Kylie

Oh, I enjoyed them too, although seeing as I got the first four in a box set, they would have had to have been pretty bad for me not to read the rest! I think the latter books are more interesting because the story becomes more complicated and as you get to know the characters better, so you become much more involved and interested to see how it will all unfold.

Well, I've been blown away by the 7th book, so that now stands at #1 for me. 1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire 3. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 4. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 5. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 6. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets 7. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone I agree with both of you on the last two, Kell and Gyre. I like them but maybe because they're shorter, there's just not as much 'punch' to them, if you know what I mean.

Oops, sorry. I posted to the wrong thread I have the children's cover. I like the adult covers but the rest of my HP books are all children's covers so I had to stay consistent. My brother thought the adult's version meant that there was more swearing or x-rated stuff happening!

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows JK Rowling Rating: 10/10 Published: 2007 Number of pages: 607 ISBN: 0747591054 Summary (taken from blurb): Harry Potter is waiting in Privet Drive. The Order of the Phoenix is coming to escort him safely away without Voldemort and his supporters knowing - if they can. But what will Harry do then? How can he fulfil the momentous and seemingly impossible task that Professor Dumbledore has left him? Comments: Wow! What a phenomenal end to a great series! I won't put any spoilers here so don't worry about me ruining it for you. I absolutely bawled my eyes out at so many different parts. The book is full of action and excitement and terrible tragedy. What a ride! There is very little I would have liked done differently, which says a lot, because there are so many things about this book that could have been unsatisfactory. Possibly the only thing I would have changed (that is, left out altogether) was the epilogue: it just wasn't necessary, I felt. I'm still slightly overwhelmed with the whole thing, and therefore can't think of much else to say except that this is one brilliant book and has now overtaken Goblet of Fire as my favourite HP book! Started: 21 July 2007 Finished: 22 July 2007 Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows (at librarything.com)

SPOILERS RELATE TO ENTIRE BOOK - DO NOT READ IF UNFINISHED I was so sad to see that I also wish that

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince JK Rowling Rating: 8/10 Published: 2005 Number of pages: 607 ISBN: 0747581088 Summary (taken from blurb): It is the middle of the summer, but there is an unseasonal mist pressing against the windowpanes. Harry Potter is waiting nervously in his bedroom at the Dursley's house in Privet Drive for a visit from Professor Dumbledore himself. One of the last times he saw the Headmaster was in a fierce one-to-one duel with Lord Voldemort, and Harry can't quite believe that Professor Dumbledore will actually appear at the Dursley's of all places. Why is the Professor coming to visit him now? What is it that cannot wait until Harry returns to Hogwarts in a few weeks' time? Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts has already got off to an unusual start, as the worlds of Muggle and magic start to intertwine... Comments: The 6th book sees the revelation of the Horcruxes and the mission that Harry and Dumbledore must complete to destroy Voldemort once and for all. This book is very much all about setting up the 7th book and giving the reader information that will be important or become clear in the final book. Another enjoyable installment and immensely sad at the end, where there is a showdown between two of my favourite characters, culminating in the death of one of them. Started: 14 July 2007 Finished: 20 July 2007 Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince (at librarything.com)

OK, so next up on the classics list isn't One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. I didn't have enough time to get it started in between Harry Potter books and I've since moved on to Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut as I've been desperate to read it for a little while now. So far, so good! I've also started listening to an audiobook of JM Barrie's Peter Pan, spoken by Jim Dale. This is my second attempt at an audiobook. The first time I tried, I went for a walk through some botanic gardens and got completely distracted by everything that was happening around me (which wasn't much - I'm just easily distracted ). I'll try to concentrate more this time So that's one 'modern' classic and one 'classic' classic on the go. After that, nothing is going to get in the way of reading One Flew Over...!

I had a hard time with Crime and Punishment too. It wasn't so much because there were a lot of characters but, being Russian, they were all referred to by several different names! Luckily my copy of the book has a list of characters and their alternative names at the beginning so I could just refer back to it.

