Tag Archives: books

hp meme

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That was me after picking up Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows last night. I’m wearing my Harry Potter track jacket (it’s similar to his triwizard robes in the GoF movie) and my Gryffindor scarf. 😀 HEE. But uhhh, please excuse my greasy face. My friends and I checked out the midnight release party but there wasn’t anything going on that captured our attention so we came back to my apartment and played Harry Potter Scene It? until about 11:15 when we went back to Borders to get in line to buy the book. SQUEE. The line went super fast and Rob and I were home by 12:30. (We live right across the street from Borders). Of, course, I cracked the book open right away.

And I finished it tonight. But don’t worry, no spoilers here… I’m going to wait a bit to let the finality of the series sink in and then I’ll post my thoughts. Maybe tomorrow.

For now, an HP meme courtesy of Sarah…

Favorite Book: Goblet of Fire. I just love the Triwizard tournament and the Yule Ball. Prisoner of Azkaban is a *very* close second.
Favorite Character: Harry. I can’t help it. ILUFFHIMSO.
Favorite Movie: Prisoner of Azakaban. So far, it’s been my favorite interpretation.
Favorite Spell: Expecto Patronum. The idea of your happy thoughts acting as a a protector against dementors is just so hopeful.
Favorite Couple: Harry and Hermione. I know it’s not canon. But their relationship touches me just the same.
Favorite Magical Building: Hogwarts.
Favorite Magical Creature: House-elves.
Favorite Non-Human Character: Hedwig!
Favorite Scene: This isn’t fair… there’s so many! Off the top of my head… all the Time-Turning scenes and learning about the Marauders in PoA, St. Mungo’s and Dumbledore’s Army in OotP, the Yule Ball in GoF… I’m sure there’s tons more.
Favorite Family: Well, the Weasleys, of course!
Favorite Class: Charms.
Favorite Movie Scene: Again, I have a few… when the trio first meet on the Hogwarts Express in SS, the Gryffindor boys eating candy in their tower on their first night back at Hogwarts in PoA, Harry asking Cho to the Yule Ball in GoF, and all the Dumbledore’s Army scenes in OotP.
Favorite HP website: Don’t really have one. Though I do always go to The Leaky Cauldron for news… it’s too bad the site layout is awful and loads so slowly.
Favorite House: Gryffindor!
Favorite Bad-Guy: Draco Malfoy.
Favorite room in Hogwarts: Gryffindor Common Room.
Favorite Teacher: Professor McGonagall.
Favorite Ministry Employee: Kingsley Shacklebolt. Or Tonks.
Favorite Ministry Department: Department of Magical Games and Sports? Or maybe the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
Favorite Magical Transportation: Apparition.

more ootp thoughts

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I have seriously been hit with Harry Potter mania.

I’ve decided to re-read the entire series before diving into Deathly Hallows this weekend. I’m currently on Goblet of Fire. 😀

So I’m sitting here at work (shhh! don’t tell!) thinking about the differences between Order of the Phoenix movie and the book. I know they had to cut a lot out due to time but I would have loved to see:

— The Howler Dumbledore sent to Aunt Petunia (REMEMBER MY LAST, PETUNIA!)
— St. Mungo’s
— Snape’s worst memory (ok ok, I know this was in the movie but I would have liked to see MORE of it — and with Lily too)
Other thoughts:
— Was it just me or was Mrs. Figg totally… off? She completely didn’t match what I had envisioned.
— I don’t care for Michael Gambon’s interpretation of Dumbledore. He doesn’t understand the character. At all. I didn’t notice it much in PoA or GoF but it was pretty jarring in OotP.

Ok, back to work…

ootp thoughts

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Aahhh, 3-day weekend for me. YAY! I took Friday the 13th (!) off from work as my “summer Friday.” We get to choose 5 Fridays to take off from Memorial Day through Labor Day. It’s a nice little perk to have a breather once in awhile. 🙂 I didn’t do much… went over to a crafts store to pick up some new rubber stamps (I’ve become obsessed recently — I don’t know why) and then went home and watched 8 straight episodes of The OC season 3. I love the show but wow, s3 was pretty awful. I need to get the s4 DVDs so I can watch that the next time a summer Friday rolls around.

