Beyond the Wand

 I'm not a huge non-fiction fan, I probably only read the genre once a year, but when I heard that Tom Felton had written a memoir, I knew that I absolutely HAD to read it. Hey, guess what? I am a hardcore pott-head, who knew? (That was sarcasm in case you missed it). I am also a huge Tom Felton fan. While a lot of the other actors have moved on to other things, Tom Felton is constantly keeping the magical world alive on social media. He is hilarious, kind, and nerdy in the best way. 

The book is perfectly titled, 'Beyond the Wand'. Although Tom is mostly known for his role as Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter movie series, he gives us a detailed outline of his life, starting from adolescence, to his years after the Potter films. Tom is open and honest about his problems with alcohol. He addresses his families mental health problems. He illustrates the darker moments of his life. However, the book is not all about his hardships. He also tells us of his best moments. His funniest moments. And how honored and grateful he is for the life that he has lived. 

I loved this book. I thoroughly enjoyed Tom Felton's witty sense of humor, his crazy antics as a child, and his in depth look at working on the Harry Potter sets. It was so interesting to get a glimpse of the other actors and actresses through Tom's eyes. I loved hearing about the deleted scenes, the sets, costumes, special effects, basically I was eating it all up. This is definitely a must read for any and every pott-head out there!

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

"The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Mary Ann Shafer and Annie Barrows is the story of a young author, Juliet Ashton, who is searching for a topic for her next book. When a man from Guernsey Island writes to her telling her that he found her name in an old book, they begin writing letters to one another. Eventually she learns that he is a member of a book club that was created as an alibi given to the Germans that were occupying their island. Juliet becomes fascinated by the eccentric members of the book club and begins a correspondence with all of them. She ends up visiting the island and learns about the toll WWII had on their lives.

This book was beautiful. Beautiful words. Beautiful characters. Beautiful story. You can't help but fall in love with the quirky characters and the lives they live on their small island. It's one of the most heartwarming books during the WWII era that I have ever read. It's a tale of friendship, courage, hope, and the power that books bring to our lives. Books matter.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

EEEEEEEEK! Dreams DO come true! I was so excited to get my hands on this book and of course, I devoured it. Heading into it I was a little apprehensive... Do I even like reading plays? Will it be worthy to carry the Harry Potter name? My answer is YES! It is amazing and wonderful and so much more then I expected it to be! I was literally giddy with excitement reading this book because it surpassed all of my expectations!

So what is it about? Well, this is a script for a play. It takes place right where the last movie ends, on Platform 9 3/4 on Albus Sirius Potter's first day of school. When Albus sits by Scorpius Malfoy on the Hogwarts Express, an instant friendship strikes up. Rose, Albus's cousin, is apprehensive of Scorpius, fretting that the mysterious rumors of his origin might be true. To Albus's dismay, and Scorpius's delight, both boys are sorted into Slytherin. Albus fears what people will think of Harry Potter's Slytherin son, but worse, he is worried about what his father thinks of him. Harry and Albus always seem to butt heads and this may just drive the father and son apart for good. When Albus convinces Scorpius to right a wrong made by his father a long time ago, the results are astronomical and lead the two boys on quite the adventure!

I couldn't put this book down. It kept me up way too late at night, but was oh so worth the caffeinated coma I was in the next day. To quote Ron, it was "bloody brilliant!" Now if only I was rich and could jump on a plane to London to see the play... what are the chances it will come to Utah do you think?? Better yet, how about turning THIS into a movie eh?

Harry Potter as a Teen Comedy.

A Potter Generation

This blog of mine would feel pretty empty without a tribute to Harry Potter somewhere. We are the Harry Potter generation after all. No one else, past or present, can say that they grew up with Harry. The first book came out when I was ten years old, the last, when I was twenty. I was 14 when the first movie came out and 24 when the last movie hit theaters. These books and movies were one of the strongest influences in my world, at the time of my life when I was discovering who I was, while I was learning to leave my childhood behind and become an adult. Just like Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I really did grow up with them, and somehow, they became my friends too. Unlike some book fads that have gone around where everyone was jumping on the bandwagon left and right, Harry Potter is actually GOOD literature. J.K. Rowling is a genius! All of her twists and turns, and being able to connect the last book to the first one is incredible. You know she didn't just sit down and write the first book without thinking about how the rest of the series were going to turn out. I think she knew, or sort of knew, how it was all going to end by the first books publication. She is an amazing author that captivated not only audiences of all ages, but all over the world as well. Harry Potter has been published in over 200 countries and has been translated in over 65 languages! These books really are universally loved and cherished, and if you haven't read them yet, then now is the time to start. I promise you that you will get so much more out of the books than you ever can from the movies. Don't get me wrong, I love the movies, but the books are just so much more.... magical. 

"Whether you come back by the page or by the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home." -J.K. Rowling-

WE ARE THE HARRY POTTER GENERATION.

we defended the stone,

we found the chamber,

we freed the prisoner,

we were chosen by the goblet,

we fought alongside the order,

we learned from the prince,

we mastered the hallows.

WE OWE IT ALL TO J.K. ROWLING ♥