Six Reasons Why The Sixth Harry Potter Book Is The Best

Hi, Readers!

After a brief hiatus, I have returned to the blogging world.  Where have I gone, you ask?  Well, I was inspired by a friend to re-read the entire Harry Potter series for the third time.  I've just finished the sixth book, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, after a few weeks of steady reading.  The fourth book has always been my favorite, but recently I've had a change of heart and I now prefer the sixth book.  Therefore, inspired by my recent Harry Potter obsession, I have created this list of the six reasons why the sixth Harry Potter book is actually the best out of the entire series.  Enjoy!  (Spoiler alert: if you for some reason haven't read the HP series yet, do not read any further)


1. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes
After a dramatic exit from Hogwarts the previous year, Fred and George finally open their shop in Diagon Alley, and it is a huge success.  From love potions to Pygmy Puffs to Skiving Snackboxes, the joke shop sells everything imaginable to troublemaking Hogwarts students.  They are able to spread joy and laughter through Diagon Alley, even while You Know Who plagues the whole of Europe.  Best of all, Fred and George show their cheek when they create a spoof trick of You Know Who, named "U-NO-POO".

2. Fleur, or should I say, "Phlegm"
Now that Fleur and Bill are engaged, the part-veela is always hanging around the Burrow.  Aside from adding another body to the already-full household, Fleur manages to get on everybody's last nerve.  She enchants the boys and enrages the girls, Ginny in particular, and is nicknamed "Phlegm".  However, by the end of the novel, Fleur and Mrs. Weasley finally begin to get along, and she is hesitantly welcomed into the family.

3. Luna's Quidditch Commentary
"And that's Smith of Hufflepuff with the Quaffle... He did the commentary last time, of course, and Ginny Weasley flew into him, I think probably on purpose, it looked like it."  Like always, Luna Lovegood's brutal and uncanny honesty never ceases to draw laughs.  When combined with the wizarding world's most famous sport, Luna's loony antics are heightened to a whole new level.  The only thing better than her commentary is her enchanted Gryffindor hat.

4. Harry and Dumbledore's pensieve adventures
One part of the magic of the novels that is lost along the making of the movies is Harry's private lessons with Professor Dumbledore.  Over the course of these few lessons, Harry and Dumbledore delve deep into Lord Voldemort's past, starting even before the Dark Lord was born, by using a pensieve to relive memories.  I absolutely love getting more background on He Who Must Not Be Named, and he becomes a much more complex, and even sometimes relatable, character.  Plus, Harry gets to infiltrate Slughorn's deepest memories using the revered potion, Felix Felicis, for a little luck.

5. Ron's many tragedies
First came his budding, and then failing, relationship with Lavender Brown.  Next, his poisoning by Cauldron Cakes spiked with love potion meant to be for Harry from Romilda Vane.  After that, his sister's relationship with fellow Gryffindor, Dean Thomas.  Finally, his fights with Hermione that resulted in his being attacked by transfigured birds.  In The Half-Blood Prince, Ron cannot catch a break.  And each and every mishap is more and more hilarious!

6. Harry and Ginny
FINALLY!  Harry Potter's inner "beast" awakes when he sees Ginny and Dean together, and he realizes that he likes Ron's little sister.  And best of all, Ginny is no longer the shy, clumsy little girl who was afraid to talk in front of the famous Harry Potter.  The few short weeks that Harry and Ginny are dating are the happiest weeks of the entire series.

I hope that this list has brought back the best of your memories about the Harry Potter series.  If you have any other thoughts about the series, I would love to read your comments.

Happy reading!

Book Review: The Spectacular Now

Title: The Spectacular Now

Author: Tim Tharp

Publication Date: November 1, 2008

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers

Genre: Realistic fiction

Pages: 304

Age Rating: Readers over 13 due to substance abuse

My Opinion: 8/10

Hi, Readers!

Have you ever come across a character that you love to hate?  Well, I found one when I was reading The Spectacular Now, by Tim Tharp.  I don't think I've ever read a book where I was so intrigued by the main character but still managed to hate every decision he made.  And I'm not exaggerating.  I still can't believe that I liked this book as much as I did, because the character that Tharp created is terribly skewed in his way of thinking.

Sutter and Aimee from the movie

       Sutter Keely is always the life of the party.  Any high schooler who wants to have a good time knows to seek out Sutter.  Although the ladies seem to love him at parties and at school, Sutter can't manage to keep a girlfriend.  They all break up with him after a couple of months, and he can't figure out why.  Weirdest of all, every single one of Sutter's ex-girlfriends wants to stay friends with him.  When his dream girl breaks up with him, Sutter wonders if he has to make a change to his lifestyle.  After a rough night of partying, he wakes up on a girl named Aimee's front lawn and decides to make the shy, intelligent girl his "project".  He believes that if he helps Aimee to climb the social ladder, he will be doing some good in the world and his life will return to normalcy.  However, as Sutter grows closer to Aimee, he becomes even more confused about his feelings, and it will take a lot more than parties and alcohol to solve his problems.

       Let me make this very clear before you decide to read this book - take everything Sutter says with a grain of salt.  He claims that he's not an alcoholic.  LIES.  Sutter is drunk throughout every page of the book.  I can't believe he gets away with it - he's drunk at work, during school, while driving... You'd think somebody would stage an intervention.  Sadly, Sutter doesn't have a strong support system.  Tim Tharp does a wonderful job of incorporating Sutter's broken family as a subplot while keeping the emphasis on Sutter's relationships.

       I am so frustrated at how likeable a character Sutter is, because I want to hate him.  (Be prepared for a rant here.)  He is drunk all the time, turns Aimee into a lush, doesn't care at all about those around him, and thinks the world revolves around him.  He breaks the law on a regular basis, he skips school, and he disregards authority.  And trust me, I could keep this list going.  But, Sutter's friendly attitude, hilarious anecdotes, and overall warm character makes him irresistible.  I'm sure that, although he has many, many flaws, Sutter would be a very fun friend to have in real life.

       Once I finished reading The Spectacular Now, I thought for a good five minutes about what the point of the book was.  I felt impacted, but I did not know how.  I was very disappointed at how the book ended, but only because I NEEDED to know what happened to all of the characters because I felt so emotionally attached to them.  I would highly recommend that any high schooler, especially boys, would read The Spectacular Now, but trust me when I say it leaves you questioning and wanting more.  My next step is to watch the movie adaptation, and I'm hoping that Miles Teller will portray Sutter to his full extent of awesomeness.

Happy reading!

Book Review: To All The Boys I've Loved Before

Title: To All The Boys I've Loved Before

Author: Jenny Han

Publication Date: April 15, 2014

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Genre: Realistic fiction

Pages: 288

Age Rating: Readers over 13

My Opinion: 9/10

Hi, Readers!

       Sometimes good books come from unexpected sources.  I was reading a Seventeen magazine (don't judge me!!!!), and I saw an ad for To All The Boys I've Loved Before.  After looking at the adorable cover and reading the short summary of the book, I took a picture of the cover with my phone and then forgot about it.  Finally, three months later, I got around to checking it out from the library, and boy, am I glad that I did.  This is possibly because I just finished reading an extremely boring book, but I was absolutely entranced by Jenny Han's light and funny style of writing.  I would highly recommend To All The Boys I've Loved Before to any high school girl.

       When Lara Jean's mother was still alive, she gave her a teal hat box and told her to put her most prized possessions inside.  Lara Jean takes her mom's advice and fills the box with five love letters.  However, these are no normal love letters - she writes each one when she is done being in love with a different boy and wants to move on.  She never expects anybody to read them.  So when the letters are accidentally mailed, well, things get a little crazy.  Each of the five boys reacts in a different way, and Lara Jean ends up in a love triangle that she never thought was possible.  She has to navigate these difficult relationships while taking care of her family at the same time, a feat that is practically impossible.

       My favorite part of the novel is that Jenny Han created characters that I fell in love with.  They are all so lifelike that when I was reading, I felt like I was actually hanging out with Lara Jean and her family.  My favorite character would probably be Lara Jean's little sister, Kitty.  She's a stereotypical younger sibling, always getting on everybody's nerves, but she is extremely intelligent and witty.  I also love the relationships between the characters.  Of course, Han focuses on the relationships between Lara Jean and the boys, but she also incorporates Lara Jean's relationship with her two sisters and her father into the plot.  Lara Jean's mourning of her mother is extremely realistic - she obviously misses her mother greatly, but she is not hung up on it and this seems to free up the story.  I'm so impressed with how Han incorporated a few major social issues into the book while keeping it so upbeat and positive.

