Saturday Speed-Reads

Good morning, Blog Buds.
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This week I read HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS by some obscure author named, um, uh, what was her name again?  Oh, yeah.  J.K. Rowling.  Yes, I watched the movie first!

No need to review this one since it went through the bestselling stratosphere, and with good reason.  Like I've said before, Rowling nails all the emotional needs of a the average Middle Grade reader, and then some.  This series is right up there with CHRONICLES OF NARNIA by C.S. Lewis, I swear.  It's a classic and while the author's still alive.  How amazing is that?  The second book is just as good as the first book.  In fact, my daughter says it's better.  How rare is that?  As  a book reviewer, I can tell you I've only read one second in a book series which successfully bridged to the next book in the past THREE years, and it still was not as good as the first one.  It's incredibly difficult to do, especially if you're only writing a sequel because the first one did well and your editor and/or agent told you it would be financially good idea.  I'm trying very hard to learn from Rowling's stellar example in this respect, because I love series.  I get attached to characters and I don't want to let go.
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Oh, yes, the battle over the HARRY POTTER books in our house rages on.  You may remember I said Draco Malfoy was cuter than Harry.

And my daughter informed me, on no uncertain terms, that this is absolutely FORBIDDEN.  Apparently, the Freedom of Speech doesn't apply to readers of the wizarding world.  Anyway, she banished me from every reading another HARRY POTTER book again, but I snagged THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS from a second hand store while she was at school!  Mwa-ha-ha!  As for the other books, we're currently in negotiations.  She's considering letting me borrow THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN, if I let her use by credit at the used book store to buy more books for herself.  Somehow, this doesn't exactly seem fair.  I could use that credit to buy my own copy.  Hmmm...
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Anyway...
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I also picked up WHITE HOUSE NANNIES by Barbara Kline. 

I used to be a nanny, you know, so this one kept me up half the night.  It swings from hilarious to poignant and made me look forward to the day when my own children are old enough that I can nanny again.
http://www.amazon.com/White-House-Nannies-Barbara-Kline/dp/1585424978/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271524104&sr=1-1

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In other news, I think I'm done with renovating this blog.  It's business as usual, starting tomorrow with an interview with Science Fiction Romance author, Linnea Sinclair.  Her latest novel, REBELS AND LOVERS, was out in March.