Its a new year, and I’ve got a new reading challenge under my belt.  🙂

So here’s to all the books sitting in my “to-read” pile, and here’s hoping I actually read most of them. PS… Not going to the bookstore until at least June is one of my New Year’s Resolutions.  I know… horrifying thought right?  Well, I figure, I can read the books in the current pile, get rid of the ones I do not like, and that in turn makes plenty of room for more books. 🙂

*Please note there will be spoilers ahead*

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – John Tiffany, Jack Thorne, and JK Rowling

For those reading the play, it should be noted that while JK Rowling received a writing credit, she didn’t actually create the play itself.  She approved the story and the portrayals of her characters, but did not write it. To be honest, reading the play felt a lot like reading fan-fiction, which I suppose is exactly what it is meant to be.

After reading Cursed Child, I’ll admit I still have mixed feelings.  On the one hand, I was ecstatic to jump back into the Wizarding World once again. On the other, most of the time scripts leave me with a disjointed feeling as much of the visual nature of the narrative is missing. I thought the story had massive amounts of potential, and I’ve heard many wonderful things about the play itself, but the “novel” left me feeling slightly incomplete.

While some reviewers explain the play away as canon, I’m not sure I am in agreement.  I can absolutely see the play as a “what if” scenario. It showcased the toll that the Second Wizarding War took upon the young characters of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Draco among others.  This seems fairly accurate, especially after a war of that magnitude and give the age of the primary characters when Deathly Hallows ended.  We would love our characters to live happily ever after, but everything can’t possibly be all rainbows and unicorns after events like that.

The relationship between Scorpius Malfoy and Albus Potter was amazing. Despite the Texas-sized chip on Albus’ shoulder (I mean, seriously?!), the friendship between the two was genuine and honest.  It was a wonderful addition to the story, and the main strength of the narrative for me.  Hermione remained true to character. Draco was defeated…
Ron’s personality was turned from something lovable into a comic moron.  I mean worse than the Three Stooges, and they made a career out of being comic relief. And Harry… oh Harry… His characterizations was limited to “I’m a bad father because I had no father figure.”  The narrative essentially spit on all the men who influenced him throughout the original series, and to me it was as if the writers gave up.

The Time Turner was too convenient and archetypal.  The villain was obvious if you paid attention especially when psychological manipulation was used.  Parts of the story seemed too easy, as if they didn’t think to edit anything first.  All in all. Based on recommendations from others, I’d see the play rather than read the script. It seems that in this case, there is a “lost in translation” situation.

Stoneheart – Charlie Fletcher

Book 1 of a Trilogy

The only word that comes to mind… meh.

Mythological narratives, all of which seem to be disjointed.  I’ve read Wikipedia articles with more substance….

The protagonist, teenage boy is not memorable in any way other than the “bad life” archetype before he’s called upon to be a hero of the story.  I understand that this is a YA novel and could be interesting to readers influenced by Percy Jackson, The Alchemyst, or the Brotherband Chronicles. However, the characters in this novel were one-dimensional with no depth. George was annoying and clueless, while the girl, Edie, was rude with a healthy sized chip on her shoulder. Nothing is explained in the novel, rather its one long, breakneck chase to solve a riddle. Unfortunately for this novel, the chase isn’t interesting and the tension so coveted by the author was lacking.

Not a series I will be pursuing further.

Tomes of Terror:  Haunted Bookstores and Libraries – Mark Leslie

Have you ever seen one of the paranormal reality shows?  Think that, only in book form. Which isn’t exactly a positive review in my opinion. Leslie, who is apparently a paranormal author, is lauded as presenting “fascinating and haunting tales” and “hair-raising first-person accounts.”  All of which are descriptions straight from the book jacket. All are misleading.

Now, I’m not saying the book wasn’t an interesting read.  It was, it just wasn’t thought provoking and didn’t provide evidence or analysis of the “hauntings.”  The entire book is present like a Ripley’s Believe It or Not scenario.  The author provided what he considers eye-witness accounts, but doesn’t provide the bibliographical resources or interview records to prove those accounts.  In addition, the “research” into the location’s history is one sided. Leslie presents only those historical accounts that match the “ghost” theory. The whole novel is pop-culture reality rather than science or historically related.

It is an easy read though. Perfect for a lazy, rainy afternoon, but only with a grain of salt and a really open mind.

TO BE CONTINUED….

So obviously my reading material this year has not started on the best footing.  But, as always I continue reading anything and everything.  Still to come are my reviews of The Pharaoh’s Treasure: The Origin of Paper and the Rise of Western Civilization by John Gaudet. In addition, I’ve recently just finished A Kiss Before the Apocalypse (a Remy Chandler novel) by Tom Sniegoski and Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz. I’m still attempting to get my thoughts in order before writing my reviews. 🙂 Until next time!

Wishing you all happy reading and a room full of books for the new year!