Book #4 of 2007: Mugglenet.com Book

Title: Mugglenet.com's What Will Happen in Harry Potter 7: Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Falls In Love and How the Adventure Finally End
Author(s): Ben Shoen, Emerson Spartz, Andy Gordon, Gretchen Stull

This book was really good, lots of good theories as to what will happen in the 7th and final Harry Potter book. The people involved in this writing project are those that run the website mugglenet.com and some of the people who participate in mugglecast (a podcast where they discuss harry potter theory). Its not an official book, although there were a lot of quoted interviews and other sources, its just speculation, which is always fun to read and discuss.

It was also helpful because, as I've been listening to both mugglecast and pottercast, things have come up that I have forgotten about. I know that I did a little speculation of my own a few posts back about who I think will live or die based on an article I read. But, they go really in depth to back up their theory/arguments. I know its time for a re-read, I just don't know where to start. I'm thinking either Order of the Pheonix (which has a movie coming out in July) or Half Blood Price, because a lot of the speculation comes from the last bits of information we were given - ie the last book published to date.

I know there are a lot of harry potter sites out there, but mugglenet is one of the best. The authors took into consideration everything they've discussed in the forums, mugglecast, theories of their own, other theories and differing opinions. Its not a book that has all the answers, after all, its not book 7 (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows), but it is a great place to start if you're anything like me and just on edge waiting for a release date. We've gotten a title, now, all that's left is a release date.

Book #3 of 2007: Tuesdays With Morrie

Title: Tuesdays With Morrie
Author: Mitch Albom

I loved this book. I hardly wanted to put it down. I started reading it the night I finished the last Narnia book, this past Sunday. I read Sunday night till about 4:30am and Ifigured I needed sleep, Monday night the same thing happened - I read till almost 1:30am and had less than 100 pages, but needing to be up at 7am this morning, I guessed I should sleep. So I took the book to school with me and finished it in my break between classes.

A lot of subjects are brought up in this book, and it makes you think a lot about the way you do things in your own life. I think the thing I like most about it is knowing that it is a true story. There are a lot of life lessons discussed, but accepting death as a part of life is a theme that is repeated. As if trying to relay that it is ok to talk about death and to accept death. One of my favorite quotes from this book, repeated in a lot of chapters is "when you learn how to die, you learn how to live". Its heavy stuff, but makes sense. When you know your time is limited you want to use every minute you have to live to the fullest, no matter what that 'living' entails.

I think this book will be one that I keep on my shelf knowing I will read it again. Its not really a make-you-feel-better book, its not meant to be. Its more of a make-you-think book, and more a make-you-think-about-things-you-don't-want-to-think-about book.

No one wants to really think about the fact they are going to die, yet everyone knows that everything that is born will eventually die. Death is a subject that I have thought about, and pretty much accepted. It is true that we are all going to die eventually. Now, whether we are ready to die when the time comes is a whole other story. Most of us don't know when that time will be, at least not while we're young (I can't say I'm going to live 60 more years, ya know), maybe when we're on death's doorstep we'll be able to say "it won't be long now", like Morrie. I don't know if I'd like to know exactly when I was going to die, but I would like to be able to say my goodbyes in person, not just in the form of what I can leave people in a will. I have some things in mind for my funeral, my burial, I've contemplated cremation, and if I do get cremated, what I'd like done with the ashes. Its not a morbid thing, its a very real thing. I'm young, young enough that I don't need to worry about dying tomorrow, but really.. how can I be so sure? Anything can happen at any time. I'm only 26, and there's nothing in writing yet because the ideas change all the time. Its not that I think about death all the time, I don't want to die, I just want things to be ready when the time eventually comes so that no one is saying "now what" when it does happen.

I would definitely reccommend this book.

Book #2 of 2007 - The Chronicles of Narnia continue..

Title: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (book 2 in the series)
Author: C.S. Lewis

Ok, I finished it. It was better than the first one, although still strange. I was able to get into this one a little more towards the end, yet sooner than the last one. It wasn't a real attention grabber for me, but I'm determined to finish the series.. eventually.

I'm still not enjoying the way the story is presented by the narrorator, as if they are talking to the reader, and giving side notes along the way in (parenthesis). And, the switching back and forth between who they are talking about. So, this group is doing something and you follow the story and one breaks off and you forget him for a while like he's doing nothing and then all of a sudden the next chapter says "and I bet you were wondering what so and so has been up to" and they tell that story.. till I guess they get to a part where they have to go and pick up the other story so that it all fits together and makes sense. Which, I guess after flip flopping 2 or 3 times, and the group gets back together, it does make sense.

