All I Want for Christmas Book Tag|CarenzaOnBooks

As it is the Friday before Christmas and this will be my last blog post before Christmas, I figured it was the perfect time for a Christmas book tag and I found this on Stephanie's Book Reviews Blog, click here to read her answers to this tag.

1) What Fictional Character do you want Santa to Leave under your Christmas Tree?

I am torn between Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, my two favourite characters in the Harry Potter series. I have to admit that I am leaning more towards Lupin as I feel you could have a better Christmas with Lupin as he is the more sensible of the two. 

2) What Character do you want to Kiss under the Mistletoe? 

Having recently reread Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, I have fallen in love with Scorpius. It wouldn't be a romantic kiss though. I would love to have him as a brother as he is very nerdy and shy like me.  

3) You Write your Christmas List for Santa, What are the Top Five Books on it?

I'm assuming these are books that aren't out or that I don't own, so:

1. Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare
2. A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab 
3. Harry Potter Boxset with cool spine art
4. Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo
5. Dan And Phil Go Outside

4) It's Secret Santa at Hogwarts, What do you Most want to receive?

I would love to receive the Marauders Map as I've always loved the idea of having a map of Hogwarts. I also love the design of it from the movie as it looks really vintage.

5) You get to spend the day with the characters and movie adaptation actors from one fandom, what do you pick? 

Obviously, the Harry Potter fandom! I love that fandom to death!

6) What Fictional Animal do you want to replace Rudolph with and be able to meet on your roof?

I would love to replace Rudolph with either a Niffler or a Hippogriff, I love both of them equally.

7) You Invite 10 fictional characters to your New Years Eve Party, who do you pick?

1. Hermione Granger
2. Scorpius Malfoy
3. Remus Lupin
4. Rubeus Hagrid
5. Harry Potter
6. Jem Carstairs
7. Julian Blackthorn
8. Kit Herondale
9. Tessa Gray
10. Jane Eyre

8) What Character would make a good Santa?

I think Hagrid would make a great Santa as he has a really caring personality and he looks like he would be a good Santa.

So that concludes my All I Want for Christmas Book Tag! I hope you have a wonderful Christmas (if you celebrate it) and I will see you on the other side of Christmas!

Carenza x

Harry Potter Gift Guide- Christmas 2017| CarenzaOnBooks

As it is the big day exactly one week today, I thought that it would be a good time to post my Harry Potter Gift Guide. As a huge Potterhead myself, I know this is something I would definitely check out.  I've tried to think of some things that are outside the box as well as some well-loved items.

Books

I think it's a fairly obvious one to start with, but there are some beautiful editions of the Harry Potter books to buy the Potterhead in your life. Here's a list of my favourites:

• Illustrated Editions
• US Paperback with amazing Spine Art
• Anniversary House editions
• Juniper Books- You can get a boxset or just dust jackets in all the houses.

Christmas Decorations

My Christmas Tree with my Ravenclaw Ornament

The Harry Potter Studio Tour (London) has some amazing Christmas pieces on their website at the moment. They have Christmas stockings for each of the houses, Hogwarts themed one linked here. They also have house specific ornaments for trees, on my last visit to the Studio, I bought the Ravenclaw one for my tree as I have a tradition of buying ornaments. Here is the link to the website. 

Homeware

If you are anything like me, then you will love decorating your house with Harry Potter themed items. I have quite a few and I love adding to my collection. A great place to get stuff from that isn't inexpensive is Primark. While they don't have a website you can order from (correct me if I'm wrong), there are quite a few stores dotted around. I will say that most of the items are Gryffindor or Slytherin themed, so bear that in mind. If you are based in the states and have a bit more to spend, then I know that Teen Pottery Barn has an amazing collection. You can literally buy the Mirror of Errised. 

Anything from Etsy

Etsy is a phenomenal website as you can literally get anything from it. There are a lot of unique and inexpensive items on it. Here are just a few of my favourites:

• Harry Potter Characters as Cats on a mug- Click Here.   
• Vintage Style posters- Click Here.
• Framed Film Cell Display Board- Click Here. 
• Animal Pun Coasters- Ravenclaw Linked Here.

DIY Gifts

In all truthfulness, the best gifts are homemade. I'm sure there are tons of DIY Harry Potter gifts out there, all you need to do is google it and you'll find the perfect gift for the Potterhead in your life.

I will probably do an updated version of this next Christmas as I had a really cool idea, that unfortunately, I didn't have time for this year. I hope this helps you get the Potterhead in your life the perfect gift.  

Carenza x

Feminism in Literature by Carenza Bramwell| CarenzaOnBooks

Recently in my Creative Writing class, we were asked to write a piece of non-fiction about an issue we were passionate about from a unique perspective. Something I am very passionate about is feminism and something else I am very passionate about is reading, so I combined the two into the piece you are about to read. 

Feminism in Literature

I spend half my life curled up reading. I come from a family of readers, so you could say that reading is in my blood. As much as I love reading, over the years it has dawned on me that many writers that claim to be "feminists" don't quite match the job description. Novels that are described as "feminist literature" also don't meet the challenge.

A novel I had considered to be a huge push for feminist literature was Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. While I adore this novel, having first encountered it at a similar age to Jane at the start of the novel, I fail to see how it can be classed as a feminist novel. Jane, a fiercely independent young woman, finds happiness in the womanizing Mr Rochester. Everyone knows the famous quote that encapsulates the feminist qualities in this novel. For those who don't, here it is, "I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will". And yet, if you look at the very end of the novel, Jane has married the man who wronged her. She marries a man who tells her that he loves her and yet is already married. To me, that seems like a stupid decision, but clearly, to the Victorian audience it was meant to be read by, it was a hugely feminist idea.

It's only looking back as an older reader that I have been able to spot this. Ten-year-old me viewed it as nothing but a cute romance, set in the Yorkshire Moors. To me now, Jane Eyre is not a romance. It's an example of Victorian tradition that says, plain and clear, women can't be happy without a man. Full stop. You think this is an outdated view and yet in modern literature, many plot lines focus around romance. I can't remember the last book I read that didn't have a romance in it. Even in popular modern books, romance appears to be at the centre of it. Take Harry Potter for instance. As a professed hard-core fan, I will never stop loving these books, and yet I have spotted that they are flawed. Many of the problems the protagonists face in the last three books are caused by issues to do with romance. Even JK Rowling falls down the trap of everyone having a happy end and getting married.

I don't deny that romance shouldn't be a key part of literature. I've been known to indulge myself in a cute romance story. But romance is killing our strong, independent female characters. They don't need a man to support them when they are perfectly capable of supporting themselves.

How to Have the Perfect Reading Day| CarenzaOnBooks

Over the weekend, the UK turned into a winter wonderland as snow covered most, if not all, of the surrounding areas. As much as I love snow and going outside to build snowmen and snowwomen, to me it screamed perfect reading day. This is something I definitely want to do in the future, and recently I discovered a really cool Icelandic tradition which inspired me to write this post.

Taken from Google images

As much as I would love to participate in this, it's actually my dad's birthday on Christmas Eve, so I think I may not be able to participate in it just yet. But, here are some of my tips on how to have a perfect reading day!

Plan Your Reads Ahead

As bookworms, it feels as though our never-ending TBR will one day crush us, whether this physically happens to us is another thing. So plan your reads ahead. My book of choice was The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien as I feel as though it's time I read these books. You may want to tackle a big book like The Lord of the Rings or you may want to tackle a few smaller books. Just make sure come your reading day, you have all the books you want to read. You can also use this as an excuse to buy some new books......

Pick Your Reading Room

I spend half my time in my bedroom anyway as its where I do all my work, so to me, my natural habitat became the perfect spot for a reading day. Make sure it is tidy in advance as there is nothing worse than not being able to find your bed amongst the piles of clothes that need putting away and books you have littered around your room. I tided my room and made sure there was room for me and my books. For me, my bed is my favourite place to read as it's very cosy and in my room, I have two large windows, meaning there is lots of natural lighting. I have fairy lights adorning every surface for when it gets dark as well.

Turn Off All Electrical Devices 

In a day and age where everything seems to be online, it can be hard from switching off for a while. Unless you want to listen to music, try turning off your mobile device for a couple of hours. I have fallen back into the nasty habit of watching YouTube before I go to bed and losing precious hours I could spend reading. I can only speak for iPhone users (as I have an iPhone myself), but try switching your phone on night mode while you read.

Remember to Eat and Drink

I know it seems stupid to say this but, eating and drinking is very important. I have been known to get so absorbed in what I am doing (whether this is college work or reading) and forget about the lovely hot drink I made myself, which has now gone cold. I don't feel as though I need to lecture you on the importance of staying hydrated but remember to have a drink every now and then. If you are looking for a recommendation of what to drink, then I would highly recommend Whittards Mulled Wine Instant Tea. As a non-tea drinker, this is the perfect winter warmer. 

Have Little Breaks

As I've already admitted, I sometimes forget how to function like a human when I get absorbed in what I'm doing. I know that we love to read and reading days are lovely, but remember that it's important to stretch your legs. Even if this is just a five minute (or less) walk to the kitchen, it's good to get up every now and then. If you have a furry friend, why not play with it or take it on a walk? If it's snowing, pester your family to come outside and build a snowman. Seriously, even if it is only a ten-minute snowman, you're still getting outside.

