Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

This is the fourth in the Harry Potter series (duh) by J.K. Rowling. (double duh).

A lot of my friends consider this one to be the best one, but I didn’t like it at all initially, to be honest. I’ve grown to quite like it over my 18 times reading it, but I still don’t consider it to be that brilliant. That’s just in comparison to the other Harry Potter books, though; it’s still absolutely amazing. No question.

So this book starts in the arguably quite boring setting of the village Little Hangleton. It’s got a kind of dark air to it because years ago, the three Riddles were killed. No trace was left; the Muggle authorities were totally confused. But the Ministry of Magic knew it was a wizard murder. Since then, an old Muggle, Frank, has tended to the Riddle house, and the Muggles suspect that Frank actually killed the Riddles, and so he is disliked. One night there is a light in the Riddle house, and Frank sees it and thinks it’s just some rowdy boys messing around, because they know Frank will have to clear up. So Frank goes, and when he approaches the room he saw the light in, he hears voices… and that’s Lord Voldemort (in whatever mangled state he’s in) and Peter Pettigrew (wormtail) plotting to kill a boy called… guess who… Harry Potter. Nagini, Voldemort’s snake, notices Frank listening outside the door, and tells Voldemort (in Parseltongue). Voldemort ‘invites’ Frank inside and kills him immediately.

Next chapter, the scene shifts to Harry Potter, who has just dreamt about that whole scene. His scar is hurting, and he writes to Sirius, his godfather. The next morning, Uncle Vernon receives a letter from the Weasleys inviting Harry to join them at the Quidditch World Cup. (I laughed at this scene… “I hope we put enough stamps on!!” made me laugh.)

Harry goes to the Burrow the next day. Early the morning after that, Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys head to the Quidditch Cup. They travel by Portkey, which I’ve always thought is awesome. At their Portkey they meet Cedric Diggory, a Hufflepuff seventh year. At their seat, they meet Winky, Barty Crouch’s house- elf (they didn’t include her in the movie… L ) who says she’s saving a seat for Barty, but he never turns up. Winky is terrified of heights, but she stays there.

That night, after the match, a crowd of Death Eaters destroy the campsite and torture the Muggle owners. Harry, Ron and Hermione escape into the woods, where Harry realizes his wand is missing. While Harry, Ron and Hermione are searching for the wand, someone fires Voldemort’s symbol… the Dark Mark.

Harry is thrown into fourth year, where it soon becomes apparent that someone wants him dead; though Ron doesn’t seem to see it that way. And is Mad Eye Moody supposed to act like that?

Read… I generally force people into reading these, and once they’ve read them, nobody’s complained about it, so they must be worth reading!! Age… umm… whenever, after age 7. I read it at about nine.

 

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MOONWALKING WITH EINSTEIN by JOSHUA FOER

So his is different from what I usually read…  very, very different… firstly because it’s not fiction… and I generally only read fiction. But… well… my dad told me to read this, and I rival Hermione Granger in terms of the amount I read, so… I read it. And I thought it would be really boring, because face it: that’s what all teenagers think when their parents tell them to read something, but, surprisingly, it’s not. It’s pretty interesting.

The book basically discusses memory. Human memory, and how even an average memory like mine can be used better- and this sounds like nonsense, but it works. I still remember a list I memorized 3 weeks ago… my friend tested me, and I still remembered everything, using a memory palace, which the book discusses. If you Google memory palaces, it also tells you what they are and how to make one; basically, it’s a place you know well enough, like your house or for a bigger memory palace, your school or even your town. You place the stuff you want to remember along a certain route, and it sticks. It’s explained better in Moonwalking with Einstein. And this is a technique apparently used by ‘mental athletes’ in the World Memory Championships. The book also tells you about how some people remembered everything, just by subconsciously placing everything in a memory palace- like, every single thing. Which is actually quite a lot. 

One of the points there which I found pretty interesting is the thing about chess; I found it interesting because I play chess as well, sometimes… anyway, so it talks about how chess players who have played more games are better, which I’m sure every chess player knows, but it also tells you how playing more makes you better. It explains that because people have played more chess games, they have games in their memory to relate this one to; they recall thousands of moves, and because they have so much stuff to relate games to, they can memorize entire chess boards, and they can also analyze a move much faster, because they will think back to a game where someone made a certain move and it turned out like this.

It’s different from every single other book I have talked about on this site; probably one of the only non fantasy books I’m gonna talk about here; but it’s still pretty good.

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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

This is the third book in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.

This is the book where Dementors are introduced-foul creatures that will suck your soul out of your mouth; and the threat of Sirius Black is looming over everyone’s heads. It’s quite a dark book, though I think it’s the best one… I really enjoyed it… but it’s probably one of the scariest in the series, as the Dementors are really quite creepy.

There are still some comic elements in the book, though. Things like when Harry accidentally blows up his Aunt Marge; then encounters the Knight Bus; Sir Cadogan, the mad painting; the Marauder’s Map; Hogsmeade; and a lot of other things. It’s quite contrasting; First, Harry blows up his Aunt, then encounters the ‘Grim’; and things like that, basically. This has to be one of thebest in the series!!

My favorite part of the book has to be the bit with the Time Turner, as I loved the idea of it; to be able to go back in time is a really nice thought. I also liked that part because there, you find out what’s been going on with Hermione the whole time, too.

Amazing book; please read!!!

 

Author J K Rowling’s official web site

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Harry Potter Chamber of Secrets Movie Trailer

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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

It’s the second in the AMAZING Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.

So, the first reintroduction to magic is when Harry gets a visit from Dobby the House-Elf, because Harry hasn’t received any letters from his friends all summer. Harry learns it’s because of Dobby this has happened, because Dobby is adamantly refusing to comply with what Harry tells him because he says, ‘harry potter must not return to Hogwarts!’

Then, at school, he faces the flying car problems, as well as the Basilisk, a deadly serpent that can kill just by looking you in the eye. Harry learns he is a parselmouth, and also unknowingly destroys a Horcrux. Basically, this book, like the first, is jam-packed with different plotlines within the book; there’s loads going on.

However, I didn’t find this book as good as the first one; it’s still just as gripping, but there’s something a little off for me, and that makes it my least favorite book in the series. Not to say it’s bad; it’s still pretty amazing!! I just found I didn’t like it as much as the others in the Harry Potter books.

I think, though, they missed out less in this book’s film, which made me enjoy it more, and the parseltongue in the in the movie is just how I imagined it.

My favorite part of this book was probably the part when Harry battles the Basilisk, just because it’s the part where you are introduced to Tom Riddle for the first time.

This is DEFINETELY worth a read, if you haven’t read it already. If you have, it’s worth a reread, too!! 😉 Can’t put an age to it, you can read it at any age… that’s what I love about these.

 

Author J K Rowling’s official web site

Author J K Rowling’s wiki site

Author J K Rowling’s biography

Harry Potter Chamber of Secrets Movie Trailer

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