although as I finished reading this after midnight on a workday the damage had already been done. Plenty of threads are left open, though, and a care for the characters is enough to make me think that the final book of the trilogy won't be sat on our shelves for too much longer.
Having been eyeing up the book for a few months, I returned to the world of the Six Duchies with the second book in the Farseer trilogy. The story resumes a few months after the last one finished, and the first chapter contains lots of handy reflections to remind you of what happened before. Fitz continues as narrator, again providing a philosophical view of the events in his life.
It felt easier to connect with the characters this time round, all though part of that may be leftover connection from reading Assassin's Apprentice. One of the joys of reading books written in first person is to share the narrators wish of knocking some sense into someone, while at the same time wishing yourself that someone would knock some sense into the narrator. This certainly happened to me more than once over the course of the story. But, as his world grew more complicated and started to fall around him, it was difficult not to feel bad for the situations FItz found himself in. Even if he was an idiot at times.
For the first time in a while, I inadvertently received a spoiler before reading this. Generally I try to go into books (or films) untainted from knowledge of what will happen. On mentioning to my husband that I was going to continue with the trilogy, he enquired "Is that the one with [x] in?" I confusedly said no. Several chapters into the book [x] appeared and then turned out to be rather important for the rest of the book. Cue one rather sheepish looking husband.
As with the first book, the immediate plot lines are sewn up enough that you don't feel the need to immediately stay up all night to continue, although as I finished reading this after midnight on a workday the damage had already been done. Plenty of threads are left open, though, and a care for the characters is enough to make me think that the final book of the trilogy won't be sat on our shelves for too much longer.
Friday, 7 December 2012
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
At the start of the year I set myself the target of reading 25 books in 2012. At times it looked like I would read far more, and at times I felt as if I'd never make it. Still, 2 days ago I finished reading the book that took me to the finish line, and it was a great book to finish with.
There are many books that I feel I should have read, and among those are a lot of classics. This list includes Jane Eyre, but I've always been put off borrowing it from the library because of its length. Enter the Kindle, meaning that it is just as light as other books and doesn't feel like such a mammoth task.
Jane Eyre is written as the autobiography of the girl with the same name. I say girl, at the start her childhood memories are played out but much of the book is focussed on her life aged 17 and over. Living with harsh relatives as a child, Jane struggles to grow up with others as she attends school. But it is after she leaves school and enters employment that things start to get really interesting for her.
In the end, length wasn't an issue at all. I initially decided to have this as my 25th book to ensure that I finished it in about a month, so taking under 2 weeks was unexpected. Although the childhood scenes at the start could be hard going at times I quickly became obsessed with Jane's world and wanted to read more. That buzz of wanting to continue reading after the end of my lunch break returned, and wow did it feel good!
I think the main factor in making this such a compelling read is how wonderfully real Jane herself is. She isn't perfect and doesn't pretend to be, and there's an inherent honesty about her character. The story itself is beautifully written, particularly when retaining the values held at a young age.
As for the themes covered, well that's a fairly long list. Family, wealth, religion, loneliness, love - just a few that immediately spring to mind. And the honest method of storytelling allows a true understanding of Jane's opinion on each matter, even as those feelings change over time. Definitely a lot of thought-provoking stuff going on.
It seems almost trivial to state this, but I would definitely recommend this book. Give it the attention it deserves at the start and it will repay you til the end. And now I'm off to see if I can keep going and exceed my target for the year!
There are many books that I feel I should have read, and among those are a lot of classics. This list includes Jane Eyre, but I've always been put off borrowing it from the library because of its length. Enter the Kindle, meaning that it is just as light as other books and doesn't feel like such a mammoth task.
Jane Eyre is written as the autobiography of the girl with the same name. I say girl, at the start her childhood memories are played out but much of the book is focussed on her life aged 17 and over. Living with harsh relatives as a child, Jane struggles to grow up with others as she attends school. But it is after she leaves school and enters employment that things start to get really interesting for her.
In the end, length wasn't an issue at all. I initially decided to have this as my 25th book to ensure that I finished it in about a month, so taking under 2 weeks was unexpected. Although the childhood scenes at the start could be hard going at times I quickly became obsessed with Jane's world and wanted to read more. That buzz of wanting to continue reading after the end of my lunch break returned, and wow did it feel good!
I think the main factor in making this such a compelling read is how wonderfully real Jane herself is. She isn't perfect and doesn't pretend to be, and there's an inherent honesty about her character. The story itself is beautifully written, particularly when retaining the values held at a young age.
As for the themes covered, well that's a fairly long list. Family, wealth, religion, loneliness, love - just a few that immediately spring to mind. And the honest method of storytelling allows a true understanding of Jane's opinion on each matter, even as those feelings change over time. Definitely a lot of thought-provoking stuff going on.
It seems almost trivial to state this, but I would definitely recommend this book. Give it the attention it deserves at the start and it will repay you til the end. And now I'm off to see if I can keep going and exceed my target for the year!
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