Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince

I thought I'd dedicate this post to Harry Potter. Let me start off by ranking the books to my liking thus far (1 being the best):

1. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
6. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Films:

1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
3. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Ok, ok, ok...I know what you are all thinking. "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" (favorite among many) ranks number four on my list. Well let me just say that I am not a fan of Quidditch. Perhaps it has something to do with my aversion to sports. Regardless, I don't like watching it in the movies and I don't like reading it in the books. Well, as you are all aware, the whole first half of "Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire" is about Quidditch. Well, a Quidditch cup to be exact. Perhaps it may also attribute to the fact that I read the first 4 books straight. Maybe I was a little burnt out by the time I got to the 4th one. However, you may have noticed that I have put the current book at the top of the list. I'm not sure what the general consensus is out there on this one, but I adored it. My favorite aspects of the book being the history of Voldemort. I actually wished there were more of it. The last few chapters reminded me of something epic and beyond anything else ever attempted in the books. I also found myself in need of a dictionary to understand some of the adult words used by Rowling. I must admit though that the book did leave me feeling very depressed for a couple of days. What happens is devastating. I saw it coming. But when it happened, I never expected it. It was a good length also. I felt that "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" needed some heavy editing. Those are my thoughts. Questions? Comments?

Travisations 8/3/05

1. Getting to visit my friend Linzy. I like to visit my friends. I especially like visiting my friend Linzy. Not only because she lives 40 minutes away from an all you can eat sushi restaurant but because she is such a cool person. I got to go hiking with my foster dog Lady and we got to see Linzy's new apartment and hang out with my old boss. It was an all around good time. We even cooked a little...which brings me to my next travisation:

2. Fried Zucchini. Now is the time for it. Go out, get some zucchini, put some batter on it, throw it in the skillet and prepare for bliss. Yum. Also:

3. Sizzlini. Sizzlini is a discovery I made at a restaurant in Columbus called Spageddies. Basically it's pasta mixed with Italian sausage and spiced with fresh red peppers, tomatoes, and other common Italian spices. Yum. If anybody wants the recipe...let me know. I sorta just throw it together.

4. March of the Penguins. While visiting Linzy, I also had the pleasure of attending a viewing of this movie with her. It's a cute and suprisingly emotional film. It's educational to boot. You walk out knowing more about emperor penguins than you ever cared to. Maybe it was also intended as a social commentary. Nah, I'm probably just reading into it. Then again...