It has been a while, my blog followers, and I post at last! I half expected my life to settle down come autumn and it has somehow been the opposite. Between apple-picking, a trip to Williamsburg with the in-laws, picking Caitlin up from school, selling antique postcards on eBay for my uncle, and reading the 7 books in the Harry Potter series I feel as though I have been non-stop. And perhaps you thought I was sitting around in front of the t.v. eating bon-bons.

Speaking of Harry Potter... I have posted my review beneath these wonderful pictures so if you are not finished with the series... DO NOT READ MY REVIEW. Just look at the pretty pictures.

The Wythe House

Anastasia and her Grandpa

Nick in the Pillary... not a bad sentence for stealing a watch in a tavern, having his mom as his only witness (who was drinking at the time) and having two eight year olds as the Jury.

Leia on her throne.

Growing up with a lot of conservative influence where the general consensus regarding Harry Potter was that Harry Potter is EVIL. So finally, at 23, I have done the unthinkable and committed the eighth deadliest sin... and I read them all. Wahahahaha. Amazingly, I have not converted to Wicca nor have I sold my soul to the devil. In fact, I laugh that this book is so hugely banned. Harry is such a strong character who fights for and even sacrifices himself for what he believes in and those he loves. He constantly fights evil with good. I think Harry's loyalty and love, and love being the conquerer of death in Rowling's world makes the Harry Potter series almost Christian in principal and any child who reads this series (at a reasonable age of course) has much to be gained.

I think Rowlings is a very clever author. I came up with half a million predictions on characters and the overall ending and with few exceptions (I knew deep down that Snape was good) I was wrong. There were so many surprises (good and bad) and I was on the edge of my seat through this entire book. Deathly Hallows was much darker than the other six, partially due to the lack of the social life at Hogwarts. I thought Rowlings was a little bit quick to kill certain people off... like Lupin and Tonks!!! With no explanation of their deaths? That pissed me off. I think besides that, my only other qualm with this book was what I felt was a rather abrupt ending. I mean COME ON!!! I just spent the past three-months worth of my free time reading Harry Potter without abandon and it was over in less than a chapter? It was far from the "Happily ever after" that this series required. I thought the story was great and the death of Voldemort was so dramatic and well planned, but UGH!! I just wanted more. I want to know what happened to George Weasley when Fred died. I wanted to know what happened to Hagrid, Malfoy, Luna, the professors... and everybody!! But that is just me. I felt ripped off on the ending. Other than that it was an excellent series and I recommend it to anyone who is 10 or older.