Fantasy Buddy Read - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - April 1, 2023 - April 30, 2023

[Marie, Coffee-Chocolate-Book Lover]

This is the buddy read starting April 1, 2023 for book five in the Harry Potter series. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Please remember to use spoiler tags when necessary. Have a magical time and happy reading. :)

[Graeme]

Awesome. I'm in once I finish Nemesis Games.

[Denis (deez_bookish_adventures)]

I have quite a few going this month so I may not start this one for a little bit. I also have to finish Nemesis Game for March..... ooff.

[Latasha]

I may be a bit late.

[Graeme]

Started this, but reading slowly. (Still at the Dursleys...)

[Narilka]

I'll be joining more towards the end of the month.

[Graeme]

I'm going to hook into this now, but I'll take it slow while I hunt down and read some short stories along the way...

[Graeme]

The apparent plot hole in Prisoner ... gets filled in this book.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I.e. Girls can enter the boy's dorms, but not the other way round... - it's in the rules!

[Graeme]

46% in (Ch 18 done) and the DA is born.

[Graeme]

Finished this and loved it. Keen to start the 6th book.

Anyone else in for #6 in May?

[Denis (deez_bookish_adventures)]

I am starting this one this morning, and I for one will be reading #6 in May.

[Graeme]

Me too.

[Marie, Coffee-Chocolate-Book Lover]

I created the thread for book 6 for everyone.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Graeme]

Excellent.

Thanks, Marie.

[Marie, Coffee-Chocolate-Book Lover]

Graeme wrote: "Excellent.

Thanks, Marie."

You are welcome! :)

[Narilka]

I'm finally starting tonight. Only a month late...

[Graeme]

All good, Narilka. I'm happy to chat about this book and the series with you.

[Narilka]

This one gets to the action pretty fast. Through Ch 3 (view spoiler)[I love how Petunia gives away her secret, that she knows a lot more about the wizarding world than she lets on and that she may not be as disapproving as she appears.

This is also the one time I genuinely feel bad for Dudley, the attack from the Dementor. (hide spoiler)]

[Graeme]

Dementors are genuinely horrific entities.

[Latasha]

I'm so far behind, idk if i will catch up.

[Narilka]

Ack! I must not have hit post last night. I hate when that happens.

Through Ch 10. Whew (view spoiler)[Harry's been found not guilty and will be back off to Hogwarts. I've completely forgotten if Fudge is just a rube wanting to bury his head in the sand about Voldermort being back or if he's a death eater. I think it's the first one. Guess I'll find out by book's end.

First look at Umbridge. Yep, she's creepy. Talk about a great upcoming villain.

Draco as a Prefect lol Ron too though for vastly different reasons.

Another addition: Luna! (hide spoiler)]

[Graeme]

@Narilka.

Umbridge is one of the most vile villains I've ever seen in print. I'm trying to remember what happens to her by the end of the series.

[Narilka]

I think Umbridge (view spoiler)[ends up in Azkaban? (hide spoiler)] But I'm not really sure :) I only read the later books once and same for watching the later movies - only once. It's making for a fun read as I remember the overarching plot but have forgotten details.

I just got through Harry's detention with Umbridge (view spoiler)[talk about diabolical! She basically gets the student to torture themselves and feel so bad about it they don't turn her in. Yet practicing defensive spells is wrong and hurtful. My god I could see this logic playing out in modern society very easily. That's what makes it even more frightening. (hide spoiler)]

[Graeme]

I think you're right, Narilka.

Re, Umbridge ... absolutely despicable ... I would have liked to be able to deliver justice upon her.

[Narilka]

Whew, a lot has happened! I'm through Ch 22 (view spoiler)[Ministry over reach into Hogwarts is pissing me off. Too much like the real world recently. I can't wait for Umbridge to get her comeuppance though I think it's not until the final book.

Haggrid's back and worse for wear. I think we get the explanation for his injuries by end of book right? It wasn't just his time with the giants if I'm remembering correctly.

I'd completely forgotten about Arthur Weasley getting attacked by the snake. Bad for him - good for story progression. It's showing Harry's continued connection to Voldemort.

I'm realizing this time through just how complex this story really is. It's fun to see how Rowling has grown as an author. (hide spoiler)]

[Narilka]

Graeme wrote: "46% in (Ch 18 done) and the DA is born."

Oh my yes. And the kids are so insightful (view spoiler)[The name chosen to scare the ministry with their worst fear :) (hide spoiler)]

[Graeme]

Regarding the DA, was it Ginny who thought the name up?

[Graeme]

One of the things that really got me about this story was how angry Harry was most of the time... (not without justification) quite the 'angry ant.'

How his anger progresses and its consequences is very nuanced.

[Narilka]

Graeme wrote: "Regarding the DA, was it Ginny who thought the name up?"

Yes it was Ginny.

[Graeme]

Indeed, Narilka.

[Denis (deez_bookish_adventures)]

All of the anger in Harry jumped out at me as well, that was something they glossed over in the movies for the most part, but it is front and center reading the books.

