Book Review: Harry Potter revisited #3

image courtesy ebay

Hey!

So I actually finished my re-read of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban for #HPDec earlier this week, but it’s been crazy here! This book has always been one of my favorite books in the series, even though it did not progress the story of Harry Potter that much further. I especially enjoyed the introduction of more people that knew Harry’s parents especially his father’s best friends Remus Lupin and Sirius Black. This book is also the first book where we find out that Harry has the capability on his own to learn a highly advanced spell.

Fortifed by Books for this review brought back the discussion on the banning of Harry Potter books throughout the United States. Check out her post on the topic.

Also, I’m super excited that Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone has been turned into an illustrated book and also that the illustrator that they hired will be continuing on to finish the rest of the series.

I’m sad that I did not get to finish reading the whole Harry Potter series for #HPDec, but I will pick up where I left off next year for #HPDec. Also in other news The Boy was so sweet and got me Quidditch through the Ages, Fantastic Beasts and where they came from and Tales of the Beddle Bard for Christmas.

Have you re-read Harry Potter since your first read? Did you enjoy it as much? Hope to see you soon in another post.

Holiday Lights 2015

1 / 4 / 168 / 13 / 18

Hey!

I hope that you are doing well. I’m just a little bit sad that I didn’t get to put this post up before New Year’s Day. However I thought that you would enjoy these photos from the holiday season. I do have one more post that deals with the holidays before I move into 2016, which I hope to have good intentions for.
The local library system did a beautiful display for Christmas. This was my favorite part.

Every year the county offices have a Christmas Tree competition and this was one of my favorite trees. The tsumtsums in the first picture are real the rest are homemade which is pretty amazing!

Of course there had to be a Star Wars theme tree. The snowflakes in the background of the photo are also Star Wars themed.

See! We even have a Hawaiian & Mrs. Claus that hang out with us for the Holidays.

There was also a holiday minion display elsewhere in town and of course the Boy and I had to stop by and check it out. I hope that you enjoyed these look at the Holiday lights with me and I hope to see you in another post soon!

Movie Review: Creed

12 / 30 / 158 / 13 / 18

image courtesy imdb

Hey!
I know that you haven’t heard from me all week, don’t worry though I will be back hopefully on a more regular basis in 2016. Developing an actual blogging schedule is on my list of goals for the coming year. Today’s post will be a movie review on Creed. I had read some good reviews on this when it first came out, but since I’m not a huge Rocky fan I hadn’t planned on seeing this movie in the theaters. It happened though and surprisingly enough even though this movie came out around Thanksgiving the theater was packed last night!

This synopsis maybe very bad since I’m not familiar with the Rocky Balboa story. The story opens with a boy (Adonis Johnson Creed) causing a fight in a juvenile detention center and after he’s caught he’s put into solitary confinement. On the same day he has a visitor. When he meets the woman the boy assumes that the woman(MaryAnn) is a social worker, when she says that she’s not, but rather was married to his father, Apollo Creed. The boy’s ears perk up and the woman continues on to say that she wants to raise him. Flash forward 20 years or so and the boy, Adonis, is now a grown man and is about to go into a boxing match in Mexico. The film does not show the fight, but the next thing you see is Adonis has come back from Mexico and is resigning his job to become a full time boxer. At first he doesn’t tell the woman who raised him that he quit his corporate job to pursue boxing full time. The next day after he isn’t taken on by his father’s gym does he tell her that he’s moving to Philadelphia and is pursuing boxing full-time. MaryAnn is upset by Adonis’s decision and refuses to support him or speak to him. After Adonis secures an apartment in Philadelphia he tracks down Rocky and tries to get him to be his trainer. It takes a while, but Rocky agrees to be Adonis’s trainer. Adonis secures and wins his first official boxing fight and after that it comes out that he is Apollo Creed’s illegitimate son. The press of being Apollo Creed’s son attracted the attention of Pretty Ricky, a boxer that is going to jail in the next year. Pretty Ricky’s manager offers Adonis and Rocky a fight deal. It is during this time that Rocky finds out that he has Hodgkin’s lymphoma and refuses to get treatment. Adonis and Rocky come to terms that Adonis will fight under the name Creed as long as Rocky agrees to fight his cancer.

I won’t give away the ending of the film, but it’s a good and nice tribute to the original Rocky films. Overall, I thought this film was great and a nice way to introduce a new generation to Rocky at the same time doing a nice tribute to the original films. Let’s not include Rocky Balboa in the mix of original films. I am hoping that Hollywood won’t go for a sequel with this film. I recommend this film overall and would recommend that you pay the money to go see it on the big screen.I hope to see you in another post soon, I hope.

Sunday Currently v 2.5

12 / 27 / 158 / 13 / 18

Hey..
I know that I’ve been slacking a little this weekend with the post, but I’m hoping that I can catch up and work forward, by doing a few of these link-up parties.Today I’m linking up with Lauren from Siddathornton. I’ve read her blog off and on for several years. I don’t even remember how I discovered her blog, but it’s beautiful and you should check it! Below is my currently list for today. Everything here will get better in time and I’m hoping that you will stick with me.

reading magazines that I’ve laid aside the past few weeks and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban for #HPDec.

writing this post and perhaps some other posts if I actually get around to it
listening to the football game in the background that my dad is watching

thinking that I should probably hurry and finish this so I can squeeze in a small workout before dinner, since I’ve been feeling flabby.

wishing that Christmas could have stayed longer because I already miss it

hoping 2016 will be an amazing year!

wearing boring clothes because I haven’t decided to change into pajamas for the night yet
loving that I’ve been lucky enough to still see the Christmas lights and experience Christmas this weekend

wanting to be more consistent with everything and hopefully plan ahead for the New Year

needing just a bit more time today since there is so much that I still want to do!

feeling so blessed and looking forward to the new year, though I’m not ready to make resolutions yet!

Book Review: Harry Potter revisited #2

12 / 27 / 158 / 13 / 18

image courtesy ebay

Hey!
I know that you haven’t heard from me in a while, but I still haven’t gotten in to the habit of scheduling posts ahead of time. I admit that I’m getting better though. Today I’m bringing you the second installment of #HPDec with the NovelTea Book Club as well as some belated thoughts on Fantastic Beasts and where to find them that is set to come out November 2016.

For #HPDec, in this second installment the second book is Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. This is the book where Harry Potter first gets to meet Lord Voldemort in the flesh as a 16 year old and the first time we find a Horcrux, though we won’t know that until much later in the series. In re-reading the book, I still found that I loved Dobby’s character and found that the first introduction we got to the house elves was such a different one that we would have expected in many ways. This is also the first time that we get to see The Weasleys home, The Burrow. We already know that Ron and siblings don’t come from money and have often had to scrimp to get by, but we find that Harry sees The Burrow for the first time he looks past all that and only sees a happy place filled with all the things he has longed for his whole life. He finds Mr. and Mrs. Weasley endearing for the way they care for their children, he sees the yard in all its glory and finds everything about the magical world new and exciting for the first time. I loved that I got to re-read it and see The Burrow again for the first time.

My thoughts on the Fantastic Beasts and where to find them trailer, I loved it! The trailer left me wanting to see more from the movie and I can’t wait to see how J.K. Rowling turns the textbook Harry used for school into a full blown movie and plot line. Don’t believe any of the rumors online that the trailer is fake, this movie is real and is really happening. I hope to see you soon in another post!