Harry Potter

Bookish Book Lover Tag

/ Riot @ Absidity Art - Sarah Fairbairn / 6 Comments

I came across the Bookish Book Lover Tag on Stephanie’s Book Reviews and thought it looked fun, thanks Stephanie 🙂 From what I can work out it was originally created by Shantelle @ A Writer’s Heart, so thank you Shantelle, and OOPS if I got that wrong.

The Rules: Use the Banner, Answer the Questions, Use Lots of Book Covers, Tag Your Bookish Friends.old-books-436498_19201) What Book Are You Currently Reading?6930002The Iron Witch (The Iron Witch #1) by Karen Mahoney.

2) What’s The Last Book You Finished? 
26156443Hero by Belinda Crawford Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi #LoveOzYA
3) Favorite Book You Read This Year?25574212

So far it’d have to say The Sidekicks by Will Kostakis Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi #LoveOzYA or Chains of Water and Stone by Katherine Hurley.

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4) What Genre Have You Read Most This Year? Graphic Novels /Comic Books.
5) What Genre Have You Read Least This Year? Contemporary.
6) What Genre Do You Want To Read More Of? Contemporary YA. I always say I’m mainly a Sci-fi /fantasy reader, but the contemporary YA I’ve read this year has really impressed me and I’ve enjoyed them much more than I expected I would.
7) How Many Books Have You Read This Year, And What’s Your Goal? I’ve read 65 and am aiming for 125 or hopefully more!

8) What’s The Last Book You Bought? IMG_6455It was a four book haul; Three Jane Austen classics in pretty paperbacks and Black by Fleur Ferris Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi #LoveOzYA (is my Aussie Aussie chant getting annoying yet).

9) What Book Are You Saving Up To Buy Next? Whatever tickles my fancy when I see it on a shelf or read a review of it.
10) How Many Books Did You Check Out Last Library Visit? IMG_6454Two; The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney and Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli.
11) What’s A Book You Can’t Wait To Read?15704307 I’m always hanging out for the next installment of SAGA by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples.
12) What’s A Series You’d Recommend to Everyone? 13552764I feel funny recommending books to strangers, because how the hell would I know what they like, friends and family are a different matter. BUT I have been raving about The Tribe Series by Ambelin Kwaymullina to anyone who will listen lately and I haven’t even read the third book yet. I’m dragging out reading the last book as I don’t want the story to be over!
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Here we go again!  Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi #LoveOzYA 18872201
13) Who’s An Author You’re Hoping Writes More? I’d love to read new YA series or standalone from Ambelin Kwaymullina (see above), J.K. Rowling (and/or I’d totally be happy with anything further in her wizarding world – I pre-ordered Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), Stephenie Meyer (shut them haters up girl!) and Alisa Jeruconoka (I loved her Unparallel Worlds back in 2012 by a sequel hasn’t surfaced yet).

14) A Few Books Your Heart Adores? Albert of Adelaide by Howard L. Anderson, Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and All the Harry Potter’s 😛 – I could keep going!!!!
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15) What Series’s Coming Conclusion Makes You Sad? The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy a Trilogy in Five parts by Douglas Adams, it’s conclusion plain upsetting. I just wanted Arthur Dent to live happily ever after with Fenchurch. Why Mr Adams, you murder, why!!!!6356002
16) What Books Are On Your Wish-List? All of them! All of them I tell you. I want them all MWAHAHAHAHAHA!
TAGGED: Anyone who wants to have a go :-).
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Bookish Babble: Y16.W1

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FANDOM  noun: The fans of a particular person, team, fictional series, etc. regarded collectively as a community or subculture.

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Fandom Edition: Always! Wicked is good! I hit the Titan Lord with a plastic hairbrush!

And that’s their loss.

Ain’t that the truth. My poor mum, I tell her all about the books I’ve read haha.b16f9712c700395a23ba0b74fcb3055c-d8fkhu1

What are you? I’m a Whovian Potterhead loud and proud!! (Potterhead, Demigod, Whovian, Sherlockian, Walflower, Shadowhunter, Twihard, Hunter, Trekkie, Ringer, Caster, Runner, Rum Runner, Narnian, Disney Geek, Merlinian, Marvel Nerd, DC Nerd, X-Phile, Soul). 

The next meme is not exactly fandom related, but I found it while searching fandom meme’s and it was too good not to share!!!

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EXACTLY!