I finished the book yesterday morning (took me two days to read). I cried so much while I was reading it. All those deaths... Now that I've finished it, I'd like to know what character JK Rowling gave a reprieve to and which two died that weren't going to. I knew Snape would be proven to be good! I've believed that from the first book. I was kind of hoping that Harry would come to those realisations before Snape died so there would be at least an understanding between them, but I can live with it the way it happened. I didn't think the last chapter was particularly necessary (I just couldn't make the transition from them being teenagers to them as married adults with kids), but I was glad to see that Harry gave the name of Severus to one of his kids and that he called him one of the bravest wizards he ever knew. I think if JK Rowling was going to add that final chapter though, she could have at least told us what else they were doing with their lives. Did Harry and Ron become Aurors? And what happened to the other characters? And the biggest unanswered question of all...is there really such a thing as a Crumple-Horned Snorkack? I guess I'll just have to use my imagination I can't wait to see this when it's made into a movie. Thanks for the adventures JK Rowling!

I'm almost done with the 6th book. I've purposely slowed down the reading so I'd be sure to finish today; that way I can carry on tomorrow without suffering HP withdrawal for a day (I've been reading them non-stop for almost a month, after all!). I love that you've put Hogwarts as your location Icecream I feel very much as though I've been living there for the past month (with the occasional sidetrips to Privet Drive and Hogsmeade) because I've been so immersed in the books. I have to say, I'm pretty excited about tomorrow I've been talking about the book a lot at work with another HP fan and we've just been getting more and more excited. I expect I won't be visiting the forum until next Tuesday; I'll be shutting myself away to read the 7th book, and I'm also going away so I won't have net access for a couple of days anyway. To all my fellow BCF Harry Potter fans, I hope you have a pleasurable reading experience and that it ends the way you hope it will! OK, I think I'm getting a little too caught up in the hype But what the heck? It's not very often such a huge event comes along in the literary world, so I'm going to milk it for all it's worth! :exc:

Yes, I need to listen to it a few more times too, although initial impressions are that I like it a lot. I got into the White Stripes through Get Behind Me Satan (one of the best albums ever!) and this one is a bit different (not in a bad way though).

One of my work colleagues always waits until it comes out in paperback before she reads it. I don't know how she'll last that long without accidentally finding out the ending. And it's frustrating for myself and other work colleagues because we can't discuss it in front of her! I went to see the new HP movie last night and a young guy (maybe early 20s) started asking me if I'd read all the books and was I getting the new book etc. He looked a bit rough - the kind of guy you would think has never opened a book in his life, but he was going on about how much he loved HP and he was almost bursting with excitement about the movie/books And I think that is the magic of Harry Potter and JK Rowling.

Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix JK Rowling Rating: 8/10 Published: 2003 Number of pages: 766 ISBN: 0747551006 Summary (taken from blurb): Dumbledore lowered his hands and surveyed Harry through his half-moon glasses. 'It is time,' he said, 'for me to tell you what I should have told you five years ago, Harry. Please sit down. I am going to tell you everything.' Harry Potter is due to start his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is desperate to get back to school and find out why his friends Ron and Hermione have been so secretive all summer. However, what Harry is about to discover in his new year at Hogwarts will turn his world upside down... Comments: Another stunning chapter in Harry's life. This book loses points, however, for a few reasons. Harry is, for the most part, really irritating in this book. He spends most of his time shouting at the people that care about him the most. He redeems himself slightly in the DA classes, which are enjoyable sections to read - I think JK Rowling could have devoted more time to the DA classes and a bit less time on other parts (like the somewhat long-winded start of the book). It probably could have been trimmed a bit in other places too; this is one long book. Maybe Rowling was trying to make up for the earlier, shorter books. Dolores Umbridge also irritates me; it was a bit of overkill I think. The scenes that take place at the end in the Ministry of Magic are done well and are very exciting (also very sad). We also finally receive some answers to questions that have plagued the reader since the first book - namely, why did Voldemort try to kill Harry? An enjoyable, if long, read. Started: 7 July 2007 Finished: 13 July 2007 Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix (at librarything.com)

I've been keeping mine up-to-date with all new purchases, but I haven't made much more progress in adding the rest of my books (mostly my books on the occult/supernatural so I'm not in too much hurry to add them - so long as I've got my 'novels' on there, I'm happy).

