The Sunday Salon: Resolution Reading/Slumps

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I’ve been reading a lot of posts this week about resolutions and it got me thinking of my own, which happen to be non-existent.  Personally, I like it that way.  It seems, and has been proven over and over again, that if I make resolutions no matter how general and open, I break them.  Not intentionally you understand it’s more a subconscious thing that happens and I manage to talk myself out of and around keeping any and all resolutions.  To break the annoying cycle, in short, I don’t make resolutions anymore.  But, in fact, I did this year.  I just didn’t write them down.  I think this is all an elaborate ruse to fool myself into keeping the very vague things that I’d like to do.

In terms of reading, I don’t have any other than wanting to read more of my own books and more non-fiction.  Those I think I can keep but since I’ve written them down, I’ve probably jinxed myself and even those won’t happen now.

Anyway, onto slumps.  I’ve been sort of in a reading funk this year.  Yes, even nine days in and I’m getting myself slumpy.  How can that be?  I have no answer so if you have one let me know.  Please.  Here’s what happened.  I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  I knew it would be a tough book to follow so I picked a book I knew would be completely different — The Tudor Secret by C.W. Gortner.  I’m reviewing the book for The BookReporter so I knew I had to finish it and since it was something all together different, I knew it would be a good place to start.  It was.  The book itself was fine and entertaining as the Tudors and their antics always are.  Then I spent a whole evening trying to figure out what to read next.  I scoured the shelves, checked the library to see if my holds were in, and finally opened the Nook.  That’s when I found The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  It was short and it entertained me.  Then came yesterday when I spent the entire day on the couch feeling under the weather and cranky and all I wanted was a book and couldn’t find one that fit.  Alas, after this very long paragraph, I’ve come to the slump problem.  I didn’t have any books I wanted to read.   I tried The Last Pendragon by Sarah Woodbury hoping that my enduring love of Arthurian legend would pull me through.  It didn’t entirely fail me but it did take me 134 pages to rescue me.

Part of the problem is that I have a book I really, really want to read — A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness — but I’m doing this one for review and it’s not due for several weeks and I promised myself that I would hold off since I have another book due in between.  I’m beginning to think that if I had just read the book instead of putting it on the side; I wouldn’t be in this stupid slump right now.  Ah, oh well.

I noticed that I have several reviews that I never posted thanks to holidays and breaks and me giving myself permission to sleep a little later on some days (which is why Thursday and Friday of last week were quiet here).  So, I’ll be setting up some posts today to catch-up on my backlog which has been patiently waiting for me to get butt in chair.  The next two weeks will be the weeks of reviews here at Just Book Reading.

Happy Sunday everyone.

Re-Read Thoughts: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

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Since I read the final two books in my Harry Potter Re-Read back to back I thought it would be a good idea to put my thoughts together because the books sort of melded in my head.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

By JK Rowling

Scholastic Inc.

ISBN: 0-439-78454-9

The short re-cap: Harry returns to Hogwarts for his sixth year.  His hopes are high after learning he will be having private lessons with Dumbledore, finds he has feeling for Ginny he never imagined, and realizes his life is about to change forever.

Spoilers below; I’ve warned you so no complaints.

I love how book six begins with a visit to the Muggle Prime Minister.  I don’t know why but the scene where the Muggle Minister gets annoyed by having to wait for the Minister of Magic to appear just makes me laugh.  I love, love, love Fred and George and the new joke shop.  U No Poo!  How can you not chuckle at that?  Also, the Fleur and Mrs. Weasley testing of the waters of the in-law pool is a nice aside in a book that can otherwise be full of tension.  The pensive is probably one of my most favorite of Rowling’s magical inventions and the ways she uses it to tell Voldermort’s story makes it all the more interesting.  And then, there’s the romance.  I don’t care much for teen angst but here it’s not annoying.  Ron and Lavender are amusing but poor Hermione getting stuck with Cormac McLaggen is just mean.  And yes, I know she’s doing it to hurt Ron but she could have picked better.  Harry and Ginny — I love that these two get together but I hate that they break up.  Harry, can you be more stubborn?  Yes, he can but I won’t go there now.

I can’t escape it so I’ll mention it — Dumbledore’s death.  It’s sad and it makes the ending of this book seem so final.  Each time I want it to end differently and it doesn’t but I appreciate that Rowling has people die in this series.  It’s necessary for the story and adds much more weight to it.

The Half-Blood Prince is one of my favorites in the series.  This is probably my second favorite followed by the Prisoner of Azkaban.

 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

By JK Rowling

Scholastic Inc.

ISBN: 0-545-01022-5

The short re-cap: Harry, Ron, and Hermione leave Hogwarts and their families behind to search for the horcruxes hidden by Voldermort.  Camping ensures, fighting begins, and life as Harry knows it will never be the same.

