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

8/10

I finished reading this to Mallory a little more than a week ago. We flew through this one much like the Phoenix flew out of the Chamber of Secrets with Harry, Ron, Ginny and Lockhart, if you know what I mean.

This was a solid follow up to the first one with all new and creative intrigue. A regular who-done-it. We definitely didn't see the twist coming at the end. Well, except Mallory did because, as she told me after we finished the book, some kid on the bus had told her about Tom Riddle.

I can't decide which book I like better between the first and second. They are about the same for me. If I had to pick though I would probably pick the second one. I think the first one has a lot of setting up to do which is enjoyable in its own right, but the second one has the advantage of picking up where the first one left off and getting to the exciting stuff sooner. The second one also had what felt like a little more at stake what with kids at the school being petrified, including Hermione, and the possibility of the school being shut down. Felt like there were higher stakes than the first one where Harry and the gang were saving the day mostly unbeknownst to the entire school. Mallory says she definitely likes the first one better because the second one had less of Hermione since she is pretty much absent from the second half of the book due to the aforementioned petrifying.

We watched the movie a few days ago and the kids enjoyed it. Brandon was less scared of this one than the first one. The movie was good, but seemed like they didn't know how to end it and so they finished with a slow clap for Hagrid for some reason.

And now for a quote from Dumbledore:

"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

8/10

So I've been meaning to read this book for a ba-jillion years and finally got around to it, my family would be so proud. I tried reading it to Mallory and Trevor a few years ago but they were too young. Trevor would wake up in the middle of the night screaming about having nightmares about owls. So we put the brakes on it temporarily.

I finished reading it with Mallory tonight. She is now a Harry Potter fanatic and can't wait to get started on book #2. She didn't like Hermione much at first but was very happy that she became friends with the boys. She also didn't think Snape was a bad guy for a long time but finally got tricked into it. She was certain that Snape was trying to help Harry during the Quidditch match and was excited when she found out that she was right. As for me, I liked it of course. The characters were fun and there was the expected enjoyable hijinks. The last few chapters were great and the Voldemort twist was a nice touch. Also, Mallory was stoked that Gryffindor won the house cup at the end. But I felt bad for Slytherin to have their victory so abruptly taken away from them at the last second. Poor Malfoy.

Here are some quotes aka Dumbledore wisdom:

"To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure."

"Always use the proper name for things. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself."

"While you may only have delayed his return to power, it will merely take someone else who is prepared to fight what seems a losing battle next time - and if he is delayed again, and again, why, he may never return to power."

"To have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever."

The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Nielsen

7/10

Finished reading this with Mallory last week. It's the sequel to The False Prince which Mallory and I had read previously. This one was fun as well, but not quite as good as the first. Some decent plot twists but none as good as those from the first book. Also, the way the conflict ended between the main character, Jaron, and the antagonist, Roden, was a letdown. Seemed like the author almost wrote herself into a corner and had only the weak resolution left in her chamber of options. Oh well, I enjoyed the book overall, all things considered.

Mallory liked it but said there was "too much fighting." She doesn't like hearing the word blood or reading about people bleeding and there were a number of instances where she had to squeamishly endure such descriptions.

We'll probably be reading the final book in The Ascendance Trilogy next, except it is unavailable at the library right now and we have had a hold request on it for a few weeks. I'm stalling by having Mallory sit in with Trevor as I am reading him the first book in The Hardy Boys series. Hopefully we can start that third book soon.

Gunga Din and Other Favorite Poems by Rudyard Kipling

7/10

I finished reading this last night. It was a Christmas gift from my Dad accompanied with a recording of him reciting two of the poems from memory: "Gunga Din" and "If-". I knew his recitation of the poems would be epic, but it exceeding even my already high expectations. Especially the Gunga Din one. It was awesome.

This book of poems is like most poetry for me lately. A few really solid ones that I can completely appreciate and enjoy, a few ok ones and then a handful of ones that just don't make sense to me. But this is actually an improvement for me since I have read a bit more poetry lately and have been able to change my mindset and enjoy them slightly more than I did previously.

Kipling's poems were interesting as they were written in this interesting style. I'm not sure what the proper term would be, but I pictured a bunch of the poems being chanted and shouted out in unison by a bunch of people in an English pub. The word "bloomin'" appeared it most of the poems, which was awesome. I want to incorporate that word into my everyday vocabulary.

My favorite poems were, in order:

1. Gunga Din: Yes, there is a reason why this one gets named on the title of the book; very, very good poem, and made so much better after watching my Dad's epic performance. There are several great parts to quote, but I only share this one: "An' for all 'is dirty 'ide 'E was white, clear white, inside When 'e went to tend the wounded under fire!" After saving a guy, Gunga Din gets shot: "An' just before 'e died: 'I hope you liked your drink,' sez Gunga Din. So I'll meet 'im later on At the place where 'e is gone - Where it's always double drill and no canteen; 'E'll be squattin' on the coals, Givin' drink to poor damned souls, And I'll get a swig in hell from Gunga Din!... Though I've belted you and flayed you, By the living Gawd that made you, You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din!" It also reminds me of this soldier in the Battle of Fredericksburg which I learned about during a recent visit: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/monument-to-the-angel-of-marye-s-heights I also recently read an old Thomas S. Monson general conference talk where he shares this story: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1995/04/mercy-the-divine-gift?lang=eng

2. The Betrothed: This is a fantastic poem about a guy who has to choose between his wife and his cigars. It's really amazing. The guy refers to his cigars as his "harem" and "brides" and there's this hilarious line: "And the Moor and the Mormon shall envy who read of the tale of my brides."

