Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix By: J.K. Rowling

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• Title: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter #5)
• Author: J.K. Rowling
• Publisher: Scholastic
• Publication Date: August 10, 2004 (2003)
• Pages: 870
• Genre: Fantasy
• Recommended Age(s): 9+
• First Read: 2006
• Source: Gift 
• Rating: 5.0 / 5.0 stars

**Contains Spoilers!!!**

This being the longest book of the series, I expected it to pack a punch. And it sure lived up to my expectations! I loved this book because it kept me turning the pages-and there are 870 of them-until the very end. There are even more new insights into the wizarding world and a bunch more character development so that I feel like I know Harry's entire soul or something like that.

I loved how long this book was. I really did, because there was so much plot development that went on and it never once felt slow to me. Two words though. Teenage angst. Harry's temper seems to always be just bubbling beneath the surface in this book and sometimes I actually laughed when he started screaming at people because he did it to the point of ridiculousness. But I suppose little Harry is growing up and needs to balance out all his hormones and all that fun stuff. It also probably doesn't help that Voldemort is barraging him with these dreams. But what can you do?

My favorite part of this book was the twins. Seriously. They are wittiest characters I have ever met and my favorite scenes are where they just completely go wild in Hogwarts with all their Weasely's Wizarding Wheezes merchandise. I love it. One of my favorite quotes in the book goes:

"Give [Umbridge] hell from us, Peeves. And Peeves, whom Harry had never seen take an order from a student before, swept his belled hat from his head and sprang to a salute as Fred and George wheeled about to tumultuous applause from the students below and sped out of the open front doors into the glorious sunset."

That has to be the classiest exit out of school I have ever seen.

One of my other favorite parts of the book was the description of the wizard hospital, St. Mungo's. It was so cool to see how Rowling created a place that was both familiar and unfamiliar to the reader at the same time when she wrote the scenes about that place. I quite enjoyed seeing a particular professor again, though I did feel a bit sorry for him.

The most fascinating aspect of this book was when Harry delved into Snape's memory and saw that his dad was not the perfect person that Harry thought he was. That he and Snape had something in common. That people could change. I remember feeling very sorry for Snape indeed when I first read this book all those years ago and thought to myself just how weird that feeling was. Snape was supposed to be the bad guy. It's this memory that makes me realize once again just how complex of a character Snape is and the fact that he was in many ways, not that different from Harry.

And speaking of bad guys, I don't think that I've ever met anyone who I've hated more than Dolores Jane Umbridge. She is not a death eater, but an authority figure, yet I dislike her more than Voldemort (who is supposed to be the capital letter Bad Guy in this entire series) or any of his supporters. I think everyone hates Umbridge more than the dark wizard responsible for so many deaths because everyone knows someone like her. Rowling herself modeled Umbridge on a teacher that she once had, so there is a very real reality that we will all have an Umbridge in our lifetime. An authority figure who abuses their power and is inherently prejudiced against people or beings who are unlike her can be more evil than any death eater. After  all, as Sirius has wisely said,

"The world is not split up into good people and death eaters."

There is no one, I repeat no one, who can make the color pink and cute little kittens seem malevolent and foreboding. But that woman is in a league of her own. She makes the Plastics look tame.

A word about the movie. It was by far my least favorite of all eight movies. It simply did not do book justice. I wish David Yates had incorporated more of the book and did not change so much of the way events took place. I mean, the events he changed weren't even applicable in the long run so why change them?

But overall, it's completely worth it to read all 870 pages of this book! There is nothing better than coming back home to all your wonderful friends and this was what I felt as I read this book.

China Dolls By: Lisa See

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• Title: China Dolls
• Author: Lisa See
• Publisher: Random House
• Publication Date:  February 25, 2015 
• Pages: 416
• Genre: Historical Fiction
• Recommended Age(s): 16+
• First Read: 2015
• Source: Goodreads Giveaway 
• Rating:  2.5 / 5.0 stars

I was very excited to receive this book after I won it on a Goodreads Giveaway and had very high hopes for it. As you can see by my rating however, it did not fulfill my expectations.

