REVIEW: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

No intentional spoilers will follow, although I can't promise my impressions of the book won't shed any light on the overall outcome of the book. You have been warned.

J.K. Rowling concludes her tale of The Boy Who Lived in this, the seventh novel in the series. Followers of Harry, Hermione, Ron, and all the others in the cast of characters won't be disappointed. In my opinion, Deathly Hallows is by far the most action-packed of the seven books, and I had a difficult time putting it down. I always say that one of the ways I judge if a book is a "good" book is if I dream about it. I've dreamed about Harry and his friends every night since last Friday night, I believe, to the point that at least one night I was "reading" the book in my dreams, developing my own plotline (too bad I didn't write that down!). Those who know me in person know that I'm not exactly a night owl, and if I pick up a book after 9:00 pm to read, you can guarantee I'll be asleep within 30 minutes, if not sooner. Not so in this case. I still had probably close to 200 pages left when I began reading last night and, even though I did battle Mr. Sandman a couple of times, I prevailed and finished the book a bit after 1:00 am. This book had me laughing and crying interchangeably, and the overall effect was one of great satisfaction. At the same time, I feel like I have said goodbye to a good friend (many good friends), and I was a bit melancholy once I finished the book. It's sort of like graduating from school and moving away, knowing that a part of your life has come to a close. I just hope that another part is opening for Rowling and that we will enjoy more books from her in the future. They're bound to be as fulfilling as Harry Potter has been for all these years. Thank you, Ms. Rowling for an amazing adventure.

What? I have to work instead of read?

My family (husband, 9 year old son, 10 year old daughter, and myself) all trekked to our local Borders Friday night for the Harry Potter release. We arrived near 10:00, and, naturally, it was very crowded. I was very disappointed in the event. I expected so much more for the finale, especially having been to two previous HP release parties at other Borders stores. My kids had no interest in the activities going on (the only ones that were really obvious were the Bingo going on in the children's department and a costume contest later on). I know there were other things, but it was hard to tell what was a planned activity in the midst of all the people. My kids were bored, and the only high point of my night was running into a former classmate and having a great conversation about job possibilities. Nevertheless, we stuck it out until midnight since we had "good" wristbands and were in the first group slated for distribution. We received the book by 12:30, which was great!

We had friends visiting this weekend, so we couldn't devote the hours desired for reading. I read a little over a chapter before going to sleep (miraculous for me, as usually I read a page or two of a book and fall asleep when I try to read before bed) and was able to sneak in a little bit on Saturday and Sunday. I'm so envious of my husband, who is a quick reader, who was already halfway finished by last night! I'm hoping for a quiet week so I can devote all my free-time to the book.

Harry Potter buzz

I have to say, I am busting at the seams waiting to get my hands on my copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows! We have two copies reserved at our local Borders, and we'll be there at midnight to pick them up. I was a little concerned that 2 copies wasn't really going to work out, since my husband, myself, and my 10-year-old daughter are all anxiously awaiting the release. I was prepared to sacrifice, since my husband is a quick reader, and I knew he would breeze through the book much more quickly than I will. However, my daughter is currently re-reading Half Blood Prince and says she plans to finish it before she starts Deathly Hallows. Yes! Now, how to fit reading time in while we have out-of-town company and my son's birthday party going down this weekend?

I am most certainly envious of my former coworkers in the children's department who get to really have fun with this! At least I get to enjoy it as a mom!

Let's start at the very beginning, it's a very good place to start

To kick off this blog, here's a list of the children's/young adult books I've read so far this year. I will hopefully go back and write individual reviews of these, as time allows, as well as reviews of all future books I finish.

1. The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Book 1) by Rick Riordan
2. Amalee by Dar Williams
3. Ghost Fever: Mal de Fantasma by Joe Hayes
4. The Giant Rat of Sumatra: or Pirates Galore by Sid Fleischman
5. The Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
6. Bass Ackwards and Belly Up by Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain
7. Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George
8. Surviving Antarctica: Reality TV 2083 by Andrea White
9. American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
10. Jack Jones and the Pirate Curse by Judith Rossell
11. Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
12. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
13. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume 1: The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson
14. Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks
15. Maximum Ride: School's Out Forever by James Patterson
16. The Original Adventures of Hank the Cowdog
17. How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell
18. Project Mulberry by Linda Sue Park
19. The Forging of the Blade (Lowthar's Blade, Book 1) by R.L. LaFevers
20. The Big House by Carolyn Coman
21. Wildfire! by Elizabeth Starr Hill
22. The Forests of Silence (Deltora Quest Book 1) by Emily Rodda
23. Jack Plank Tells Tales by Natalie Babbitt