Have Fun

At the end of the day, the most important thing about your reading day is to have fun. I know what it's like to get to a place where you feel like you can't have fun because there is so much to do. But at the end of the day, you need to have these little breaks and moments of fun to have something to look back on. And think about how your TBR might not crush you if you get some books read off it.

So that concludes my post on how to have a perfect reading day. Let me know if you do this as I would love to see what you guys do!
Carenza x       
   

Current Favourites| CarenzaOnBooks

As I've been a bit of a bad blogger recently, I haven't posted my October Favourites and as December is 2 weeks, I don't see a point in posting it. So, I've decided to talk about some of my current favourites before I post my November favourites. I have picked 5 of my current favourites to talk about and have tried to pick things I wouldn't usually talk about in my favourites.

Pastel Highlighters

As someone who loves to highlight things in my college books, when I saw that Stabilo had released some pastel highlighters, I had to have them. I actually prefer them to the normal neon ones and wish they would release them in the skinny version I like. If you like to highlight things in your work, then I would strongly recommend these highlighters as they are beautiful.

Movie Soundtracks

I recently downloaded Spotify and through it, I have been listening to lots of movie soundtracks. My favourites are the Harry Potter soundtracks, the Amazing Spiderman and Amazing Spiderman 2 and Midnight in Paris. I find that I am listening to these soundtracks more than my normal taste in music, if you are looking for a new type of music to listen to, then try listening to some of your favourite movie soundtracks. 

Knitting

When I was little, my gran was a big knitter and was always knitting jumpers. She taught me when I was about 9, but I only just got around to picking it up again. It's really therapeutic and is very satisfying seeing something you are putting so much effort into becoming a real thing. I used to view knitting as an activity available to the older generation, but quite a few bookstagramers knit.

Pinafore Style Dresses

When it comes to my choices in fashion, I am not very adventurous. Last year, I bought two corduroy pinafore dresses and I've started wearing them again. I really like them, however, they are not appropriate for the weather this time of year. They're very autumnal and flattering, but I'm probably going to stop wearing them as it's freezing at the moment.

Modern Fiction

My two current reads are Life of Pi by Yann Martel and The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. I've only read a few books like them, but I'm really enjoying both of them at the moment. I'm currently not in the mood to read YA, so I'm trying to expand my reading tastes at the moment.

So that concludes my rather short current favourites. I have a feeling that posts are going to be rather sporadic as I am pressed for time with college and life being very stressful at the moment.

Carenza x

October Wrap Up| CarenzaOnBooks

So another month has come and gone and therefore it is time for another monthly wrap up. October was a crazy busy month for me and a lot of things happened which meant I didn't have time to read that much. I only read two books and both of these were re-reads. I actually have reviews for both of these books, which I will link to in this post.

The first book I read was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I actually have reviews for all the Harry Potter books currently released, but I will link to my Deathly Hallows review here. It was nice completing my reread and I wish I could do it all over again right now, but I will probably wait another year or two before rereading the series. I gave it 5/5 stars and I love this series so much.

The other book I reread was Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I'm going to see the play later this year so I thought I'd reread it. I actually enjoyed it more this time around and can't wait to see it.











So that concludes my October Wrap, I hope I'll have more time for reading this month, but who knows.
Carenza x

Spooky Week 2017| Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling Review| CarenzaOnBooks

Title- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Author- JK Rowling 
Series- Harry Potter
Published- 2007
Page Count- 607 (Original UK Hardcover)
Publishing House- Bloomsbury
Rating- 5/5 stars

About the Author

There is a lot of information about JK Rowling on her website, so I've picked the key bits for this section.

Jo conceived the idea of Harry Potter in 1990 while sitting on a delayed train from Manchester to London King’s Cross. Over the next five years, she began to map out all seven books of the series. She wrote mostly in longhand and gradually built up a mass of notes, many of which were scribbled on odd scraps of paper.

To read more, here is a link to JK Rowling's website.

Plot

Harry is waiting in Privet Drive. The Order of the Phoenix is coming to escort him safely away without Voldemort and his supporters knowing - if they can. But what will Harry do then? How can he fulfil the momentous and seemingly impossible task that Professor Dumbledore has left him?

Taken from Goodreads.

Opinions

Deathly Hallows (DH) makes me very sad because not only does the series come to an end, but some of my favourite characters die. It's a really action packed book and so much happens, but it ties up most of the loose strings. Usually, when I reach this point, I want to start my reread straight again, but I do have to show some self-restraint.  

Harry leaving Private Drive for the final time is a very emotional scene as a lot goes down here. Mad-Eye and Hedwig die and George loses an ear. I think it's the first time Harry realises how many people are willing to sacrifice things for him and help him. 

Harry, Ron and Hermione entering the Ministry is such a great scene, but you could tell something was going to go wrong from the beginning. It did make me sad that Ron got splinched, but at least they got the Horcrux and they rescued Mad-Eyes Eye from Umbridge and got revenge (ish) on Umbridge.

