#HarryPotterAtHome Review of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone on Libby

Screen Shot from Libby #HarryPotteratHome

Well I finally “read” the first Harry Potter. I found that it was better than I remembered, maybe I’m older or maybe it was because I was using it to keep me from going crazy alone in this strange time. While I belong to the target demographic while the books were coming out I was never able to get into them. So, while others kids were reading Harry Potter, I was reading J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.

  

Libby and #HarryPotterAtHome 

Well, I started this post about a week ago when I finished the book but will now write my thoughts.  

I was browsing for a book to listen to while cleaning and doing simple tasks at my closed library (note I’m the only one in the building of the small town library and we are prepping for a move, strange to say this but it is May 2020 as I write this and times are strange). So, eight hours alone is just way too much and I have found that Libby is a great resource for not going insane. While browsing for books I noticed that the first Harry Potter was available. I decided well why not read this, after all I keep meaning to and being asked if I ever read it and now is as good a time as any and if I hate it I can simply listen to a new book or more likely just have it play in the background while I do various tasks. This was before I noticed it was for #HarryPotterAtHOme and not knowing how much demand would be for the second book (which I am now waiting for).

Summary...Not really 

So, since most people have read the book by now and I seem to be the last person on the planet (Ok, I know this is an exaggeration but really that is how I feel sometimes) I won't write the summary but if YOU haven’t just google it or watch the movie (maybe, still haven’t seen those either...).  IF like me you haven’t read it, but can still quote the story because of hearing about it constantly I will say briefly that this book is about Harry Potter when he is 11 and the crazy magical antics he and his classmates get up to in their first year at Hogwarts. 

Review and thoughts 

Well, it wasn’t as bad as I remember and was easy to follow. The plot did have many points of convince but it is a children’s book and they do all use magic so why not. It was a light read for me and I was able to happily go about doing my own work while not feeling so alone in a library by myself (which was a plus, believe me if you have ever been in a building that should have people you will understand). However, since I did know much of the story and surprise points the book was not as exciting as everyone said.  

So, will I read/listen to the next installment, most likely yes if things continue as they are and I have already joined the Libby que for both books 2 & 3 (book 2 has a 20 week wait time...WHAT!). Would I reread book 1 like some people do every year forever, no. The book is simply not as good as J.R.R. Tolkien or C.S. Lewis in my opinion both of which series I have reread multiple times in my life. I just finished listening to C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia and am looking forward to listening to or reading The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings in the near future.

References 

Rowling, J.R. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer Stone. (2012). Pottermore Publishing [Audiobook Libby version]. Retrieved from Libby. 

Audio Books & Prince Caspian

Screen shot of Libby Edition

Recently I have started listening to books, instead of reading them. I found that audio books, especially ones with good narrators, help to escape reality. I have always loved books and stories but for the past few months found my self not reading. With everything that is going on I find my self alone or with time often, I decided to try audio books. I use my library's Libby app. The past few weeks I have started rereading the Chronicles of Narnia, one of my first fantasy books that I read.

I have listened to the first three books in the series by C. S. Lewis. Listening to them has allowed me to escape my thoughts but still keep my hands busy. Audio books have also allowed me to get over my reading “slump”.

Prince Caspian Review

I forgot how much I loved these books. C. S. Lewis does a marvelous job of telling a tale of four children who return to their kingdom after some hundred years. In Prince Caspian readers return to Narnia along side the Pevensie's to their old haunts. The tale tells of their adventure along side a young king named, Caspian. I enjoyed listening to this book and reliving the story, even though I had read it before. The audio book brought the story to life!

