My favorite of the HP books

I was reading a few of the other comments about Book 5 of the HARRY POTTER series, ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, and they aren't very positive.  I don't get it.  I LOVE this one!  This is the book where we learn that Neville could have been the one in Harry's place if Voldemort had CHOSEN Neville instead of Harry--which means that Harry and Neville share a birthday!  It also means that it's a given that we'll see much more of Neville and that Neville will prove to be much more than the bumbling idiot he was in years past.  We see Neville improve as part of the D.A. We see him stand his ground and go with Harry to the Department of Mysteries.  And he fights!  It's not his fault that his nose was broken and it affected his speech so he couldn't cast any more spells.  He did the best he could, staying close to Harry as much as possible.

I LOVE that we get to see Neville move into more of a heroic spot!!!  And, as I've said before, I LOVE Ginny, and we get a LOT more of Ginny in this book!  I wish they could have been part of Harry's inner circle rather than on the periphery.  They are all definitely friends, and Luna, too, but I just think Harry, Ron, and Hermoine should include Neville, Ginny, and Luna in their daily activities more....

This is also the book where Harry becomes more of a leader and begins to realize that he does have leadership qualities.  He needs some refining, but the more he leads the D.A., the more he gains confidence in his ability to lead.

But the ABSOLUTE BEST part of this book is how everyone stands together.  Harry thinks he has to do everything by himself, yet he also realizes his need for his friends as he's stuck at the Dursley's for weeks on end without any REAL word from his friends.  None of his friends will let him do anything on his own.  When he says he wants to speak to Sirius, look at how quickly all of his friends rushed to help him without a second thought to it--they didn't ask him why or what was going on; they just jumped right in and helped him.

The bonds of friendships are forged even deeper and solidifed to be stronger in ORDER OF THE PHOENIX.  Of course, I cry at most of the sad parts throughout the series, but the one thing that made me cry the hardest each time I've read the series is in the last book when Harry, Ron, and Hermonie visit Xenophilius Lovegood and go to Luna's room---where Luna has painted the images of herself, Harry, Ron, Hermoine, Ginny, and Neville on her ceiling with FRIENDS painted across their images.  That's SOOOO beautiful......

This is truly a turning point book in the series.  THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX is necessary in order to get to the plot and subplots of the last two books.

*Did you notice that I don't even bring up Umbridge?  I don't like talking about her because sadly, I think if I were to do a see-who-you-are-most-like-in-the-HARRY POTTER-series quiz, it would show that I'm most like her.  I don't want to think that could be true.  So I'm not bringing her up in this post at all!!!  ;)

More Ginny....Lots more, and Neville, too

I love this series.  I honestly can't believe it took me so long to read it.  How did she do it?  How did she create a WHOLE series, 7 whole books, and weave in all the details so seamlessly and, seemingly, effortlessly.  So many details that are briefly mentioned, just thrown in with other information that they seem unimportant, insignificant, but then later, those very same unimportant, insignificant details come back into the story and reveal how very important they are.

This is definitely NOT a series anyone can read just once.  It's better than potato chips.  Not only can we, as readers, read just one book in the series, but we also can't read the whole series just once!  I see some any incredible new details and parts of the story that I realize I missed the first time through. 

I would love to meet Rowling.  At the same time, I'd be scared out of my mind to do so.  What would I say to her that wouldn't be gushing and the same thing she's heard a gajillion times?  What questions would I ask her that are unique, that she hasn't been asked a zillion times already?  It would still be awesome to meet her.

I think CHAMGER OF SECRETS is one of my favorites simply Ginny Weasley plays such an important role to the story as a whole.  My only problem is that we don't actually see her as often as I'd like throughout the book.  Even though she's central to the whole story, she's only mentioned briefly a few times--just to make sure we haven't forgotten about her and as VERY subtle hints that she's the one......oops.  Gonna give away important information....probably already have said too much!  But my point is that I love Ginny; I wish she was the series as a whole a lot more than she is.  I want to read more about her.  I want to see more of her on the screen in the movie versions.....

(I want to read a LOT more about Neville, too. I LOVE Neville!)

Did you know that the actress who played Ginny Weasley in the movie versions is marrying (or has already married) they guy who plays Anthony in SWEENEY TODD.  He's also in one or two of the TWILIGHT movies as one of the Volturie.  I think that's wonderful.....I love both of them as actors/actresses.

I can't wait to read THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN!!!!