The Godric's Hollow scene is such a tender and heartbreaking scene as it's Harry going to the place where his parents died and visiting his parent's grave for the first time. I'm glad he went with Hermione as he needed someone loving to be there for him. The rest of the Godric's Hollow scene shows how everything does seem to go wrong for Harry, especially as his wand gets destroyed.  

Harry, Ron and Hermione being captured by the snatchers and taken to Malfoy Manor makes me want to be there for my favourite people. Ron screaming for Hermione makes me bawl as it shows how much he loves her. Also, Dobby coming to the rescue shows how loyal a house-elf he is.  

Dobby's death is probably the saddest thing in the entire book. It's sad because Harry made Dobby promise never to save him again and he dies in Harry's arms. Harry is just so heartbroken and Luna says lovely things about Dobby. Basically, I love Dobby and wish he had lived.  

The Gringotts scene is one of my favourites as Hermione is awful at impersonating Bellatrix. I feel so bad for the dragon, but it makes me happy that they help it to escape. Griphook is so sneaky, but it was a bit obvious that he was going to betray them. However, in the movie, I do think it's a bit extreme that he dies as he doesn't deserve to. 

Meeting Aberforth in Hogsmeade is a really difficult scene to read as you can see he is a man filled with grief as he feels responsible for his sister's death. It's also where Harry has to admit that Dobby has died. Being reunited with Neville and the other's is so amazing as Neville has sacrificed just as much as Harry has to get rid of the death eaters.  

The Battle of Hogwarts is such a huge and significant event in the Harry Potter books. It shows everyone coming together for Harry. Its where the Weasely's reunite after 3 books. It's where Harry gets one step closer to beating Voldemort. Hermione and Ron's relationship finally begins. As much as I didn't like Crabbe, I felt sorry for him when he died, even if he did try to kill Hermione. Ron punching Draco in the face is very funny.   

Fred, Lupin and Tonks death's during the Battle of Hogwarts makes me weep. The idea of George losing his brother, who is his twin, just breaks my heart. I read a quote from one of the Phelp's brothers when they were filming it, that when they saw their brother made up to look dead, they started crying because they couldn't imagine a world without their twin. Lupin and Tonks' deaths are even sadder as they've just had their son and they'll never get to see him grow up. Colin Creevy's death is also heartbreaking as all he wanted to do was to protect someone he admired. He was underage and had so much more to live for. 

Harry Potter is a wonderful person and is so selfless. To know at age 17, that his death could save the wizarding world and willingly give it up makes me love him more. The conversation he has with his parents, Sirius and Lupin makes me want to bawl my eyes out. The scene with Dumbledore and Harry in King's Cross Station is very emotional and it makes me happy to see Harry kind of confronting Dumbledore. I've seen many people criticising the way Narcissa behaves, but she is doing what she must to protect her son. Narcissa may have her flaws, but she does everything she can to protect her son. Narcissa may have her flaws, but she does everything she can to protect her son. Voldemort's death in the Great Hall makes him seem so human. In the movie where he becomes dust it just looks really rubish and makes him seem more supernatural than he is. 
   

The 19 Years Later epilogue makes me feel so sentimental. It's even more sentimental now that Cursed Child is a thing and you can go see what happens 19 years later. I do think that Harry's children's names are a bit stereotypical, I thought Ginny would have had more of a say in what their children were called. The final line makes me feel so warm and happy. Harry Potter will always hold a special place in my heart and I hope there will never be a day when I don't like it.   

As with all my other reviews, here are my honourable mentions:

• Bill and Fleur's wedding.
• Taking refuge at Grimmauld Place.
• Kreacher's tale.
• Ron leaving and returning.
• Ron destroying the Horcrux.
• Visiting Xenophilius Lovegood and learning about the Deathly Hallows.
• Returning to Hogwarts.
• Snape's death and memories.
• Molly Weasley calling Bellatrix a bitch and killing her.

So that concludes Spooky Weel for 2017! I'm so happy with all these posts and I hope you've enjoyed them. I won't be posting anything else this week, but next week I should be back to normal blogging!
Carenza x

Spooky Week 2017| Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling Review| CarenzaOnBooks

Title- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Author- JK Rowling 
Series- Harry Potter
Published- 2005
Page Count- 607 (Original UK Hardcover)
Publishing House- Bloomsbury
Rating- 5/5 stars

About the Author

There is a lot of information about JK Rowling on her website, so I've picked the key bits for this section.

Jo conceived the idea of Harry Potter in 1990 while sitting on a delayed train from Manchester to London King’s Cross. Over the next five years, she began to map out all seven books of the series. She wrote mostly in longhand and gradually built up a mass of notes, many of which were scribbled on odd scraps of paper.

To read more, here is a link to JK Rowling's website.

Plot

It is the middle of the summer, but there is a unseasonal mist pressing against the windowpanes. Harry Potter is waiting nervously in his bedroom at the Dursleys' house in Privet Drive for a visit from Professor Dumbledore himself. One of the last times he saw the Headmaster was in a fierce one-to-one duel with Lord Voldemort, and Harry can't quite believe that Professor Dumbledore will actually appear at the Dursleys' of all places. Why is the Professor coming to visit him now? What is it that cannot wait until Harry returns to Hogwarts in a few weeks' time? Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts has already got off to an unusual start, as the worlds of Muggle and magic start to intertwine...

Taken from Goodreads

Opinions

I'll be honest and say that I have mixed feelings about Half-Blood Prince. Either I love it or I hate it. There are a lot of questionable decisions, but there are moments that I love. I know that this is some people's favourites, but for me, it's somewhere in the middle. 

Harry and Ginny's relationship is probably my favourite part of HBP (Half-Blood Prince) as I always wanted them to end up together. In the books, it's written beautifully and there's a slow build in their relationship. I feel as though the movies did it no justice and it was rushed. I know there are lots of people who feel the same as I do. 

 

While I love Harry and Ginny's relationship, one relationship this book could have done without was Ron and Lavender's. I'm not sure Ron ever liked her, I just think he liked the idea of having a girlfriend. It was obvious throughout the time he and Lavender where together, he was doing it to make Hermione jealous. I did find the way they broke up to be really funny, especially in the movie with all the teachers gathered there. 

 

I have mixed feelings about Draco being a death eater. I feel as though Rowling made Draco a death eater to make him a less likeable character. I feel as though at this point Draco deserved a redemption arc and got dragged further into the mud. I think that following his actions, he will be psychologically scarred.

  

I've mentioned this in most of my reviews this week, but Dumbledore makes some questionable decisions in teacher appointing and Slughorn is no exception. While he is a good potions teacher, Dumbledore only brought him back so he could get something from him. He also appointed Snape as the Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher, which is another questionable decision. 

Dumbledore and the lessons he gives Harry are so good, and yet there was definitely the sense that Dumbledore was holding back. As interesting as it is to learn about Voldemort, I felt as though we didn't learn enough and the information wasn't that useful to Harry and the others. Dumbledore was also very pressuring and could be quite manipulative towards Harry.

Arragog's death was really sad and I felt so sad for Hagrid. Even though I don't like spiders, I felt sorry for Hagrid. It was one of his closest friends and Slughorn did use Arragog's death to get venom. The scene with Harry, Slughorn and Hagrid was really heart-warming, but it was also quite dark as Harry had to admit that he knew he was going to die and that must be quite hard to accept when you're 16.

 

Dumbledore's death made me bawl my eyes out. Following the events in the cave and finding the fake Horcrux, his death felt as though it was in vain. Harry is unable to do anything broke my heart and Draco being forced to kill him just made me an emotional wreck. It was amazing how everyone came together for Dumbledore's death and showed the resilience of the wizarding community. 

 

The Half-Blood Prince is revealed as Snape was really unexpected but it did make Harry look like an idiot. How long has he been reading potions instructions on the board to not recognise Snape's handwriting? A part of me pities Snape, but I still find him a loathsome character.

As with my other reviews, here are my honourable mentions from HBP:

• Harry, Hermione and Ron following Draco.
• Draco breaking Harry's nose.
• Harry sassing Snape.
• Harry and Ginny getting together.
• Harry and Ron's Christmas at the Burrow.
• Weasely's Wizard Wheezes.
• Kreacher and Dobby following Draco.
• Lupin and Tonks getting together.

So that concludes my review of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, tomorrow my final review in this series will be up!

Carenza x 

Spooky Week 2017| Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling Review| CarenzaOnBooks

Title- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Author- JK Rowling 
Series- Harry Potter
Published- 2003
Page Count- 766 (Original UK Hardcover)
Publishing House- Bloomsbury
Rating- 5/5 stars

About the Author

There is a lot of information about JK Rowling on her website, so I've picked the key bits for this section.

Jo conceived the idea of Harry Potter in 1990 while sitting on a delayed train from Manchester to London King’s Cross. Over the next five years, she began to map out all seven books of the series. She wrote mostly in longhand and gradually built up a mass of notes, many of which were scribbled on odd scraps of paper.

To read more, here is a link to JK Rowling's website.

Plot

Harry Potter is due to start his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. His best friends Ron and Hermione have been very secretive all summer and he is desperate to get back to school and find out what has been going on. However, what Harry discovers is far more devastating than he could ever have expected...

