Full disclosure: I am a gigantic Harry Potter nerd. I’ll absorb anything and everything that has to do with the fictional universe (except for “fan fiction” - it has got to come straight from J.K. or be something that she authorized for me to acknowledge it). I have read each book at least seven times (you read that right) and can quote and site things from them better than I can remember what’s on my to-do list for any given day. If I ever get pregnant, I plan on reading the series out loud to my child while he/she/it is still in the womb because I want he/she/it to be exposed to this great tale of love, life and death before anything else. I could go on for hours about how relevant and meaningful the lessons learned in the Harry Potter books are, but you’re already bored with me so I’ll get to the point.
I mentioned that I joined Pottermore yesterday, but I’ve been a member since last week. At first I wasn’t really into the idea, but I persisted because I just really, really wanted to get sorted.
Pottermore takes you through each chapter of the Harry Potter novels interactively. I would usually take such an immersive experience slowly, but instead I got to Chapter 7 as fast as possible so I could find out what I House I would be placed into. Am I losing readers at this point? Look, as someone who has loved the HP novels since adolescence, I have long wondered what House I would be sorted into if when my Hogwarts acceptance letter finally showed up and I was whisked away to a magical castle in Scotland. This is a big deal!
I already sorted myself long ago, of course - I always assumed I’d be a Ravenclaw. After all I went to Magnet schools my whole life and I love learning (anything and everything). Then Luna Lovegood came along in book 5 and I identified. However, when the moment of truth arrived and I reached the quiz created by the creator of the (Harry Potter) universe herself I found myself rather nervous. What if I were a Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, or Slytherin? I would have to re-think my whole identity! Yes, I am a grown woman!
However, I finished the test and my fears were destoryed when the screen turned blue and I saw this:
“Well done on becoming a member of the cleverest, quirkiest and most interesting house at Hogwarts.”
I am a Ravenclaw! I could not be happier. There is a long blurb that appears welcoming you to your new House, but instead of posting the whole thing and annoying you further, here is my favorite part:
“Another cool thing about Ravenclaw is that our people are the most individual – some might even call them eccentrics. But geniuses are often out of step with ordinary folk, and unlike some other houses we could mention, we think you’ve got the right to wear what you like, believe what you want, and say what you feel. We aren’t put off by people who march to a different tune; on the contrary, we value them!”
I feel like I belong! There are people reading this who totally get where I’m coming from, right?
Cho Chang is listed before Hermione Granger? Say what?!
So, I joined Pottermore. It’s not really what I expected. It threw me off so much that at first I didn’t like it. For instance:
Why couldn’t I make up my own user name? I was forced to pick from five dumb ones, so I picked the least dumb. How am I supposed to remember a name I didn’t come up with?
When do I get to get sorted?! That doesn’t happen immediately? I want to know what House I’m in!
Otherwise, it’s a pretty neat experience and I believe it’s growing on me. I’ve already learned where some of J.K.’s ideas came from and I can’t wait to learn more. Also, I can now download the Potter books for my Kindle! Yay! I still really want the hardcover box set that comes in a treasure chest, though. Really anything that comes in a treasure chest would be great right now.
When Barry Fairweather dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock.
Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.
Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils…Pagford is not what it first seems.
And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?
Blackly comic, thought-provoking and constantly surprising, The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling’s first novel for adults.
The author, looking reasonably smug.
I’m at work right now and I’m finding it very difficult to contain myself. Who is excited to read it?!
This Kindle device has changed my life, you guys. I’m reading as often as I did when I had no social life in high school, if not more. On the bus, at home, at my boyfriend’s house while I ignore him - nowhere is safe. I’ve got a fever, and the only cure is more digital literature.
So far I’ve read six novels on my Kindle. The first I already reviewed, so here are some quick reviews on the most recent five.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Steig Larsson
It may seem like I was discussing this title recently, but that was the 2011 film, people! I have now read the book as well. The movie did not deviate from the book enough for me to get thrown off or surprised (SPOILER - except Mikael Blomkvist totally bangs Cecelia Vanger in the books, what?!). The novel is basically just a more deatiled version of the film. However, I still enjoyed it! It was nice to get some insight into what the characters are thinking at particular moments, something hard to truly capture on film. The book also takes you deeper into the worlds of journalism and hacking, the fields of the two main characters.The only drawback to having watched the movie first wasn’t that I already knew the ending, but that “The Immigrant Song” was stuck in my head the entire time I was reading.
Blink Malcolm Gladwell
I read this book on behalf of the newly formed UNO staff book club (so far it’s me and, like, three people from Admissions). It’s all about what the author calls “snap judgements,” or the ability to make an accurate decision based on a very small amount of information. In fact, the book goes on to argue this is often the best way to go about decision-making. At first I hated the idea - I’m the type of person who asks questions and needs to see solid concrete proof of a thing and how it works in order to formulate an opinion. I have a background of study that involves and encourages heavy amounts of research, after all. So imagine how I felt when this guy had the audacity to say such methods are bogus! Yet, Malcolm Gladwell did his own research (lots of it, in fact) and I soon started to see the validity behind snap judgements. For example, sometimes having too much information can cloud your decision making skills because you have too many factors to worry about making it difficult to discern what’s important. Also, we’ve all had those moments where we see someone close to us and can instantly tell what they’re thinking. Or when we meet someone and immediately like or dislike them. Often it is for a reason you can’t describe with words, but you know how you feel and generally these first impressions last. The author also points out that snap judgements are not foolproof (he gives examples of failed first impressions) and also presents the idea that once someone is an expert in a field, they are well-suited to make snap judgments concerning things involving their area of expertise. I highly recommend it.