OK, folks, spoilers drill remains in place.

The Deathly Hallows is a sad book for many reasons but for me it’s sad because it’s the end.  There’s no more to look forward to.  Also, the first time I read this book I didn’t so much mind the epilogue.  This time it didn’t feel necessary for me to know that Ginny and Harry marry and have three children or that Ron and Hermione stay together.  But, that off my chest now, let’s move on.

The camping is slow and the first part of this book does feel like it drags a bit.  While the searching for the horcruxes bit is a necessary part of the plot, it’s slow and the in fighting with Harry, Ron, and Hermione gets tired.  Although, this is the book in which I fall in love with Neville and Luna.  They both shine brightly doing more to help Harry that he could or would have ever asked them to do.  They’re stand up people and I couldn’t be happier that it’s Neville that chops off Nagini’s head!  Luna is still loopy but she gets people so well, that in the end, when she sees Harry sitting on a bench in the Great Hall after the battle, she’s the one that provides him his means of escape.  Ginny is pure fire and the way Harry looks for her dot on the Maurader’s Map is sweet, if still a little creepy.

Snape.  I skipped mentioning him in my thoughts on the Half-Blood Prince even though he plays a large part there because I wanted to talk about him here.  No, I didn’t have a change of heart.  I still dislike him greatly.  He does redeem himself, in Harry’s eyes, but not mine.  My dislike of him has been cultivated for far too long for me to like him now even after knowing what he has done to help Harry.  Snape harbors too much hate for Harry’s father James to really care much about him the end.  Yes, I know he does care but for me it feels forced and I can’t go along.

Earlier I said I found this book sad.  There are a number of reasons but the one that stands out is Dobby’s death.  I got a little teary when reading it.  Dobby has been there for Harry and to have him die now is heartbreaking.  Harry finds resolve in his death but I don’t.  For me, it’s sadder than Dumbledore’s death.

There are some amazing moments:  Mrs. Weasley taking on Bellatrix.  How fabulous is Molly!  Ron finding he cares about house elves, at least for Hermione’s sake.  Hermione’s quick thinking that gets them out of several incidents.  Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s escape from Gringotts on a dragon.  Neville becoming the man!

My re-read may have started on a whim and took a lot longer than I thought it would to finish the seven books but I’m glad I made the time.  These aren’t books I pull off my shelf often, in fact, it’s been years since I’ve read any of them but it was fun to re-live this story.  Even knowing what happens and how it will all end, there were still a few surprises here.

Final thoughts on all the books:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone — It must have been at least 10 years since I read this one and it was a lovely surprise.  The story is full of wonder at the beginning and I forgot how easily Rowling can pull a reader into her world.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets — I wanted to pace myself for the re-read because I didn’t want to burn out.  I did rush into this one and while I loved it, I was really looking forward to book three.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban — Undoubtedly, my favorite.  I loved it the first time I read it and fell in love all over again on page one.  The story takes a little bit darker turn but it also re-introduced me to characters like Lupin and Sirius that I heart.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire — I have to say that I enjoyed this one more on this reading.  Why, I can’t really say but I discovered many things this time around that I forgot.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix — While I didn’t find as much joy in book five as I did in the previous four, I still liked it.  Harry gets very moody in this one and my tolerance for teen angst is low so I was annoyed a bit but nowhere near enough to stop!  Besides, I get to intense moments of Snape dislike in this one and that’s totally worth it.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince — Again, more Snape disliking and that’s good.  Also, while the teen angst gets to me, the teen romance got me in this one.  I think it’s because I love when Harry and Ginny together.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — It’s sad because so many people die in this one but there’s something so wonderful about seeing it through to the end.  While I can do without the epilogue, the ending seems just right for me.

Well, after several months, my re-read is over and all I have to say is the end.

Teaser Tuesdays

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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.  The idea is to give everyone a look inside the book you’re reading.

Play along: Grab your current read; Open to a random page; Share two teaser sentences from that page; Share the title and author so that other participants know what you’re reading.

I’m only a few pages in to The Tudor Secret by C.W. Gortner but it’s proving interesting and slightly amusing.

“Though Guilford had been at court for over three years, presumably engaged in more than the satiation of his vices, he got us lost within a matter of seconds.  I imagined being discovered centuries later, two skeletons with my hands locked about his throat, and took it upon myself to ask for directions.”  (pg. 32)

2011 Challenges

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As I said in my Sunday Salon, I’m joining fewer challenges this year.  I completed almost all of the challenges and read-alongs I participated in last year, but I want to leave my schedule open for more leisurely reads in 2011.  So the list is short…

Time Travel Reading Challenge hosted by Alyce of At Home With Books

I’m in for five time travel books.  Alyce was kind enough to post a number of books on her challenge page; several have made it onto my list already.

