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Chrissy

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Everything posted by Chrissy

  1. 23) Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling The final book in the series. I am so glad that not only that I re read the books, but also that it had been so long since I had. I could really appreciate the texture and detail of the books, the development of the characters and the constant tug through the series to see it through to the end. So much happens in this book, and we (alongside Harry) have to learn so much to make it though to the final scenes. EDITED TO ADD I forgot to include my thoughts on Snape. What a sad character indeed.
  2. That sounds delicious lopeanha. My mouth is actually watering! ​
  3. Thanks Athena. What I forgot to mention in my Half Blood Prince thoughts was Slughorn.
  4. 22) Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince by JK Rowling This is the one book of the series that seriously looks at the psychology of the main players. In the hands of a lesser writer Half Blood Prince would be moody and clumsy with characters such as I have moved straight onto the last book, and will undoubtedly finish it over the next day or two.
  5. I joined in 2008, and although it felt as if everyone knew each other, the forum didn't feel too cliquey. For a time I was a Moderator on the forum, something I thoroughly enjoyed. It was and indeed is, lovely to watch everyone interact and to get to know the other members, and not just through their reading choices. I can go for quite long periods without posting much, but I visit most days and try hard to keep up with everyone by reading their book list and personal threads. Meeting in person wise, I have met Michelle and Janet, and also the former member/moderator Nici. It was lovely to do so, and they were (are) exactly as I had imagined. I sadly missed out on meeting up with former moderator Maureen when she visited the UK, buy I do hope to get over to Malta one day and surprise her. Poppy befriended me early on (she knows a pitiable stray when she sees one!), and has gone on to become a close friend. If I ever make it to New Zealand we will absolutely definitely meet up, but until then we will have to ‘make do’ with our present forms of communication.
  6. Thanks muggle not. I've have got to get out into my garden jungle soon, and tame it a little bit. All my neighbours have been tending theirs for weeks now, but my opportunities have been limited of late. S'okay though, as I love a challenge!
  7. Congratulations Virginia, that is great news. Had a lovely day. Started the day with a trip on the Bluebell Railway, so named because of all the Bluebells you get to see this time of year. There are quite a few about, also lots of primroses. The journey passes through some lovely countryside. We had a hot chocolate then headed off to visit my parents for lunch. We took lunch with us, so all Mum and Dad had to do was to relax and enjoy. My Dad has his battery changed on his pacemaker this week and is feeling a little debilitated, so I think he enjoyed a bit of fuss and pampering. We left them with a tray of mini buns and a small box of chocolates. We are home now, and just enjoying catching up with ourselves a little. I'll make a cuppa soon and settle down with the ending of HP & The Half Blood Prince before getting on with our evening.
  8. Initially, I think the writers wittily use to make the viewer look at their own potential prejudices through Raj, but now I often wince at 'jokes' that have become lazy and lack wit. To go off at a tangent a little, I used to occasionally watch How I Met Your Mother. I loathed the behaviour of the character Barney, who treated women appallingly. The big joke of it was that Neil Patrick Harris who played Barney is gay in real life, and therefore I reckon they thought that all the misogyny in the script were OK. It looks like the makers of TBBT have headed down a similar path with Raj, so that a racist joke or jibe is rendered acceptable because the character is from India. In both cases I think they are not only wrong in their thinking, but offensive to the discerning viewer.
  9. I always get the feeling that the writers don't know quite what to do with Raj a lot of the time. It almost feels that they have story arcs on the go for the other characters, but that Raj is a bit of an add-on, with an occasional story line for himself, but usually just a scene here and there. In recent episodes it looks as though he has become just a bit bigger than Stuart, but not quite as big as the others. It is a real shame, because not only do I think that the actor has good comedic skills, but I think his character has a lot to offer, especially now he can talk to women!
