Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azakaban - Rowling

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 

JK Rowling

Harry's ready for his 3rd year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but it isn't going to be the calm year he hoped for. The infamous murder, Sirius Black evidently wants him dead and the school is being gaurded by Dementors who seem to effect Harry worse than anyone else. At least he's got his best friends Ron and Hermione to help him through lessons, and a new favorite teacher in Remus Lupin, who might hold more information than Harry could imagine.

Prisoner of Azkaban is a changing point in the series. We are given a handful of new, important characters in Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew, as well as the biggest appearance of Minster for Magic Cornelius Fudge. With the help of these amazing new characters we get light handed exposition that rockets the entire series forward in a way that makes starting Goblet of Fire difficult to put off.

It is in Prisoner of Azkaban that Rowling really seems to have found her characters. Harry grows into his own as he deals with images of his parents death and new knowledge of what caused it. While Harry has always outwardly been a hero, it is here that his internal compass catches up to him. Ron and Hermione also have great growth. Hermione continues to test her theory that there are things more important than rules, and Ron shows that he is deeply capable of love, even if it is for a disguised rat.

Prisoner of Azkaban is pretty much a universal favorite. Now that we have spent two books with all of the major players we're given interesting plot devices and back story. My only issue with it is that, like the previous two, all of the action is crammed into the last 70 pages and sometimes the set up doesn't get the intensity of payoff one would expect.

I'm off to finish Goblet of Fire!

Continued Adventures in Bookbinding

 It's been weeks since I've updated you guys with my new favorite hobby/class! I am happy to present you all with my adventures in bookbinding, volume 2. We've been pretty busy in class, and usually get through one good sized book and one paper/demonstration type book each meeting. These are just some personal favorites and or technically impressive books I've made in the past few weeks. 

This is my long stitch book. It has sixty pages split up into six folios. I added a Harkavagrant to the cover when I got home that day so I could use it didn't look so plain. I'm fully planning on using it as a journal. 

Since this was my first attempt at this type of stitch I didn't make it very tight. I'd like to tell you I've improved since this was done four weeks ago, but I still have a hard time getting really tight stitches. 

This week and last we worked on these Japanese bound books (my teacher doesn't think this is the right title for this kind of binding but he can't seem to come up with anything better, so I'm just going to call it that. No offense to any real binders). Today we actually decorated the covers and put everything together, so there was glue everywhere today! I'm still picking it off my nails. This stitch we worked on last week in a paper bound example book. It isn't very pretty and kind of weird looking or else i'd post photos of it too.  I got the stitch much tighter then all of my previous sewing excursions, but then had a hard time typing everything off and it got loose again. Regardless I still think it's super pretty. I could be biased though. 

Now this is my first project. I know it's small, and in this picture looks like either a very weird eraser or a blue brick, but I promise it is a book, and it is kind of amazing. See that face. That's my "be impressed" face. 

Okay, that really isn't my be impressed face, but i think you should anyway.

It's actually an accordion book! There are 13 "pages" on the inside and 12 on the outside. Each page has a slug-line on it, and it creates a do it yourself story as well as experiments with interior and exterior locations. I'm really happy with how it turned out. I'm sad I haven't been able to get any stellar pictures of it though. 

It's not a great picture, I know, but it's a really long book and I have a really wonky webcam.

Now, when I was presenting this to my class I realized that slug-lines are a weird thing, but really they are very simple. 

By definiton, a slug-line is the scene heading in a screenplay. It is made up of three parts : INT/EXT (determining if the location is interior or exterior, for lighting purposes), The actual location, and the time of day. 

Here are some of my favorites:

INT. SUBURBAN HOME - DAY

INT. BOOKSTORE - NIGHT

EXT. TREE HOUSE - DAY

EXT. ICE CREAM TRUCK - DAY

EXT. TRAIN STATION - NIGHT

So that's how my adventures in bookbinding are going thus far. When we get back from spring break we're working on a more 'bookish' book, which I'm really excited for. I'm also really surprised at how my opinion of books as physical objects has changed. Usually for me a book is just the medium in which an awesome story is being told, and I never put much thought into the actual process of binding, or artists books in general, but know I have a much greater appreciation for books as psychical objects, and wish there were more collaborations between artists books and best sellers. 

Literary Hop - Bucket List Books

Did you guys know I look forward to every other Thursday. Well, if you didn't now you do. I bet now you want to know why, right? Well, even if you don't want to know I'm going to tell you anyway. This is my blog after all. I'm allowed to do these things. Every other Thursday is a Literary Book Blog Hop day, and this hop is my favorite blog related event! So without further adieu I want to thank the lovely ladies at The Blue Bookcase for hosting The Literary Hop, as well as answer this weeks great question.

This weeks question is:

What one literary work must you read before you die?

What literary works do I need to read before I die? Wow. That's a really big question. There are so many great authors that I want to have a chance to experience. This year I plan to make it through the rest of Shakespeare's plays (I've already done about half), so I'll hopefully be able to take that off my bucket list fairly soon. If I was really going to make a list of books I'd be actively upset over on my deathbed It would go a little something like this:
Infinite Jest - Foster Wallace - This is probably going to be my summer read, as I constantly hear that this is a 'summer after college, finding yourself' kind of experience.

