Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - J K Rowling (Book).

Book 31/52

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - J K Rowling.

My Rating: 5/5.

The Half Blood Prince was my personal favourite from the series when I read it for the first time, and since this is my second reading, nothing much has changed, as it still remains the best amongst the seven books (as of now). I didn’t actually expect myself to become as emotional the second time as it made when I went through the chapters and the story this time around. As the penultimate book where Lord Voldemort finally gathers his army, and now we know who is on the right and the wrong side of it, with shocking twists in the ending, it was simply terrific (still unbelievable). Also, as I mentioned earlier, it actually makes a big difference in the story and detailing if you read the oldest version possible. Since this time (all thanks to my Pottered friend), who lent me her copies, which are the oldest edition of the books, it had so many new things which I didn’t read earlier, which were pleasantly surprising and superb to read. Harry Potter gets the Half Blood Prince’s book and makes himself a perfect potion master while Voldemort get near him and kills at the earliest thickens. As if killing one Dark Lord wasn’t enough, when the fantastic secret is revealed as how he had saved and guarded himself with dark arts, totally earth-shattering suspense and reveal, I must say. When I read a book which happens to be a part of a series, I always try to read a different book in between to break the pace, but after this one, I couldn’t help but pick up the last one immediately :) and just couldn’t read anything else in between. 

Looking forward to the big finale in Deathly Hallows, but before that, I will check out the movie adaptation to disappoint myself one second last time :). 

 

Bridgerton 4 - Romancing Mister Bridgerton - Julia Quinn (Book).

Book 30/52

Bridgerton 4 - Romancing Mister Bridgerton - Julia Quinn

My Rating: 5/5.

Since the day my favourite nephew put a gun to my head to force me to watch Queen Charlotte on Netflix, followed by Bridgerton, I haven’t yet stopped. The only good thing I did was that I picked up the books before I watched their TV adaptation. Now I crib with every book’s adaptation with him only and try to coax him to read, which he flatly refuses, even after I tell him they are so much better than their adaptations and that they have actually screwed the original book story big time. Now, after the 4th book finished, whose adaptation should come by year's end, I guess, I have actually found one more good Author whose books I can pick up with confidence. Going by the genre, I will call them my guilty pleasure read on the sides of so many heavy books I keep reading (going to pick up another from my favourite Gabriel Garcia Marquez soon), these work like an antidote of sorts for me. This one is based on the third Bridgerton son, Colin, his love story and marriage. As all her books end up getting one of the Bridgerton kids married, in total there are 8 (four sons and four girls), guess the series ends with the 9th book, summing up all their lives to call it a finale - I will get there shortly. If you have read the series so far, this turns out to be quite twisty as it ends with the disclosure of much loved and hated (in equal measure by the audience) Mrs Whistledown, which was a superb way to end it. Now, we need to read further to see what happens to her after she has come out in the open to claim that she was the one writing the anonymous gossip column, which was read by all throughout the last 12 odd years. Waiting for the next book to arrive so I can get on with it. 

Do let me know if you have read this one and liked it. Also, which one is your favourite Bridgerton? Mine, as of now, is the one with Benedict’s story (An offer from a Gentleman).  

The Stationery Shop of Tehran - Marjan Kamali (Book).

Book 29/52.

The Stationery Shop of Tehran - Marjan Kamali

My Rating: 5/5

I found this little gem of a book in our little library that I joined last year, and picked it up for its cover and the city called Tehran (Iran). Also, I needed a break from the fantasy books that I’ve been reading back to back, unfortunately, all from British and American writers, hence this worked like a charm. A total change of geography and an amazing love story from the war (read civil war) torn country of Iran during the mid-20th century. Two 17-year-old teenagers fall head over heels in love, meeting in a lovely bookstore where the owner works for them as a messenger to pass them love letters from each other. While the nation goes through turmoil between the newly elected democratic Prime Minister, who isn’t liked by the Shahs of that era and his followers. The story takes a turn when the couple decides to get married one day, and they decide to meet at one particular crossroad, where, to their sheer bad luck, all hell breaks loose as the PM is ousted by Shah’s followers. To know whether they meet, get married or not, you’ve got to read this book (hardly 300 pages). And read the story of their lives, which stretches to some 60 years across the continents. Try not to read this book when you are hungry, as I was smitten with the Persian delicacies Marjan has mentioned in her story, so much so that now I want to try at least a few of them at the earliest. Totally loved the book, especially the way she has handled the emotional parts and yet made it a believable read. 

Do let me know if you have read this one and liked it. Also, if you have a favourite Marjan Kamali book, I am for sure going to read a few more from her. 

 

A Court of Mist and Fury - Sarah J Maas (Book).

Book: 28/52.

A Court of Mist and Fury - Sarah J Maas.

My Rating: 2/5.

Finally, I am done with the sequel as unfortunately I picked up the first two parts from my library last month after seeing so many posts and reviews on Fable for these too utter craps of the first order (teenagers please forgive my innocence). And with this, I say Goodbye and good riddance to the ACOTAR series. As I mentioned earlier, these books and stories are a cross of GOT, LOTR, Harry Potter, Twilight, even Marvel (Wakanda Forever too), with X-Men movies. If you club them all together what you actually get is ACOTAR books with no head or tale but just magical romance where the girl remains same but her love interest keeps chaging by the book, twice in two books and I do not qualify to read third onward so cant say much about their future, nor I care a bit. So, to get the gist, if you haven’t read them so far, consider yourself blessed and stay away but if you have read them already, you have my sympathies on top of that if you have liked and loved them, please spare me, I am a lesser mortal to whom they made no sense but yes, it was a laugh out loud comedy for sure where I was actually laughing “on them” more than “with them”. 

I need to consciously stay away from the YA genre here onward and stick to my love of classics, especially those whose Author have gone beyond some 50 years ago. 

 

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J K Rowling (Book).

Book: 27/52.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J K Rowling.

My Rating: 5/5.

5th book from the much-loved series, and I must say that I’ve still not got enough of the magical world yet. Although this is my second reading of the series, I still feel like I missed out on a few things the last time, or maybe this is a different version, which is more detailed. Whatever said and done, this one is so far my favourite from this series; this one even surpassed my last favourite (so far in the series), The Prisoner of Azkaban. As the story progresses in this one with Harry Potter and the team have turned 15 now, and they are getting into the thick of Things. Politics has entered Hogwarts, the school of magic, much to their and our Displeasure, but loved the way they tackle the whole situation, and on top of that, get ready to fight the dark lord as and when he makes another entry. Another thing I loved in this one is the detailing as JKR has left no stone unturned in giving the dues to all her characters, especially ones that I love (Ron, Hagrid, Sirius and his house elf Kreecher, too, and so many more). Although that makes this one the fattest of the series, so much so that even the last one, Deathly Hallows, looks like a slim book in front of this one. 

The movie, as usual, was a big turn-off off but I had to watch, no option. Now looking forward to my favourite (from earlier reading) is The Half Blood Prince. Do let me know how you rate this book from the series.