Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (audio)

Nothing gives me more pleasure than to review my absolute FAVORITE Harry Potter book of the seven...Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. For those of you that have seen the movie (which I think is the best movie of them all as well...compliments to Alfonso Cuaron), here is where the book and movie start to part ways. The differences are mainly in the details, but important details nonetheless.

Why is this book my favorite? There are so many reasons...so I thought that instead of giving you the old blow-by-blow, which you probably already know anyway, I would offer a list of things I love about Year #3:

Hagrid's Monster Book of Monsters - amazing imagery. A book with eyes and teeth, that must be held together by a belt to protect life and limb? One that you have to stroke its spine to calm? I want one!

Chocolate - All of the sudden, chocolate is now the remedy of choice for all kinds of boo-boos. I've always believed this to be true. Who's with me?

The Dementors - With the introduction of the Dementors, things start to take a dark turn. As the guardians of Azkaban, they "infest the darkest filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope and happiness out of the air around them". And the ultimate punishment, the Dementor's kiss? "The Dementor puts back its hood and clamps its jaws on the mouth of the victim and sucks out his soul, leaving him an empty shell, alive but completely, irretrievably gone". Deliciously terrifying. Give me the Orcs over the Dementors anyday.

Buckbeak - Half bird, half horse, prideful but loyal pet of Hagrid's that unleashes a little whoop-ass on Malfoy. I'm attached to this animal, and my heart warms every time it makes its appearance in future installments.

When Hermione also unleashes some whoop-ass on Malfoy - The kid is detestable, and deserves what he gets. Strangely, I read in an interview somewhere that the actor that plays Malfoy (Tom Felton) is actually one of the nicest guys on the set. Go figure.

The Truth begins to be revealed - We start to get some satisfying answers to questions that have haunted Harry and his readers...about his parents' death, about his parents' true friends and enemies. It becomes a little clearer who is on whose side...

Harry finds family with Sirius Black - Harry has always been an orphan, even in his Aunt and Uncle's home. He has nowhere to go on holidays, and relies on his friends to remember his birthday and offer gifts at Christmas. So when he is reunited with his godfather, I get a lump in my throat.

I've always felt that after Year #3, things grow permanently dark. No longer can Harry ignore his fate, and things begin to get deadly. So whenever I re-read the series, I always pause at this moment and savor the moment. Something wicked this way comes...

5 out of 5 stars

A Challenge Honoring My Youth!

It IS the rule that if I finish a challenge, I get to start a new one. And I have kicked a few challenges to the curb lately, I have! Well, these days we are rolling in a wealth of new challenge "opportunities". What the heck am I going to do in January????? A perfect example of the latest temptation is the Shelf Discovery Challenge, hosted by Julie at Booking Mama.

Shelf Discovery is a recently-published book that seems to have taken the reading world (especially a demographic of women who were teens in the '80's) by storm. All those delicious books that formed our young, malleable minds...you know the ones...are all listed and honored in this publication. The pisser for me is that I have not yet even read the darned thing, but I've done enough research to know what nostalgic trips I'd like to take. It didn't take me long to come up with a list of 10 that I need to read between now and April 30, 2010. Here they are:

1. Are You There God, It's Me Margaret - Judy Blume

2. Wifey - Judy Blume

3. Forever - Judy Blume

4. Go Ask Alice - Anonymous

5. Then Again Maybe I Won't - Judy Blume

6. A Little Princess - Frances Hodgson Burnett

7. Little House on the Praire - Laura Ingalls Wilder

8. Summer of My German Soldier - Bette Greene

9. Flowers in the Attic - V.C. Andrews

10. A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle


It will be interesting to see if the books measure up to the big, larger-than-life monstrosities that live in my memories. My mom did recently discover my ORIGINAL Margaret book, with the back cover torn off from being passed around to all my friends, with yellowed pages. I read it, then my daughter read it, and it was absolutely wonderful. I knew the thing, even this many years later, almost line by line. For this purpose, though, I will read it again.

I need this challenge like I need the swine flu, but I just can't pass it up. Come on, join me on this one. Grab your flashlights and read under the covers. It will be just like old times!

