Showing posts with label J K Rowling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label J K Rowling. Show all posts

29 Dec 2017

Series Review / Cormoran Strike Series by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling)


When a troubled model falls to her death from a snow-covered Mayfair balcony, it is assumed that she has committed suicide. However, her brother has his doubts, and calls in private investigator Cormoran Strike to look into the case.

A war veteran, wounded both physically and psychologically, Strike's life is in disarray. The case gives him a financial lifeline, but it comes at a personal cost: the more he delves into the young model's complex world, the darker things get - and the closer he gets to terrible danger . . .

A gripping, elegant mystery steeped in the atmosphere of London - from the hushed streets of Mayfair, to the backstreet pubs of the East End, to the bustle of Soho - The Cuckoo's Calling is a remarkable debut. Introducing Cormoran Strike, it is a classic crime novel unlike any other book you will read this year.


Published:     2013
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Books 1, 2 & 3, Comoran Strike
Source:  Owned








MY REVIEW


What I liked about this series...  As one of the many series that I have been meaning to pick up, I am so glad that I decided to get on with it and read it mainly for the reason that this was really good but also for the reason that while getting this post ready I noticed that there will be a book 4 in this series and that is something I am very excited about!  You have Cormoran who is a private detective and a bit down on his luck until two things happen,  he meets and hires an assistant who is more valuable to him then he will realise and he is about to stumble across a case that is going to make his career.  He has not always been a private detective.  He used to be in Afghanistan but lost half his leg in the war.  Although a hindrance sometimes, the loss of his leg doesn't seem to affect him too much.

With each of these stories, you have a new problem to solve but there's also the bigger picture to do with Cormoran's past that flows through each of these books and that is the main reason I kept reading.  I wanted to know what was going on.

You also have the two main characters Cormoran and his assistant Robin.  You can clearly see there is something there between them, whether romantic or not.  Over time they clearly respect each other and can become great friends.  I enjoyed following them as they discover how their relationship works both at work and as friends. 

What I didn't like about this series... If I had to be picky, this series is very slow paced so even though I wanted to keep reading and keep the momentum going the pace was so slow which meant that even though I thought I had read a lot I really hadn't made much of a dent in the book.





18 Jun 2017

Book Review / Very Good Lives by JK Rowling



In 2008, J.K. Rowling delivered a deeply affecting commencement speech at Harvard University. Now published for the first time in book form, Very Good Lives offers J.K. Rowling’s words of wisdom for anyone at a turning point in life, asking the profound and provocative questions: How can we embrace failure? And how can we use our imagination to better both ourselves and others?

Drawing from stories of her own post-graduate years, the world-famous author addresses some of life’s most important issues with acuity and emotional force.








Published:     14th April 2015
Publisher:  Little Brown
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Library

 

MY REVIEW

If I was attending the commencement speech at Harvard listening to this, I would have left there feeling so inspired my feet would not have left the ground for a long while after.  But I don't think this only applies only to those attending the commencement speech.  Having left school a long time ago now, reading this speech I was inspired to do more and ask more questions of myself.  This is definitely a book that should be read my everyone who is not sure where to go next whether that be in life, love or your career...





 

19 Mar 2017

Series Review / Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling


Harry Potter's life is miserable. His parents are dead and he's stuck with his heartless relatives, who force him to live in a tiny closet under the stairs. But his fortune changes when he receives a letter that tells him the truth about himself: he's a wizard. A mysterious visitor rescues him from his relatives and takes him to his new home, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

After a lifetime of bottling up his magical powers, Harry finally feels like a normal kid. But even within the Wizarding community, he is special. He is the boy who lived: the only person to have ever survived a killing curse inflicted by the evil Lord Voldemort, who launched a brutal takeover of the Wizarding world, only to vanish after failing to kill Harry.

Though Harry's first year at Hogwarts is the best of his life, not everything is perfect. There is a dangerous secret object hidden within the castle walls, and Harry believes it's his responsibility to prevent it from falling into evil hands. But doing so will bring him into contact with forces more terrifying than he ever could have imagined.

