Books with Friends ~ Book 4: Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Originally read and written July 31, 2010
Recommended by Jen (among others)

I am many years behind the trend. Almost a decade since "Potter Mania" swept the world, I just read the first book in the popular series. One of the advantages of reading this book as the mania has calmed is that I was able to read without hyped reviews that could potential jade my view of the book.

My thoughts? I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Rowling is truly a gifted storyteller and writer. Her details are incredible yet simplistic. Gone are the page filled adjectives that many writers deem necessary to describe a boat and yet I could still picture the huge chessboard. No, it has nothing to with the movie as I have yet to see the film.

This book is what I call "popcorn" reading. It is light, filling, and good although not necessarily meant to be a meal. I engage in similar fare when I happen across some of the books of my youth such as The Babysitters Club and Nancy Drew.

Speaking of which, as a child who loved to read, libraries and bookstores did not offer as much in the way of serial novels. I was in the 4th grade when I was reading Ann M. Martin's The Babysitters Club. As I outgrew those books (and read through most of Ronald Dahl, C.S. Lewis and Madeline L'Engle) I began reading Nancy Drew. Once I read everything in that series in the libraries I had nothing left and as such began my foray into the works of Mr. Stephen King (I know, really big jump) My point is that young readers are offered a wider variety of novels geared towards them. Most thanks to a selection of artists who thought of younger readers. One such writer is J.K. Rowling.

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