Kristin Hill Taylor

Seeking God as the Author of Every Story

A muggle’s review of Harry Potter

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Well, hello, school. This morning I’ve got a sixth-grader, third-grader, and toddler who is super excited and has no idea what to expect from Mothers’ Day Out that begins tomorrow. She missed the preschool age cut off by about six weeks, but I know she’s ready for some kind of school setting. Meanwhile, the big kids probably could have kept living their best summer lives but surely will be glad to see their friends and settle well back into the school routine.

In honor of this first day back at school, my sixth-grade Cate is here sharing a review of the Harry Potter series. We bought two of the books at a used book sale on Fourth of July. She started a few days later and finished the whole seven-book series in about a month. Y’all, that’s a lot of reading in a month!

The whole series is available on Kindle Unlimited, so that’s how she read the five books we don’t yet own. (Get the whole series in paperback or the Kindle versions here!) But my aunt is graciously mailing her the books she doesn’t have because, yes, she’s already started re-reading it!

*****

To me, the Harry Potter series is exciting and suspenseful. The details create great images but also leave enough to your imagination. Author J.K. Rowling was very creative when making this series.

There are 7 books:

  1. “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone“
  2. “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets“
  3. “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban“
  4. “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire“
  5. “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix“
  6. “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince“
  7. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows“

My favorite is the fourth one, “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.” I like this one especially because of the Triwizard Tournament. I won’t spoil it in case you decide to read it, but it’s full of danger and adventure. It is also very mysterious, for several different reasons. I don’t really like danger and mystery separate, but together they’re awesome!

After #4, the seventh book is probably my favorite. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” is definitely the most dangerous and adventurous. It’s very constant danger/adventure so, I stayed up late not wanting to put it down! I really love how J.K. Rowling ended it. If you want me to explain a little about the Deathly Hallows, then I’ll say a little: Harry needed a certain cloak, wand, and stone, and his enemy did not need to get his hands on them!

My least favorite is the fifth one, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.” It is the slowest story and I didn’t like the ministry, a professor, and the story. The book is very sad.

Overall, I enjoyed this series – so much so I already started rereading the books! If you read them, I hope that you enjoy them, too!

*****

Cate, 11, will re-read books more than anyone I know, comprehends and remembers more details than I knew was possible, and loves horses. She’s excited to have a locker this year at school although she will miss sleeping in most mornings. Her momma is going to miss her help and conversation during school hours.

*****

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A prayer as seasons change

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Dear God,

Thank You for these eighty-seven days of summer. This season has been sweet and fun – and exactly what I needed. And, yes, I’m thankful we have one more week before I have to set an alarm, help the kids’ pack lunches and finish homework, and dive back into a routine of piano lessons and soccer practices. Of course, You know that because You orchestrate it all. You made our mission trip and vacation possible. You allowed the pool days and porch stories with friends. You provided opportunities for other nearby adventures.

Father God, You’re the keeper of time and seasons. I praise You for that – even when I think I have good plans and manage time well. I really do believe You are leading us where You want us – as individual people and as a family. I’m realizing if I do believe that then I have to (once again) let go of my own timeline.

I say I don’t want summer to end, and I don’t.

But I’m also excited about the kids learning and growing in a school we love with other families we love. My baby is turning into a big girl and will go to Mothers’ Day Out a couple days a week. I already know some of the ways You want me to spend my kid-free time and I have no doubts You’ll lead me to other people and projects I don’t even know about.

If I trust You like I say I do, then I want to welcome this back-to-school season. I want to rejoice in the new things You’re doing and will do. I want joy and peace and goodness. You promise You’ll work together all things for good for those who love You. I really don’t want the changing seasons to dictate my mood. And I certainly don’t want to obsess over my own selfish ways, insecurities, and worries when I know God has much more for me.

I bring You my grief of this season ending
with excitement for the one to come.

{Tweet that.}

I was recently reading a devotional by Elisabeth Elliot and she quoted a letter a missionary wrote to her father. Those words were what I needed to remember about You, God: “ … but with one look at self we must take ten looks at Christ. … We are in the thick of facing powers of darkness who are determined to rob us of Him and rob God of us, and you and I, my brother, have just got to hope in Christ and rely on Him for His Spirit to direct our thoughts, our ways, and our works so that it is not us but Christ in us.”

