Hoping For More: JK Rowling

Showing posts with label JK Rowling. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Harry Potter Book #5

Title: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Author: J. K. Rowling
Series: Harry Potter #5
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Page Count: 768 Pages (Paperback 960 pages)
Pub. Date: Hardcover, published in 2003 by Bloomsbury.
Rating: 5/5

Harry is furious that he has been abandoned at the Dursleys' house for the summer, for he suspects that Voldemort is gathering an army, that he himself could be attacked, and that his so-called friends are keeping him in the dark. Finally being rescued by wizard bodyguards, he discovers that Dumbledore is regrouping the Order of the Phoenix - a secret society first formed years ago to fight Voldemort. But the Ministry of Magic is against the Order, lies are being spread by the wizards' tabloid, the Daily Prophet, and Harry fears that he may have to take on this epic battle against evil alone.

~My Review~

Well this giant of a book took me waaay too long to read, but I am glad I did. I think that the Harry Potter series is getting progressively better with each book. I spent a great deal of this book irritated with Umbridge but I was completely hooked in by the story.

Harry is finally growing up in The Order of the Phoenix, making his decisions slightly more mature. I found it quite entertaining how clueless he was about girls, and the lectures from Hermione were excellent. I think that she should write a book too.

Harry had to face the challenge of following the rules, even when the one making them is out to get you, and you have less and less people around who you can trust. The grown-ups are keeping the students “sheltered” once again, only achieving in getting everyone into even more trouble when Harry and his friends have to find things out themselves, or get in a whole lot of trouble trying.

Overall I think that this one was my favourite so far, and I am going to try my hardest to at least read the sixth book before the final movie comes out this week!

My Rating: 5/5

~ Other books in this series ~

#1 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
#2 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
#3 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
#4 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
#5 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
#6 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
#7 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

~ You'll like this series if you liked ~

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins, or Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

~Links 4 More~

Author Website: here
Add to your Shelfari: here
Add to your Goodreads: here
Buy it at Bookdepository (Free Shipping): here

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Harry Potter Book #2

Title: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Author: J. K. Rowling
Series: Harry Potter #2
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Page Count: 256 Pages
Pub. Date: Hardcover, published in 2004 by Raincoast Books, originally published in June 1998 by Bloomsbury in London.
Rating: 4/5

Harry can't wait for his holidays with the dire Dursleys to end. But a small, self-punishing house-elf warns Harry of mortal danger awaiting him at Hogwarts School. Returning to the castle nevertheless, Harry hears a rumour about a chamber of secrets, holding unknown horrors to magicians of Muggle parentage. Now someone is casting spells that turn people to stone, and a terrible warning is found painted on the wall. The chief suspect - who's always in the wrong place - is Harry. But something much darker has yet to be unleashed.

~My Review~

This series is reminding me of magical Nancy Drew (which I loved as a child BTW). Harry finds himself right in the middle of another mystery at Hogwarts. I was happy that, again, I was kept guessing throughout the whole book, and I loved how it all unfolded.

Rowling does a great job of character development, it was easy to grow attached to the good characters and hate the bad ones. I particularly liked the suspense of Dobby the house elf. There was an air of mystery throughout the story that kept me reading.

I must say that I liked this one a lot better than the first, but I am still waiting to be blown away.

My Rating: 4/5

~ Other books in this series ~

~ You'll like this series if you liked ~

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins, or Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

~Links 4 More~

Author Website: here
Add to your Shelfari: here
Add to your Goodreads: here
Buy it at Bookdepository (Free Shipping): here

B.J. Kenney

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Harry Potter Book #1

Title: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (or Sorcerer's Stone)
Author: J. K. Rowling
Series: Harry Potter #1
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Page Count: 224 Pages
Pub. Date: Mass Market Paperback, published in 2004 by Raincoast Books, originally published in June 1997 by Bloomsbury in London.
Rating: 4/5

Say you've spent the first 10 years of your life sleeping under the stairs of a family who loathes you. Then, in an absurd, magical twist of fate, you find yourself surrounded by wizards, a caged snowy owl, a phoenix-feather wand, and jellybeans that come in every flavor, including strawberry, curry, grass, and sardine. Not only that, but you discover that you are a wizard yourself! This is exactly what happens to young Harry Potter in J.K. Rowling's enchanting, funny debut novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. In the non-magical human world--the world of "Muggles"--Harry is a nobody, treated like dirt by the aunt and uncle who begrudgingly inherited him when his parents were killed by the evil Voldemort. But in the world of wizards, small, skinny Harry is renowned as a survivor of the wizard who tried to kill him. He is left only with a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead, curiously refined sensibilities and a host of mysterious powers to remind him that he's quite different from his aunt, uncle, and spoiled, pig-like cousin Dudley.

~My Review~

I don't see the need for much of a breakdown of the story here, as it seems the whole word knows all about Harry Potter, the legendary wizard that never knew what he could do. The school for witches and wizards where students learn all about magic and how to play Quidditch - a combination of ordinary sports played in the air on broomsticks with 4 balls and 2 goals.

I have been avoiding this bandwagon for years but decided I should give the series a fair shot before the last film is out. I feel like I may have liked it better had I read it when it came out, before all the hype and while I was significantly younger. That said, the characters were fun and the story intriguing. I wasn't expecting the end and I want to read the next book so overall I would say it was a good read, just not as mind-blowing as people have made it out to be.