Why I Read

Why do I read? Here is my simple explanation: Reading to escape my mundane destiny.

I read to take an adventure, to experience things out of this world, to be a new self, and to find a new reality.

When I read I want to be taken to a new place: to a place where I can forget the real world, to a place that is different, to a place that makes me think differently, and to a place that puts the world into a different perspective.

When I read The Fault in Our Stars(for the first time) it took me less than twenty-four hours. I was taken to an alternate universe. This universe was sarcastic, witty, smart, and awful. It had many characters staring life-altering experiences in the face. It showed me how amazing life could be even when there are terrible circumstances. It reminded me that I could be in way worse situations and that I should make the most out of everyday.

Books are something to be thankful for, to be happy that they are not censored by the government, and we should be grateful that we can read whatever we want(unless our parents say no).

I read because it gives me an escape, make me happy, and make me who I am.

The Yule Ball...

If you have read the fourth Harry Potter book or even seen the movie you know ALL about the Yule Ball. I loved this chapter a lot. I learned some interesting things from it.
     1. Hagrid told Madame Maxine he is part giant and she said that she wasn't, like that could be true, considering they are both like skyscrapers. (I imagine my self craning my neck to see his face)
     2. Professor Snape and Professor Karkaroff are on a first name basis and are discussing something that scares Karkaroff and that Snape says he will cover for him if he leaves (hmmm, very sneaky).
     3. Seems that Ron likes Hermione, but we already knew that ;)
     4. Cedric gave Harry a weird hint about that egg for the second task (sitting in the bathtub? Really?)
     5. Hermione was going to the ball with Viktor Krum...thats weird right?

Overall, I think this chapter was great, it had some very interesting plot lines and it makes me wonder what Snape and Karkaroff are hiding (probably something in their secret dungeon...jk). I think the best thing about the forth Harry Potter book is all the detail that J.K. Rowling puts into the book.

Now some more about Harry, because that is what we(more like just me) are really interested in. Lets take a look at Harry's personality. "Harry didn't say anything. He liked being back on speaking terms with Ron too much to speak his mind right now - but he somehow thought that Hermione had gotten the point much better than Ron had" (Rowling 432). In this quote Ron and Hermione are fighting over he going to the dance with Krum. Harry stays out of the argument and waits until it is over. This quote really shows Harry's personality. The way he is loyal to his friends and how he is kind enough to take the high road, even though he believes that Hermione was right. I think I should take the high road more often. Anyone with me?!

...cricket noises...

Never mind then. Happy Reading!

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

I'm about 1/2 way done with this very long book, but who's complaining? Not me, this book is amazing. It is my favorite book so far, and it has a lot of suspense in it. I find this book very intriguing, the things that J.K. Rowling comes up with is amazing. I would never beable to up with this kind of stuff.

I think that one of J.K. Rowling's strengths is her ability to create imagery when conflict arises in the text. Since some things that happen in Harry Potter could never really happen in real life I though it would be hard to picture what is really happening, but since J.K. Rowling is such an amazing author I can picture exactly what is happening even at times when their is a complicated conflict(tongue twister) happening. "And then she reared, spreading her great, black, leathery wings at last, as wide as those of a small airplane-and Harry dived. Before the dragon knew what he had done, or where he had disapperared to, he was speeding toward the ground as fast as he could go, toward the eggs now unprotected by her clawed frount legs-he had taken his hands off his Firebolt-he had seized the golden egg-"(Rowling 356). When Harry is trying to get around a dragon, yes a dragon, it would be very eay to picture any number of things that could count as a dragon. Then you read this and you can picture exactly what the wings and front legs would look like, giving a perfect example of imagery during a conflict. It is also easy to picture what the dragon's reaction would look like. I picyure it as kind of confused and looking around for Harry as he dived for the golden egg. I think it is awesome how great detail J/K. Rolwing goes into even when it would be easy to let the reader picture the kind of dragon they want.

This is the dragon scene from the movie. I find it different than that of the book. In the book Harry taunts the dragon to fly, but in the movie the dragon goes after him right away. Also, in the book Harry knows that he is going to summon his firebolt when he gets into the dragon ring, but in the movie he doesn't realize when he is going to do until Hermione yells at him. There are other differences too, but those are the main ones. Even thought the book and movie are different I think that they both are fantastic.

Have you read the book and seen the movie? What differences did you notice?

It was my favorite Harry Potter movie, I wonder what the book will be like...

I'm about 100 pages in on the 4th Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. This was my favorite movie so I wonder if it will be my favorite book too. 

