Review: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling

So, guys, I did warn you in my first ever post about my favourite re-reads (see HERE) that I would most likely at some point be re-reading Harry Potter, and the time has come.

And, if you didn't know by now, I shall say it for the millionth time: I am a giant Potterhead!

But, I've been a bit lax, and I haven't re-read Harry Potter in years, so in a way, reading this was like going back to my childhood, and I loved that.

Here it is (for those that may have never read it before):

Harry Potter is an ordinary boy who lives in a cupboard under the stairs at his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon's house, which he thinks is normal for someone like him who's parents have been killed in a 'car crash'. He is bullied by them and his fat, spoilt cousin Dudley, and lives a very unremarkable life with only the odd hiccup (like his hair growing back overnight!) to cause him much to think about. 

That is until an owl turns up with a letter addressed to Harry and all hell breaks loose! He is literally rescued by a world where nothing is as it seems and magic lessons are the order of the day. Read and find out how Harry discovers his true heritage at Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft, the reason behind his parents mysterious death, who is out to kill him, and how he uncovers the most amazing secret of all time, the fabled Philosopher's Stone! All this and muggles too. Now, what are they?

So, I have this cover, and old cover I know, and this copy of the book is much loved. I've had it for as long as I can remember, and I will be gutted if it ever gives up on me. I remember there were two different back covers for this, and I got the edition with Nicholas Flamel on it.

Anyways, that's enough about the cover.

I don't even know how to begin with reviewing this book, as it is so loved, and it has been read so many times, that I don't think I can put into words how much this book means to me. It has literally been a big part of my life since I was a child, and it still is a big part of it.

But what can I say about the book? I feel like I always say books are amazing, but with this one I mean it. It's just a magical world that I have always wanted to be a part of, and I still want to be a part of.

It was great to go back and see the beginning of the friendship of the Golden Trio, and just see the dynamics between the group beginning to grow, especially when you know just what will happen in the later books.

And, just because this review could go on forever, I shall leave you with my favourite lines of the book:

And of course, I give this book 5 cats!

Comment your favourite part of the book, or your favourite lines!

Review: Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold by Iain Reading

So guys, this isn't my usual book, as most of you may have guessed I am a fantasy girl through and through, and this book is definitely not in the fantasy genre (unless you count cursed gold as fantasy).

But, it was the first time I'd been contacted to review a book, and it looked interesting, so I thought I'd give it a try!

Here it is:

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold is the thrilling first installment in a new series of adventure mystery stories that are one part travel, one part history and five parts adventure. This first book of the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series introduces Kitty Hawk, an intrepid teenage pilot with her own De Havilland Beaver seaplane and a nose for mystery and intrigue. A cross between Amelia Earhart, Nancy Drew and Pippi Longstocking, Kitty is a quirky young heroine with boundless curiosity and a knack for getting herself into all kinds of precarious situations.

After leaving her home in the western Canadian fishing village of Tofino to spend the summer in Alaska studying humpback whales Kitty finds herself caught up in an unforgettable adventure involving stolen gold, devious criminals, ghostly shipwrecks, and bone-chilling curses. Kitty's adventure begins with the lingering mystery of a sunken ship called the Clara Nevada and as the plot continues to unfold this spirited story will have armchair explorers and amateur detectives alike anxiously following every twist and turn as they are swept along through the history of the Klondike Gold Rush to a suspenseful final climactic chase across the rugged terrain of Canada's Yukon, the harsh land made famous in the stories and poems of such writers as Jack London, Robert Service and Pierre Berton. It is a riveting tale that brings to glorious life the landscape and history of Alaska's inside passage and Canada's Yukon, as Kitty is caught up in an epic mystery set against the backdrop of the scenery of the Klondike Gold Rush.

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold is a perfect book to fire the imagination of readers of all ages. Filled with fascinating and highly Google-able locations and history this book will inspire anyone to learn and experience more for themselves as Kitty prepares for her next adventure - flying around the world!

So, yes, definitely not my usual read. And it did take me quite a bit of time to get into this book. If I'm being truthful it took me nearly half the book to really get into it. But, that may have been because I started reading it during a slight reading slump I had.

However, as soon as I got into the nitty gritty of the gold plot, I got sucked in to the book much more.

That's not to say that the rest of the book was not interesting, in fact, it was! I learnt a lot while reading this book, and I do love learning new things. Specifically, when reading this you learn the odd few things about flying, and the odd few things about whales, and these little nuggets of knowledge were certainly fun to gain.

The imagery in this book is what got me. I've always wanted to visit some of the places mentioned, and I just loved the way the author wrote about them, his descriptions were amazing and just had me wanting to visit the places mentioned even more.