On the Road - Kerouac - The original scroll was at my school last year and I never went to see it, really, I haven't had any interest in Kerouac until lately, but he is talked about so much that I would be interested to read him, and sad if I never got around to it.

1984 - Orwell - I feel like such a bad reader for having never having read this. I've quoted it quite a bit, just from  overexposure, but I feel like a fraud. FRAUD I SAY. Sorry, I'm being over dramatic.

Those are the top three books I'd be upset over at the moment. I couldn't just pick one. Sorry, I'm bad with instructions.


Funfact: My favorite word in Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone is mimblewimble.

Top Ten Tuesday - Best Fictional Family Ever

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because they are particularly fond of lists over at The Broke and the Bookish. I'm sure they'd love to share your lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten list.

This week's topic:

Top Ten Fictional Characters I Would Want in my Family

9. David Sedaris - All of his essay collections - I'd love to have Mr. Sedaris as a cousin. He'd be fun, and crazy and there would always be amazing family stories. Judging by his books, he'd be the member of my family that people would make gossipy calls about and warn me not to turn out like. Me want to be a famous writer? Never.

8. Bird - The History of Love - Bird would be an adorable little brother. He's troubled, I know, but he's also full of love. He's precious, but really innocent and I love that he has his own belief system. I figure after a few years of therapy and another ten years, I could have some really insightful conversations with my fictional little bro.

7/6. Fred and George Weasley - the Harry Potter Series - The perfect big brothers? I think so! They're funny and unique. Plus everyone loves them. I'm sure there'd be a lot of teasing and tension in the house, but overall I think they're kind a loving big brothers in the series, and that's how I'd picture them to be in real life.

5. Ivy May Waterhouse - Falling Angels - She's adorable a quiet, and intelligent, all great qualities to have in a little sister, right? Ivy May has always been my favorite part of Falling Angels, despite her less than stellar fake. She's not an attention seeker, and doesn't purposefully try upset her sister, well, at least not most of the time.

4. Elizabeth Woodville - The White Queen - I know what you're thinking, she's dead. Like really, really dead. Like dead for hundreds of years. I'm with you. That why I would like to make Elizabeth Woodville a distant ancestor. You know, that really cool person you have on your family tree that you brag about (You do it. Don't lie). Ignoring the whole English Royalty thing, Elizabeth is still pretty cool. She's a fairly well educated woman, and she has a strong sense of family and self.

3.Bridget Jones - Bridget Jones's Diary - I'm departing for the typical "I want Lizzy Bennent for my big sis" answer for this more modern version. Bridget's still the everygirl (mostly) and she still goes through most of the things Elizabeth does, only she's modern, and funny, and not perfect. That's why I'd like her as a big sister. She's really not perfect, and she knows it, but that doesn't stop her from trying to be a decent person and looking for love. She might even be a good influence at times. Might. Sometimes. Maybe.

2/1. James and Lily Potter - The Harry Potter Series - I seem to really have a thing for dead people on this list. James and Lily have always been my favorite Harry Potter couple. I know they're dead through the entire series, but they seem like a good match, and they're both smart and witty. All good things to look for in an aunt and uncle, right? Plus they fight for good and are wizards. Wizards are cool.

Computer Animated Potter

I've been really busy with coursework lately and have been reading Prisoner of Azakban for 2 weeks!  I'm dedicating tonight to reading (and cleaning, but this is not a cleaning blog) and hopefully will have a review, and a real bookish post for you tomorrow or Sunday. 

I do, however, feel very bad about neglecting Loving Books these past few weeks. So, in place of an actual book review or insightful musing I have some pictures for you! I'm not sure if you know this, but I'm a pretty big Sims fan. Not obsessive or anything, but its fun to play when I have enough free time. A little while ago I decided to make a bunch of literary sims, and of course got board after the original slew of Harry Potter characters I created. Since I'm reading the series now I figured I'd show you my Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny Sims. 

Meet Harry Potter

He is an lucky, family oriented, athletic, brave and good sim. His lifetime wish is to be an International Superspy. His favorite color is red, he likes indie music and his favorite food is cobbler. 

Meet Harry's BFF Ron Weasley 

He is a friendly but clumsy sim. He also has a good sense of humor, is brave and is good. His lifetime wish is also to be an International Superspy. His favorite color is Orange, he likes rock music and his favorite food is cheesesteak. 

The Voice of Reason - Hermione Granger 

Hermione is also a good sim and brave sim, but she is also a genius bookworm who happens to be a perfectionist. Her lifetime wish is Monster Maker, since SPEW related jobs don't exist in the sim world. Her favorite color is brown, she likes indie music and her favorite food is autumn salad. 

Last, But Not Least - Ginny Weasley

Ginny is ambitious, athletic, a daredevil and super flirty. She also has the brave trait.  Her lifetime wish is to be a Superstar Athlete. Her favorite color is blue, she likes indie music and her favorite food is goopy carbonara.

