Halt's Peril (Ranger's Apprentice #9)

1. Continues the story from book #8 Kings of Clonmel
2. "That's it. Just Horace"
3. Will unable to get info and Halt showing him how
4. Kind of boring though - dealing with smugglers is ok but not particularly interesting 
5. How come Halt has a proper map of Picta but we don't? Ridiculous 
6. Halt loved Horace like a younger brother maybe even a second son. 
7. Terrible conversation / not funny
8. Genovesans are city assassins - part where they are plotting to beat their trap is interesting
9. Will > Crowley in unseen movement but latter is calm and experienced; Gilan > Will at unseen movement but not as fast with mind, decision making and strategising unconventional alternatives.  Will a better shot than both
10. Halt: I was feeling lonely I suppose 😅 Absent minded
11. Ok the part where Will gets help and Horace stays back is interesting as is the part where Malcolm strategises in his own healer way while waiting for Will. Wonder if references to Thorgan and the haunted burial site are foreshadowing the prequels
12. Horace too. Another good one there. Watch over him. He and Will together.. they could be the future of this Kingdom.
13. Horace the genius re a credible threat to the life of the Genovesans!
14. "Will!"
15. Malcolm coming along is an interesting element 
16. "I promise you, Will, I can look after myself. And who knows? I might even surprise you and make myself useful"
17. Halt's bow is one of the heaviest
18. "I just thought I'd give you the opportunity to confess"
19. Pauline - "I'll have to go back and face her..I'm not going to have the nerve to face her. "
20. Poor conversation
21. "I arrived here unannounced, asking for help for a friend miles away. You didn't ask questions. You didn't hesitate. You packed your things and came with me. "
22. "We're friends. That's what friends do for each other."
23. "Don't annoy me little dog. I know your mother"
24. A nice sweet ending
25. I liked Malcolm quite a lot. 
26. It was OK. But I didn't really like the book as much.
27. Maybe 3.7/5

The Kings of Clonmel (Ranger's Apprentice #8)

1. Starts off 1 year after the events of Macindaw / Norgate
2. No mention of the events of Erak's Ransom in the first 50 pages, which is weird because that was quite a big and critical moment for Halt and friends (but it's mentioned later)
3. About thwarting a fake cult's plans, which is an interesting topic
4. The continued tradition of pretending the apprentice graduation is a "nothing" event is kind of funny
5. The map not including Whitby, Seacliff (again),  Coledale, Selsey, Hibernia (modelled off Ireland) etc etc is disappointing and a missed opportunity.. the descriptions of where these places are sometimes make no sense when looking at the map 
6. Halt escaping from a trap, and his lapse of concentration
7. Idea of a special task group to deal with international affairs of Araluen is interesting
8. Crowley keeping a lid on his feelings for the benefit of Halt.
9. "This is excellent, Will! When I have grandchildren, I'll name them after you!" Horace after eating bacon and sausages ta-pau'd by Will 😂
10. The importance of knowing all the facts in espionage, when in a dangerous situation 
11. You realise halfway through why it's called Kings of Clonmel with a plural
12. The part where they learn more about the Outsiders and Will sneaks around their bandit camp is a bit boring and predictable. Also seems like a bit much framing a sentry for drinking on the job
13. Warning the village of Craikennis about a surprise bandit attack in the face of suspicion was an interesting moment - nervous tensions as the villagers try to work out if our heroes are on their side)
14. Fighting myth with religion in the form of Horace- the leaders of Craikennis understanding the goal of spreading the myth vs the cult
15. The wise old woman who understands the need to be sceptical of cult members who claim that they have a "god" that offers you only good times and no bad times - these people will demand more
16. Duncan being fully aware of Halt forging his seal
17. Still annoying that I don't know where the Genovesans (Italians it seems) are on the world map or any of these places in Hibernia
18. Spoilers: Halt here to help his scheming brother keep his throne notwithstanding the evil he did
19. Spoilers: Halt seemed more antagonised by the fact that his brother didn't like coffee than by the fact that he had stolen the throne from him
20. "The face was a trustworthy one. He felt a surge of warmth for this young man. Halt had lived his life without any knowledge of his family. At least one of them had turned out well he thought"
21. Spoilers: it becomes very exciting and satisfying when the crew muck up Tennyson's parade with Halt's impersonation of the King and Horace playing the Sunrise warrior
22. "Well you're my friend. And that makes it my fight." Horace to Halt 
23. Horace's fight is exciting, as is Will's bluff (although predictable)
24. The ending and sequence of events behind Will's one on one shot is a bit too predictable 
25. "The same reasons why <> might refuse the crown were also the ones that made it imperative that he keep it."
26. Spoilers: A bit too convenient of a death for King Ferris
27. This book leaves the issue of the Outsiders unresolved and it's classic Flanagan leaving it to the next book Halt's Peril
28. A solid addition but I'd give it a 3.8-4 out of 5 as it just didn't have as much going for it tactically compared to the others. And nothing too different.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2)

