Readalong: Stop in the Name of Pants! & Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me?

It's well past time to share my thoughts on the final two Georgia Nicolson books but the tail end of summer was busy! (More about the challenge and why I'm rereading the series here at The Paper Trail Diary.) Stop in the Name of Pants! and Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me? were typical Georgia madnosity that had me giggling and shaking my head. Sometimes at the same time.

The synopsis of Stop in the Name of Pants! is here on Goodreads and Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me? is here.

This is a totally delayed and random observation that I'm finally remembering to share because it's in the synopsis of Pants: I need to start working the term "nip-libbling" into my conversations. Simply because it amuses me. Though I really have no idea how that's going to work out...

It's a bit of a sad state of affairs when I'm trying to write a review on two books and I don't have many thoughts. After eight other reviews of the same kind of book...what else is there to say? Georgia is still pretty awful to her parents and her friends. There are still questionable comments made about gays and lesbians. She's still incredibly self-absorbed (but what teenager isn't, I suppose). And she can't figure out that she's not meant to be with Robbie or Masimo because she's not true to herself with them like she is with Dave. Who, as it turns out, is a bit of an annoying dude. Which is a shame. I always loved Dave the Laugh.

The only real thing of note in Stop in the Name of Pants! happened with Angus. This will be a spoiler but it doesn't exactly spoil the overall story. If that makes sense. Angus is a loony toon cat (and I love it) and he, as Georgia's mum says, loved to chase cars because he "thought they were big mice on wheels." And those big mice got him. Yes, Angus gets hit by a car - but don't worry! The crazy cat survives! The scenes where Georgia is so worried about him are heartbreaking and is one reason I can't say I dislike Georgia. She's just a teenage girl but, deep down in her hormonal heart, she knows what's most important in life.

Everything gets wrapped up nicely in Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me? There aren't any loose ends and all the characters are set on the paths that are best for them. Of course, I do have to say that it's, as Georgia would say, vair vair annoying that the book ended when it did. I needed more of that last scene so I could see how it all worked out! I also have to say I wish Georgia had come to her final realization about Dave and Masimo and who she "belonged" with differently. It's not like she really chose one over the other. It was sort of like one made a decision that prevented her from being with him so she decided, why not, and ended up with the other. I know that's the way of teenage girls (hell, I'm pretty sure I did something similar when I was a teen) but it's still a tad frustrating.

As always, there were funny moments throughout the books. Georgia has a way with words that is well and truly unique. She's kind of completely bonkers but she's usually pretty quick with a retort or joke. Thank goodness because if I didn't find some humour in these books I may not have been able to finish them.

So, there we have it, friends. Our Georgia Nicolson Readalong is complete. I've been lucky with a lot of the books I've reread in the last while because I still adore them. The Georgia books, though? Jessica and I agreed they may have been best left in the early 2000s when we were still teenagers. I am glad I finally got the chance to finish the series though and see the HEA (as "ever after" as things can be when you're a teenager!) I wanted for Georgia. I'm sure I haven't convinced anyone to pick up these books but what can ya do? Are there any books you read as a teen that you've reread and wondered what your younger self was thinking? I think Georgia and her Ace Gang were great for when I was a teen but these days there are better role models out there for young girls. Of course, not many of them talk about a mad cat name Angus and snogging! Thanks for following along with our readalong!

Readalong: Startled by His Furry Shorts and Love Is a Many Trousered Thing

I'm very behind on the Georgia Nicolson Readalong! (More on the readalong here at The Paper Trail Diary). But, I have a good (ish) reason. I've been requesting each book from my library to show up at the branch closest to my house and they've all shown up within a couple of days. I asked for Startled by His Furry Shorts...and waited...and waited...and waited. Finally I check my account and the catalogue and realize, horror upon horrors, the book is lost! I'm not surprised the library didn't know it was missing - it's a ten year old book, after all - but I was annoyed that I didn't know sooner because the interlibrary home took forever to arrive so I didn't get it read in time. Ah well.

I'm not going to include the synopsis for both books - it'd take up too much space - so check out the Goodreads page for book seven and eight for a description of each novel.

Honestly, I've completely forgotten what happens in Startled by His Furry Shorts. The main thing is Georgia's school performing MacBeth (or MacUseless as the Ace Gang calls it). It was pretty amusing reading the differences between the girls and how they approached the play. Georgia, as you could expect, couldn't care less about "Billy" Shakespeare. Jas, on the other hand, took her role as Lady MacUseless very seriously. Dave the Laugh and his mates help out with the play so Georgia has many confusing encounters with him. It's something I feel with every book, but I wish she'd realize that Dave is a solid (yet annoying) guy who is so much better for her than the Sex God or the Luuurve God.

I say Dave is annoying not because he is, exactly, but because I am 29 and he is a teenager. I totally understand Georgia's dilemma though. Two really good looking guys are into her and she's so blinded by their looks and interest and cool factor that she doesn't realize the steady, funny guy (who, by the way, is her own age) is the best for her. Ah, the things we don't understand as teenagers :) Though I hated that he called the Ace Gang his bitches (page 85 of SbHFS)

There were quite a few lines that had me giggling out loud while reading Startled by His Furry Shorts but I've realized they require too much context to share. So, I shall just say that I laughed throughout. :)

There continues to be unfortunate and constant nunga-nunga ogling from the younger boys Georgia encounters. In a way, I'm glad Rennison includes this kind of thing because it shows that teenage boys are idiots and always have been. But, for the most part, Georgia and the Ace Gang don't seem to be offended by the rude comments the boys make. They're annoyed, sure, but I don't think they realize how awful they're being. Though I doubt I would have been that conscious of this sort of sexism when I was a teen.

There are also way too many negative comments about gays and lesbians. Sigh. I find I'm skipping over these comments after an inner groan because they just keep happening. I'll have to just keep reminding myself that these books are 10+ years old (not that that's any excuse).

Finally, on the negative side, I am still frustrated at Jas who is still constantly implying Georgia is a tart for kissing all sorts of boys and not knowing who she likes. The slut shaming is hard to ignore. Teenage girls can really suck. :(

Getting back to the plot...there isn't much of one in Love is a Many Trousered Thing. Robbie (who surprised her and came home from New Zealand at the end of SbHFS) and Masimo are vying for Georgia's affection and Dave the Laugh won't get out of her head. There are, randomly, new Ace Gang trainee members (where did they come from all of a sudden and why are they there?). The big event in LiaMTT is a two night class camping trip. If you thought Georgia was less than thrilled about this you would be right. You could kind of see her finding some aspects of it fun though, which was nice.

I'm pretty sure I hadn't read Love is a Many Trousered Thing before so I'm looking forward to reading the next two books. Gosh. Only two more. I can't believe it!

I'm going to leave you with the most ridiculous and corny joke Rosie tells Georgia.
What do you call a French man in sandals?
Philippe Philoppe.

hahahahaha

The next book we'll be reading is Stop in the Name of Pants! and we'll be chatting about it on September 6.

