Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

For how much I liked the movie, the book captured me even more. There are so many side stories that really do fill in the blanks and there are entire characters that were left out of the movies. Little things were changed like who said what and relationships are explained/explored a lot more. For example the book takes a lot longer to get Harry to the Village and Hermione isn't there. I also enjoyed the deeper relationship that is developed between Buckbeck and Hagrid. So much of the story line was condensed in the movie {which I didn't mind} but now reading the book after seeing the movie, well it's not a whole different story, but there is so much added to the story that keeps me going back. The book ended similar to the movie but the order of some of the events does change quite a bit.

A couple of things I really enjoyed from the book is that Sirius Black has much more of a presence and the his partnership with Crookshanks and Scabers is defined a lot more. It gives them more than just the honorable mention that it feels like in the movie. I like the beginning of the book better too, how Harry finds out about Sirius' escape, his birthday gifts from his friends and Aunt Marge. The pocket sneaker scope was a great addition and even though I knew how the storyline was going to be ever-all, it was one of those things left out of the movie that added a different twist to the underlying storyline of the book.

One thing that I think they could have played up more in the movie was just how much Draco really does despise Harry. It seems in this book more than the past ones, Draco has it out for Harry and wants to bring him down any way possible.

My only complaint is that I like the personality of Hermione better in the movie than the book. When we are first introduced to Hermione in the movies she is a bit of a know-it-all brat but her character softens up really fast. In the book she is still a bit of a whiny, bossy, know-it-all while Ron has a bit more smarts than the movie leads onto. He and Harry are the ones who come up with some of the clever ideas that it seems only Hermione can come to in the movies.

Overall, I thought the book was great and really enjoy reading all those parts left out of the movie. There was enough left out that reading the book {especially as the series goes on} is still really enjoyable and there is quite a bit left to the imagination.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

We are done with the Chamber of Secrets. Wow! Such a good book and just like the last one, there were a bunch of story lines that were left out.

One thing I always wondered about, while watching the movies, was if there could be such a thing as a muggle, from magical parents could there come kids who are not magical? Where there are so many characters in the movies who are involved through the whole series, there is even more going on in the books. Longbottom and XXX are more involved in the story line which is great. Many of the other friends are more involved and even have their own little sub stories going on. I have a feeling that Persley Wessley will play a lot more of a role in the books than he did in the movies and I'm excited to see what develops with him.

While reading, I am glad there is still a lot left to the imagination. This book helps to fill in the timeline for the full school year. In the movie, certain events seem to happen in a day or two, as they unfold in the book, there is so much more detail and events take time to unfold.

For the next book {they are getting longer} I will have to keep notes because there really are so many good things that I would like to share but by the time I finish and sit down to write my review, it seems to have all escaped. Trust me, my next review will be a bit more detailed...I guess the good news is that I haven't really put any spoilers in here. ;)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Paul and I have decided that this summer we would like to read the Harry Potter Series. My sister loves both the books and movies, she has read/watched them a number of times. So we thought we would read them and see what we were missing.

Am I glad we did. This first book was great. There were some things that I was surprised were not in the movie, others that would have given the movie a different feel but all together I really liked it. There were more students involved in the book, for instance, Neville plays a much bigger part, which I enjoyed but he was also a bit more of a wimp. It also seemed that Harry enjoyed his new found fame more when he went to Hogwarts and him and Ron were a more rough around the edges {all the fame had gone to their heads}.

The parts of the story that were left out of the film, due to time or creative license, were great. For example, the bit with Hagrid's dragon took on a whole story of it's own

The PEACEGIVER ~ Review

I finished this some time ago and just realized that I never put up the review.

As I have stated before I enjoyed this book a lot more than the first time I tried to read it. The first two chapters are really what killed it for me the first time and almost put the stop on me reading it this time. They start out with the Rick, our main character, complaining about his relationship with his wife, how their troubles are her doing and how she needs to change. Then we go on to read about how his Grandfather and Grandmother had he same relationship. 

Ugh!! Such a sour way to start a book.

