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!

My Favourite Re-Reads

So, first blog post for me!

I thought I had best start with those books that I just love, and can't help but to re-read.

So, be aware, if I don't post for a while, it's probably because yet again, I am re-reading one of my favourite books (though I will tell you that on Twitter so you don't think I've just given up on reading!).

Granted, the next time I re-read something, you will all get to see my lovely review of whatever book it is, as I'll just HAVE to review them, but I doubt you'd all want to hear my raving reviews of the same books over and over.

So, just to get it out of the way, I'll give you a list of my top re-reads!



1) Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling

Okay guys, time to get it out there now: I am a Potterhead. I love everything to do with the Harry Potter world! (even joined a HP society at uni, but that's info for another time). I have read these books multiple times (unfortunately not recently), and I will probably re-read them forever. So, be prepared for multiple Potter posts.

2) The Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix

I have read these books so many times, and have them in both paperback as well as on kindle, that is a sign of how much I love them. Obviously, there are a few more books added to these three now, but I've not had a chance to re-read the others yet.

3) The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis

So, these are some of my favourite childhood books, and occasionally I like to re-read them and remember my childhood and the lovely magical world that C. S. Lewis created.

4) The Study Series by Maria V. Snyder

So, these books, I have read at the least 10 times each, I just keep going back to them. There is more to the series, but I haven't been able to get around to them yet. However, the first three are some of my favourite books and ones that I can just re-read whenever.

5) His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

I love these books, I mean, who doesn't?! And I was super excited to hear about the new books that are coming out to do with this series too. My excitement to read them can't be contained! Hence, these make my list as I can re-read them many times before the new book comes out, to add to the other times I've read this series too.

Of Course these aren't my only books that I re-read, you'll find I like to re-read books a lot, it helps me to get to know different points of the stories each time. But, these are some of the books that I always go to when I feel like just reading something I know.

But, I thought I'd tell you about them, and maybe encourage you to read them yourselves before I get around to reviewing them myself, as they are all amazing books.