I also started re-reading the Harry Potter series. Finally! I quickly finished Sorceror’s Stone so now I’m on Chamber of Secrets. I don’t think I’ll get through them all this week so after book 2, I might jump straight to Half-Blood Prince. Ack, I can’t believe Deathly Hallows is almost here. I don’t want the series to end. *tear*

So today I went to see Order of the Phoenix again with some friends. I liked the movie the first time around but I liked it A LOT better the second. Some spoilery thoughts (in list form like Sarah because it’s easiest)…

Things I Didn’t Care For
1. Sirius’s death. I just… it’s not how I pictured it. I thought the curse was instant.
2. Details that were different from the previous movies. For example, both the Dementors and Sirius communicating through the fire were executed differently in Movie 3. I like consistency. :/
3. Cho selling out the DA. I know it’s easier for the storyline not to introduce another character and it makes it clear that a romantic relationship between her and Harry didn’t work out. But I have a soft spot for Cho.
4. Not enough Occlumency!
5. I missed Quidditch and Ron and Hermione being prefects.

Things I Loved
1. Dumbledore’s Army. SQUEE. Exactly how I imagined.
2. The casting of Professor Umbridge, Luna Lovegood, and Bellatrix Lestrange was spot on. They were all pretty darn perfect.
3. Daniel Radcliffe. He really just keeps getting better and better. ILUFFHIMSO.
4. The kids in the Department of Mysteries holding out their wands ready for battle. It seriously gave me chills.
5. The Dumbledore/Voldemort fight was SO AWESOME.
If anyone else has written a blog about the movie, let me know in the comments! I love to read everyone’s thoughts. But for now, I’ve got to get back to my reading… 😀

first book post

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I thought I would do a quick book post (haven’t done one of these in *forever*) since Bev asked me why I didn’t like The Time-Traveler’s Wife…

I started and finished this book on the plane ride home from Paris so maybe I rushed it a little bit, I’m not sure. Anyway, I thought the story was compelling (I wouldn’t have read 500+ pages if it was a snoozefest) and I thought the time-travelling concept was interesting (though I did find myself confused a few times because of all the back and forth) but I didn’t care about the characters. They weren’t very likeable, their choices frustrated me and I just didn’t feel connected to them at all. 🙁 Plus, I have to admit that the relationship between Henry and Clare made me cringe at times. <– I think this’ll make more sense after reading the book. Anyway, I hope that didn’t dissuade anyone from checking this book out… I’d love to hear what you all have to say.

So, what have I been reading lately? I recently picked up a romance novel and I’ve found myself addicted to them. Hey, they’re so easy to read! And fast too! I turned to Alie and Sarah for recs and they didn’t disappoint. I’m currently on the last book of Nora Roberts’s Three Sisters Island trilogy. The books combine witchcraft, suspense along with romance. It’s a great mix and I love that the story isn’t sacrificed or rushed along for the romance.

I’ve also read some chick-lit books… nothing particularly memorable except for Something Blue by Emily Giffin. UGH UGH UGH. I normally LOVE chick-lit, despite the heroine’s typical flightiness, but Darcy in Something Blue was just awful. She was shallow, self-centered and obnoxious. I’m so glad I found the book on the bargain table at Borders.

Finally, I finished The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory, which I really enjoyed. It’s my first stab at a historical novel and I was pleasantly surprised. I loved being immersed in Henry VIII’s court (yes, despite all the inaccuracies) and thought it was an interesting choice to write the book from Mary Boleyn’s perspective, who is overshadowed (in real life and in the book) by her sister Anne. Highly recommended. Anyone know if Philippa Gregory’s other books are as good?

That’s it for now… I don’t think I’m very picky when it comes to books so if you have any recs, please share them! 🙂

book meme

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I MUST see Paris Je T’Aime. It looks like such a beautiful movie. May 4!

A book meme I stole from Nicola…

Paperback, hardback or trade paperback?
Paperback. Either mass market or trade paperbacks. I don’t reread my books often enough to justify the cost of hardbacks. The exception is Harry Potter, of course.
Amazon or brick and mortar?
A mix of both. Amazon definitely has better deals but sometimes I need instant gratification, you know?
Barnes & Noble or Borders
Borders. Cause it’s right next door to my apartment. And it also has a much better (and free!) rewards program than B&N.
Bookmark or dog-ear?
Bookmark, usually. But I *have* been known to dog-ear sometimes.
Favorite place to read?
In bed underneath my incredibly comfy goose-down comforter.
Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random?
Random. But I do try to group by author.
Keep, throw away, or sell?
It depends on the book. I keep about half and I sell/donate the other half.
Keep dust jacket or toss it?
Keep!
Read with dust jacket or remove it?
Remove. That thing is nothing but a pain while reading.
Short story or novel?
Novel. I’ve never really cared for short stories. I don’t really know why. *shrugs*
Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?
I haven’t read the Lemony Snicket series but even if I had, I’m positive the answer would still be Harry Potter!
Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?
At chapter breaks. I feel like I need to reach a good ending point before I can put the book down.
“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”?
The former.
Buy or borrow?
I do fair amount of both. I’m really lucky cause I have good friends who have massive book collections and are very generous with them. 😀
New or used?
Either. I’m not too finicky about used books… they just can’t be smelly or falling apart.
Buying choice: book reviews, recommendations, or browse?
Recommendations and book reviews. I pretty much rely on them for almost everything I read. I don’t have a knack for going into a bookstore and picking out books on my own.
Tidy ending or cliffhanger?
Tidy ending. I can’t help it. I like happy endings.
Morning reading, afternoon reading, or nighttime reading?
Nighttime reading. It’s my favorite thing to do before falling asleep.
Stand-alone or series?
Both. I love series but hate when they end.
Favorite series?
Harry Potter. 😀
Favorite children’s book?
The Berenstein Bears series.
Favorite YA book?
The Sweet Valley High series.
Favorite books read last year?
I honestly can’t remember what I read last year, really… all the Nelson DeMille books were great and I also really enjoyed A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray.
Favorite books of all time?
Anne of Green Gables series.
Least favorite book you finished last year?
Could not stand The Time-Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. UGH.
What are you reading right now?
Dance Upon the Air by Nora Roberts. (Many thanks to Alie and Sarah for the rec! I’m loving it!)
What are you reading next?
Something Blue by Emily Giffin. Found it on the bargain table at Border for $5. I couldn’t resist cheap chick-lit!
Favorite book to recommend to an eleven-year-old?
Erm, Little Women? To be honest, I think I’m so far removed from 11-year olds that I wouldn’t know what is and isn’t appropriate for their age.
Favorite book to reread?
The Harry Potter series… I love these books more and more each time I read them.
Do you ever smell books?
It sounds weird but yes.

Off to read! 🙂

paris day 3

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I want to go to Disneyland. I have absolutely no idea why. I just do. So just a minute ago, I took a look at the ticket prices online. HOLY MOLY. When did it get so expensive?!? $63! And that’s just for 1 day and 1 park. If you want to park hop or whatever, it’s $83 for 1 day. Oh well, I’d still love to go. Maybe when I’m in Southern CA for the holidays…

Had an okay weekend. I got a stomachache on Saturday so I spent a good part of the day in bed. Ugh. I caught up on The OC (really, really liking this season so far) and I watched The Break-Up. HATED IT. There were some funny moments and Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn were good but the whole storyline was… EH. I also went to see Borat today, which was pretty hilarious. I wouldn’t say I *liked* it, though. The highlight of my weekend was getting an iPod nano! Rob got me a 4gb red one as a belated birthday present. I’m going to use this one for the gym. 😀

More Paris…
Sun, October 15: Day 3
After our Parisian breakfast of croissants and coffee (I must have gained about 10 pounds from all the bread I ate!), we were off to Montmartre to see Sacre Coeur. (Montmartre is the northern part of the city where many artists reside). We took the Metro (we’re total pros now) and got off at Anvers. I was actually hoping the Abesses stop would be open by now (it’s been closed for renovations). That was the Metro stop featured in the movie Amelie and I just wanted to see it! Maybe next time. 😀 We walked up a hill (huffing and puffing the whole time) that took us to the bottom of the steps leading to Sacre Coeur. We took a breather by the carousel and prepared ourselves for the stairs. I guess we could have taken the funicular up but we were feeling adventurous. As we headed over to the stairs, we were approached by the men who try and stop you to tie a bracelet around your wrist. If they happen to get you, you’re tied to them and have to give them money to be released. They try to convince you to take the bracelet by saying it’s free. We walked away from them quickly (though one of them totally grabbed Rob’s arm) and started the hike up the stairs. It took us a little while (we stopped every time there was a bit of platform) but it was worth it when we arrived at the top. The basilica is absolutely gorgeous and the view from up there was wonderful. We were overlooking all of Paris! We went inside and lit a candle for my mom and walked around admiring the statues and sculptures. As we exited, I noticed that they had those machines that make impressions on coins for souvenirs. Is it just me or is that the *last* thing you’d expect to see in a church? I’ve made them before but at an amusement park!



We walked down to Place du Tertre to check out the artists’ square. There were some absolutely gorgeous watercolor paintings of the Arc and the Eiffel Tower and I was incredibly tempted to purchase one but I decided against it since they were pricey (between 25-50 Euros) and I didn’t know how the heck I was going to take it with me on the plane. We continued our walk through Montmartre and into the Pigalle area (Red Light District) on the way to the Moulin Rouge. Since it was Sunday, most of the shops were closed (so weird to me!) but we did find one sex shop that happened to be open. We went in but there was nothing exciting. LOL. Just a few more steps down was the Moulin Rouge! It was so fun to see the famous dance hall and its iconic windmill.



