The Ghosts of Hogwarts

I have finished my PhD, woohoo! As I am currently looking for a job, I don't have much to occupy my days and so I thought it was high time I return to the blog.

Let's dive straight back in where we left off so long ago!

I'm quite looking forward to this chapter, because it features one of my favourite scenes from the book - the Deathday Party.

We're still here...promise!

So, it's been a full 3 months since we last posted and a lot has happened in that time. First of all, Happy New Year everyone!

Corrie and I originally set out to review the Harry Potter series book by book, hoping to dedicate just one month per volume. This turned out to be not so easy - I honestly completely underestimated just how much time and effort goes into not only reading and analyzing a text, but also writing about it! Plus, I underestimated just how much we still had to say about the books we've read and discussed so many times before.

The seven months came and went and we're not even through Book 2. This is slightly disappointing, I'm not gonna lie, but I don't want it to drag us down. We may have failed in meeting our own deadline, but I think we succeeded in looking at the books critically.

I, for one, hope to continue writing about Harry Potter. I will hold off of making any promises as to how long it will take. Things in both of our lives are pretty busy and up in the air, so I can't guarantee that we will be updating the blog regularly - but we will be updating.

I think it's also probable that not all of the posts will be Harry Potter related. We are reading other books, as well, and hope to analyze those also - just not as in depth as with the Harry Potter series! At least, not yet... For example, I have recently re-discovered Outlander (or Cross Stitch, in the UK) by Diana Gabaldon and am also trying to make my way through War and Peace.

Finally, thank you to any readers who are still following this blog. We hope to have new posts for you soon!

Until next time,

Lucia

Weekly Roundup

I promise we haven't abandoned the blog! I know it may look like it, since we were posting so regularly in November, but we've both been busy the past two weeks.

My Bookshelf, Part 3

I'd like to take a quick detour from Harry Potter and return to My Bookshelf series because, this past weekend we had a slight re-shuffle at home.

That's right, everyone, our IKEA order finally arrived and we spent Sunday doing some DIY.

Weekly Roundup

I'm a bit late with the Weekly Roundup - November has been really gloomy and I've been trying to cheer myself up by meeting up with old friends and new (which has been lovely!), but have not found much time for blogging. This means I'm still behind on my challenge and I'm not sure if I will be able to catch up! Oh well.

What's been happening in the last week?

Quidditch and Detention

I got all excited, thinking this is the chapter when we meet Moaning Myrtle, but then I realized there is another 'meh' chapter before then.

Let's just get right down to it, shall we...

The Ineptitude of Gilderoy Lockhart

At times like these, when the world just seems like such an cruel and scary place, I like to escape inside a book. I haven't had a chance to do that today, as I had experiments to run during the day, but I'm happy now to flick through Chamber of Secrets and find comfort in the old and familiar.

The Recklessness of Harry and Ron

Chapter 5 is tricky - reading it as a child I remember really liking it and thinking it was very brave of Harry and Ron to fly all the way to Hogwarts, but as an adult I just think it's super reckless and I disapprove of their behaviour.

As Corrie said when she reviewed this chapter a few days ago, this post will be full of criticisms.

Weekly Roundup

It has been a busy week on the blog, as you can probably tell with all the activity on our Facebook Group and our Twitter feed. If you would like regular updates on our posts, please do join either of these groups!

The Arrogance of Lucius Malfoy

It is full steam ahead here on Read All the Things these days, as both Corrie and I endeavor to blog every day. I am glad to see we are doing so well - it's only been a week and already we've managed 13 posts!

With that in mind, here are my thoughts on Harry's misadventures in Knockturn and Diagon Alley.

My Bookshelf, Part 2

The original plan for this weekend was for the lovely boyfriend and I to go on an IKEA adventure to buy new bookcases. However, the weather yesterday was truly crap and the general logistics of carrying two bookcases across London escaped us, so we decided to make use of modern technology and simply order the furniture online and have it delivered to us. No pain, but much gain.

The Kindness of the Weasleys

Looks like Corrie and I are neck-and-neck in our review of Chamber of Secrets, but I am sure that we will pick up on different things and discuss different topics - which is what makes this whole challenge so great!

My Bookshelf, Part 1

It is a testament, I think, to how little I care for Chamber of Secrets that I can't go two consecutive days writing about it. Reading back over my previous blog post, I think my frustration with the book is pretty clear.

For that reason, and in keeping with my promise of writing about books, I have opted to start a multi-part segment about the contents of my bookshelf.

The Cruelty of the Dursleys

Right, enough about audiobooks, it's time to go back to the original challenge - reviewing the Harry Potter series.

And so, without further ado, let's see what J.K. Rowling had to say about Harry's summer holiday.

I have subscribed to Audible

So far, it's been an unbelievably lazy day for me. I was up until 3am writing my blog post about Jane Eyre (which came in at a whopping 1265 words!), in an attempt to stay on track with the challenge and not fall behind as soon as I start.

A late night turned into a late morning and I didn't make it into the office until very late (like, so late I won't even tell you the time). Since then I have been sending emails, sorting out some home things and thinking hard and long about my newest hobby - audiobooks.

Audiobook Adventures, Part 1

A very good friend of mine swears by audiobooks and has been recommending them to me for years. 

While I am no stranger to the idea of audiobooks, the only ones I have listened to and enjoyed have, unsurprisingly, been the Harry Potter books as narrated by Stephen Fry. Having thoroughly enjoyed reading A Short History of Nearly Everything and At Home I have, in the past, tried listening to Bill Bryson's Made in America but gave up after only half an hour as I wasn't enjoying the subject matter. After finishing A Game of Thrones, and because I like the HBO adaptation, I also tried listening to A Clash of Kings but found the narrator's voice highly annoying and so stopped that as well after only a few chapters.

But, following a late-night conversation over an excellent (if I do say so myself) glass of vodka martini during which I was yet again urged to subscribe to Audible, I acquiesced and downloaded a book I have been wanting to read for a while.

Weekly Roundup

To be honest, I'm not sure which week we're on in the challenge but one thing is for sure - the blog has been quiet of late. Turns out maintaining a blog is not as easy as I thought it would be - I honestly don't know how Corrie manages it!

In any case, the challenge continues and in an effort to get the blog back on track, I have devised a plan - as ambitious as ever.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

It's finally here - with only a three month delay, no less. Oh well, better late than never, right? Without further ado, let us finally venture into the pages of Book 2 of our challenge.

Hiatus (hopefully) Over

Dear readers,

we are so sorry for the radio silence for the past month. Life has thrown a few curve-balls at us with moving house and business trips galore. But, I think our schedules are slightly less hectic and we will be resuming regular updates next week.

I have tried to keep up with the reading schedule and am happy to report that I am currently starting Chapter 25 of Goblet of Fire. I will admit to cheating a bit - I listened to the audio books of Prisoner of Azkaban and Goblet of Fire to be able to keep up. Book 3 kept my lovely boyfriend and me company during our roadtrip a few weeks ago.

Despite being a few months weeks behind on blogging about the books, I intend to go back to Chamber of Secrets and write reviews of all the chapters, as originally planned. This means that while I will hopefully finish reading all of the books by the end of December, the reviews might take longer. Oh well, such is life.

Until next time,
Lucia

Week 10 Roundup

We are mid-way through August, which is the third month of our Harry Potter Challenge. Yesterday I posted the last review of Book 1 and this week I hope to review the first 3 chapters of Chamber of Secrets.