Suspense, secrets and thrilling action from the pen of J.K. Rowling ensure an electrifying adventure that is impossible to put down.

Taken from Goodreads.

Opinions

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is my favourite Harry Potter book. We see a lot of Sirius and we also say goodbye to him. Hermione is the queen of badasses in this book. Minerva McGonagall is amazing and so is Hagrid. Umbridge is an evil hag. Harry gets his first girlfriend and we meet Luna Lovegood, the girl who taught me it was okay to be me.

The scene with the dementor's in Private Drive was so ominous and really set the tone for the rest of the novel. Mrs Figg is a great character and I wish they'd had her hitting Mundungus in the movie. The letter that Dumbledore sends Petunia is quite scary, but it does make Petunia stand up for Harry against Vernon. 

Meeting Tonks makes me so happy because she's such a great character and I wish we could learn more about her. She and the rest of the Order of the Phoenix rescuing Harry makes me happy because Harry now has a group of people that are there for him.

 I'm going to be honest and say Harry is a little shit in this book and is downright rude to Hermione and Ron in this book. They are trying to be there for him and he's just horrid to them. I understand that Harry is probably suffering from a condition similar to PTSD or Survivors Guilt, but they are just trying to be nice to him and show him that he isn't alone. 

Dolores Umbridge might be the evilest character in the entire series. I even consider her to be worse than Voldemort because she has direct access to the students of Hogwarts and tortures them with her magic quills. She uses her power as a ministry official and abuses it. She nearly used the cruciatus curse on Harry and used Veratisurm on Cho. I'm glad she gets chased out at the end and that Peeves made her time as headmistress hell. I hope that she didn't have a nice life after the end of the Harry Potter series as she doesn't deserve anything nice to happen to her. She also, very briefly, made me hate cats. That's how much I hate her.

Fred and George and the invention of Weasley Wizard Wheezes are another one of my favourite parts of this book. The fact that they make Umbridge's life a living hell and get Peeves to follow their orders shows how amazing they are as characters. 

As much as I love Hagrid, his decision to bring Grawp to Hogwarts is questionable. He knows what giants are like and he knows that students do sneak into the forest, so what would have happened if a student came across Grawp? I do feel sorry for Hagrid, but it was an irresponsible decision to bring Grawp back.

The D.A is an amazing idea of Hermione's and shows how she can be a total badass and still care about her education. I aspire to have Hermione's work ethic. However, surely it would have been better to keep the number smaller so that fewer people could snitch on them. Mariette seemed like a dodgy choice from the beginning and so did Zacarias Smith. 

Dumbledore escaping from the ministry is one of my favourite scenes. Despite ignoring Harry for most of the book, he takes the fall for Harry so Harry can be there at Hogwarts to take his exams. I do love the line "Dumbledore's got style" and I think Kingsley's delivery of it in the movie is amazing.

Harry and Cho's relationship was always doomed to end as they weren't that compatible and they were in an awkward situation following Cedric's death. I also feel that Cho was very emotional anyway and Harry wasn't the most supportive boyfriend to her.

Sirius's chat in the fireplace following Harry's occlumency lesson is a really bittersweet moment as it's the last time they talk face to face. He offers Harry some solid advice and is the godfather Harry needs him to be. It just makes his death even sadder.

Speaking of Sirius, his death makes me weep. Harry loses the only father figure he has known and Lupin has to watch another one of his best friends die. Lupin then has to watch his other best friends son grieving over a different best friend dying. Just imagine the pain Lupin felt when Sirius died.

As with all my reviews, it's impossible for me to include every single detail in these reviews so here is a list of honourable mentions:

• Harry, Fred and George punching Malfoy.
• Ron joining the Quidditch team.
• Hagrid returning from his mission with the giants.
• The D.A meetings.
• Cleaning Grimmauld Place.
• Kreacher being Kreacher.
• Harry's Occlumency lessons with Snape.
• Umbridge's inspections.
• Trelawney being sacked.
• Anything I've missed off this list because this is my favourite book and let's be real I love everything in this book.

So that concludes my review of Order of the Phoenix, tomorrow I am going to be reviewing Half-Blood Prince.
Carenza x

Spooky Week 2017| Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling Review| CarenzaOnBooks

Title- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Author- JK Rowling 
Series- Harry Potter
Published- 2000
Page Count- 636 (Original UK Hardcover)
Publishing House- Bloomsbury
Rating- 5/5 stars

About the Author

There is a lot of information about JK Rowling on her website, so I've picked the key bits for this section.

Jo conceived the idea of Harry Potter in 1990 while sitting on a delayed train from Manchester to London King’s Cross. Over the next five years, she began to map out all seven books of the series. She wrote mostly in longhand and gradually built up a mass of notes, many of which were scribbled on odd scraps of paper.

To read more, here is a link to JK Rowling's website.

