Harry Potter and The Goblet Of Fire book + movie review

Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire (Harry Potter series book 4 of 7) by J.K. Rowing

Hardcover, 734 pages
Read: Jan. 2 - 13
Rating: 5/5
Genres: Fantasy, Magic, Adventure, Romance
Summery: The summer holidays are dragging on and Harry Potter can't wait for the start of the school year. It is his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and there are spells to be learnt and (unluckily) Potions and Divination lessons to be attended. But Harry can't know that the atmosphere is darkening around him, and his worst enemy is preparing a fate that it seems will be inescapable.

Review: This story starts with some small background into the Riddle Family's death. I really liked this story, so far this one is both my favorite and my least favorite. The reason it took me so long to get through the book was that for a good 2/3 of the book felt extremely slow paced, there was exciting stuff happening and i really enjoyed it, but with the way it was written it felt very slow, there were funny and interesting parts within those portions of the book but the writing was a little to drawn out for me to really enjoy them. Chapter 24: Rita Skeeter's Scoop was when the pacing really picked up for me. That was the main problem I had with this book. My favorite had to be the new characters, i loved them, Even "Mad-Eye Moody" for the most part. The house-elf parts of the book were interesting, and I was more on Hermione's side involving that. I'm hoping I don't spoil the book by saying that Sirius is in the book. I loved him, I mentioned this a little bit in my book + movie review for The Prisoner Of Azkaban but I really like Sirius' personality much better in the books than in the movies so far. I am still very excited to read the rest of the books in the series.


Now on to the movie.

Book-To-Movie Rating: 4/5
Book-To-Movie Thoughts: While the movie was a good adaptation I much preferred the book. There were quite a few things that I wish were done more like the book. I liked the first, the third, and most of the second task better in the book. I also wish most of the event from after port key were more like the book. Also, I liked Dumbledore's and Viktor's personalities better in the book. While I liked the way they handled the polyjuice potion reveal well in the movie, it came as more of a shock in the book. Also I was a little sad there was such little amount of Sirius in the movie when compared to the book. I'm also a little sad I didn't get to see any of the house elves or Ludo Bagman, I would have liked to see how they looked. While I understand why they made the changes and cut things out completely, and while I did enjoy the movie, I'm still a little disappointed with the adaptation.

Hope everybody had/has a great day : )

Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban book + movie review

Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter Book #3 of 7) by J.K. Rowling

Hardcover, 435 pages
Read: Dec. 18 - 31
Rating: 5/5
Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Magic
Summery: For twelve long years, the dread fortress of Azkaban held an infamous prisoner named Sirius Black. Convicted of killing thirteen people with a single curse, he was said to be the heir apparent to the Dark Lord, Voldemort.
Now he has escaped, leaving only two clues as to where he might be headed: Harry Potter's defeat of You-Know-Who was Black's downfall as well; and the Azkaban guards heard Black muttering in his sleep, "He's at Hogwarts . . . he's at Hogwarts."
Harry Potter isn't safe, not even within the walls of his magical school, surrounded by his friends. Because on top of it all, there may well be a traitor in their midst.

Review: This story starts a few months after the events of the last book, again it is Harry's birthday and his uncle Vernon's sister, Aunt Marge, is visiting for the week. I loved this book. I had read this book back in Dec. of 2003, before the movie for it had come out, so I remember the main points within the story, but I had forgotten quite a few littler plot points so I'm happy I read it again, and that I had read the other two books before it this time around. most of the plot points I remember such as the one's involving Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew, but I did not remember the anything involving Remus Lupin or Severus Snape, so reading those moments did feel like reading it for the first time. There were a few moments that did end up making me laugh, The first Divination class with the scene involving Parvati Patil and Ron was one of my favorites in particular. I also really liked most of the new characters introduced. I am a little disappointed that it took me two weeks to finish. The first time I read it I was sick with a flu and I still read it in only a day and a half, although considering the fact that I didn't remember quite a bit of the plot of the book, I probably barely retained any of it the first time around. I did not anticipate being so tired the following three days before the 23rd, and sadly I cannot retain anything I read if i'm to tired, so that's the main reason for it taking so long to read the book, the second reason, is that I did not anticipate being so busy around Christmas since I'm normally not. Anyway, I really liked this book and it was a great third book in a series, and I'm excited to read the next book in the series.

