Harry Potter has finished

It's over.   I can't believe it's finally over.  Harry Potter has been looming in my life, in our lives, since I was in high school, and now more than ten year later, its come to an end.  I loved the books, and just about every single movie, including the last one (AMAZING), which we saw last week!  It's hard to believe that its over, after so many books, and so many movies, the series has come to an end. There was so much about the story to love, but what really drew me in, besides the intrigue, mystery, and fantasy elements, was the depth of the story. I thought there was so much to be learned from the story, and such truth in her social commentary. I found a speech by J.K. Rowling a while ago, and I loved it so much, I've posted it twice on this blog.  After reading it, I realized how there was much purpose in her telling of this magical tale, and that's what makes the books and movies great.  Its not just that its an interesting story with mystery, and creative characters, but that she's sending a strong message to stand up for whats right, and that freedom is worth the fight.

What did you think of the series?  Were you a Harry Potter fan?  Why or why not?

The Name of the Wind

"Read to me" Kyle pleaded one evening. We often read to each other before going to sleep. It is a ritual I love and hope to continue for years to come. His choice of book however, was not one that particularly interested me. A fantasy novel. One of those novels which only true geeks read. A book that you might see at a Dungeons and Dragon tournament. I might be geeky, but I draw the line somewhere, and preferably further away from those social outcast classifications than closer. But Kyle insisted, so I conceded, like I do every time he gives me those melt your heart looks. I just can't resist those eyes.

The book was called, "The Name of the Wind." by Patrick Rothfuss

And it wasn't too bad. Which was the closest I could come to say that I enjoyed a fantasy novel.

When he finished the novel, I willingly began to read the novel for myself only after days of persistent prodding by my husband.

I should clarify. I don't really hate fantasy novels. In fact, I like the idea of a new world, even a fantasy one. The prejudice I have against this genre is the style in which it is written. Generally they use a lot of bland unnecessary descriptions and one dimensional characters. BAD WRITING. But after reading this book, I have come to the conclusion that not ALL fantasy books fall under this category. Yes, I admit I was wrong! It doesn't happen often, but I admit it when it happens :)

This author writes beautifully. I aspire to string together words to make music on paper as he does. Seriously, I LOVE his writing style. And the story: captivating, riveting!

"The strings felt strange against my fingers, like reunited friends who have forgotten what they have in common. I played soft and slow, sending notes no farther than the circle of our firelight. Fingers and strings made a careful conversation, as if their dance described the lines of an infatuation.

Then I felt something inside me break and music began to pour out into the quiet. My fingers danced; intricate and quick they spun something gossamer and tremulous into the circle of light our fire had made. The music moved like a spiderweb stirred by a gentle breath, it changed like a leaf twisting as it falls to the ground, and it felt like three years Waterside in Tarbean, with a hollowness inside you and hands that ached from the bitter cold."

One day, I will write in a way that will inspire others. Maybe it will be tomorrow, maybe in ten years, but someday!

(Pick up the book if you get a chance, you wont regret it)

Is Love enough?

Napolean and Josephine divorce?

I just finished the Josephine Bonaparte trilogy, three thrilling historical fiction books based on one of the most acclaimed love stories of all time, and it ended in divorce and death?? Why must all of these LOVE stories end in tragedy.

When I finished "Gone with the Wind", the most fervent love story of all time, I threw the book across the room. I couldn't believe that I read over 1000 pages only to learn that in the end, their marriage doesn't blossom into the love that they both desired, but decayed and disenegrated painfully in heart ache and despair. However, the difference between these two stories, is that Scarlette and Rhett are fictional characters, the came from Margret Mitchell's active and twisted imagination.

Josephine and Napolean are characters in French history, they were genuine human beings, with actual feelings, and authentic heart-break. Why was love not enough? I wrote a ten page paper in college about how Scarlette and Rhett's lack of communication, and their inability to say "I'm sorry" was ultimately their demise. This story galvanized my perfervid passion of the importance of communication. But Josphine and Napolean talked, they communicated, they were spirit-friends, as she called it, but it wasn't enough. Napolean was convinced he needed an heir to uphold their empire which deteriorated quickly after their divorce. I lay in bed next to my sleep-thrashing husband (he sometimes convulses in an agitated way while sleeping, especially when he is stressed), reading devotedly as I rabidly clung to the hope that in the end, they would be reunited. Maybe they were reunited in death, but they were not by each other sides in the end. It frightens me to read these stories of passion and woe as I often relate so strongly with the characters having had a whirlwind romance all of my own. Is love enough? Will it get us through the hard times? Often, there are small fractures hidden within the foundation which spur rapid crackling and ultimate severing in the end. Communication, as I have said before is key, open, honest, and heart-felt communication. However both of these stories took place during tumultuous times, the civil war, and the French revolution, situations which were not serendipitous to a healthy relationship. Hopefully there will be no uprisings, wars nor revolutions in our future, but no how much we will it, we cannot control all situations. I pray that love will bind us and in the future when our love is acclaimed as the most romantic in history (obviously I have a vivid imagination as well, as I do not actually believe that we will also rule an empire and be remembered throughout history, but for the sake of argument) it will not end in tragedy as so many of them do, but will end with "they lived happily ever after."


Interesting facts I learned while reading these fascinating books.
1. Napolean came to power directly after the French revolution. (Maybe I didn't pay enough attention in history, but I have both of these parts of history categorized in completely different compartments in my mind.)
2. The French Revolution and the American Revolution basically occurred simultaneously.
3. Women, in order to be beautiful, slowly poisoned themselves unknowingly with lead makeup base.
4. Napoleon's family was a crazy bunch of power-hungry deviants.
5. Napoleon and his family were not French, but Corsican. Corsica is an island to the west of Italy.
6. Josephine went through menopause before she was thirty because of the deprivation she went through during The Terror while being held in a disease-infested prison.


I hope you are able to read the books. They are remarkable!