Until Next Time 🙂 Enjoy Your Shelves 🙂

Bookish Babble Y15.W10

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Bookish Gifts Edition:

Christmas gift ideas anyone, there is only 40 days to go! Oh man that’s depressing! Where the flibbity jibbit has this year gone.

IMG_1791I purchased the above bookmark, cause I can, for myself, of off Behind the Pages. Gina has a lovey gift worthy range of hand painted water colour Harry Potter, Throne of Glass, Shatter Me and Illuminae bookmarks, as well as some special edition Christmas ones!!!

Image of DOUBLE TROUBLE - Jam Jar Candles

Everything on Nook and Burrow’s site, I want it all. All the handmade wooden bookmarks and all the bookishly awesome scented soy candles. Gimme, gimme, gimme. They also have a whole bunch of Christmas themed bookish goodies.

Bookish Baubles, I doubt that they’d be super difficult to make. I found this image at Book Nerd Reviews. I’m going to go op-shopping and hopefully finding some well-loved copies of classics to use. I’ve got a rough idea in my head on how I’m going to accomplish this just from looking at the photo. If they work out I’ll do a DIY post for my creations.

From Craftaphile.

From Creative ‘try’ als.

These are two cute and crafty bookish gifts (or decorations for yourself at home) that would require a trip to the second hand store and a lot of spare time – but aren’t they nifty. I’m wondering how long it would take me to make a few of the rolled paper ones out of news paper, then pant them with a water / PVA green paint tinged mix.

And last but not least: BOOKS!! All book nerds love them some books for Christmas.

I’ve already purchased some bookish Christmas gifts from Nook and Burrow, the Book Depository and Big W – I’m trying to be super organised this year :-).

Until next time 🙂 enjoy your shelves 🙂

Top Ten Tuesdays: 1st Attempt

/ Riot @ Absidity Art - Sarah Fairbairn / 9 Comments

toptentuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by Capturyyyy

May 19th’s Top Ten Tuesday is Freebie YOUR CHOICE OF TOPIC and because this is my first Top Ten Tuesday, I was like ummmmmmmm. So I read back though the recent list and went for April 7th’s Top Ten Characters You’d Like To Check In With.

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1) Percy Jackson  – Is he as adorable in his late thirty’s? Did he marry Annabeth and live happily ever after in New Rome? (Percy Jackson and the Olympians series & The Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan).

2 & 3-ish) Mr Darcy and all those Bennett sisters – Did Mary and Kitty ever find a man? Did Lydia ever grow up? Did Lizzy and Jane live happily ever after with their wealthy men? (Pride and Prejudiced by Jane Austen).

4) Albert – Did he find the promise land, old Australia? Did he find where his heart and soul belonged? What happened to that wonderful platypus!!!! (Albert of Adelaide by Howard L. Anderson).

5) TJ – What adventures and mischief did he get into once he parted ways with Albert? (Albert of Adelaide by Howard L. Anderson).

6 & 7) Wanda and Melanie – What became of their lives and loves? How did the earth hold up? Did the humans take over again? (The Host by Stephenie Meyer) on closer look at this it seem that Meyer was going to turn it into a trilogy, but back when it came out and I read it in 2008 it was a one off as far as I know??

8) Seth – I loved that little wolf boy, what ever happened to him and his sister? (The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer).

9) All the Characters in We all looked up – Did the meteor kill them all? Did some of the earth survive? (We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach).

10) Luna Lovegood – What ever happened to her? Did she get happily ever after with kids? Did she continue the Quibbler for her father or did she get herself some other magical profession (The Harry Potter phenomenon by J.K. Rowling).

Harry Potter Companion Books by J.K. Rowling

/ Riot @ Absidity Art - Sarah Fairbairn / 4 Comments

I’ve just finished reading the three Companion books and here is a little poem out of Quidditch Through the Ages that I just had to share by J.K. Rowling, I don’t think there is a Potter fan that wouldn’t love it. The set was a quick, cute and entertaining read – a must for any Potter Fan.

Oh, the thrill of the chase as I soar through the air

With the Snitch up ahead and the wind in my hair

As I draw ever closer, the crowd give a shout

But then comes a bludger and I am knocked out.

Harry Potter Companion Books by J.K. Rowlinghog lib

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

A copy of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them resides on almost every wizarding household in the country. Now, for a limited period only, Muggles too have the chance to discover where the Quintaped lives, what the Puffskein eats, and why it is best not to leave milk out for a Knarl.

Proceeds from the sale of this book will go to improving and saving the lives of children around the world, which means that the dollars and Galleons you exchange for it will do magic beyond the powers of any wizard. If you feel that this is insufficient reason to part with your money, I can only hope most sincerely that passing wizards feel more charitable if they ever see you being attacked by a Manticore.

Quidditch Through the Ages    

Did you know that: there are 700 ways of committing a foul in Quidditch? The game first began to evolve on Queerditch Marsh – What Bumphing is? That Puddlemere United is oldest team in the Britain and Ireland league (founded 1163). All this information and much more could be yours once you have read this book: this is all you could ever need to know about the history, the rules – and the breaking of the rules – of the noble wizarding sport of Quidditch.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard

The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a Wizarding classic, first came to Muggle readers’ attention in the book known as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Now, thanks to Hermione Granger’s new translation from the ancient runes, we present this stunning edition with an introduction, notes, and illustrations by J. K. Rowling, and extensive commentary by Albus Dumbledore. Never before have Muggles been privy to these richly imaginative tales: “The Wizard and the Hopping Pot,” “The Fountain of Fair Fortune,” “The Warlock’s Hairy Heart,” “Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump,” and of course, “The Tale of the Three Brothers.” But not only are they the equal of fairy tales we now know and love, reading them gives new insight into the world of Harry Potter.

Take Two

/ Riot @ Absidity Art - Sarah Fairbairn / 2 Comments

Today’s post asks up to run outside and take a picture of the first thing we see, then run back inside and take a picture of the second thing we see, then write about the connection between these two random objects, people, or scenes.

Ok so I didn’t run, when I run I tend to fall! But this is what I saw when I opened my front door:

outsideMy Car (and my dying front lawn) were the first things I noticed. My green Lancer wagon. My nice family friendly safe little Lancer wagon aka My G.L.W (green lancer wagon). Before I got the GLW for its baby carrying wagon benefits, I had a Commodore (aka the Bombodore). The Bombodore was actually a bigger, heavier and faster car then the GLW, but alas it was a sedan and a wagon is much easier to hall prams and things out of. The GLW uses half the fuel of the Bombodore because it’s got half the engine. I am really enjoying the ease of a wagon carting my son around, but when I’m driving ALONE I still yearn for the rear wheel drive Holden power that used to put me sideways when I’d take off too fast – ummm no I’ve never done that I swear – oh who am I kidding, I can be a typical Aussie who likes being a lead foot and a dickhead some of the time!

When I turned back around I saw my floor mat covered in dirty foot prints, making my think I needed to clean it. Second thing I saw was a display cabinet. I never realised my hall was so boring until I looked at this photo.

insideThe cabinet is full of mementos from family trips, my wedding and trinkets my husband and I have collected over the years. The things that you can probably make out in the photograph inside the display cabinet are; the number plate off of my motor scooter which I kept when I sold the bike just before my son was born and one of my Astro Boy figures, I loved Astro Boy when I was younger and when I was four I named my first dog after him. Up on top of the display cabinet is evidence that I am a Harry Potter fan as I have a Dobby stuffed toy, two white owl statues representing Hedwig and a toy cat I made representing Crookshanks. Also up on top there are two photos from my wedding.

The connection between the two things – well they’re mine for a start, It’s my car and my display cabinet, one holds a lot of memories and the other has the ability to take me to places to make new memories.

365daysofprompts   Post 12/365 missed 3

Reading books

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As a generalisation I won’t read a series until it’s finished. I hate the waiting. I dread falling in love with a book and not being able to read it’s follow up straight away and having to wait another year or so. I’m rather impatient in all aspects of life actually, one of my major flaws, causes me all sorts of grief, but that’s a trillion different stories right there.

I purchased all of J K Rowling’s Harry Potter books at once, then read them back to back! I read all five of Douglas Adams’s HHGTTG in one go, all The Percy Jackson series, hunger games trilogy etc. I’ve got Shadows of The Realm and A Time of Darkness sitting on my book shelf and I’m waiting for Dionne Lister to publish the third instalment so I can sit down and read them all.

I know you’re thinking ummm you bought the whole series before reading the first book, what if you don’t like it? – In my defence, I read reviews to get a feel of the book and see whether I think I’m going to like it or not, I can’t just read for readings sake, it’s got to draw me in! Normally the first book will come out and I’d decide I wanted to read it, if I find out it’s a series I’ll note it down to keep track of it and wait for all the books to come out, then buy the first book, read it and see if I like it before buying the rest – but by waiting till they all are published I can go and buy the next one straight away, no anguish waiting.

Yeah, I should just learn to be patient hey!

My big problem with reading at the moment is my ‘want to read’ list keeps getting longer, my bank out keeps getting lower and I can’t seem to get much time to read, hmmm I’m wasting reading time right now!!

Night All.

Call Me Ishmael

/ Riot @ Absidity Art - Sarah Fairbairn / 1 Comment

 

Today’s post ”Call Me Ishmael” asked us to take the first sentence from your favourite book and make it the first sentence of your post. I can’t really narrow down ONE book as my favourite so here is a mash up of my favourites:

 

Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun. The tracks of an old railway line run from Adelaide in South Australia to Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. It is a truth universally acknowledge, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

Did you guess any of them?

 

Now these are not in a particular order because I couldn’t choose between them:

 

For out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun. The hitch hiker’s guide to the galaxy – Douglas Adams. All hail the late Douglas Adams and his trilogy in five parts, I’ve put the first line out of the first book, but in my heart it’s representing the whole series.

 

The tracks of an old railway line run from Adelaide in South Australia to Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. Albert of Adelaide – Howard L Anderson. If you haven’t heard of it you should look it up. http://sarahalison27.org/2013/12/14/albert-of-adelaide/

 

Mr and Mrs Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. Harry Potter – J K Rowling. As with HHGTTG I’ve put the first line out of the first book, but in my heart it’s representing the whole series.

 

It is a truth universally acknowledge, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen. You all know this book I’m sure. If I really had to narrow it down to one book as my favourite, this would probably be the one –

 

BUT if you’d asked me as a child it would have been Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery and this book will always be right up there!! Anne of Green Gables opens with a whopping 148-word sentence.

Mrs Rachel Lynde lived just where the Avonlea main road dipped down into a little hollow, fringed with alders and ladies’ eardrops, and traversed by a brook that had its source away back in the woods of the old Cuthbert place; it was reputed to be an intricate, headlong brook in its earlier course through those woods, with dark secrets of pool and cascade; but by the time it reached Lynde’s Hollow it was a quiet, well-conducted little stream, for not even a brook could run past Mrs Rachel Lynde’s door without due regard for decency and decorum; it probably was conscious that Mrs Rachel was sitting at her door, keeping a sharp eye on everything that passed, from brooks and children up, and that if she noticed anything odd or out of place she would never rest until she had ferreted out the whys and wherefores thereof.

All these Books in my opinion are pure awesomeness!!!

365daysofprompts   Post 5/365 missed 1

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1)

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The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1) by Rick Riordan

Gosh dang! Where to start!

Synopsis from goodreads.com:

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school… again. And that’s the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy’s Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he’s angered a few of them. Zeus’ master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus’ stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

My thoughts:           

I made the fatal mistake of seeing the movie adaptation of this book before reading it! Hence I roughly knew what was going to go down and kept trying to place the parts of the movie into the book. The movie was good, the book was better, but I knew too much so it didn’t really pull me in at first.  Luckily I know nothing of the other four in the series and don’t intent to find out until I’m reading them. Also seeing the movie first, I had figured the main character to be around fifteen/ sixteen (forgive me it has been a couple of years since I’ve seen the film) and in the book he is only twelve. I found Percy being only twelve and doing the things he was doing a bit hard to swallow, I had to keep reminding myself Harry was only eleven at the beginning of his adventures. I had to get my head in the right mind space to enjoy this book, I struggled but by the end it had got me and I will go on to read the next book. So while seeing the movie made this book less impressive, it did introduce me to the series and that’s a good thing.

I would recommend this book to a younger audience and those still in touch with their inner child. While I rate this book a three I think I could have been a four or five if I hadn’t seen the darn movie.

Most of the time if I see a movie I like the look of and see that’s it’s based on a book, I read the book, that’s only fair to the original story and that’s how I found Lee Child and Jack Reacher (now there’s a movie that DID NOT live up to its book) I read all the twilights before I saw the movies etc etc. In fact bar the Harry Potter series this is the only time I saw the movie first, I watched all the Potter movies before I opened the first book, but they were so good that the movies and the books stand up as awesome on their own. Never again my friends will I watch the movie first, always always read the book first.