Review of book one, Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging.

Review of book two, On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God.
Review of book three, Knocked Out by My Nunga-Nungas.
Review of book four: Dancing in My Nuddy-Pants
Review of book five: Away Laughing on a Fast Camel
Review of book six: Then He Ate My Boy Entrancers

Readalong: Then He Ate My Boy Entrancers

I can't believe we're over halfway through the Georgia Nicolson readalong! I think we're almost at the point where the books will be new to me. Craziness! I mentioned last time that I was feeling more optimistic about the readalong and really remembered why I adored these books when I was a teen. This time, with Then He Ate My Boy Entrancers? Er. Not so much. This was, in Georgia's words, vair vair weird. Or as Jessica of Paper Trail Diary and the mastermind behind the readalong said, Georgia's latest story was full of randomosity.

Here's the synopsis of the sixth book in the Confessions of Georiga Nicolson series:

Let the overseas snogfest begin!
Georgia and Jas are off to Hamburger-a-gogo land! Georgia plans to track down Masimo, the Italian-American dreamboat, but after a long week in America, she only succeeds in learning importantish things -- like how to ride a bucking bronco. Will Georgia reel in the Italian dreamboat? Or is she destined to live forever all aloney on her owney?

The biggest plot point in this book was Georgia and her family, accompanied by Georgia's best friend Jas, traveling to America. Georgia was thrilled about this (so thrilled, in fact, that when she learned they would be going to Hamburger-a-gogo land at the end of the last book, she hugged her father) because her latest crush, Masimo the Luuurve God, was visiting family in the US. Of course she can't track him down in Manhattan from Memphis so she has to actually take part in her family vacation. There are glimpses of a loving, family and friend oriented Georgia in the beginning and she does end up having a good time on vacation.

But this is where the randomosity and vair vair weird comes in. I present you with Exhibit A:

As the olds went off to get last-minute pressies and Libby went to get something for the kitties, me and Jas made our small but meaningful tribute to our visit to Hamburger-a-gogo land. The only good thing about the nightmare trip to Gaylords was that we got to buy some souvenir bison horn hats. We were able to wear them for our farewell nuddy-pants photo session in the hotel room.

Um. What the what? I actually don't even have words for this.

There were also far too many gay/lesbian slurs in this book. Dave the Laugh implies, on several occasions, that Masimo is gay. And at another point Libby, Georgia's younger sister, is having two of her dolls kiss and if it wasn't for the fact that it was actually one male doll dressed up like a woman, it would be "lezzie snogging" and Georgia blames her parents "because of their lack of moral code." Really? This is really what teen books were like in the early 2000s? Reading that now is incredibly appalling.

I think I've just realized a big problem I have with this series. Georgia is so completely boy obsessed that she doesn't care about anything else. Not school, not (really) her family, not even really her friends. She needs everything to be about her and her thoughts are consumed with boys (and makeup and shoes and hair and clothes). I wasn't really that kind of teenager. Sure, I thought boys were cute and I wanted to wear what everyone else was wearing, but I still realized that there were things more important than snogging my latest crush. Of course, reading it now, at 29, is much more difficult because I want to shake Georgia and tell her she's being a little idiot. She'd likely just roll her eyes and lump my advice in with that of The Olds (her parents and their friends). But really. I sometimes have a hard time feeling sorry for and reading about a teenager who is so obsessed with finding out where her new crush is staying that she can't be bothered to learn how big the United States is.

Though I had about a gazillion problems with this book, I did find myself giggling at certain exchanges. How about this foreshadowing:

[Mum] said, "I'm really looking forward to this trip, aren't you? I wonder if we will bump into George Clooney. I hope we do! He's so...woof woof."
I said, "Mum, excuse me if I am right, but did you just bark like a dog?"
She laughed, "Well, you know, he's gorgeous, isn't he? And he might really like English women."

There was also this random exchange between Georgia and her father after he came home after drinking a few beers and decided that the family was actually Irish, not English:

I said, "Dad, when you say 'villainous English,' do you mean us?"
But he wouldn't be stopped. "They changed the name to Nicolson."
I said, "What, that grand old English name? NOT. Why would they change their name from an Irish one to a Scottish one? The English, ie, us, hated the Och Aye landers just as much as the Leprechaun-a-gogo folk. More. That is why we built Hadrian's wall at the top of England...to keep the ginger-beardy folk out."
Dad was still rambling on like Paddy O'Mad. "And another thing, we look Irish. That man in Memphis spotted it. ..."
"No, he didn't, Dad. He was an American - he doesn't know where anyone comes from unless it's Texas."

I also really enjoyed how none of the Americans they met could place their accent. It's a bit true of Canadians too...I have a hard time figuring out where people are from right away. I'd have to really listen hard before I could determine if they were English, Irish, or Australian. (Though I really couldn't tell the difference between Australians and New Zealanders...sorry. I know it's the exact same as people not being able to tell us Canadians from Americans.)

The rest of the book after their vacation was a rambling mess of chasing after boys and buying shoes that were three sizes too small and having to have the doctor come to cut them off her feet (I couldn't believe how stupid she was). I think I'm going to kind of pretend Then He Ate My Boy Entrancers didn't happen because it was just so utterly bizarre. Right to the end when Gordy the kitty was eating one of Georgia's fake eyelashes aka boy entrancers.

Here's hoping the next book, Startled by His Furry Shorts isn't quite so full of randomosity! We'll be reading that one for July 26.

Review of book one, Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging.

Review of book two, On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God.
Review of book three, Knocked Out by My Nunga-Nungas.
Review of book four: Dancing in My Nuddy-Pants
Review of book five: Away Laughing on a Fast Camel

Readalong: Away Laughing on a Fast Camel

I can't believe we're already on the fifth book of the Georgia Nicholson Readalong! (More on Paper Trail Diary's idea here.) I had been feeling a bit blah about the series for the last couple of books - mostly getting more annoyed with Georgia's immaturity and wondering if anything was actually going to happen in the books. Happily, I found myself getting back into the groove with Away Laughing on a a Fast Camel. Sure there are still many issues but I had more fun reading this one than I had with the last couple.

Here's the synopsis:

The Sex God has left the country, taking Georgia's heart with him. So she decides to display glaciosity to all boys -- a girl can only have her heart broken so many times.
Until she meets Masimo, the new singer for the Stiff Dylans. The Sex God is gone, but here comes the Dreamboat, and Georgia's away laughing on a fast camel (whatever that means).

I remember always liking Dave the Laugh when I first read the books but I'm not liking him as much as I used to. I know I'm older now so that has a lot to do with it, but it's still frustrating to read about a boy telling a girl he clearly likes that his Cosmic Horn (basically: liking and wanting to snog many individuals instead of dating and snogging just one person) is due to his teenage boy hormones. I mean, he's not lying, but he just keeps falling back on the "I'm a teenager! I'm full of hormones! My need to date and make out with everyone is not my fault!" and it gets a bit tiresome. I do, however, appreciate that he realizes Mark (who Georgia dated briefly back in book one) was way off base when he tried to shame Georgia and called her a tease for not wanting to have sex with him when all they were doing was kissing.