The "battle" I thought was done too quickly. I realize its magic, but.. umm.. I think it would take longer than a chapter and "a matter of minutes" for an evil witch to be destroyed. I liked parts of this book, I know it doesn't seem that way, but I was just disappointed that the big battle that was to take place, really wasn't much of a battle at all. And there was a lesson in there, someplace, but I guess I sort of missed it because it was glazed over in a couple pages at the end of a chapter. And no one on the "good" side died. That is very unlikely to happen, even in fantasy.. there are usually casualties on both sides.

Another thing that really got me was the concept of time, and yeah I know, its fantasy, but other books I've read that deal with time, the "time" continues no matter where you are or what you are doing. When the characters enter Narnia, this time through a wardrobe made from the wood of a tree from book 1 (and this time thing was discussed in book one but I hadn't really thought too much about it), time in "our world" (as the narrorator describes the world outside Narnia, like.. England.. where the characters live) just stops. All the time the characters spend in Narnia, is on Narnia time. Things happen, the characters sort of age, things grow, time flows. They kinda forget about where they really came from or how they got there they just went on like it was the most normal thing in the world. At the end, they come across the lamp post, which had kinda grown and intertwined with a huge tree, and the kinda remember something about it.. and what it was called and they walk past it, and taadaaa they aren't walkin through trees anymore, they are brushing through coats and they tumble out into the room that the wardrobe is in. And suddenly they remember everything, the room, the wardrobe, the "battle" in Narnia.. yadda yadda. BUT... NO TIME HAS PASSED in the "real" world. The people talking in the hallway are still there, mid convo, nothing has changed. In the first book, the trips that the 2 characters take to Narnia last a couple hours each time (implied at least).. in book 2, its implied they are gone for YEARS. Yet, for time, time in their real world freezes. No one knows they are gone because time has just stopped.. the age in one place, stumble through the wardrobe and they are back to the same way they were when the left? Not following.. what if they never came back?? Even in Harry Potter, with the time turner, time is still flowing, that is why its important that the "present" people aren't seen by their "past selves". Time is still flowing, they've just gone back within time, yet in order to get back to the "present" they've got to wait and live out the time again, and put themselves where they were when they left.

Yes, I realize I just completely over-analyzed a fairy tale. I remember reading something about the Narnia's written as a fairy tale for the author's daughter.. and maybe that's why the narrorator is giving the story in the way it is being given. I dunno. I will finish the series, I hope.

But, next up is Tuesdays With Morrie.. it is a book group discussion book for an msn group I am on and a book I've heard a lot of good things about. I guess its time for me to read a grown up book, I haven't in soo long.

First completed book of 2007

Ok, so as you can tell, 52 books last year did NOT work out. School got absolutely crazy and I didn't have enough time to read the books I wanted to. I'm going to try to manage my time better to be able to read the books I'd like to. I'm not going to say I'm going to attempt 52 books again, I'll just say I plan to read more books in 2007 than I did in 2006. That shouldn't be too hard.

So, I'm going to start off with the first book I finished in 2007. I started this book last month, and finished it tonight (technically 12/31), but I believe it was after midnight. I wasn't home, I was actually playing bingo and reading during the breaks.

#1
Title: The Chronicles of Narnia - Book 1: The Magician's Nephew
Authors: C.S. Lewis
Rating: 2.5/5 stars

I decided to start reading this series because the set has been sitting on my shelf for a while, and it was so widely talked about when the movie came out (which I have NOT seen) and they are supposed to be great books. I read a lot of reviews and opinions online and sometimes pick up a book based on those. I got this whole set as one selection from a book club, so i figured it was worth it even if I ended up not liking them.

Well, book 1 was... Ok. It started off kinda slow, jumped around a bit in places, went back to the place where it jumped. It is written in the 3rd person objective POV where the narrorator is telling the story and is talking to the reader. The position that the narrorator takes is that he/she has spoken with the characters and is re-telling the story. This is why there were side notes in parenthesis pointing to something one of the characters said within a description like (as Digory would tell you if he were here) or (like Polly says when she speaks of the event) or something like that, as well as times where as the story is being told the narrorator says now we'll leave this and come back to it in a bit.. then goes on with the story involving the other characters as if the part that was left wasn't left.. and THEN when you've probably forgotten the part/character was left the narrorator will say something like 'and now lets go back to where we left uncle andrew' and re-tell the part you've just read with something else that was happening either to the left character or from the point of view (or re-told story) of said left character.

In parts, it does get better, and within the last 2 chapters it does get much better. I'm guessing that really, the whole book 1 is background information that won't be referenced again, with the exception of the events that happened in the last 3 chapters - ESPECIALLY the very last chapter titled "the end of this story and the beginning of the others". That chapter pretty much tells you, ok, this book was alllll background, and this here chapter is going to tell you what you need to know to read the rest of the books, because those are where the real story is. The whole chapter is like 3 pages or so, and its the last paragraph that clues you in. If you've seen commercials for the movie, or know the title of the second book (probably the most popular of the series), you can see instantly what is important to the rest of the series.

I will be starting book 2 - The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe tomorrow.