Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


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Now I Know What Prison Mike Was Talking About

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

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Their third year at Hogwarts is no less eventful for Harry, Ron, and Hermione, with many changes. There is yet another new teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts, as the kind but sickly Professor Lupin joins the faculty. Also joining the teaching staff is none other than gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid, commissioned to instruct the students in the Care of Magical Creatures. The only black cloud hanging over the new school year is the recent escape of Sirius Black from the titular Azkaban prison, long […]

Riddle Me This

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

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I’m now two books into my much-belated journey into the world of Harry Potter and still very much enjoying the ride. Chamber of Secrets is a very typical second entry in many ways, opening with a bit of a recap of the events of the previous book, introducing some new characters, and increasing the level of danger facing our heroes. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are no longer first-years at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but they still have a lot to learn about […]

Late to the Party

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

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So ends my reign as one of the last holdouts of my generation. I remember when this book first became a sensation and some of my middle-school classmates were reading it. Oh, how I scoffed. Children’s literature, at our age? Hadn’t we moved on? I was reading Orwell, Vonnegut, Salinger, etc. I didn’t have the time or the inclination to read a book about a kid younger than I was, magical powers or not. I clung to that position of unearned snobbery even as the […]

Chamber Danger

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling

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As with my review of The Philosopher’s Stone, it seems laughable to publish a review about a Harry Potter book in 2022; yet here we are! My family and I worked through this audio-book on the second half of a road trip, again narrated by the incredible Stephen Fry. My five year old was fairly engaged throughout the story and found Mr Fry’s spooky basilisk voice quite suitably terrifying. The story again followings Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, through a year of schooling at […]

A Potted History

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling

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It seems ridiculous to pen a review of the first Harry Potter novel. This is a world-wide smash hit, everyone has read it (some numerous times – myself included). Everyone knows the story of The Boy Who Lived, and his tumultuous first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. So why am I reviewing this book? Because my family, including my husband, five year old son, and two corgis drove 3,550km across Australia to play in the snow at the Snowy Mountains. We chunked […]

Harry Potter and Who Thought Up These Challenges for Kids?

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling My rating: 5 of 5 stars “The Goblet of Fire” always seems to announce a darker, more mature era of Harry Potter. I starts out all fun and games until the moment Harry finds himself involved in the tournament. Then things really escalate. I like that in this book we get to see two other schools from the magical world, although I wished we got more background and knew the characters better. It does expand […]



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