1. Very easy to read and very engaging fun the start
2. Here comes all my random comments. 
3. Your heart drops when Dobby frames Harry and steals his letters but you feel warm and fuzzy when Ron comes to the rescue
4. Mrs Weasley being completely biased towards Harry is hilarious; Harry being embarrassed at his wealth but feeling more at home - and happiest - at the Weasleys' than anywhere else is touching. 
5. I'm reminded of how easy it is to read JK Rowling's books - no effort required and it's a joy to read. Everything is lively, exciting without being artificial.
6. Mr Weasley's love of muggles is slowly brought out here, a setup for key themes to come - good to see him stand up for Muggles and Hermione's parents against Lucius Malfoy
7. It didn't occur to me that muggles could change money at Gringotts for wizarding money eg Hermione's parents
8. I'm reminded of how the defence against the dark arts teacher keeps changing every year!! And Lockhart is a good change from last year's Quirrell..in the sense that he's hopeless, egotistic and "easy to deal with" in the sense of easy to defeat (well.. Harry and Ron do get lucky)
9. Nice setup with the vanishing cabinet being referred to - for later
10. Good on Mr Weasley for standing up (for muggles and Hermione's parents) against Lucius Malfoy. His love for Muggles a sign of things and themes to come. 
11. I'm surprised Hermione's parents didn't get more limelight - wonder what the rationale is there. 
12. Harry and Ron got off lightly and didn't get deducted points after perhaps convincing McGonagall that technically term hadn't started when they committed the relevant offences 😂
13. Hermione being friendly again only after the Howler did its damage
14. Lockhart being an annoying oblivious stuck up pretentious imitation self-absorbed clueless egotist 
15. Potting and compost in herbology - having done gardening I appreciate that a bit more!
16. It was pandemonium... Peskipiksi Pesternomi...it had absolutely no effect. And Lockhart's wand was chucked out the window. And Hermione saying rubbish to the suspicion that Lockhart was hopeless
17. Dodging Lockhart and Colin Creevey
18. Ron and Hermione randomly crossing the Quidditch pitch
19. The expression "Mudblood" starts a fight and Colin wants to photograph Ron belching slugs
20. Hagrid's treacle coffee cemented Harry's jaws
21. Hagrid joking about autographs from Harry
22. Nearly headless Nick's deathday party is a bit boring
23. Snape looked furious during Harry's interrogation and shutting down Lockhart wanting to make a petrification antidote 😂
24. Hermione furiously trying to read up on the Chamber of Secrets and asking the history teacher
25. Salazar Slytherin starting the pureblood movement- an interesting part of the story
26. Polyjuice potion - classic
27. Reference to the Wagga Wagga werewolf
28. Hermione defending Lockhart 🙄 
29. Hermione and Ron already starting to bicker
30. "This is all your fault. Get the snitch or die trying- what a stupid thing to tell him" - George during the rogue bludger incident
31. Dobby is annoying
32. Knowing what the monster is in the Chamber is a bit of a bummer- I remember also trying to guess during my first read but now it's spooled
33. Hermione taking one for the team again like the troll incident in the first book "I think I'd better do the actual stealing. You two will be expelled..I've got a clean record."
34. Why didn't Hermione use the invisibility cloak when stealing from Snape
35. Potter suspected of being the killer makes it exciting, including his doubts about being chosen for Slytherin 
36. A toothpick and a request to stay over the summer holidays for Harry's Christmas present
37. Steely glint in Hermione's eye,  not unlike McGonagall's
38. Since when was Lucius Malfoy a governor of Hogwarts
39. Lucius loving what's happening but asking Malfoy to stay out of it. 
40. Surprised Crabbe and Goyle (and Malfoy) don't realise later they were knocked out and someone took their spot
41. "Snape looked as though someone had just fed him a large beaker of Skele-Gro" 😂
42. If it weren't for his valentine song Harry wouldn't have known about the secret of Riddle's diary
43. "Because that's what Hermione does...when in doubt, go to the library"
44. "You will also find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it" - Dumbledore's eyes flickered towards hidden Harry and Ron.. followed by Hagrid's advice ..if anyone wanted to find out some stuff.. follow the spiders
45. Lockhart convinced it's Hagrid
46. Ron scared to go into the forbidden forest but looked at the empty seat usually filled by Hermione then toughened up
47. Effects of Ron's broken wand lasting some time - including Lockhart
48. Bit too convenient of an escape from the spiders
49. McGonagall tearing up when she thinks Harry and Ron are going to visit Hermione to tell her the mandrakes are nearly ready - forcing them to see her and catch a vital clue 
50. Lockhart the fraud at the critical hour and the teachers all know
51. Harry a bit clueless re Tom Marvalo Riddle
52. Dumbledore protecting Hagrid - Hagrid's whole life torn apart by being framed 
53. Ginny gave her life-force to the diary..
54. Twice in your past, in my future we have met - so it's a clear hint this memory is attuned to current Voldemort and hints at horcruxes 
55. So presumably what Harry says to Riddle is also transmitted to Voldemort including re Harry telling him about his mother's protection 
56. How can the great Voldemort not remember that phoenix tears heal
57. Harry was totally lucky that the diary dropped in front of him - or he has to thank Dumbledore 
58. Haven't got a sword. That boy has though.  He'll lend you one. 
59. Spoilers: "Voldemort put a bit of himself in me?" - transferring powers to Harry 
60. Spoilers: Lucius the mastermind to frame the Weasleys 
61. So many happy parts to the ending lol - L Malfoy sacked, winning the cup, Lockhart gone..it's too crazy of a happy ending
62. Expelliarmus!
63. Are you mad? All those times I could have died and I didn't manage it? They'll be furious
64. I actually think this was a much better book than the first (which was not my memory at all). Let's say: 4.45-4.55

Erak's Ransom (Ranger's Apprentice #7)

1. Interesting that this book breaks the mould somewhat in that it jumps backwards in time to events before books 5 and 6 when Will is in his final year of apprenticeship.
2. Starts off differently at a wedding!
3. And we are in a new part of the world,  a new desert climate in what appears to be equivalent to Arabia (a change from pseudo Western Europe and Scandinavia in the previous books), and it's cool to see how the rangers react to the new environment 
4. It's nice to see a full cast (less Alyss) and it's interesting that we are slightly off chronologically because we know and have foresight as to how some aspects of each respective character's journeys are resolved (because that resolution occurs in books 5 and 6) but this book acts as a gap filler for lack of a better phrase (it's certainly not filler material). This doesn't exactly spoil it I suppose but it's interesting nonetheless to observe the dynamic between say Will and Evanlyn
5. Although we haven't seen Gilan properly or at all (I can't recall) for a long time!! Long meaning since book..2?
6. "Would you trust him with your life Halt? Then trust him with his own"
7. It's hard to sympathise with Erak's situation given he was raiding a foreign land and caused his neighbours to get involved...
8. There's a part where Will is on his own again - not sure I enjoyed it that much
9. Tactics associated with chasing a party are on display, as are dessert battle tactics and espionage
10. Nomad and desert culture and customs are also explored.. including water discipline 
11. It gets exciting in the last third of the book
12. The formula of the story is kind of the same - Will hatches and executes a strategic plan to save everyone
13. Some of the events are quite coincidental or work out too easily for our heroes - which is not unexpected 
14. I did like the end game scenario which was a rescue from execution
15. The bittersweet situation with Evanlyn kind of continues but is only mentioned very briefly
16. I'd say it's no better or no worse than the previous couple of books..well ok maybe a bit better because there is a moment where Halt is heavily reliant on Will and it makes for a nice moment eg 4.15-4.25/5. Decent book. But I probably liked Battle for Skandia ie. Oakleaf Rangers better