       Lara Jean is just such a fantastic character that I could go on and on about her forever.  She is everything that a female protagonist should be - strong but caring, smart, and passionate.  Although she has a few flaws, they are flaws that the majority of high school girls can relate to.  Reading about Lara Jean falling in love for the first time made me feel butterflies in my stomach alongside her, and I was rooting for her relationship to work out the whole time.  I truly wanted Lara Jean to be happy, which is quite a feat considering she is a fictional character.

       Just to clarify, though, To All The Boys I've Loved Before is only for a female audience.  Male readers definitely wouldn't enjoy it as much as I did.  I think that grown-ups would enjoy reading it and find it to be a cute book, but it is perfect for high school and even college-aged girls.  Now, every time one of my friends asks for a book suggestion, I am totally telling them to read To All The Boys I've Loved Before.

Happy reading!

P.S. I just found out there's a sequel coming out on my birthday next year!!!!!  I can't wait!  (P.S. I Still Love You, being released on April 21, 2015)

Top Ten Characters Who I Would Totally Want To Be For Halloween

Hi, Readers!

       Three days and counting until the spookiest day of the year!  Sometimes when I'm reading, I discover certain characters that I wish I could be.  And what better holiday than Halloween to become somebody else for a night?  This week's Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish blog, challenged bloggers to create a list of the Top Ten Characters Who I Would Totally Want To Be For Halloween.  Here it goes!  By the way, if I've reviewed a book below, its title is linked to the post.

1. Bast from The Red Pyramid, by Rick Riordan

Talk about a new take on the classic cat costume!  Bast is the Egyptian Cat Goddess, and she first appears in the novel as an actual cat.  However, I would focus on Bast's human look in my costume by wearing animal prints and applying some killer cat-eye winged eyeliner.

2. Mad Ophelia from Hamlet, by Shakespeare

In my AP English class this year, we read Hamlet and watched three film adaptations.  Each film, specifically the Olivier, Gibson, and Branaugh, interpreted Ophelia's madness in a different manner.  I would create my own take of her insanity by emphasizing the make-up and wearing a mid-century gown.

3. Isaac from The Fault In Our Stars, by John Green

The sassy blind side-character from TFIOS would make a quirky and understated Halloween costume.  I would dress like the movie version of Isaac, wearing tinted Ray Bans and a classy grey blazer.  Plus, for dramatic effect, I'd wear a name tag saying, "Hi, my name is... Isaac" so that people wouldn't be bugging me all night about my costume.

4. Effie Trinket from The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins

I think I'm somewhat influenced by the movie adaptation of The Hunger Games for this costume, but all of the Capitol fashions inspire me.  Wearing one of Effie's trademark colorful wigs or insane dresses would be the perfect ensemble for a Halloween dance.

5. Aslan from The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis

Another kick-butt cat that I'd love to dress up as for Halloween is Aslan.  This king of the jungle is literally the king, and his ferocity is unmatchable, both in the Narnia novels and the movies.  I think that in order to dress up as Aslan, I'd probably just end up dressing up like a lion and then adding sparkles onto my face to seem regal.

6. Luke from Dream Factory, by Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler

I guess this would be a good excuse to dress up as an adorable chipmunk for Halloween, and it has the bonus of an interesting back story behind it.  The only downside of this costume is that Luke is not a very well-known character, but maybe this would be a good opportunity to spread the word about my favorite book!

7. A fairy from Fablehaven, by Brandon Mull

I'm sure there are tons of people who dress up as fairies for Halloween.  However, Brandon Mull's fairies are special.  They each have a different theme, per say.  For example, there are ice fairies, fire fairies, etc.  Each one looks unique and fantastic.  If I was to dress up as one of these fairies, I would choose an ice fairy because the make-up and costume would be gorgeous.

8. Patty Farrell from Diary of a Wimpy Kid, by Jeff Kinney

This nerdy chic pre-teen is one of my favorite characters in both the books and the movie adaptations of Diary of a Wimpy Kid.  From her wrestling to her part in the school play to her tennis playing, Patty comes along with a variety of costumes that are all equally as hilarious.  I would definitely use her movie's trademark braids and bangs in my costume.

9. Max Ride from Maximum Ride, by James Patterson

Max is the perfect combination of hard and soft - an angel who dresses in punk rock clothing.  She certainly demonstrates girl power and toughness.  In order to dress up as Max, I would wear a leather biker jacket and acid wash skinny jeans, but I would complete the look with angel wings.

