Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K Rowling

About the Book:

Picture taken by @AphroditesBooks

Book Six in the Harry Potter Series

Rating: Amazing (5/5 stars)

Pages: 607

Released: 2005

Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing

-information from Goodreads

Synopsis:

"It is the middle of summer, but there is an unseasonal mist pressing against the window panes. Harry Potter is waiting nervously in his bedroom at the Dursley's house in Privet Drive for a visit from Professor Dumbledore himself. One of the last times he saw the Headmaster was in a fierce one-to-one duel with Lord Voldemort, and Harry can't quite believe that Professor Dumbledore will actually appear at the Dursleys' of all places. Why is the Professor coming to visit him now? What is it that cannot wait until Harry returns to Hogwarts in a few weeks time? Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts has already got off to an unusual start, as the worlds of Muggle and magic start to intertwine..." -blurb from the back of book  

First Line:

"It was nearing midnight and the Prime Minister was sitting alone in his office, reading a long memo that was slipping through his brain without leaving the slightest trace of meaning behind." 

Review:

My favorite of the Harry Potter books. This book is where the story between Harry and Lord Voldemort really kicks off. You learn the answers to some of the burning questions you've had since the start of the series. You learn a lot more about lots of the characters in this book, some of the things shocking and makes you question your thoughts/feelings towards them. This book is filled with the feels to its dramatic, frustrating, shocking, confusing, hilarious, and upsetting all rolled into one. The ending of this book leaves you in complete shock and disbelieve and leaves you wondering how the story will continue...  

Recommended Audience:

Everyone!

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K Rowling

About the Book:

Picture taken by @AphroditesBooks

Book Seven in the Harry Potter series

Rating: Amazing (5/5 stars)

Pages: 607

Released: 2007

Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing

-information from Goodreads 

Synopsis:

"Harry is waiting in Privet Drive. The Order of Pheonix is coming to escort him safely away without Voldemort and his supporters knowing - if they can. But what will Harry do then? How can he fulfill the momentous and seemingly impossible task that Professor Dumbledore has left him?" 

 - blurb from back of book

First Line:

"The two men appeared out of nowhere, a few yards apart in the narrow moonlit line."

Review:

A perfect end to a fantastic series. Finally, you learn the whole truth about Harry and Lord Voldemort but there are plenty of dramatic twists along the way. All lose ends where tied up and you finished the book being satisfied and all your questions where answered. The only annoying thing is you still want to continue with the characters and know what their lives were like after the book finished. J.K Rowling does address several characters futures in the Nineteen Years Later chapter at the end but you still want to know more. All in all, I've never finished a series feeling quite as content with the way it ended as I did with this series.

Recommended Audience:

Everyone.

#AYearAThon Harry Potter Readathon Wrap-up

This is the first readathon that I feel I've done really well in. I have a habit of setting myself a high amount of books to read and I've never completed all of them. I didn't finish my goals this time either but I read far more than I thought I would and that's OK with me.

Here's how I did during the week 3-9 of February:

Day One:

Started Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone - 48 pages

Was by far my worst day. I only read the first four chapters of Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone.

Total pages read on day one = 48

Day Two:

Completed Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone - 175 pages
Started and completed Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - 251 pages

Total pages read on day two = 426

Day Three:

Started and completed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - 317 pages
Started Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - 28 pages

Total pages read on day three = 345

Day Four:

Continued Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - 332 pages

Total pages read on day four: 332

Day Five:

Completed Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - 276 pages
Started Harry Potter and the Order of Pheonix - 218 pages

Total pages read on day five: 504

Day Six:

Continued Harry Potter and the Order of Pheonix - 240 pages

Total pages read on day six: 240

Day Seven:

Continued Harry Potter and the Order of Pheonix - 308 pages
Started Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - 80 pages 

Total pages read on day seven: 388

Week Wrap-Up: 

Number of books completed: 5
Number of books started: 6
Number of pages read: 2043

Harry Potter and the Order of Pheonix by J.K Rowling

About the Book:

Picture taken by @AphroditesBooks

Book Five in the Harry Potter Series

Rating: Amazing (5/5 stars)

Pages: 766

Released: 2003

Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing

-information from Goodreads

Synopsis:

"Harry Potter is due to start his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is desperate to get back to school and find out why his friends Ron and Hermione have been so secretive all summer. However, what Harry is about to discover in his new year at Hogwarts will turn his world upside down."