 

The Royal Mistress Challenge hosted by The Misadventures of Moppet

I’ve signed up for Maid of Honour level which is three books but there’s a good chance I’ll read more than three for this challenge.

 

2011 E-Book Reading Challenge hosted by La Coccinelle at The Ladybug Reads

A goal of mine this year is to read the books I’ve been downloading to my Nook so this is perfect.

TSS: Looking Back, Looking Forward

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Since this is my first post of the New Year, I thought it would be nice to take a look back at last year’s reading to see what I loved, didn’t love so much, and how many books I’ve actually read.  As it turns out, I read more than I thought I did.

103 total books

93 fiction

5 non-fiction

5 DNFs

63 of the books were written by women

37 by men

I started 10 series and finished 3; 6 are in progress.  Of the 6 in progress, 3 I probably won’t continue with.

When it came time to pick a favorite, I couldn’t.  Of course there are standouts but I can’t pick a single book so I’m picking several as my favorite reads.  The books are in no particular order, and if I’ve written a review, I’ve linked to it.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

The Kingmaking, Pendragon’s Banner, and Shadow of the King by Helen Hollick

Disquiet by Julia Leigh

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

The House on the Strand by Daphne Du Maurier

Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach

A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin

Also, since I’m truly bad at making a best of list, the following get a mention too:

The Wife’s Tale by Lori Lansens

The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

The King’s Mistress by Emma Campion

The Kingdom of Ohio by Matthew Flaming

Kraken by China Mieville

I don’t have any plans for reading in 2011.  I’m not a resolution maker in general but I do make lists (rather lengthy ones; see above) of books I would like to read but those lists tend to get out of hand quickly.  (This also happens with resolutions which is why I no longer make any.)  I usually trash them and then start over with the hope of making things more manageable.  One thing I do know is that I will be joining fewer challenges this year and probably trying to read more of the books that are currently on my shelf and on my Nook.  That’s not to say I won’t be joining any challenges.  There are a few that I’m signing up for because I can’t resist and I’m sure that several will come along during the year that I’ll also join.

Today, I plan to curl up on my couch and finish reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  I started the book on New Year’s Eve and between friends and football games, all fun so no complaints, I haven’t had the chance to finish but today I will see the end of my Harry Potter re-read.  I was hoping to finish the series before the end of the year but I’ll take two days in.

Overall, 2010 was a good year of reading for me.  And here’s to hoping that 2011 will dawn shiny and bright for everyone.

Happy New Year and happy Sunday.

Holiday Break

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With today being Christmas Eve and the family festivities about to start, I thought it would be a good time to wish everyone a happy holiday.  I’ll be taking a few days off to spend time with family and friends and hopefully some new books too.

Best wishes and see you all in 2011!

 

Today’s Book(s) and a Movie

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I’ve still got two Harry Potter books — The Half-Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallows — to finish for my re-read this year.  Since we’re planning to head out of town today (traffic gods please be on our side, say 3PM, if that’s good for you), I decided there’s no better time to finish up the series than during the holidays so in the suitcase they went.  I’m not sure if I’ll actually be able to finish but I’m going to give it a good try.

I did get the chance to see part 1 of the Deathly Hallows the other night, so I thought I’d share a few thoughts on that too since I’m already talking about the boy wizard.  It’s not really a review, just a few thoughts.

First, I’m not a book purist.  I consider movies and books completely different mediums and I never believe that a book, especially a large book like Deathly Hallows, should follow exactly the same lines.  It’s just not feasible and I’m good with differences — even major differences don’t bother me.  That said, here’s what I thought.

I liked it.  Honestly, I thought about leaving it at that but it seemed like cheating.  I saw it on Imax so the special effects looked great, the acting was good, and you know right from the start that you’re no longer watching a cutesy movie about a kid learning spells.  People die, but there’s still some humor to put things in perspective. There are some very sad moments (When Hermione erases her parents memory is one.) and some very funny ones (Ron’s awkward way of telling Hermione that he’s in love with her and trying horribly to apologize for leaving both her and Harry in a rage.) that left me wanting more and very glad that I decided to re-read the series even if I hadn’t yet gotten to book seven.  I said the acting was good, and in particular, Emma Watson’s performance.  She’s matured dramatically and it shows.  And of course Alan Rickman and Ralph Fiennes are phenomenally bad in a good way.  I never imagined Voldemort as creepy as Fiennes makes him and there’s something to be said for that.

While I’m not a fan of two part movies like this, they did end it in a somewhat logical spot so I can’t complain about that other than I immediately wanted to see part two.  I’m trying not to give too many things away and realize this isn’t making much sense, so in my continuing attempts to remain spoiler free, I’ll just leave you with a trailer.

Have you seen the movie?  Any thoughts?