Wordless Wednesday - Zakopane #5

Next to the little sheep farm that we encountered on a hike in a Polish National Forest (pictured last week), we found this little hut, where a sweet old lady was making cheese! This is not your run of the mill cheese, it is a wonderful nutty, chewy smoked cheese that I could eat every day of my life. If things ever get overwhelming, I fantasize about doing this for a living.

For more Wordless Wednesday photos, click here.

RIP Challenge Wrap-Up

Why don't we all pause for a moment to applaud Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings for hosting this most excellent challenge! This was my first experience with the RIP reading extravaganza, and I lost my head a bit. First of all, I got all excited and jumpy and immediately signed up for the four book deal, thinking it was a year-long challenge (I know, I know, it makes no sense). But as I like to say, in for a dime, in for a dollar. What the hell.

I had a long list of books just sitting around, waiting to fulfill my RIP duties. As it turns out, I did not read four books for the challenge, I read NINE. Granted, not all the reviews were posted by the end of October (the last one is scheduled to be published November 13th) but I read them in the proper time frame, so I figure it counts. Do you think Carl would do another RIP in April? And make it last for four months? Better yet, maybe he COULD do one for a full 12 months! Here were the books I read for the challenge:

Meggie's Remains - Joanne Sundell

Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier (Discussions here and here)
The Seance - John Harwood

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson

The Uninvited - Steven LaChance

The Angel's Game - Carlos Ruiz Zafon (coming 11/10)

Her Fearful Symmetry - Audrey Niffenegger (coming 11/12)

The BoneMan's Daughters - Ted Dekker (coming 11/13)

I thoroughly enjoyed this challenge, and am preparing already for next year. Thanks a million Carl!

Lena - Jacqueline Woodson

A few weeks ago, I read and reviewed my very first Jacqueline Woodson book, "I Hadn't Meant to Tell You This" (a recommendation from Natasha and Amy). Beautiful in its simplicity, it told a story of a well-to-do black girl, Marie, living in a black community, who befriends the new girl, Lena. Because Lena is white, she is ostracized by most of the kids, but she and Marie find common ground by both being motherless. Lena soon reveals to Marie that her father has been molesting her for years, and, at the end of the book, he even begins molesting Lena's younger sister Dion. (In order to review "Lena", I must tell you what happens at the end of this book. I don't think it would minimize the book at all, but if you detest spoilers of any kind, stop reading now and know that you must read both books, and you will be compelled to read them together! )

So anyway, back to where I was...In order to survive, Lena and Dion leave without a trace. Marie is broken-hearted and worried for her friend. Will she ever see her again? Where did they go, and what happened to their father?

According to Jacqueline Woodson's website, she had not intended to write a sequel to "I Hadn't Meant to Tell You This", but after receiving a barrage of letters begging for closure, she acquiesced. "Lena" tells you of Lena and Dion's fate after leaving their father.

Feeling like they had no other choice, the girls hit the road. They cut their hair to resemble boys. Lena wraps an ace bandage around her chest, and wears baggy flannel shirts. And they hitchhike their way towards Kentucky, destined for a small town where Lena and Dion's mother was born. Surely there will be people there to take them in and offer them a home. They sleep in hospital waiting rooms and in the woods. They accept rides only from seemingly trustworthy people. While they have devised a tall tale to satisfy adult suspicions, their guise is transparent. Lena and Dion meet all walks of life on their journey, and are blessed with their charity and caring hearts. When they accept a ride from an elderly black woman, someone Dion initially didn't trust because of her skin color, their lives are changed forever. And that's all I'm going to say about that!

While this sequel doesn't necessarily hit the high mark that its predecessor did, it must be read. You will not be satisfied to leave the story lie with "I Hadn't Meant to Tell You This". While our narrator in the first book is Marie, we get a turn at hearing from Lena in this novel, and is a treat. Lena is a girl full of spirit, a survival instinct and a deep, protective love for her sister. She is a vivid and admirable character. And I'm thinking that if the first book made you cry, this one will get you too, in the end.