Full of sympathetic characters, wildly imaginative situations, and countless exciting details, the first installment in the series assembles an unforgettable magical world and sets the stage for many high-stakes adventures to come.


Published:     7th March 2017
Publisher:  Bloomsbury
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Books 1 to 7, Harry Potter



MY REVIEW

One of my New Year resolutions this year was to re-read Harry Potter.  The last time I read the Harry Potter books was back when they first came out; purchasing them as soon as they came out and then reading them instantly, so its been a while.  I decided this time that I would listen to them on audio book, mainly because Stephen Fry (who is amazing) is the narrator and because I thought it would be interesting to read it in a different way to what I had read it before, so I can see whether I still enjoy the experience just in a different way of reading it.

As you can see I have given these books and the experience a massive 5 stars.  I absolutely loved it!  I started listening to it at the beginning of January and literally just finished it a day ago.  It has taken me a while, bearing in mind I only listen to audio books to and from my journey to work but I have looked forward to listening to these books.  Not once did I lose my place or think that it was getting boring.  Apart from obviously enjoying following Harry, Ron and Hermione I especially enjoyed the characters of Snape and Dumbledore.

In conjunction with listening to the audio books, I also watched the movies.  When I had finished watching one audio book I then watched the movie.  I hadn't realised how many bits were missing from the movie!  There are so many different scenes - some that I think were important and some that were just 'filler scenes' but still added to the actually story - that were missing.  If you have watched and love the Harry Potter movies but have not yet read the books you should, there's so much more you can learn from the books than with the movies.

Finally, one of my most favourite things about the audio books has to be the narrator, Stephen Fry.  I think he is an amazing chap anyway but his voice with these books just fitted together like a completed jigsaw puzzle.  Boy's voices and girl's voices, he can do both very well.  There were times when I had completely forgotten that it was Stephen Fry narrating because the voices were that good! 




7 Aug 2016

Book Review / Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne



Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on July 30, 2016.

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.




Published:     31st July 2016
Publisher:  Little Brown

Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Book 8, Harry Potter
Source:  Owned



MY REVIEW

What I loved about this story...   I have been anticipating reading this book for so long that the very minute I bought it I sat down and read it but it has been a few days since I have finished it that I am now writing my review.  This was one of those books that I had to think about it a bit before putting my thoughts into this post.  What I loved the most was the fact that I was able to revisit this world and get back in touch with all of the characters left behind in book 7, which I read many many years ago.  I decided not to re-read the first books as I felt I knew the story well enough to be able to pick this right up and I did.  There wasn't a single part in this book where I thought I couldn't remember what had happened before.  I also loved the format of the book, written in script rather than in novel format.  I did think that I might have struggled to read the story in this format but I had no problems whatsoever, I even found it a lot easier to follow the story with the extra stage directions etc... 

What I didn't like about this story...  Unfortunately, there were a few things that I didn't particularly enjoy.  The first being the storyline.  Even though I liked the muddle some of the characters get into, I couldn't really understand why they had to do what they did in the first place only for the fact that one of the children was unhappy and wanted to do something about it without thinking about the consequences.  I also didn't like the fact that in this story I felt the older Harry came across as completely different - he was more unhappy and grumpy and not a very likeable character to me.  I would have loved to have seen him more like his old self but with more age experience maybe.  

In summary...   A really great quick read and worth picking up but I would have loved to have seen a bit more from the story than was there.  



 

1 Mar 2016

Book Review / The Casual Vacancy by J K Rowling


A BIG NOVEL ABOUT A SMALL TOWN ...

When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils ... Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?





Published:     27th September 2012
Publisher:  Little Brown
Goodreads :  Click here
Series or Stand-Alone:  Stand-Alone
Source:  Owned

MY REVIEW

Being a HUGE Harry Potter fan I was so excited when this book came out in 2012 but after hearing mixed reviews about it decided not to purchase it until later on.  I decided it was time to pick up this book.  A 503 pages, it is quite a huge book but managable by my standards.  I already knew that I loved JK Rowlling's writing so that part I was excited about.  Honestly speaking, if this was written by someone else and just by reading the description itm might not be something that I would have picked up but I am so glad that I did!

