Re-Read 2015: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling

Summary (from Goodreads):

Harry Potter is due to start his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. His best friends Ron and Hermione have been very secretive all summer and he is desperate to get back to school and find out what has been going on. However, what Harry discovers is far more devastating than he could ever have expected...

Suspense, secrets and thrilling action from the pen of J.K. Rowling ensure an electrifying adventure that is impossible to put down.

Review:

So, this is my new least favorite in the series. It’s funny that my favorite has remained the same (book 3), but my least favorite has gone from book 2 to this one (book 5). And I must say right away that even though this is my least favorite, I still 5-starred it on Goodreads. Even the least good in this series is by far superior to most other books out there. Just saying.

It took me a couple of weeks to get through this! Harry is just so whiny/angry/angsty in this novel. I literally finished 3 or so other books in the time it took me to get through this one. And while I knew angst to be a problem in past readings, it’s only really bothered me now. He just kept complaining about Dumbledore not paying him attention, about his best friends not breaking all the rules to fill him in on news over the summer, about the Dursleys, and then about schoolwork, and quidditch, and Umbridge. The complaints never stopped. However, they became much more manageable in the second half of the book when the pure level of action increased tenfold and could distract a re-reader from the whining.

And okay, I may have been purposely postponing getting to a certain point in the end where a certain favorite character of mine dies –giving Harry even more time/reasons to complain. But despite, all this angst, there is so much amazing in this book that I completely forgot about! I forgot about Hagrid’s brother! I forgot about St.Mungo’s and a mini reunion with Professor Lockhart. I forgot about how amazing Dumbledore’s Army was. And of course the best school exit in all literary history: Fred and George’s goodbye to Hogwarts.

There were things I thought I remembered correctly, but loved being re-introduced to and forced into seeing how much more awesome it all is in book format. I thought I remembered how awful Umbridge was. I was wrong. She is way worse in the book than in the movie. I thought I remembered all the crazy amazing moments at the Department of Mysteries. But I was wrong. It was way cooler (again in book format). Why couldn’t the movie have shown all the rooms? Also, why is the longest book (oh yea, this was a monster at 870 pages) the shortest movie? Oh, and all the awkwardness with Cho was a million times more awkward in the book!

Despite all of Harry’s whining, this book still had so many great things going for it. The ending battle at the Ministry between Dumbledore and Voldemort was crazy intense. We finally learn too why Voldemort went after Harry all of those years ago. Also, so much of the O.W.L.S test anxiety was just so spot on for testing time in school. I loved witnessing the magical version of test anxiety. It was worse.

Between Umbridge, mysteries learned about Snape, battles at the ministry, flying across London via thestral, Voldemort mind connecting nightmares, new characters like Luna, Dumbledore’s Army, an amazing exit by my favorite twins, the ever present fear of Voldemort’s return, the test anxiety, the first dates, the sadness, and the anger, there really was just so much going on in this book. And again, there was so much foreshadow of what is to come. I could have used a little less whining, but I still have to give this a 10/10.

A Good Week in Books (105)

I had a nice, little, good week in books. I received two new-finished pretties for review. Thank you, Macmillan! I’ve been pretty good lately at holding back my book purchasing. Mostly, this is due to the fact that I work in a library. But, there are some must-haves I will need to purchase soon that come out in May. And good news of all good news: I’m going to BEA again! So lots of good books are coming soon.

Flirty Dancing by Jenny McLachlan
The Secrets We Keep by Trisha Leaver

How was your week in books?

Waiting on Wednesday (138)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that allows bloggers to share which books we are most anticipating.

This week I am waiting on Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (10/20/15):

Description on Goodreads:

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

Why I’m Waiting:

I love the other sci-fi series Kaufman coauthors. So this initially sparked my interest just because of her name. But then, I read that description. The more I read of it, the more I needed the book. It sounds epic. I love the idea of it bering written through hacked documents and emails too. So cool.  I have not read the other author before but I know a lot of bloggers who love Kristoff too, so he has to be good. The cover is okay. Really, it’s the story that sounds so good!

What are you waiting on this week?

Hold me Closer: The Tiny Cooper story by David Levithan

Summary (from Goodreads):

It’s Tiny Cooper’s turn in the spotlight in this companion novel to New York Times bestseller Will Grayson, Will Grayson.

