Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
As the sixth installment of a 7-part series, this book leaves many questions unanswered. The Half-Blood Prince is darker than the earlier books in the series. Several of the chapters are particularly well-written, with great suspense and imagery; an example would be the time that Harry and Dumbledore spend in the cave, and the confrontation between Dumbledore and the Death Eaters.
After having to come to face with the fact that Lord Voldemort is alive, the wizard community is in an uproar, and quite frightened. Cornelius Fudge has been sacked as Minister of Magic, and an Auror has been named in that position. Harry, Ron and Hermione get their O.W.Ls (Ordinary Wizardry Levels), and have to decide what courses to take for their N.E.W.Ts (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests), something that will define their future careers.
Plots abound, and danger is omnipresent throughout the book. There is a new teacher of Defense against the Dark Arts, and also an eccentric new Potions’ teacher. There is adventure, some romance, the death on one of the major characters, and many more elements that add up to make the kind of book that you simply must read.
Divergent by Veronica Roth
In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On one appointed day each year, all 16-year-olds must declare which faction to which they’ll devote the rest of their lives.
During Beatrice’s aptitude test she gets a result that is disturbing and dangerous: Divergent. At the choosing ceremony, she impulsively chooses Dauntless, whose value is bravery, and who protect the rest of the citizens. Beatrice, now called Tris, finds that she feels intensely alive in Dauntless, even during the fierce training. She enjoys seeing her muscles harden, testing her courage, protecting the underdog, and working her way up the ranks of recruits. Making both friends and enemies, she moves through simulations tailored to trigger her personal test in the Fear Landscape. Gradually, her Divergence quality shows itself, allowing Tris to see that the faction-dominated world isn’t as wonderful as she has been told.
The likeable characters, excellent pacing, and blooming romance will have readers hooked. Now I want to see the movie!
Peanut Butter Theater 
I think of all the books in this series I like this one the best, because Harry shows up Hermione in a class.
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Ha Ha! Yes that was funny – Hermione was so ticked about that. Do you think he was cheating with the notes from the book? Maybe he was, but he still learned what worked and saved Ron’s life!
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Isn’t it interesting how the intensity increases in each book? In the Sorcerer’s Stone, it’s already so wild that Harry’s a wizard that the crazy climax of meeting Voldemort (kind of haha) isn’t even necessary. But then with each book the plot and climax seems to step up a notch. With each book, more is at risk. I wonder if Rowling just got more brazen or if she had that planned all along. What do you think?
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I tend to think it happens like a movie – I think she felt she needed to “top” the last adventure. It all started innocently enough, and ended with a BANG! I wonder how she developed her characters…I sincerely doubt she planned Snapes entire back story right from the beginning. That’s how characters evolve.
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I really liked Half-Blood Prince–I think it’s my second favorite in the series. (First favorite is Prisoner of Azkaban. That scene by the water with the patronus just kills me every time.) Snape is one of my favorite characters in the series, so I was glad to know more about him and be confirmed in my belief that he’s not all bad!
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I think Prisoner of Azkaban was my favorite too. Finding out Snape was actually a nice guy made me glad, in a weird kind of way!
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