The book reads pretty different from others. Instead of being a fictional story with a bit of religion to guide the characters or help us as the reader get a better insight as to what motivates them, it read more as a gospel book with fictional characters added to help keep out attention and not read so much like a lesson or a talk.

While a lot of points that the author Ferrell shared with us were great it seemed more like he was sharing his 'eureka' moments with us that he came accross while doing his own personal scripture study. Some points applied to me, some did not, and some seemed to be a bit of a stretch. 

I'm not saying it wasn't good but it won't be included in my study material. It was a fun, and easy read that gave me something to think about.

Tell me what you thought....

The PEACEGIVER

I have to say, I am very glad that book club chose this one. I really don't think I would have ever picked it up on my own to try reading it again.

The analogy that is made between Rick and the story of Abigail has really given me something to think about it. Here is one of my favorite quotes so far '...part of that atonement, Abigail suggests, is the idea that the Lord offers to those who have been harmed or potentially harmed  by the sins of others the help and sustenance they need to be made whole. ... With their burdens lifted in this way, the sinned-against are saved from the provocation to sin and are therefore redeemed from their own sins.'

A few days ago while I was talking to my mom, I told her how interesting it is that even though no new information is added, no new facts, but when we read something in black and white or when someone else explains it to us, something clicks and we understand it all over again.

A full review at the end of the month.

~Mindy

The Peacegiver ~ Take Two

I recently started going to a book club with some friends from my church. It is a great time to get out of the house {no baby on my hip} and visit. I have decided that I am a chatter. Wow!! Get me out of the house with a bunch of ladies.....Here's a shout out for adult conversation!!

 

The book that was decided for April is The Peacegiver by James L. Ferrell.

This book has been on my shelf for a long time. I tried reading it once but I could NOT get past the first 3 pages. Reading as Rick complained about his marriage and how his wife had done him wrong, Ferrell even starts it out on a stormy night, with the wind howling and the rain beating against the house. This is obviously not my favorite way to start a book, it just seems so cliche.

Well, the friend that suggested it assured me that it really is a great book. So, here's to round two!! If I can make it past the first 3 pages in one sitting I will be way ahead of my curve from last time.

Read along with me and feel free to comment with your own thoughts on the book. Did you like it? Has it help in your relationship? What was one of your favorite quotes? Come back and see what my answers are to these questions.

Pirates, Ghosts, and Coastal Lore

While out on vacation one thing we like to collect are books about the area. We love to read about the history and things that make the area unique, it is also a great way to get ideas about what else to go see.

We recently got back from a trip to the Outer Banks area of North Carolina. While at the Wright Brothers National Park and Museum we picked up a couple of books: 'Pirates, Ghosts, and Coastal Lore: the Best of Judge Whedbee' by Charles Harry Whedbee. I was also so excited to start Lady A's Vacation Book Collection for her too and got 'First Flight: the Story of the Wright Brothers' by Caryn Jenner.

On our drive home we read some of the tales about the OBX area. Even though I am not done with all the stories about the Coastal Lore I have so enjoyed this book. Being from the west, most places have/are just celebrating their 100 year or 150 year 'birthday.' Reading these stories about stuff that has happened so much as twice as long ago has been fun. These are stories I have heard about, maybe a little, but know they seem so much more real having been to the OBX myself.

Charles Harry Whedbee is a great story teller. As I am reading through his tales I can hear my Grandpas voice in my head. He has some of the most amazing stories to tell from his childhood and is a fantastic story teller, it's like I am right there with him experiencing it all and Judge Whedbee has that same talent fro bringing you right into the story with him.

 

It might be some time before I am ready to let Lady A handle her book alone but for now I will read it to her. It is part of the www.dk.com readers program and is a level 4: proficient readers, she is 18 months so it will be a while but we will read over it and learn about the history together. The book is an easy read with great illustrations and photos.The content is of the history and process behind the Wright Brothers first flight. Pages are laid out to give informative facts that go along with the story and it is all done in a manor to keep the young reader engaged.

Be sure to check out my book shelf off to the right to see what I am reading now. Please feel free to leave suggestions for my next great read.