Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. By: J.K. Rowling

Yes I finished two books this weekend. :) Anyone proud of me? I know I am. Well for those who know me well, knows I love fantasy books. So of course I would love this series. I will admit when it first came out I didn't know anything about it. I think I might have seen my niece reading it or my mom. Anyway I didn't become interested in Harry Potter till my sister bought the first movie and we watched it. After that I was hooked. I read books 1-4 in a little over a month and eagerly awaited book 5. I did the harry potter parties at Barnes and Noble with my friend and then read the 5th book in 3 days. HIGHLY unusual for me. For the 6th book I was out of the country but I was once again at Barnes and Noble at midnight for the release of the 7th book. Which I dragged a slightly annoyed husband to. But was later annoyed myself when he wanted me to wait and finish book 6 with him so that we could read book 7 together. :p
The point of my rambling is if you haven't read this series yet due to all the "fandoms" and all the excitement that they create I would say I was exactly like you early on and I was missing out.
here is a summary of the book from Amazon:

"The Dursleys were so mean and hideous that summer that all Harry Potter wanted was to get back to the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. But just as he’s packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange, impish creature named Dobby who says that if Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike.

And strike it does. For in Harry’s second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor, Gilderoy Lockhart, a spirit named Moaning Myrtle who haunts the girls’ bathroom, and the unwanted attentions of Ron Weasley’s younger sister, Ginny.

But each of these seem minor annoyances when the real trouble begins, and someone — or something — starts turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects… Harry Potter himself!"

The Magicians Nephew

The Magicians Nephew. By: C.S. Lewis

I have mentioned on her before that my husband and I like to read to each other. We use to commute an hour to and from to work everyday. That's how we read Harry Potter together, the Shannara Series and so forth. After I had our baby and wasn't driving with him as much we stopped. But we both really missed it and decided to start again. He has never read the Chronicles of Narnia so we decided to start. Well after a long time (since we don't drive as much) we finished this tonight on our way back from a birthday party. I really enjoyed reading this again especially with my hubby. Our baby girl seemed to enjoy listening to me read the story out loud as well.
Anyway for those of you who don't know The Magicians Nephew is the 1st book in C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia and starts off with the story of Digory and Polly and how they were able to not only enter into the land of Narnia. But to see it's creation and help this new world get started. I am a Christian and I know C.S. Lewis was a christian although he didn't like the idea of organized religion. I with a lot of other people can see the symbolism in these books and how they relate to our Lord and Savior as well as our Heavenly Father.I feel like reading them is like being in Sunday school. I know this idea has stirred up some heated controversy. But I do see this in his books. And that's just my opinion. But religious or not this book has a wonderful story line and can help spark the imagination in anyone.

Hans Christian Anderson

Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales

I love fairy tales have ever since I was a kid. So when I got a compilation of Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales on MP3. I was pretty excited. But I have to say a lot of his stories were rather depressing. I actually had to stop listening for the day just to try and do something a little more cheerful. I like some of the concepts but Wow I had no idea. A few of the stories I listened to were...

Shoes of Fortune
The Fur Tree
the Snow Queen
the Leap Frog
Elder Bush
The Bell
The Little Mermaid
and more

Dracula

Dracula by Bram Stoker

"A dreary castle, blood-thirsty vampires, open graves at midnight, and other gothic touches fill this chilling tale about a young Englishman's confrontation with the evil Count Dracula. A horror romance as deathless as any vampire, the blood-curdling tale still continues to hold readers spellbound a century later."

I went into this book not really know what to expect other than a traditional vampire story. I was a little shocked to see that it was all written from the characters point of view in journal format. I questioned it at first but found myself drawn in to each character just like I would any other book. In fact maybe even a little more so. Due to the fact that the characters would "write" things of a more personal and private nature. So you got to know them better then the other characters knew them. This wasn't the horror book that I had expected and I am actually very grateful for that. I am not someone who copes with horror well in any form. So this book was actually pretty perfect. I really enjoyed it and I am happy to check it off my "Classics to read" list. On to the next. :)

Forget Me Not

Forget me not  By: Dieter F. Uchtdorf

This is a book based off a talk that President Uchtdorf gave at an lds general conference. It is a book that talks about the forget me not flower and how we can use it as a symbol of the Lords Love for us. He talks about the 5 petals that are on the forget me not flower and the 5 things we need to remember when we see the forget me not flower. I REALLY love this book. It is a great short read for those days when you are feeling down. He helps remind you of just how special you are in our Heavenly Fathers eyes. It is directed towards women but I think it's a great read for anyone.

"You are closer to heaven than you suppose. You are destined for more than you can possibly imagine. Inspired by the five petals of the tiny forget-me-not flower, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf reminds us of five things we would be wise never to forget: to be patient with ourselves; to distinguish between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice; to be happy now; to focus on the why of the gospel; and to know that the Lord loves each of us infinitely. Our journey toward perfection may be long, but we can find wonder and delight in even the tiniest steps in that journey. Like the forget-me-nots, our successes may seem tiny to us and may often go unnoticed by others, but God notices them and they are not small to Him."

Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone

Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, By: J.K. Rowling

First off, NO this is not my first time reading this book. In fact I cant tell you how many times I have read it because I have lost count. :p However it has been awhile since I have read this series so I decided it was time to start reading it again. The WHOLE series not just a select few books. Anyway if you haven't read this series it is DEFINITELY a must read. This story is a great read for any age.

Here is the story:

Harry Potter has no idea how famous he is. That's because he's being raised by his miserable aunt and uncle who are terrified Harry will learn that he's really a wizard, just as his parents were. But everything changes when Harry is summoned to attend an infamous school for wizards, and he begins to discover some clues about his illustrious birthright. From the surprising way he is greeted by a lovable giant, to the unique curriculum and colorful faculty at his unusual school, Harry finds himself drawn deep inside a mystical world he never knew existed and closer to his own noble destiny.

Leven Thumps

Leven Thumps and the Eyes of the Want. By: Obert Skye

This series has taken me a long time to get thorough. It is an interesting read. Interesting is the only word I can think of. It's not difficult but it's not one of those that I can put down. But it intrigues me. This is book 3 in the series. I really like this series, like I said it intrigues me. Here is what the author said about this book.

"Foo — the place between the possible and the impossible — is a realm inside the minds of each of us that allows mankind the power to hope and imagine and dream. The powerfully gifted Leven Thumps, once an ordinary fourteen-year-old boy from Oklahoma, has been retrieved from Reality and sent to stop those in Foo who are nurturing dark dreams and plan to invade and rule Reality.
At the end of book two, with the help of Leven, Geth was restored from a toothpick to his former self, a great lithen who travels by fate. Winter suffered the loss of her gift — the power to freeze things. Will her new vulnerability be too much to bear? Leven was attacked by the Whispered Secret, and now the Secret has escaped, ready to tell the whole of Foo how sycophants die. Will Leven find Clover before it’s too late?
Hold on to your popcorn! In book three, the war to unite Foo and Reality has begun. Not only must Leven race across Foo to stop the Secret before the deadly truth is revealed, he must travel to the island of Lith, the home of the Want — the manic dreammaster who can give Leven the gifts he needs against a foreboding army of rants and other Foo beings.
If you are willing and have the courage, you’re invited for the next adventure in book three, Leven Thumps and the Eyes of the Want. Travel to Sycophant Run, survive the Lime Sea, and discover a new gateway to Foo and a threat beneath the soil. The fooseeable adventure will keep Foo fans captivated and wanting more!"