3. If-: A great, great poem about how to carry yourself in life. After listing several "If's" the poem closes with: "Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!" The poem is about Christ as my Dad pointed out in his recording.

4. The Law of the Jungle: I thought this was in Kipling's The Jungle Book (maybe it is?) but its a great poem all the way through, but here's the famous first part: "Now this is the Law of the Jungle - as old and as true as the sky; And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die." After listing several laws the poem ends with: "Now these are the Laws of the Jungle, and many and mighty are they; But the head and the hoof of the Law and the haunch and the hump is - Obey!"

5. The Story of Uriah: An interesting little poem that doesn't refer to David and Uriah from the Bible at all in it, but that's what the poem is about. It's about a guy named Jack Barrett being sent to a more dangerous outpost in Quetta: "And, when the Last Great Bugle Call Adown the Hurnai throbs, When the last grim joke is entered In the big black Book of Jobs, and Quetta graveyards give again Their victims to the air, I shouldn't like to be the man, Who sent Jack Barrett there."

6. L'Envoi (To 'The Seven Seas'): Just a short good one.

The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen

9/10

I finished reading this today. I read it with my 7-year old girl, Mallory. We both loved it. The story was very entertaining, the plot was interesting, it had good characters, and the main character was fun and easy to root for. There were a bunch of twists throughout the book; and I'm a big fan of a good plot twist. The biggest twist in the entire book was actually predicted by Mallory well in advance. I don't think that I would have seen the twist coming if it wasn't for Mallory and her creative mind. She was very excited that she was right.

This book is in a genre that I normally don't venture into, so I wasn't sure what to expect. It's the perfect type of book for me to read with Mallory and I look forward to reading more of these kind of books with her. In fact, we already started reading the sequel together, The Runaway King.

At Bertram's Hotel by Agatha Christie

5/10

I finished reading this book today. It is my first Agatha Christie book. I heard you could read pretty much any of her books regardless of the order they were published and it wouldn't make a difference. So I went ahead with this one which is the 11th published novel with the Jane Marple character. I was fairly underwhelmed.

It was only a 180-page book and nothing really took place until darn near close to half way through the book. I was also surprised by how little Jane Marple actually appeared in the book and how inconsequential her role actually was in the plot. Not knowing anything about Jane Marple, coming in I thought she would be more Sherlock Holmes-ish. It didn't make the book any worse in any way. I was just surprised and it makes me wonder if this is her typical role in the "Jane Marple" novels. The Chief Inspector Davy character was enjoyable. The Canon Pennyfather character had a lot of potential but felt like his character wasn't fully utilized. That about sums up the book: too many characters doing too little in a book not long enough to properly cover all of the characters and their different stories.

This review ended up being more negative than I intended it to be. I didn't dislike the book. It was decent and had some bright spots for sure. I guess I was just a little let down because I had high hopes and wanted to start reading some Agatha Christie books. I'll still read some other Agatha Christie books in the future, but my expectations will definitely be more tempered.

Here's a fun quote about tipping:

"Henry moved away. Father was left uncertain whether he ought to have offered Henry a tip or not. It was galling to think that Henry knew the answer to that social problem much better than he did."

The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper

9/10

I finished reading this last night. This was my first James Fenimore Cooper book and I must say, I am a fan. I think in a previous post I had mentioned that Hawthorne, to me, was the first great American writer, probably because he so often wrote about Puritans and the early period of American history. But I guess you can make an argument for James Fenimore Cooper to be considered as the first great American writer. His writings came slightly before Hawthorne's and his stories were about America, often involving Native Americans. I guess I shouldn't say who is the first great American writer when I am sure there are even a few other names that should be in the conversation.

But as for The Last of the Mohicans, this was an incredible book. The first chapter was pretty rough and I was nervous that I was set up for disappointment, but you know what they say, "Never judge a book by its first chapter" or something like that. Cooper would refer to characters interchangeably by their first name one time and then their last name another time which was a bit confusing at first as I was trying to figure out the characters. But once I got the names down I was golden. The story was exciting and action-packed all the way until the end and written so well and with such authenticity. There was one odd stretch where a character was dressed in a bear skin and kept fooling everyone that he was a real bear. It seemed like a stretch in the believability department. But other than that, nothing but praise for this book and I look forward to reading more novels in the future from Mr. Cooper.

I wanted to share one exchange for my "Quotes" portion of this post:

"If, however, they take your scalp, as I trust and believe they will not, depend on it, Uncas and I will not forget the deed, but revenge it as becomes true warriors and trusty friends."
"Hold!" said David, perceiving that with this assurance they were about to leave him; "I am an unworthy and humble follower of One who taught not the damnable principle of revenge. Should I fall, therefore, seek no victims to my manes, but rather forgive my destroyers; and if you remember them at all, let it be in prayers for the enlightening of their minds, and for their eternal welfare."
The scout hesitated and appeared to muse.
"There is a principle in that," he said, "different from the law of the woods; and yet it is fair and noble to reflect upon." Then, heaving a heavy sigh, probably among the last he ever drew in pining for a condition he had so long abandoned, he added, "It is what I would wish to practice, myself, as one without a cross of blood, though it is not always easy to deal with an Indian as you would with a fellow Christian. God bless you, friend; I do believe your scent is not greatly wrong, when the matter is duly considered, and keeping eternity before the eyes, though much depends on the natural gifts, and the force of temptation."