Days 14 & 15 : July 6th and 7th
Current Book : Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, page
Total pages read : 2,097 of 4,100 (51% completed)
And we're off to the Order of the Phoenix! Right now, I'm starting Chapter 14, and am just getting that first taste of how evil Umbridge is at Hogwarts!
The idioms in Harry Potter have really caught my eye so far. It's great, they're just subtly hidden in there that really sell you on the idea that there's really a whole new culture that we're learning about here. "...Well, it's no good crying over spilled potion, I suppose ... but the cat's among the pixies now..." says Ms. Figg, and later Ron says "Poisonous toadstools don't change their spots".
When the advance guard comes to transport Harry to the Order of the Phoenix, they arrive at 12 Grimmauld Place and Harry says "it was as though they had just entered the house of a dying man". He finds out that it's actually Sirius's house a while later. It's a great subtle bit of foreshadowing there! I'm actually really proud of myself for catching this...
The trio is subjected to help deep-clear the house! They come across a lot of items including "a heavy locket that none of them could open". It's the horcrux locket!
Lupin and Tonks are discussing work and he Order, and say "What were you saying about Scrimgeour?" "Oh...yeah... well, we need to be a bit more careful, he's been asking Kingsley and me funny questions". It's good that we're getting a little shred of his character before he becomes Minister.
When Mr. Weasley escorts Harry to the Ministry for his hearing, they meet a man in the elevator. "Urgent business, Bode" ... "Ah, yes," said Bode, surveying Harry unblinkingly. "Of course." Harry barely had emotion to spare for Bode, but his unfaltering gaze did not make him feel any more comfortable. More introduction of Bode! We'll be hearing more about him later.
"I don't believe it! Oh Ron, how wonderful! A prefect! That's everyone in the family!" "What are Fred and I, next-door neighbors?" said George indignantly, as his mother pushed him aside and flung her arms around her youngest son. Again, the Weasleys are missing the point when it comes to Fred and George. They're different, but they're not inferior.
"Been having a nice little chat with her about whether or not I'm a lying, attention-seeking prat, have you?" Harry said loudly. "No," said Hermione calmly, "I told her to keep her big fat mouth shut about you, actually. And it would be quite nice if you stopped jumping down Ron's and my throats, Harry, because if you haven't noticed, we're on your side." FINALLY! When Harry said this I was seriously about the drop the book because he's has been so freaking angsty. Luckily the next line is Hermione putting him back in his place. Thank God for Hermione.
Two funny quotes! "Ah," said Fudge, who looked thoroughly disconcerted. "Dumbledore. Yes. You --- er --- got our --- er --- message that the time and --- er --- place of the hearing had been changed, then?" "I mist have missed it," said Dumbledore cheerfully. "However, due to a lucky mistake I arrived at the Ministry three hours early, so no harm done."
"Well, I had one that I was playing Quidditch the other night," said Ron, screwing up his face in an effort to remember. "What d'you reckon that means?" "Probably that you're going to be eaten by a giant marshmallow or something," said Harry, turning the pages of The Dream Oracle without interest."
I actually had a deep thought about what I've read so far in Order of the Phoenix (Before I went to Steubenville, mind you). Harry is getting extremely angry and frustrated because Dumbledore isn't filling him on what's been going on. And Dumbledore has been making a few decisions that Harry doesn't like, for example, making Ron a prefect instead of him, or having members of the Order tail him. Harry feels betrayed and starts to lash out at his friends. But what he doesn't understand is that Dumbledore knows SO much more about the situation than he could even guess. Dumbledore had Ron be prefect because he felt that being in the public eye and having even more responsibilities would be the last thing Harry would want. He had members of the Order tail Harry to keep him protected. He withholds information from Harry because Harry doesn't need to know the whole plan yet!
It reminded me a lot of how we deal with God sometimes. He has a plan and we want to know all of it NOW! But if you're giving someone directions to a far-away place, you don't just quickly list off all of the turns and steps! You go slowly and one-by-one, because if you just regurgitate all that information, the person won't understand.
