An American reading the British editions: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

(SPOILER ALERT: I’m sharing details of the Harry Potter series in this post, and in every post on the last Sunday of the month for the next four months. Just so you know!)

I’m just an American girl reading the Harry Potter British editions. This month: Prisoner of Azkaban! Check out my posts about Philosopher’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets before reading on…



Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

First Line: “Harry Potter was a highly unusual boy in many ways.”

British vs. American English: I’ve been overseas so there are some words/phrases I read in these versions and don’t even recognize as different. Like car park vs. parking lot or jumper vs. sweater. But here are a few differences that popped out to me. 

(British edition word/phrase = interpretation)

torch = flashlight

darned = re-sewn

pop my clogs = die

sharpish = quickly

wrong-foot = to catch off balance

shirty = angry, irritated

do his nut = lose his temper

scarpered = to flee

 

Laugh-Worthy Moment:

"Professor Trelawney rustled past.

'Would anyone like me to help them interpret the shadowy portents within their Orb?' she murmured over the clinking of her bangles.

'I don’t need help,' Ron whispered. 'It’s obvious what this means. There’s going to be loads of fog tonight.'" (page 219)

 

Cry-Worthy Moment: “You think the dead we have loved ever truly leave us? You think that we don’t recall them more clearly than ever in times of great trouble? Your father is alive in you, Harry, and shows himself most plainly when you have need of him. How else could you produce that particular Patronus? Prongs rode again last night.” –Professor Dumbledore (page 312)

 

Notable Quote: “The spell I am going to try and teach you is highly advanced magic, Harry—well beyond Ordinary Wizarding Level. It is called the Patronus Charm.” –Professor Lupin (page 175)

 

Last Line:  “And grinning broadly at the look of horror on Uncle Vernon’s face, Harry set off towards the station exit, Hedwig rattling along in front of him, for what looked like a much better summer than the last.”

 

Thoughts:

In a late night, solo birthday celebration, Harry turns thirteen at the start of Prisoner of Azkaban. After an incident with Uncle Vernon’s sister Marge, which foreshadows one of the themes of PoA, Harry takes a ride on the Knight Bus and meets the Minister of Magic at the Leaky Cauldron. Not long later, Harry learns that Sirius Black, a crazed escapee of the highly secure wizard prison, is after Harry and plans to kill him to open the door for Voldemort’s return to power.

Throughout the book, Harry learns more about Sirius Black, his friendship with Harry’s father, James, and their old school friends. Through conversations both including Harry and overheard by him, he learns a great deal about his father’s school days. However, most of the information is shared during the climax, which makes for a drawn out scene in the Shrieking Shack. But Rowling keeps it interesting with Lupin barging in, then Snape changing the dynamic once more before the reveal of Peter Pettigrew (formally known as Scabbers). Also, the information itself is intriguing! The story that Harry heard of Black, that he betrayed James and Lily, sold them out to Voldemort then was so distraught about Voldemort’s downfall that Black killed Pettigrew and thirteen innocent people before being thrown in Azkaban—well, turns out that’s not true. In fact it was Pettigrew who betrayed the Potters, handed them over to Voldemort, then killed thirteen innocent people and faked his own death when Black hunted him down to hold him accountable. Whew.

In the Shrieking Shack, the reader sees one facet of Black’s character as he’s focused on revenge and destroying Pettigrew. Black has been without human contact for so many years and spent so much of it as a dog (as he’s an unregistered Animagus) that he acts almost animal. It’s Professor Lupin who is understanding and level-headed throughout the whole ordeal. Since it’s revealed that he's a werewolf (to which Rowling left a trail of expertly crafted clues), it’s refreshing that he rises above the stereotypes and is a great man. We get hints at Sirius' great character as well, but with his focus on revenge/Pettigrew for the entire book, it makes sense that they're just hints for the time being. James Potter certainly had an interesting group of school friends.

