Book 31: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

This one actually is my favorite of the series because it’s where things take a decidedly darker turn and we get to find out more about wizards outside of Britain.  This also is the point where the books start to become really long, which I enjoy because I get to spend more time with the characters.

After a disturbing introduction, where we find out what Wormtail has been up to since the end of the last book, Rowling takes Harry and us to the Quidditch World Cup.  Harry and his friends were having a great time until the campgrounds were attacked by a group of Deatheaters eager to show their displeasure.  No one is seriously injured during the display but many are shaken by the event.  Going to Hogwarts seems like a nice reprieve, as they will be hosting the Triwizard Tournament and will be getting to know students from two other wizarding schools.  Harry is eager to watch the tournament but when his name is called to compete, he realizes that his enemies are not done with him yet.  He has three tasks to survive and he does not have the training to stand up to the competition.

As I said, it gets dark in this book.  I’m still not over a certain characters death, much to my family’s displeasure.  I think that this is where Harry really recognizes that he will have to defeat Voldemort on his own, that not even Dumbledore can stop everything from getting too horrible.

Book 30: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

This book is really where the series begins to take off and set itself apart from the typical young adult novel.  I read the books as they came out, but remember not getting really into the series until this volume came along.

Harry just turned thirteen and is a typically frustrated teenager.  To be honest though, he has more reason to be bitter against his family than most.  While enduring a visit with Uncle Vernon’s sister, Harry accidently inflates he like a balloon and runs off into the night to avoid getting his wand taken from him for improperly using magic.  Fortunately for him, the Ministry of Magic is much more concerned about his safety than a silly little thing like blowing up his aunt. 

You see, they are worried about a recently escaped prisoner, Sirius Black, who betrayed Harry’s parents to Voldemort and is presumably after Harry.  Harry has all of the typical school stuff to deal with plus the ever-present threat of assassination by Black or the dementors, wizarding prison guards.  Though at this point people trying to kill him is old news.  As long as he can still play Quidditch he will be okay.

I love this book because we get more of the backstory for his parents and get introduced to one of my favorite characters, Professor Lupin.  But to be honest my favorite part of the book is Wood slowly losing his mind over Quidditch.  It’s priceless.

Book 29: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

In the second of the series, Harry is frustrated that his friends have seemingly abandoned him.  He has had no communication with anyone since school ended and then suddenly finds a house elf invading his home warning him to stay away from Hogwarts. 

Harry would sooner die than keep away from the one place that he can be happy, so he sets off for his second year knowing that something terrible is supposed to happen.  This comes about soon when the Chamber of Secrets is opened and a creature that is a threat to anyone with muggle blood is set loose.  Harry and his friends set off to find out who is behind the opening while also struggling with the everyday school troubles.

I know a lot of people get kind of down on this book and I suppose that I can see why, it does retread a lot of the first book’s plotting.  But I still enjoy it; it’s not even my least favorite of the series.  That is reserved for a much bitchier Harry Potter novel.

Book 28: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

I reread this series every year or two.  I keep waiting to be sick of it but it has not happened yet.  I guess I enjoy the way that Rowling transports the reader to another world, just slightly to the side of our own.

Harry Potter grew up with his cruel aunt, uncle, and cousin after the sudden death of his parents.  He was always treated shabbily by his family—being forced to sleep in a cupboard, never having new clothes, always going hungry, etc.  On his eleventh birthday he discovers that his not an ordinary boy, he is a wizard.  He finds out that his parents died trying to protect him from Lord Voldemort, an evil wizard who disappeared the night that he tried to kill Harry.  Voldemort’s supposed death at Harry’s hands has made him a celebrity in the wizarding word, so when he starts at Hogwarts Harry is instantly famous.  Many want to be his friend, while others despise him for bringing about the end of Voldemort’s reign of terror.  While trying to navigate this new and unfamiliar world, he has to determine whom to trust and has to fight enemies that were assumed to be dead.

I’m sure that most of you had read this, which makes it difficult to review.  I obviously love these books, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say they are my favorites.  These are simply a lot of fun and great entries into young adult fiction.

Book 27: The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

This book was one of many recommendations to help people get over the loss prematurely cancelled TV shows.  In this instance, it was for people that loved Pushing Daisies.  While the book was interesting, it unfortunately had none of the whimsy and humor that Pushing Daisies radiated.

Rose just turned nine and is desperate to try a piece of lemon cake with chocolate frosting that her mom made for her birthday.  She sneaks a slice and discovers that the cake tastes horrible.  It tastes like longing, sadness, and desperation, everything that her mother felt while making the cake.  And from that moment on Rose is cursed with this ability to feel how a person feels through the food that they make.  She finds that she can only stand to eat severely processed foods without being made sick by other people’s emotions.  Rose’s family has problems just like anyone’s but with the added stress of her brother’s issues and special ability, which accounts for the majority of the conflict in the book. 

Like I said, this was an interesting story, but much more depressing than I expected.  There is not much happiness in Rose’s life and her struggles with her family and food are hard to take at times, mostly because they are confusing.  I had hoped for something cheery and a little goofy, which is not what I got but I can’t say I’m any worse for reading this book.

Book 26: Bossypants by Tina Fey

Another book that has been reviewed numerous times for cannonball; I’m not sure what else I can add to the discussion.  I love Tina Fey and her book was a breezy and funny read.

Bossypants consists of stories from Tina chronicling her life from childhood through 30 Rock and playing Sarah Palin on SNL.  While an undoubtedly awkward person, Fey doesn’t ever seem to wallow in misery and stays true to her weird and hilarious personality.  The most memorable part for me has to be the moment that she realized that homosexuals are real people and not her props.  It makes me wonder how many people have to grasp that little bit of reality. 

I was afraid that the book would be a little too personal but thankfully it wasn’t and it gave some interesting insights on what it is like to be a woman in comedy.  I have heard that crap about women not being funny all my life but in my head it was just curmudgeonly old men who were angry at their increasing irrelevance.  But Fey being told that there could only be so many women in a sketch put a whole new perspective for me on the industry. 

Anyways, this book was hilarious and I am glad that I avoided reviews for it beforehand so that I didn’t have unrealistic expectations.  While not my favorite autobiography, I will certainly be reading this again and am looking forward to the last season of 30 Rock.  Hopefully she will get a new project soon after that wraps.