God has a fantastic plan for us, but if He revealed it all to us it would be so crazily overwhelming. So we receive the plan one step at a time. We sometimes get frustrated, angry, and feel betrayed because we don't understand why God is doing certain things. But we just have to remind ourselves that God has a plan, and it would be silly to think that it's good for us to be told the entire plan right now. Trust!
Only 2,003 pages left to go!
Monday, July 11, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Days 11, 12, & 13, 1,819 pages
Days 11, 12, & 13 : July 3rd, 4th, & 5th
Current Book : Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, FINISHED
Total pages read : 1,819 of 4,100 (44% completed)
These past few days have been crazy because of 4th of July festivities and the awesome PPI camp-out. I'm really behind schedule, but at least I finished Goblet of Fire! GoF was my favorite HP book when I was in middle school. I remember finishing the book for the first time on the couch and being absolutely petrified at Voldemort's return. I used to just go back and read the end of the book because it was so great and because that was when everything changed. I mentioned this to someone earlier, but the first 4 books really are the nice-and-happy books. From now on, things are very very dark.
I think this quote meant the most to me. Sirius says... "If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals." It reminded me a lot of the quote from Pope John Paul II, saying "A society will be judged on the basis of how it treats its weakest members." The Harry Potter books make a lot of bold statements against prejudice, bullying, discrimination, and hate. And this quote does a great job of summing it all up!
"It was Voldemort, Harry thought, staring up at the canopy of his bed in the darkness, it all came back to Voldemort . . . . He was the one who had torn these families apart, who had ruined all these lives." The other day Zach and I were talking about something, I think it was the different character flaws that lead to Voldemort's rise. And a bit about the nature-nurture thing as well. But what we came down to is that it's not about all the intricacies and whose fault it is. In the Harry Potter books, the root of evil is just Voldemort.
Voldemort gives us some huge clues about horcruxes in this book. He's reprimanding the Death Eaters when he says "They, who knew the steps I took, long ago, to guard myself against mortal death?" Then later he says "I, who have gone further than anybody along the path that leads to immortality. You know my goal--to conquer death. And now, I was tested, and it appeared that one of more of my experiments had worked . . .for I had not been killed, though the curse should have done it." MAN, those are seriously some massive hints when it comes to horcruxes. But we, as readers, literally had no idea that those exist, because they only exist in the HP world.
"Decent people are so easy to manipulate, Potter." says the imposter-Moody to Harry. It's really sad, but I can see how that's true in some cases. Sometimes it's really easy to take advantage of decent people, because it's possible to predict how they're going to act. Again, sad but true. Got me thinking about it for a while.
Cornelius Fudge is being close-minded, and Dumbledore confronts him about how he has been valuing pure wizarding blood over the more important things. He says, "You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be!" Again, the Harry Potter books say a lot about discrimination. In the books, being pure wizarding blooded tends to be over-valued. Those who are half-blood or are born from Muggles are treated like lesser beings. Dumbledore is taking a stand and saying that those characteristics aren't what matter, it's what you make of the situation and the person you grow to be that's important. This relates to real-world issues, where those born certain races, orientations, and beliefs, (etc) are discriminated against. I don't like it when people try to say that the Harry Potter books are bad for children when they actually teach some of the most important lessons out there.
And to finish off, a quote from Dumbledore that simply doesn't need explanation or analysis :) "We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it by only showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open."
Goblet of Fire is an AMAZING book, and I'm excited to move on to the books that deal with Voldemort's rise. Only 2,281 pages to go!
Current Book : Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, FINISHED
Total pages read : 1,819 of 4,100 (44% completed)
These past few days have been crazy because of 4th of July festivities and the awesome PPI camp-out. I'm really behind schedule, but at least I finished Goblet of Fire! GoF was my favorite HP book when I was in middle school. I remember finishing the book for the first time on the couch and being absolutely petrified at Voldemort's return. I used to just go back and read the end of the book because it was so great and because that was when everything changed. I mentioned this to someone earlier, but the first 4 books really are the nice-and-happy books. From now on, things are very very dark.
