Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Book and Movie review for Harry Potter #4. (You can find review of #1 here and #2 here and #3 here.)  This book is still by far my favorite in the Harry Potter saga.  Fast paced from the Quidditch World Cup in the beginning to the Mad Eye Moody conclusion.  I still find myself not wanting to put it down when I pick it up to reread. 

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Book and Movie review for Harry Potter #3. (You can find review of #1 here and #2 here.)  I can’t say this is very high on my favorites.  This one was more of a bridge or sideline plot in the Harry Potter saga…at least it seemed that way to me.  I liked it well enough, and it does move the story along by giving a few more pieces of the puzzle regarding what happened to Harry’s parents…but it wasn’t my favorite.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Book and movie #2 in the Harry Potter saga.  (You can read my review of #1 here.)  This is the one where Dobby is introduced and Ginny takes a bit more of a role.  Dobby, admittedly, is probably my favorite character.  He’s a lot like the faithful, loyal puppy that tries hard to please but usually ends up tripping everyone up instead.  Plus I love his crazy love for mismatched socks!  FireBird went through a phase of not wanting to ever wear matching socks.  I was a bit sad when she stopped.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

We’ve been enjoying a Harry Potter marathon over the last few weeks with CareBear.  GadgetMan and I had decided long ago that our kidlets would need to read the books before watching the movies…on many of the made from books movies that seem to be so popular.  CareBear read through the Harry Potter books like a whirlwind…and we’ve had a blast watching the movies with her.

Guide to the Galaxy

I can’t remember where we picked up this one, but I do remember enjoying it the first time I read it.  But reading it again recently wasn’t as fun as I remembered it being.  The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy contains 6 stories by Douglas Adams (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy; The Restaurant at the End of the Universe; Life, the Universe and Everything; So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish; Young Zaphod; and Mostly Harmless).  I still really enjoy the first one…his humor and way of looking at things is a lot of fun.  But I quickly lost interest with each successive story…particularly with the humor and language digging deeper and deeper into the gutter.  I didn’t even finish reading the last two this time around…and unfortunately this book will not be going back on the shelf.

All About Spelling

This review is going to be a tiny bit different.  It’s not going to be about a movie or book watched or read for entertainment (though I suppose there might be some who would view this book as entertainment).  All About Spelling is a spelling curriculum that I feel like raving about.

Pawns Prevail by Douglas Niles

I really enjoyed Pawns Prevail. The reading was simple and uncomplicated, but very fun from beginning to end. Yes it’s a “simple farm boy turn hero” kind of fantasy book.

Random Reads

It’s been nice being able to read again.I’d forgotten how much of stress reliever it can be. So here are a few books I finished a couple of weeks ago.

The Belgariad, Vol. 2 by David Eddings

Yep…I finished the The Belgariad, Vol. 2. You knew I would, right? I didn’t have the excuse of being sick with this one, but I still spent way more time then I should have indulging myself. In fact, I’ve read 2 other books since finishing the Belgariad series. It’s like an addiction relapse. GadgetMan said it’s been a long time since he’s seen me dive into reading…but raising kidlets and running a household takes a lot of time and I hate giving into my reading addiction. It’s too easy for me to come up with all kinds of excuses to hide in a book for a few hours. Though maybe my kidlets like the chance to do whatever they want while I read. I suppose I better find a happy medium.

The Belgariad, Vol. 1 by David Eddings

Before Christopher Paolini with Eragon, Robert Jordan with The Wheel of Time and Holly Black with The Spiderwick Chronicles, there was David Eddings. He, Terry Brooks and Anne McCaffrey are three authors that introduced me to the fantasy genre and it’s been a strong friendship ever since. I’ve enjoyed other authors’ work, both in and outside of the Scifi/Fantasy realm, but I tend to revisit my original favorites every couple of years or so. Over this past weekend, when knocked flat with a stomach flu, I picked up David Eddings’ The Belgariad, Vol. 1 (Pawn of Prophecy, Queen of Sorcery, Magician’s Gambit)to pass the time and hide from the yucks. It was like slipping on a comfortable old pair of slippers and wrapping up in a warm familiar blanket. It’d been a while and I’d forgotten how much I enjoy this book.