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's (Philosopher's) Stone

1. My dad bought me this book in 2000 in Los Angeles- I can't believe I'm re-reading it
2. I had forgotten how much the Dursleys were a part of Harry's life but JK Rowling does a great job of setting the scene. Uncle Vernon Dursley does however appear to be trying to do what he thinks is right (keeping Harry away from magic) but he does it in all the wrong, disrespectful and most abusive ways
3. Didn't remember that Mr Dursley sold drills or that there was a West Ham fan in the book - funny how that is a detail that jumps out to me now but not when I first read it
4. I had also forgotten JKR's conversational tone was so engaging - that's probably the secret sauce to her success
5. Hermione was really annoying but the turning point was quite clearly "But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend.  There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve foot mountain troll is one of them."
6. I think one of the great things about this book that captivated readers was the attachment we felt to Harry, Ron and Hermione: all didn't quite fit in, in a way. Harry the orphan and bullied all his life; Ron feeling the pressure from his siblings in his family; Hermione being too smart which made her a bit of an outcast. That three misfits could be strong close friends is the type of magic we all yearn for in our own lives and is somewhat nostalgic.
7. Having a powerful artefact- the invisibility cloak is always the usual trope one would expect; so is our main character having a hidden sporting talent (in Quidditch..)
8. Add the context of magical mysteries waiting to be solved (Voldemort's impending return and his connection to and reason for trying to kill Harry) and the backdrop of dealing with coming of age style problems at school (think: bullies, bad teachers; good mentors and friends; growing up; exams...exam results...), and you can see how people are attracted to HP
9. Also,imagine having a whiz friend like Hermione all throughout high school!! Except for the part where she complains "but there's no wood!" And that's why she needs the quick thinking of the other two. 
10. That the "final test" or end level was a gauntlet of challenges set by some of the professors was pretty cool. But it felt a bit rushed particularly the chess part.. but I suppose that was to keep us moving along as we raced towards the end. 
11. I distinctly recall Dumbledore's jellybean line "Alas, earwax!" from my first read 
12. It was a bit too easy for Harry to beat the boss of this book..
13. However the villain concept / theme was a good one and I liked his..duplicity
14. Hagrid the ever present friendly giant was heart-warming 
15. Dumbledore's immense wisdom and omnipresence is a bit too unexplained for my liking - it's interesting how I never queried this when I was a kid - but now I'm asking: why did he leave if he supposedly knew there was trouble aloof and he was encouraging Harry to tackle it on his own? Did he want Harry to give it a go, only for Dumbledore to know that Dumbledore would need to save him? Perhaps it was intentional and designed to train Harry (being part of his all knowing plans) but it seems a bit much. Nonetheless Dumbledore's words of wisdom and calmness are a nice part of the story
16. Harry longing for his parents is always a tender spot of the book and series.
17. Spoiler: The crazy points allocation to Gryffindor at the end was rigged and hilarious.
18. Fred and George frequently mentioned in passing as comedy relief.
19. It's a shame that Harry is not going back to a family that loves him over the holidays (I can remember some of what comes next)
20. Even so I can't wait for the next book
21. I say: this is a solid 4.3-4.5/5

A Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy - Liu Cixin

1. Quick thoughts on the trilogy as a whole. 
2. Liu is one of those writers who makes you realise the reason why you liked Sci-fi in the first place: it's the idea that this is not necessarily all pure fantasy, because at least part of it could become true in the future.  Even if you can't imagine aliens making contact with humans, you can imagine us travelling at 1% the speed of light; dealing with game theory at the cosmological level or what hibernation and future tech might look like 200 years from now; you can also understand how humans might react to the crises of future generations that are space- event triggered and also human caused and the moral quagmires that result from the same.
3. But he takes this even further and makes it a story about the meaning of life and our existence in this universe, and he approaches it from his Chinese world view which makes it interesting 
4. The first two books are so far removed from the last book that it is just crazy - the former are just there to give context to the crazy events that happen later on in book 3. Book 1 was a puzzle; book 2 was a game of cat and mouse and strategic thinking at a universe level; book 3 was about the Earth in the fight for its life and purpose.
5. In the end, the way I see it - it's a trilogy about the fragility of human life and how small we are in the universe, including relative to the laws of physics
6. It's probably a 4.4 or 4.5 out of 5

