🏞️ Travel Writing (the First of Many) and Two Harry Potter Books!🪄🪄

 

   My book club's theme for this year is travel writing. Leave Only Footprints: My Acadia-to_Zion Journey through America's Nation Parks by Conor Knighton. I picked this book to listen to on a car trip with my DH. As someone who has visited several national parks (Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon), I enjoyed "revisiting" them through the narration. Conor Knighton (http://www.conorknighton.com/) is a television news reporter who experienced a devasting breakup. He decided to travel for a year, visiting National Parks and reporting occasionally on the CBS Morning News. I thought the book would be, and this park is fantastic for this, and this park is excellent for that and was surprised in a good way. He organizes the parks topically: Sunrise, Water, Mystery, Diversity, Food, etc. I learned new things and have parks I want to visit, like the Great Sand Dunes, perhaps the quietest place in America. 

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    Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J.K. Rowling, is the favorite in the series of a friend of mine, Gabriel Soll. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5.Harry_Potter_and_the_Prisoner_of_Azkaban?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=f4Wh4OPJOO&rank=1#SocialReviews  

It sparked the question in me: which HP is my favorite? I can see why Gabe likes this one. As the third in the series, I'm familiar with the characters and the main problem of Voldemort's desire to kill Harry and rule the world. In this book, the three friends still feel innocent of larger evil at work. Rowling writes well in both the present story and the meta-story. She grows her characters up from ten to twelve years old. The magical world she's created is believable and fascinating. 

    As an organizer, I wonder if she uses spreadsheets to keep track of everyone? Did she use software? Did she hire someone to help with consistency? 

    Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire takes a darker turn. A fellow student dies, and the evil forces gain strength. This book reveals much about Voldemort's earlier reign and how terrible and terrified everyone felt. Hagrid reassures Harry that they will be okay as long as they have Dumbledore. I like the values that Rowland points Harry toward--loyalty, friendship, and courage. Good stuff!

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