I think this quote meant the most to me. Sirius says... "If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals." It reminded me a lot of the quote from Pope John Paul II, saying "A society will be judged on the basis of how it treats its weakest members." The Harry Potter books make a lot of bold statements against prejudice, bullying, discrimination, and hate. And this quote does a great job of summing it all up!
"It was Voldemort, Harry thought, staring up at the canopy of his bed in the darkness, it all came back to Voldemort . . . . He was the one who had torn these families apart, who had ruined all these lives." The other day Zach and I were talking about something, I think it was the different character flaws that lead to Voldemort's rise. And a bit about the nature-nurture thing as well. But what we came down to is that it's not about all the intricacies and whose fault it is. In the Harry Potter books, the root of evil is just Voldemort.
Voldemort gives us some huge clues about horcruxes in this book. He's reprimanding the Death Eaters when he says "They, who knew the steps I took, long ago, to guard myself against mortal death?" Then later he says "I, who have gone further than anybody along the path that leads to immortality. You know my goal--to conquer death. And now, I was tested, and it appeared that one of more of my experiments had worked . . .for I had not been killed, though the curse should have done it." MAN, those are seriously some massive hints when it comes to horcruxes. But we, as readers, literally had no idea that those exist, because they only exist in the HP world.
"Decent people are so easy to manipulate, Potter." says the imposter-Moody to Harry. It's really sad, but I can see how that's true in some cases. Sometimes it's really easy to take advantage of decent people, because it's possible to predict how they're going to act. Again, sad but true. Got me thinking about it for a while.
Cornelius Fudge is being close-minded, and Dumbledore confronts him about how he has been valuing pure wizarding blood over the more important things. He says, "You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be!" Again, the Harry Potter books say a lot about discrimination. In the books, being pure wizarding blooded tends to be over-valued. Those who are half-blood or are born from Muggles are treated like lesser beings. Dumbledore is taking a stand and saying that those characteristics aren't what matter, it's what you make of the situation and the person you grow to be that's important. This relates to real-world issues, where those born certain races, orientations, and beliefs, (etc) are discriminated against. I don't like it when people try to say that the Harry Potter books are bad for children when they actually teach some of the most important lessons out there.
And to finish off, a quote from Dumbledore that simply doesn't need explanation or analysis :) "We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it by only showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open."
Goblet of Fire is an AMAZING book, and I'm excited to move on to the books that deal with Voldemort's rise. Only 2,281 pages to go!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Day 10, 1,542 pages
Day 10 : July 2nd, 2011
Current Book : Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, page 457
Total pages read : 1,542 of 4,100 (38% completed)
I'm still in Goblet of Fire, I last left off about a month before the 2nd task. Zach and I were talking about this, but Jo is such a great writer that you really feel what her characters are feeling. My heart was racing when Harry was sitting in the tent waiting for the 1st task to begin! But seriously, the humor in this book continues to just completely catch me off guard! This book is hilarious.
In my opinion, the 3rd and 4th movies are the worst. I think I'm lead to believe this just because they were so funky and different from the books. Again, I understand that things won't stay exactly the same when you go from a book to a movie, but there was too much warping of the story in the 3rd, and same goes for the 4th.
One of the significant differences I've realized in GoF is Dumbledore's reaction to Harry. "Did you put your name into the Goblet of Fire, Harry?" he asked calmly. is the quote from the book. In the movie, Dumbledore absolutely freaks out. Here's a clip ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG5fr3ldcpk (you only need to watch the first few seconds... it loops) Of course, this brings up the perpetual Michael Gambon vs. Richard Harris debate. But this doesn't have anything to do with the actor, the script obviously called for the actor to be anything but calm. I just don't like when the movies are so contradictory, it can change your perception of the characters.
