This month, those of us participating in the #ShelfLove No Book Buying Challenge are discussing whether or not we’re thankful for taking on the challenge and whether or not our book buying and reading habits have changed.
Am I thankful for the #ShelfLove challenge? Oh yeah, and I have reasons:
Since I was recently tagged by Alice @ The Geeky Burrow, in place of a discussion post specific to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, this month is about all things Harry Potter. Do you have a Harry Potter related post? Be sure to join the linky below! Every month I’ll feature at least one.
Favorite book?
My favorite book of the series is the one that started it all, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Not only does Harry find out he’s a wizard, but he’s got the wonderful opportunity to go to Hogwarts, and that means getting away from the Dursleys for most of the year. I also love when Harry meets Hagrid for the first time, the scene when he learns to fly and then uses his newfound skill to stop Draco, and when he and Ron go to save Hermione from the troll.
Your least favorite book?
That’s an excellent question. I don’t know the answer. While I remember most of the first book, even before I started my re-reading adventure, I have difficulty remembering what happened when and what was changed in the movies. It’s been over a decade since I first read the series, and I’ve only just finished re-reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. So, for right now, out of the four I’ve re-read, my least favorite is Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. However, that’s only because I question how realistic Harry’s character is in this book, having come from an abusive and neglectful family.
Favorite movie?
The first movie, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”. I love it for the same reasons that I love the first book, but it’s also my favorite because it was my introduction to Harry Potter. When it came out, I had no idea it was based on a famous book series (I was in my 20s at the time). I didn’t know anything about it at all, but I saw a lot of kids running around wearing robes and carrying wands and I (a lover of all things Fantasy) was curious. I saw the trailer and HAD to see the movie. When I found out about the books, I immediately bought the first one, and I’ve been hooked on all things Harry Potter ever since.
Least favorite movie?
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows” Part 1 and 2, but only because it was a LONG time before I got the chance to see them and by then I had forgotten most of what had happened in the book. I’ll be doing a marathon at some point after I finish the books, so this answer will probably change.
Favorite quote?
“When in doubt, go to the library.” – Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
I did a post all about my favorite Harry Potter quotes.
Favorite Weasley?
Fred and George. Yes, I know, that’s two Weasleys, and I’m sure twins hate it when they’re lumped together like they’re the same person, but there’s no way either of them would have been the people they were without the other.
Favorite female character?
Hermione. Duh.
Favorite villain?
Bellatrix Lestrange. I love her name, her craziness, and her complete lack of morality. I’ve always loved villains that fit the Chaotic Evil alignment, though.
Favorite male character?
Hagrid. Who wouldn’t love to raise a baby dragon?!
Favorite professor?
Professor McGonagall. She is not a woman to be trifled with, but she is always fair, and she can transfigure into a cat.
A. Wash Snape’s hair or B. Spend a day listening to Lockhart rant about himself.
B. There’s no way I’m getting anywhere near that hair. With Lockhart, I can let my mind wander and think about other stuff while he’s rambling on about all his “achievements.”
Duel A. An elated Bellatrix, or B. An angry Molly
A. I’d fight crazy over a pissed off redhead any day.
Travel to Hogwarts via A. Hogwarts Express or B. Flying car
A. I’ve never been on a long-distance train, and I’d much rather sit and enjoy some magical treats and a book on my way to school than make that long drive/flight.
A. Kiss Voldemort or B. Give Umbridge a bubble bath
A. I’m going to assume I can just give him a quick peck on the cheek, and there’s no way to unsee a naked Umbridge. *shiver-cringe*
A. Ride a Hippogriff or B. Ride a Firebolt
B. Animals can sometimes be predictable. I’d much rather be in control of a flying broom and be to blame for my own injuries than at the mercy of a Hippogriff while in the air.
Is there a character who you felt differently about in the movies VS books?
No, not from any of the books and movies that I actually remember. Perhaps that will change as I re-read and rewatch the movies.
Is there a movie you preferred instead of the book?
No. Though the movies are fantastic and exceptionally well done in comparison to most book to movie adaptations, the books are still better.
Richard Harris or Michael Gambon as Dumbledore?
Richard Harris. R.I.P.
Your top thing (person or event) which wasn’t included in the movie that annoyed you most?
I have no idea because I don’t remember.
If you could remake any of the Potter movies, which would it be?
Again, I have no idea. I need to rewatch them.
Which house was your first gut feeling you’d be a part of?
“You might belong in Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart“
Which house were you sorted into on Pottermore (or another sorting quiz)?
Gryffindor 🙂
Which class would be your favorite?
Transfiguration.
Which spell do you think would be most useful to learn?
“Accio,” so when I’m doing research or looking for a particular book, I can just summon the title I want.
Which character at Hogwarts do you think would be your instant best friend?
Hermione, of course.
If you could own one of the three Hallows, which would it be?
The Cloak of Invisibility.
Is there any aspect of the books you’d want to change? This can be a character, an event, anything.
I want to say no, but I really wish Sirius hadn’t been killed. That’s a scene I’ll never forget. I had to stop reading and cry out the feels.
Favorite Marauder?
Remus Lupin, a.k.a. “Moony.”
If you could bring one character back to life, which would it be?
Sirius. See above question about what I would change.
Hallows or Horcruxes?
Hallows.
I hereby tag:
This month’s featured post is from Brenda @ The Daily Mayo. She did a comparison of the book and movie versions of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
Do you have a Harry Potter related post? Add it to the linky!
This month, those of us participating in the #ShelfLove No Book Buying Challenge are discussing how we organize our books.
I have too many books to keep in the apartment I share with the Boyfriend. Because both of us have large personal libraries, but only so many walls to place bookshelves against, most of my books are in boxes in storage. Only two of my book boxes are in the apartment instead of my storage unit. They hold my Harry Potter books as well as all my books from Anne Rice’s “Vampire Chronicles” and the “Lives of the Mayfair Witches.” Since I’m re-reading all those, I decided to keep them at home rather than having to go to my storage unit every time I finish one of the books. There are several other books in the boxes as well, but I simply don’t have space on my shelves.
With a few exceptions, all the books on my shelves are books I’ve never read. Also, I have them organized by height and from hardcover to mass market paperback. The disadvantage to organizing them that way is that, whenever I get a new book, I have to rearrange the shelves. You might think I would also have the problem of finding specific titles, but there is a large part of my brain dedicated to the books I have and where they are at any given time.
Even though we have four floor-to-ceiling bookcases, I only have the use of one of them. That might seem unfair, but they’re his bookcases, and he made room for me when I moved in with him. However, my books were creeping into other parts of the apartment, such as the table and floor next to my desk, which was in the living room until a couple of weeks ago. Now that Summer is over, and Texas finally got the memo, I’ve moved my “office” into the dining room (the air conditioning never quite makes it there). We aren’t planning on renewing our lease, so I decided to take over the room until we move into a place with three bedrooms. I also have a shelf that contains all my French books, and I’ve loaned him several of my books so I can keep them on one of his shelves instead of mine. Clever, huh? 😉
After our trial period of living under the same roof assured us that we could share living space without committing double homicide, I convinced him to let me organize his books. The closest he got to being organized was having all of his Jim Butcher books on one shelf. He culled books to go to the used bookstore while I began grouping the ones he decided to keep into genres, more or less. I also kept any series together and in order, and then I organized by height whenever possible. Since we’re both writers with decent sized collections of reference books, we decided to combine them on one shelf with a bookend in between. We’re just not at the point in our relationship where we feel comfortable completely integrating our libraries. Right now, it’s enough to know that we have similar tastes and many of the same books in our separate collections.