Jazz hands at the ready! Tiny Cooper (“the world’s largest person who is also really, really gay”) stole readers’ hearts when he was introduced to the world in the New York Times bestselling book Will Grayson, Will Grayson, co-authored by John Green and David Levithan. Now Tiny finally gets to tell his story—from his fabulous birth and childhood to his quest for true love and his infamous parade of ex-boyfriends—the way he always intended: as a musical! Filled with honesty, humor, and “big, lively, belty” musical numbers, the novel is told through the full script of the musical first introduced in Will Grayson, Will Grayson.

Review:

So, it’s been a long time since I read Will Grayson, Will Grayson. However, it’s up there on my list of top best YA books of all time. I recommend it to people at my library all the time. It’s my favorite John Green book (next to The Fault in Our Stars), and I seriously need to re-read it now. There’s a lot of things I don’t remember about the book. Tiny Cooper though, was a character I definitely remembered. How can you not remember this amazing person? I didn’t remember much about the musical he was working on in Will Grayson, Will Grayson, but that’s okay because this is it.

And wow. I was expecting over the top humor. I was expecting fantastic songs. I was expecting to laugh. And I did. I got all these things. What I was not expecting was to feel so much in this book, and I had all the feels. I laughed out loud one moment, I sang along another, and then there were moments when I had tears in my eyes. And I loved every mixed bag of emotions moment of this book.

This musical is smart, snarky, hilarious, and so brave. I both can and can’t imagine anyone being brave enough to write this, and then star in it. Tiny is one amazing human being (aka: character). The first half was over the top humor about being gay from birth to coming out to his parents, to having a super cool lesbian babysitter. And the second half was a little more serious. There were scenes about body image, about sex, and about pain. Tiny has a parade of ex-boyfriends and you just can’t forget about the ghost of Oscar Wilde.

A lot of it made me laugh, but I’m actually finding the more emotional moments to the be the most memorable, like these words from one of the songs toward the end: “I’ll be your weekend, / your fire escape, / the dream you never leave – / I’ll be your day off / your stopped clock / your glorious reprieve.  /  Let me be your something else. / Let me put your past up on a shelf. / Let me unfold you from your problems / and let you be yourself” (182).

It’s written as a play, with notes written in by Tiny. So, it goes super fast. There’s never a good moment to stop reading. You will want to read it all in one go. I think what I love the most about Tiny is that despite all of his over the top actions and songs, there’s something about him that is just like everyone else. Everyone wants love. Everyone wants what he wants.  There just aren’t that many people who go about it so honestly, hopefully, and sweetly. I loved this book. It’s one of my favorites of the year so far. It so gets a 10/10.

Jackaby by William Ritter and read by Nicola Barber

Summary (from Goodreads):

Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1890, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary - including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby's assistant.

On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it's an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain the foul deeds are the work of the kind of creature whose very existence the local police seem adamant to deny.

While Abigail finds herself drawn to Jackaby's keen intelligence and his sensitivity to phenomena others barely perceive, her feelings are confused by the presence of Charlie, a handsome young policeman willing to help Jackaby and Abigail on the case. But is Charlie's offer a sincere desire to be of service, or is some darker motive at work.

Review:

First, I need to say that image I used above is for the novel, not the audio book. The only audio book cover I could find online was super tiny. I did listen to this one. I had a nice long car ride to CT, to visit my friend Emma (who just started her own blog: The Testy Badger), to see her fantastic ballroom dance show! And I needed some good books to listen to. And wow, this was a good book to listen to.

This book was so good that it got me out of my reading funk. There was one day where I was planning on getting to work early, and I was just barely on time because I stayed in my car, in the parking lot, finishing a chapter of this audio.

The book was marketed as Sherlock meets Dr. Who, but I actually kind of think it was more Sherlock meets the show Supernatural. And well, are any of these comparisons bad? No. The narrator was also amazing. I’m not used to ladies voicing audio books, and I’m not sure why most of my YA listenings have been male, up to this point. I loved Barber’s voices for all the characters. She had a nice, soothing British accent that made me wish all audio books had British accents.

The story was so much fun too. Between the ghost, the banshee, the murders, and the mystery were some fantastic characters. Jackaby was very Sherlock. Though, if Sherlock also had a “the sight” to see supernatural creatures no one else sees. I loved the very British humor. I loved the main character, who brought the minor threads of normalcy to the tapestry of the strange. And I loved that the romance was minute, just barely in the background.  Abigail was too focused on having the adventure she deserved to worry about men. Though, there is a very charming junior police officer she has her eye on.