Death's End (Remembrance of Earth's Past #3)

1.  Starts off very differently to book 2 - there are distinct  chapters that jump between time periods,  including,  surprisingly, time periods that have already been explored in books 1 and 2.. and someone is narrating this story - as if outside of time itself - by reference to history 
2. It makes for a more fluid and exciting read
3. Book 3 tries to fill in some of the gaps by telling a story that runs in parallel to the events of books 1 and 2. We get a bit more insight into a sister project that coexisted at the same time as the Wallfacer project and into some of the technology and research that occurred in an attempt to catch up our tech with that of the Trisolorians, including the development space travel and hibernation... and the sister project tests the limits of what it means to be alive. 
4. Interesting and refreshing concepts are delved into (in addition to concepts already traversed in the first two books), at both the scientific, moral and philosophical levels including: 

• expanding the black forest concept of the universe; 
• the uneasy but prosperous alliance and exchange of cultures and information between two galactic races; 
• consequences of unethical decisions made in response to moral dilemmas in the previous book (including for the so called "dark battles" in outer space between those spaceships who felt they were cut off from humanity and made tough calls to survive); 
• having the Earth as a spiritual anchor (ie. Humans assume they will be attached to Earth for life but what if that assumptionis false); 
• astronautic psychology; 
• flaws with Earth's deterrence system; 
• the evolution of the Trisolorian's strategic thinking; 
• the importance of choosing the right swordholder and the probability of deterrence; 
• the risk of not developing your technology fast enough to compete with other civilizations; 
• can two space civilizations coexist with one another?; 
• is it possible to convince the universe to leave us alone ??!; 
• the effect of being watched all the time and having everything recorded..; 
• strategies to deal with a random alien attack; 
• life near Jupiter and the other gas giants and the various details and designs possible for living in space cities; 
• the high stakes involved for choosing the right path of technology and making sure you develop the tech in time; 
• slowing down the speed of light and the consequences of that on the passage of time (including the theory of relativity) and the creation of black holes..; 
• building mini universes;
• expanding and collapsing universes and starting from scratch..
• Weaponising basic laws of physics and mathematics  - what if the universe started with 10 dimensions and was being slowly downgraded to 1 dimension?
• Making the "good" choice can doom civilization - the universe apparently does not care
• Technology is double edged and the same tech can kill or destroy entire civilizations 

1. I can't pretend I understood every detail. I was lost towards the end of the book. The concepts can be very intense and detailed.
2. Hilariously Australia gets a significant mention including Warburton of all places. Imagine the UN moving to Sydney and the world moving into Australia as it becomes a super power overnight (think of all the immigration issues)...Liu is well researched and can describe Australian towns and the outback and the origins of parliament house...
3. Liu also makes a very big crack at guessing what entering the 4th dimension through the 3rd dimension is like and his imagination is insane. He introduces concepts such as dimensional strikes which include collapsing the nth dimension into a n-1th dimension 
4. There is a magical part of the book that is all about how to communicate a secret message when all your enemies are watching! Imagine trying to smuggle a life and death message to an ally right in front of your enemy who will kill you if they think you've betrayed any aspect of the critical message. This is another favourite theme of mine that was done very well!!
5. The ending is quite somber, reflective and bittersweet all at once. It's quite hard to describe. There is basically an air of "life is unpredictable" and "life is fragile" to the ending - or life is subject to physics
6. Spoiler - Yun Tianming and Cheng Xin are starcrossed :(
7. It's quite a supercharged book. The first 60-75% is an intense roller-coaster ride but in the final 25% it gets more contemplative and you start to think about the bigger questions like the meaning of life and where we come from
8. I'd say it's a solid 4.5/5. Even if you aren't one for understanding all the scientific details, Liu's imagination and visualisation of the future is to be respected and contemplated. I think the first two books are clearly a setup for the last book.