It started out well enough; the author does a great job of describing the time period and I could tell she extensively researched her history and I greatly appreciated that. She also concocted very interesting back stories for each of the three main characters, Grace, Helen, and Ruby so I thought that the plot would intertwine and blow my mind away in such a way that I would not be able to hold in all my different emotions. Did it do that? Well, no.

The biggest problem I had with this book was not the setting ( which was actually my favorite aspect of this book) nor the premise, but the characters themselves. I often felt confused about the characters' intentions because they would say one thing and act in a completely different way than what their words indicated. One minute they were screaming bloody murder at each other, yet come and comfort each other at the same time. It was highly inconsistent. I did not really understand why these three girls stayed friends because they honestly had nothing in common other than the fact that they all danced in the same night club. And honestly, just because you work with someone doesn't mean that you have to be their "true-heart friend" to quote Helen's ridiculous term to justify her intentions.

I also was often confused as to who was narrating a particular chapter unless I glanced at the chapter name, as there was almost no differentiation between each of the girls so I felt like the characters were extremely flat. None of them really learned from their mistakes; they just made more elaborate versions of essentially the same mistakes. And their voices never matured, never took on that tone that comes with the gaining of more wisdom. All they did was fall into their old traps.

Grace, Helen, and Ruby never did grow on me either. Usually, as you read more of a book, you end up identifying with a character and falling in love with her. In this case, I had no love for any of them, and I was very disappointed about that. At first, I thought that I would come to love Grace, Helen, or both. But as time went on, I realized Grace would never grow out of her naivety and Helen would never develop past the surface. Ruby, who I did not like from the beginning, was also just as shallow and did not become the woman she ought to have become, considering her circumstances.

It's like that feeling when you receive a beautifully wrapped present, but upon opening it, discover only a single paper clip in that giant box.

Incantation By: Alice Hoffman

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• Title: Incantation
• Author: Alice Hoffman
• Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
• Publication Date:  October 1, 2006 
• Pages: 166
• Genre: Historical Fiction
• Recommended Age(s): 13+
• First Read: 2015
• Source: Library
• Rating: 4.0 / 5.0 stars

It seems that I have been in a historical fiction phase lately; all I have read for the last few months are these types of books. But they are just so good that I can't resist. This book is about an obscure, yet terrible phase in world history-during the Spanish persecution of their Jewish population.

In all accounts, Incantation is very short, with less than 200 pages, yet it packed quite a lot in its 166 pages. After finishing this book in a couple hours, I was left reeling because everything had just happened so fast. I am usually used to historical novels taking their time, as there is a breadth of historical facts that are usually embedded into the framework of the plot. Here though, everything goes from Pleasantville to Crazy Town in a few short chapters. I suppose that it fits in with the type of story that is being told because Estrella had her life yanked from her in such a forceful manner that the reader has to have that same sense too. In my case, the pace was almost dizzying, but I liked it.

For such a short book, it sure had a lot of themes in it-friendship, loyalty, betrayal, identity- that I think were covered pretty well. The most interesting aspect of this book is the fact that Estrella and her family had to hide their true identities for so long and the lengths to which they went to ensure their survival. It shows an aspect of the human race that speaks to everyone-that people will do anything to survive. I also thought that Estrella's relationship with her best friend Catalina was incredibly interesting because it represented what did happen in real life to people during that time period. No one was safe anymore. And the the chilling fact is that what happened between Catalina and Estrella happens throughout the world every single day.

If I had anything bad to say about this book, it would only be that all the dialogue is set in italics without the traditional quotation marks and that disconcerted me a bit when I first started reading. However, I soon got used to it and the beautiful writing style and symbolism more than made up for my nit picky self. 

So if you're looking for a quick, yet powerful read, this book is the way to go. 

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire By: J.K. Rowling

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• Title: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter #4)
• Author: J.K. Rowling
• Publisher: Scholastic
• Publication Date:  September 28, 2002 (2000)
• Pages: 734
• Genre: Fantasy
• Recommended Age(s): 9+
• First Read: 2006
• Source: Gift
• Rating: 5.0 / 5.0 stars

**Contains Spoilers!!!**

There's no other way to say this, but this book was a monster to read. And when I read it for the first time when I was eight years old, it took me a full nine days (which was a long time for little ol' me) to finish. But it was well worth it because this book was so action packed and full of excitement that every time I read it, I still can't believe the magical world that J.K. has provided for everyone. 