First Line:

"The hottest day of the summer so far was drawing to a close and a drowsy silence lay over the large, square houses of Privet Drive." 

Review:

This year is a tough one for Harry as this book becomes a lot darker in its themes and content than the previous books. With this change in theme and content brings the realization of the struggles and trials these characters now face and will have to face in the next books. Again, this book takes a darker turn then its predecessors which also foreshadows the theme of the next books. Harry's relationship with other characters deepens somewhat in this book. His friendships with Ron and Hermione gets stronger, his relationship with his godfather Sirius becomes deeper as Harry begins to see Sirius more and more as a father figure, and finally Harry's relationship with Headmaster Dumbledore becomes clearer. Again, another brilliant installment. 

Recommended Audience:

Everyone even if you've read the book before! 

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K Rowling

Picture taken by @AphroditesBooks

About the Book:

Book Four in the Harry Potter Series

Rating: Amazing (5/5 stars)

Pages: 636

Released: 2000

Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing

-information from Goodreads

Synopsis:

"It is the summer holidays and soon Harry Potter will be starting his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry is counting the days: there are new spells to be learnt, more Quidditch to be played, and Hogwarts castle to continue exploring. But Harry needs to be careful - there are unexpected dangerous lurking..." -blurb from back of book

First Line:

"The villagers of Little Hangleton still called it 'the Riddle House', even though it had been many years since the Riddle family had lived there."

Review:

I think this book is Harry's 'coming of  age' book where his character really develops and you discover just what drives him onward and what he's really like. I think the three tasks were great at highlighting Harry's character. You also see Ron and Hermione develop as characters as well. This year also brings the introduction of love connections and how the three main characters handle the murky depths of romance. This was a more complex story line which made for highly enjoyable reading. 

Recommended Audience:

Everyone. 

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K Rowling

Picture taken by @AphroditesBooks

About the Book:

Book Three in the Harry Potter Series

Rating: Amazing (5/5 stars)
Pages: 317

Released: 1999

Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing

-information by Goodreads 

Synopsis:

"Harry Potter, along with his best friends, Ron and Hermione, is about to start his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry can't wait to get back to school after the summer holidays. (Who wouldn't if they lived with the Dursleys?). But when Harry gets to Hogwarts, the atmosphere is tense. There's an escaped mass murderer on the loose, and the sinister prison guards of Azkaban have been called in to guard the school..."

- blurb from back of book

First Line:

"Harry Potter was a highly unusual boy in many ways." 

Review:

Another amazing installment! I really liked the direction this book took, Lord Voldemort wasn't directly involved in this story. But there were plenty of other villains to enjoy instead! The twists that this book had were amazing and you didn't see them coming! I love the mystery and problem solving elements to these books and they were definitely amped up in this installment! The characters were just as flawless as in the previous books and I fell more in love with the world of magic and Hogwarts (and I didn't know that was humanly possible!)  

Recommended Audience:

Everyone! Even if you've read it before!

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K Rowling

Picture taken by @AphroditesBooks

About the Book:

Book Two in the Harry Potter Series

Ratings: Amazing (5/5 stars)

Pages: 251

Released: 1998

Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing

-information from Goodreads

Synopsis:

"Harry Potter is a wizard. He is in his second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Little does he know that this year will be just as eventful as the last..."

- blurb from back of the book

First Line:

"Not for the first time, an argument had broken out over breakfast at number four, Privet Drive."

