one for the win column

Yes, I finally finished the last 32 pages of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. :D  And I loved it immensely! Way more than the first two, and I enjoyed those a hell of a lot. I am such a sap though...yes, a few little tears leaked out there at the end. I really ought to keep track--the number of books that have brought tears to my eyes has got to be astronomical. Anyway, I think I would have immediately gone and pulled the fourth book off the shelf if it weren't for the fact that we were having our family book club today so I knew I would be getting assigned a new book. (More about that in a minute.)

Last night, Rich, Max, Annie, and I (Gray was at a sleepover party) headed to B&N. I sat down with this little book titled Seedfolks and started to read while I drank my coffee. I read the first ten pages, and it then had to come home with me.

I also read another seven pages in The Biodiversity Crisis. One of Rich's favorite subjects--an essay on endocrine disruptors, "Hormonal Sabotage" by Theo Colborn, Dianne Dumanoski, and John Peterson Myers. Good essay, I must say. Actually, if I remember correctly, it was actually a piece taken from their book Our Stolen Future. A book I'd really love to read sometime. You know, along with the other bazillion books I'd like to read.

*****
As I mentioned above, today was family book club. This month we hit Pizza Hut, where we stuffed ourselves and had a mighty good time talking books.

--Max had assigned Pokemon Junior: Two of a Kind adapted by S.E. Heller to Gray...

Max: Who was your favorite character?

Gray: Rhydon.

Debi: Who's Rhydon? Never heard of that Pokemon.

Gray: A horned guy.

Max: Not Meowth?

Gray: No. Rhydon had a big horn and tried to kill everyone.

Debi: Was Meowth your favorite, Max?

Max: It's a tie. Meowth and Rhydon.

Max: Who was your least favorite character?

Gray: Ash.

Debi: Why?

Gray: Because he's too perfect.

Annie: Yeah, he's such a Mary Sue.

(At which time, I had to ask what the heck a Mary Sue was.)

Max: What was your favorite part?

Gray: When the Rhydon attacked.

Debi: Why was that your favorite part?!!

Gray: 'Cause he was rampaging.

 --Debi had assigned Amulet: The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi to Max...

Debi: Did you like the book, Max?

Max: Uh huh. (yes)

Debi: What did you like about it?

Max: The monsters.

Debi: Why did you like the monsters?

Annie: Were they scary?

Max: No.

Debi: Actually, the monsters are pretty cute, aren't they?

Max: *gives funny look, as if to say I'm crazy*

Debi: Did you like the art in the book?

Max: Yes!

Debi: Yeah, I think it has some of the prettiest art of any comic I've ever read.

Gray: Why is it called Amulet?

Max: Because there's an amulet with special powers.

--Rich had assigned Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling to Debi...

Rich: Well, I know you liked the book. What your favorite or several favorite parts?

Debi: I thought it was hilarious when Neville imagined the boggart as Snape in his grandmother's clothes. And I loved the end when Harry got the letter from Sirius. And I was blown away when I found out about Scabbers.

Rich: Were you surprised to find Sirius was really a good guy?

Debi: Yeah, I was surprised. But not surprised that Professor Lupin was a werewolf...I mean what else automatically popped to mind with that name, you know.

Rich: Of course "dense guy" *points to self* needed it spelled out to him. How excited are you to read the next one on a scale of 1 to 10?

Debi: You've no idea how hard it was stopping myself from immediately going and grabbing the next one off the shelf!

--Annie had assigned Warriors: Into the Wild by Erin Hunter to Rich...

Annie: Did you like this book?

Rich: Yeah, I like it, but it wasn't great.

Annie: What made it not great?

Rich: Too much fighting. It was just too focused on territorial stuff. And I hated it when that sweet medicine cat got killed.

Annie Do you think you're going to read the other books?

Rich: Probably not.

Annie: Who was your favorite character?

Rich: Well, of course, I like Rusty/Firepaw/Firestar. And I liked Yellowfang.

Annie: Yellowfang reminds me of Aldo. Except Yellowfang's much smarter!

Rich: Who do you really like?

Annie: Spotted Leaf and Yellowfang and Ravenpaw and Bluestar.

Rich: I didn't like all that talk about the cutter.

Annie: Yeah. Uhh, that was awkward.

(The cutter is the vet...who cuts "important" bits...and the cats come back not quite the same.)

Annie: Did you see any romance in the book?

Rich: I thought Firestar and Spotted Paw were going to get together, but then she died. Do Bluestar and Firestar get together in the future?

Annie: Dad!!! Bluestar's like a really old woman, and Firestar's just a young apprentice.

Debi: So what!!! Do you have something against May-December romance, Annie?

Annie: Well, no.

Rich: Yeah, me neither...after all, I married your mom, didn't I?

Debi: *promptly wallops Rich*

--Gray had assigned Pokemon Adventures: Volume 1  by Hidenori Kusaka to Annie...

Gray: Who's your favorite person or Pokemon or whoever?

Annie: I guess Misty, because she's both strong and smart.

Gray: What was your favorite part?

Annie: Probably the part with the zombies.

Debi: There's zombies in Pokemon?!!

Annie: Yeah, Pokemon zombies.

*****
And, of course, new names were drawn, and new assignments made:

Annie picked Chris. And has assigned him Unwind by Neal Shusterman.

Chris "picked" Annie. Not sure what he's assigning her yet.

Debi picked Max. And has assigned him The Stuff of Legend by Mike Raicht and Brian Smith.

Max picked Rich. And has assigned him a set of Warriors graphic novels, the Graystripe's Journey series.

Rich picked Gray. And has assigned him Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling.

Gray picked Debi. And has assigned her The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan.