Off The Shelf

{Already missing the summer days} So it seems yet again, I have taken an unintended hiatus. I promise, it was not intentional. I am ready to return, to tell what I've been reading, and to post reviews in the coming weeks. But first, there is quite a bit of book-related news to share and be excited about. Let's catch up on a few things, shall we? The New York Times  has reconstructed their Bestsellers List once again, expanding the Children's list to include hardcover, paperback, and e-book editions .   Go Set a Watchman , Harper Lee's much-anticipated sequel to her 1960 classic, has been on the Bestsellers List for 9 weeks and sold over 700,000 copies in its first 6 days on the shelves.  Bloomsbury Publishing and artist Jim Kay have teased illustrations from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: The Illustrated Edition . The book will be released October 6th, but is currently available for pre-order.  Speaking of Harry Potter...his son Ja...

{Lake view from a hammock} “And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”      -F. Scott Fitzgerald   I almost named this post "Mid-Summer Blues", given that I've been a bit down recently. I suppose it's because I've just gotten all four of my wisdom teeth removed, that I just finished Jojo Moyes' extremely sad Me Before You (review coming soon), and that I've realized that the summer is already half-over. Don't get me wrong, I've been having a wonderful summer so far - reading lots, kayaking a bit, sleeping in, and venturing out. But still, I can't seem to shake the feeling that with every day that passes, I'm inching closer and closer to what is supposedly the toughest school year yet.   In spite of all that, there are several small things making me happy as the hot days of ...

"'Mummy, have you seen my jumper?' 'Yes dear it was on the cat.'" -Ginny and Mrs. Weasley, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Although Mrs. Weasley from the Harry Potter books is undoubtedly the Best Book Mom Ever, I think my mom might be #1 on the real-life list. Mrs. Weasley has always been one of my favorite characters from the Harry Potter books. I loved the way she would sit in the kitchen and watch Mr. Weasley's clock hand move from "At work" to "Traveling" to "Home", the way she knitted family jumpers for all of her children plus Harry, and how she made her family home the coziest place. Some of my favorite moments from the books take place in the Weasley's home, The Burrow. Harry even agreed, in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets when he says "This is the best house I've ever been in." Many of my favorite memories also take place in my own home. My mom has always made it a welcom...

As promised, I am continuing my discussion on everything Harry Potter. Last night, I watched the epic finale to the Harry Potter phenomenon. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 the movie hit the shelves and online stores yesterday. This review contains SPOILERS Many people argue that when books are made into movies, they are not authentic to the original story. I disagree when it comes to Harry Potter. I agree, and disagree with that statement. Here's why: Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone The scenes showing Harry's first trip to Diagon Alley, Platform 9 3/4, and the Sorting Hat, were portrayed well, and I think it gave people who did not read the books a good idea of what the wizarding world is like. Something I did not like was the scene showing the night Harry's parents were killed. The movie did not really explain Voldemort's reasons for doing so.   Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Overall, this movie was very true to the book, accep...

This is the second in a series of posts that I am writing about the world acclaimed Harry Potter books by J.K Rowling. Like many people, I am proud to say I am an avid Harry Potter fan and I am anxiously counting down the days until the release of the seventh movie (part 2) on DVD next Friday - 11/11/11 I've decided that instead of writing a review for each book separately, that I would write one really long one. So please bare with me if this seems to go on and on. :) Harry Potter Series J.K Rowling many, many, excellent pages Upon reading the first pages in Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone (Year One), the reader will feel automatically hooked. You are thrown into a world across the ocean that isn't much different than the life we live today: a humble, British town, and a young boy oblivious to a future that is destined for him to achieve. As the story and books progress, Harry Potter grows immensely, and faces many diffferent conflicts that ...

For the last week or so, each night, I have been drawn to the couch to continue turning the pages of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. About two years ago, I read this entire series from beginning to end in the short time of September to Christmas. For a recent school assignment, I was asked to pick a book off of the "Banned Book List". This list is full of titles that were challenged by people and/or organzations because they felt the content was not appropriate for teenage readers. I was very surprised to find that the entire Harry Potter series by J.K Rowling is on that list. The series was challenged because it was thought to promote Witchcraft. I disagree with this of course (since I am one othe thousands of Harry Potter Lovers), but many people do believe these books should be taken off library shelves. The following is a list of The Top 10 Banned Books: 1. The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin , Mark Twain 2. The Catcher and the Rye, J.D Salinger 3...