"Yeah, it can see through Invisibility Cloaks," Moody said quietly. This is the second time I remember someone seeing through Harry's cloak, the first was in the 3rd book when the minister and Dumbledore come to Hagrid's hut. The trio are hiding under the cloak, and Dumbledore looks straight at them. But... I thought in the 7th book, it's said that the cloak is completely impenetrable! We'll have to check that out later.
Ron suggests that Ginny could go to the Yule Ball with Harry. "I can't," said Ginny, and she went scarlet too. "I'm going with --- with Neville. He asked me when Hermione said no, and I thought...well... I'm not going to be able to go otherwise, I'm not in fourth year." She looked extremely miserable. "I think I'll go and have dinner," she said, and she got up and walked off to the portrait hole, her head bowed. Ron goggled at Harry. "What's got into them?" he demanded. Haha the whole Yule Ball chapter was great! As a re-reader, I know who everyone's gonna end up with. So it was interesting to see Ginny upset that she was so close to being able to go with Harry, and to see Ron get angry at Hermione without realizing that he's angry because he has feelings for her.
"But Ron was staring at Hermione as though suddenly seeing her in a whole new light. "Hermione, Neville's right --- you are a girl..." "Oh, well spotted," she said acidly." This is probably the beginning of Ron starting to see Hermione ...well, as Jo put it, in a whole new light! He obviously doesn't understand now, but throughout the next two books, and finally, in the 6th book--- well... he dates Lavender Brown. Okay, he's dumb. But he eventually gets there.
"---that revolting Skeeter woman buzzing around---" Percy said at one point in a rant about his job, the Ministry, Mr. Crouch, etc. I'm loving the subtle hints that are being dropped, we later find out that Rita Skeeter is an Animagus who turns into a beetle.
Goofy quotes! "He sounds exactly like Moody," said Harry quietly, tucking the letter away again inside his robes. "'Constant vigilance!' You'd think I walk around with my eyes shut, banging off the walls . . ." (DAWN!)
"Dobby looked suddenly nervous and beckoned Harry closer. Harry bent forward. Dobby whispered, "He said we is free to call him a --- a barmy old codger if we likes, sir!" Dobby gave a frightened sort of giggle."
"Percy wouldn't recognize a joke if it danced naked in front of him wearing Dobby's tea cozy!"
Only 2,558 pages to go!
Current Book : Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, page 457
Total pages read : 1,542 of 4,100 (38% completed)
I'm still in Goblet of Fire, I last left off about a month before the 2nd task. Zach and I were talking about this, but Jo is such a great writer that you really feel what her characters are feeling. My heart was racing when Harry was sitting in the tent waiting for the 1st task to begin! But seriously, the humor in this book continues to just completely catch me off guard! This book is hilarious.
In my opinion, the 3rd and 4th movies are the worst. I think I'm lead to believe this just because they were so funky and different from the books. Again, I understand that things won't stay exactly the same when you go from a book to a movie, but there was too much warping of the story in the 3rd, and same goes for the 4th.
One of the significant differences I've realized in GoF is Dumbledore's reaction to Harry. "Did you put your name into the Goblet of Fire, Harry?" he asked calmly. is the quote from the book. In the movie, Dumbledore absolutely freaks out. Here's a clip ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG5fr3ldcpk (you only need to watch the first few seconds... it loops) Of course, this brings up the perpetual Michael Gambon vs. Richard Harris debate. But this doesn't have anything to do with the actor, the script obviously called for the actor to be anything but calm. I just don't like when the movies are so contradictory, it can change your perception of the characters.
"Yeah, it can see through Invisibility Cloaks," Moody said quietly. This is the second time I remember someone seeing through Harry's cloak, the first was in the 3rd book when the minister and Dumbledore come to Hagrid's hut. The trio are hiding under the cloak, and Dumbledore looks straight at them. But... I thought in the 7th book, it's said that the cloak is completely impenetrable! We'll have to check that out later.
