HP Challenge - Day 18 Least Favorite Book

No doubt about it Order of the Phoenix was my least favorite. Don't get me wrong I still really enjoy the book, but of all the books it is the one where the majority of the book is just Bella complaining and being depressed. Oh wait that is Twilight series, but in OOTP Harry does quite a bit of whining himself. Granted it is not as to the scale of being in Bella's head but it makes you want to reach into the pages and slap Harry because if you do he might realize there are reasons that Dumbledore does what he does, even if it turns out not to be the best course of action in the end.

HP Challenge - Day 3 Missing Storyline

I know the movies are very different from the books, what I like most is that I can enjoy them all especially when I think about them as separate things. Looking back over the years there have been a couple of things that I missed when they had to do the editing for the movies. Mostly we could all use more Quidditch in our lives. I am grateful that there are organized leagues in colleges across the world that are allowing for this great sport to grow and flourish.

So besides the clear lack of Quidditch in the movies, I do have a couple of other moments that I missed. I know many loved Peeves but I was able to overlook his absence. I wanted so much to see the Sphinx in the Tri-Wizard maze, I loved that riddle in the book. In recent times I have missed the part of the last book when Dudley reveals his actual feelings for his cousin Harry. I wanted so much to see Hermione use her logic to get through the potions chamber in Sorcerer's Stone. I miss the reactions of the Hogwarts girls when they get Firenze as a teacher.

But no matter how much they might of had to take out of the movies, I will always and forever remember the reaction my friend Kristen when she freaked out when there was magically a new actor in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and she couldn't place him as a character from the books. I think to this day if you bring up that movie that might be her first response.

HP Challenge - Day 2 Favorite Movie

Oh man how I have enjoyed this movies many times over the past decade. I have been to every midnight opening for each of these movies, it was never something that I was willing to miss. The t-shirts, the dressing up, loads of sugar to stay awake and the friends that I was able to share the experiences with. With all these memories how do you pick which movie is your favorite?

Although I love watching all of the movies, I think I get most excited when Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire comes on TV. I have very fond memories of the night that my entire college apartment got together, dressed up and went to the theater. The thrills of watching the Quiddtich Wolrd Cup, the Durmstrang boys enter, the excitement of the Yule Ball and the performance by The Weird Sisters. Then the Tri-Wizard Tournament, the return of Voldemort and the sorrowful death of Cedric. At this time I would like to go on record as saying I loved Robert Pattinson back then before this Twilight craze.

HP Challenge - Day 1 Favorite Book

I figure this is it, the home stretch so I might as well jump on at least one 30-day bandwagon. And if I am going to pick one it might as well be one I am interested in And there is probably no better time to do it than the 30 days leading up to the EPIC final installment of Harry Potter, so here goes nothing.

My favorite Harry Potter book would have to be Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Not only is it the beginning of the magic, no pun intended, but the it where we get to make new friends in the form of fictional characters. It reminds us about the power and intelligence of younger children and how important it is to break the rules sometimes.

It was a simple story, originally written on napkins in a coffee shop and even from it's pauper origins it changed the way that the world looked at reading and literacy. It brought families together and reminded everyone across all nations that we can, at any age, use our imaginations and believe in good vs. evil.

The Demon Side (Book Review)

I am not very good at reviews but I figured hey let's give it a try. I just read a great self published book entitled The Demon Side by Heaven Leigh Eldeen. 

I have to admit I was a little skeptical when I first received the book as a gift. I stared at it for a couple of days, and it stared back. I wanted so much for it to be a really good read because I didn't want to have to tell my mother that I didn't like it. No it is not my mother who wrote it, it was a friend of my mothers. Good news, it was a good book.

I had a little trouble getting into the book at first. I found the whole concept a little hard to grasp. A demon in a home, taunting residents is not so bad it was the demon having feelings part that was hard for me to grasp. P.S. if you are worried I just gave away anything you are mistaken. At page 10 I was worried about a book from a demon's point of view, considering they are terrible beings. At page 50 I was still wondering what path this story was taking.  About 100 pages in I thought to myself this is such a weird, in and interesting way, book. At 150 pages in I was pretty hooked, I didn't want to stop reading even though I couldn't keep my eyes open. And by 200 pages I was ready for the next book in the series.

My favorite parts of the book were actually the parts that focused on things found in the teachings of the church. The concepts of repentance, being forgiven by the Lord for things that we have done, being one as a family and the concept of a marriage that is more than just an earthly one. It is very nice to be able to have a book that subtly brings up ideas that you believe in personally. I think that is why so many female church members enjoy The Twilight Saga. Overall, this is a good book. It has great characters and the story is easy to understand and follow. The foreshadowing was there but not all up in your face, the author clearly doesn't want to treat her readers like they are dumb. Plus this ending is worthy of any M. Night Shyamalan movie.