Reviewing the last 4 children's books that I read

 Hello friends!

So, being a mom of a 5-year-old boy I read quite a few children's books, so I decided to talk about a couple of the latest ones we read and really enjoyed.

1. 
   "The Gruffalo's Child", by Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler (Illustrator):                I understand that this book is part of a series, but I haven't read any of the other books in the series, so I can only talk about this one for now. Father Gruffalo warns his child about the big, scary mouse, but baby Gruffalo still goes searching for it. Is the mouse really that big, bad, and scary, though? This is a fun story about the cute, little adventure of Gruffalo's child. The story is simple and fun, the rhyming patterns are nice and easy to follow, the illustrations are very cute and unique and my son couldn't stop talking about it, so it was a 4* rating for me! I would like to try the other ones in the series as well.

"Avatar The Last Airbender: Team Avatar Tales" || A mini book review

Hello book friends!

I'm continuing with the ATLA comic books and today I'm here with a short review of "Team Avatar Tales". If you want to know what I thought of the previous comic book in the series ("The Rift"), you can check my full review here.

This is a collection of mini team Avatar stories that occur after the events of the show and in between the other "main" comic books. Some of the stories are just pure fun and enjoyment and some others carry a bit of a theme or a moral message in them. This is one of the weaker comic books in the avatar universe. It was fun and entertaining, but surely not as good as the others. I rated it 3*, because I didn't love it as much as the others, but it was still fun.

The strongest stories were "Rebound" (Mai's story) which, as I understand, also becomes pretty relevant later on in the story (what with Kei Lo's appearance and Mai standing up to her father and taking her little brother away), and "Sisters" (Ty Lee's story) which seems to play an important role in her character development and her overall arc. The funniest one was probably "Toph and the Boulder". "Origami" was sweet and nostalgic. "Shells" was classic kickass Suki being cool and empowering! The rest of the stories were not as good, but still okay.

The illustrations in this one do not follow the familiar pattern that most of the other main comic books use, instead, it follows the "Lost adventures style" of having many new and different styles of illustrations between stories. I didn't love all of the illustrations equally, some were better than others, but it is always fun and refreshing to see the new styles and have a bit of variety. 

It was a nice, fun read, but nothing great and with the exception of Mai's and Ty Lee's story you wouldn't really miss much if you skipped it and just went on with the rest of the comic books. The only two stories that add anything to the overall plot and characters are "Rebound" and "Sisters" and the others aren't necessary to the overall universe. You could go on reading the rest of the comic books and skip this one without really missing much, but if you want to see more of the characters you love and you don't mind, you could still enjoy it. 

Thank you for reading!

Are there good and bad books? || Book-shaming || A Book talk

 

Hello everyone,

I'm back with a discussion topic that is as old as time, yet new for this blog. 

Reading is one of the most beneficial activities that an individual can pick. It's one of the activities that always has something to offer more than just pure entertainment, whether that is learning fresh vocabulary and new/different ways to express yourself, learning facts and skills, acquiring knowledge, or developing new ideas and views for the world, gaining empathy, understanding for others and perspective in life! The reading experience is enriching and becomes even more so the more you exercise it.

Naturally, the argument that would follow would be that not all books can offer you the same and that some books may be beneficial as if you've not read anything at all. Or that certain types of books don't really count because they are too short, too childish, too funny or you haven't physically read them, so they're not as much of an experience. This could not be further from the truth! The truth is that reading all kinds of books in whichever way or form they may be, is still consuming books, you still invest your time and attention, you still take in all its contents, you still have the ability to understand and process it in your mind, you can still think about it, overanalyze it, talk about it with others, and make it the center of conversations, you have still taken everything in. And the truth is that fully and successfully consuming whichever book in whichever form can very rarely be not beneficial, not informative, not enlightening, not entertaining, and not helpful in any way.

There is much prejudice when it comes to reading choices. Some genres are considered to be inherently lesser than others, and it has recently come to my attention that this bias extends to not just genres, but also forms of books (e-Books, audiobooks, etc.). If you've been a reader for a while then you are no stranger to ideas like: "only classics are serious books", "listening to audiobooks doesn't count as reading", "comic books are stupid and have nothing to offer", "non-fiction books are boring", etc. We all like to lie to ourselves about such prejudice and pretend that we are above it, that we do not care, and that we are free spirits. But the truth is that at one point or the other anyone might be guilty of it whether willingly or not and most readers have at some point been subjected to it. We're surrounded by it so it's not always easy to avoid it.

Reading tastes and preferences are strictly personal and they shouldn't be criticized and/or laughed at. Yet, we continue to see that reading preferences are often not only criticized, compared (with other, theoretically better choices), and looked down upon, but are also being immediately associated with the reader. In many people's minds, the types of books someone chooses to read define their personality and character. Please, don't get me wrong it is true that what we choose to read does correlate to some extent to our lives, personalities, interests, and experiences and we certainly do tend to pick things that we can relate to. But, this is definitely not a one-way road, and to take it to the extreme where every single book you may pick is immediately connected do your whole identity is irrelevant and absurd. 

For one thing, human beings are not one-sided, they are not defined by one single quality or trait. Nor are all people the same, fitting into defined little boxes. Human beings are multi-dimensional, they have many sides, various depths, and layers and they are usually more complex than what could be narrowed down to a few words or a couple of choices. Sure, this one book may be saying something about you, maybe you relate to this theme or character, but that cannot possibly be all you really are. We are more than just our favorite color, piece of clothing, food, more than just smart, or just athletic, or just sensitive, more than just our appearance and sexuality. All these are just some of our traits and the total of them that we carry comprises our identity. They are just small individual parts of a large and complex puzzle and just like a puzzle could not be comprised by one single piece, humans cannot possibly be just what you assume with a single glance.

For another, nobody is obligated to like and enjoy only one thing! Just because you love dark chocolate doesn't mean you won't occasionally enjoy white, just because you love action movies doesn't mean you won't occasionally enjoy a good romance and, similarly, because you love this genre of book doesn't mean you won't enjoy or want to explore other genres, authors and styles! As a matter of fact, I find it that if you are a big lover of a particular hobby, it will be nearly impossible for you to limit your choices down to only a couple of variables. We are free to enjoy many different genres and styles of works and we can definitely choose to have them in different phases of our lives, in order to express different aspects of our characters. I can't imagine how boring it would be if someone had to decide to follow one single thing (book, movie, food, style of clothing, etc) for your entire life and exclude all other different options. 

Of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion and if you want to think that one work is lesser than the other for whatever random reason then it's fine, you do you. But nobody has the right to shame, criticize or berate others, or make quick assumptions about them based off of this! Because everyone has just as much of a right to enjoy whatever they like and whatever are they want in whichever way they prefer just as much you have a right to your opinion. All people have the right to enjoy what they like better freely without being bothered. Nobody should be discouraged to read whatever they like because nobody should be discouraged from such a nice hobby, such an interesting pastime, and such an active, engaging, and enlightening activity as this of reading. On the contrary, people should be encouraged to enjoy whatever book they want without being ashamed of their choices. Readers should always feel that the reading community is a safe space and they are always welcome to it no matter what. Because even if there were such a thing as good and bad reading choices, discouraging someone from reading in general, will only lead them away from it. But if you encourage them to keep reading, they will definitely find their way back to it and they may even eventually find their way to want you to consider to be better and even if this does not happen they will surely find what's better for them.

