"There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them." - J.K. Rowling

Reading Reflection #4

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Synopsis From the Cover:

(The Original Version): Harry Potter thinks he is an ordinary boy - until he is rescued by an owl, taken to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, learns to play Quidditch and does battle in a deadly duel. The Reason: Harry Potter is a wizard!

(From the Sorcerers Stone - American Version): Harry Potter has never played a sport while flying on a brromstick. He's never worn a cloak of invisibility, befriended a giant or helped hatch a dragon. All Harry knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley. Harry's room is a tiny closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in eleven years.
      But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to a wonderful place he never dreamed existed. There he finds not only friends, aerial sports, and magic around every corner, but a great destiny that's been waiting for him... if Harry can survive the encounter.

See the difference? The "American-ized" version gives a lot more away. Just to let you know, "American-ized" is a word I am going to use a lot in this post.

Now, the version of this book that I normally read is the one whose cover is above. It is the version with the proper title and everything. However, this time I didn't read "Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone". I read "Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone". Until earlier today, I didn't understand why the American-ized version changed the title, until a website explained it to me (I can no longer seem to find this website, which is weird, but I can't link it now).
Basically, in Great Briton, a philosopher refers to a person associated with magical things. The publishers in the United States felt that since their idea of a philosopher was someone who was simply very logical, it didn't fit in the title.
I believe that the States is the only place that it is called the Sorcerers Stone (or at least, I know the version you buy in Canada is the GB version, which is the Philosopher's Stone)


Now this is a book that I have read many, many, many, many times. Probably close to 20 or 30. After all, the first time I read it I was 7, and now I am almost 18. So obviously I love it. A lot. I usually whip through the books like crazy, but this time when I read it, it took me a whole lot longer. I kept stopping and thinking about how different it was. The biggest differences I found were the spelling, and the word choice. I complied a list below

Canadian Version            US Version

Colour                              Color
Behaviour                         Behavior
Football                            Soccer
Crumpet                            Muffin
Jumper                              Sweater
Sherbert Lemon                Lemon Drop
Moustache                        Mustache
Honour                             Honor
Trolley                             Cart
Rucksack                         Backpack              

That is a shorter list that I compiled. Now to some of you, none of those small things would bother you while you were reading, but they were a huge deal for me.

I wanted to get out a pen and correct the book. I would've too... If I hadn't been reading it on my e-reader.

All in all, J.K. Rowling is an amazing authour, and her books will always be great, whether with spelling mistakes or not.

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Don't Judge a Book by It's Cover

It is usually a good thing to not look at covers when choosing books, but occasionally it actually helps! There are some amazing covers out there that will cement your decision to pick up a certain book.

I am going to show a few of the best book covers I have seen, and a few of the worst.

I'll start with the worst, just to get it out of the way.

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Now, I don't know about you, but I find this cover to be bad because while the artist doesn't seem to have any trouble drawing animals (the horses are very well done) the humans look like a cross between... a human, Elmo and Yoda? I don't even know... and just to let you know, they are actually human too. They aren't some other creature. So.... Hummm

(Although - apparently, this book is really good. I haven't read it yet, since it is book 9 in a series that I don't have time to read yet)

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Okay so I picked this book up from the library, I read the back, thought it sounded really strange and yet interesting (kind of) and then glanced at the cover. I actually laughed out loud in the library, simply because I thought that this cover was so ridiculous. Ironically, in my opinion, the cover fits the book very well because I really didn't like the cover, and I really didn't like the book either....

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Okay- so this cover I feel just has too much going on. There is the castle with Fluffy, the snitch and Harry, a unicorn, and then the background. It is just way too busy, and it doesn't fit the facts in the books.
Harry wouldn't be wearing jeans, a sweater and a cloak to play Quidditch, we would be wearing his team robes.
Harry is also going miss the snitch at the angle he is at.
Why is Fluffy under the castle...? He is on the 3rd floor.
The unicorn should have a silver horn. Not gold. Quote from the book: "...Harry himself examined silver unicorn horns at twenty-one galleons each..." See? Not gold.

The cover doesn't make the book and worse though! Except that this one is the American version. So the misspellings (color instead of colour. Behavior instead of behaviour,) are irritating.


That's all I have for the bad book covers, because usually I like book covers.... onto the good ones!!

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Now that is an awesome cover. Pretty simple, and yet it draws you in with the fiery look it has. With the city skyline at the bottom, it made me wonder what kind of book that is, and already had me wondering what was going to happen in it.



This book was AWESOME!

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Once again, I have found myself to be love a book cover. The original cover for Cornelia Funke's Inkheart seemed to be perfect. The burning pages show whats going to happen, and yet it doesn't give it away. When you look at the words in the picture itself, you realize after reading that it is in the book! It is as if the cover is burning away to reveal what is actually underneath. Did that make sense? This is definitely one of my favourite book covers of all time. Also it is one of my favourite books!

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 Now I really like this cover because it is simple. However, even though it is simple, it is still eye-catching because it is so strange.
I think that that is how all book covers should be. Simple, and yet intriguing.

As for the actual book Matched, it wasn't my favourite, but it wasn't completely awful.








So what do you think? Any covers you like? Dislike?

You Start Thinking Anything Is Possible if You've Got Enough Nerve

Those are words written by one of the modern time's great writers. J.K. Rowling. What she wrote inspired me to attempt something completley out of  my comfort range.

Changing my blog.

DUH DUH DUH DUUUNNNN

I am just kidding. Mostly. Don't worry, my book reviews will be coming even more often now (You know... more than once every 5 months...) but I am also going to add in other things. Maybe an interview with people, some of my own writing. All sorts of things. If anyone has any ideas for me of what to do, leave a comment, or shoot me an e-mail at
lavaiszia@gmail.com

First post shall be coming momentarily!

TTFN

Emily