Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows - Readalong Post 2

It's been a little while since I've read DH and when I came up to the Godric's Hollow chapter and Bathilda Bagshot beckons at them to follow her I suddenly remembered everything that was about to happen I shoved my hands over my ears and shrieked, shrieked I tell you! The whole thing is sooooo creeptastic, and one of the few moments in the series when my heart threatens to fling itself out of my chest Alien style.

"And in the instant that he looked away, his eyes raking the tangled mess for a sword hilt, a ruby, she moved weirdly; he saw it out the corner of his eye; panic made him turn and horror paralysed him as he saw the old body collapsing and the great snake pouring from the place where her neck had been."

The whole scene, from seeing her on the street, to venturing into her home, to her silent movements around the house, to her transformation...it's so visceral and terrifying. I also feel like it's compounded by the grief in the previous chapter. Harry is finally home and found his parent's graves and his old home and the markers of their plight and it's both sad and kind of euphoric, because there's all those recent markings of people placing their faith in him. Anyway, you're in an emotional (SO EMOTIONAL) state because of all this (and Ron's departure, more on that in a sec) and then BOOM, creepy old lady turns into a snake and everything's a blur of chaos and fear.

It's also such a phenomenal scene in the movie. Even though I knew, like 100% knew what was coming and that Harry and Hermione weren't going to die I JUMPED 10 feet into the air and clenched onto the arm of my seat at the cinema because HOLY SHIT TENSE MUCH?

Oh man, that scene with Lupin upsets me SO MUCH. I guess I get why Harry acts as he does, but I find that whole scene so extremely upsetting. I just want to jump in and be like "Guys! You are all in constant risk of losing your life, stop fighting because when/if one of you dies this whole thing is going to be so much worse. Guys? Guys? Stop ignoring me, I'M DOING THIS BECAUSE I LOVE YOU."

Also (THERE BE SPOILERS AHEAD, SORRY MEG, BUT I HAVE ANOTHER KITTEN GIF FOR YOU) I hate that they have this fight and then JKR fucking kills Lupin and Tonks! I'll go on about this more later in the last section, but I feel like this was some real emotional manipulation on her part, making me feel all twisty and sad when Harry's a dick (with the right intentions) in this scene and then compounding that sadness by creating a new orphan À la Harry and the death of Harry's final father figure. Fuck you JKR, seriously. (END SPOILERS)

Strike last week's gif, this one is adorable X adorable

So Ron. Poor, poor, poor Ron. I mentioned in the comments of Emily's post last week how sad I am for Ron's character. In the PS/SS he's set out to be the strategist of the group, as well as the only one with any solid understanding of life in the magical world. But instead he becomes Harry's slightly bitter and clearly less talented friend for 6 books. I'll die defending Ron, but I think it's less because he's a great character and more because I think he could have been a great character.

The thing is, most of his characteristics are dampened by others doing it better. He's quite funny, but not as funny as the twins. He's really brave when it comes to protecting the people he loves, but Harry's braver. He's adorably dopey at times, but Neville really has the lock on that one. His lifetime in the magical community comes in handy ("Have you gone mad? Are you a witch or not?") but he's not a font of wisdom like Hermione or Dumbledore. It's like he's the youngest son all over again, constantly looked over because Harry, Hermione, Luna or Dumbledore are 100 times better, and better first. So I really feel for him, because I know people this week are probably going to be "hrmph Ron sucks or Ron's a coward or myeh Ron" about him deserting the others, but I think if he'd been given the development of everyone else it'd be less "Ron sucks" and more, "yeah, it was a shitty move, but it was a reaction and one he regretted immediately after, and let's be honest we'd probably do the same thing". He's the Sansa of the Harry Potter series, so easy to hate or mock, even though he's probably the most realistic (when done right) of the lot.

Do you know how hard it was to find a Ron gif that didn't involve him eating?