Now onto the movie.

Book-To-Movie Rating: 4/5
Thoughts on the book to movie adaptation: I really liked the movie. There are a few things that I wish had been more like the book, but considering the fact that the movie is over 2 hours long I can understand why certain thins were done differently. While the dialogue between Harry and Aunt Marge had been extremely close to what was in the book there were a few lines that I wish had been in the movie.Professor Trelawney was great in the movie although I would have also liked to have seen the scene involving Ron and Parvati, it wouldn't have furthered or added anything to the plot, I just happened to really enjoyed that scene in the book. While I liked both the confrontation towards the end both in the book and in the movie, I liked Sirius's personality in the book slightly better, also the dialogue/action part in the shrieking shack (Giving Hermione Ron's lines and actions) annoyed me so bad.

Hope everybody had/has a great day : )

May T.B.R. List

First off, I was contemplating whether to read the rest of Praying for Mercy by Patricia Briggs, but I decided to wait, while I enjoyed the first book of the three it didn't make me want/or excited to read the next two, so I'm probably going to read the next two when I'm getting further down on the number of how many T.B.R. books I have left to read. So I quite possibly won't be read them until later this year, or next year, Although if I'm feeling up to it and I'm done with the rest of the books on my reading list for May, I may read it this month. Now, onto the list.

#1

Wicked Lovely (Wicked Lovely Book #1 of 5) by Melissa Marr

After I started reading Zombies Vs. Unicorns I got excited to read more supernatural/fantasy type of books, so I started looking around online and happened upon this book, I also so heard that there was an interesting love triangle in the series so I decide why not give it a try, also while I've read and skimmed quite a few supernatural books I have yet to read a fairy book.

#2

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass Book #1 of 6) by Sarah J. Maas

I had seen a video on PeruseProject's youtube channel with this book and right away I fell in love with the cover, then I heard the summery and I fell in love with that, so I decide that I needed to have this book in my life. I've heard quite a few good things about this book so I'm excited to read it.

#3

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

I have been wanting to read this for a while, also I'm a little embarrassed that I haven't read this before now, it's been on my bookshelf for a while now.

#4

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

I have had this one my To Buy List for a few years now, I had been searching for this book at goodwill for just as long, I finally found it this year at a goodwill. I am really excited to finally read this. I have never seen, nor do I own any of the movie adaptations so I will not have any comparisons in my review for the book.

#5

A Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemma Doyle Book #1 of 3) by Libba Bray

I had this series on my To Buy List for a little while before I happened upon this book and the second one in the series at goodwill, I was definitely excited to find those two. I have heard really good things about this series so I am definitely looking forward to read to reading this one.

#6

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter Book #3 of 7) by J.K. Rowling

If you've read my March T.B.R. post, or my review for the first Harry Potter book then you know that I have read this book once before the Christmas before the movie came out, you will also know that I have only read this one before out of the series, and had only seen the first three movies all the way through, and I have only seen bits and pieces of the other movies. So going off that I have also made sure not to spoil myself with things that happen not only in the books, but also in the movies. I really enjoyed the first two of these books. While like I said I have read this before, the first time I read it I was sick, and I also had not really remembered much of the first two movies, so I didn't really enjoy it as much as I probably would/could have, so I really excited to read this again having read the first two books now.

I only have six on my list this month, but if I finish these books before the month is through I will probably finish Praying for Mercy or get through some of the books I have high on my T.B.R. list.

Hope everybody had/has a great day : )

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets book review

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter Book #1 of 7) by J.K. Rowling

Hardcover, 342 pages
Read: Apr. 29 - Apr. 30
Rating: 5/5
Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Magic
Summery: The Dursleys were so mean and hideous that summer that all Harry Potter wanted was to get back to the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. But just as he's packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange, impish creature named Dobby who says that if Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike.
And strike it does. For in Harry's second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor, Gilderoy Lockheart, a spirit named Moaning Myrtle who haunts the girl's bathroom, and the unwanted attentions of Ron Weasley's younger sister, Ginny.
But each of these seem minor annoyances when the real trouble beings, and someone--or something--starts turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects...Harry Potter himself.

