Harry Potter in seven days (or years!)

All the doom and gloom mood of mine in past couple of weeks primed me for Harry Potter! So I started reading from book one and worked my way very slowly (it took a whole week!) to book seven “Harry Potter and Deathly Hollows”. Rowling changes her story telling style in the last book and adopts an epic kind of format, high drama, and heroism. I think this book is the best one in the series but maybe I’m still shaken from that last battle! Another point is you can see how these seven years has changed and shaped Harry, from an unconfident neglected boy to a good leader with a hearth of gold.
However indecisive and lost, Harry after the death of Dobby becomes a responsible goal-oriented person.
The climax of the story is when truth about Snape is revealed. His fishy character during the series attracts different reactions but mostly hate and dislike. Although Harry hated Snape, at the end of each year he learned and gained something from him. Book seven is not different, Harry and every one else learns something about Snape which causes them to remember him forever.
All and all, a mesmerizing story and great series which I will go back reading again and again. My only concern is that by making a movie of this one, the great story and high morals of it will be lost.
I won’t call it an entertainment, the whole series is about morals, trust, ethics, loyalty, and love; concepts we do well to apply in our daily lives.

On mice and Men (and everything else!)

I read “Season of the Witch” by Natasha Mostert. Gabriel is a hacker and an information thief and a remote viewer. He confronts two extraordinary sisters suspected of murdering a young man and finds a new world and new powers, and also a power struggle. The winner? No one! In matters of love and death and power to dominant, no one is a winner but the path is fascinating enough that most people don’t mind! (Too vogue, I know! If you like witch craft, alchemy, and mind games; this is the book for you!)
“High school bites” by Liza Conrad is a new play on dear old Bram Stocker’s book. A new teenage Lucy is battling Dracula! Ha! Fun too read, too young adult and childish for discussion!
What else? “Blue Blood” by Susan McBride was an entertaining adventure. Loved the characters!
Also finished all the stories in “Blood Bank” by Tania Huff. I like Henry Fitzroy much better than Vicki. She is too cold blooded for my taste. Henry on the other hand is a true prince!
And yes! Finished “Alpha and Omega” by Patricia Briggs and “Bought Trouble” by Karen Chance from “On the Prowl”. Some authors are so good, I never have enough of their stories. Wish they would hurry and write the next books in the series!

A new series? Why not!

Finished “Eldest” by Christopher Paolini. Eragon and Saphira spend their time training with elves while Varden is getting ready for attacking the Empire, declaring open war. Roran (Eragon’s cousin) has been growing into a leader and a general. Now the wait starts for the final book of this series. Ah, the agony!
Then again I started “Sloppy Firsts”, “Second Helpings”, and “Charmed Thirds” by Megan McCafferty. These are a series about Jessica from her sixteenth birthday until she graduates from Columbia. The fourth book “Forth comings” is out. The question is when do I have time to read it? Pretty soon!

Half and Half?!

Looks like I’m half way through everything! I’m in the middle of fourth story in the “Blood Bank”, am reading “Alpha and Omega” from “On the Prowl” by Patricia Briggs, one-third into “the Winter Prince”, and in the middle of “Eclipse” by Stephenie Meyer. OK, so I cheated and read the last two chapters too! Sue me! Ah, “Eclipse” was a disappointment, I’m telling you! This Bella character is driving me crazy! She is too stupid to live!
What else? Finished “Circus of the Darned” by Katie Maxwell. Now, Fran is what I call proper vampire girlfriend. She can appreciate Ben’s powers and bossiness. She tolerates him and tries to make him see her point of view and her need for independence. And of course she is not a whiny baby, unlike Bella! Loved Fran, Hate Bella!
And “Hot Stuff” by Janet Evanovich and Leanne Banks. For a book with two authors, it left very much to be desired. But of course I like Janet Evanovich simple idiotic characters! They are so goofy! Fun for reading, not worth talking about!

How was your day?

I had the most hectic day yesterday! I woke up pretty early (for me!), my cat was sick and I had to do some cleaning, went to court for the first time in my life (toll road violation! We have an account with them. I just didn’t have my fast track device with me! That was my first ever ticket), spend three hours there, saw a lady find a date there (there has to be a book or something on: Where NOT to find Dates!), issued a check and forgot to sign it, and last and the most frustrating of all; saw the copy of “Eldest” being picked from library shelves by someone else! If I just got there two minutes earlier! Sheesh, what a day!
Then I started “Cabal” by Clive Barker and half way through decided I don’t like it. It was a horror romance, full of murder and mayhem and psycho killers and gory details, yuck! So got home and started reading “The Winter Prince” by Cheryl Sawyer. It is a historical novel happening in England of King Charles I, telling of why he closed the parliament and how the war started. I’d though I left historical novels in my teens, but this book proved me wrong. I love Marry Duchess of Richmond. More on the book later!

Weird recommendation!

A friend had been telling me (for past two years!) that “Eragon” by Christopher Paolini is a great book and I should read it. Finally I went ahead and finished the book. Tonight, I told him about it and he said he liked the movie. So I asked him “Which one you liked more, the book or the movie?” He answered: “I haven’t read the book!” WHAT THE …!
Anyway, can say for myself, I loved the book. I can’t believe Christopher Paolini was a teenager when he wrote it. It’s so well thought and organized and the plot is great. Cast of characters are real and there isn’t any exaggeration in emotions. I think it was very much comparable to Shannara series by Terry Brooks. “Eragon” is a great story and I love to start the second book “Eldest”.

Shop but not drop!

I fast-forwarded through “In the Tenth House” by Laura Dietz. It’s the story of a psychic girl who is a fake medium and a psychiatrist doctor. Dr. Gennett becomes obsess with Lily when he hears her warning in a crowded train station. He has to prove she is mentally sick and has to protect and cure her. What he doesn’t foresee is falling for her and sacrificing his life. See, even in Victorian times it wasn’t good to be a Freudian scientist and be in love!
When I got home yesterday and told dear hubby I went shopping all he said was: “Were you depressed?”!!! I’m getting a bad rep here! I had to explain in detail that NO! I wasn’t depressed and from eight pieces that I bought, five are gifts! Just three things, a shirt-vest, a pencil skirt, and a white shirt (it’s an essential! You can’t live without one!) were for me! Sheesh! Talk about prejudice!

“Fangland” by John Marks is a modern day Dracula (yeah, the original one by Bram Stoker). A female reporter and network editor Evangeline goes to Transylvania Romania to meet a crime boss and set up an interview. She is led to a hotel, become imprisoned, escapes, changes, sees dead, and goes back to NY to face a bunch of blood thirsty ghosts, save her friends and the world!
It was a dark and gloomy story in the format of reports, emails, therapy journals, and business letters. I’m still shuddering! Don’t recommend reading it!
I played the tour guide yesterday and took someone out shopping. I think I’m sick or something because in four hours that we spend going store to store I didn’t feel like buying any thing myself!!! I’m checking my own pulse now and yes! See, I’m feverish! It wasn’t normal behavior, I was sure!!!