Actually, this is a moment I want to explore more. To set the scene a little bit: Georgia had run into Mark and he told her to meet him later that evening. She goes even though she doesn't have any particular feelings for him. They end up kissing and then Mark sticks his hand down Georgia's shirt:

[I]t gave me such a shock that I jumped back and Mark was left off balance; he stumbled into the bushes. He came out a minute later covered in twigs. He didn't look pleased.
He said, "What did you do that for?"
I said, "Well. Er, it was all a bit...I don't know that I want you to..."
He lit a fag and said, "What did you come here for...a chat?"
I said, "Well...I..."
What did I come here for? Very good question. Excellent point, well made. Boredom mostly, I suppose. I didn't think I should say that. Mark seemed really angry. He said, 'Do you go all the way or not?'
I said, "Well, no I..."
Mark started walking off. "Girls like you make me sick."
And he was gone. I was left at the top the hill alone. What had I done now? I felt really weird. And lonely.

I'm glad Rennison included a scene like this in the book because it's something that happens in real life. What I don't love is that Georgia doesn't get to have a moment where she realizes that it's not her fault. She didn't do anything, even though she thinks she has. Mark's anger is never discussed and the whole problem is dealt with by Dave beating Mark up. Maybe I'm expecting too much of a YA book but I just feel that the whole situation could have been dealt with better. Which brings me to another issue that's tied into this one...

Georgia is starting to worry that she's doing something to lead on boys (again: she's not. She just apparently attracts idiots. But who doesn't when they're in high school?). It doesn't help that Jas, Georgia's very best friend, continues to have troubling views on this matter. She kinda sorta slut shames Georgia and it drives me bananas. Kissing lots of boys is not a problem and I hate that Georgia's friend is making it seem like it is. (OK, I might be projecting a bit because I definitely kissed a lot of boys in high school and I know some of my friends thought negatively of me. This may be the only thing from high school I have yet to let go of...11 years after graduation...lol.) Anyway. I don't like to see girls judging other girls like this, especially not when they're supposed to be best friends.

I found myself giggling a lot more in this book than I had with the last couple. I don't have any specific examples, since I was read a lot of this book at the gym (it's hard to take pics of good lines when you're doing cardio, let me tell you). Georgia continues to come up with the most outlandish ideas (like spying on The Stiff Dylans and their new singer during their rehearsal and having to tuck her skirt into her knickers when she climbs a box to look into the venue) and has tons of cringeworthy moments (note to self: never reapply eyelash glue while out at a concert otherwise you might end up sticking your eyelashes together).

Overall, I definitely had fun reading Away Laughing on a Fast Camel and am feeling excited about this readalong again. Yay! Coming up next is Then He Ate My Boy Entrancers. We'll be chatting about book five on July 5...and hopefully reminding myself that the "he" who ate the boy entrancers (fake eyelashes, as we learned in book four), was Georgia's cat Angus or kitten Gordy and not any human he.

Review of book one, Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging.

Review of book two, On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God.
Review of book three, Knocked Out by My Nunga-Nungas.
Review of book four: Dancing in My Nuddy-Pants

Readalong: Dancing in My Nuddy-Pants

We're back with another installment in the Georgia Nicolson Readalong! Last time, when reading Knocked Out by My Nunga-Nungas, I found myself getting more and more frustrated with Georgia. I don't know if I was in a better mood or was just able to monitor my annoyance better but I found Dancing in My Nuddy-Pants to be more enjoyable. Learn more about the readalong on The Paper Trail Diary.

Here's the synopsis of the fourth book in the series:

Since Georgia's been dating the yummy scrumboes Sex God, Robbie, her glossy lips are always at the ready, and her "red-bottomosity" is kept under wraps. Along with Naomi the Sex Kitten's new litter (thank you, Angus), Robbie's announcement that his band will be traveling to Hamburger-a-gogo land (Georgia can only hope to go with), and a class trip to France, Georgia is one camper in a state of teenage splendiosity. The small trouble is, Georgia also wonders if Dave the Laugh might still be the guy for her, and when Robbie gives a surprise-ending twist to his travel plans, she gets a "weird feeling of reliefosity" that makes her wonder if she must venture out and bravely use her "red bottom wisely."

As Jess mentions in her review, not a whole heck of a lot happened in this book. Of course, in the mind of a teenager, SO MUCH IS HAPPENING. Her Sex God boyfriend might be going to America with his band but she can't keep her teenager lips off Dave the Laugh. There's also a field trip to France with her class and the good looking male French teacher. But...that's about it. Was it a huge problem? No. Not really. I still blazed through the book in one afternoon and didn't think about the lack of plot or events until well after the fact. (Blazed is appropriate as I was an idiot and read outside with no sunscreen on our holiday Monday...I might be a bit burnt...) 

Georgia plays field hockey for her school and in this book is made team captain. And then, because she acts like the immature 15 year old that she is and irritates the caretaker yet again, she has the captainship taken away. I would have liked Georgia to really think about why she was no longer allowed to be the captain. You can tell when you're reading that she's upset but isn't fully sure why she's upset. Her parents never even find out - I don't know if they even knew she was captain in the first place. But, shortly after she gets sacked from the captain's job, in a fit of rare "maturosity", Georgia and the rest of the ace gang "snitch" on the two mean girls who essentially caused two other girls to get suspended for shoplifting. Clearly there's some correlation between the two events even if Georgia doesn't realize what it is yet.

One of the phrases that stuck in my head when I first read this series made its first appearance in this book:

[Dave] explained that "having the Horn" means fancying people. And it's got various stages. "You can have the Specific Horn, when you fancy one person. Then if it gets worse you get the General Horn, which is when you fancy loads of people. But worst of all is the Cosmic Horn."
He was making me laugh and feel funny at the same time, but I couldn't help asking, "What in the name of Lucifer's bottom is the Cosmic Horn?"
"That's when you fancy everything and everyone in the universe."
Blimey.

My friends and I used Specific, General, and Cosmic Horn all the time when we were teens (it may have been implied I had Cosmic Horn...so what if I had crushes on all sorts of boys? lol). I would love to know how Rennison came up with some of these ideas!

The next book in the series is Away Laughing on a Fast Camel (aka one of my favourite phrases from the series). The review posts will go up on June 14. I can't quite remember what happens next so I'm looking forward to it.

I'm going to leave you with the pic I posted on Instagram on Monday because it was a gorgeous day and I was so happy to finally be reading outside!

This is bliss. Happy #longweekend. #bookstagram #GeorgiaNicolsonReadalong #nofilter (seriously, no filter.)

