Re-reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I really tried to resist this series. For one, I was no longer in the sci-fi/fantasy mindset and two, I was no longer a young adult. The attraction was too much and I finally gave in after the fourth book was published. My supervisor and her son had been reading the books and it was just too much. I found myself instantly pulled into the world of Hogwart's and the wizards of England.

It's amazing just how fabulous the UK can make fantasy sound. Their oral and written history add to the current trends in fantasy publishing. They have clans in Scotland, constant unrest in Ireland and druids in most of the UK. The rich history and superstitions, along with the myriad of religions just add to the enchanting stories and worlds that develop.

Rawlings put a lot of thought into her world. Not only does she incorporate magic and supernatural (two very importants aspects of fantasy), she makes it plausible by using latin derivations for spellwork & incantations; real plants available today; mythical creatures found in ancient texts (such as a hippogrif); adolescent angst set in a normal school; and the ever ready "good versus evil" background. She explains away unnatural events as natural phenomenon or vice versa. There is just enough truth to sometimes wonder, could it really happen?

Why do stories pull us in and how do the authors achieve that? Here is a great author destined to follow the footsteps of JRR Tolkein.

English Authors

I've read a few English authors--mostly those that are dead. I've read quite a few American authors who like to write about the UK, such as Elizabeth George. One English author who is very good and still alive is Jeffery Archer. His mysteries are well spun and multi-faceted (that means many sides). He doesn't have just one line of inquiry, but several and you find they are tied up together in some of the most bizarre, yet plausible methods. Thoroughly enjoyable for the modern mystery reader, these stories make you think about modern crimes and the criminal system.

Library of Congress

Today you should go visit the Library of Congress and the cool 2009 National Book Awards. Click on the title.

Local Libraries and Technology

I had one last assignment in class of looking into libraries and what they might offer in terms of media and technology. Amazingly enough I found a local library that offers downloadable books to the Sony Reader. For those who might be interested, it's Bloomington Public.

Along the same lines I was really disappointed in my own local library--Dakota County. Other than the normal computing courses and gaming nights for teens and children, they offer very little. One thing they offered up that I did not find at other libraries (as yet) was a class on digital cameras. Given the many downloads and the amount of technology in the hands of people (young people in particular) wouldn't a library want to find some way to get that technology & media out there?

If anyone is interested in a Wii, check out a local library. Nearly all of them have times that Wii is set up and available for gaming. Some even have the Wii Fit. It's a great way to check out the technology without having to invest in the expense. The librarians are more than willing to teach the use too.

There is so much in technology out there--software, hardware--and every day uses. Libraries need to start investing in this because these are being used in the classrooms already. They are starting to invade the workplace. People have a need to learn and there is still the whole issue of accessibility for some people. Support the libraries and ask for the technology.