On the plus side though, I do think that single scene with the locket and the smoke versions of Harry and co does a better job of illustrating the complexities of being Ron Weasley than any other scene in the entire series. It's also a brilliant scene because it gave us that hilarious and awkward scene where naked smoke Harry and Hermione gobble at each other's face and made every single person in the cinema cringe.

Oh what's that? I have a gif of that awkward scene? Of course I do! Enjoy.

Book Review: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Attachments

Written by: Rainbow Rowell

Published: 2011

Synopsis: Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.
Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now- reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.
When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories.
By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself.
What would he say . . . ?

Challenges: New Adult for Book'd Out's Eclectic Reader Challenge
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

FOR SHAME. You guys have failed miserably as blog friends. How did I not hear the name Rainbow Rowell until the Dewey Readathon where EVERYONE was reading Eleanor and Park? How did a book like Attachments exist for two whole years without a single one of you tweeting at me shouting "KAYLEIGH YOU MUST READ THIS NOW!!!" So you are all on blogging probation, and if another amazing authors comes and releases 2 books before I hear about it...Well, we'll have to have a serious discussion about this whole blogging relationship we have going on right now. But for now I'll forgive you because ATTACHMENTS WAS AMAZING AND ALL IS RIGHT WITH THE WORLD AND ALWAYS WILL BE.

[Hopefully that's all the mass capitalisation we'll be seeing this review, but given how much I loved it, it's highly likely that this is going to devolve from a review in a series of squeals and exclamation points very quickly. But bear with me, I'm doing my best.]

Where to start with this book? It is simply one of the most easily devoured and deliciously heartwarming and splendidly funny books every published. I downloaded the ebook sure I'd like it but without any expectations what so ever and I devoured the whole thing in a day. I'd not recommend this, because much like when I read Ready Player One I plunged into a deep "but now that I've read this I will never read it for a first time again" funk that seriously clashed with my "this book is better than life" elation. So fight against the temptation and make this one last. At least take two days, hard it as it'll probably be.

I have a major soft spot for romantic comedies. Not the Katherine Heigel brand of constantly tripping over rom-com, but the kind Nora Ephron wrote and/or directed during the 1990s, the kind filled with fast and witty dialogue, a fantastically ordinary (and slightly cynical) lead pair and of course, a scene in the rain OR on the top of a tall building. Attatchments didn't have a tall building but it did have all the rest (the scene in the rain...OH MY GOD YOU GUYS) and I had the silliest grin on my face for days after finishing this book. Sure things don't work like the necessarily would in the real world, but when you have that perfect Nora Ephron recipe it. doesn't. matter.

Onwards!

Still nursing the bruises from a relationship that ended 9 years ago, Lincoln is a pretty sad guy. After completing degree after degree (I know how that goes fella) he finally decides to get a job and join the real world. But joining the real world as a security tech officer turns out to mean reading people's emails at the last newspaper to finally join the technical revolution (the book takes place in 1999 by the way). What begins as an icky job becomes somewhat delightful when the emails between copy writer Jennifer and movie reviewer Beth keep getting flagged. The two ladies are funny and witty and holy crap i loved their chapters. As much as I loved Lincoln (and I really did, he plays Dungeons and Dragons, and he doesn't really like clubs or loud events, and he likes talking to old ladies, and did I mention the multiple degrees?) I was so excited every time I flipped the page and I saw J&B's email conversation. I think this is partly because the Lincoln chapters were kinda sad (he's so lonely!) but also, holy shit, two funnier and more wonderful women have never existed.

Case in point numero uno...

"Oh, I love period dramas, especially period dramas starring Colin Firth. I'm like Bridget Jones if she were actually fat."
"Oh... Colin Firth. He should only do period dramas. And period dramas should only star Colin Firth. (One-star upgrade for Colin Firth. Two stars for Colin Firth in a waistcoat.)"
"Keep typing his name, even his name is handsome.”

Case in point numero two...

“So...I'm larking through the Baby Gap, looking at tiny capri pants and sweaters that cost more than ... I don't know, more than they should. And I get totally sucked in by this ridiculous, tiny fur coat. The kind of coat a baby might need to go to the ballet. In Moscow. In 1918. To match her tiny pearls.”

And those are just two funny (and true...Colin Firth in period dramas? UNF) cases in point that were short enough that I could bother typing out. But aside from being funny, their emails are also touching, especially when both struggle with personal issues (I know I've already mentioned it, BUT THAT SCENE IN THE RAIN YOU GUYS). It's not hard to see how Lincoln would struggle to stop reading their emails, or how he could fall in love with either of them (it's lucky Jennifer's married, because jesus christ Sophie's Choice much?).

So yes, this book is so, so, so wonderful and everyone should read it, and I promise you that you will like it. And not in an "Anna and the French Kiss kind of embarrassed you liked it" kind of way, but in a shout-it-from-the-rooftops eternal love kinda way.

Monday Links

*^^ Because more people need to know who Chris Hadfield are, and him singing Space Oddity IN SPACE in a bonus.

*Because I am a lady on the internet I obviously love cats. But did you realise ladies were meme-ing up cat during the women's suffrage movement? Yep, take a look. (Via Buzzfeed)

*Worth 1000 set the task to insert celebrities into famous paintings. The results are (mostly) amazing. Especially the Keanu Reeves one. You just...you have to see it. (Via Worth 1000)

*JKR is auctioning off a first edition annotated copy of HP&PS and I WANTS IT, I WANTS IT SO BAD! (Via The Daily Mail)

*Fandoms aren't great when it comes to making changes, even if the changes don't actually impact on the story in anyway. For example. Black Spiderman. Seriously, it's meant to be a youth in New York who is completely normal and nothing special, gets a spider bite and then spends much of his life saving the world COMPLETELY MASKED. But anyway, here's an article about that. It's a pretty flawed article, but the comments are fascinating.  (Via Cracked)

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows - Readalong Post 1 (The End is Nigh!)

I am 90% certain that the rest of my posts for this readalong are going to be a mess of incoherent capital letters, italics and gifs.

But I'm not even sorry, because if you can manage coherent thoughts through Deathly Hollows then YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG. This book isn't all action, but it's definitely all emotion. From Harry having to come to terms with not really knowing Dumbledore, to Bill and Fleur's wedding, to Ron's failure, to the battle at the end *cue CryingTennant.gif here* ... anyway you get the hint. There are going to be tears on top of tears on top of tears, and so much character development. I LOVES IT SO!

I hate your weasel face Joffrey, but I approve your applause

I feel so awkward when Voldemort is all "eliminate the mudbloods!" "keep the bloodlines pure!" I imagine some of the Death Eaters feel a little like Hitler's crew when he pontificated about tall blonde Aryans, "Ixnay on the ureplay oodblay dude, at least until we arrange that plastic surgery..." I mean, I know Voldemort can claim Slytherin as a relative, but his mother was practically a squib so it's not like he's a shining example for eugenics. Basically, I think he should focus on another platform to save himself collar-pulling a la The Simpsons when Skeeter's biography eventually comes out.

I love a lot of this book (even the camping) but I still don't quite understand the motivation for Snape revealing the switched nights for Harry's move from Privet Drive. I don't want to spoil this for first timers (first timer? Is it just you Meg?), so skip down to the kitty gif if you don't want to know.

*SPOILERS* So later we find out Snape is getting all his info from the Dumbledore portrait right, but the Death Eaters never know who his source is yes? But why would Snape still have any sources? I mean, at this stage every Order member thinks Snape killed Dumbledore and is a Death Eater for reals, so why would Voldemort or the Death Eaters think that there would be anyone willing to talk Snape and give him details? So why is it important for Snape to give up these details and risk the lives of 14 order members, many of them kids? Why not let the Death Eaters think that they were meant to be moving on Harry's birthday eve? I'm pretty sure I'm forgetting something important in the Snape/Dumbledore plan which is revealed at the end, but I can't remember and this scene just seems like a ridiculous level of risk for no reason. Anyone remember what I'm forgetting, or have any insight? *END SPOILERS*

Best cat gif? Or BEST cat gif?

Considering Dumbledore isn't alive in this book, it's funny that it's actually the most Dumbledore-y books of the lot. Which I love. One of the things that I've really noticed this read-through is how little Dumbles is actually present in the books. Because of how important he is and his role in the climaxes of each book, in my mind he's always been the father figure to Harry and the wordplay bro-wizard to the trio. But in actuality he's barely present until book 6 and is only really more than a headmaster to Harry in book 5. So it's nice to have a book that helps fill the blanks for us like it does for Harry. Because like Harry we love Dumbledore for being wise and old and having a nifty long beard but don't really know anything about him except that he is wise and old and has a nifty long beard. I'm sure there are people who were a little sad when they read this book and realised how fallible Dumbledore was (shock! horror!) but it always made the character 1000x better for me. He made mistakes and learned from them, although they continued to haunt him for the rest of his life. That's a far better role model than the ultimate wise and infallible figure he's typically seen as.

And just a last thing before the bullet points, poor Kreacher. Poor, poor Kreacher. He's an obnoxious ass-hat when we first meet him, but if his story about the cave doesn't make you weep for him then you are heartless! Heartless I say! So let's raise our cups of coffee or bottles of wine and take a drink for Kreacher, because Fuck. That. Shit.

This isn't quite appropriate, but it was the only HP toast gif I could find. Leave me be, I'M SAD!

Bullet points!

*I was listening to this as an audiobook, do we actually hear how Lucius and co got out of Azkaban? Or is it just taken as given?

*I love when Harry bellows. Harry should always bellow.

*Dudley! Voice of reason!

*"But where's he going to go" ---- DUDLEY I TAKE IT ALL BACK, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! (well, not really, but I greatly appreciate your change)

*The multiple Harry scene was one of the best bits in the movie franchise. (followed closely by Helena Bonham Carter pretending to be Hermione pretending to be Bellatrix at Gringotts). Bravo Daniel Radcliffe.

*"Even you-know-who can't split himself into seven" Heh.

*Hermione is such a badass in the scene where she tells Harry why they're coming with him. She just lays it down so factually, even though she's telling him that her parents don't even know she exists anymore. Hermione for Queen of the Universe (ruling alongside Luna, Ginny and Neville like the kids in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe series).

*I really love that even though they are the object of many men's attention, Fleur and her mother go for men who are thoroughly decent and don't seem to care about looks at all. Right on ladies *fist bump*

*"He tried to put a lot of unsaid things into the hug" ---You are a good guy Harry Potter.

*"I open at the close" and the snitch is perhaps one of my favourite threads in the whole series. JKR you are one clever lady.

*"Luna, my love, if you should feel any burgeoning talent today- perhaps an unexpected urge to sing opera or to declaim in Mermish- do not repress it!" --BEST DAD AND MAN.

TV Trailer: Dracula

So it seems Dracula is coming back to the small screen. But this time he is American, or posing as American (I guess?) and trying to introduce science to the Victorians? And he's got some sort of past lives thing happening with Mina? And Renfield is a black man in a suit? Well, at the very least it looks like they've got quite the budget, and since it's from the folks behind Downton Abbey and Tudors, we'll probably get a very pretty show at the very least. I, however, can not wait to watch Jonathan Rhys Meyers struggle with an accent again. Seriously though, WHY IS HE AMERICAN?

Movie Trailer: As I Lay Dying

James Franco has adapted Faulkner's As I Lay Dying to screen, and if this trailer is anything to go by I'm going to need subtitles.