And besides, criticizing somebody else's choices and tastes never made anyone better at anything or superior to others, quite the contrary, it shows that you are below. However, being unashamed and keeping doing what you love and specifically reading can only make you better more interesting, and raise you up to higher standards every day. Bottom line; do whatever makes you happy and don't care about what anyone else says and try not to make others feel bad for their own preferences. And while there are books that have stronger story, prose, or character than others I don't think there are universally good or bad books, only books that are good for specific readers and not so good for others. Even if there was such a concept I don't think I'd want to view the matter like this, I think I'd much rather go with the concept that there's the right book for each person. And when you find it, you will inevitably fall in love with reading!

I would love to read your opinions and experiences on this matter, so feel free to share! In the meantime, thank you for reading for one more time! 

"Blood Wedding" by Federico Garcia Lorca || Book Review

I don't usually read plays and, to be honest, I kind of avoided them for quite some time thinking that they wouldn't be my thing. This was one of the first plays I've read in general and definitely the first one I read of my own free will, and not because I had to do read it for some lesson. I'm not yet convinced whether it is something I love or not, but now I'm a lot more willing to step out of my comfort zone and give plays a try in the future. I read this a couple of years back and I thought it was fine, though not outstanding, so I never bothered writing a review about it, but recently it has been popping up in my head and this is what prompted me to write this post.

The selection of this book was completely random, it just fell in my hand at a moment when I really needed something to read and had nothing else around. I had heard of it, and it did intrigue me, but I knew nothing else about it so I went in with no expectations but with a lot of curiosity about what was coming.

It was a very fast and easy read - I read it in two sittings - mainly because it is a play and it goes by really fast, but the pacing and the rhythm of the story are excellent as well, they work and they compliment the story, since, on the one hand, the subject is quite heavy, but the plot quite simple and straight forward. So, it couldn't have been any longer and it shouldn't feel any longer either.

The first time I read it, it felt like something was missing and maybe that was just me, or maybe it's because of the form since plays are meant to be played and seen, not merely read. But I recently found myself remembering it and thinking about it. I was suddenly filled with an urge to re-read some parts of it and so I went on and read some parts that I remembered to have enjoyed. I realized that reading these small parts for the second time felt like an entirely different experience. This time around I could hear the voices distinctly, I could see the story unfolding before my eyes, almost as if actually "seeing" it, so I think that this time around I got it right.

The story itself is very intense and tragic, it tackles the conflict of love and duty, the tragedy of unfulfilled love and expectations, and the tragedy of death in the name of love and passion. Lorca uses very strong imagery that is not just about the visual enjoyment, but also very strongly symbolic, relevant, and enhancing to the theme he tries to convey each time. His writing is generally very poetic, rich in symbolism and metaphors but without it getting too heavy to read. On the contrary, even though it is a work that belongs to a different time, it reads as easily as if it was modern. It's a strange combination, but it works.

The female characters were my favorite ones, especially the mother, I just loved her lines (even though my single favorite line belongs to Leonardo*). Most of the characters don't even have a name and I have to admit this was strange for me, but again, it works. We don't really know them, but we know them. We get to know only what is important and we need to know and nothing more and there's nothing missing from them. They too symbolize something...

Overall, it was a nice first try at reading plays for me and it made me eager to try and read some more. I really liked it, but it didn't blow my mind, so I rated it with 3*.

Thanks for reading!

*"To keep quiet and burn is the greatest punishment we can heap upon ourselves. What use was pride to me and not seeing you and leaving you awake night after night? No use! It only brought the fire down on top of me! You think that time heals and walls conceal, and it’s not true, not true! When the roots of things go deep, no one can pull them up!"*

"Avatar The Last Airbender - The Rift" || Comic Book Review

Hello friends,

so if you've read my blog even once before it should come as no surprise that I'm a big ATLA fan and since I'm currently reading the comics and exploring the whole world, it seems like I have to share my thoughts and opinions about them with you! If you'd like to see what I thought about the previous story in the series ("The Search") you can check out my full review here. 

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you choose to purchase the following products I may receive a small commission without any additional cost to you. Please read my Disclaimer for more information.

Today we're talking about the next addition to the series, "The Rift"! Comparing "The rift" to "The search" and "The promise", it is not nearly as powerful and capturing. It is a nice story overall but not as good as the previous ones. Neither the premise nor the writing lives up to you the high expectations set by the previous two comic books in the series. Still, it is a nice read a very okay addition to the whole, and helps you pass your time very pleasantly.

My first thought about this trilogy is that the first book really cannot stand up to the other two as it was very slow and boring. Books two and three were more interesting and engaging. Book 2 starts to pick up slowly and the tension builds very slowly at first and then gradually faster and by the third book it rises skyward really fast and becomes interesting. A few spirits, quite a bit of action, great character dynamics and development, nice themes and messages sprinkled into them and yes Books 2 and 3 really remind the ATLA we know and love. Book three was my favorite of the three and book two was a good connection between the 1st and 3rd books. 

One of the elements I liked was the connection between Toph and Satoru; it was so cute and sweet and I think they are nice for each other. They really seem to have something going on there and I would be interested to see a bit more of it in the future they really seem to have some connection and chemistry and they seem nice for each other.

I really missed uncle Iroh and I was really happy to see him again after all this time! He was funny and his character was a fun addition.

There is one thing I really dislike about the comic books in general even the previous ones which I really loved and this is the portrayal of Sokka. They've really done our boy dirty, making him just a comic relief when we know he is more than that! He is intelligent, creative and resourceful! You don't really get to see anything of him anymore in the comics and it's irritating.

I liked the conflict between Toph and Aang and the philosophical dilemma it showed of tradition versus fresh ideas, past versus future, preserving versus creating. ATLA has a unique way of handling various serious subjects and making them a part of the world convincingly as well as passing numerous messages. And I love how the solution always lies in the balance one way or the other which after all is what the Avatar is all about.

To sum it up, "The Rift" was a nice and I had fun reading it, but I wasn't thrilled with it. I rated the 1st part 3* as it was the weakest of the three. Parts 2 and 3 I rated 4*, but none of them quite reached the 5* in my opinion. Nevertheless, very nice and enjoyable.

Thank you for reading once more! 

How to get out of a reading slump || My tips

A reading slump is one of us bookworms' worst nightmares. Suddenly, you cannot read more than a couple of pages without getting tired, bored, or distracted. Up until recently, you could devour a whole book in one sitting and now you're struggling to get through 1 book in a year. I have been there and I have been through the struggle and I know how horrible it is and how much you hate it. I was in a reading slump that lasted about 2 years. In these two years, I must have read only a handful of books and even those with difficulty. I finally managed to get out of this slump 3 years ago and to get back on my reading track, with fewer books at first and more as time passes. Not only did I get back closer to my original reading rhythm - though not to its fullest, I'm not at my zenith, but at a very good point nevertheless - but the enjoyment also came back to me. My love for books never quite left, but I did lose some of the interest and enjoyment for the procedure, but since I got back to it, I have been enjoying it more every single day, maybe even more than before! So, my friends, I'm here to share with you my small tips to help you get out of this unpleasant situation you're facing... Let's go!

• Make reading a habit. Try to read a little bit every day even if it's just a couple of pages it's still good and you're still making progress! This is my number one tip because it has helped me a great deal a few times. I start by requiring myself to read 2 pages every day. It is a small and easy task and it doesn't feel like a stressful burden and soon I find myself reading 3-4 pages without realizing and soon even more.
• Try different places and ways to read. Go to your bedroom or to the sitting room, maybe you can try reading outside at a park or a Cafe. You can try reading with music while drinking a beverage or maybe you can read while on the bus or a train to try to make your usual daily trips to work or uni less boring. The options are endless! Try something new and shake things up from what you usually do.
• Try different kinds of books to get you out of your comfort zone or on the other hand you can reread one of the books that made you fall in love with reading in the first place! Either of the two could rekindle your love for reading depending on your preference and mood.
• Try to set daily or weekly goals for yourself and see if it works for you. Tracking your progress however small could encourage you to get back on track. I find that once I've made some progress and see it written down into numbers, this makes me feel proud of myself and keeps me going.
• On the other hand, if you have been setting reading goals in the past but now you find yourself stuck, you should probably refrain from it for a while and just read without stressing yourself out about your count.  So, maybe you don't work well under pressure, maybe constantly setting goals stresses you out and is counterproductive. Reading is a wonderful pastime and more than anything else it's supposed to be fun, so relax and just enjoy it, without stressing too much about goals and word counts. (I've been in both places in the past and I found that both of these tips worked depending on my overall mood and situation in life.)
• Try to find people to talk about books! It could be your friends, it could be a book club, it could be people from social media, whatever it is give it a try see if it works!
• Finally, if nothing else seems to help, just take a break from it, do other things that you like. Just enjoy yourself and don't feel guilty for not reading! There's nothing wrong with getting a break and enjoying other activities as well. When your brain will have had its rest, I believe it will just automatically want to get back and do some reading again.

Whatever you do in the end, and however you decide to tackle this situation, it's up to you and you don't need to get frustrated. If you have any other ideas to add, new tips to suggest, feel free to comment below, I would love to read your own opinions and experiences!

Thank you for reading! Until the next time!

"Brida" by Paolo Coelho || Book Review

Going into this book I suspected I probably wouldn't like it, since it's not my usual type of book, but I still read it. Finally it's over! Now, why did I keep reading even though I disliked it from the first paragraphs? I honestly have no idea, maybe it's because I wanted to torture myself, maybe I felt guilty of DNFing a book, whatever it was I just felt I had to go through with it once I started.

And the conclusion is... I didn't like it! It gave me a hard time, I didn't enjoy it and I had to speed-read it at multiple occasions, because I desperately needed it to be over. It was mind-numbingly boring, repetitive, predictable and generally disappointing. But thankfully it's finally over and I can move on... Before I move on however, here are some of my thoughts on it...

First of all, the book is too big for its story! It needed far fewer pages to make sense, about half of it was generic and pointless rumbling that should have been cut out and leave the actual important parts do their work.

This book is the proof that a collection of beautiful and meaningful quotes - which is the only nice thing I thought this book had and that I actually enjoyed - are not enough to make a book good. The meaning of any book cannot get through to the reader simply by inspirational quotes, the story and characters have to carry it forward as well. I understand that this is not supposed to be your typical novel, but it still needs some basic elements of storytelling to work. 

Moving on, what was all this rumbling about God, why all the prayers, all the talking about Adam and Eve and what on earth where they doing in a story about witches, rituals, magical visions, reincarnation and pagan rituals??? Do they believe in a deity and which one? Does it have anything to do with their "Gifts"? Is this supposed to be the writer's attempt to say that there is only one universal higher power for everyone despite how each culture interprets it depending on their civilization and traditions? Maybe.... I cannot really tell... It tries to discuss certain philosophical matters, but I don't think it does it successfully. On the contrary, it kind of leaves you with several wtf's hanging over you...

I found myself wondering would this book even be published if it wasn't Coelho's? I doubt it. It's weak and pointless. I feel I didn't gain anything out of it and I wouldn't have missed anything if I had never read it. If anything I felt relief to finally be over with it. For all the reasons I mentioned I cannot give this book more than 1* and if I want to be honest even that feels a bit much - I would give it half a star if that was possible. 

Thanks for reading!

"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" || Book Review & Book to Movie Comparison

The "Prisoner of Azkaban" hooked me and the "Goblet of Fire" grabbed me tight and took me for a wild ride!

If you'd  like to read what I thought of the "Prisoner of Azkaban", before reading my review of "The Goblet of Fire" you can find my full review here.

I've finally read the fourth book in the series and I have to admit that it feels like a little bit of an accomplishment to finally be able to finish such a big book again. This was the largest book I have read in a while and it feels nice to finally be back and it makes me feel happy and proud of myself! Getting into this series I did not fully realize how much of a commitment it is to get into a big series like this and how much time it would take, but I realize it every day more and more. However, I have also discovered how much of an enjoyable and entertaining process it is to merge into this magical world and be able to experience it for a long time. The story itself is more engaging than I imagined and it improves with time. It is a great journey a fascinating world and I really want to get on with it.

So, anyway, to the book itself now... You've heard this phrase from me about the previous books as well, but I'm going to say it once more because it's true; this book is my favorite one from the series so far. I absolutely loved it and I'm having a tough time thinking of details and little things I didn't like about it or I did not enjoy as much. It was a great read and I liked it more than the previous books. 

Having seen the movies I already knew what this book was about and I knew that it has one of my favorite premises in the series and definitely my favorite premise so far compared to the previous books. Reading it I discovered that I indeed loved the story as much as I expected, but I also discovered that the book does a great work unraveling the story and it handles it perfectly. The pacing is perfect the rhythm of the story is great it never stops, it never gets boring, it never ties you, it keeps you turning the pages not wanting to stop. The writing is superb great as it always has been and even better.

***POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD***

First of all, this book has the best beginning! The opening scenes were all funny and crazy and generally so very much fun to read. I loved reading about Dudley's diet, about the Weasleys coming to get Harry, about the twins' pranks, and about the time they all spent together and their interactions with each other. I kept laughing and it made me eager to get into the book and read it with even more appetite! At the same time, as much as these moments were funny they were also sweet and wholesome.