And I know I say this for every single one of the HP books, but this one is actually my favorite of all of them. It was this book that started my HP obsession after I got it for Christmas and it got to the point that I had to buy another copy of the paperback version because my very first version became so torn up. But torn up because of  all of my re-readings, so you could say I did it out of love. 

What's to love about this book above all the others? The question is, what's not to love about this book? There's quidditch-The Quidditch World Cup in fact-a whole new set of characters, an amazingly dangerous tournament, a beautiful ball, Hogwarts Castle, and of course Harry, Ron, and Hermoine. I loved this book because it was more mature than the previous three books, reflecting the fact that Harry and his friends are growing up. There are very real emotions-i.e. Ron's jealousy and Harry's crush on Cho Chang- that are handled in such a way that they enhance the plot rather than detract from it. 

I also think that this book had one of the biggest plot twists in the entire series. I mean who in the world could have guessed (because I surely didn't the first time I read it!) that Alastor Moody was not really, well, Alastor Moody? That was masterful that was, and some of the greatest magic J.K. Rowling did-concealing that so well!

My favorite scenes in the book had to be the Quidditch World Cup. One of my favorite characters will forever be Old Archie wearing a woman's night gown because that's what he thought all muggles wore. Oh, classic. I also got to see Wood again, if only for a short while, so that was fun. It was just the entire atmosphere of the World Cup that entranced me. Just like Harry, I had never given a thought to wizards from other countries before. It was fascinating. 

And let's be honest, one of the most memorable parts of this book was also the fact that for a very short time, Malfoy was a ferret. A pure white ferret.

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Least favorite parts? What? I have nothing. 

Am I ever going to stop loving this book?

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And man, the ending. Wow. Just wow. It was even more explosive than the ending of The Prisoner of Azkaban and someone practically changed their molecular composition to turn into something else into that book. After this book, nothing will ever be the same again.

Hidden: An Irish Princess' Tale By: Donna Jo Napoli

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• Title: Hidden: An Irish Princess' Tale (Hush #2)
• Author: Donna Jo Napoli
• Publisher: Simon and Schuster
• Publication Date:  2014 
• Pages: 384
• Genre: Historical Fiction
• Recommended Age(s): 13+
• First Read: 2015
• Source: Library 
• Rating: 3.5 / 5.0 stars

This is a companion book to Napoli's other novel, Hush. Hidden focuses on Brigid, an Irish princess who gets kidnapped by slave traders but managed to escape. Her sister Melkorka (who is the heroine of the novel Hush) does not escape however and Brigid focuses all of her energy into locating her sister so that they be reunited again.

If you're looking for a spunky, absolutely  kick-ass heroine, then Brigid is your girl. She takes no dirt from anybody and from the tender age of eight, becomes one of the most clever book heroines that I have ever read about. I love all of the adventures that Brigid goes on to find her sister, and I have to admire her bravery when she's faced with circumstances that other people may have run from.

My favorite part of this book is when Brigid and her gang of gal pirates embody the Robin Hood spirit, stealing back slaves from the slave captors and returning the would-be slaves back to their homes. I wish there was more of that because that's when Brigid's spirit was really on display.

And though I did like the overall composition of this book, I was highly disappointed with the ending of the book, and this was why I bumped my rating down from what would have been a four star rating. The ending came rushing at me so fast that I couldn't really fathom that after all this time, after all she had done to find her sister Melkorka, that was how the book was going to end. I also wished, as I said earlier, that the book could have spent more time on Brigid's life as a young adult, instead of a child. I do get why there was so much time spent in early childhood and adolescence-because that's when she was kidnapped, but there was just so much more potential in her young adulthood.

But all that being said, I did think this was a pretty enjoyable read and I would certainly read even more by Napoli and if there was yet another book in this series, I would pick it up as well. It was really Brigid's spirit and her tenacity to survive that made me keep reading and in the case of this book, the journey is certainly worth more than the destination.