The Hunger Games Suzanne Colins
When I first heard of The Hunger Games and its sequels I assumed it was just a silly children’s book and yet another fad akin to Twilight that was of no interest to me. Why do I always do that?! I judged the Harry Potter series that way and held off reading it for years until I cracked and realized how amazing of a story it actually is. Thankfully, I didn’t wait too long to jump on The Hunger Games bandwagon. Katniss Everdeen is the main character and narrator of the trilogy. She volunteers to be a “tribute” in the Hunger Games in place of her little sister, Prim, whose name is picked from a lottery. The Hunger Games is an annual event that involves 24 tributes (one boy and girl from each of the 12 districts) between the ages of 12 and 18 to participate in a televised battle to the death in the capitol of Panem (a la Battle Royale and The Lottery). The story is a gritty, gory and honest take on the effect of war and poverty on children and young adults. There isn’t anything silly or childish about it.
Most of these happy, fresh faced looking children die.
I honestly did not want to put this book down. I burned through the novel faster than Katniss Everdeen’s headdress burns at the opening ceremony of the 74th Hunger Games. The novel is bleak, frightening and thrilling and makes the reader wonder if the fictional nation Panem could be a thing of the future. Yikes!
Catching Fire Suzanne Colins
Catching Fire is book two of The Hunger Games series. It’s almost as thrilling as the first. The novel takes an exciting turn when the main character, Katniss, discovers that she has inadvertently caused her nation to rebel against the ruthless Capitol after she publicly defied them during the Hunger Games. The ending felt a tad rushed, but I really enjoyed the characters introduced and the concept of the arena the 75th Hunger Games take place in.
Mockingjay Suzanne Colins
This is the third and final book of The Hunger Games. It has a very different feel from the first two - there are no actual Hunger Games, but the stakes are even higher. A full scale revolt is taking place and Katniss is asked to be the face of the rebellion. Shit goes down and a lot of your favorite characters will die (not cool). However, [SPOILER] I was glad when Katniss gets with the boy I wanted her to in the end. However, the ending of this book feels incredibly rushed, more so than the second. And don’t expect it to be happy. The author certainly got her point across - there is nothing positive about war and the psychological effects are always with those who live through it. The Hunger Games is a powerful series.
Next in my queue: The Girl Who Played With Fire, 2:46: Aftershocks: Stories from the Japan Earthquake and Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories.
Book Review - Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling
Even though I revered Mindy Kaling before the release of this book for her work on The Office (actor, writer and producer, what?!), I didn’t pay much attention to the novel at first. Obviously I knew about it, but since I didn’t stop hearing about it I figured all the good things were just hype.
Well, I was wrong. This books deserves all the hype because it’s excellent.
Okay, I’m a girl and a comedian. I get it - this book totally caters to my demographic. I didn’t choose this life, you know! Anyway, I still believe that this book can also be enjoyed by women who are not comedians and men who are. Also, people who enjoy laughing in general will like it because her narratives are hysterical. Seriously. Rarely does a book make me laugh out loud, but this one did. Which, I might add, is a little embarrassing when in public. Mindy provides her readers with various antidotes about her childhood, working for The Office, and life as someone who is famous. So, not only is it funny, but it’s insightful as well.
I enjoyed her book so much that I barely put it down once I began. I consumed it in its entirety in less than three days. I even read it on the bus which is something I never do since I get motion sickness very easily. It’s a good thing this book is so portable. Which brings me to…
Product Review - Amazon Kindle
This sexy thing is what I used to read Mindy’s book (she and I are on a first name basis now since I know her so well). I love it. My boyfriend bought it for me as a sort-of-late Christmas present. Thank goodness he did, because he has no idea how close I was to breaking up with him before he gifted me this. That was a joke, guys. I’m not that shallow. Anyway, this is the most basic Kindle and it’s still amazing. Did you know you can store about 1,000 books on this tiny thing? Or that you can download hundreds of classic works for free?! I now posses the entirety of Edgar Allen Poe’s stories and poems as well as every Sherlock Holmes story ever written. It’s nice to be able to carry something that combines my love of books and technology on me at all times.
Oh, the wonderful world of design. It’s like the gift that keeps on giving! Italian cabinet company Saporiti have made this handsome bookcase which doubles up as a nice message. Hm.. not too sure if this will be worth it if you actually read your books, but it’d be a great gift for anyone who likes to buy books just to say they have them.
The two arms were hugging him from behind, lifting him off his feet, and the Mommy whispered, “Breathe! Breathe, damn it!”
After that the kid was crying, and the entire restaurant crowded around.
At that moment, it seemed the whole world cared about what happened to him. All those people were hugging him and petting his hair. Everybody asked if he was okay.
It seemed that moment would last forever. That you had to risk your life to get love. You had to get right to the edge of death to ever be saved.
“Okay. There,” the Mommy said as she wiped his mouth, “now I’ve given you life.”
Yesterday I started reading another novel - Choke.
I haven’t read much Chuck Palahniuk so I have no idea if I will love it or hate it. All I know is that Survivor is okay and the movie Fight Club is one of the best I’ve ever seen.
Here goes!
“You’ll see. This will be worth a little suffering.”
Just started reading this book. It is so far and very great and insightful read, not only into the realm of improvisation, but also into the nature of human behavior.
And soon I will be an improv expert and take over the comedic world.