Summary

In the tale a young Prince Caspian is running for his life after his uncle Miraz, who usurped the throne from his brother. The young prince flees for his life after hearing tales of “Old Narnia” from both his nurse and tutor. With these tales in his head he heads off to find safety but unfortunately he is knocked off his horse. He is subsequently rescued by an odd assortment of folks from “Old Narnia.” Now if you have never read or heard of Narnia it will surprise you that one of the company was a talking Badger, and two others were dwarves. Caspian, after some difficulty, convinces them he is on their side and seeks safety from his uncle. After facing Miraz in battle the army of Caspian and “Old Narnia” has dwindled; it is at this moment Caspian blows the magic horn of Queen Susan to summon help, hopefully Aslan the great Lion of Narnia will come! At the same time the four Pevensies are sitting waiting for a train when suddenly they find them selves in a wood near a castle. They eventually meet up with Caspian and declare themselves as the kings and queens of old! (of course much more happens before this but that would reveal the whole story!) High King Peter (the oldest Pevensie) then challenge Miraz to a duel, which Miraz is tricked into accepting by his advisors. However, this fight is only results in a full on battle that does not seem to be going well for the High King and Caspian. That is until the trees begin to move, the sprites of old have revived once more to aid in the return of Narnia to her rightful king! IN the midst of this great battle Aslan himself returns to aid in it, with his presence the true King of Narnia, Caspian, wins his hard fought victory!

Review (cont.)

As a reader this story is exciting and masterfully written. I love the story of how Caspian learns to trust in himself and Aslan for the victory. Narnia is an escape from reality for a time, just as it was for the Pevensie children on their travels there. The books provide adventure and excitement for the difficult times were are in now. The stories of Narnia and Prince Caspian teach us to have hope and faith, and to never give up even when things feel grim. Each day we have new hope, in the Lord (Aslan is a picture of Christ in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, an earlier adventure in Narnia). Be thankful for what you have and you will make it through even the toughest of battles!

Reference

Lewis, C. S. (2005). The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian [Audio Book]. New York: Harper Audio. Retrieved from Libby by Overdrive.

Review of The Secret Chapter by Cigman

Irene is back at it but this time she is testing just how far she will go to for the library. What would she do and where will she draw the line? In this installment by Genevieve Cogman's Invisible Library Series the characters grow and test their  commitment to their long held convictions, views and commitments to one another.
The story
The book begins with Irene and Kia at a party hosted by Lord Silver as they work to settle into their new roles as ambassadors for the new treaty between Dragons, Fae and The Library. Can they walk the balance without harming anyone and survive the night? The book begins with [spoilers ahead] an assassination attempt by a Fae on Kia, the Dragon prince, which luckly is stopped by Irene.
The next test for Irene is that her parents show up but not for the talk she was hoping for. They are discovered in the home which Kia and Irene share after having searched the house causing Kia to go all protective and blame the Fea again. This however quickly passes and he excuses himself from the awkward situation of meeting the older Librarians as they “discuss “ things with their daughter. The news they share is not about the adoption , learned of in the last book, but for a new mission to save Irene’s childhood homeworld.
Irene quickly returned to the library where details are shared from her boss. Copiella has an assignment that is difficult and requires diplomacy and her new position will allow her access to one of the most difficult/dangerous Fae mob boss, Mr. Nemo, to secure a book without stealing and  using all her skills learned by years of dealing with Fae.
Upon arrival back at her home she finds Kia brooding and tells him of her mission, of course he insists on going, this is when the plans start to go downhill because they argue over putting the treaty at risk.  The next things that happen are general chaos which surrounds any interaction they seem to have on these missions. Kia and Irene make a first contact but are on the midst of a firefight in the airport on their way. Here they do make it to their destination but only after being drugged and “kidnapped” which of course makes them both angry and they find their contact was behind it. The first of their convictions are tested and they must decide who to trust and if they are willing to stay.
That night they are dragged into a crazy scheme to steal an expensive and highly protected piece of art.  Being forced to work with a team of thriving Fae and a surprising old acquaintance of Kia’s, she causes problems later between them. The majority of  the book deals with them trying to work as a team and steal this painting. They must decide what they are willing  to do as thieves and who to trust. Each member of the team has personal goal and desire to win a prize from their employer. The team is constantly running into problems first because of in fighting, particularly between Kia and the other dragon [spoiler] who turns out to be his half-sister that disgraced his father. They finally manage to steal the art after a few run ins with local law enforcement and an elderly local dragon.
The final strain comes when Irene discovers that the stolen art could be devastating for Kia’s family and she asks him not to look but tells him she won’t stop him. Each has to decide what to do, however this is not the end. The team has fallen apart because the true mastermind was never MR. Nemo but Indigo. The plan all along was to hurt her father and break the dragons. The end comes and a dragon fight breaks out though not in their true forms. They each receive their own prize, with Irene sacrificing her prize that the Library wanted to save Kia’s family. However one of the Fae offers a surprise by selecting the book that Irene needed to save her home simply for a promised talk of the treaty with his employer.
So, after taking time to test their boundaries Kia and Irene were able to save the day, keep the peace and stay together.
My opinion
I enjoyed this book and found it a great addition to the world. Each element of the story helped the characters to grow and learn more about what they believe. Cogman tells a wonderful story of adventure and moral dilemmas. I recommend reading the entire series and found this book exciting. This was one of my first books in a while that I found to keep my attention and I couldn’t put down.

Reference
Cogman, G. (2020). The secret chapter. New York: Ace.
Image from Goodreads.com

Review of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michelle Richardson

Cover of the book from Amazon.com

This heart wrenching story is wonderfully written and shares the story of Cussy Mary a Pack Horse Librarian in Kentucky. However, she is no regular library Cussy is one of the last of the Kentucky Blues. Richardson details the difficult life Cussy leads in a beautiful and intriguing way. While I originally picked up this book because of the news stories surrounding it and how it was similar to The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes, I was pleasantly surprised and happy. It is similar to reads that I do enjoy and found the style exciting and descriptive. The only downside is that it is very realistic in many aspects of Cussy's life and is not for those who find mention of rape, death, and the like traumatic or difficult. However, I would recommend this book to those who want to see a realistic view of life in the South for “coloreds.”

Summary

The story details Cussy's life, her forced/arranged marriage, and her love for reading.

Characters

Cussy is a Pack Horse Librarian for her small section of the Kentucky Hills. Each of her patrons has a tragic story to tell. Lorretta a blind old woman living alone, Angeline a child/bride with child, Winnie & her students many of whom are starving. Little Henry who dies of starvation, and RC a young man who wants to become a forest Ranger instead of just a fire watcher. The women Eula & Harriet that run the library are prejudiced against her, However Cussy finds a friend in Qeenie an African American.

Queenie faces similar prejudice because of her color. Raising her children alone is tough. Queenie accepts a job in Philadelphia and goes on to become a librarian, with a degree.

Jackson Lovett is new in town and well off. (spoilers) He falls for Cussy, dispite her color. Each encounter of the two from the first to the final is sweet and endearing, seeing beyond the color of Cussy & Jackson. Eventually they “marry” despite it causing trouble in the end as Jim crow laws rear their ugly head and the Sheriff's need to seek “revenge” cause Jackson to go to prison & only for 'secret' meetings of Cussy & him for years to come.

Opinion of the Story

A delightfully well written story of a difficult time in the South. The backdrop is the Great Depression and the rise of Jim Crow laws. This have a huge impact on Cussy, her father, and neighbors. Richardson writes an fast paced story that drew me in and I found difficult to put down, that is until the traumatic moments at which I was about ready to say “no more!”

[SPOILER ALERT-don't read this next paragraph if you haven't read the book] I was disappointed in the ending of the book. While yes the ending is realistic, I was hoping to see a town/group that would actually see past their prejudice & hate to welcome the happy couple. It seemed that no one else cared, but the Sheriff (yes, Cussy was his cousin's widow) but why Ms. Richardson, WHY did you do it. It felt that the time for Cussy to be happy was finally there, she had fell for Jackson and he was in love with her. The community had come to celebrate the wedding and simply because of one or two prejudice people Jackson nearly dies and Cussy is sent home scared and alone! Why, so this book makes you love the characters but yet I hate the ending.

In Conclusion

I enjoyed the book, with the above exception. It is well written, easy to read, and well researched. While some scenes are dark and traumatic there are scatterings of happiness through out. If you enjoy realistic historic fiction you might try reading this.

References

Richardson, K. M. (2019). The book woman of Troublesome Creek. Naperville, Illinois: Sourcebooks.

Image from Amazon.com (2019)

Rise of the Rocket Girls Review

I picked up this book because I enjoyed reading about the women in Hidden Figues (Link to my post about that). However, Nathalia Holt’s Rise of the Rocket Girls: The women who Propelled Us, From Missles to the Moon to Mars focuses more on the technology they created than the lives and work they did. While I still found the book interesting it was not what I thought it would be. Holt (2016) includes some stories of the women’s lives outside the lab but these are overshadowed by the men at the lab, the events in the world, and the massive technological advances taking place. 

Summary 

Holt’s (2016) story is to focus, as the title states, on the Rocked Girls from the Jet Propulsion Labs (JPL) in California from its inception as a small club on Caltech campus to the modern era and its place in NASA. The book starts out not focusing on the women but the three men who founded the Lab and how they were daredevils, trying dangerous experiments. The first woman, Barby Canright, to join the team is there as a human computer alongside her husband.  

The focus shifts to include two additional women as the lab expands into specifically rockets and missiles for the Army. These women, Maci Robers and Barbara Lewis, will play key roles throughout the lab's history for many years. Both train the next generation of “computers” in the skill necessary to survive at the lab and in the world. Maci is the supervisor to replace Barby when she leaves to raise a family, while Barbara is an intelligent woman who will remain at JPL even after starting a family.  

In the next section, the 1950s, Barbra Lewis is joined by Janez Lawson, Helen Chow, and Susan Finley. This section focuses on JPLs interest in missiles and the shedding of its military aims and a move toward scientific exploration using rockets. Alongside these advances JPL has hired its first African American computer, Janez Lawson. However, Holt barley focuses on her and quickly moves on to the other women in the lab. Very little is mentioned about her struggles or how she was accepted in the lab by the engineers or other men there. 

In the section on the 1960s the Space Race is in full swing and JPL will not be left behind, while the women are not calculating manned missions, they are a part of the excitement. Holt does a small shift and focuses on a few of the personal lives of the women, how they marry, have children, and also see divorces increase. Holt (2016) discusses the shift in society and the fact they are working long hours calculating trajectories for often shelved projects which lead to stress and tensions in their personal lives. In this section the women, Barbra, Helen, Susan, and Sylvia Lundy, are calculating how to reach the planets beyond the moon. They are also beginning to see the rise of new technology from IBM that may replace them one day but not yet it is still too unreliable. The successes and failures of the Lunar missions and trips to Venus and Mars are told in a whirlwind fashion often out of order because of the need to finish one story then tell the next as they are taking place at the same time. 

Finally, Holt (2016) brings the story to the present. Holt (2016) shares how the work the women did in the early days of the lab laid the foundation for trips to the outer planets, the Hubble Telescope, space shuttles, and even the International space station. This final section sees the retirement of many of the women with only Sue Finley remaining until the end of her final mission. 

Review 

I found the book both interesting and disappointing. I was hoping to get to know the women, instead of just their work. Yes, Holt (2016) does share how they shaped the life of JPL and moved from merly computers to full engineers. However, this doesn’t help the feeling that they were still missing from much of the story. I read about the men just as much, if not more, in the text than the women who supported all of the missiles, rockets, and space craft launched from JPL. Holt’s (2016) style is perfect for history text but does shift in time quickly, leaving readers spinning in the whirlwind of activity that was the space race and rise of space exploration over missiles for military use. I did enjoy reading the book but readers must know that while this does focus on female computers and engineers it is very different from Hidden Figures in that it tells as much about the technology they help to develop and use as about them. Their personal lives are still mostly shrouded in mystery behind a few hints that they had troubled marriage or found contentment in their work. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the Space Race and how man finally landed on Mars, and explore beyond through the simple means of gravity. Each of these plots was calculated by humans, many before smart computers existed, and some are still done taht way today. 

References 

Holt, N. 2016. Rise of the rocket girls: The women who propelled us, from missiles to the moon to Mars. New York: Little, Brown and Company. 

Cover Image: Photo by me