True for me

Words of wisdom

Words of wisdom and timely advice for me to read. This is always a crazy busy time of year for our family and I often feel the strain of being pulled in a lot of directions. They're good pulls but still - I must protect my writing time and my process. 

30 Days of Readathon - Favorite Books

The next edition of Dewey's 24-Hour readathon is Saturday, October 21, 2017. The readathon will be celebrating ten amazing years that day! How cool is that? My kids and I will be reading for our eighth year. I didn't realize we'd found the readathon so early on. We've had the pleasure of watching it grow over the years and this is something we look forward to twice each year.

In celebration of Dewey's 24-Hour Readathon turning TEN the organizers are hosting 30 Days of Readathon. Borrowed directly from their page - here is how you can participate if you wish:

The October 21 Dewey’s 24 Hour Readathon marks TEN YEARS of this fantabulous event! We wanted to start the party a bit early this year, so we’re doing 30 Days of Readathon! Feel free to write topical blog posts, post videos, share Instagram photos, tweet your reminiscences and ideas….however you want to celebrate Readathon!

Hashtag? Why, yes! #30DaysofReadathon OR #readathon if you’d prefer because easy.

So, Favorite Book: Like most book loving readers it is difficult for me to pick one favorite book. So, I will list a favorite book from a few genres. Here we go. 

Romance: Born In Ice by Nora Roberts; Classics: The Pearl by John Steinbeck; Fantasy/MG: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling and Crime Procedural/Mystery: Visions in Death by J.D. Robb

Words are magic

This week twenty years ago Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was released in the United Kingdom. I, for one, am so, so grateful for the magic that J.K. Rowling created with her Harry Potter series. I clearly recall hearing all sorts of excitement and buzz about a Harry Potter book. When I did the second book Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was either about to come out or just had. So of course I grabbed the first book and read it. I have never looked back and waited with excitement and some impatience for the release of each new book. I went to midnight release parties and introduced many friends to the books.

My husband and I were coming home from our honeymoon when Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was released. He immediately drove us to Borders so I could get my book and we enjoyed the midnight release together. Our kids attended the last two release parties with us. They don't remember that, of course, but they do remember going to the midnight release party of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child last summer. So yes, Harry Potter has meant the world to them through their childhood. In fact, my oldest is currently reading through the books on her own and loving it. To say this franchise has been important in my life over the last twenty years would be an understatement. I am eternally happy and grateful for the fact that J.K. Rowling created a series of books about The Boy Who Lived and shared him and his friends with the world.

Words are magic

I'm in a bit of a writing slump. I find it frustrating but am also trying to cut myself some slack for it. Words are magic and hold a lot of power so I want to use them use them wisely rather than carelessly. I hope their magic begins to flow for me again very soon, though. 

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - the movies

My kids are in the midst of a major Harry Potter phase. This evening we watched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part One. They so desperately wanted to stay up and watch part two but we said they have to wait until tomorrow night since they have school tomorrow. So the trailer for part two was used to, well, tease them and hold them over.

Also, they can't wait to read the book! I'm so glad that my kids love the Harry Potter books. The movies are great but the books have so many more details. I understand that they like to see the movies because they get to have the gist of the story in a couple of hours rather than much longer time it takes to get through one of the books. I am pleased that they have continued on reading the series, though. They are currently reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

We started our Thanksgiving vacation by watching this movie tonight! It is AWESOME! J.K. Rowling is as wonderful as a screen writer as she is as a novelist! I highly recommend this movie to anyone who wants to journey back into the wizarding world of J.K. Rowling!

Love what you write

Teaser Tuesday: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Teaser Tuesday's is hosted by MizB at Books and a Beat. To play along, just do the following:

- Grab your current read 

- Open to a random page 

- Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 

- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teaser. 

My teaser this week is from page 29 of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child:

HERMIONE: And the Time-Turner itself? 

               HARRY reveals the Time-Turner. It shines out alluringly. 

          Is it genuine? Does it work?

Wordless Wednesday: Cover Love

Harry Potter!

To say that I am excited about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a major understatement! My kids are excited about this book, too! We are going to our local Barnes and Noble this evening to celebrate the release of the book and to purchase it at midnight! My children have been to the Harry Potter release parties in the past. One vaguely remembers and the other was an infant so definitely does not remember being there. They have been looking forward to this as much - and possibly even more - as I have. They came to me earlier in the week and said that they didn't have Harry Potter t-shirts for the party and could we please get some. OF COURSE I said yes and we went shopping for them. So tonight we'll all be wearing our new Harry Potter t-shirts and celebrating the release of the new book.

I heard someone talking about the Harry Potter excitement on the radio today. She said with so many disheartening things going on in the world it is so nice to see so many people excited about reading and getting a book. I completely agree with her! Also, I read that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the highest selling book (at Barnes and Noble, at least) since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was released nine years ago. To me that is an amazing fact! So, is anyone else excited about this book? If so, are you going to any of the celebrations or buying it at midnight?

Oh my...

I am a huge Harry Potter fan. I have wanted this newly illustrated and formatted edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone since I first learned of it. My husband and children got it for me for my birthday - at the suggestion of my youngest. I haven't been through the entire book as of yet but what I have seen is absolutely breath-taking. The new illustrations by Jim Kay are so stunning and right on, in my opinion. They bring the story to life all over again. And even though my kids and I know this story inside and out we all want to read it together once more so that we can experience it in the midst of the new illustrations. I don't know if there are plans to do this same thing with the other six books but I sure hope they do!

 

Editing to Add: They ARE doing new editions of all seven books - with Jim Kay doing the illustrations! I am beyond excited about this! My husband laughed and said I am buying into the 'marketing machine' because of course I want all of them. I said that's all right because this is ART! Also, here is a great interview with Jim Kay:

 

http://www.ew.com/article/2015/10/12/harry-potter-illustrator-jim-kay-interview

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

I am a huge Harry Potter fan. I fell in love with these books in 1999; before the movies, before the series was even complete. I went to midnight release parties; first on my own, then with my husband and the last two with my child(ren).

As much of a fan as I am - I have never read all seven books back to back. In fact, it's been a good eight years since I even read the first two or three books. And suddenly, this week, I am in the mood to read all the books, from beginning of series until the last page of The Deathly Hallows.

I'm 42 pages into The Sorcerer's Stone and already my love for these books is flourishing again. J.K. Rowling is a truly gifted writer and I am so glad she gave the world these books. I very much look forward to sharing them with my children as I continue to love the world of Harry Potter.