Plot

It is the summer holidays and soon Harry Potter will be starting his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry is counting the days: there are new spells to be learnt, more Quidditch to be played, and Hogwarts castle to continue exploring. But Harry needs to be careful - there are unexpected dangers lurking ...

Taken from Goodreads

Opinions

I'll be honest, GoF (Goblet of Fire) is the book I dread reading the most when I reread this series. It's so big (I know some of the other books are bigger), but this is the one I dread reading. It takes about 200 pages to get to Hogwarts and I just wish we spent more time at Hogwarts. I love the Quidditch World Cup, but it meant we spent more time waiting to go to Hogwarts.

I love how this is one of the few books in the Harry Potter series that doesn't start from Harry's perspective. It was really refreshing and began to give us the insight into Lord Voldemort's backstory. Poor Frank didn't deserve to die or to be blamed for the Riddle's death.

While I wish we had gotten to Hogwarts quicker, I do love the Quidditch world cup. It shows us how big the magical community. I wonder how much research JK Rowling did for all the magical communities. The World Cup is so quick paced and magical. I would have loved to have seen more of it in the movie because it is a key feature of the book. 

Although I've read this book many times, it still comes as no surprise that Harry got entered into the Triwizard Tournament. On the original UK hardcover, he is on the front being chased by a dragon. I've seen people criticising the way Ron behaves in this book, but I believe that it's accurate and fair the way he behaved. He's constantly being overlooked by his brothers and he's the son they had because they wanted a daughter. He lives in Harry's shadow and never complains about it, so it's no wonder he snaps under the pressure. If anything, Harry's behaviour is out of order because he is cruel to Ron and expects a lot from Hermione. 

I love the relationship the builds between Hagrid and Madame Maxime. It's so lovely for Hagrid to have someone in a similar situation to him. I keep on banging on about it, but I love Hagrid and think he deserves better.    

Mad-Eye Moody is such a fabulous character, if slightly scary. I have no idea what Dumbledore was thinking when he decided to hire Mad-Eye Moody, but then again, I never have any idea when Dumbledore hires any teacher (apart from Lupin) as they all seem incompetent. 

I'm undecided on my feelings about the Yule Ball, as part of me loves and part of me doesn't. It's nice seeing all the students mingle, but it does lead to some animosity between the students. I do wish Hermione and Ron had gone together, but that would have rushed their relationship.

Rita Skeeter is a foul character and needs to be squashed when she's a beetle. I hate all the horrid things she writes about Hagrid and Harry. I can't believe that Dumbledore or someone with power wouldn't notice that she keeps on listening in on private conversations. 

The Maze Challenge is probably the scariest as I would be terrified of getting lost. It is also where Harry and Cedric unite, which leads to Cedric's death. I think when I first read it, I didn't imagine that Voldemort would come back so quickly. The fight scene between Voldemort and Harry is truly spectacular, but there is something wrong with it. When the dead people are coming out of Voldemort's wand, Lily arrives before James, but James was killed first so he should have landed before Lily.

This book really does set the scene for the next few books and is definitely where it begins to get darker. Each time I reread it, I'm unsure of whether I love it or hate it. 

Because these reviews would be ridiculously long if I included every little detail, here are some honourable mentions:

• The Tonne-Tounge Toffee.
• The arrival of the Beaubatons and Durmstrang students.
• Harry and Myrtle's chat in the bath.
• Dobby giving Harry his clue about Ron.
• S.P.E.W.
• Harry's dream scenes.
• The Pensive.
• Harry talking to Sirius.
• Sirius, Snape and Molly meeting.
• Barty-Crouch's reveal.

So that concludes my review of Goblet of Fire, tomorrow my review for Order of the Phoneix will be up (it's my favourite in the entire series).

Carenza x 

Spooky Week 2017| Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling Review| CarenzaOnBooks

Title- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Author- JK Rowling 
Series- Harry Potter
Published- 1999
Page Count- 317 (Original UK Hardcover)
Publishing House- Bloomsbury
Rating- 5/5 stars

About the Author

There is a lot of information about JK Rowling on her website, so I've picked the key bits for this section.

Jo conceived the idea of Harry Potter in 1990 while sitting on a delayed train from Manchester to London King’s Cross. Over the next five years, she began to map out all seven books of the series. She wrote mostly in longhand and gradually built up a mass of notes, many of which were scribbled on odd scraps of paper.

To read more, here is a link to JK Rowling's website.

Plot

For most children, summer vacation is something to look forward to. But not for our 13-year-old hero, who's forced to spend his summers with an aunt, uncle, and cousin who detest him. The third book in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series catapults into action when the young wizard "accidentally" causes the Dursleys' dreadful visitor Aunt Marge to inflate like a monstrous balloon and drift up to the ceiling. Fearing punishment from Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon (and from officials at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry who strictly forbid students to cast spells in the nonmagic world of Muggles), Harry lunges out into the darkness with his heavy trunk and his owl Hedwig.