This is the sysnopsis of the book form amazon:
Harry Potter is midway through his training as a wizard and his coming of age. Harry wants to get away from the pernicious Dursleys and go to the International Quidditch Cup. He wants to find out about the mysterious event that's supposed to take place at Hogwarts this year, an event involving two other rival schools of magic, and a competition that hasn't happened for a hundred years. He wants to be a normal, fourteen-year-old wizard. But unfortunately for Harry Potter, he's not normal - even by wizarding standards. And in his case, different can be deadly.

Draco Malfoy(aka Malfoy) is a minor character in the book, and he is also Harry's enemy. Malfoy helps evolve the plot because he is always against Harry, Ron, and Hermione forcing them to work harder to achieve their goals. Malfoy also tries to get Harry in trouble which often results in some sort of punishment for Harry and his friends.

If Malfoy was a bigger character in the book the plot would change because it would have to include more of what Malfoy does and how he is evil, because we all know he is. The plot would also change because instead of the good guy(Harry and his friends) always winning the bad guy(Malfoy) might win and actually change how the story goes.

Harry Potter and the Prisioner of Azkaban(Again)

This is my third blog post on this book, which is bad because that means I have been reading it for awhile (11 days to be exact).  I don't really know what to write about since it anymore. I guess I could say that the best thing about the book is the detail and wizardry, but I also think that the worst thing about the book is the wizardry (that's only if I had to choose a bad thing).

The detail that J.K. Rowling uses is amazing, it gives you a clear picture of what is going on even when it is stuff that could never happen in real life, such as: a flying car, a moving picture, a talking picture, flying on a broomstick, and (my favorite) playing Quidditch.  These things are all impossible, but with J.K. Rowling descriptions it feels like it is really happening to you or right next to you.  Also, the wizardy in the books is really cool. I think it would be really hard to come up with the different spells, demons, and wild creatures that J.K. Rowling comes up with. The wizardy allows you to imagine wild things that you know you wish would happen to you.

I would say that if anything is bad it would be all the wizardy because it makes it hard to relate to the book.  It's not like I can say, "Yeah! I remeber the time I caught the golden snitch!" Also, most of Harry's expierences deal with magic so it's practically impossible to find a text-to-world connection. Even though the book is not as relatable as some other books it is still really good. 

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Ron, Hermione, and Harry deal with the situation of the dementor's and Sirius Black differently.  Ron is scared of the dementor's and of Sirius Black, he wants nothing to do with them and wants to stay as far away from them as possible. Hermione just wants everyone to be safe. Hermione says, "'Because I though-and Professor McGongall agrees with me-that the broom was probably sent to Harry by Sirius Black!'" (Rowling 232). This is said by Hermione when she tells Professor McGongall about Harry's new broom resulting in Professor McGongall taking Harry's broom to make sure it isn't jinxed.

Harry takes the situation very differently, he wants to prepare for the situation. Also, Harry is not afraid of Sirius, but is scared of the dementor's.  It says, "'Harry, if you don't want to continue, I will more than understand-' 'I do!' said Harry fiercely, stuffing the rest of the Chocolate Frog into his mouth. 'I've got to! What if the dementors turn up at our match against Ravenclaw? I can't afford to fall off again. If we lose this game we've lost the Quidditch Cup!'" (Rowling 239). Harry feels very strongly about preparing and being ready to defend himself unlike Ron and Hermione.  He also wants to do it for his team which is very generous thing to do. No one else is taking lessons in defending themselves so this is a very different approach then many other people.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

In chapter 5 of the third Harry Potter book, Harry and his friends are attacked by a dementor. When attacked Harry is the only one that has a major affect from the dementor. Harry asks Ron and Hermione what happens and then says, "'But didn't any of you-fall off you seats?' said Harry awkwardly. 'No,' said Ron, looking anxiously at Harry again....Harry didn't understand. He felt weak and shivery, as though he were recovering from a bad bout of flu; he also felt the beginnings of shame. Why had he goen to pieces like that, when no one else had?" (J.K. Rowling, 86).

I think this is the most important quite because it shows Harry's weakness to the dementors, and I don't think that will be the end of them. I think that Harry will have to face dementors and overcome what has happened to him, and that the dementors will play a bigger part in the story than they have so far.  The plot has started devolpign from that lien because there are dementors out side of Hogwarts and the nurse at Hogwarts is worried about it.  Also, the dementors come from Azkaban where Sirius Black has escaped and people believe he is after Harry.