Review: This story starts a few months after the ending of the first book, and it's Harry Potter's birthday again. I loved this book, it was a great sequel to the first one. The first one is still my favorite though. Dobby has his first appearance in this book, i enjoyed his moments in the book. I liked learning the tiny bit about Hagrid's past that I did. Gilderoy Lockheart was hilariously dim-witted at quite a few moments in this book. I think one of the most interesting parts of the book for me was the confrontation in the last part of the book. I also still really love Fred and George, they are probably some of my favorite characters, I also really liked Mr. Weasley's fascinations with muggle things, those moments were also some of my favorite's, especially with Hermione's parents. This one was a bit slower paced, more so in the first half, but there was still so much to enjoy and learn about the world in the book.


Book to Movie Rating: 4/5
Thoughts on the Book to Movie: I enjoyed the movie for the most part. There were some scenes that felt kind of over-acted as well as some that felt very cheesy. There were also some scenes that I wish had been done like the book, like the reaction to Draco calling Harmione a mud-blood, the quidditch game, and the final scene between Harry and Riddle, I also wish the dueling scene was the same as in the book. I also would have loved the valentine's scene in the Great Hall, I found that scene in the book very funny. I really enjoyed the friendship between Harry, Harmione, and Ron. It was a pretty good adaptation from the book, I did happen to enjoy the first movie as a book to movie adaptation a bit better then this one, but I still really enjoyed this one.


Next up a book haul.
Hope Everybody had/has a great day : )

April T.B.R. List

Here is my April reading list

#1
Zombies Vs. Unicorns by Garth Nix, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Naomi Novik, Carrie Ryan, Margo Lanagan, Maureen Johnson, Diana Peterfreund, Scott Westerfeld, Meg Cabot, Cassandra Clare, Kathleen Duey, and Libba Bray, and Edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier

I had seen this book reviewed on so many youtube channels, and I love the fantasy, and supernatural genres that I had to buy this book. Now finally after a year of having it I have time to read it. By the way, the illustrations on the cover are awesome.

#2
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I have had this book for two years, and my mom just bought the movie, I also have time to read most of my books now, so I decided to read the book, and then watch the movie, then review the book and the book to movie adaptation.

#3
Praying For Mercy (Mercy Thompson Book #1-3 of 9) by Patricia Briggs

I got this book in February (I have a book haul with it in), Like I said I love the supernatural genre, and some of the reviews I've read say that the first book is more world and plot building than romance, which tends to be right up my ally, I'm probably going to read the first book only this month, I'm not sure, we'll see.

#4
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

#5
Fahrenheit 451: The Authorized Adaptation by Tom Hamilton, with an Introduction by Ray Bradbury

I read Fahrenheit 451 about 2 years back and really enjoyed it, so when I seen The Authorized Adaptation I had to buy it. So I've decided to re-read the Fahrenheit 451 book then read The Authorized Adaptation and review both.

#6
The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

I heard about this book from Meg & Dia's (I love this band) myspace blog quite a few years ago, and read the summery, then put it on my To Buy List and happened upon it at goodwill about 4 years ago.

#7
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter book #2 of 7) by J.K. Rowling

I, of course, had to continue reading the series, I really loved the first book.

#8
Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas: The Film, the Art, the Vision by Frank Thompson with a Forward by Tim Burton

I loved the movie, so when I seen this book at a Goodwill I had to buy it. I'm a little sad that it doesn't have a dust cover, but otherwise I'm really excited to read it.

So that's all the books I have on my reading list this month, depending on if I read just the first book in the Mercy Thompson combined book or all three, it would be 8 books if I just read the first, or it would be 10 books if I read a three.

I have about 130 to 140 books that are on my book shelves that I have yet to read. I have not had time until this year to begin to make a dent in my whole T.B.R. list, It's probably going to get bigger because I have quite a few books on my To Buy List.

Happy April Fools' Day, I hope everybody had a great, and safe April Fools' Day : )