As it turns out, Harry isn't punished at all for his errant wizardry. Instead, he is mysteriously rescued from his Muggle neighbourhood and whisked off in a triple-decker, violently purple bus to spend the remaining weeks of summer in a friendly inn called the Leaky Cauldron. What Harry has to face as he begins his third year at Hogwarts explains why the officials let him off easily. It seems that Sirius Black--an escaped convict from the prison of Azkaban--is on the loose. Not only that, but he's after Harry Potter. But why? And why do the Dementors, the guards hired to protect him, chill Harry's very heart when others are unaffected? Once again, Rowling has created a mystery that will have children and adults cheering, not to mention standing in line for her next book. Fortunately, there are four more in the works. (Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson

Taken from Goodreads.

Opinions

PoA (Prisoner of Azkaban) is my second favourite Harry Potter book, so rereading it was an absolute joy. It introduces us to my two favourite characters in the entire series, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black. It's also the only one without Voldemort in, which is such a good change from the other books. It's also the one that starts to get darker and changes the entire tone of the series. The movie also did it great justice and the soundtrack is one of the best.

I really do hate Aunt Marge. She is beyond cruel to Harry and I don't blame Harry for losing control when she is there. I know I've said this several times, but Harry does deserve better. It makes it more bittersweet when he gets the birthday presents from Hermione, Ron and Hagrid.

The Knight Bus is one of my favourite parts of this book. It's such a unique idea and I love the added Shrunken Heads that they use in the movie. I wish the movies had included more of Stan and Earnie as in the books they're just great. I would recommend listening to this one on audiobook, especially the Stephen Fry version as the voices he does are exactly how I imagined Stan and Earnie.

I honestly wish I could visit Diagon Ally as the description in this book just makes me fall in love with it. I could honestly spend hours at Florian Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. If I could I would be at the Magical Mangerie and I would take Crookshanks home as I love that ginger moggie so much. If I ever get a cat of my own, Crookshanks is one of the names I am considering calling my cat.

The dementors are the best creature in the books. It's unthinkable to imagine a world without happiness because of the dementors. I love the metaphor behind them, that Expecto Patronum can get rid of them and that they are able to get rid of depression. They are very scary and well thought through and I never thought I'd have a fangirl moment of a dementor.

Professor Lupin is the best thing to happen to Harry at this point in his life. He tells him things about his parents and shows him kindness when he feels isolated. I just love Remus Lupin and really want a prequel series about him and the Marauders. 

Quidditch in this books is very important and I love that it's more central than in the other books. It makes me very happy that Gryffindor finally wins, but it breaks my heart when Harry's broom breaks. But it is odd that Sirius buys him a broom because surely the goblins at Gringotts would recognise his vault number.

Divination and Care of Magical sounds like amazing subjects and I would love to take lessons in them myself. Basically, I wish I was a wizard and that I could go to Hogwarts. Hagrid being a professor is really sweet, but I'm not sure how qualified he is to teach. I know this is fiction, but if you think about the logistics, Hagrid would need a teaching qualification to teach.

It is stated that Fred and George have had the Marauders Map since their first year and we know that Fred and George are 3 years old than Ron. So Ron is now in his third year and we know that the Map shows that Peter Pettigrew is in Hogwarts. So why didn't Fred and George confront Ron about having a known dead man in his bed? I mean, I understand if they're respecting his privacy, but they have a father who works in the ministry, so surely they must know who Peter Pettigrew is.

Snape is horrid in this book. He has bullied Neville so much that Snape is his worst fear. He is trying to sabotage Lupin's career. I really don't understand how people can like Snape, as at this point he is nothing more than a manipulative man, who can't let an old grudge die.

Hermione in this book has to be my favourite version of Hermione. She applies for a time-turner just so she can do more classes. She manages to save Sirius and Buckbeak and still get top grades? She is a new kind of badass, one who does amazing things and still does her homework. And when she punches Draco in the face, it makes me exceptionally happy.

Like my last two reviews, there is so much I could say, so here are some honourable mentions:

• The train to Hogwarts at the beginning of the book.
• Hagrid's first Care of Magical Creatures lesson.
• The Grim.
• Crookshanks and Scabbers fighting.
• Harry, Hermione and Ron learning the truth about Sirius.
• Sirius inviting Harry to live with him.
• Harry conjuring an amazing Patronus.
• All the trips to Hogsmeade.
• Ron getting Pig and Harry getting permission to go to Hogsmeade.

So, that concludes my review for Prisoner of Azkaban. Tomorrow I will be posting my review for Goblet of Fire.
Carenza x