Year Three was a tough year for Harry, Ron and Hermione’s friendship. As kids grow up, they change and sometimes grow apart. Luckily the trio doesn’t grow apart but they do have their share of disagreements. In Scabbers vs. Crookshanks, Ron jumps to the semi-logical conclusion that Crookshanks finally ate Scabbers but Hermione points out there are other possibilities and Ron has no proof. Harry doesn’t take sides, but when Hermione tells McGonagall about Harry’s new Firebolt from an anonymous source, Harry is naturally frustrated that his new broom is confiscated. Ron takes it as a personal affront that the Firebolt will be stripped down and the trio spends the winter months in disagreement. It’s Hagrid who brings them together again with Buckbeak’s trial and appeal because of Malfoy’s injury back in the fall. In the end, the trio comes together in the face of a bigger tragedy. However, I think Hermione’s protection of Harry regarding the Firebolt incident had a positive effect on his general reluctance to adhere to the rules while Hermione slapping Malfoy is proof that she’s lightened up a bit and is more willing to stand and fight for her friends than be shackled to the rules.

In the end, Harry emerges from Prisoner of Azkaban with deeper knowledge of his parents and their friends as well as feeling that he has a family connection within the wizarding world, as Sirius Black is his godfather.

Up next: the first giant-sized volume, Goblet of Fire!

John Green: YA Superstar... and savior?

With the release of The Fault in Our Stars movie just weeks away, I’m seeing John Green everywhere. (Not in person, though that’d be so cool!) He was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People of 2014, TFIOS was EW’s cover story last week and the nerd-hero was featured on Buzzfeed. John Green has exploded into a household name (or close to) and while that’s great, I’m worried about the ramifications of his celebrity status on YA.

Don’t get me wrong, I love John Green. I’ve read TFIOS and all his books except one (I’m saving Looking for Alaska but I’m not quite sure why). I watch vlogbrothers semi-regularly. I live in Indianapolis and feel a certain kinship.

But with all the press around TFIOS, articles about Mr. Green and his bestsellers are appearing everywhere and not all of them are accurate. They’re turning him into the savior of YA contemporary fiction—even the savior of YA overall—from the awful dregs of vampires and supernatural romance and UGH fantasy. (Sarcasm, because of course I love fantasy.)

This has been on my mind a lot in the past month, but I didn’t know how to put it into words. So luckily someone did it for me. But she did it WAY better than I ever could have. Last week, Justine Larbalestier tweeted THIS blog post by Anne Ursu. The article not only hit on my feelings but went into more depth than I ever could have. I even learned a thing or two. (And it reminded me that even though I may be a YA expert in the bookstore where I work, there are many more seriously intelligent and tuned in YA experts out there that have years and years of experience with YA, MG and the publishing world.)

Anyway, I LOVE this article. Oh, and THIS one too, where a YA librarian with over 20 years of experience (and over 2000 YA books read?! WHAT?!) addresses the recent media portrayal of YA.

And one more, because who doesn’t love an accurate and interesting portrayal of John Green that just happens to have been published by my hometown newspaper. (I didn’t go searching for this one—it popped up on my feed as a pleasant surprise!) Key to this one’s accuracy: they didn’t try to interpret John Green’s success and explain his impact on YA but just let John speak for himself.

So if you’re a YA enthusiast, expert or merely an occasional reader, keep a steady diet of don’t-believe-everything-the-media-tells-you because sometimes they’re right and sometimes they are more than wrong. Sometimes they actually do their research and sometimes they say things just to say things.

Don’t let the bestsellers define a genre. Don’t let one author’s spotlight throw the rest into the shadow. And for goodness sakes, read diversely.

 

Coaxing the Muse

I wish I could take as many vacations as my muse. She also likes to wake late, go to sleep early and it’s quite common for her to siesta from lunch until dinner. She doesn’t like me if I’m sick or cranky and she really hates that I’ve given up coffee. (TBH, I’m not a fan of that either.) And now that it’s almost summer, it’s likely she’ll wander off without any reason at all.

So when my muse (codename: Ariela von Driessen) can’t be found, what do I do? Do I sink into the doldrums and watch hours of Netflix on the couch? No! I do something—anything—to try to coax her back.

Let the coaxing begin.

 

Read

My reading list is longer than most interstates. So if I’m stuck staring at a blank page, I pick something from my to-read pile and fill the void with pages full of words. It usually sparks something.

Clean

Or do anything mindless, really. My muse tends not to be found when she’s needed the most, but if I stop needing her, she’ll likely pop back in unexpectedly.

Go Outside

Maybe I’ll find inspiration in the way the sun shines through the clouds or the way the trees blow in the breeze or even in the rain as it falls to earth. (Or maybe I'll find her sunbathing by the pool.)

Interact

Flee to social media. Catch a laugh on Tumblr. Respond to fellow writers on Twitter. Visit blogs and websites and watch videos. Leave comments! 

Write anyway

I shouldn’t require a muse to put words on paper. Though her presence is soothing and I’m a fan of light bulb inspiration, it’s much more satisfying when hard work gets the scene written and edited!
 

“If the muse is late for work, start without her.” –Peter S. Beagle

 

Waiting for the muse and doing nothing in the meantime is the worst thing I can do for my writing. With or without Ms. Ariela von Driessen (yes, she’s as finicky as she sounds), I write. Or I do something similarly productive in the writing scheme of things to get the juices going. Then I write.

Diversifying My Reading List

You may have heard of the #weneeddiversebooks campaign that went viral (Yay!) over the past few days. For more information, click HERE. Well, it got me thinking...
 

Reading is a great way to learn about a culture/race/orientation/religion etc. other than the one you identify with. Personally, books have always been a source of learning for me. I widen my vocabulary, learn about legends, hobbies, history and places other than what I’m familiar with, but am I reading enough diverse books? Am I learning about other cultures/races/orientations/religions in the books I read?

I’m not so sure. Out of the 18 books I’ve read this year, only two of them have main characters who are diverse:

·         Two Boys Kissing—David Levithan

·         The Tyrant’s Daughter—J.C. Carleson

My reading repertoire overall has more diversity, but still the percentage to total books read is low. Looks like I need to ramp it up! For each of the eight months left of 2014, I’m going to read at least one book with a main character unlike me, whether they are of another culture, race, orientation, religion etc. One of the best things about reading diversely is that I'll be able to recommend diversely (remember: I'm a bookseller by day).

My #weneeddiversebooks Reading List for 2014

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian—Sherman Alexie

The Summer Prince—Alaya Dawn Johnson

Ask the Passengers—A. S. King

The Art of Secrets—James Klise

The Living—Matt de la Peña

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe—Benjamin Alire Sáenz

She is Not Invisible—Marcus Sedgwick

Marcelo in the Real World—Francisco X. Stork

Oh, and here’s some diversity in the wild!

 

An American reading the British editions: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

(SPOILER ALERT: I’m sharing details of the Harry Potter series in this post, and in every post on the last Sunday of the month for the next five months. Just so you know!)

I’m just an American girl reading the Harry Potter British editions in my spare time, then posting about it here! If you missed the first post about Philosopher’s Stone, check it out here!

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

First Line: "Not for the first time, an argument had broken out over breakfast at number four, Privet Drive."

British vs. American English: I’ve been overseas, so there are some things that I read and don’t even recognize as different. Like jumper vs. sweater or pitch vs. field. But here are a few differences that popped out to me. 

(British edition word/phrase = interpretation)

completely at sea = completely confused

Father Christmas = Santa Claus

up at cock-crow = up at dawn

matron = nurse

jump-jets = fighter jets / military planes

to grass on = to tattle on

 

Laugh-Worthy Moment:

“Harry came round, rain falling on his face, still lying on the pitch, with someone leaning over him. He saw a glitter of teeth.

       ‘Oh no, not you,’ he moaned.

       ‘Doesn’t know what he’s saying,’ said Lockhart loudly, to the anxious crowd of Gryffindors pressing around them. ‘Not to worry, Harry. I’m about to fix your arm.’” (page 129-130).

Cry-Worthy Moment: Even though Harry is lying to Professor McGonagall about missing class to visit Hermione in the hospital wing (when Harry and Ron were really trying to question Moaning Myrtle), it’s a heartfelt moment. McGonagall gets emotional, and Harry and Ron visit Hermione because they don’t want to have lied to McGonagall.

Notable Quote:  “It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” –Professor Dumbledore (page 245)

 

Last Line:  "And together they walked back through the gateway to the Muggle world."

 

Thoughts:

In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry has been a part of the wizarding world for a year. He’s learning the basics of magic and is about to return to Hogwarts for his second year, though not if a particular house elf gets his way.

JK Rowling ties her plot together nicely, like a bow. Everything’s mentioned, explained or foreshadowed so when something happens, however small, it makes sense as the reader already has previous knowledge of it. For example: Fawkes. Harry visits Dumbledore’s office (because he’s in trouble, so for good reason) but he sees Fawkes burn and be reborn. He knows Fawkes is Dumbledore’s phoenix and Dumbledore tells him that phoenixes are loyal creatures with healing powers. So when Fawkes turns up in the Chamber of Secrets after Harry shows loyalty to Dumbledore, it makes sense. And when Fawkes’ tears heal Harry after he’s stabbed with a basilisk fang, it’s not an unforeseen surprise.

I have to admit it’s a stretch that any 12 year-old could defeat a giant snake and the 16 year-old diary version of Lord Voldemort, but of course Harry isn’t just any 12 year-old. He’s brave and quick-witted and he had loads of help. Rowling didn’t make Harry a master swordsman when he pulled Gryffindor’s sword from the sorting hat (as that wouldn't have been believable). Harry acts on his instincts regularly (with both good and bad outcomes) so it’s plausible that he knew to impale the diary with the fang. Even though I’m only on the second book in the series, I’ve already seen Harry’s growth and expect it to continue (as his actions will be based more in knowledge and skill as the books continue and less on chance). And luckily as he grows, he will be less susceptible to things like being fooled by a diary that thinks for itself. Harry and Ginny are both still young and innocent (and Harry relatively new to the wizarding world), so it’s believable that the diary could weasel into their minds. It’s a good balance of what could/would happen to the average 12 year-old and what Harry, an exceptional pre-teen, can accomplish.

I did miss Hermione in the later portion of Chamber of Secrets, since she was lying petrified on a hospital bed. Though, in her absence, I got to know Ron better. I saw his dry sarcasm and learned more about his brand of bravery and the extent of his fears (spiders!). I can’t wait for more Ginny, as in Chamber she’s mostly sad and depressed and rarely talks due to her schoolgirl crush on Harry.

In Chamber of Secrets, the reader learns more about Lord Voldemort (the madman formerly known as Tom Marvolo Riddle), meets new characters such as Dobby, Arthur Weasley, Lucius Malfoy, Gilderoy Lockhart and Cornelius Fudge and has another adventure in the depths of Hogwarts.

Up next month: Prisoner of Azkaban!

 

Six Star Reviews: Prisoner of Night and Fog

The highest rating a book can get on Goodreads is five stars. Five stars means the book was awesome, worthy, well-written, etc. But sometimes I wish I could give six—YES 6—stars. These instances are rare, but there are some books that stand out that extra inch. They are truly unputdownable. They are not just great, but extraordinary. They speak to me, and I love them.

So, I’m starting a new blog series called Six Star Reviews. The posts might be infrequent because I’m only sharing the best of the best. And even though this is the first post, I’d like to mention that this is actually the second time this year I've felt a book deserved six stars. The first time was Marie Rutkoski’s The Winner’s Curse, which I wrote about in this multi-review post earlier this year. Now, onto the main attraction:

Prisoner of Night and Fog—Anne Blankman

In 1930s Munich, danger lurks behind dark corners, and secrets are buried deep within the city. But Gretchen Müller, who grew up in the National Socialist Party under the wing of her uncle Dolf, has been shielded from that side of society ever since her father traded his life for Dolf's, and Gretchen is his favorite, his pet. Uncle Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler. And Gretchen follows his every command.

Until she meets a fearless and handsome young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen. Gretchen should despise Daniel, yet she can't stop herself from listening to his story: that her father, the adored Nazi martyr, was actually murdered by an unknown comrade. As Gretchen investigates the very people she's always considered friends, she must decide where her loyalties lie. Will she choose the safety of her former life as a Nazi darling or will she dare to dig up the truth—even if it could get her and Daniel killed?

I admire Gretchen Müller, the main character of Prisoner of Night and Fog. She’s strong and brave and true. In the beginning, she’s entranced by her Uncle Dolf, following his commands and believing his ideals. But when she’s presented with a contrary opinion, she doesn’t get stuck. She’s open-minded about it, really thinks for herself and doesn’t let her past cloud her possible future.  