A photo posted by Kaley (@kaleys23) on May 23, 2016 at 4:20pm PDT

Review of book one, Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging.

Review of book two, On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God.
Review of book three, Knocked Out by My Nunga-Nungas.

Readalong: Knocked Out by My Nunga-Nungas

To borrow a phrase from the incomparable Georgia Nicolson, erlack a pongoes! (Seriously, she does say this but I have no idea why.) I apparently forgot how to read calendars and confirm when I'm to have certain books read by. I'm a couple days late posting about Knocked Out by My Nunga-Nungas, the third book in the Georgia Nicolson series by Louise Rennison and the third book in The Paper Trail Diary's Readalong.

Here's the synopsis for the third book:

Georgia Nicolson is now the girlfriend of the Sex God (aka Robbie), and things are wonderful. Except her loony parents are dragging her off to Och Aye land (aka Scotland), and the Sex God's band's chance at a record contract has left her something of a "pop widow."
Then up rears temptation in the form of old flame Dave the Laugh. Is Georgia about to become a shameless vixen? 

I've been reading these books really quickly (like...under 2 hours quickly) and I hadn't thought much of that before today. I finished Nunga-Nungas after one lunch break (30 minutes) and one workout (40 minutes on cardio aka reading machines). I'm a fast reader to begin with and these books aren't very long (under 200 pages) but that's still especially quick for a YA novel. I don't read a ton of current YA but I still think the books I do pick up are taking me longer to read and I'm not sure why. Am I reading these ones quicker because I've already read them? (Albeit 10+ years ago.) Or are they just not as deep as new YA books? I'm leaning towards the latter because, honestly, not a ton happened in this book. I'm all for quick, easy, fun reads but I don't think these books would thrill today's YA readers somehow.

Just like with the second book, I had to try really hard to remember that I was once 14 and ridiculous. I was probably unintentionally cruel to my parents and friends. But that doesn't make it easier to read. I struggle with how Georgia treats Jas, her best friend. Take this exchange for example. Jas has just told Georgia something about Tom, Jas' boyfriend:

"I nearly said, 'Who cares.' But you have to be careful with Jas because she can turn nasty if she thinks you are not interested in her." (page 26)

What Jas told her isn't particularly thrilling, I'll give you that, but I feel like a best friend shouldn't respond with "who cares" when you're talking about something of importance to you.

There were a few funny moments in this book (I was actually laughing out loud when on the bike at the gym...which got me a few weird stares). One of my all time favourite lines in the series finally showed up in this book, courtesy of, of course, Dave the Laugh. Instead of goodbye, he says, "I'm away laughing on a fast camel." My friends and I used that saying for ages after we read these books. It pretty much makes zero sense but I still love it.

I will say that I completely understand Georgia's struggle with Robbie aka the Sex God vs Dave the Laugh. Teenage girls (well...many females at any age) tend to be drawn to the popular boys - whether it's a musician like Robbie, the captain of the football team, or maybe the bad boy - even though he's not right. Georgia isn't the first girl to swoon over a good looking boy and want to date him based solely on his looks. She realizes that she acts like a bit of a loon around Robbie sometimes, but not around Dave, but, like most 15 year old girls (er...is she 15 yet? I can't remember), she doesn't realize why that matters. Snippets of maturity and self-realization are evident and it's those snippets that make me want to keep reading.

We have to talk about the whole touching of Georgia's nunga-nungas (aka basoomas aka breasts). Jess (of The Paper Trail Diary) also mentioned it in her review (read it here), and includes the full exchange between Jas and Georgia that had me cringing. Basically, a boy in Scotland (where Georgia was vacationing with her family) randomly fondled Georgia's breast. She didn't ask for it - had barely talked to the boy in question, to be honest - and despite what Jas implies, she isn't putting out any signals that makes it seem like this kind of touching would be welcome. Later in the book, Mark, a boy she dated awhile back who also touched her without her permission, makes a comment about the size of Georgia's breasts in front of his friends. I don't think I would have thought anything of this when I first read this book (likely because I had no basoomas to speak of at 15) but now? Now I feel gross reading it. (Jess used the same word and it's just the best way to describe it.) Unwanted touching and slut shaming are still things we deal with (ugh...why?) but I think (hope like hell) the conversation around these things is changing. I hope.

Overall, my thoughts on Knocked Out by My Nunga-Nungas are pretty mediocre. I don't love how Rennison approached a lot of things (can she stop implying being a lesbian is wrong or a reason to make fun of someone?) but I find I'm curious to see how things might change by the end of the series. Would I be as committed to finishing this readalong if the books weren't so quick and easy to read? I'm not sure. Reading time is a valuable commodity for a book blogger but curiosity is winning over the general ugh feelings I have with certain things in the books. We'll see what happens after we read Dancing in My Nuddy Pants for May 24.

Review of book one, Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging.

Review of book two, On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God.

Dewey's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon: Mega Post

It's that time of year again, friends! It's the Dewey's 24 hour read-a-thon! As usual, the read-a-thon starts at 8am for me so I probably won't start until at least 9am. It's a Saturday, people. I want to sleep in a little bit! Truth: I'm actually writing this little intro on Friday night so on Saturday I can just get started on the opening meme and get the party started. I hope you have a great day and keep checking back to see what goodies I've posted.

Kicking things off, as usual, is the opening meme!

1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?

Today I'm reading from my little home in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. For those who have zero idea where that is, it's about 20 minutes away from Niagara Falls. 

2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?

Confession: I do not have a stack. I'm kind of winging it. I do have a vague idea that I might (finally, finally!) read Attachments by Rainbow Rowell. I'm starting the day reading Good to Myself which is by one of my favourite authors, Heather Wardell.

3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? 

I need to pop out later today and I will just happen to be by a Marble Slab and I just happen to have a fully stamped card so I think I might treat myself to some ice cream! I'll also be having popcorn. It's one of my favourite snacks and I usually end up having it during the readathon. That and hard cider (though I think tonight it'll be wine!). 

4) Tell us a little something about yourself! 

I'm a month and three days away from being 28. Last year I spent my birthday in Australia (where I finally learned to like wine even though I live in a major wine region) and this year I'll spend it in New York City (BEA!). I own the cutest little rabbit named Tonks (she'll be three this fall!). I have zero idea what I want to be when I grow up but I'm working on it. I'm ridiculously tall (6') and love it (except when I'm trying to find clothes that fit). I'm a huge tea fan and the people who work at David's Tea know me well.

5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?

I've been participating in read-a-thons for a little while now and always have fun. I approach it with a totally open mind and just do what I can do. I know I always go to bed on Saturday with the idea that maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to get in an hour before the end of the read-a-thon but it never happens. And that's ok. Who wants to get up at 7am on a Sunday? I don't even want to get up at 7am on a workday! I'll read, I'll take part in challenges, I'll find new friends on Twitter, and I'll eat. It'll be great!