The Smile By: Donna Jo Napoli

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• Title: The Smile
• Author: Donna Jo Napoli
• Publisher: Speak
• Publication Date:  2009 (2008)
• Pages: 272
• Genre: Historical Fiction/ YA
• Recommended Age(s): 13+
• First Read: 2015
• Source: Library
• Rating: 4.0 / 5.0 stars

You think you know the story behind arguably the most famous painting of all time, but you don't. I certainly didn't because this book was just amazing. I read a lot of Donna Jo Napoli's historical fiction novels and I'm blown away each time, but I certainly think that this ranks among one of my ultimate favorites.

This book focuses on Monna Elizabetta, or as some might know her, Mona Lisa's childhood and early adulthood. The thing I liked most about this book is that it fully immerses you into the world of a very believable Renaissance era girl. During this time, the life of a girl is very restricted, and even more so for a daughter of a nobleman. Elizabetta attempts to challenge these conventions and live a life that she is happy with.

My favorite aspect of this book is the fact it doesn't have a "perfect" happy ending, but rather more of a bittersweet one, which I think reflects a more realistic sense of  what really could have happened during this time. It's true that it is a novel and we always expect the heroine to end up happily ever after, but I liked the fact that though Lisa was more or less happy in the end, the story did not end as if it was rehearsed. I also really liked the part that Leonardo Da Vinci, the famous painter of the Mona Lisa, played in the overall plot because he added to the story without being overbearing.

If I had any complaints about this book, I would have liked more characterization of both Cristiano and Guiliano, who I think were integral to the plot in their own ways, especially Guiliano. Further characterization would have revealed characterization of Lisa too, so that would have been nice.

Napoli has a signature style of always leaving me with the feeling of having returned from a very long, incredible journey through time and I can't wait to read more of her work!

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban By: J.K. Rowling

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• Title: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter #3)
• Author: J.K. Rowling
• Publisher: Scholastic
• Publication Date:  May 1, 2004 (1999) 
• Pages: 435
• Genre: Fantasy
• Recommended Age(s): 9+
• First Read: 2006
• Source: Gift
• Rating: 5.0 / 5.0 stars

**Contains Spoilers!!!**

Without a doubt, The Prisoner of Azkaban is a pivotal book in the series, with the introduction of several characters integral to the overall plot. It is also the one that starts off with quite a bang, especially because Harry finally ends up snapping and blowing up his aunt up like a balloon. Not to mention the fact that Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban to *supposedly* hunt down and kill Harry. 

I liked this book because it was able to keep the magic of the magical world going in a way that left you wanting to read the next book as soon as possible because it leaves off at a time where everything is changing. It also introduced me to even more of my favorite characters in the series: Lupin and Sirius, whose roles are indispensable as father figures to Harry. 

I also quite enjoyed the atmosphere surrounding the Quidditch Cup, especially Oliver Wood's manic, obsessive behavior in his quest to win the Cup in his last year of Hogwarts. Lee Jordan is also always highly entertaining and I'm going to miss him when he's gone. This sub plot gave a lighter air to the overall even darker plot. I mean for most of the book Harry believes that Sirius is trying to murder him so I welcomed the laughter and the sass. 

My favorite part was definitely when the confrontation between Harry, Lupin, and Sirius happened in the Shrieking Shack. Of course they did not meet under optimal circumstances, but the fact remains that Harry got to learn a little more about his family, especially his family. Rowling also introduced even more to the on-going theme of loyalty when Sirius said to Wormtail:

"You should have died! Died rather than betray your friends!" 

It just hits so deep, the brevity Lupin, Sirius, and James' friendship. And Harry, Hermoine, and Ron reflect that in their friendship too, exemplified when Ron, whose leg was broken, said,

"If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!" 

Which is cliched, I know, but just hits me right in the heart, and reminds me why I love the series so much.

And shout out to Hermione to slapping Malfoy across the face because to quote the movie version, he was a "foul, loathsome, evil little cockroach." I totally understand where Hermoine came from in this book, snapping after all the pressure of her combined classes. I'm in the International Baccalaureate Programme and I sure wish I could have a time turner to help me out with all of my studies!