(SPOILERS: highlight to read, if you dare).  And when she comes face-to-face with mad, vindictive Hitler, no longer her loving uncle, she doesn’t back down, she doesn’t agree just to agree or shrink back or run away. She looks him straight on and tells him he’s wrong. This scene was so powerful and terrifying and heart-lifting, all at the same time.

In this novel, we see Hitler’s charisma and his madness. We see how they intertwine and how easily people fell victim to his powerful presence. It’s spine-tingling and unsettling because it’s based in truth. Even though this book is set in 1931 Munich, we know what happens over the next 15 years. We know where Hitler goes and what he does, and so to see him as a human character in a fiction novel is both interesting and cringe-worthy.

Prisoner of Night and Fog is well-researched, as proven by the bibliography at the end of the book. (I love historical fiction novels with bibliographies!) It’s based in fact, which makes it that much more thrilling, because even though Gretchen and Daniel are fictional, the danger they're in was very real for many of Hitler’s opponents in 1930s Germany.

This novel reached into my chest and wrapped its pages around my heart and tightened. I flew through the book, somehow both appalled (mostly at Hitler and his Nazis) and intrigued. The story is thought-provoking on so many levels. There’s action and suspense and drama and history and love, all mingled together.

Even though it has yet to be released—the official release date is April 22, just two days away!—I’m already anxious for the sequel (which is mentioned in the Author’s Note.) And just to let you know, I will be buying this book on Tuesday. I can't do this often because it's not within my budget to buy hardcover books regularly, but I’m determined to have a bookshelf adorned with the very best of YA and this novel definitely deserves a spot.

Prisoner of Night and Fog is a 6 out of 5 stars book, and I can’t wait to stroke its spine and smell its pages and wrap it (carefully) in my arms and yeah, I’m a book geek. But I’m a passionate, unapologetic book geek.

My recommendation: READ THIS BOOK. (Especially if you like history and/or star-crossed lovers and/or free thinkers and/or edge-of-your-seat thrillers.)



*Book overview courtesy of BN.com.

MORE Teen Books-to-Movies 2014 & Beyond

So, I may have already written about the major YA books-to-movies coming out in the next six months. In my last books-to-movies post, I covered The Fault in Our Stars, The Giver and If I Stay. And a year ago, I talked about The Maze Runner in this post, whose release date has since changed. Therefore, I decided to do something different with this semi-annual post about YA books-to-movies. I’m going to share some recent movie news about YA films currently in development. The earliest we might see these in theaters is 2015 and it will likely be later as these awesome adaptations are still in the very early stages of the book-to-movie process. 

The 5^th Wave

Cassie has survived the first four waves of an alien invasion that has devastated Earth’s population and forced the remaining civilization back to the Stone Age. As she navigates the 5^th wave of the invasion, she is also searching for her younger brother, who was taken from her months before.

In this recent article, it was announced that the lead role of Cassie will be played by Chloe Grace Moretz. Moretz is also starring in If I Stay (in theaters in August), so she’s no stranger to the YA book-to-movie scene.

Eleanor & Park

Misfit teenagers Eleanor and Park bond over comic books and music on the school bus. But when their friendship extends past their encounters on the bus, they are faced with obstacles to their budding romance.

Dreamworks recently announced that they optioned the film rights to this bestseller, with author Rainbow Rowell signed on to write the screenplay. The current plan is to start filming in 2015.

 

Paper Towns

Paper Towns is a story of two high schoolers, Margo and Quentin, who shared a traumatic childhood experience then reunite to exact revenge on anyone who Margo feels has hurt her. Then Margo disappears and only Quentin has the information to find her.

This announcement means John Green will have another book coming to the big screen soon(ish). The same studio, producers and screenwriters as The Fault in Our Stars movie (in theaters June 6) will bring Paper Towns to life, and even one of the actors will stay on. Nat Wolff, who plays Isaac in TFIOS, will play Quentin in Paper Towns.

EXCITING NEWS! The #TFIOSMovie team is getting the band back together for PAPER TOWNS! http://t.co/PD3GMCu77m
— John Green (@realjohngreen) March 24, 2014

That was a good day on the internet.

I am excited about ALL of these! But I’m trying not to be too excited, because it will be a long wait until any of these projects in development grace the big screen. But still, yay!