You may have noticed I have not posted anything recently. I have been spending a lot of time helping my cousin finish his basement. I know that's not a good excuse to not be reading. So I figured I needed something to jump start my interest again. And one of my goals for the summer is to read the Harry Potter series as I only read the first two books when they came out. What better time to start than right now.
A little history lesson first. The first Harry Potter book came out in 1999. I didn't realize it has been almost 20 years. As I mentioned earlier I only read the first two books, although I do own the entire series as my mom bought them when I was a kid. I have never seen any of the movies. I figure most people who care have already read the books, so my blogs on the Harry Potter books will include spoilers and be more reactionary.
Harry Potter thinks he is a normal kid being raised by his miserable aunt and uncle (Muggles), but he is actually a legendary wizard. He attends his first year of school (essentially 6th grade) at Hogwarts and quickly learns the wizard life and of his past. Hogwarts is protecting the Sorcerer's Stone, which provides eternal life. Lord Voldermort is trying to get the stone, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione decide they need to get to the stone before Lord Voldermort does. Harry almost makes it, but is saved by Dumbledore.
The first Harry Potter book is the definition of a page turner. J.K. Rowling does a great job of creating a magical world, using new words that are somehow memorable and feel like regular English. It is easy to read and can be entertaining for teenagers or adults. For the most part, the reader feels like it is somewhat believable. I'm looking forward to reading the next book!
My rating for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: 5 stars out of 5. Get it here!