Worth the Hype?

Title: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Author: J.K. Rowling

I just finished the new Harry Potter book. It took me just under 24 hours, which is about right. I'll read it again in a few days.
However, I wasn't as impressed with this one as I have been in the past. All of Dumbledore's speeches seemed very stilted, for one thing. Another thing; Rowling has mastered the art of the cliffhanger, but I think she uses it too much. I could talk about it more, but I don't want to ruin the story for you. I know Michael and Kelly are both reading it as we speak.
I went online to try tofind some reviews of the novel, but it's hard to find anything buy 12 year olds gushing about how it's the best book they've ever read.

I called Michael on Saturday as I was driving out to get my copy, and he has, coincidentally, just recieved his copy in the mail. The box had "Do not read until July 16" printed on it, and we talked about how, if it had been delievered early, there was no way Michael would have been able to resist opening it, and then leaking it to the rest of us. Then we discussed what a gag order is, and how I would have no fun visiting him in jail, where he would surely have to trade his ill=gotten Harry Potter book for cigarettes. (The cigarettes aren't for him, they're for his cell-mate, who would them promise not to kill him in the night.) I totally think J.K. Rowling would not hesitate to do all this, especially after all the wrath visited on those kids in Canada.

Things I Really Enjoy Doing

Changing all the pre-sets on my brother's car stereo from conservative stations to liberal stations.
Fox News became NPR
Rush Limbaugh became Al Franken
and
All Presidental Speeches, all the Time became Broadway Musicals

(giggle)

Rules...

Rules for reading the VERY SCARY BOOK.

1. There must be other people within screaming distance, but that's the farthest away they can be. The next room or, preferably, 2 feet away is ideal.
2. The book cannot be read right before trying to go to sleep. Appropriately happy material must be introduced. (Last night, I read a Home improvement catalog and an 8-month-old copy of SELF magazine.)
3. Looking under the bed and in the closet for the monster is not a cop-out, even at my age. You never know where it might be hiding. Also not a cop-out is leaping from the bed so nothing can grab my feet. (yes, i'm 27 years old. What you got to say 'bout it?!)
4. The book should live in another room when you're done reading it.
5. The book should be read with one's back up against the wall, so nothing can creep up on you.
6. Stop reading for the night right after something good happens in the story. You never know what will be in the next chapter, and it could keep you up all night.

Finally, I'm done with the scary book. Very scary at the beginning and the end, but that middle hundred pages of history almost made me put it down. I stuck with it, though, and was not disappointed.
It was "The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostva(sp?) This book got a lot of hype, and I think is almost on the best-seller list. I went back and forth about buying it, though, because I didn't want to spend $24 for it.

I'll give it four stars out of five. It was meticulously researched, and the story was pretty complex. It was also set primarily in Europe, which is usually a plus for me. I expected the narrative in a book about Dracula to be rather trite, but I almost never felt that way while I was reading it.

just for steve.

Happy Birthday, Steve!

make sure you treat yourself to a couple of hours at your favorite place, Lowe's!

I'm sorry, you don't exist as a person, only a number.

Have I ever mentioned how thankful I am that I went to small schools...up to this point?
I'm trying ot get registered with USM, and they couldn't care less about me! I'm just another number. I knew it wouldn't be like ATS, where the Financial Aid ladies know your name when they see you in the hall, but I at least thought I'd get to talk to a REAL person when I call the Records office at USM and try to figure out what's wrong with the online registrar.

4 days left in wilmore...