Review:

A superb sequel! The only way to truly experience this world is by reading the books for yourself! There's not much for me to say except how much I love these books!

Recommended Audience:

Anyone who hasn't read the books yet!

Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone by J.K Rowling

Picture taken by @AphroditesBooks

About the book:

Book One in the Harry Potter Series

Ratings: Amazing

Pages: 223

Released: 1997

Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing

-information from Goodreads

Synopsis:

"Harry Potter thinks he is an ordinary boy - until he is rescued by a beetle - eyed giant of a man, enrols at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. learns to play Quidditch, and does battle in a deadly duel. The reason: HARRY POTTER IS A WIZARD!"

- blurb from back of the book

First Line:

"Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much."

Review:

I have read this book/series so many times over the last 11 years, but it is still as enchanting as it was the first time I read it. These books will never get old and I'll never tire of reading them - they are just too good. The complexity of the world and the characters are so amazing that they sweep you along with the story. As the first book in the series it does a fantastic job of building the world up for you. There is not much else I can say about this book other than it's AMAZING! 

Recommended Audience:

I don't think there's many people left in the world that have not read this book/series. But anyone whose watched the films and hasn't read the book(s) for fear of being let down...READ IT! You won't be disappointed.

#AYearAThon

What is it?

There is a set theme every month and you have to read as many books relating to that theme as you can within the time frame given (a week).

Who started it?

I saw the announcement video on Alyssa from ACReads you can watch the video here.

What am I doing to take part?

I'm going to aim to take part in every months theme and try and read as many books as I can during the week long readathon. I will also be blogging/vlogging the weeks progress as I go. My BookTube channel is linked here. I will announce the books I'm aiming to read for the week in my months wrap up/ TBR posts/videos, as well as reviewing each book I complete on here. You can join in to by joining the #AYearAThon group on Goodreads here. And by vlogging/blogging your progress via your blogs/YouTube channels (if you have them).

Dates and Themes of #AYearAThon:

February 3-9: Harry Potter
March 3-9: Twilight
April 7-13: Re-readathon
May 5-11: Finish/catch up on a series
June 2-8: Rick Riordan
July 7-13: Classics
August 4-10: Middlegrade
September 1-7: New Adult
October 6-12: Stephen King
November 3-9: Fairytale Retelling
December 1-7: Graphic novels/manga


Let me know if any of you are going to participate!

Hunger by Michael Grant

About the book:

Image from Google 

Book Two in the Gone Series

Rating: Good 3.5/5 stars

Pages: 586

Released: 2010

Published by: Egmont UK Limited

-information from Goodreads

Synopsis:

Calm has settled over Perdido Beach. But it doesn't last long as food runs out and starvation sets in. More children are developing powers and lurking in the background in an abandoned mineshaft lies a greater danger and he's hungry too...

First Line:

"Sam Temple was on his board."

Review:

Most sequels fall flat when compared to the first book. But I'm pleased to say that Hunger was just as good if not better than Gone. I enjoyed Hunger as the characters were developing and the struggles the kids faced made for thrilling reading. This book also highlights the flaws in human nature, how peoples morals and sense of right and wrong leave them when faced with excruciating hunger. It also shows how groups are formed and mob mentality can overwhelm people grouped together in some situations so they act differently than they normally would. Overall, a brilliant sequel and I can't wait to continue the series.

Recommended Audience:

Anyone who hasn't  picked up the Gone series yet.



Gone by Michael Grant

About the book:

Image from Google

Book One in the Gone Series

Rating: Good 3/5 stars

Pages: 560

Released: 2009

Published by: Egmont UK Limited

-information from Goodreads

Synopsis:

It's a day like any in a small southern Californian town. Until everyone over the age of fifteen disappears in the blink of an eye. Trapped, cut off from loved ones, and with the hope that help is on its way fading, chaos rules the streets. Factions are being formed, bullies roam the streets and to make things worse some children have powers. Powers that no ones seen before and that no one can explain...