I've been having a really good year so far; I've given 10/10 to three books: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee Dracula by Bram Stoker A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess Five others have just missed out on top marks

Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee Catch-22, Joseph Heller A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess Dracula, Bram Stoker

Hi Lone Watie and welcome! I'm not that well-read either, but I've been making a big effort in the last couple of years and I feel as though I'm making (slow) progress. I checked out your profile. I read my first Steinbeck a few weeks ago; it was Of Mice and Men and I loved it (bawled my eyes out too!) I also have a few more of his books on my TBR pile: East of Eden, The Grapes of Wrath and the The Winter of Our Discontent. I look forward to discussing books with you!

I avoided them for a while because of the hype, then thought there must be something to it all so I got a box-set of the first four books for Christmas one year. I wasn't overly impressed with them after I'd read the first couple. I thought 'anyone could have written this', which is still my view of them to a certain degree. I think JK Rowling got a bit lucky and wrote the right book at the right time - a time when kids weren't reading much. It probably wasn't until the fourth book that I really started getting into them, and I've bought the last two books on the day they were released. If you're going to give them another go FishAndChips, I'd strongly recommend reading them from the beginning.

Hi Stephanie! Welcome to the group. I used to love reading Nancy Drew. I still have all of my books and would like to read them again one day. It's surprising how few of the books I have though considering how much I liked them. You'll find a fair few Harry Potter fans on here. I'm currently re-reading the series (hope to finish the 5th book tomorrow) and I'm counting down to the release of the final book! I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself here - there are plenty of nice people with great recommendations and interesting viewpoints I thought the same thing when I read Pride and Prejudice. Some books are just timeless, aren't they?

Me too. And that's what was disturbing about Apt Pupil - it was about a boy who became acquainted with an old man who was responsible for the deaths/atrocities perpetrated on many people in the concentration camps of WWII.

Wow, when I read your post angerball, I had a bizarre sort of flashback to a dream I had last night. I think I dreamt seeing this book on a shelf; is this a sign that I should go and buy it? (Any excuse to buy books!) 'The mind is a complex and many-layered thing, Potter - or at least, most minds are'. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - JK Rowling

I also found A Clockwork Orange very disturbing, and yet it has become one of my favourite books. There's also a novella of Stephen King's: The Apt Pupil (not a horror story). I couldn't wait to get to the end of that story. It just got more and more disturbing the longer it went on. It's one I won't forget in a hurry. Speaking of King, from what I understand about the plot of Misery, which doesn't have any basis in the supernatural as some of his stories do, it sounds as though it's a story in which (to quote your good self, Oblomov) 'a measure of possibility exists', which I think is what would make it so disturbing. Personally I've never had a desire to read Misery. In fact, I just looked it up on wikipedia and the plot summary was more than disturbing enough for me - it sounds far worse than what I originally thought it would be!

I have to say, I wasn't overly impressed when I first heard the title 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time'. I thought it sounded a bit like the author was trying too hard; a bit pretentious, I guess you could say. I haven't read the book yet but I intend to - only because of all the great reviews I've read about it, and the subject matter interests me too. The title is probably what has stopped me reading it up until now (that and an already huge TBR pile that cannot be ignored!) You wouldn't think that 'Pride and Prejudice' sounds like a particularly interesting name for a novel, but it manages to sum up the novel completely in three words. Wonderful.

I've been editing my first post to show all the new books I keep buying. I haven't been stopped yet but I think that time is drawing near so I've decided to stop. I really like the idea of leaving a few empty posts at the beginning of the blog. I'll have to remember that for when I start a new blog next year. Thanks for the tip!

Thanks Louise, I thought so too! Now the problem is to find room for them. I'm seriously short on space. I might have to pack away more of my CDs so I can gain an extra (small) bookshelf.