The Last Summer (of You and Me)

by Ann Brashares

I was excited about this book, by the author of the Travelling Pants Quartet. It's billed as more adult fare for the fans who've grown up with the Sisterhood. The first few pages (which I skimmed in the bookstore) were promising--the language, the character descriptions made the book seem like a serious but still fun read.

I brought it home from the library nearly 2 weeks ago and it has the questionable distinction of being the first book I've read since finishing HP7.

I began to lose my energy for this book somewhere in the middle, but since I'd read that far I couldn't stop.

I don't know if it's because my ability to appreciate this book is still padlocked to HP7, or if the book really doesn't fulfill its promise.

But I don't have any empathy for Riley or Alice or Paul. I just don't care about them.

Makes me think I shouldn't try to read anything new for a while.

A Follow Up Post to The.Biggest.Effing.Book.in.the.World.EVER!!!!

I'm not quite ready to put this book away. I mean, I've already read a new book, but I've read this book twice already (and re-read my favorite sections at least three times).

One of my MM buddies said that she didn't think this book would ever be a favorite, in that she'd want to read it again and again. I agree in that it won't replace HP3 in my heart, but I'll definitely read this one again and again for all the parts that made me teary eyed.

On my second reading, I skipped over bits of the big 3's quest in the forest, and their forays into the Ministry and visit with Mr. Lovegood. But I did savor the last third of the book, which takes place in one day, in Hogwarts. Harry's lonely walk into the forest, his exchanges with his ghosts. How people reacted to the news of his death. His confrontation with Voldemort.

And how I laugh at unexpected pockets of mirth--like when Hermione grabs Ron after he wonders about warning or rescuing the house-elfs of Hogwarts, and Harry dazedly asks "Is this the moment?"

Did I mention how glad I was that Neville had really come into his own as a hero?

I find myself picturing how the movie will look--I'm hoping it's done really, really well. The Battle at Hogwarts certainly had the feel of "Return of the King" but I suppose epics about good and evil inevitably take on similarities.

JK Rowling's doing a chat on Monday, 9 am EST on the Bloomsbury website--she'll be answering questions from readers. I've submitted 3 already!

The.Biggest.Effing.Book.in.the.World.EVER!!!!

by JK Rowling

Leading up to Friday, I was feeling very, very blue. I don't think another series like Harry Potter is going to come along for a very, very long time, and I was torn between my desire to find out what happens to Harry, Voldemort and all the characters I've come to love and hate versus wanting to preserve the illusion that things wouldn't end with The Deathly Hallows.

(I was thinking about publishing phenoms like this, and I guess they come along once every generation--you have Dickens in the 19th century, Tolkien and Agatha Christie in the 20th. I wonder what'll cause the same frenzy in my son's generation?)

In fact, as I stood in line for the book (I was in the first batch, having picked up my color-coded wristband early Friday morning), I had resolved to savor the book and read it slowly, and listen to my body--if I felt like sleeping, I'd sleep.

Well! I began reading it at 2 am Saturday morning (got home at 12:30 am, then had a snack, took a shower, paid attention to the husband who generously missed out on the fun and games at our Borders--which, BTW, I joined, lame though they were), took a break at 5 am to feed the child, then finished the epilogue at 7 am.

I couldn't stop. This book has the distinction of being so action-packed, I just couldn't help myself from reading and reading.

And I cried. I didn't bawl, , but I certainly dry-sobbed so many times.

The casualty list was just horriblle. Long AND horrible.

And the path Harry takes to confront Voldemort. That was wonderfully written--I think it's a great way to show kids what bravery looks like.

Certainly the book isn't perfect. But while I think about the book's flaws, I also think about Annie Wilkes, the crazy serial-killer-writer-kidnapper in Stephen King's Misery. When she forces Paul Sheldon to bring her favorite character back to life, and he does, she judges his first attempt a "cheat"--since what he wrote didn't follow, logically, what he'd written previously.

And while I disagree with some of Jo's choices, Annie Wilkes' accusation can't be made against her. The choices she made for the story were mostly right.

( I do protest the very, very first casualty, and the double casualty toward the end.)

The one thing I wish she'd done differently was the epilogue. I would've loved to find out, especially, whether people who deserved a comeuppance got them!

My husband had way more criticisms about the book than I did, so I'll share them here, and how I countered them.

(SPOILER ALERT!!!!!)










Why did the Malfoys have to be redeemed? I think their redemption points to Dumbledore's idea of the power of love, esp. the love of parents for a child. As Mudblood-hating and power-hungry as they were, they realized that these meant nothing next to the possible loss of their child.

Too much deus-ex-machina (a term we also learned from Misery). There were certainly a lot of close calls for Harry, Ron & Hermione in the book. But it makes sense that Voldemort was perpetually after Harry, and it also makes sense for the close calls. They were on a quest--and in literary history, quests are typically completed with a lot of hard work, quick-thinking, and luck.

Why did Fred have to bite it? Statistically, it would've been pretty tough for a family of 9 in a war not to suffer any losses. Benjie thinks it should've been Percy, but that would've been too easy. I think Jo chose the right Weasly--we all love the twins, and few of us care for Percy.

One thing that really surprised me--Snape's real feelings. (And given who he turned out to be, I would've liked for him to have had a public redemption, but I think the way Harry honored him was wonderful.)

Here's to JK Rowling, and Harry Potter. Long may they live on the bookshelves of the world!

Preparing for Saturday morning

I've read a slew of books, believe me (A Thousand Splendid Suns! Buy, Buy, Baby! and some pretty stupid chick-lit not worthy of a mention even on this blog). But I'm simultaneously rejoicing and mourning the release of the last Harry Potter book (whose title I need not mention) by re-reading the first 6 books.

(Confession: am thinking very seriously about buying the hardcover boxed set when it becomes available in September. The thing is though I hate the packaging--the box is a school trunk.)

(Confession #2: I am going to par-tay on Friday night at the local Borders while waiting for midnight to strike. Then I'm going to stay up as long as is necessary to finish the book. Motherhood/wifehood responsibilities be damned.)

I've always regarded Chamber of Secrets my least-favorite in the series, but I actually had a change of heart since re-reading it. Prisoner of Azkaban is still my favorite, followed closely by #s 1 & 4 (tied), then 2, 5 & 6. It's not that I didn't like Half-Blood Prince--I just feel that there should have been more stuff in it, esp. in relation to Harry acquiring the skills necessary to vanquish Voldemort.

I am so sad that the series is ending. It's the right thing to do, but still. Now I'm going to have to wait for Teo to be old enough to enjoy the story of Harry (in maybe 6 years?) to experience a thrill similar to that I've lived through over the last 8 years (I only started reading HP when Teo's Ninang Abby gifted me with the first 3 books all at once), each time a new book became available.

I haven't downloaded the countdowns to July 21 that you can get off Scholastic, but I've been counting the days and hours.

I can't wait. At the same time, I wish that day would never come.