Our next stop for the day was the Marais. We made our way there via the Metro. As we walked up to the street level, we found ourselves at the Place de la Bastille. There’s nothing left of the prison at all so there’s nothing to see. Across the street, though, stood the Colonne de Juillet (memorial to commemorate the deaths in the street battles of 1830) and also the Opera National de Paris Bastille. The Opera completely stood out because it’s made of glass… I actually didn’t like it at all. We continued walking over to Place des Vosges. It’s a beautiful park that’s perfectly symmetrical (nine houses on each side of the square). I just loved all the parks/gardens in Paris. They’re so well-maintained, gorgeous and peaceful.



By this time, we were so hungry. We spotted a Quick fast food restaurant (like the McDonald’s of France) and ordered Supreme Cheese burgers meals. It wasn’t really a very good burger (my all time favorite fast food burger is from In-n-Out) but it came with Coke! And it didn’t cost us $5! Heh. After lunch, we walked along the Rue de Rivoli down to Ile de la Cite. We sat in the Square du Jean XIII, which is a beautiful garden behind Notre Dame. I think I love the back of Notre Dame even more than the front. The flying buttresses are spectacular. Guh.



I wanted to pick up a book to read for the plane ride home so we looked for the English bookstore Shakespeare & Co, which I knew was nearby. What a great little store! It’s TINY. It felt so homey and the employees are really friendly and give you recommendations on books and things to do in the area. I picked up The Time Traveler’s Wife, which a good friend had suggested to me. (I finished the book on the plane and didn’t like it :/).



By this time, we were absolutely exhausted from all the walking so we bought tickets for a 1 hr. sightseeing cruise on the Seine. We sat on top of the boat for a good vantage point of all the sights. The boat passed many of the monuments (D’Orsay, Conciergerie, Notre Dame, etc) but once we got to the Eiffel Tower, our camera battery died after just a few photos! GRRR. I was a bit surprised to see that the homeless population of Paris have tents set up all along the river banks. Some of them looked pretty permanent too. Looking back, though, I’m not sure why I was so shocked. Paris is a big city and all big cities have homeless problems. Still, it was a nice trip down the river and we got to rest our poor feet. After the cruise, we picked up gyros and banana/nutella crepes for dinner and headed back to the hotel for the night.

Up next: the Louvre!

feb books

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OMG. The Project Runway reunion show is HILARIOUS. BEST THING EVER. It also made my Zulema hate flare up and I officially think Daniel Franco is creepy. Also, what was up with Guadalupe? She was drunk or stoned. Probably both. Oh man. That was SO MUCH fun.

Anyway, books! Here’s my update for February…

03. General’s Daughter by Nelson DeMille, 512 p
I am loving Nelson DeMille’s books right now. This is an engaging and actually, really sad military detective story. I loved all the layers to the mystery and just COULD NOT put it down. Highly recommended.
04. School of Dreams by Edward Humes, 400 p
I only read this book because it’s about my former high school (a small public magnet school in southern CA — Whitney High). I wanted to see what a journalist would have to say about WHS after spending a year amongst the students. It definitely didn’t capture *my* high school experience but that’s not what it’s about. Instead, the book is a study about the reasons for Whitney’s success and why its students do so well. It’s an interesting read.
05. A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray, 432 p
This was recced to me by Sarah. It was a much darker book than I thought it would be but I loved it. My only complaint is that some things aren’t fully explained (ie. the purpose of the Order and what Gemma means to them) but I assume that’s because this book was always meant to have a sequel. I don’t know if I can wait for Rebel Angels to be released in paperback — I want some answers!

Right now I’m reading another Nelson DeMille book called Spencerville. So far, so good. 🙂

book challenge 2005

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Even though I failed miserably at the Book Challenge last year, I may as well post an update…

October
28. In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner, 521 p
I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would… pretty much only because I didn’t like Maggie (one of the 2 main characters). At all. (Haven’t seen the movie but this is Cameron Diaz’s character). I really liked Rose, though (played by Toni Collette), so her journey was what carried me through the book. Good story about sisters finally coming to an understanding about one another.

November
29. Good In Bed by Jennifer Weiner, 375 p
Yes, another Jennifer Weiner book. I like her writing style! Lots of character description and background information. Anyway, this wasn’t your typical chick-lit book. It’s a “happy” story but there are a lot of bumps in the road, and one that I definitely didn’t expect. Recommended.

… And that’s it for 2005. Sad, huh? Only 29 books!

