Thursday, December 30, 2010

*Spoiler Alert* Favorite Scene | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I finally got out to watch HP7 Part 1, the first half of HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, and as I expected, it was dark, violent and disturbing.

One of my favorite characters in this series is Dobby, a house-elf who undergoes an outstanding character transformation. If you've read these books and appreciate Rowling's skill at character development, you'll enjoy Dobby's performance in the scene below.

If you've NOT read the series, but plan to, or are only half-way through, whatever you do, please don't watch. Try and resist the temptation; I stumbled on some spoilers that I later regretted, snooping around Rowling's author site.

This scene gives me a radical case of goosebumps.


Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter, #7)Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I can’t believe it. I’m done. There are no more Harry Potter books to read. No more elves, owls, thestrals. I’ve finished DEATHLY HALLOWS and am happy to report that I have fallen completely in love with the entire series, its characters, creatures and author. Although this last book starts off a bit slow, the tension quickly builds, and turns into a nail-biter. DEATHLY HALLOWS is filled with so many poignant examples of love, courage and friendship, that I will never forget Harry’s losses, as he faces having to make the ultimate sacrifice for the “greater good.”

And to think that I resisted reading these books because of the media blitz. Well I’m glad I kept an open mind, because had I not read them, I would’ve deprived myself of a wonderful reading experience. Rowling is a master plotter and gifted storyteller. I now understand why so many of my friends, who are readers, continue to read this series many times over.

I've included some links to J.K. Rowling's last interview with Oprah Winfrey that I'd never seen. She doesn't completely rule-out revisiting Harry at some later date. :)


Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Thursday, December 2, 2010

THE LOVE GODDESS' COOKING SCHOOL by MELISSA SENATE

The Love Goddess' Cooking SchoolThe Love Goddess' Cooking School by Melissa Senate
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Delicious. Entertaining. Sexy. Fun. Just a few of the words I'd use to describe Melissa Senate's The Love Goddess' Cooking School. This delightful story is brimming with sympathetic characters, complicated relationships and mouth-watering Italian recipes that will make you want to whip out the cooking utensils. Senate adds the perfect amounts of humor, talismans, family-ties, magic and love to deliver a fresh and memorable reading experience. The perfect book for my week-long cold.

To learn more about Melissa Senate and her other books, please visit her website at www.melissasenate.com, or click here to read the first chapter of THE LOVE GODDESS' COOKING SCHOOL. Facebook Twitter

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