Mini-Challenge: Classic Words of Wisdom
Hosted by A Literary Odyssey

I knew as soon as I saw the challenge that I wanted the quote to be from the Anne of Green Gables series. I've been rereading them this year (best idea of 2015) and I'm remembering how lovely the series is. I chose this quote because I really adored Anne of the Island plus it's just so true. College or university doesn't teach you everything. It teaches you a lot, and not just the typical education, but you're always learning and finding life lessons. Learning doesn't stop after you graduate.
What are some of your favourite classic quotes?

Mini-Challenge: 4 Seasons, 4 Books
Hosted by Bart's Bookshelf

For this challenge we posted a picture (with the hashtag #minichallenge4S) that showed four books featuring covers or titles that represented each season.

I went a tad obvious for two, Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah and All the Summer Girls by Meg Donohue. The seasons are right in the title! But the covers are very much representative of their respective seasons. Redesigning Rose by Lydia Laceby is my spring choice (gardening plays a big role in the book) and One Tiny Lie by K.A. Tucker is my choice for fall (just look at those colours!).

Update!
I have just finished my first book, Good to Myself by Heather Wardell. I adore Heather as an author and a person so I must admit I was feeling a little guilty because I hadn't read one of her books in so long. This one didn't disappoint and I'm really happy it coincided with the readathon! It's been a slow reading day since I got started late and had to pop out earlier. I signed up for an art class at Michaels as you could get 50% off if you signed up today - I'm going to learn how to make a metal stamped bracelet! And because it was so close to Marble Slab I just had to get some ice cream. I had a fully stamped card though so my ice cream, birthday cake with Crunch and Skor, was free. Yay! How's your reading been going? I'm finding I'm not doing as many challenges this time around as none of them are really speaking to me. Have you been taking part in any challenges? Well, time to get back to it. I'm really not sure what book I'm going to read next. The past month or so has been picking a book and reading it instead of working off a monthly list, which is what I usually do. It's kind of nice! Hm, and I think it's time for another cup of tea...and figuring out what to do for supper. It's almost 5:00pm here! Happy reading, all!

Mid-Event Survey:
1. What are you reading right now?

Four Seconds to Lose by K.A. Tucker. I. Am. Hooked.

2. How many books have you read so far?

I've only finished one and I'm about halfway through this one.

3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?

Like I said before, I have no plan! I have no idea what I'll read next. Or if I'll even start a third one.

4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?

One major one when I had to go out. But I saved myself some money on signing up for a jewelry making class that I'm excited about and I got some ice cream so it really wasn't a big deal!

5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?

I'm not doing as many mini-challenges as I thought I would. I find that if I'm not immediately able to answer or do the challenge creatively, I don't bother. I want to be reading right now (which is why the massive pile of dishes in my kitchen is still there...) and don't want to put a ton of effort into a challenge that won't pay out with a good reward.

Update and End of Event Thoughts:
Well, this year's read-a-thon has come to a close! (Well, technically it ended almost three hours ago but I was still curled up in bed...it's Sunday!) I only finished two books but I'm totally fine with that. I do have a bit of a guilty feeling as I needed to do approximately five million other things other than read yesterday but it was nice to be reading when I knew so many others were doing the same. I read until about 1:00AM, which is later than I usually stay up. I wanted to get my book done and I had gotten distracted by wine, popcorn, the boyfriend coming home and watching Breaking Bad, the rabbit, the rat in the backyard that I named Porridge...ahem. Anyway! I spent the last half hour or so petting my rabbit with one hand and holding my book and turning the pages with the other. Hey, when Tonks wants to snuggle, I'll pet her! All in all, it was a good day. Could I have read more? Sure! But I'm happy with what I read and I hope you are too. There's no pressure with this event, it's all for fun. And fun I had! See ya in October, read-a-thon friends!

Dewey's Read-a-Thon: Mega Post

Today's the day! If you missed my mini post about what I plan on reading for today's 24 Hour Read-a-Thon, check it out.

Be warned: This is going to be one big ol' post by the end of the day.

First up: the opening meme!
1) What fine part of the world are you reading from today?
I'm reading from St. Catharines, which is just by Niagara Falls on the Canadian side.
2) Which book in your stack are you most looking forward to?
Definitely Isla and the Happily Ever After but I'm not sure I'm going to get to it! 
3) Which snack are you most looking forward to? 
It's not so much a snack as it is an alcoholic beverages...the boyfriend and I have been waiting weeks for the pumpkin beer at a local craft brewery to be done. It finally is and we'll be having some tonight!
4) Tell us a little something about yourself! 
I am very tall (6') and have a ridiculous rabbit named Tonks (you should know the reference if you're reading this blog!). I mentioned in yesterday's post that I had to work today...I am the Event and Volunteer Coordinator for the Lions Foundation of Dog Guides Canada. Finally, I'm obsessed with tea.
5) If you participated in the last read-a-thon, what’s one thing you’ll do different today? If this is your first read-a-thon, what are you most looking forward to?
I've been pretty happy with how I've taken part in the last few read-a-thons. I know today is going to be different (and difficult) because I have to go into work (ew) so I'm taking it easy and just reading whatever I can. I'll be happy if I can finish one book and get started on another.

Coffee or Tea Challenge
Amanda over at the Fig and Thistle is holding a fun challenge. Would you agree with:

Quote A: “What on earth could be more luxurious than a sofa, a book, and a cup of coffee?” – Anthony Trollope

OR

Quote B: “You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” - C.S. Lewis

I've already mentioned I'm a tea lover so I am firmly #TeamCSLewis. Part two of the challenge asks us to share pictures of us with our beverage of choice so here are a few pics of me and my favourite drink! All of these pics can be found on my Instagram if you want to follow me for tea, bunny, and book pictures! :)

Top left: taking a pic for the David's Tea #selftea contest. In the rain. Top middle: buying a tea for McHappy Day. Top right: pic with tea at work because I liked my shirt!

Bottom left: my last mug of chocolate cake tea. Bottom middle: introducing author Samantha March to Tim Hortons! Bottom right: my first Christmas Starbucks beverage last November.

Update! The read-a-thon is now approaching...er...hour 14. I think? Anyway. I've driven an hour to and from work, worked an AGM (good gracious, those things are boring), ate a delicious meal (the boyfriend made chicken pot pie), and had two and a half glasses of pumpkin beer. AND finished book number one, which is the whole point of the day. The book was If I Stay by Gayle Forman. Yes, the one that was just recently made into a movie. It was very much a The Hunger Games scenario for me - I had heard of the book but wasn't interested until I learned more about the story. I'm glad I read it even though I feel like bawling in the corner, clutching a teddy bear. I will take a brief break to drink more beer (seriously, it's like pumpkin pie in a glass), perhaps do some challenges, and then I'll dive into book two. Which I don't even think is on my kobo yet (it's a NetGalley book). Guess I better get back to it!

Mid-Event Survey: (technically later than mid but that's ok)
1. What are you reading right now?