[Graeme]

Denis (deez_bookish_adventures) wrote: "All of the anger in Harry jumped out at me as well, that was something they glossed over in the movies for the most part, but it is front and center reading the books."

More and more I notice differences between the books and the movies, and while there's lots to like in the movies, I find the books better.

[Narilka]

I agree, the books are better. They are a deeper, richer experience.

[Marie, Coffee-Chocolate-Book Lover]

I just started this one late last night and my goodness - so many details left out of the movie.

I was laughing at Mr. Dursley in this one with (view spoiler)[all the owls flying through the windows. I was wishing for an owl to land on his head but alas that didn't happen! lol (hide spoiler)]

Another interesting shocker with (view spoiler)[Petunia knowing what the dementors guard - so I got to thinking about it more that she did hear more about her sister's life while Lily attended Hogwarts - Petunia lived at home no doubt so she would have known what truly went on within Hogwarts as Lily would have told their parents. (hide spoiler)]

So I am in the middle of chapter 3.

[Denis (deez_bookish_adventures)]

Graeme wrote: "More and more I notice differences between the books and the movies, and while there's lots to like in the movies, I find the books better..."

I agree 100%

[Denis (deez_bookish_adventures)]

Marie wrote: "Another interesting shocker with [Petunia knowing what the dementors guard..."

Yes, I went down a rabbit hole in my head over that little morsel as well. I was hoping to hear more about what she actually knew about the wizarding world.

[Marie, Coffee-Chocolate-Book Lover]

Denis (deez_bookish_adventures) wrote: "Marie wrote: "Another interesting shocker with [Petunia knowing what the dementors guard..."

Yes, I went down a rabbit hole in my head over that little morsel as well. I was hoping to hear more ab..."

I would really like to know more background on it myself but I am only assuming that she would have had to know more than she lets on because she would have had to grow up in the household with her parents and sister. The only thing is she obviously kept all that info away from her own family as her husband was shocked as well that she knew.

[Denis (deez_bookish_adventures)]

Marie wrote: "I would really like to know more background on it myself but I am only assuming that she would have had to know more than she lets on because she would have had to grow up in the household with her parents and sister. The only thing is she obviously kept all that info away from her own family as her husband was shocked as well that she knew...."

Yes, and knowing the kind of person her husband is she no doubt kept it from him their entire marriage. I would love to have been a fly on the wall after Harry and crew left. lol

[Marie, Coffee-Chocolate-Book Lover]

Denis (deez_bookish_adventures) wrote: "Yes, and knowing the kind of person her husband is she no doubt kept it from him their entire marriage. I would love to have been a fly on the wall after Harry and crew left. lol..."

LOL!!! Agree with you there! She would have probably never heard the end of it!

[Narilka]

Through Ch 24 (view spoiler)[It's nice Harry got to spend Christmas and extra time with Sirius considering what's coming.

As soon as I saw the Occlumency chapter I realized I'd forgotten this and also remembered what happens lol Wow, the way memory works is weird. I'm looking forward to the shock he gives Snape. Given Harry's anger issues this lesson important on several levels. (hide spoiler)]

[Graeme]

Occlumency.

This is the first time Harry is confronted with (view spoiler)[other's view of his father that he can't just wave off. (hide spoiler)]

[Narilka]

Graeme wrote: "Occlumency.

This is the first time Harry is confronted with [spoilers removed]"

Its a sign of growing up (view spoiler)[when you finally realize your parents are human too. (hide spoiler)]

[Graeme]

Indeed, Narilka.

[Marie, Coffee-Chocolate-Book Lover]

Thoughts so far.

Interesting how there are so many intricate details of every single thing that everyone does within this story. The movie definitely skips a lot of stuff but I see why they do as there is just so much within the book with lots of dialogue and details of so many things. If the movie was to capture everything then it would be five hours long! lol

Well I hit the Umbridge section of the book at the hearing. :) Let's see how long I can stand it. lol

[Narilka]

Finished! (view spoiler)[I had misremembered what happened to Umbridge badly lol Completely forgot all about the centaurs. Heck I also though she was in the next book but maybe not? It's kind of fun being surprised again :)

Harry's anger shadowed the whole book didn't it. Can't say I blame him at all but it did make some parts hard to read. I felt bad for Dumbledore at the end there with all he was telling Harry. No good way to have that conversation by that point. Growing up is hard. (hide spoiler)]

[Latasha]

Graeme wrote: "@Narilka.

Umbridge is one of the most vile villains I've ever seen in print. I'm trying to remember what happens to her by the end of the series."

i agree Graeme. I remember what happens to her and i hope it's even worse than I could ever imagine.

[Latasha]

I'm still reading along.

[Marie, Coffee-Chocolate-Book Lover]

Latasha wrote: "I'm still reading along."

Me too. I just read here and there. :)

[Latasha]

I am too.

[Marie, Coffee-Chocolate-Book Lover]

I am still slow going on here - might be longer now since I have other books I am reading for my featured author months. lol :)