Wow, we’ve really done alot with this challenge since I last updated. We have finished listening to The Prisoner of Azkaban, and I have to say that it’s funny the difference you pick up on between the movies and the books. My daughter was constantly pointing out the differences, and even commented that the book tells the story better.

We’ve also listened to the entirety of The Goblet of Fire, and I remember now why I like this book so much, it is the real turning point of the series, when we really get down to business in the battle between good and evil. Miss Muffin pointed out that the tasks seemed much scarier and less fun in the book, I think she’s got a point.

We’re 5 discs into The Order of the Phoenix, right now and I’d forgotten how dark the series gets at this point, it’s like someone turned a switch and took all the lightness out of the story. It’s okay though, because life is like that sometimes, and we all need to learn to laugh when what we really feel like doing is crying.

This challenge has really has been great for us. I’ve given up the idea that we will get to reading them before it is over, but that’s okay too, the books aren’t going anywhere. I’m even contemplating what series we’ll try when we’re done, perhaps A Series of Unfortunate Events or Percy Jackson & The Olympians. Which would you pick?

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We’ve finished The Chamber of Secrets and started working on The Prisoner of Azkaban. I think at the rate we are going we will be able to listen to all the books and read at least the first three or four before the July 31, 2010 deadline for this challenge.

The Chronicles of Narnia was the first audio book set we ever listened to, we used it before and during our move as away to keep Miss Muffin entertained. She had just seen the first movie and really wanted to know more about the series. Since then the only other book we’ve listened to besides the Harry Potter ones is A Christmas Carol on our way to see the Disney train tour this summer.

The Chamber of Secrets has never been my favorite of the Harry Potter books, but it certainly is one that lays a lot of foundation for things to come. I think that one of the things is that the early books were edited much more strictly than the later ones, cut down to child size and so there is sometimes that sense of lost time, a feeling of having missed something or of lurching unevenly along the school year.

Glad they gave up on that by the time the last few were coming out, can you imagine The Deathly Hallows at a quarter the size?

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We used our out and about time since we signed up for the challenge to listen to all of The Sorcerer’s Stone and part of The Chamber of Secrets. I’m impressed with how quickly she picks up on the differences between the books and the movies.

I still really want to read these with her; but the audio books an interesting exercise as well. My grandfather used to say they reminded him of old time radio. I think it takes a whole different kind of listening than say listening to music on the radio.

Another plus is that the audio book never starts randomly discussing it’s sex life, or how to achieve a better sex life at some totally inappropriate moment. I swear the worst part of our move has been the radio.

I’m still just as charmed by Harry Potter as I was the first time I picked up The Sorcerer’s Stone, it’s a wonderful story of hope and challenge wrapped up in that irresistible fantasy/fairytale package.

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So my daughter has been after me to read the Harry Potter series with her. I’ve read them all at least twice and we’ve seen the movies; but she has learned that books are best and I really can’t complain about that. I got out the books and borrowed the audio books from a friend all with the best of intentions, but…

Let’s just say that it hasn’t happened yet, so I was pleased when I stumbled across the Harry Potter Reading Challenge while blog surfing tonight. It’s just the kind of public commitment I need to get us going.

The challenge started August 1, 2009 and will run until to July 31, 2010, and is hosted by Michelle at GalleySmith. The nice long time frame means even though we are a little late to the game we still have hope of completing them before the deadline. There have already been a few nice give aways and she provides a post and a MrLinky to sign-up and chat on each month.

I’ll keep you updated on how we do; but for now it’s bedtime!

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10 Books I Love

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