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.

'They' were right ~ so far

I have started the last book in the Twilight series Breaking Dawn. So far everyone is right, it is the best of the series. I have just read the first of the book so far, I'm to the point where Jacob has seen Bella on the Cullen's sofa like death warmed over. Already there has been so much going on. My attention is finally captured again like it was with Twilight it and I have had to remind myself to walk away and get other stuff done for the day. I'm excited to see how this one continues on ~ please no spoilers!!! The unfortunate thing is that I will have to wait until the end of next year for the movie(s) to come out.

Oh wait now that I think about it, I have gotten to the point where Sam has decided that they, the pack, will do whatever it takes to destroy the baby. How could I have forgotten that part?

We are having tons of people over for the 4th, but we are doing our festivities on the 3rd, so I am going to have to keep the book on my shelf so I can clean and get everything ready for this weekend. Happy 4th of July to all of you!!

Finally Done

Well....I finally finished Twilight this morning and started New Moon. I am really excited for a change. Cold...stone...cold...granite...cold...come on, branch out. Even one chapter into New Moon I can tell that her writing technique improved. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy the story line. It takes us all back to being young and finding love. The intense and timed emotions that went with it all. Exploring and learning about ALL the emotions and roller-coaster that goes with finding love. But honestly, I feel like 50-75 pages could have been cut from the book if Edwards chilled perfection didn't have to be described every time he came onto the scene.

There is always a difference between the book and the same story being told on the big screen. Having just finished reading the book again and recalling the movie there is so much that was left out. For intense, Alice, her past and how she became a vampire. Never brought up in the movie but as it turns out James was the one who turned her. I also think they lost some of the intensity of the relationship between Edward and Bella that took place in the first half of the book. There was so much more drama between the two of them before they got together. The part from the book that I really would of liked to have seen in the movie was the Saturday trip, the first time Edward showed Bella what he looked like in the sun and their first kiss ~ I really didn't like how those topics were addressed in the movie.

Once I get done with New Moon I will be able to watch the movie and decide if all the hype was really worth it. I have heard from people on both sides, those who really liked it and those who were really disappointed in the way the story was changed to put it in the theatre.

Stay tuned...

Making A Schedual

I have found that the hardest part of my new goal, to read all the books I have been collecting over the past few years, is finding/making the time time to sit down and read. My husband and I have come up with a routine so that both of us can get some reading in. It always seems to be easier to get into a habit when there is someone else there who will do it with you ~ for me anyways. Now I just need to find someone to go to the gym with me. I got the pass but it is not doing me any good just hanging on my key chain ;).

I have restarted Twilight, again, last time I could not get into it and so much time has passed that I figured I would just start over again. Since it has been such a long time since I read to first two books in the series I have forgotten how different the books are from the movies ~ at least the first one. I have yet to watch the second movie but I told myself that I could not go and see the movies until I finished reading the books. Even though books are always better than the movies it is harder for me to want to read a book when I have seen the movie or could just watch it in an hour and half instead of making the time to read.

The Peacegiver: Preface

"Nothing is more important
than understanding not just that the Lord's
atonement is the answer to our daily, painful predicaments,
but how it is the answer."

I was expecting something more along the lines of a book that would delve into some deep gospel principle. Instead, the book is written as a 'husband and wife whose marriage is in trouble.' The author tells us that the intentions of the book are to explore how the atonement of Christ can bring us peace into our lives. I'm interested to see how the story unfolds and how the author will share gospel principles with us through a fictional story or a husband and wife.

Skeptical, Weary, Intrigued

Feel free to read along with me and leave comments. It would be great to discuss with you.