iv) Finished Harry Potter 7

I'm so happy, I won't say anymore as i don't want to spoil anything


Finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at 15 minutes past midnight, It's the first time I hadn't finished the book in the same day, fifteen minutes out, I had to read it and finish it quickly, just to find out what happened. I'm so glad I was wrong.


I had tears in my eyes at the end, I'm so happy, well done Rowling your ending was perfect, thanks
x

iii) Harry Potter tomorrow!

harry potter harry potter harry potter harry potter harry potter harry potter harry potter harry potter harry potter harry potter harry potter harry potter harry potter harry potter harry potter harry potter harry potter harry potter harry potter harry potter harry potter harry potter harry potter harry potter harry potter harry potter harry potter harry potter harry potter harry potter harry potter harry potter harry potter..................*phew*

(that was quite a few presses of the ctrl + v)

Harry Potter and the deathly hallows is out tomorrow, it'll probably be my book nine though I might read the battersea park road to enlightenment by Isabel Losada tonight just to keep it from overwhelming me. I was going to go to one of those harry potter parties at book stores tonight so I could get it at 12.01 (+ queue time) but I couldn't make it :(. I have been so scared of someone ruining it for me. Its not just harry potter its any book, I can't stand knowing the ending. One of my friends (I use the term loosely, you know who you are!) posted a myspace bulletin saying one of the characters who dies. B******. Actually I had safely presumed it so it came as no real surprise as Rowling really had no other way to go with that character. But I've now been avoiding myspace like the plague. Not that I use it often I spend all my time working, socialising and reading (as you may of guessed)

I'm working tomorrow morning but I can read on the desk so I'm down asda to buy my very very cheap copy of hp & the dh and hopefully I'll finish it before I go to my next job at 7.00, I don't think they'll let me read at the bar lol.

yay harry potter!!!
..................................................he better frickin' kick the bucket, I don't want to have to read another sequel, they're great but I'm forced to read them against my will, it's like an addiction.

3. - 6. Saiyuki Reload volumes 3, 4, 5 & 6

Saiyuki Reload v.3, v.4, v.5, v.6
by Kazuya Minekura

This is probably my favourite manga series of all time. It has everything a good series should have, characters you can get emotionally involved with, it's serious at times but at others has pure slap stick, there's also plenty of action (obviously) and an engrossing, multi-faceted story. Quite good really for a manga, I tend to find some artists just don't know how to weave a plot no matter how breath-taking their art is.

I admit though rather guiltily I started these books for two reasons-

1. It was (I thought) a short series of nine books (I didn't notice the second series)
2. The front cover for Saiyuki v.1 was pretty cool ->

.......not exactly the best way to choose a series to read......

but it worked out well as I adore both saiyuki and saiyuki reload.

Volume three was great because it started the burial arc of the story and you found out loads about their pasts, (Hakkai took off his limiters, but it didn't show what happened! ohw! Though i heard it shows it in v.7!). I found the next 3 volumes weren't the best however out of the saiyuki series, I guess it may be down to my personal dislike of Hazel who is introduced but it certainly picks up in v.6 and now I'm on the edge of my chair to find out what happens to Goku but also to Sanzo (he's my favourite character). Argh! I've ordered v.7 but Amazon can't deliver it for two weeks! *sniffle* ...meanie....

2. V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd

V for Vendetta
by Alan Moore and David Lloyd

Forgive me for I have sinned but I saw the movie first. Well anyway they are so different it doesn't matter. I'm not sure what it is that makes them so different even though the basic plot is the same. Anyway....

This graphic novel is much more grittier than the film and seems, almost I guess, more spiritual. (read it you'll see what I mean). I'll start at the end, the explanation for who V is comes across very interestingly in the book as it shows in the sort of epilogue with the nameless young man in the alley. The detective's story is far more detailed also and you feel his journey.

I must say I find it strange that the story is by Moore but the illustration by Lloyd, but I guess it makes sense, stick to what you do best afterall. Moore's story is broad and covers everything well, it feels full and gives you that nice satisfied feeling, you may not understand everything he was on about but it made sense and you understand at least what matters. Lloyd's style suits the subject matter but I found one flaw that threw everything else off for me. It is hard to distinguish between the characters. Obviously V has his mask and Evey has no hair at one point then it grows back but with the other characters it is sometimes hard to work out who the scene has switched to until a name is thrown in. This was originally in black and white and some say the colouring has hidden some of the drawing but for me the illustrations were a bit too shadowy and undistinguished, the movement tended to throw me too but perhaps that is because I don't read many western graphic novels (this and maus are the only ones), I'm probably not used to the construction style of the drawings.

As more people may of seen the film than the book I'll just say this, the novel is far better and deeper than the film, it makes sense and doesn't hide some of the more sleazy realities of the futuristic society.



p.s. love the fact it's set in 1998

1. The Blood Knight by Greg Keyes

The Blood knight
by Greg Keyes

This is the third one in the series so I wouldn't advise starting this without reading the first two: The Briar King and The Charnel Prince. I discovered this series in a charity shop a long time ago and I haven't regretted it. When you first start reading this series it feels as though he has overdone it on the amount of characters as throughout the series he is introducing more and more. This tends to level off in this book as we become better acquainted with the characters and elements of the story become much clearer, all the whys and whos.

One thing I love about this book is the weaving story lines, they all intersect harmoniously and the action keeps on going but he doesn't overdo it.

I must say I don't like one of his main characters Aspar White, he just annoys me for some reason but as there's about six main characters, there's others to love. His concept of music like the ancient modes is really different, you gotta admit Leoff's composing skills must be pretty wicked if he can do what he does with music. I don't like to admit it but I'm a romantic at heart and it supplies. The loves in this book aren't overdone, they're believable and seem real, (Neil's Tragic love story, following mainly from the last books, is a firm favourite of mine.)

Absolutely loved it, but was bloody well pissed off when I found out this wasn't the last book (I thought it was a trilogy) I really want to know what happens next!!!!

ii) Other Challenges?

Just searched around on google to see how this blog was picked up. Instead though I found many, many other pages of people with 50 book challenges for summer. Talk about a subject in the common mind.

....But now I've got rivals, it can only spur me on!

i) Summer of Books - The 50 Book Challenge

As I have a particularly long summer after finishing my A-levels I decided to make a list and set myself a few challenges, amongst these were a few normal ones such as “Go to the beach” and “Visit three new places” as well as some strange ones such as “Learn to cook fish in three different ways”. In addition to my list I have set myself a challenge, to read fifty books in the summer. I think I can do it I hope, but I’ll set down some ground rules as my best friend pointed out a load of catches to my plan.

1. I’m counting summer as from the second week of July to the 7th of September, this is 61 days
2. Graphic novels and manga do count, though I will try not to have too many
3. It does not matter about the thickness of the book, it can be 1000 pages or 100, it’s still a book
4. Poetry and plays are still books, the poems/plays contained counts as one book, the commentaries and critics are not included.

I will add more rules as I find catches in the list just for arguments sake

Wish me luck!