I loved this book.  Right from the very first page I was immersed in the story and the lives of the many characters living in Pagford.  I always get uncomfortable when there are lots of characters in a story as with most that I read the more characters there are the more chance I will forget some of their stories at some point in the story.  This book was not like that.  Each character was memorable in their own way and I really enjoyed following each and every story.  If I have to pick one particular character and their story that I liked the most, I honestly could not do it.  I would have to put each character on the same level as each of their stories are no more important than another's.

Another aspect that I found interesting read is the fact that you have this little town which seems to be split between the rich side and the poor side.  Right from the beginning there is clear conflict between the two and now with Barry Fairbrother dead and there is a casual vacancy on the parish council the fate of the town seems undecided until that seat is filled.  

I loved this book from start to finish.  This is definately one of those books that I will keep on my bookshelf to re-read time and time again!  If you haven't picked this up yet or still have this on your shelf to read, pick it up now!  You need to read this book!

5 Sept 2010

Book Review – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7) by J K Rowling

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7)
'His hand closed automatically around the fake Horcrux, but in spite of everything, in spite of the dark and twisting path he saw stretching ahead for himself, in spite of the final meeting with Voldemort he knew must come, whether in a month, in a year, or in ten, he felt his heart lift at the thought that there was still one last golden day of peace left to enjoy with Ron and Hermione.' With these words "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" draws to a close. And here, in this seventh and final book, Harry discovers what fate truly has in store for him as he inexorably makes his way to that final meeting with Voldemort. In this thrilling climax to the phenomenally bestselling series, J.K. Rowling will reveal all to her eagerly waiting readers.


I loved this book just as much as I loved the first. Although it was quite a long book, it tied up all the loose ends that I had been wondering about throughout the whole series and I thought was an incredibly ending for such a long series of books.


The Harry Potter series has to be one of my most favourite book series ever. The only other book series that has to come just a step up would be The Babysitters Club by Ann M Martin, whose books I was totally hooked on for the whole of my teenage life!


10 out of 10


Best wishes


Book Review – Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (Book 6) by J K Rowling

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6)
'In a brief statement on Friday night, Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge confirmed that He Who Must Not Be Named has returned to this country and is once more active. "It is with great regret that I must confirm that the wizard styling himself Lord - well, you know who I mean - is alive and among us again," said Fudge.' These dramatic words appeared in the final pages of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. In the midst of this battle of good and evil, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince takes up the story of Harry Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, with Voldemort's power and followers increasing day by day


This was another of the Harry Potter books that did not leave a great impression on me for the very same reasons as book 5. I am not sure whether I had just got a little bit over exposed to the Harry Potter books by now and had built this book up to be something more than it was, I don't know. A good story and for those who love Harry Potter, probably just as long as you don't read one after the other.


8 out of 10


Best wishes


Book Review – Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5) by J K Rowling


Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5)Dumbledore lowered his hands and surveyed Harry through his half-moon glasses. 'It is time,' he said, 'for me to tell you what I should have told you five years ago, Harry. Please sit down. I am going to tell you everything.' Harry Potter is due to start his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizadry. 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 whole world upside down ...But before he even gets to school, Harry has an unexpected and frightening encounter with two Dementors, has to face a court hearing at the Ministry of Magic and has been escorted on a night-time broomstick ride to the secret headquarters of a mysterious group called 'The Order of the Phoenix'. And that is just the start. A gripping and electrifying novel, full of suspense, secrets, and - of course - magic.


If I have to be honest, I would have to say that this is my most least favourite of the Harry Potter series only because it was a very long book, which was quite a challenge for me, and also because it had a lot of description which I am not a huge fan of. The story, however, was very good and I loved the character Sirius Black...