I’m remembering to look toward you, God. Let me hold onto that perspective while carrying the freedom summer gives my soul into the coming seasons.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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I’ve been journaling prayers like this lately, and I thought maybe it would encourage someone else. Surely I’m not the only one who is slow to process seasons changing! Feel free to share in the comments or in an email to me how I can be praying for you – regardless of what season your August brings!

I’m no stranger to resisting change, so I also wanted to share some resources with y’all, in case you need encouragement in that area:

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Stories from the Porch in July

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I know it’s August, but I really didn’t want July to end. So I’m going to hang on for a little longer as I share some stories from my porch … and wherever else our adventures took us!

Highlights

July included our second big trip of the summer! We joined my siblings, their families, and our mom in Lake Placid, NY. My sister lives in Buffalo, NY, so we headed up her direction (and beyond …) for this year’s vacation. I blogged about how I loved this adventure in ways I didn’t expect. (Read that here.)

After we returned home, we went to Holiday World – an amusement park about 2 ½ hours away in Indiana. My friend Abbey told me we only needed 15 people to get a group discount (which is everyone paying the kids’ price!) so we gathered some others and enjoyed the day on roller coasters and spinning rides. My part of the group opted not to go to the water park and enjoyed some super short lines to ride the rides. Rachel was free, but at 36 inches she was able to ride more than expected.

Summer adventures have included staying home too. Several local friends have come to hang out on our porch and in our pool, and my dear Sarah and her kids also came for a few days. I ended up seeing her a second time when we were passing through Louisville on our way home from New York. Likewise, earlier in the week on our way to New York, we met up with a couple friends.

Seeing people I love is definitely one of my favorite parts of traveling (and adventuring at home!). I’m glad Greg also likes to incorporate visits with friends along our way.

Favorite Things

Camera card cord for my iPhone – I take a lot of pictures in the summer with my waterproof camera (which I also recommend!) and now I can transfer those pictures directly to my iPhone with this nifty little cord. I store all my photos on the iCloud, so having them on my phone is the easiest way to get them all to the same place. Before this cord I was uploading the pictures from the SD card onto my laptop and then emailing them to myself so I could post onto Instagram and save in the iCloud. This cuts out that whole step. My husband is probably going to want to use it for his trail cam pictures, so I may share it!

(They also make these cords for Android devices.)

Pickles to Penguins – This was an impulse purchase from zulily a while ago, but we really love games and this is one we can play with our two oldest kids. It’s quick and easy but fun.

Swim trainer life vest – I’m a longtime fan of Puddle Jumpers, but Rachel really loved this swimming vest a friend brought over one day. I ended up getting her one, and I really think it’s what propelled her to truly swim. She was close. She’s never been afraid to stick her face in the water. But this swim training vest gave her arms the freedom they needed to reach and swim. (It’s not Coast Guard approved, so we still use a Puddle Jumper in the boat or when we’re in the lake. Safety first, obviously!)

Magazines – I have a degree in journalism, so the fact I like magazines isn’t a surprise but with all the books and electronics I had forgotten. I recently subscribed to “Southern Living” and remembered why I love magazines. (Plus I wanted to read Rick Bragg’s column regularly!) I also picked up a couple to read when we traveled. “The Magnolia Journal” is also lovely.

From the bookshelf

“Beartown” by Fredrick Backman – It’s going down as one of my favorites this year. The writing and characters are excellent and real. There is intriguing foreshadowing. And the story provokes thoughts on life. It had a “Friday Night Lights” feel from the beginning.

“All the Missing Girls” by Megan Miranda – The story was intriguing and kept me reading this one. I needed to know what happened, even though I thought some of it was silly.

“Winter Garden” by Kristin Hannah – This one surprised me. After I read the synopsis, I didn’t know if I would care about it. But I loved it. Not as much as “The Great Alone” or “The Nightingale” (or even “Firefly Lane” probably), but I still highly recommend it.

“The Things We Do For Love” by Kristin Hannah – This one isn’t as good as “The Great Alone” or “Nightingale” either, but I’m still really enjoying the storyline and characters.

Cate started the Harry Potter series. She read the first book in two days and is now on the fourth. We bought a couple books at a used book sale, she borrowed one from a friend, and then we discovered they’re also on Kindle Unlimited. This week she began the fifth one.

On the screen

I was happy to see the eighth season of Hawaii 5-0 on Netflix. I’ve only watched one episode so far, but I’ll catch up with the crew soon. Greg and I are still making our way through “Suits,” which we’re loving as we begin season three!

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How was your July? What adventures
and stories do you have to share?

{Tweet that.}

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