Still, even though the majority of the beginning of the book was funny, playful, and keeps a generally more positive and happy tone, the actual opening scene, the very first scene is one of great suspense and mystery! The book immediately sets the tone for the whole story perfectly! You know that this is going to be a mysterious, suspenseful, and dark story. Then the lighter chapters are in their turn followed by others that are darker and this continuous alternation of scenes not only manages to change the mood accordingly but it also enhances the whole experience. 

My favorite new character in this book most definitely has to be Moody - even though it was not really him, it's actually Barty Crouch, so in the end, I'm not really sure which one of them I actually like - either way it was I still really enjoyed his existence in the story and every moment he appeared into! His lessons seemed intimidating but also epic, like I really wanted to attend them, I loved reading about his lessons, his eccentric style, and overall impressive skills but also about his general agenda and whole perspective on the other characters in the story and his overall morals. As a matter of fact, him not being Moody made him better and more interesting, if anything because it added so much depth and layer. I did feel bad though about the real Moody in the end.

I loved how they try wizard tournament was described everything was so much better in the book than in the movies and everything made more sense. The only thing I liked better in the movie was that Neville gave Harry the gillyweed, while in the book it was Dody. In my opinion, Neville giving it to Harry made more sense, since he had the book that Moody gave him and he would easily and very willingly help him. This detail also gave a little more detail to a character who later on becomes much more interesting and vital to the plot. It was a nice change in the movie. 

The part that had to do with the Yule ball I loved much more in the book than in the movie, it included more scenes, and all these scenes that lead to the actual bowl were very interesting what with all the teenage angst and love interests! I loved them and the actual bowl was also very good and very well described and I preferred the book version. It was funny, sweet, and exasperating all at the same time.

This book was the first one in the series to make me cry. Sure there were touching moments in the previous books as well, but I can't remember myself actually tearing up like I did in this one on multiple occasions. One of the scenes that shook me more than I expected was Cedric's death, it was a heart-wrenching scene and it was written perfectly. I found myself in need to pause reading because I just couldn't go on after it. Even though I knew what was coming, I was still overcome with feelings when it actually happened and in the way that it happened. It was a very powerful scene! There were many more moments that touched me both positively and negatively as well. I also cried afterward when Mrs. Weasley tried to comfort Harry, I thought it was so touching... I cried when Dumbledore spoke to Harry telling him he is brave and all that... I cried again when Dumbledore spoke in front of the school about Cedric... Starting to learn more about Neville's life was sad too... Generally, there were many scenes full of emotions that touched me in different ways, and the book as a whole had more of a sentimental impact on me than the other three before it.

I really enjoyed the scene of Voldemort coming back to life! It was creepy, scary, mysterious and it was described so vividly that it made my hair stand on edge. It was a very powerful and suspenseful scene. I also found that it was very precisely and carefully in the movie. It had to be one of my favorite scenes both in the book and the movie!

My least favorite parts of the book were Hermione with the S.P.E.W. thing; I had zero interest in it but, thankfully, overall it didn't take much time or space in the story so I could get over it and it didn't bother me really it was still one of my least favorite parts and I'm happy it wasn't included in the movie as it was unnecessary and boring. I also didn't like the character of Winky as she really annoyed me the whole time and again I was glad she wasn't included in the movie. Rita Skeeter was so much nastier in the book! In the movie, she is just there being annoying, but in the book, she is straight-up horrible! I have to admit I like seeing less of her in the movie, even though I have to admit her book version makes more sense plot-wise.

*** END OF SPOILER SECTION***

The "Goblet of Fire" is my favorite book in the series so far and I liked it even better than the third one that I already liked quite a lot. I am certain that this book deserves 5* and I'm going to give it this rating, but because I feel that the previous were not as good as this one, even if they were good individually, I will have to go back and change my rating of the previous books. I'll give the third book 4* and then the first and second books 3*, because even though I feel that they all deserve between 4* and 5* ratings I still want to rate them in correlation to each other as well as individually because this makes sense for me. When rating I want to take into account each book, but also the story as a whole, since this is a series.

So, these are my thoughts... I hope you liked my huge review!

Thanks for reading!

  

Reader Problems Book Tag

Hello friends! It's been a while since I last posted on the blog and all this time I've been reading a lot, but unfortunately I didn't really have the time for the blog. So I was looking for a fun and different post idea and I found this book tag over at ZEEZEE WITH BOOKS BLOG and decided to do it.

So here we go!

YOU HAVE 20,000 BOOKS ON YOUR TBR. HOW IN THE WORLD DO YOU DECIDE WHAT TO READ NEXT?

I usually decide what to read based on my mood. Do I feel like reading something light and fun or something heavy and serious? Do I feel like I can devote much time for a bigger series or do I feel like I'll be unable to commit? That's all there is about me really. Sometimes I try to at least read the ones that have been sitting on my tbr for a longer time, but I can't always do it. I also like to alternate between my reads for example if I read a heavier book now with a darker theme then I will definitely pick something lighter for my next read, etc.

YOU’RE HALFWAY THROUGH A BOOK AND YOU’RE JUST NOT LOVING IT. DO YOU QUIT OR ARE YOU COMMITTED?

I quit! I don't have time to spend on things I do not enjoy! I'll go to the next and spend my time on something I actually like rather than pressure myself into something I find unpleasant.

THE END OF THE YEAR IS COMING AND YOU’RE SO CLOSE, BUT SO FAR AWAY, ON YOUR GOODREADS READING CHALLENGE. DO YOU TRY TO CATCH UP AND HOW?

I try to catch up by reading comic books or audio books which take significantly less time and are still just as enjoyable. However, if even then I don't make it, I don't really mind. It's nice to catch up on my reading challenge, but I don't beat myself too much over it.

THE COVERS OF A SERIES YOU LOVE DO. NOT. MATCH. HOW DO YOU COPE?

As much as I hate this I would probably just let them be. 

EVERY ONE AND THEIR MOTHER LOVES A BOOK YOU REALLY DON’T LIKE. WHO DO YOU BOND WITH OVER SHARED FEELINGS?

Probably just random people in the reading community on social media. I have plenty of pages and groups that I follow, YouTube channels and all that jazz that are followed by fellow Book Lovers and generally people from the same fandoms or similar tastes as me, so this is probably where I would feel more comfortable talking about my thoughts and discussing whatever came to mind. I would also probably rant about it on my blog.

YOU’RE READING A BOOK AND YOU ARE ABOUT TO START CRYING IN PUBLIC. HOW DO YOU DEAL?

If there is a place or a room close by that I can go for a moment and just sit alone I will do this but if I cannot do that I will probably try to not tear up or wipe the tears immediately and hide it. Or maybe I would just pause reading just before it got too heavy and continue reading when I get home.

A SEQUEL OF A BOOK YOU LOVED JUST CAME OUT, BUT YOU’VE FORGOTTEN A LOT FROM THE PRIOR NOVEL. WILL YOU RE-READ THE BOOK?