10 out of 10


Best wishes




Book Review – Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4) by J K Rowling

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4)
The summer holidays are dragging on and Harry Potter can't wait for the start of the school year. It is his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and there are spells to be learnt and (unluckily) Potions and Divination lessons to be attended. But Harry can't know that the atmosphere is darkening around him, and his worst enemy is preparing a fate that it seems will be inescapable ...With characteristic wit, fast-paced humour and marvellous emotional depth, J.K. Rowling has proved herself yet again to be a master story-teller.


Another great story in the world of Harry Potter. I liked this one because it involved more than just Harry Potter and friends at school, learning things and someone trailing them etc. In this one the plot got clever in getting Harry Potter to take place in challenges he should not have been exposed to but all the time knowing that he would make it through.... He had to!


10 out of 10


Best wishes




Book Review – Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3) by J K Rowling


Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3)Harry Potter is a wizard. He is in his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It's always a relief after summer with the Dursleys, however, Harry doesn't realise that this year will be just as eventful as the last two! The atmosphere at Hogwarts is tense. There's an escaped mass murderer on the loose, even the Muggles have been warned. The sinister prison guards of Azkaban have been called in to guard the school and Harry, Ron and Hermione rapidly discover why all witches and wizards live in fear of being sent to Azkaban. Lessons, however, must go on and there are lots of new subjects in third year - Care of Magical Creatures and Divination among others. Plus the delights of Hogsmeade, the only village in the UK entirely populated by the magical community.


I have to admit that this book creeped me out a little bit. I think, but will stand to be corrected, that this is the first time I read about those weird creatures that guard Azkaban. I can't remember the name of them now but they really gave me the creeps! On the other hand, the way this story turns and becomes something different made me cry....


9 out of 10


Best wishes




Book Review – Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2) by J K Rowling


Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2)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 ...even getting there is an adventure in itself! The three firm friends, Harry, Ron and Hermione, are soon immersed in the daily round of Potions, Herbology, Charms, Defence Against the Dark Arts, and Quidditch. But then horrible and mysterious things begin to happen. Harry keeps hearing strange voices, sinister and dark messages appear on the wall, and then Ron's sister Ginny disappears...


I was quite lucky at the time because I had waited so long to start reading the first book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, I was able to go out and buy the second book straight away, with no waiting... I enjoyed this book just as much as the first book and immediately got sucked into the story and watching Harry Potter and his friends go through their next year of school life. By the time I got to this second book, I was a fan and knew that whatever story came next I was going to read it and was bound to love it!


10 out of 10


Best wishes




Book Review – Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Book 1) by J K Rowling


Harry Potter and the Philosopher's StoneHarry Potter is an ordinary boy who lives in a cupboard under the stairs at his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon's house, which he thinks is normal for someone like him who's parents have been killed in a 'car crash'. He is bullied by them and his fat, spoilt cousin Dudley, and lives a very unremarkable life with only the odd hiccup (like his hair growing back overnight!) to cause him much to think about. That is until an owl turns up with a letter addressed to Harry and all hell breaks loose! He is literally rescued by a world where nothing is as it seems and magic lessons are the order of the day. Read and find out how Harry discovers his true heritage at Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft, the reason behind his parents mysterious death, who is out to kill him, and how he uncovers the most amazing secret of all time, the fabled Philosopher's Stone! All this and muggles too. Now, what are they?


Oh dear, when unpacking my boxes I found the whole set of Harry Potter books, which I had completely forgotten I had read! How is that possible! Just from reading the back of the book, I can remember so clearly what effect each book had on me at the time I read them because they played a very important part in my reading life. Back when the first Harry Potter book came out, I was smack bang in the middle of a reading slum. I don't know why but I could not pick up a book. I had no interest in reading. I was more about the movies than anything else. Then I had heard about this amazing new book that everyone was raving about. It was about wizards and I remember thinking, this was completely up my street, why don't I give that a go? So I did and what it did was wet my appetite for not only reading the rest of the Harry Potter series but for reading in general. From then on, I have not looked back.... So, I would have to say that this book does have a very special place in my heart as being the book that brought me back to life, reading-wise.....


I loved this book from start to finish. I loved the way the character Harry Potter went from being this geekish schoolchild into this young boy that has this shiny new future ahead of him...


10 out of 10


Best wishes