Ron suggests that Ginny could go to the Yule Ball with Harry. "I can't," said Ginny, and she went scarlet too. "I'm going with --- with Neville. He asked me when Hermione said no, and I thought...well... I'm not going to be able to go otherwise, I'm not in fourth year." She looked extremely miserable. "I think I'll go and have dinner," she said, and she got up and walked off to the portrait hole, her head bowed. Ron goggled at Harry. "What's got into them?" he demanded. Haha the whole Yule Ball chapter was great! As a re-reader, I know who everyone's gonna end up with. So it was interesting to see Ginny upset that she was so close to being able to go with Harry, and to see Ron get angry at Hermione without realizing that he's angry because he has feelings for her.
"But Ron was staring at Hermione as though suddenly seeing her in a whole new light. "Hermione, Neville's right --- you are a girl..." "Oh, well spotted," she said acidly." This is probably the beginning of Ron starting to see Hermione ...well, as Jo put it, in a whole new light! He obviously doesn't understand now, but throughout the next two books, and finally, in the 6th book--- well... he dates Lavender Brown. Okay, he's dumb. But he eventually gets there.
"---that revolting Skeeter woman buzzing around---" Percy said at one point in a rant about his job, the Ministry, Mr. Crouch, etc. I'm loving the subtle hints that are being dropped, we later find out that Rita Skeeter is an Animagus who turns into a beetle.
Goofy quotes! "He sounds exactly like Moody," said Harry quietly, tucking the letter away again inside his robes. "'Constant vigilance!' You'd think I walk around with my eyes shut, banging off the walls . . ." (DAWN!)
"Dobby looked suddenly nervous and beckoned Harry closer. Harry bent forward. Dobby whispered, "He said we is free to call him a --- a barmy old codger if we likes, sir!" Dobby gave a frightened sort of giggle."
"Percy wouldn't recognize a joke if it danced naked in front of him wearing Dobby's tea cozy!"
Only 2,558 pages to go!
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Days 8 & 9, 1,334 pages
Days 8 & 9 : June 30th and July 1st, 2011
Current Book : Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, page 249
Total pages read : 1,334 of 4,100 (33% completed)
So I've gotta say that I'm loving the introduction into the wizarding world in this book. Sure, we've been getting bits and pieces as each book comes along (as Dawn mentioned when she talked about Floo powder, etc). But GoF has such a great opportunity with the Quidditch World Cup! The little kid running off with his dad's wand, the child zooming around on a toy broomstick (which we later learn Harry used to have!!), etc. And again, over these past two days I've randomly found myself laughing out loud... to have my family ask me what exactly I'm laughing at! Most of the quotes I picked are humorous.
One that really made me laugh was the situation where the old wizard Archie wants to wear a nightgown and a Ministry wizard tries to convince him to wear pants to blend in. It reminded me of an animation I saw forever ago. Quote found in animation, no need for me to type it up! http://creativefamily.net/emmy/mugglepants/ (Be sure to hit up the "Supa Dance Mix" at the end!)
"You're eating again, I notice," said Ron, watching Hermione adding liberal amounts of jam to her toast too. "I've decided there are better ways of making a stand about elf rights," said Hermione haughtily. "Yeah...and you were hungry," said Ron, grinning. Here comes S.P.E.W.! Haha I'm never gonna get tired of Ron making fun of Hermione.
"Oh Professor, look! I think I've got an unaspected planet! Oooh, which one's that, Professor? "It is Uranus, my dear," said Professor Trelawney, peering down at the chart. "Can I have a look at Uranus too, Lavender?" said Ron. Most unfortunately, Professor Trelawney heard, and it was this, perhaps, that made her give them so much homework at the end of the class. Ahahahahahahahahahahaha I laughed so hard at this one, I had to read it out loud to my family.
And finally, a serious quote! Mr. Weasley is introducing Harry to Ministry folks. "...and that's Bode and Croaker... they're Unspeakables..." "They're what?" "From the Department of Mysteries, top secret, no idea what they get up to..." Ahhh here we go! The Department of Mysteries scene in OotP is one of my favorites of the whole series! This subtle introduction of the department got me excited :)
Only 2,766 pages to go!
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