Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman

 This author came up in a few different Instagram posts, so I decided to give her a try. She has written a lot of books, so I was hoping to find someone I could enjoy in multiple ways, and this book is a prequel to some of her supernatural and witch stories. I found her at the library in St. George during a spell between some good books and decided she was worth a try.

I would say the story was interesting, the characters interesting, and the setting fascinating as it wove in some history of the mood and paranoia surrounding the Salem Witch Trials. I wouldn't say the characters were fully developed, but it was more about the movement of the characters and the people around them that moved the story along. It was also more about love and life...this author frequently waxed philosophical as she wove the story along. The ending is illustrative of her oft-repeated themes:

"Drink chamomile tea to calm the spirit. Feed a cold and starve a fever. Read as many books as you can. Always choose courage. Never watch another woman burn. Know that love is the only answer."

I got a little tired of the spells and herbs, but many (of the herbs, at least!) would probably work! I liked how the Owens women were unique and loved their red boots. It was interesting to see how this power could go wrong when the daughter uses magic to go to the dark side. All of it was interesting, but not enough for me to read any more by this author. It did awaken a desire to learn more about the real Salem Witch Trials...

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

 When this book first came out, there was great excitement, and it seemed everyone loved this story. Back in the day (1997?) I wanted to see what the fuss was about, so I read it. I recall thinking, Huh. Not particularly impressive. Fun, cute, but nothing great. And I didn't continue on reading the rest of the series. Because Henry has chosen to go to Universal Studios to see the Harry Potter part of that, I figured I ought to give it another chance. After all, I don't want to be ignorant of what we're seeing. So, I borrowed a copy from my friend Dawna Gower, and just finished it this afternoon.

I was hoping I would see it differently now, and that I would enjoy it more this time around. I am sorry to say that mostly I enjoyed it less! There are too many characters to keep track of! They are fairly one-dimensional. I liked some of the interesting concepts like unicorns being so special, and owls being messengers, but overall it was rather ho hum. I do admire Rowling's imagination, though. I could never create a game like Quidditch! There were clever book titles and educational traditions like wearing cloaks and learning spells, but it got a little redundant by the end of the book. One thing I did really like was the development of the friendship between Harry, Ron, and Hermione. They didn't like her at all at first, but they were all able to grow and become fast friends through their experiences together. I liked that message.

When I was about half-way through, I thought I should seek to borrow Book 2, because I was still thinking it was enjoyable enough to continue. Today, though, now that I'm finished with Book 1, I don't have much interest in Book 2 or beyond. Maybe watching the movies will be better prep for the Universal Studios anyway. Like the books, though, I've only seen one of the movies, and that was years ago, and all I can remember is that it was very dark. We'll see...