This is a round up of the last half of October as far as my reading
went. I read, well, listened to, a lot of Harry Potter, and finished a book I’ve
been working on for a while. I should say I read half-ish of it in August, put
it down and read none of it in September, then finished it in October, anyways,
done now. So this is what I read in the last half of October.
I basically bought this because it’s an excellent title. I literally
walked past it in the store, saw it out of the side of my eye, and backtracked
and picked it up. And then I was like… well I need this. So I bought it. So
it’s about the vagina, basically. It’s also about womanhood, and being a woman,
and how the vagina is connected to the brain. And how what you do with your
vagina or your brain affects the other. How there are actual physical, biological
effects of being raped, even if it isn’t a violent stranger rape, it affects
you, and your brain, not just psychologically, although that is obviously
serious, but it affects your brain biologically as well. I found it fascinating
to see how the vagina has been seen symbolically through history, how it’s gone
from powerful and sacred to this dirty thing we don’t talk about and that’s
fascinating. It was interesting. And I like Naomi’s writing style.
I am going through the Harry Potter books on audiobook and I finished
the Chamber of Secrets this month. It was always my least favourite, for no
good reason, I just love the others more. This one is about Harry’s second
year, the heir of Slytherin is petrifying people in the castle. It introduces
Ginny, who is one of my favourites. And I love Gilderoy Lockhart more than
anything. “Celebrity is as celebrity does” is my favourite quote of all time. It’s
brilliant. So while it isn’t my favourite one it is still brilliant.
As will become evident soon I am on a serious Harry Potter kick. As soon
as I finished the Chamber of Secrets I bounced straight to the next one.
Anyways. In this book Harry is kept under relatively serious watch because his
godfather Sirius Black, who was in Azkaban because he supposedly killed 13
people, has broken out. All evidence suggests that he’s coming after Harry.
This book also includes Lupin, this year’s Defence Against the Dark Arts
teacher. He’s kind and sweet, and he looks after Harry, and helps him. And I
love Lupin. And I love the book. I think this is one of my favourite Harry
Potter books and I always love reading it.
When I finished the Prisoner of Azkaban I moved swiftly along to the
Goblet of Fire. In the Goblet of Fire Hogwarts hosts the Tri-Wizard tournament where three schools select one champion and the three of them compete in three
tasks to show how clever and brave they are. In a quite frankly insane and
extremely convoluted plan to use and kill Harry, one of Voldemort’s supporters
makes sure Harry competes in the tournament and wins, sending him to a
graveyard. I like the book. The adventure is fun and the teenage angst is
believable and understandable. I also enjoy the subplot of Hermione’s fight for
Elfish welfare.
Yes, Harry Potter binge. When I finished Goblet of fire I bounced
straight to the Order of the Phoenix. Since Voldemort came back in the previous
book Dumbledore has formed a secret society to fight back. The Minister for
Magic refuses to believe that Voldemort is back and is leaning on the Daily
Prophet and he has installed a crazy, megalomaniacal teacher at Hogwarts to
make sure Dumbledore isn’t building an army. Umbridge is quite possibly the
most unpleasant character of all time. The Order of the Phoenix is my favourite
Harry Potter book, mainly because I think Umbridge is an incredible character,
and Luna Lovegood is amazing.
I finished it. FINALLY. I did really like it, but I feel like it took
forever. Anyway. It’s over now. Only seven other books in the series. So
outlander is about Claire Randall, who is in Scotland in 1945/46 with her
husband Frank on a second honeymoon. She walks up to a stone circle, touches a
standing stone and falls through time. She is transported to 1743 and taken in
by the clan MacKenzie. She becomes married to one of them to avoid having to
hand herself over to the English Dragoons and her husband Frank’s ancestor. It’s
fun, Claire is spunky and tough and she’s strong and kind. Jaime is tough, and
sexy and definitely swoon worthy. And I really liked the whole book, it’s fun.
Vagina: A New Biography by
Naomi Wolf
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
I finished it. FINALLY. I did really like it, but I feel like it took
forever. Anyway. It’s over now. Only seven other books in the series. So
outlander is about Claire Randall, who is in Scotland in 1945/46 with her
husband Frank on a second honeymoon. She walks up to a stone circle, touches a
standing stone and falls through time. She is transported to 1743 and taken in
by the clan MacKenzie. She becomes married to one of them to avoid having to
hand herself over to the English Dragoons and her husband Frank’s ancestor. It’s
fun, Claire is spunky and tough and she’s strong and kind. Jaime is tough, and
sexy and definitely swoon worthy. And I really liked the whole book, it’s fun.