Book Review: Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban

 

 

Book Review: Harry Potter And The Prisoner of Azkaban

By J.K. Rowling

I read book three of the Harry Potter series with my daughters.  My 10 year old loved reading it while my 8 year old was less excited and preferred to entertain herself with other pursuits as we read.  As with the first two books, I had read this book myself several times but enjoyed this reading of it more since it was with my daughters.

We fell behind due to summer activities and last week my daughters and I took my son to his tennis lessons, as we sat and waited for him, we sat down and read nearly 50 pages to finish the book.  It was pretty cool. Once we got towards the end we just couldn’t stop. The ending gets so intense that we couldn’t take a break. I’m sure all of the other parents and family’s waiting for tennis players either enjoyed the reading or were annoyed that we would read out loud in public, but we didn’t care.

The Prisoner of Azkaban is Harry’s third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The world is introduced to Sirius Black, a dangerous prisoner that has escaped from prison. The entire wizarding world knows about the escape and is terrified because of Black’s past and the reason he’s in jail to begin with. The concern is so great that the wizarding world notifies and warns the Muggle world.

As Harry leaves for his third year t Hogwarts, he’s warned by Mr. Weasley not to try to capture Black. Harry can’t understand why but soon learns the reasons. I won’t go into detail about this, but suffice it to say, it’s worth reading to find out why.

In typical Harry Potter fashion, he Ron and Hermione soon find themselves in a mystery and in the middle of more adventures that test their magical skills and push them to the limit. I love the character development and how the three work together and leverage each other’s strengths to solve the mystery and come out on top.

In addition to introducing Siruis Black, The Prisoner of Azkaban also introduces one of my favorite Harry Potter characters, Remus Lupin. The tie in to these characters and Harry Potter is entertaining and provides insight into Harry’s parents’ past and the past of other important characters.

In my opinion, the books get better and better.  The tease at the end of the book left my daughters and I anxious to start book 4. As we opened book 4 to start reading it my daughters eyes practically popped out of her head when she saw that it is more than 700 pages. I assured her that it goes fast as the story is so good.  I love these books and have enjoyed them even more as I’ve been reading them to my daughters.  I recommend them to anybody looking for a fun and entertaining story.

Book Review: Unbreakable – A Navy Seal’s Way of Life

Book Review: Unbreakable – A Navy Seal’s Way of Life

Author: Thom Shea

Thom Shea is a Navy Seal. As he was leaving or his final deployment to Afghanistan in 2009, Shea was worried about dying in combat and not having spent enough time with his three young kids and teaching them important life lessons. As a result, Shea decided to write down the things that matter most to him and that he wanted his kids to know about him and his life.

He began drafting messages to his children as he left for his last deployment in “hell” in 2009. Shea writes the book as if he’s talking to and addressing his kids directly. He shares 13 key lessons that he calls Adamantine Lessons. He ties each of these lessons into the experiences he’s having in “hell,” specifically blow-by-blow details about battles against the enemy.

The battles and details he shares are incredible.  Each battle seems to get worse and worse while at the same time his team becomes more proficient and more successful at taking out the enemy.  The level of expertise Shea and his men show in rescuing other service men, executing raids and fighting the enemy is inspiring. Reading the book gave me a new appreciation for the dedication, skill and commitment Navy Seals and our military have in protecting the freedoms we enjoy on a daily basis.

Navy Seals like Shea and his men willingly put their lives on the line on a daily basis to ensure our freedom. When the enemy threatens, Navy Seals are the first to jump up and take the fight to the enemy. They enjoy the fight and can’t wait for the next opportunity to engage the enemy.  The United States in the premier fighting force in the world and that was evidenced in striking detail as I read Shea’s accounts.

Shea relates every one of his Adamantine Lessons and the success he encounters in his personal life, military life and every other aspect of his life to creating and maintaining a positive Internal Dialogue.

I’ve always been a big believer in the power of positive thinking. As I read the book and thought about successes I’ve had in my life I can tie it directly to my thought processes and the positive internal dialogue I had with myself.

I won’t go into the 13 Adamantine Lessons in this review, but encourage you to check them out in the book. The book was a great read and the lessons shared are valuable in all aspects of life. I highly recommend the book.

Since retiring, Shea has moved to South Carolina and started the Adamantine Alliance, a leadership and human performance training organization. Shea’s goal with the Adamantine Alliance is to ensure transformational performance results.