Definitely. No way I am getting into a sequel if I cannot remember what happened before.

YOU DO NOT WANT ANYONE. ANYONE. BORROWING YOUR BOOKS. HOW DO YOU POLITELY TELL PEOPLE NOPE WHEN THEY ASK?

I try to avoid it most of the times. I sometimes use excuses or little lies which I don't feel entirely great about but still... But if it is a friend of mine or someone that I really trust I won't be able to tell them no so just give it to them.

READING ADD. YOU’VE PICKED UP AND PUT DOWN 5 BOOKS IN THE LAST MONTH. HOW DO YOU GET OVER YOUR READING SLUMP?

I try to do something else something other than reading. I probably watch some of my favorite movies or a new series on Netflix. I listen to some music and just give myself time. I know I will eventually get back to it.

THERE ARE SO MANY NEW BOOKS COMING OUT THAT YOU’RE DYING TO READ! HOW MANY DO YOU ACTUALLY BUY?

I never bought many books to begin with but the last years I tend to buy even fewer. I usually prefer to borrow, buy second-hand, or download. Nowadays I just buy only a handful of books per year.

AFTER YOU’VE BOUGHT THE NEW BOOKS YOU CAN’T WAIT TO GET TO, HOW LONG DO THEY SIT ON YOUR SHELF BEFORE YOU GET TO THEM?

Again it depends on my mood just like I said before. There are books that I will read straight away because I was just in the right moment feeling the right way and then there are books that I will keep until I feel is the right time for me to read them. 

***

I hope you enjoyed this tag as much as I did feel free to do it as well if you like it I would love to see all your answers and thoughts if you want to share them with me.

Until the next time... 😉

"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" || Book Review & Discussion

 

I finally moved on to the third book in the series and I can safely say that it was my favorite one so far! But, before you go on and read this review, feel free to check my last one on the "Chamber of Secrets" which you can find here. Now, let's move on with the review...

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you choose to purchase the following products I may receive a small commission without any additional cost to you. Please read my Disclaimer for more information.

I enjoyed it much more than the previous two and I thought it was objectively better than the other two in many aspects. It was generally a much more solid, much more interesting story, and an overall much stronger read. The story was suspenseful and exciting and you just can't help but keep reading, you don't want to stop! It may have taken me a while longer to finish than I initially expected, but that wasn't because I wasn't enjoying it - quite the contrary really - it was only because life has been relentless the past couple of months and I really needed to adult rather than indulge in my favorite activities. That was the main reason why it took me such a long time to finish a book I was otherwise enjoying and I felt sad for it. So, other than reality grabbing me away from this fantasy world, the rest of the time that I spent reading the book, it actually went by easily and I never got bored or tired, not even for a page, and this was a happy surprise since this wasn't the case for me with the two previous books.

Rowling's writing, even though it is already top-notch in the other books as well - and there is no denying she is generally an excellent writer - is evidently improved in this one and this makes for a stronger story and reading experience. There is not one redundant scene, every chapter is important, and every scene is essential to the overall plot and they all work perfectly together. Every chapter and every scene leads perfectly to the next one in an excellent chain of events. Each bit of the story is inseparable from the previous or the next and the story as a whole cannot possibly work without one of these important bits. This is what makes the difference between good writing and exceptional writing. Even though Rowling is already skilled enough and possessed a high writing level, you can really tell that she took the extra step here and stepped her game up. This is one of the main reasons that set this book apart from the other two in my mind and preference.

Another one of the reasons that set this book apart is its different, mysterious feeling and darker atmosphere. The story is undoubtedly darker and this book is heavier than the others before and deals with more serious subjects. This book deals with heavier, darker themes - which I am absolutely sucker for -and when they do they are very well done too. Friendship, faith, betrayal, trust, honesty, deception, justice, death, and many others are some of the themes that this story deals with. This story is also more engaging and rich with emotions.

***POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD***

Another great thing about this book is the cast and all the new characters we get to see! Sirius was probably my favorite addition and I really loved his character even if his role was relatively small. I felt very sorry and sad for him and everything that happened to him and when he finally got to bond with Harry it was so sweet and wholesome! Lupin was my second favorite and I really enjoyed him throughout the story. He was the sweetest, greatest teacher, always so supportive and understanding, but also a very strong and skilled wizard! Trelawny was just so funny and even though I didn't love some of the scenes of her lessons, I really enjoyed her character! Peter Pettigrew was even more disgusting and horrible than in the movie and made for an excellent villain!

One part I seriously disliked and thought that the movie did much better was the scene in the Shrieking Shack. In the book, the scene dragged on and on, they kept saying that they would explain, reveal the truth and they just mumbled about it and it took so long for them to actually get to the point! When they actually got into the explaining bit it took blocks of dialogue to reach the final conclusion and not only the revelation but also the acceptance of the truth. I mean, we were at this scene, one of the most climactic and important, suspenseful scenes in the story and we had to have pages upon pages of anti-climactic, dragging dialogue/explaining. It wasn't even that necessary, because we already had it figured out by that moment, but even if she wanted to add it in, she could have definitely made it more compact. This scene should have been shorter and more compact like it was in the movie where it was so much more powerful, suspenseful, exciting, and attention-grabbing. In the movie, this scene was fast, shocking, took advantage of the moment, and had good pacing. As a result, the scene in the movie added to the whole made the story better and worked perfectly with the flow. While in the book, it took from the greatness of the rest of the story, the pacing was a bit off and it didn't help the flow of the story or the particular moment. It's also kind of a pattern I've noticed with Rowling; she just loves to dialogue dump/info dump during the most crucial scenes! I mean, it would have been way better if some of this information was conveyed right before or after this particular scene, especially since there are already existing scenes of bonding and talking between Lupin and Harry, or Harry and Serious, leaving only the most important details to be told during that scene. I feel that this would have been more effective and impactful.

The book had many funny moments and I laughed a lot during many scenes. I laughed during the final Quidditch match and I also got very passionate about it, by the end of it I was so excited and happy! I laughed during many of the cat-rat scenes and the whole thing between Ron and Hermione about their pets and it was hilarious how in the end Ron came around to trust the cat and accept it.

The time-turning is not one of my favorite concepts in general and I rarely enjoy it, but it was done well enough here and it didn't bother me. It was probably for the best that it didn't take up a big part of the story as well.

This book also has the worst Snape we've seen so far. He was really horrible at many points and I can see why he's been getting so much more hate from book readers. In the movie, he is more likable and he is portrayed in a much softer tone, all that combined with Rickman's great acting makes it only reasonable that he would be much more accepted and liked by the movie audience.

