Top Ten School-Required Reading Books that I Loved

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

I used to detest school reading, but then I hit my junior year in high school and everything changed.  Here are my ten favorites through high school and my undergraduate years

1.  Night - Elie Wiesel

2.  Beowulf - Seamus Heaney

3.  The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath

4.  The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton

5.  Ordinary People - Judith Guest

6.  Lord of the Flies - William Golding

7.  The Glass Castle - Jeannette Walls

8.  Abandoned Prayers - Gregg Olsen

9.  The Guardian - Nicholas Sparks

10.  Speak - Laurie Halse Anderson

Review: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Title: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay
Author: J.K. Rowling
Rating: 5/5

Summary:

When Magizoologist Newt Scamander arrives in New York, he intends his stay to be just a brief stopover. However, when his magical case is misplaced and some of Newt's fantastic beasts escape, it spells trouble for everyone…

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them marks the screenwriting debut of J.K. Rowling, author of the beloved and internationally bestselling Harry Potter books. Featuring a cast of remarkable characters, this is epic, adventure-packed storytelling at its very best.

Review:

I love plays in written form and I love J.K. Rowling, could this book get any better?

To be honest, I'm not sure how to review this book.  The characters are brilliant, I adore Newt and I feel such pain for Credence.  I love how it's not only set in a different wizarding community than Harry Potter, but it's set in an era of the United States that is one of my favorites.

My least favorite part of this entire story is the scene where the Obscurus attacks the party and kills the [senator's?] son (I can't remember exactly who he was anymore).  I'm not sure why I didn't like that part, but I didn't.

On the other hand, my favorite part is every time Newt spends in his case.  I love how so many worlds and so many climates and so many creatures are in such an unassuming place.  It was beautifully described and I wanted to climb into the book and feel it all myself.

I know they're continuing the movies with this series, but I so wish J.K. Rowling would also continue the books.