First Line:

"One minute the teacher was talking about the Civil War."

Review:

I'd heard so much about this book/series and I'd been dragging my heels to pick it up as I thought I would be disappointed by it. That was stupid of me, I really enjoyed this book. The plot is unique and exciting. The characters were diversable and easy to love/hate. All in all I just really enjoyed this book. The only negative thing I can say is I found the age of these children to be a bit unbelievable. These are 14 and under aged children and they are having to fend for themselves in their new world? My rational brain found it hard to accept - especially some of the things the children did. But apart from that small fact I really enjoyed it and I am looking forward to the rest of this series.  

Recommended Audience:

I don't think there are many people who haven't read this...but anyone who is a fan of YA.



Consequences...Don't Call Me Baby by Laurie Depp

About the Book:

Image from Google 

Book One in the Consequences Series

Rating: Good (3/5 stars)

Pages: 256

Released: 2007

Published by: Hodder Children's Books

-information by Goodreads

Synopsis:

Katie has got herself thee job of being nanny to the kids of Britain's most famous couple. But with a premier footballer and an ex-dancer as you boss the job isn't as fun as Katie thought it would be. After signing a confidentiality clause, the truth behind the celebrity marriage emerges. And to make matters worse one of her bosses has a sad, dark secret that's waiting to come out. Can Katie find the strength to release it or will someone do it for her?

First Line:

"You've heard people talk about the 'pivotal moment' - the exact time something really important, happens in your life."

Review:

This book was a nice quick read. The celebrity lifestyle was fun to read about as was discovering the secrets and scandals that cloud the celebrity world. This book highlights that sometimes the glamorous lifestyle we all think we want isn't all its cracked up to be. Katie's character was easy to connect with which also made for an enjoyable read.   

Recommended Audience:

Younger readers.



Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

About the Book:

Image from Google

Rating: OK 2/5 stars

Pages: 282

Released: 2005

Published by: Faber and Faber

-information by Goodreads

Synopsis:

"Kathy, Ruth and Tommy grew up together at Hailsham, a seemingly idyllic school deep in the English countryside with a dreadful secret at its heart. Now thirty-one, Kathy attempts to come to terms with her childhood at Hailsham and with the fate that has always awaited her and her closest friends in the wider world." 

-synopsis from the blurb of the book

First Line:

"My name is Kathy H."

Review:

Although the concept of this book was unique, I just struggled to get into this book. The narrative I found very jumpy as Kathy jumped from one memory to another and overall I found it boring. I didn't connect to the characters at all. Even though what they were going through was horrible, I found myself being unmoved by their plights. The plot of this story has so much potential but it was let down in the writing. This book could have been so much more emotional and controversially thought provoking, but it just disappointed me. It really annoys me when I read books like this were the plot has so much potential but it gets wasted by the writing style. Having said this, the book did pick up as it went on but it still failed to impress me.  

Recommended Audience:

I don't know if I would actually recommend this book to anyone.



Chasing Spirits: The Making of the Ghost Adventures Crew by Nick Groff

About the Book:

Image from Google

Rating: Good 3/5 stars

Pages: 288

Released: October 2012

Published by: New American Library

-information by Goodreads

Synopsis:

Nick Groff, one third of the Ghost Adventure's team shares his favourite investigations and paranormal experiences as well as a behind the scenes look at the team and their lives. In Chasing Spirits, Nick Groff describes his life and the events leading up to the creation of Ghost Adventures.

First Line:

"Two seconds."

Review:

I haven't read many autobiographies but this was definitely one of the best I've read. Being a fan of the TV show I was excited to read this book. As a fan I enjoyed learning how the team was formed and more about the scariest locations. It took me a few chapters to get into this book as they were about Nick's childhood, family and education and I was reading it to find out more about their ghost investigations. Overall, a nice quick enjoyable read.

Recommended Audience:

Fans of "Ghost Adventures".