I think I’d still like to keep track of the books I read this year but maybe not push myself to read 50. I at least want to read more than 29 books! Hee. With that said, here’s what I’ve read in 2006 so far…

January
01. The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella, 371 p
I read the entire book in about 2 hours. I really liked Samantha (thank goodness, Becky from Kinsella’s Shopaholic series has started to get on my nerves) and her situation felt real. But for some reason, I felt really indifferent about Nathaniel (Samantha’s love interest). Normally, I love all the romance! But yeah, he just didn’t do anything for me. Fun read anyway.

02. Up Country by Nelson DeMille, 576 p
AMAZING book. A co-worker let me borrow this book and I really had no idea what to expect. It kinda reminds me of a detective version of John Grisham’s legal novels. Anyway, this particular book is about a retired Army Criminal Investigations officer who is asked to return to Vietnam (he’s a veteran) in order to investigate one more (but highly important) case. Really suspenseful and intriguing book. There was maybe a little too much description of Vietnam (the terrain, geography, weather, etc.) but it made sense since we were seeing it all again through Paul’s eyes. Highly recommended.

Next up… another Nelson DeMille book. My co-worker’s going to surprise me.
Yay books. 😀

july-sept books

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It doesn’t look like I’ll be finishing the 50 Book Challenge. I barely hit the halfway point! 🙁 I thought this would be easier than it is — if only I had enough money to buy books every week. I really should get myself to a library but I have a problem when it comes to returning books. Heh.

Brief thoughts and possible spoilers? I’ll be vague.

July
19. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling, 652p
My initial review is over here. I’m sure I’m going to reread this book. Probably when Potter mania hits in November. 😀
20. I Do But I Don’t by Cara Lockwood, 335 p
Chick lit. Was one of my impulse bargain book purchases. A wedding planner, an obnoxious bride, and mistaken identities…

August
21. Every Boy’s Got One by Meg Cabot, 328 p
I normally love Meg Cabot’s books but this one was a little disappointing. I loved the back and forth banter between the heroine and her object of affection… it’s just that the whole scenario of the two of them being thrown together was waaaayyy too fast. The entire book took place within the span of a week!
22. Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum, 535 p
Whoa, totally different from the movie! That was my first impression. 🙂 But seriously, this book took me forever to get through (a few months — how embarrassing!). Part of the problem was the small font (my eyes were killing me when reading). But really, I’m blaming the story. It was intense. Like the kind of intense that you just have to put the book down because you can’t take it anymore. Phew. Anyway, I did enjoy the book (once I finally finished it) and I’ve already picked up The Bourne Supremacy. I’m sure that’ll take me another few months.

September
23. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling, 870 p
Re-read.
24. Shopaholic and Sister by Sophie Kinsella, 352 p
The novelty of the Shopaholic series is gone. I loved Rebecca in the first 2 books but after her wedding in the third book and now her adventures of meeting her sister in this fourth book, I’m tired. She drives me crazy with her shopping and rationalizations and just plain selfishness. I hope this series is over cause I know I’ll be tempted to read the next one. Still love Luke, though. *swoon* Is it weird to love a fictional character? 🙂
25. The Dirty Girls Social Club by Alisa-Valdes Rodriguez, 308 p
More chick lit (I’ve resorted to chick lit because it is *much* faster for me to get through). This time about a group of friends in their late twenties and their respective lives, loves, and careers. This was a little more substantial that the “typical” chick lit I read. It was even a little depressing (or maybe it’s just realistic), especially with regards to relationships.
26. Goddess For Hire by Sonia Singh, 305 p
This book was recommended to me by a co-worker. It’s about a 30 year old woman (with no direction in life) who suddenly finds out that she’s a Hindu goddess destined to fight evil. Very Buffy the Vampire Slayer-ish. Cute.

October
27. The Boy Next Door by Meg Cabot, 374 p
Found this for $4.98 on the bargain table at Barnes & Noble. Score! This was the last of the ‘Boy’ books that I had to read. Enjoyed it (as usual) but again, the resolution came way too quickly for me. Or maybe it’s that the pacing of the book seemed too fast. I guess that can attributed to the format (it’s written through a series of emails exchanged between the characters) — everything seems like no time has passed since there’s no actual descriptions of anything. I believe the book actually spans six months but while reading, I could have sworn it was only a few weeks.

I’ve been seeing lots of commercials for that movie In Her Shoes with Cameron Diaz and Toni Collette… makes me want to read the book (the movie looks… okay). Maybe that’ll be my next read? I also want to try Meg Cabot’s Mediator series (recced by Sarah). Hmmm.