November Wrap-Up

I’m actually really impressed with myself this month, I had a good week or two where I didn’t pick up a book or actively read – and I still managed to read nine books. I’m really happy with that! A lot of the books I read where quite lengthy, so without anymore delay, let’s get into what I managed to finish this month!

I listened to the audio of this bad boy, and read quite a bit of it when I couldn’t use headphones, and I loved it. It’s 665 pages of pure genius. Well written, engaging and full of brilliant story telling. This novel was genuinely funny, and made me pause for a few moments to have a laugh or two, which I NEEDED! If you love fantasy and epics, this might just be the one for you.

I simply cannot fault this book. I loved every single moment of it and can’t believe that I had never read it before now? I’m honestly sad that I never got to study this in high school like my older siblings might have. I think the story is really important and relevant even now, some twenty years later. It made me laugh, cry and just feel so many emotions. I don’t think if cried that much in a long time, although, reading Marchetta’s other books, may have made me cry even more. This novel was insanely relatable, and real. Definitely worth a read!

Let me just say this, ever since the movie came out, I’ve been obsessed with it! I think it’s an amazing, engaging story and I couldn’t get enough of it – so of course I would pick up the book! Like DUH! And boy, was I shocked. Stardust is very different from the movie, it’s almost like they’re two completely different stories? The detail was extremely detail, but in the amazing I LOVE THIS way, rather than the dull I WISH YOU WOULD STOP DESCRIBING THIS TREE way. It wasn’t as engaging, mostly because of the movie comparisons I was constantly making, and it was quite slow at times.

If you pick this up, please refrain from comparing the book and film! Or better yet, watch the film after you finish this one!

I read this at a time I was feeling down and disconnected, and I have never been more thankful. I needed this novel in my life and read it at the perfect time. I really related to it, and it made me cry for the longest time. The characters were lovable, relatable and presented the most heartfelt moments. Please, read this book.

As you might have guess, I had a Melina Marchetta read-a-thon, and I loved it. The books are all companions to one another; however, you don’t have to read them in an order.

I didn’t relate to this novel as much, I didn’t really connect with the characters, but the story was still relatively enjoyable, and something I sped through!

The next four books I read were all solid five stars, mostly for nostalgic reasons and overwhelming feels. I have absolutely loved reread this series, even the parts where I’m actually surprised! And I blame re-watching the movies hundreds of times for that. I made a few notes as I read Prisoner of Azkaban, so here they are!

• I love Professor Remus Lupin so much and I hate that he had to go!!! He’s the Defence Against of the Dark Arts teacher they all deserved and NEEDED.
• I love Sirius. Harry needed someone he could talk to. Someone he could feel a connection with.
• I love seeing more of Hagrid, he’s such an important person in the series and I want to protect him forever.

I honestly forgot how intense this movie was, it was so action packed and detailed and I was #living for it.

• I really enjoyed seeing more of history of Voldemort, the Death Eaters and even of Hogwarts. I also loved kind of learning about the other schools, and the competition between them.
• Ron and Harry really frustrated me in the book, they were just down right stupid and rude. Especially Ron, UGH. Assuming Hermione would NOT have a date to the Yule Ball. Beginning a complete, outright DICK, about Krum, and the relationship they had, and just literally everything Ron says in this book was just ridiculous.
• I really loved Hermione in Goblet Of Fire, she really stood up for herself, her friends, and everything she believes in. S.P.E.W. is a really great movement, and she should be applauded for caring enough to actually do something about the mistreatment of the house elves, even when later on in the series, some elves, prove not as nice as others – AND SHE STILL TREATED THEM WITH KINDNESS.
• RIP Cedric.
• I HATE WORMTAIL.

I completely forgot my whole note-keeping plan through out this one. Out of all seven books, this is the one that I’d forgotten the most about. I basically only remembered Umbridge, and the hate I harboured for her, and the kiss between Cho Chang and Harry Potter *cue my adolescent jealousy* and basically anything else that stood out from the movie.

I really hate how different they were, the movie and the book. The entire movie made me hate Cho, mainly for her telling Umbridge about the DA meetings.

• I hate Snape, and can’t wait for him to die.
• I hate Umbridge. She constantly put Harry in danger and blindly for her government.
• Sirius.
• I cried in the last three chapter non-stop.
• Sirius! I hate how quick and swift his death was? It was only a sentence or two and HE DESERVED SO MUCH MORE. This is an injustice.
• Sirius and the mirror, the two-way MIRROR. The one Harry could have used to avoid the tragedy that occurred.

Shock horror to another 5 stars, surprising, really.

• Poor Draco, poor misunderstood Draco. My poor little, non-killer.
• Poor Harry! The whole time he was grieving for Sirius. My heart.
• Poor Hagrid, and Aragon. All he did was love that giant spider.
• I loved learning about Tom Riddle’s history, and the crimes he committed. And just learning about him and his personality? He’s just so intriguing!
• WHY, LORD, why doesn’t Harry DAMN Potter just listen to Hermione?
• Bless Ron for finally realising how much of an idiot he is. But also, um, he’s still a dumb-butt in this book. See more: Wouldn’t break things off with Lavender Brown, mocking his best friends behind their back, and when they are literally in the same room as Ron, and being so SALTY. Salty about Krum and events that happened YEARS before.
• Ugh at the ministry. Ugh at Dumbledore’s death. Ugh at SNAPE.
• Also, this one was actually humorous, and I loved it.

Book Ginny is so damn good, and I wish we got to see more of how amazing she is.

And there! That’s it! The nine wonderful books I read in November, I had an amazing month, and I loved every single book I read. I read a total of  4,109 pages, which is damn impressive, and i doubt I’ll read that many pages in a single month again!

How many books did you finish last month? Have you managed to find a new favourite like I did?

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