Tag: Dragons

Books

Book 129: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – J.K. Rowling

Geoff W

[To see an updated review of when I re-read this in August 2018 click here.]

This is the book where everything changes. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban really shows the wider wizarding world, but Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire really sets the stage for the rest of the series. It’s funny though that I didn’t really get this until Fiona, over at The Book Coop, shared her views about Book 3. I definitely agree with her that Book 3 shows that these are going to be a much broader series than just about a boy wizard at school, but what I think this book does is it shows just how dark this series has the potential to become.

Let’s face it Harry Potter is a dark series. It’s about good versus evil and surviving the lowest lows to get to the highest highs. Book 4 starts with a murder and it’s a plain fact. Every book prior to this mentions deaths and murders, but there are none that happen on the pages of the book and with this book it happens within the first 30 pages setting the tone for the rest of the series.

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Books

Book 128: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – J.K. Rowling

Geoff W

[To see an updated review of when I re-read this in July 2018 click here.]

How many times can I say ‘WOW’ to open a book response? Especially if I’ve read the book already? Apparently, every time because these books just make me so happy. Definitely considering abandoning all challenges next year and just reading whatever strikes my fancy, but I doubt I will.

When I first read this book, I wasn’t that impressed. For some reason it just didn’t mesh well with me, but unlike Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets this book has definitely grown on me. Whereas Book 1 introduces us to the world of Harry Potter, Book 3 introduces us to some of the vitally important characters to the world and the series. How can you not be intrigued by Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew and want to find out even more about Severus Snape? You can’t! Rowling gives you just enough information to make you question what you know about all of the characters, but not enough to reveal who or what they really are or where they’re going or who they’ll be at the end of the series.

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Books

Book 126: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – J.K. Rowling

Geoff W

[To see an updated review of when I re-read this in Spanish click here or for a July 2018 re-read click here.]

YES! I’m definitely glad I bucked all my challenges for the month of July and just explored what I wanted and took time for a few re-reads (specifically seven of them :-D).

I can’t believe it has been over three years (probably closer to four) since I last read the Harry Potter series. That really makes me sad. I really should just have my sets (yes, that is multiple sets of Harry Potter books) sent up from North Carolina. There’s always something missing from my bookshelf when they’re not there. I guess I’ve made up for it by slowly accumulating another set in hopes that Tom will read them. Everyone should comment and tell Tom how great this series is so he will start reading them. Plus tell him they’re fun and relaxing so he can’t use stress as an excuse!

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2012 Challenges, Books

Book 98: A Dance with Dragons – George R. R. Martin

Geoff W

Well I finally got bored with the series, but I’m glad I read them (and will finish the series as they are released). The action within the novel was fascinating and the stories only added to the complexity of the overall world, but I wasn’t wowed or taken by surprise this time and that’s how it has been for the past three novels (last two more so).

The boredom wasn’t from the book being any less interesting or its length, but more the fact that I’m no really surprised. The first two novels had entire sections which left me breathless and the last three have had moments where I approached breathlessness only to be left wanting, such as what happens to Lord Snow, the discovery of what happened to the Maid of Tarth, and Daenerys’ dragon escapade. But even these incidents came across as trite, or even repetitive, in comparison to the shocking and sometimes disheartening actions of A Game of Thrones.

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2012 Challenges, Books

Book 97: A Feast for Crows – George R.R. Martin

Geoff W

The first of Martin’s novels NOT to win the Locus award and I can see why. To much was just not there. I understand the uniqueness of trying to split the story geographically, but it definitely left a lot to be desired. I can’t imagine reading this and having to wait nearly 6 years to read the ‘other half’ of the novel. Checking in as the second shortest novel of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series (only the first novel, A Game of Thrones is shorter) this novel still qualifies for the Tea and Books Reading Challenge and I am counting it for the Mount TBR Challenge as well.

The more of these novels I read, the more I realize Martin is incredibly intelligent and his writing is phenomenal. The series is summed up by one line in this novel (as in the last novel), “Old powers waken. Shadows stir. An age of wonder and terror will soon be upon us, an age for gods and heroes.” This not only supports my earlier discussions about his ability to write about magic but not include it in the world, but highlights that these novels take place at one of those moments in a history which are write history and re-write history.

Overall I enjoyed the novel, but I did have to keep reminding myself that this is only half the story. Occasionally I stopped and was like wait, what about so-and-so, or whos-a-ma-whats-it and then I realized that oh wait this is only half the story. This is probably why the book was only nominated for awards (or the award committees are getting tired of awarding Martin awards).

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