I just finished If I Stay and I should move on to Blame it on the Mistletoe but it's not on my kobo yet.
2. How many books have you read so far?

Just the one. *shakes fist and curses at working on a Saturday*
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?

Still Isla!
4. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?

TOTALLY. Work. Work on a Saturday sucks. It's been awhile since I've had to deal with that. I have dealt with that by drinking beer. And just rolling with it. I got one book done. I am thrilled with that!
5. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?

That I was actually able to complete a book! It's a library book too and therefore not one I must review so I don't even have to worry about my mental review backlog (guess what I'm doing tomorrow...)

Colour Cover Challenge
You know what's fun? Inspecting your bookshelf for pretty colours after yummy beer. Wishful Endings created a fun challenge...picking four books that have the same coloured cover. Here are four GREEN books! I tried to find a fourth green and red one but it just wasn't happening. :)

Book Spine Poetry:
I really need to get back into reading but the challenges are fun. And I'm lazy (I have to retrieve my kobo and cord to put my next book onto it...not well prepared, obvi). What do you think of my poem for Ticket to Anywhere's challenge?

Reread: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I can't believe we've come to the final book. July was the month to read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Because of crazy (but mostly good) life stuff, I didn't get to start it until July 31 (fitting since that's both Harry's and J.K. Rowling's birthday). I finished it on Saturday and I'm still reeling...again.

For more info about this challenge and the idea behind it, visit Just a Lil' Lost's sign up post. Check out Twitter and Instagram if you'd like to follow along with our #HPreread tag. A reminder: if you haven't read this book please beware of spoilers. Since this is the last book I'll be talking about all sorts of ruinable plot points! If you don't want parts of the story or series ruined for you, stay away until you finish the books.

I didn't think I'd be as affected by this novel the second time around. I really didn't. I've read the books before, I've seen the movies, so I was kind of expecting to hold it together a little bit better. There were no tears this time but knowing what was coming didn't lessen the hurt any. I was hit with a major book hangover after finishing it and I really wanted to linger in this world for as long as I could. Did anyone else feel like that when they finished it? Either for the first time or when doing this reread?

Obviously the things that hurt the most are the deaths (again, spoiler alert). There are the big ones: Fred, Lupin, Tonks, Snape, Mad-Eye, Dobby, Hedwig. But there also deaths of characters who played smaller roles: Colin Creevey, Lavender  Brown, hell, even Crabbe. Can you imagine being Harry, at seventeen, realizing that all of these people died because of something you felt you needed to stop on your own?

Finding out more about Snape and why he did everything he did is one of my favourite parts of this book. It's also one of the hardest parts to read. We, like Harry, are not exactly fans of Snape (these feelings range from mild dislike to, as in Harry's case, raw hatred) and have held onto those feelings for the entire series. It is both wonderful and heartbreaking to finally find out what motivated Snape. Wonderful because we realize how much he truly cared for Lily and what that meant for Harry. Snape loved Lily so much that he risked his life to help Dumbledore look after Harry. In turn, it's heartbreaking because we learn everything after he is already dead. Imagine the questions Harry would have had and would have loved to be able to ask Snape. I'm glad Rowling gave Snape the closure he deserved and that we were able to see him as Dumbledore did. And that she had Harry name one of his son's after him!

Speaking of Harry's sons...let's talk about that epilogue. I didn't hate it when I first read it (still don't) but I wondered about the necessity of it. I suppose you could say I do like it because I did want to know that Harry and Ginny were together, as were Ron and Hermione. I liked knowing the names of all of their children and that Neville is teaching at Hogwarts. But what are the rest of the Weasleys up to? Luna? What are they all doing outside of their family lives? Neville is the only one who has a profession named. I know we have a lot of these questions answered now, seven years later, but if there's going to be an epilogue, why not include even more info? What about you? What's your opinion on the "Nineteen years later" epilogue?

Other things worth mentioning:
- the goodbye between Harry and Dudley. "I don't think you're a waste of space." Love.
- I can hardly stand the fact that Fred dies and George has to carry on without his twin. Especially after reading this Buzzfeed article, 29 Times Tumblr Made Harry Potter Fans Cry All Over Again, which focuses a lot on the twins. (It literally will make you cry. Not that I'm speaking from experience...)
- Hermione having to wipe her parents' memories? *sobs*
- Learning more about Dumbledore was really interesting, too. I know I held him on a pedestal just like Harry did and it was hard, but good, to learn that he really was human and discover how he became the great wizard he was.
- When the trio are discussing The Tales of Beedle the Bard:
"Ron, you know full well Harry and I were brought up by Muggles!" said Hermione. "We didn't hear stories like that when we were little, we heard Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and Cinderella - "
"What's that, an illness?" asked Ron. (page 114)
- When almost every single Hogwarts student protects Harry after Pansy Parkinson yells to grab him:
"Before Harry could speak, there was a massive movement. The Gryffindors in front of him and stood facing, not Harry, but the Syltherins. Then the Hufflepuffs stood and almost at the same moment, the Ravenclaws, all of them with their backs to Harry, all of them looking towards Pansy instead, and Harry, awestruck and overwhelmed, saw wands emerging everywhere, pulled from beneath cloaks and from under sleeves." (pages 490-1) (I got goosebumps when I read it and when I typed it out!)

There are more quotes and pictures from my reading experience compiled in this Storify story.

So that's it. I still can't quite believe it's over. Rereading these books has been one of, if not the, best reading decisions of 2014. I always talk about how much I love the Harry Potter novels but it was good to get a refresher and confirm that they are my all time favourite books. I proudly say that I am part of the Harry Potter Generation.

Reread: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

I was both looking forward to and dreading reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I wanted to do the reread because I knew how much information was given in this book and I couldn't remember all the hints. I didn't want to reread it because of the death in this one. (I'll mention it later so go away if you don't know who I mean!) For more info about this challenge and the idea behind it, visit Just a Lil' Lost's sign up post. Check out Twitter and Instagram if you'd like to follow along with our #HPreread tag. A reminder: if you haven't read this book, or even finished the whole series, please beware of spoilers. If you don't want parts of the story or series ruined for you, stay away until you finish the books!

I remembered early on how many deaths there actually are in this book. We met Amelia Bones in Order of the Phoenix and then, in the first few pages of Half-Blood Prince, we find out that she was killed. Sad! Of course, it's not just deaths that occur but serious injuries as well (see: Bill). There are a lot of minor characters that have popped up throughout who become more important as the series progressed. It's another nod to Rowling's excellent storytelling.

I never really saw the appeal of Draco Malfoy the first time I read the series. I didn't dislike him any more than the average person but I didn't like him either. I know a lot of people love him and I now understand it. My heart hurt when he confronted Dumbledore and explained what he had to do and why. And when he was crying to Moaning Myrtle right before Harry cursed him? Oh, so sad. I imagine this feeling of..empathy, I guess?..is a result of knowing how the series ends and what else Malfoy goes through. This feeling also applies to Snape and my feelings about him. Going into the series the first time all we know is that he's such a villain in Harry's eyes so what happens in the end is so surprising. Knowing the final ending makes rereading this book even harder because you can tell that Snape is struggling with his duties.