Now, the nerd in me did notice an important plot hole (Start of giant parenthesis... about how Sirius bought the Firebolt, sent a cat to order it, took money from his own vault in the bank, and neither got caught nor got in any kind of trouble, like getting discovered or traced, whatsoever! I mean Harry had more trouble getting his own money to buy school books than Sirius who was a convicted murderer and nobody even blinked an eye?! It would have made more sense if he had some of his money hidden in a secret, secure place. Maybe wizards decided to remove money from the bank in fear of Voldemort taking over the bank and stealing precious things from their vaults to achieve his evil goals. And then he could have ordered the broom namelessly through owl-mail and have it delivered to Hogwarts. I believe that Rowling created herself a problem that she only saw afterward and tried to patch it up however she could, yet this didn't quite work. Even I came up with a better idea without even giving it much thought and there could probably be an even better solution than that. End of giant parenthesis...) but I decided to try and not pay attention to it, since I really enjoyed the rest of the book. It exists, but I'm not going to take points from the book because of it, I'm just going to pretend I didn't see it.

***END OF SPOILER SECTION***

So, for the time being, I have rated this book 5*, even though it feels more like a 4,5*. I would also like to come back and maybe re-rate the HP books after I've finished with the series because I would also like to consider how much I liked them compared to each other, so there is a slight possibility my rating may change after I've read the other books and gained more perspective. Overall, it was a great read, a very enjoyable book, and interesting story, and easily the best one so far!

Thank you for reading once again!

20 Questions Book Tag

 I found this book tag over on Book Coffe Happy blog and I really wanted to do it, so here we go...

1) How many books are too many books in a series?

I don't think there is such a thing as too many or too few books in a series. It all depends on the genre, the story, the structure, and of course the author. As long as it is done well it can be one book or it can be 50. I only care if it is a good story and I believe a story should have as many books as it needs to be told nicely. 

2) How do you feel about cliffhangers?

I love them! I love reading them, I love writing them, they're great! 😍💙😢

3) Hardback or paperback?

I'd love to have a combination of both. They both have pros and cons. But I guess ideally the answer would be: hardbacks for the bookshelves, because they look incredibly pretty, but paperbacks for the actual reading because they are lighter and softer to hold.

4) Favourite book?

I have many, but "The Hunger Games" series is one of my favorites and has remained on the top of my rankings for a long time.

5) Least favourite book?

"50 shades of grey"... Goodness I despise this book! 

6) Love triangles, yes or no?

I usually do not prefer them, but I'm not completely negative about them too. If it is done well and written in an interesting way, it could work and I could like it.

7) The most recent book you just couldn't finish?

It's been a long time since I DNF'd a book, but maybe it was "City of Bones"...

8) A book you're currently reading?

I'm currently reading "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban".

9) Last book you recommended to someone?

"Living, Loving and Learning by Leo Buscaglia. I recommended it to one of my colleagues. I also have a post talking about it if you want to check it out click here.

10) Oldest book I've read?

Does the "Odyssey" by Homer count? If it does, then that's probably the one. It's surely the oldest one I can think of.

11) Newest book you've read?

I have no idea, I don't really keep track of how recent the books are and I'm definitely not one to chase the newest releases every year.

12) Favourite author?

So far I don't have one and I couldn't pick just one if my life depended on it... 😜

13) Buying books or borrowing books?

Ideally, I would love to be able to buy all the books I want and have a beautiful library in my home. Unfortunately, I cannot afford this right now so I settle for a combination of borrowing, exchanging, and downloading books. Borrowing is fine and I could go on exclusively borrowing books if the situation in my country was different. Sadly, in my country, we have very few libraries which have a limited variety of books (especially the ones I'm interested in) and the conditions are not the greatest in them. Also, due to this lack of libraries and borrowing mentality, sadly, most people also lack civilization and respect for borrowed books.

14) A book you dislike that everyone else seems to love?

The TMI series by Cassandra Clare. Her - and her books' - fanbase seems huge, so many people love those books and the author. All I can say is that I cannot see what they find in them and I'm surely not one of them.

15) Bookmarks or dogears?

Definitely bookmarks. I hate dog-earring. I don't mind writing on books, taking notes, or underlining, but I can't stand or understand dogears. (At least in novels, because I love dog-earring school and uni books, it really helped me back in the day)

16) A book you can always re-read?

Any one of my favourite books. But I have found that each time I re-read "Living, Loving and Learning I feel like a different person and probably even become a bit of a better person after I'm done.

17) Can you read while listening to music?

No, I prefer to have absolute silence while I read.

18) One POV or multiple POV's?

I love them both as long as they are done well and they complement and fit the story. They both have a place in different kinds of stories and I love to see them both as long as they are the right choice for the respective story.

19) Do you read a book in one sitting or over multiple days?

Though I have finished books in one sitting quite a few times, I'm generally a slow reader both because of circumstances like limited time and heavy schedule and because of preference and choice. 

20) Who do you tag?

Anyone who wants to participate is welcome to do so and feel free to share their answers with me!

"Sense and Sensibility" by Jane Austen || Book Review

 

It is always strange to talk about classic books because these works of art have been around for such a long time and not only have they been read by plenty of people, but they've also been widely and deeply adored by various audiences. A book like this doesn't really need one more review, it has a lot of recognition and feedback already and it also feels weird when what you have to say is not entirely positive. You know that a negative opinion doesn't really affect a book like this or its audience and, as a matter of fact, you even feel like there is something you haven't gotten, something you read wrong, or you missed and that's why you didn't enjoy it as much as everyone else. But, anyway, this is my blog, a place for my opinions and my experience with each book and this is what I sincerely share and if you don't agree or think I'm crazy then that's fine and you're welcome to share your opinions.

I read this a while ago, right after I had read "Pride and Prejudice" which I loved and really enjoyed, so I started reading this one with high expectations. I hoped that it would be as good as "Pride and Prejudice" but in my opinion, it didn't even come close. As a matter of fact, I was kind of glad when it was finally over.

Don't get me wrong, Austen's writing was still technically flawless and it always feels like an English lesson, I feel I learn more with each book of hers that I read. However, I thought that the story didn't have a very nice flow and pacing. The beginning was promising, the ending was satisfying but the whole middle part was long and tedious. I found myself tempted to give it up quite a few times, but stuck with it mostly out of spite.

The 2 main characters were beautifully portrayed, but the rest weren't nearly as memorable or interesting and felt kind of meh. I found myself forgetting their names or confusing this character with that character and I had to take a second to remind myself who was who. So in regards to those secondary characters, I couldn't care less what happened to them or how they ended up. Then there were some characters that showed potential but were then not given the attention they deserved.

Overall, it was an okay book but I didn't love it, it didn't manage to capture my attention and stay in my mind, so I reluctantly gave it 3* out of 5. I will probably read some more of Austen's works in the future, but this one was not for me.

Thank you for reading one more time!

"Avatar The Last Airbender - The Search" || Book Review & Book Discussion

 The ATLA series never disappoints! It is an amazing journey that I don't want to stop! If you'd like to see what I thought of the previous story ("The Promise") before reading this one, you can check out my full review here.

