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Harry Potter: Reloaded

So the 5th installment of the Harry Potter series is now officially available. I've read all four books and am not ashamed to admit I like them. People that bash the books for being too kiddish or derivative need to give the books a chance. I almost broke down and ordered it from Amazon this week when I found out a major character will die (it obviously can't be Harry and I seriously doubt Rowling could kill off Ron or Hermione so my guess is it's either Dumbledore or Hagrid).

Actually the books are getting too damn long (870 pages!). That it was a quick and easy read was an aspect that I really liked about the first one. However, Rowling has said that her vision is to have 3/4th graders to start with the first book and then as they progress to the other books she raises the bar by increasing the books in complexity.I dragged my feet on the 4th one b/c of it's length. I actually only read about 1/4 of it. Ended up listening to the rest of it. I think I'll do the same with Order of the Phoenix. Yeah, it sounds like I'm too lazy to read but it's actually very practical since I can listen to it while I work. Though I don't have to travel far for my workplace , for those that do - listening to a good book will at least be change of pace from the same ol' regurgitated music.

If you like the Harry Potter books then I also recommend these:

• Books of Magic by Neil Gaiman
  Many BoM diehards insist Rowling is a hack b/c she borrowed heavliy from this series. In fact, look at the cover and tell me that Timothy Hunter (and his owl) don't look like Harry Potter. Truth be told BoM were published 4-5 years before the first Harry book and they're much, much darker. Besides, Neil Gaiman gave Rowling his blessings and congratulated her for creating wonderful story and getting kids excited about reading.

• Thief of Always by Clive Barker
  An enjoyable story of a bored boy who makes a careless wish. It shows another side of an author who's known more for his tales of twisted demons that are heavily into body manipulation. You can easily finish this short book on a weekend.
  

And if you don't llike Harry Potter at least you've got to admit that it's gotten many kids interested in reading instead of vegging out in front of the TV.