And let's just talk about this for a second:

Ah, young love. I love that Harry and Ginny become a couple and I love that Ron and Hermione eventually get it together and realize they should be together, too (though that's in the next book. Expect another page shot of that scene). Speaking of Ron and Hermione...reading about two sixteen year olds who are struggling with their feelings for each other? It's definitely sweet, yes. But also quite funny. Makes me glad I'm not a teen anymore :)

I had forgotten that the novel opens with the British Prime Minister and the visits from Fudge and Scrimgeour. I especially liked when the PM says, "But for heaven's sake - you're wizards! You can do magic! Surely you can sort out - well - anything!" Scrimgeour replies, "The trouble is, the other side can do magic too, Prime Minister." (page 24) This sort of sets the tone of almost helplessness that the magical community has as well as making you realize how much the Muggle world is being affected by Voldemort's return.

Finally, it's time to talk about Dumbledore. I was dreading the end of this book so much. I hate that he dies. I hated knowing going into it that he dies. All the clever little quips and thoughtful pieces of advice...all stabs to the heart. Of course, knowing that Dumbledore knew he was going to die makes a lot of things clearer. All the lessons with Harry, the knowledge he tried to impart, and so on, it was all done with a purpose. But reading as Harry had to deal with the death of his mentor...oh, it was just so hard.

For more thoughts and random quotes that I enjoyed, check out the Storify link for this month's reread.

I can't believe next month is the last book! Ah! Where did the time go? It's going to be hard to finish the series (again) but I'm looking forward to it. I've only read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows once so I can't recall some of the tinier details like I can with some of the others. Final note: is anyone else planning on bingewatching all of the movies in August like I am?

Reread: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

I never liked Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix as much as some of the other books. I was never really sure why, either. After doing this month's reread, however, I found I no longer disliked the book. I wonder if it's because I know the whole story now. All the little hints and information sprinkled throughout this book make sense now because I know how it all ends. Whatever the reason, I definitely enjoyed my reread of J.K. Rowling's fifth Harry Potter book more than the first time I read it.
For more info about this challenge and the idea behind it, visit Just a Lil' Lost's sign up post. Check out Twitter or Instagram with #HPreread if you want to follow along with us. A reminder: if you haven't read this book, or even finished the whole series, please beware of spoilers. If you don't want parts of the story or series ruined for you, stay away until you finish the books!

I believe I've mentioned before that a lot of people are frequently annoyed by Harry. I could really see where they were coming from when I was reading Order of the Phoenix. Harry had been pretty much totally ignored all summer by everyone he considered a friend and his response to that, when he finally gets to see everyone, was to lash out. Repeatedly. The attitude continues throughout the entire book and, while it did get a tad frustrating, I just reminded myself that he's fifteen. And, really, this attitude never bothered me before. Sure, the kid is rash and should listen for all the facts before rushing off to save the world, but he's just that – a kid. Harry's only fifteen in this book, remember.

I had somehow forgotten how long and big this book was. 766 pages! And it doesn't really seem like there's a whole lot going on in this book (which may be another reason why a lot of people aren't a huge fan of OotP) but there are a lot of building blocks laid in this story. Particularly, I think, with Dumbledore's Army. Apart from the core three, we're finally getting to see some students who are committed to protecting their school, their headmaster, and their families, by coming together to learn Defense Against the Dark Arts skills from Harry. The group of students we learn more about here, most notably Ginny, Neville, and Luna, all play an important role in this book as well as the next two.

There were a couple of family moments in this book that made me tear up a bit. The first was one I had forgotten about. It happens very early on in the book (page 39), when Harry is explaining why the Dementors attacked him and what it meant. Aunt Petunia understood the severity and, as Rowling writes, "...for the first time in his life, Harry fully appreciated that Aunt Petunia was his mother's sister. ... All he knew was that he was not the only person in the room who had an inkling of what Lord Voldemort being back might mean." It's easy to forget, reading the books through Harry's eyes, that his aunt lost a sister. She may complain about James and how magic is a disgrace, but Lily was still her sister. The other, much more potent, family moment came at the end of the book. I hate that Sirius dies. Probably because I can't see the point of it (though, really, what is the point of any of the upcoming deaths?). I also hate it because it takes away Harry's last hope of being with family. Sure, he has an amazing surrogate family in the Weasleys' and other members of the Order, but he won't realize that for awhile. For now, we just feel Harry's pain at losing his godfather. 

Amidst all the heavy stuff, there are, as usual, some light hearted moments. Fred and George provide many of those, of course. One of my favourite lines from the entire series is in this book. Ron has been made Prefect and Mrs. Weasley has just found out: "'Oh, Ron, how wonderful! A prefect! That's everyone in the family!' 'What are Fred and I, next-door neighbours?' said George indignantly." (page 149)  I also enjoyed all of the variations of "Dementor" Uncle Vernon creates (Dementoids, Demenders). And this is the book where we learn that Ron has the emotional range of a teaspoon! (page 406)

Other random notes: I was happy that Tonks ("Don't call me Nymphadora!") finally shows up as I named my rabbit after her. I also liked that Luna is now part of the series (though I'm looking forward to the next books when she's a bit less Looney and more Luna). Rowling is setting up Hermione/Ron and Harry/Ginny even more though it's still all very subtle.

I'm still really enjoying the Harry Potter reread, which isn't a surprise. Though I'm finding now that, as much as I want to read the next book, I know I'm getting that much closer to the end (again). I know I know how it all ends but it's been so great to relive the series again. Next month's book, Half-Blood Prince, is another heavy one and I need to start preparing myself now for what happens!

Reread: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

I knew it was just a matter of time...I finally fell behind on the HP reread challenge! I'd like to blame it totally on the fact that I started a new job but, once again, I left the reading to the last minute. And that's a problem now as Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire marks the start of some seriously chunky books. For more info about this challenge and the idea behind it, visit Just a Lil' Lost's sign up post. Check out Twitter or Instagram with #HPreread if you want to follow along with us. A reminder: if you haven't read this book, or even finished the whole series, please beware of spoilers. If you don't want parts of the story or series ruined for you, stay away until you finish the books!