The Search talks about Zuko and Team Avatar's (plus Azula) adventure on the way to find Zuko's mother and discover the truth about her disappearance. I gave it 5* because it was simply perfect and it deserved it! This plot-line is probably the most expected after the show's end and it is definitely the one I was most eager to read.

I loved all three parts equally and gave them all 5*. I thought they were all very interesting and strong and I enjoyed them equally. The story immediately grabs your attention from the beginning of Part 1 and holds it firmly throughout the story with two strong cliffhangers at the end of Parts 1 and 2. The scenes go back and forth from Ursa's youth in her hometown, to Zuko's search on the current day and this makes it very interesting to read. Scenes full of action and suspense alternate with scenes full of feelings and this makes a very strong combination. I could repeat myself talking about the beautiful art, the great pacing, and beautiful storytelling, but I will try to speak about more and different things this time.

The Search, on the one hand, sheds light on the relationship between Ursa and Ozai and their troubled marriage. On the other hand, it explores the relationship between Zuko and his family, but, more specifically, with Azula. The two siblings have both been abused by their father and suffer from the absence of their mother, they are both still confused and both are still trying to figure out who they really are and what is their destiny, their purpose in life. They are in very different places in their journey, as Zuko has made a lot of progress and Azula still has a long way to go, but both of them feel the loss and pain, they both miss something to feel complete. They are very different but also similar in a sense and Zuko may be a lot closer to finding his truth and peace with himself, but I believe that he is also a step closer to understanding and helping his sister find her way as well. The relationship dynamics are perfect!

The story is full of feelings all the way through, it really touched me multiple times. I felt sad for Ursa being taken from her home, I felt mad with Ozai being even worse than I already thought, I felt sorry for Azula and her mental state. The time jumps were great; they were placed perfectly, they really worked with the story and complimented it and they were done beautifully. The story is structured perfectly and it manages to both unravel secrets but also to keep it interesting throughout.

Kiyi was really fun and cute and I loved the addition of her character! Her instant chemistry and bonding with Zuko warmed my heart. I really hope we get to see more of her and her relationship with Zuko in the comic books that follow and I'd also love to finally see Zuko have one healthy sibling relationship.

I loved how the story starts and ends with the same words from the conversation between Zuko and his mother, it was beautiful and impactful. The ending itself was wonderful, this story ended in the best way possible, the only way that would be right and acceptable for the build-up of this particular storyline. It would be so disappointing if we didn't get a proper pay-off after everything so far.

Seeing Zuko be able to hold off himself against Azula is very rewarding on its own. He has grown a lot not only in skills and talent, but he has also matured a great deal and is now much wiser. On the one hand, he can defend himself from his sister, on the other hand, he never hurts her, he tries to help and protect her as much as possible, and he tries to give her a sense of freedom, trust, and dignity. Even if he knows that she will take advantage of him and his kindness - cause that's what she always does - he still keeps giving her chances, he never gives up on her completely, he keeps trying, he doesn't lose hope. Why? Because he knows it can be done; because he managed to do it himself, he managed to throw off of him his father's toxic influence and harmful teachings, he rebelled against his father's corrupted values and found his peace of mind. Because he was given many chances too by someone who cared about him. He stands his ground, he doesn't back up from the throne, but also tries to improve himself and his family relationships.

It is very interesting to see the contrast between Zuko and Azula's relationship and Sokka and Katara's. These people and the relationships between them are so different, yet they have so much to learn from each other. I think that after Zuko talks with Sokka he realizes that he actually cares for his sister. He knows that she is not in a good mental state, he knows that she is not a great person, that she feels anger and jealousy, he knows that she could potentially do something bad and hurt someone, yet he still cares about her and tries to help her. He wants to be decent and treat his family with dignity. At the same time, he's really eager to get to know the parts of his family that have been missing for so long. He needs to explore that part of himself and find out the truth about his and his family's past.

By the end of the story, Zuko is a changed person. He is more complete and fulfilled than ever before and new possibilities have opened up in front of him. In this comic book, most of the characters go through significant character growth and they all become better and more complete. In the end, this is a character-driven story about family relationships and friendships, about the nature of humanity, the ability to change and evolve. It is a story about discovering who you really are, your truth, and supporting it without shame or fear. It explores different characters' morals and motivations. But most of all this is a story that gives much food for thought and a story that truly inspires me both as a person and as an aspiring creator.

This was my favorite comic book so far and this storyline is actually the one I'd most love to see on screen (fingers crossed for that). As I said ATLA never disappoints me, it always manages to make me happy, it is truly a masterpiece of storytelling. I hope the next ones are just as good.

Thanks for reading! 

My Life In Books Tag

Hello, book friends!

I found this tag over in The Journeys of a Girl blog and I really loved it so I had to do it! So, here it is... My life in books!!!

1. Find a book for each of your initials

    My initials are FMM and for this one, I'll pick books from my TBR list.

    F ---> "Firestarter" by Stephen King

    M --> "Memoirs of a Geisha" by Arthur Golden

    M --> "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult


2. Count your age along your bookshelf: What book is it?

I am 28 years old, so I counted 28 books and I fell upon...

"The Raven Boys" by Maggie Stiefvater

I haven't read this one yet but it is very high on my TBR list and I really want to read it soon!


3. Pick a book set in your city/country

I am from Greece and for this one I'll go with "The Island" by Victoria Hislop. I read this one a long time ago and I absolutely loved it. I thought it was a brilliant book, but I am sad to say I don't remember it well anymore, so I really want to reread it sometime.

4. Pick a book that represents a destination you’d love to travel to

I really want to visit the UK; all of it! I want to travel to England, Ireland, Scotland, all of the places in the UK and I cannot really pick which one I'd like to see most, so I had a hard time deciding which book I should pick for this one. In the end, I decided to pick "Outlander" by Diana Gabaldon, which is set mostly in Scotland but features quite a few other places as well. I chose it because it is one of the books I most want to read in the near future and because I absolutely loved the series and it totally makes me want to travel and see new magical places. 

5. Pick a book that’s your favorite color

I don't really have a favorite color. In my life, I love to have many colors on my clothes, my objects or my home, but in books, I really like black or white plain covers, so I'll go for a black cover for this one. I wanted to pick a book from the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. I really liked the covers of all the books in this series, even if the books are not my favorites. The two that always stood out the most to me were the covers for "Eclipse" and "Breaking Dawn". I'll choose "Breaking Dawn" because there's just something about this chess piece that I love and with black, white and red you can't miss with me.

6. Which book do you have the fondest memories of?

I couldn't possibly pick just one, but I'll go with the "Secret Seven" series since it was the favorite series of my childhood. I have a whole other post dedicated to my favorite childhood books where I talk extensively about them. If you want you can go check it out and read more about them over here 

---> My Favorite Childhood Books

7. Which book did you have the most difficulty reading?

This will have to be "Midnight's Children" by Salman Rushdie. I thought that it was a difficult book to read and I ended up DNF'ing it.


8. Which book in your TBR pile will give you the biggest accomplishment when you finish it?

It is not a book, it is a series and it is the Harry Potter series and it'll give me a sense of accomplishment because it is a big series and I have been avoiding it for the longest time, so it's kind of a leap for me to finally finish it.

I hope you enjoyed this post. If you liked this Tag feel free to do it, I'd love to see all your different answers! I want to tag my friend Elektra over at My Trending Books!

Thank you for reading!

"Everything is F*cked: A Book About Hope" by Mark Manson || Book Review

I read the "Subtle art of not giving a f*ck" by the same author a few months ago and I really enjoyed it (you can fine my review of it here), so I was very excited to read one more of his books. 

Unfortunately, this one did not live up to the quality of the other one and it didn't have as much of an interest or hold on me and this is the reason I'm rating this one lower. I gave this book 3* while I had rated the subtle art with 4*. The narrator was great and this really helped me get through the book more easily. I'm not sure if I'd like it as much if I had to go through the effort of actually reading it.

My main problem was that it felt repetitive and at a few points it tired me out. I think this was partly because it was actually repetitive, but also partly because some of the ideas were also introduced and talked about in the previous book I read so maybe that added to this feeling.

I liked some of the stories it included like about Nietche's friend Meta (pretty sure I butchered both of their names and I'm not even going to try to write their full names) and her life and about the Buddhist monk who set himself on fire. I felt like I learned quite a few new things and it made me go and research more details about them.

It was interesting to read his views about religions - all kinds of them - about people and about the thinking and feeling brain.

Even though I didn't love it, it was still a good read. It may not be as enjoyable or attention-grabbing as the subtle art, but it is still a good read and it gives you food for thought. It helps you reconsider life and your ideas and learn some new things about life and about yourself. Overall a good read but not great.

Thanks for reading!

"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" || Book Review & Book to Movie Comparison

Hello friends!

Today I'm here with a review of the second book in the Harry Potter series. If you'd like to check out my full review of the first book ("The Philosopher's Stone"), you can find it here.

I've always liked the second Harry Potter movie more than the first one so I entered this book with more expectations and hope. Luckily, my expectations were met and I liked the second book of the series much better than the first one. The story of the Chamber of Secrets always seemed more interesting to me and I was very eager to read it. I started reading this book back when I was a teen but I only got halfway through it. You see, I had borrowed it from a friend of mine and she had to leave and take the book back before I could finish it. Many years passed since then and I can say that even though I knew what it was about and remembered a thing or two, for the most part, I didn't really remember much so it was like reading it for the first time.

***RATING***

I really enjoyed this book and it deserves a good rating. I also was sure that I was going to give it a higher rating than the first book which I rated 3*. It wasn't perfect, I still found a couple of small flaws so I couldn't give it 5*, but it has definitely earned 4* from me.

***NON SPOILER REVIEW***

The book was very good, Rowling's writing is brilliant for once more, the atmosphere is magical and the worldbuilding impeccable. One of the things I've come to really admire in her writing is the rich vocabulary. The imagery is vivid and the descriptions are strong. 

Something I really loved about the book was the humor. There were so many funny scenes throughout the book even in the tragic moments and those funny moments were coming from all the characters. I caught myself laughing so many times.

For one more time, I had my objections with the pacing. The first half of the book was a bit slow, while the second half is much faster, more interesting and it goes by easily. It felt like the actual story took a bit to get started and it was quite a long way to get to this point. The book is generally quite long, longer than it should be. There are a couple of scenes that aren't necessary, you could remove them and the story would stay the same, it wouldn't change at all, and it would, in fact, be even better. Then there are a couple of scenes that are important to the plot, but still, they go on and on and they drag so long to the point that it becomes tiring. I believe that if these scenes were trimmed down and if the book was a bit shorter, the story would have been much stronger, more solid, and compact. This is one complaint I had for the best book as well and it is the main reason I removed a star from my rating in both cases.

It starts to look like a pattern now that each book ends with a talk between Harry and Dumbledore which results in a beautiful lesson. This is something I've come to love and hope to see in the other books as well.

***REVIEW & BOOK TO MOVIE COMPARISON***SPOILERS***

I loved that we got to see a bit more of Voldemort and we got to learn more about his life as a young student. Tom Riddle's story was dark and mysterious and it really grabbed my attention. I loved learning what he was like and how he turned into Voldemort.

It was great to finally see Ron's house and life and having Harry be with them like it was his actual family was heartwarming and beautiful. It was also the first time we actually got to see how an all-magical family actually lives and goes through their routine. We've seen plenty of the muggle life with the Dursleys, but now that Harry got to spend time with Ron and his family we got to explore a whole other reality and this is so exciting.

The more I read these books the more I grow to love Ron and I start to see what people have been talking about movie-Ron versus book-Ron. Book-Ron is awesome, he's not just funny, he is smart, helpful, and loveable. Movie-Ron is mostly just goofy, just a character to provide comic relief and this is annoying. I could already see a couple of Ron's lines that were given to Hermione in the movie and not only does this ruin the character, but it makes absolutely no sense. There are certain things that logically only Ron should know being pureblood and raised by wizards, on the contrary, it makes absolutely no sense for Hermione to know those things. Even if she reads a lot there are some things that she and Harry could not have known since they were raised by muggles. Book-Hermione on the other hand is far less likable than movie-Hermione who is in fact pretty awesome.

One thing that the movie did better than the book in my opinion was the chamber of secrets scene. In the book, it was way too much talking and so little action. It felt like they were talking for so long and the action was too short. I get that Riddle was trying to delay the whole thing to make sure that Ginny would die and he would return to life but it felt so disappointing that when the time of action came it wasn't even much of a fight. In the movie though, the scene is much better, there is some talking and then quite a bit of action. Harry runs a little bit, tries to get away from the snake, tries to outsmart it and when the snake attacks him it feels like quite a threat so when he kills it, it's much more satisfying.

On the other hand, I loved the final chapter of the book and I thought it was so much better than the final scenes in the movie. I loved the part where they talk to Dumbledore about what happened and I also loved when Harry and Dumbledore confront Lucius. In the movie this scene was more subtle, it was more implied, but in the book, everything was said out loud! In the book, they looked him in the eyes and confronted him with no fear or doubt whatsoever and just talked to him straight and it was so awesome! I loved it! I also liked the scene where Doby gets freed more in the book. Oh, Doby was just so annoying most of the time but I really felt sorry for him and it was so sweet and heart-warming when he was finally free.

I really liked the addition of Lockhart. Don't get me wrong, I thought he was an incredibly annoying character and a horrible person, but his presence in the book was so funny and entertaining. He was written perfectly to be this incompetent, obnoxious idiot. His character feels as real as any other in this book. I enjoyed him but I'm surely glad he is gone.

***END OF SPOILERS***

So, these were my thoughts about it. Overall, it was quite an enjoyable read. I liked it and thought it was better than the first one. I'll soon read the third book in the series and I'm really curious about it.