meg reads and reads

Title: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Author: J.K. Rowling I first read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone about 20 years ago, when I was in the eighth grade at Dobbins Middle School in Powder Springs, GA. I liked it, but for whatever reason, I was never motivated to continue reading the series. Here I am, a grown woman, finally continuing with Book 2. Even though I find J.K. Rowling problematic as a person, I'm not disappointed in reading this book. I've heard a lot of people say that this is their least favorite book in the series. I had seen the movie before, so I knew basically what was going to happen, but I really enjoyed reading this far more than I remember enjoying the first book. It was a really quick, easy read, and the shenanigans Harry and Ron got into were delightful. I also enjoyed reading about Ginny, who has a much larger presence in the book than in the movie. I'm not normally a YA reader, but this was fun. I also liked thinking about how m...

Title: The Valley of Amazement Author: Amy Tan I read several unfavorable reviews of The Valley of Amazement. However, I am pleased to say that I completely disagree with them. This book has love, loss, tragedy, humor, birth, death, pandemic, and much more. For the most part, it follows the life of Violet, a biracial young woman who, through an act of deceit, ends up becoming a courtesan.  The historical context is what I found particularly fascinating. This is largely because I read it during another global pandemic. The book vividly (and accurately) discusses the Spanish flu and its aftermath. The parallels to today's COVID-19 pandemic were striking. In short, I found the book to be engaging and interesting to read. The main characters--sometimes victims of others, sometimes victims of their own bad decisions--were likable and sympathetic.  I, without hesitation, give this book five out of five stars. ------------------------------------- QUOTES: "To save myself, I destroyed...