I'll return to posting regularly, promise, but right now I need to get ready for my Harry Potter class! Happy Friday everyone!

This Can't Possibly Be a Classic, It's Hilarius!

Thanks to the lovelies over at The Blue Bookcase for hosting the Literary Book Blog Hop. It's pretty much the most hit place to be on a Thursday on the internet. 

Can literature be funny? What is your favorite humorous literary book?

Can literature be comedic? My answer is a very large yes. Since the ascetic quality of the work is really the biggest defining characteristic of literature I don't see any reason why it can't be humors. If you had asked me this in the early days of high school my answer would be very different. Our curriculum only assigned "classics" like Huck Finn and The Odyssey. Not exactly laugh out loud things. However, I did end up searching out some of the funnier classics myself. Catch 22 remains one of my favorite books of all time. As a satire it is meant to be funny, and while it didn't have me on the floor in tears from laughter I still look back at it with a small chuckle. Plus, there is a character named Major Major Major (Major), and that's just brilliant.

Here's the title quote. I always find it hilarious and intimidating.

There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's own safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane, he had to fly them. If he flew them, he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to, he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle.

Sorry, I'm brain dead from school this week so my answer is kind of half hearted. I'll have a post on my adventures in bookbinding and a review of Prisoner of Azkaban up in the next few days!

Top Ten Tuesday- Shelf of Shame

Friday wasn't a great reading month for me, so it seems appropriate that today's Top Ten Tuesday topic deals with those books I just had to have. The ones I carried around Barnes and Noble and told myself I didn't need, yet somehow still left with them, only to hide them on my shelf of unread shame.

This list was a little harder than I expected because my bookshelves in Michigan are filled to the brim with books I haven't finished, or even started, but my Chicago shelves are about 90% read. Regardless, here are the books I came up with.

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because they are particularly fond of lists over at The Broke and the Bookish. I'm sure they'd love to share your lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten list.

This week's topic: 

Top Ten Books I Just HAD To Buy...But Are Still Sitting On My Bookshelf

1. Water For Elephants - Sarah Gruen - I got this when it was first published and everyone was talking about it. I think I read all of the first page and a half before setting it down. I's one of the books I brought with me to Chicago in hopes that I would eventually get to it, but no. Not even the upcoming movie, which I'm interested in, seems to motivate me to read this book.

2. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao  - Junot Diaz - I've heard good things about Diaz. I've heard good things about this book. It seemed like a no brainer to pick up a copy and read it. Only I only did half of that. I have The Breif Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, and now when I look at the description I'm not interested in it.

3.Kafka on the Shore - Haruki Murakami - I read Norwegian Wood last year and really enjoyed it. I was proud of myself for reading Asian Literature, as it is really out of my comfort zone. I had assumed that one short Murakami book was enough to change my entire reading pattern and open me to a world of Asia books that I'd love, so I bought Kafka on the Shore. It's considerably larger than Norwegian Wood and it was just moved from a semi permanent home on my floor to it's new spot on my shelf of shame.

4. Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman - I actually haven't had this very long. Really, this is a combination of all of my other excuses, I like Gaiman, I didn't really look at the description, blah blah blah. I really do plan on getting to this in the next few months though. We'll see how that goes.

5. Infinite Jest - David Foster Wallace - In my defense, I bought Infinite Jest knowing I wouldn't read it right away. It always seemed like that book you tackle right after you graduate college. I've had it for two years now, and every few months when things get slow I think about picking it up. I never do. I tried to read it once and found it was to much work for an average pleasure read for me. I'm graduating in May so I'll run out of my weak excuses to not read it.

6.The Postmistress - Sarah Blake - I feel like I've had this for ages, but I don't actually think the book itself is that old. I'm actually really interested in reading this. I know, I'm not showing it. Currently it's at the bottom of my historical fiction tower (yes, tower, I ran out of shelf space) and I tend to forget it's there.

7.One Hundred Years of Solitude  - Gabriel Garcia Marquez - Earlier I was talking about expanding my horizons into Asia Lit. This was my attempt at Latin American Lit. I must say, I am painfully stuck in my American/European ways.  I actually did start One Hundred Years of Solitude, and I remember enjoying the little that I did read, but for some reason I didn't continue .

8. Atonement - Ian McEwan - I wanted to like McEwan, so I bought a few of his books. I got halfway through Saturday before getting so frustrated with his style that I gave up. I've heard Atonement is different, better, but still the movie tie in edition sit son my shelf of shame, untouched.

9. The Forgotten Garden - Kate Morton - Amazon recommended this to me. Seriously, every time I'd start looking for new books Morton was always one of the first on the list. Eventually I broke down and bought it, and then never touched it again. I'm not even sure where my copy is right now. I may have left it in Michigan over Christmas.

10. The Girl Who Played with Fire - Stieg Larsson - I had a love/hate relationship with the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Overall I really enjoyed it, and was happy to find it not entirely predictable. On the other hand I was annoyed with the style of writing and the unnecessary length. I've heard from people who have both loved and hated the second book in the series, and I bought it for a vacation read. I didn't get to it then. It's on the shame shelf.