I know I've said it with almost all the other books, but I was looking forward to rereading book four. This book marks a turning point in the series...in a couple of ways. I know a few people who gave up reading the books once they realized how big this one was (why, people, why?). I also know that a lot of parents were worried about the violence and incredibly dark turn this novel takes. Sure, the rest of the novels are heavy and contain deaths of major characters in each of the upcoming books but...those things are necessary to tell the story properly. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I found it interesting, this time around, to notice all the teeny little hints that Rowling gave throughout this book (ok, fine, I've said that before too). But, in the case of this book, a lot of those hints actually had meaning for this particular novel instead of the series as a whole. Sometimes it was just foreshadowing or mentioning something casually that would come up again later. For example, when Harry was at The Burrow, he saw a likeness of Amos Diggory's head in the fireplace (think of it as a magical Skype). He uses that same method of communicating to talk with Sirius later on. A Portkey is used to get to the Quidditch World Cup and a Portkey is what gets Harry to Voldemort at the end of the book. Mrs. Weasley uses a Summoning Charm to get all of the cursed candies Fred and George are trying to smuggle into Hogwarts. Harry uses a Summoning Charm in the first task against the Hungarian Horntail. You see what I mean? It was nice to reread this one and notice all of those little hints throughout. You may think that would take away from the story, reading the hints and actually knowing their significance, but it doesn't!

I had said way back when I read Philosopher's Stone that I wanted to read each book in as few sittings as I could. That didn't happen with Goblet. All of a sudden the last weekend of the month was finished and I still hadn't cracked open the book. So, what resulted was reading the novel in bits and pieces over five days. Not ideal at all. I have a feeling that took away some of my enjoyment of the novel, which is too bad. To avoid this happening again I just have to make a conscious effort to set aside time during a weekend to read the next books. 

Back to the darkness. The first major death happens in this book. And, to make it even more sad, it's a student - Cedric Diggory. I was surprised when I found myself tearing up when I read the scenes when Cedric dies and then when Dumbledore honours him at the Leaving Feast. Even though I knew it was coming, it still hit me hard. Not only does this mark the beginning of many painful deaths, but it also is the beginning of Voldemort's second rise to power. Pardon my French, but that's some scary shit. And the worst and most frustrating part of it all is that the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, doesn't believe Harry or trust Dumbledore's word. Well. Won't he be sorry. 

A couple of other themes (along with the darkness) begin in this book that carry on throughout the rest of the series. First, we finally see how jealous Ron is of Harry (and rightfully so). He thinks Harry put his name in the Goblet because he was looking for more attention. Sure, that seems silly but imagine that you're the best friend of someone super popular, always getting overlooked...oh, and that you're one of many siblings and your family is very poor. You can kind of see where Ron was coming from, right? I hated reading the part where the two boys are fighting and I couldn't help but think of the last book and how a fight almost ruins their friendship forever. In this book we also get a glimpse of a not so heroic part of Harry's personality. A lot of people could tell you that Harry is a whiny, self-absorbed teen and that they don't understand why he's such a beloved character. I'm not one of those people. I can appreciate a flawed hero, even if he is a tad annoying at times (he's quite young in these books, remember). But, I found one of "Moody's" lines to be interesting. He (and by he I mean Barty Crouch Jr. as Moody) says, after wondering why Harry didn't ask everyone he knew for help with the second task, "you have a streak of pride and independence that might have ruined all." (page 588) I'm going to keep an eye on this as I read the rest of the books to see how often that part of his personality is mentioned. Finally, and more happily, this is the first book where we see a bit of an attraction between Ron and Hermione. Well, at least, Ron realizes that Hermione is a girl and has some jealousy that he doesn't know what to do with (again, they're fourteen!). 

How is it that I always manage to write more than I intend to? Amazing. I wish I could include all of the page shots I took of scenes and lines I liked but there are just too many. What I will do is include, once again, my Storify link for this edition of the #HPreread. Next...er...this month's read, Order of the Phoenix, should be a good one. I remember not really enjoying it the first time around so we'll see what I think of it this time!

Reread: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

I was very giddy as we approached month three of the Harry Potter Reread Challenge. Why? Because I absolutely adore the third book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I won't say (yet) that it's my favourite of the seven novels because I want to wait until I've reread all of them but it'll for sure be one or two. For more information about this challenge and the idea behind it, visit Just a Lil' Lost's sign up post. Check out Twitter or Instagram with #HPreread if you want to follow along with us. A reminder: if you haven't read this book, or even finished the whole series, please beware of spoilers. If you don't want parts of the story or series ruined for you, stay away until you finish the books!

I'm not totally sure what it is that makes me love this book so much. I could say that it's because we learn so much more about the wizarding world when Harry gets to ride the Knight Bus (which I love...it's "violently purple"...my favourite!) and ends up spending a great deal of time at the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley. But, technically, we learn more about the world in every book so that's not much of a reason. Though I do love Diagon Alley and liked being able to spend a bit more time there in this book.

Azkaban is also the last "light" Harry Potter book. I'm not saying the serious issues that come up in the next books aren't important or good (they're great, really), it's just that this is the last book where Harry is really able to keep his innocence. I know he's already faced Voldemort twice but the danger hasn't really been there yet because Voldemort isn't totally back. It's not as dangerous or real like it will be in the next books. And, for us, the reader, this is the last book without major deaths. And anyone who tells you "they're just fictional characters" should be cut out of your life immediately. Or at least ignored until they see sense. We grow to love these characters (even some of the evil ones) and reading about their deaths is like a knife to the heart.

Other little things I enjoy in this book: Hagrid being a teacher, Hogsmeade (Butterbeer! Honeydukes!), Crookshanks (damn clever feline, that one), Ron's new owl, Hermione slapping Malfoy, Gryffindor winning the Quidditch Cup (couldn't stop smiling), the Marauder's Map, the Time-Turner, and expecto patronum (side note: if I ever get a HP tattoo, that might be it). To really get a feel about what stuck out for me while I reread this, check out my Storify story with all my #HPreread tweets.

But the most likely reason I love this book is because we meet two characters who are extremely important to Harry: Remus Lupin and Sirius Black. The love I have for these characters is even more intense since I know what happens to them in the end. Of course, my heart broke a little during each scene with them, but that's the price you pay for knowing the end of the series, I suppose. Meeting these men, men who were Harry's father's best friends, give Harry more of an insight into his parents' lives. He is so desperate for details of them. It hurts my heart a little that he just doesn't know enough about James and Lily, the people who died in order to protect him. And knowing what I know now, reading this is just...it's hard:

"We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes," said Profession Lupin. "Are you all right, Harry?"
Harry didn't ask how Professor Lupin knew his name.
- page 68

And if the words don't do enough to your poor heart, check out this pin I found not too long ago. I'll give you a moment to collect yourself. Oh, and just to make it even more clear how close these friends are:

Lupin was lowering his wand. Next moment, he had walked to Black's side, seized his hand, pulled him to his feet so that Crookshanks fell to the floor, and embraced Black like a brother.
- page 252

All the feels.

Once again, I was completely uplifted by spending a Saturday reading a Harry Potter novel. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is probably the last book of the series that I will read in one sitting (though I did read Deathly Hallows in about seven hours total when it was first released), which is sort of sad. I like being able to commit an entire day to read the book from start to finish and I just don't think it'll be possible to do that with the next books. Ah well. I'm looking forward to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire even though things take a dark turn. Until then, happy reading!