4 out of 5 stars

Monday Movie Meme - Sleeping with the fishes

Today's Monday Movie Meme from the Bumbles is all about mobsters. Did any of you see any wee mobsters out last night gunning for candy? I know I didn't. I saw butterflies, Star Wars characters and more than a few superheroes, but no Tony Montana! I think most parents would draw the line somewhere in there. Mobsters are pretty brutal, but oh are they fun to watch at the movies! Here are a few of my all-time (I'm talking dozens of viewings in the Nawrot household) mob movies:

The Godfather 1 and 2 - I am being pretty specific here, because the third one blew. This is cinematic euphoria in my book...Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, and Marlon Brando. These two movies would definitively fall in my top 10 movie list.

Scarface - yes, I like Al Pacino. And a little healthy gratuitous violence and language. This movie is SO over-the-top, with so many quotable lines, I never tire of watching it. The guns! The drugs! The accents! I understand that I may have something wrong with me, as I've not met many women that can stomach it.

Goodfellas - Another classic, with phenomenal performances by DeNiro, Joe Pesci and Ray Liotta, directed by Scorsese. When it comes to classic mobsters, this is up there with The Godfather, plus (added bonus) it is based on a true story of Henry Hill, the oft call-in visitor of Howard Stern back in the days.

Eastern Promises - No way I can walk away from this one. The plot surrounding the Russian mafia is OK, but you will not be able to shake the vision of my dear Viggo, tattooed from head to toe, in the nude, in a bathhouse, fighting for his life. Dude has got it all going on.

Pulp Fiction - More gratuitous violence ala Quentin Tarantino. Is is just me, or did this movie just blow your mind? At the time, I'd never seen anything quite so fresh, so bizarre, and just so...cool.


This is a genre that I could talk about for hours. If it weren't late at night, I might have added more, like Kill Bill, Chinatown, The Usual Suspects or Reservoir Dogs. So lay it on me! Which are your favorites?

Sunday Salon: Back in the Saddle

Howdy Ho, Sunday Saloners! As you may have noticed by my sluggish and spotty comments recently, I arrived home Thursday from almost a week of fun and frivolity with my high school friends. It is almost impossible for me to express my feelings about this trip in words. Bonding 24/7 with three other ladies who knew me back when I was an idiot (and still love me) was something close to a spiritual experience. Add in the Bahamas, shopping and just a wee bit of imbibing, and it doesn't get any better. I came home mellow and at peace, and feeling slightly lazy. And none of this would have happened had it not been for my mom flying down to take care of the kids while I was away. Thanks mom!















Shari, Me, Kim, and Julie "assuming the position" at the bar


In between all the talking and drinking and eating, we did put in 15 miles towards Trish's 100 Mile Fitness Challenge, bringing my numbers up to 66 total miles. At this point, unless I break my leg or something, I think it is safe to say that I should hit the 100 mile mark in about two or three weeks. The question then becomes...can I hit 200? I might be able to motivate myself to hit this number if we could get a tiny break on the weather. We're setting records again here in Florida. Trick-or-treating in the high 80 degree heat is just plain wrong.

I brought my iPod with me on the cruise and never touched it. Too much yakking. I am in the middle of listening to "The Night Watch" by Sarah Waters, and to be honest, it really isn't tripping my trigger. I will forge ahead, though, and maybe it will turn around. I did have some time to read, and finished "Mating Rituals of the North American WASP" by Lauren Lipton for my Random Reading Challenge. This was a cute, light book that was perfect for my current state of mind. I also started "Laura Rider's Masterpiece" by Jane Hamilton (also for my Random Reading Challenge) and am about halfway through that.

While I was away, I celebrated my one year bloggiversary. I'm still amazed that I'm still sitting here reading and typing away a year later. My husband shook his head at me when I originally approached him with the idea of blogging, and he is still shaking his head now. He thinks I have balance issues. He's probably right. I received William Faulkner's "The Sound and the Fury" as a bloggiversary gift from my blogging buddies Molly and Andy (The Bumbles), as it is one of Molly's favorites. This was such a sweet gesture, and I'm touched!

Also while I was away, I received "The Good Good Pig: The Extraordinary Life of Christopher Hogwood" by Sy Montgomery from the library. I'd read a couple of reviews and I just couldn't help myself. I raised pigs when I was young, and they were a constant source of amusement. Pigs are full of spirit and mischief (unlike cows which are really dumb), and I knew I would get a total kick out of this book. It is next on the list.

Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday!