Book Review: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K Rowling

The war against Voldemort is not going well; even the Muggles have been affected. Dumbledore is absent from Hogwarts for long stretches of time, and the Order of the Phoenix has already suffered losses. And yet . . . As with all wars, life goes on. Sixth-year students learn to Apparate. Teenagers flirt and fight and fall in love. Harry receives some extraordinary help in Potions from the mysterious Half-Blood Prince. And with Dumbledore’s guidance, he seeks out the full, complex story of the boy who became Lord Voldemort — and thus finds what may be his only vulnerability.

Another chapter in the story and life of Harry Potter. And the books and the story keep getting darker and more adult. I am not sure I would let a child continue to read the story at this point, but that it my point of view. Harry and his friends adult and children are once again back and Hogwarts, and once again fighting the evils of Lord Voldermort.

But this time the Dark Lord seems to have gotten himself a new recruit, at least Harry is convinced so while no one else seems to share his suspicions against Draco Malfoy. We see more torture, dark arts and death in The Half Blood Prince leading us down a dark maze of things in the wizarding world. A war is here, and the book does not hold back those facts.

Despite my reserves at this being a book I would actually call young adult I did enjoy it. The story kept my attention, and while some of the plot was blatantly obvious from the get go it still made me curious as to what exactly was going to happen. There defiantly points in the book where I thought she had run out of story, but it did recover well enough for me to continue and be entertained by what was going on. Over all not a bad Chapter in the series.

Booking Through Thursday-Mark The Spot

What items have you ever used as a bookmark? What is the most unusual item you’ve ever used or seen used?

I use just about anything that is a paper scrap in my books as a bookmark. I also of course use bookmarks, and book stuff. I use ribbons and receipts, and just about anything. The oddest bookmark I have seen someone use is a maxi pad. It was still all wrapped up and such but it was a bit odd in my opinion.

A very heartfelt Thank You.

I just have to take a moment to say how much I love my book friends. I want to give a big shout out to my friend Dough Girl (she knows who she is by this nickname) and thank her for the wonderful card. It truly made my month, and will help me with Christmas. It made me cry but it was a good cry, a happy cry. You will be getting a PM from me as well. But I just needed to do a shout out for the kindness. And the card is beautiful; it will be going into my scrapbook one of my friends gave me.

THANK YOU.

Wicked Wednesday #17


Wicked Wednesday a place to be wicked to other book readers and make them get those TBR piles growing. The concept is simple. Pick a book or two and tell s about them. If its one you read tell us what you liked. If its one you found tell us about that to. Than leave a comment to let us know where to find your Wicked Wednesday titles. Make sure to link back in your posts for other people to follow Wicked Wednesday.


The Carradignes. A family of wealth and honor . . . heirs to a kingdom of riches. But amidst this world of privilege and passion, an unforeseen peril lurks, awaiting the moment to destroy the one named . . .
Heir to the Throne

From USA Todaybestselling author Kasey Michaels,a compelling contemporary tale.

A new queen is to be crowned. And a mysterious assassin is hell-bent on stopping it. But Captain Devon Montcalm will see Princess Kelly Carradigne ascend to her throne as queen, even if it means throwing himself in front of a bullet.

From critically acclaimed authorCarolyn Davidson, a heart-stopping historical prequel.

A long-lost king has been discovered. And the false ruler will never let “Alex Carr” claim his birthright. But Alex has sharply honed skills from his dangerous past . . . and sweet Rebecca Hale to give him the strength to claim a destiny too long denied.

Teaser Tuesday #30

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to: Grab your current read.Let the book fall open to a random page.Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!Please avoid spoilers!

After they had eaten, they remained in their places, waiting Professor McGonagall’s decent from the staff table. The distribution of class schedules was more complicated than usual this year, for Professor McGonagall needed first to confirm that everybody had achieved the necessary O.W.L grades to contiune with their chosen N.E.W.T.s.~ Pg. 173 Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K Rowling

Musing Monday #30

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about library etiquette…

For the regular library patrons among us: do you have your own idea of what constitutes proper library etiquette? Is there anything you always try to do? Anything you hate when others do?

It has been a very long time since I was at the library. But I used to go all the time when I was younger, or even really up until about a year ago. My biggest pet peeve is people eating in the library. It is allowed at my library but really it bothers me. Nothing is ickier than picking up a book or watching someone with a book and they are getting cheeto orange all over it. Ick.

I also dislike the noise levels some people think are okay. The library is supposed to be a nice and relaxed place. Not a place with running screaming kids, and noisy chatty cell phones. OH my goodness yes Pet peeve CELL PHONE USE IN THE LIBRARY. You seriously don’t need to have it attached to you ALL THE TIME.

Okay…I have said my piece for the muse.

Happy Holidays

And here we have my Holiday look for this blog. What do you think? Is it festive? I think so. Very red but Festive as well! We will go back to the regular look after the holiday’s but someone asked me very nice to holiday treat my blogs.
Happy Holidays! *goes off singing Noel*

The Sunday Salon #10

The Sunday Salon.com

Happy Sunday once again everyone. It is that time where it is the end of the week and really the end of the weekend as well. How was your week? And did you have a good weekend as well? Mine was alright, aside from the fact that my husband brought home a bug and passed it on to me. I managed to get a few things done that I wanted to. One of which was a costume for the next Twilight convention (yes I am a geek).

The next was planning out some holiday themes for my Blog’s last night I made over Birth of a Notion, and today after I get a little bit of rest (I have given up on fighting my insomnia and am just rolling with it) I am going to be making over this blog for the holidays. I will be going back to my usual design when I am done not to worry! But I think it is a good idea to be festive! To have a little fun. If anyone has any recommendations of what colors for the holidays they might like to see I am open to suggestions in the comment area!

I was not successful in getting the husband out to see New Moon this week as planned. But have no fear I have planned a good one for Tuesday. I plan to tell him he must take me to the mall for some ladies essentials. He will never say no to me needing some essentials like that never mind I usually get them anywhere but the mall (to pricey at the mall). So here we go and tada my plan is going to work cause once we are there he wont be able to say no to seeing the movie.

So I am currently watching Laws of Attraction on TBS it’s a cute movie. I get a laugh over the British rock star and the Designer fighting over the Irish castle. I sure wish I could just up and get myself an Irish castle. There is the Irish side of it because I am Irish; there is the history side of it, because I love history. And than frankly how cool would it be to live in a castle?

Sure they are a PITA to upkeep. Expensive on the upkeep end too but come on it is a castle! Ah well a girl can dream right? So I have to laugh again now as I am writing the Lady Lawyer is talking to Mr. O’Callaghan about not being open on a Tuesday. That’s just amusing. But I have probably confused my readers now. *laughs* and I will sign off..saying again Happy Sunday I hope yours is going well!

Quotable Sunday #17

Mothers Day Gift Ideas

I am in a feline mood so today I will be using Kitty Quotes.
“In the beginning, God created man, but seeing him so feeble, He gave him the cat.”
– Warren Eckstein

“A home without a cat- and a well-fed, well-petted and properly revered cat- may be a perfect home, perhaps, but how can it prove title?”
– Pudd’nhead Wilson

“If animals could speak the dog would be a a blundering outspoken fellow, but the cat would have the rare grace of never saying a word too much.”
– Mark Twain

“A cat is more intelligent than people believe, and can be taught any crime.”
-Mark Twain Notebook, 1895

“I simply can’t resist a cat, particularly a purring one. They are the cleanest, cunningest, and most intelligent things I know, outside of the girl you love, of course.”
– Abroad with Mark Twain and Eugene Field, Fisher

“Of all God’s creatures there is only one that cannot be made the slave of the leash. That one is the cat. If man could be crossed with the cat it would improve man, but it would deteriorate the cat.”
– Mark Twain Notebook, 1894

“You can keep a dog; but it is the cat who keeps people, because cats find humans useful domestic animals.”
– George Mikes from “How to be decadent

“Dogs come when they’re called. Cats take a message and get back to you.”
– Mary Bly

“For a man to truly understand rejection, he must first be ignored by a cat.”
– Anon

“I love cats because I love my home and after a while they become its visible soul.”
– Jean Cocteau

“There are two means of refuge from the misery of life – music and cats.”
– Albert Schweitzer

“There are few things in life more heartwarming than to be welcomed by a cat.”
– Tay Hohoff

” God made the cat in order that humankind might have the pleasure of caressing the tiger.”
– Fernand Mery

“There are few things in life more heartwarming than to be welcomed by a cat.”
– Tay Hohoff

“Cats are smarter than dogs. You can’t get eight cats to pull a sled through snow. “
– Jeff Valdez

Book Review: Summit Avenue by Mary Sharratt


“How can you weave a life from fairy tales?” Set in the Minneapolis and Saint Paul during the First World War, Mary Sharratt’s debut novel is the story of a young German immigrant, experiencing her spiritual and sexual awakening.
When Kathrin’s mother dies, Kathrin immigrate to America where she is reunited with her cousin Lotte and begins work at a mill sewing flour bags. Soon Kathrin meets the Jeliniks, the owners of a small bookstore. While Jan, a compassionate elderly man, loves his bookstore, his nephew John would rather see it reopened as something more profitable, a testament to the American dream of prosperity for which he so desperately hungers. Jan introduces Kathrin to Violet Waverly, who offers Kathrin a job typing and translating a book of fairy tales that her husband was compiling before he died. Violet invites Kathrin to live with her in her mansion on Summit Avenue, the richest neighborhood in Saint Paul. Both women, left wounded and alone in different circumstances, find increasing solace and warmth in each other.

Although Violet can offer Kathrin love, compassion, and a glimpse of the dizzying heights of wealthy upper-class grandeur, she cannot fully disguise the painful secrets hiding behind the glitter. As Kathrin comes closer to the heart of Violet’s mysterious past, she discovers that life, like a fairy tale, is often based on illusion.

From the woods of old world Germany to the north woods of Minnesota, Kathrin’s journey is one of discovery.

Well this is not a book I would have ever picked for myself naturally. Even though it’s a Minnesota book Yay. I wouldn’t have. And well honestly I don’t think I learned anything from reading it. I picked it for the historical challenge. To finish the challenge and I was having a hard time finding books set in my area. This one came up in a search and I chose it.

But onto the heart of the review. I did not really care for this book. I couldn’t get into the characters; I couldn’t really get into the plot. It rambled on without any true big purpose. So that’s all I can really say about it. I don’t recommend it. I almost didn’t publish this review, but part of my challenge is reviewing all my books I read. But this one won’t be published on any of my other publishing sites. Save your time find another book.

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