  10. Thanks muggle not. And you most definitely should!
  11. I've covered everything that I think could be seen as a spoiler, Athena. Hope that's ok now.
  12. I understood Harry better in this book and the next book The Order Of The Phoenix than at my last reading many years ago, when I thought him to be too temperamental. Reading them one after another so long after I last read them has given me a different perspective on them, and their film equivalents. As readers we have just accepted from the off that Harry's Mum and Dad were murdered by Moldy Voldy, that the Dursleys were awful non-care givers, that Voldy was after him, and would get his supporters to help destroy him etc. In this book you realise just how appalling things have got, especially for Harry. Holy crap! How much more does this poor lad have to put up with? Which leads me neatly onto, 21) Harry Potter & The Order Of The Phoenix by JK Rowling kick things off nicely, so you know from the beginning that the world is a different place now that Voldemort has properly returned and has gathered his Death Eaters to his side. I 'got' his anger so much better at this reading. He has experienced all that he has, and yet is rendered too young to know anything. Whose big idea was it to keep this proven curious and reckless young man out of the loop with what has been happening since the Triwizard final? He needed support, let alone information. Yet everyone thinks he is better off being given dribs and drabs of information. So many of the problems that develop in this book could have been avoided just by explaining things to him, yet it is often left to Hermione with her level thinking and less emotional response to things to fathom the whats, whys and wherefores. A much darker book in every respect, from the situations themselves, Menacing is a good word to use for The Order Of The Phoenix. You know from this book that things are not about to get better any time soon.
  13. 20) Harry Potter & The Goblet Of Fire by JK Rowling This is the first of the longer HP books, with things getting infinitely more complicated and serious for the whole of the wizard world. Conversations are especially fascinating in this book; the interaction of the wizards at the World Cup camp-site, the usual conversations that take place between the main characters, and in addition the peripheral conversations and interactions that add depth and colour to the books. There is a lot of information to be passed to the reader in this book. There is also a real sense of JK Rowling really kicking things up a gear in this mid series book, giving the reader a feeling that things are only going to get trickier and more intriguing from here.
  14. Here goes......My current (subject to change as time passes) top ten are; Gone To Soldiers by Marge Piercy His Dark Materials Trilogy by Phillip Pullman Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman Earthly Powers by Anthony Burgess Neuromancer by William Gibson Judas Child by Carol O'Connell Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger The Septimus Heap Series by Angie Sage The Tiffany Aching Series by Terry Pratchett
  15. I remember thinking that if I had been a rich Roman I would have built my extensive villa at Sirmione too!
  16. That's wonderful! How lovely to be sought out like that. Definitely sending you many good wishes. My fingers are crossed.
  17. Gorgeous photographs Tim. I am yet to visit Venice, but it is on my 'must see' list. Was that last one taken at Sirmione? It looks familiar.
  18. I'm happy to do some transatlantic hinting on your behalf muggle not!
  19. Great, aren't they? I am so very much enjoying this re read of the series! I complained to husband last night in bed that my paperback of Harry Potter & The Goblet Of Fire was getting heavy, and that I wasn't looking forward to reading the later books that I own in hardback. He bought me the entire series for my kindle today! I am a super happy Harry reader, and I was a VERY happy Harry reader yesterday!
  20. What a gorgeous pair Icsucr. Their colouring is lovely, (despite this making me sound in urgent need of caffeine) their colours look a kind of cappuccino for one, and a mocha for the other!
  21. I think that their popularity made some readers get snobby about them, and others wanted cinematic books rather than reading books. The small details that are not relevant to the plot but give a richness to a scene are just delightful. Peeves misbehaving, Hagrid being maudlin and crying into his beard, the descriptions of rooms or people. All these little things just make the quality of the writing shine through.
  22. Thanks Gaia & Kylie. I am really enjoying this re read of them. It is wonderful to reacquaint myself with the depth and breadth of the written series. It's that strange sensation where I know the story/stories very well, and the I can note the changes that were made in the movie versions, yet I am thoroughly getting into the small details and asides that made the series so readable for so many people. *happy sigh*
  23. 17) Harry Potter & The Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling 18) Harry Potter & The Chamber Of Secrets by JK Rowling 19) Harry Potter & The Prisoner Of Azkaban by JK Rowling I happened upon my tree books of the series and thought "Why not?". It has been many years since I read them, and I am really enjoying being in the Wizarding universe and reacquainting myself with the small details of different scenes. Lovely stuff! On with book 4......................
  24. I feel strangely reticent to recommend the series, but I DID enjoy them, so I can't really explain why I am finding it so odd. I think maybe it's because I don't feel the central character of Rory is as delightful and compelling as the stories appear to promote. The other side though is that the series has such an interesting premise this carries the negatives away (kinda). Unfathomable I reckon!
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