I won’t recount all the ways I love the Harry Potter books, but I will say that after having read this, I want to go back and read the series again. Barely a month after finishing it for probably the fifth time. My love for this world, and these characters, is indelible. Needless to say, I highly anticipated Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Don’t mistake my delayed review as lack of enjoyment or diminished excitement – I did everything I could to savor these pages. […]
The Rory Gilmore Problem
I had 2 different reactions to this book. I couldn’t put it down. Then I thought about it. As I read it, I loved it. I finished in a day. The story and characters and situations all felt very relateable. Plus, who doesn’t love a straightforward happy ending for a likable heroine? But then again, there was a disconnect between the realism and the fantasy. The heroine Cath is believable introverted, geeky first-semester college student who we follow through the ups and downs of her […]
4,100 pages of perpetual youth.
I read these books last month, but wanted to save them to celebrate my Cannonball. When I was a teenager, I thought I read a lot. But I don’t think I ever read 40 books in a year before. Last year, reading mostly historical biographies, I only made it to 29 (my goal was 12, though). So I didn’t expect to really be able to make it this year. So I’m pleasantly surprised that I was able to make it in approximately six months. So, […]
“It is my mercy, and not yours, that matters now.”
During the decade in which the Harry Potter series was published I was a college student, a new nurse, a young bride, a new homeowner, and finally, a mother. What I was NOT was someone committed to thousands of pages of a single series. Obviously, from the tremendous buzz, I knew I was missing out. But in the hours spent in the rocking chair while reading to my new daughter, I made a decision. When she turned 8, we’d start reading it together. I wouldn’t […]
The more I read these books, the more I like to think it’s an adult Harry Potter.
I hope it goes without saying that, if you haven’t read these books, beware the spoilers that follow. I’ve tried to not give away major plot points for each book, but if you’re on book three, you may not want to read the following reviews. Harry Potter was one of those foundational stories, for me. It laid the groundwork for what I deem good in this world. To some degree, everything I’ve read since has been weighed against the mark left on my soul by […]
The Philosopher’s (Rosetta) Stone
Several years ago, the X and Philosophy pop culture series was really hitting it big. Barnes and Noble had a sale on several hardcover editions, including Harry Potter and Philosophy and The Chronicles of Narnia and Philosophy, both of which I love. So I snagged them both and promptly didn’t read either for years. Now that I’m going through my Marie Kondo phase, trying to eliminate as much extra kitsch and junk from my life as possible, I’m motivated to read ALL the books on […]