The ghostly element reminded me of some classic, British gothic literature. And I think my favorite voice by the narrator was for Jenny, the ghost. I loved that it was the kind of book that had you question the supernatural. Is Jackaby for real? You decide. That is until you meet Jenny, the ghost, and the last assistant who is now a bird who refuses to change back to being human.

There are minor details about politics, feminism, and history too. And there’s even more history at the end with a brief explanation for some of the materials involved in solving the mystery.  This book was fun and suspenseful. I loved he supernatural elements. I loved the humor. And I adored the characters. I give this a 10/10 and I recommend it to fans of Sherlock, and to any YA reader looking for a good mystery

Waiting on Wednesday (137)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that allows bloggers to share which books we are most anticipating.

This week I am waiting on Manners and Mutiny by Gail Carriger (11/3/15):

Description on Goodreads:

When a dastardly Pickleman plot comes to fruition, only Sophronia can save her friends, her school, and all of London...but at what cost? Our proper young heroine puts her training and skills to the test in this highly anticipated conclusion of the rousing, intriguing, and always polished New York Times bestselling Finishing School series!

Why I’m Waiting:

There’s no better word to describe these books than “delightful.” Seriously, I believe I’ve compared reading them to eating a really nice box of chocolates. They are sweet, adventurous, smart, romantic, hilarious, and just plain amazing. I’m sad to learn that this will be the conclusion to what has become one of my favorite YA series out there. I’m also saddened by the pathetic description we were given. Hopefully, there will be more posted about it soon? I love these books. I love this author. I cannot wait for this book to come out. I also even kind of love the weird covers, that are at least consistent.

What are you waiting on this week?

Re-Read 2015: The Lighning Thief (audiobook) by Rick Riordan and read by Jesse Bernstein

Summary (from Goodreads):

Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school . . . again. No matter how hard he tries, he can't seem to stay out of trouble. But can he really be expected to stand by and watch while a bully picks on his scrawny best friend? Or not defend himself against his pre-algebra teacher when she turns into a monster and tries to kill him? Of course, no one believes Percy about the monster incident; he's not even sure he believes himself.

Until the Minotaur chases him to summer camp.

Suddenly, mythical creatures seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. The gods of Mount Olympus, he's coming to realize, are very much alive in the twenty-first century. And worse, he's angered a few of them: Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy has just ten days to find and return Zeus's stolen property, and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. On a daring road trip from their summer camp in New York to the gates of the Underworld in Los Angeles, Percy and his friends-one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena-will face a host of enemies determined to stop them. To succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of failure and betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

Review:

This was a re-read for me. It’s part of my Re-Read 2015 challenge. I’ll be re-reading all the Harry Potter books (I’ve already gone through a lot of them), and all the Percy Jackson books. I re-read this book for a book club I was leading in 2012 and you can read that review here: review. However, this was my first time listening to the audiobook version. As I said 3 years ago, this book is incredible. Re-reading/listening to this makes me want to binge read all of them in one go.

I don’t know why I do this, but sometimes when I think I’m remembering the book, I’m remembering the movie. And the movie just isn’t as good. The layers to this book are thick too. So much is setup for the rest of the series, and I’m beyond excited to keep reading/listening. I think I’m going to listen to them all.

Between the monsters, the Gods, the foreshadow of Titans, the adventures, the creatures, the magical artifacts, the visiting of the underworld, the close call with Medussa, the extended time spent in Las Vegas, and the scary scene at the Gateway Arch in St Louis, there was never a dull moment. There is never a good time to put the book down, or in my case, to leave my car and get back to reality. And layered amongst all the amazing plot devises and interesting characters, was the amazing humor. I literally laughed out loud throughout the whole book. And that is after having read the book a few times before.

At first I wasn’t sure how I felt about the reader: Jesse Bernstein. He sounded almost too juvenile, like an adult trying too hard to sound like Bart Simpson. But, then he grew on me. His voices for different Gods and important side characters was pretty amazing. And now, Percy just has his voice for me. I can’t imagine anyone else voicing Percy.

I highly recommend these books to anyone who likes middle-grade, though like with Harry, Percy grows older within the series that eventually becomes a little more YA. I’m so excited to continue with these re-reads. I give it a 9/10.