And speaking of time turners, I loved the idea, but having time turners available opens up so many plot holes in the story. But thank goodness, that issue is resolved in later books. The Marauder's Map, while one of my favorite magic items, also introduces plot holes. I've always wondered why Snape did not see two Harrys and two Hermiones on the Marauder's  Map when he checked it in Lupin's office because Harry and Hermione had gone back in time. So he should have seen a pair of them in the forest, hiding, and the other pair going into the tunnel. Any answers, J.K.? As for the plot hole where Fred and George never noticed Peter Pettigrew sleeping with Ron in the form of Scabbers, Rowling has said that Fred and George never would have looked to see where Ron was and would not have cared, instead looking at "the path their mischief took them that day." But other than my over analyzing, I loved the book, there's no question about that!

As for the movie version: some people say it was their favorite, some say it was the worst one out of the eight films. I quite liked the movie, to be honest, even though it deviated from the original plot just a little bit. I thought that the creative license Alfonso Cuarón put into the plot fit the movie perfectly, although it was a little disconcerting that Hagrid's hut and the Whomping Willow were transplanted to completely different locations. But the movie, like the book, was pivotal because it was significantly darker than the previous two movies. And from this movie on, there is sure a lot more gray and black to reflect the darkening times.

Overall, one of my favorites, but of course I say that to all of them!

Discussion: Favorite Book Accessories

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I'm one of those traditionalists who will always prefer a good old paperback as opposed to an e-reader; it's not that I won't read a digital book, but if given the choice, I would choose a book where I can physically turn pages. That doesn't mean however, that I don't take advantage of the all the lovely technology and other accessories that are available these days. I use a variety of different accessories to help make my reading experience more enjoyable and I thought that I would share them with you guys today. Enjoy!

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OverDrive

This app, available for both Apple and Android devices as well as Windows and Chrome, is my favorite e-reader platform whenever I can't get hold of an actual copy of a book. The great thing about this app is that it supports digital libraries, so I am able to have access to both my public library and my school library whenever I want to. And not only does this app support e-books, but audio books as well. The interface is also very easy and intuitive and gives you the ability to sync across devices, so definitely check this one out.

Goodreads

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Goodreads, of course, is my favorite book sharing website so of course I love the app as well. The Goodreads app lets me update my status quickly and look at all my books on the go. It has a different layout than the website and is limited to certain functions (you can't insert pictures or enter book giveaways among a few other things) but it still pretty great. My favorite part about this app is the fact that it has a bar code scanner that lets you scan your books whenever you want to. I think scanning books is so much fun, but that's just weird little me.

Project Gutenberg

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Project Gutenberg is a repository of over 49,000 free books and it's just marvelous. It carries a wide variety of books that are available online or downloaded onto a kindle or epub format (which OverDrive supports!). There is such a large library of classics to choose from so you can read anything from George Orwell's 1984 to Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book. The best part about this website is the fact that there is absolutely no registration and it's absolutely, magnificently free. And isn't the name wonderful too? 

Handmade Bookmarks

Photo: Mariama Poquiz

One of my favorite things to do is to make my own bookmarks because I just can't justify spending money on something that I can easily make myself. I also really like making bookmarks because I can design it however I like, making them more personal. This is the most recent bookmark I have made (and there have been quite a lot over the years!) and I do like it a lot. I will be making a new one soon however because I feel like it's time for a little change. I might even put up a bookmark tutorial so be sure to watch out for that! I've recently started making my bookmarks out of old book pages, and I know some of you might be cringing at that (I know I sure did, at first!) But here's the way I look at it: I think of giving these poor, unwanted books new life so everyone wins in the end.

Used Book Sales

One of my bookshelves. The second shelf is double shelved!
Photo: Mariama Poquiz

Over the last year or so, I've been frequenting used book sales more. I usually volunteer at my local used book sale for my school and as a thank you, they are nice enough to let us pick out an entire bag full of books! It's absolutely amazing because all the books that can fit in the bag are yours for free! I've volunteered so many times that I have grown my library to less than 100 books to about 300 books. And everyone wins: I get to help out my local community and get free books chock full with history all at the same time! So definitely check out around your town for your own used book shops and book sales that might need a little help. You never know, you might get a great deal!

What are your favorite book accessories? Do you have a favorite app to use? Is there a bookmark that you just have to use every time? How do you mainly acquire your books?