I did come to start loving the characters in the book too, even under the assumption that I was weird liking the kidnappers, but as Kitty began to start liking them, so did I. (and I'll definitely say I love how this book ended, as it justified my liking of the kidnappers - but I won't go any further in case I spoil the book). Plus, I did love Kitty's little voice in her head that guided her, it was rather sassy, and come on, who doesn't have their own little voice that tells you to stop doing stupid things? I do.

Overall, for me, it isn't a book that I would have picked up myself, and it did take a while to get into it even if I loved the ending, so I'm giving this book 3.5 cats!

Of course, if it was more of my genre, I would give it 4-4.5 cats, but as it took me so long to get into it, I'm giving it 3.5.

However, if you are a reader of YA adventures, or love to learn new things about nature, I would definitely say you'll be giving this book a much higher rating than I did.

I definitely recommend it for you if you like adventure books, and I will be thinking of reading the next book (where Kitty travels around the world). Have you read this book before? Comment below and we can compare opinions!

Disney: Illustrated Version

So, yet another Disney post. Yes, I know, there's been a few Disney related posts already, but in my bio I did warn you that I am Disney obsessed!

But, when you see what book I am talking about you'll understand why I had to make this post, as the sheer beauty of the book will blow your minds.

What Disney books am I talking about this time? I hear you ask. Well, I'm talking about the hardcover illustrated versions, with beautiful illustrations from MinaLima (surprise, it's also to do with Harry Potter, they do some of the illustrations for HP merchandise too!).

So, I first saw these books when I went shopping at our local Costco. Obviously, the names of the books drew me in, first I saw Peter Pan, then at a later date I saw The Jungle Book. I should also mention I have a weakness for hardcover books with beautiful covers, and these drew my eye so quickly.

Aren't they just stunning?

I put off buying them, until I found out there was a Beauty and the Beast version coming out (my sisters favourite Disney movie), and so I decided to buy it. And boy am I glad I did, just look at the inside illustrations (only showing one so I don't spoil the surprise if you decide to buy it)!

There's even little interactive pictures in the books, and it's just such fun.

I know I'll definitely be buying the Jungle Book and Peter Pan soon (and fuelling my obsession with Disney)!

What do you think of these beautiful books? And do you think you'll buy one of them? If so, which one do you think you'd like most?

Disney Movies: the kiddies books!

Okay, so, this isn't really a proper review post, but more of a: how cute are these books post.

Though, if I was reviewing them I would give them a 10 out of 10 review, as they are just the cutest little things.

So, anyways, to the books. I must admit, I feel like a little kid collecting them, but in my defence they're going to be for reading to my little nephew as he grows up...

(yeah, totally for my nephew, totally not secretly for me)

Well, kind of a little bit for me. In case you haven't read my About Me page, I am a big Disney lover. And, I'm hoping that these books, while lovely and sweet little things that look great on my bookshelf, will also let me get my nephew onto the Disney hype earlier than most.

But, I bet you're wondering what Disney books I am talking about. I'm talking about the little Disney Movie Collection Books like these:

I mean, who wouldn't want to collect these little gems? I only have like 4 at the moment (mainly the ones that the nephew may like the most) but I'll soon get collecting the ones I like most too. But I wonder if the ones not from Tesco's are the same as the ones I've been buying (hope so, I love having series with the same covers).

What's your favourite Disney movie? And would you collect these like me too or do you think I'm a bit too Disney obsessed? :P

Review: Fairest of All by Serena Valentino

So, a short and sweet review, for a short and sweet book aka Fairest of All: A Tale of the Wicked Queen by Serena Valentino!

How did the Wicked Queen become so evil?

When the King asks for her hand in marriage, the beautiful daughter of a cruel mirror-maker accepts, hoping her fortunes will change for the better... but will they?

This is the untold tale of love, loss, and dark magic behind the classic story of Snow White.

Okay, so, I felt like reading something to do with Disney this morning (you should all know I'm also obsessed with Disney) and I've had some of Serena's books in my bookshelf for a little while now and decided to have a quick morning read.

And what can I say about this book? Wow. That about sums it up. I love fairy tales and books that show a different side to fairy tales, and this book covers the other side of the Snow White story perfectly. Covering the Wicked Queen's start (marrying the King) and how it all came to the end where the Queen decides to try and kill Snow White. I think it was amazing to see the way that the Wicked Queen developed from a lonely, sweet woman into what she was in the original Snow White Story.

One thing about this book I found is that it could interest readers of all ages, and as it is quite a short book it may even be a great book to recommend to people who don't like to read much either. So, it could be said that this book could easily suck everyone into it's story if they chose to pick up the book (which I highly suggest you should).

So, to be short and sweet, I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves fairy tales, or even just someone who loves Disney. This book was amazing, and I expect I'll be just as amazed by the other Serena Valentino books I have in my TBR list aswell!