10. Olaf the Snowman from Frozen

Ok, I know Frozen isn't a book, but I have a reason for putting Olaf on the list.  Aside from being my favorite cartoon character, Olaf is adorable.  I saw a little girl dressed up as Olaf at church a couple of days ago, and the cuteness factor was overwhelming.  So therefore, Olaf is the best costume.  Case closed.

I hope that you have enjoyed my Top Ten Characters Who I Would Totally Want To Be For Halloween!  Make sure you comment below with a link to your own TTT list, or leave a comment/suggestion about mine.

Happy Halloween!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? Say What You Will

Title: Say What You Will

Author: Cammie McGovern

Publication Date: June 3, 2014

Publisher: HarperTeen

Genre: Realistic fiction

Pages: 352

Age Rating: Readers over 14

My Opinion: 5/10

Hi, Readers!

       There are some topics that authors have to handle with the utmost care.  Some of these topics include depression, abuse, and in this case, disabilities.  If the authors think about every single element of the story and how it will affect readers, these novels can usually turn out to be the most impactful pieces of literature.  However, when they're not done right, they leave readers with a sour taste in their mouths.  For this It's Monday!  What Are You Reading?, I chose to review one of the more sour works, Say What You Will, by Cammie McGovern.  The blogging meme is hosted by Teach Mentor Texts, Book Journeys, and Unleashing Readers.

       Amy has been kidding herself her whole life.  She has never had a single friend, and yet she pretends to be happy each and every day.  She has cerebral palsy, a condition that she entirely accepts, but she wishes it wasn't so difficult to meet other children her age.  Before her senior year of high school, Amy decides to drop the act and asks her mom to hire student helpers to carry her books during the day.  In a sense, Amy's mom is paying these children to be her daughter's friends.  Amy emails one boy in particular, Matthew, and invites him to be a student helper.  She has been observing him for years and is thrilled when Matthew accepts the invitation.  On the other hand, Matthew thinks he's a regular teen trying to make some money by working for Amy.  He doesn't realize right away that he is struggling with OCD and that he severely needs help.  When Amy and Matthew begin working together, they seem to learn more about themselves than each other.  They form a tight bond, but struggles such as college applications and prom threaten to tear their friendship apart.

       The best part about McGovern's book would have to be its honesty.  McGovern certainly doesn't shy away from difficult topics in the novel, even if they make readers uncomfortable.  She also does an excellent job telling the story over a long period of time and showing the minute changes in the characters' relationships.  I also enjoyed the changing perspective, which switches between Matthew and Amy.  It's especially interesting because, unlike most books with duel narration, both Matthew and Amy have disabilities that they are struggling to cope with.

       However, there were some things about this book that particularly bugged me, which is most likely because it had the potential to be such a fantastic work of literature.  First of all, I wish that Amy's condition was clarified.  Maybe I didn't read carefully enough, but there was never a clear explanation of cerebral palsy.  I wanted to look up more information about it on the internet to fully understand the book, but the disability really should have been described in the first few pages of the book.  Another thing that I really disliked about Say What You Will is the fact that Amy's mom paid people to be her friends.  I totally understand that Amy struggled to fit in, but paying people to be her friends is such a cliche that Amy's mother should have known it was doomed to fail.  There are so many other options that Amy's mom could have explored to benefit her child.  For example, in my high school, there is a club called Best Buddies that pairs together individuals of different backgrounds to build relationships.  Instead of renting friends, Amy's mom should have focused more on this positive building of friendships that will last a lifetime, like in Best Buddies.  Third, although I liked McGovern's inclusion of emails and text messages from Amy to Matthew at first, it started to become overkill.  There were pages upon pages of unsent emails that took away from the action occurring in real life.  One last thing that I disliked was how Amy let random kids fill her walker with beer and sneak it into prom.  The idea is entirely degrading, and Amy is such a smart kid that I couldn't believe she went along with the plan.  Of course, author Cammie McGovern was trying to demonstrate how Amy would go to extremes to make "friends", but I wish that she could have shown this in a more appropriate manner.

Read this instead!

       Sorry for the rant, but I believe that because McGovern wrote about such a sensitive topic, it must be handled very carefully.  I truly believe that McGovern for the most part handled the topic respectfully, but there were just a few elements that I really disliked, and I mean no offense to her as an author because the rest of the book was good.  I did enjoy reading the novel and it opened my eyes to completely different lifestyles, but I just couldn't ignore certain aspects of the book.  At this point in time, I don't think I would recommend this book to others.  If you are looking for a book with a similar plot line, I would suggest Out Of My Mind, by Sharon M. Draper.

Happy reading!