Spotlight Series: Harry Potter

J K (Joanne Kathleen) Rowling was born in the summer of 1965 at Yate General Hospital in England and grew up in Chepstow, Gwent where she went to Wyedean Comprehensive. Jo left Chepstow for Exeter University, where she earned a French and Classics degree, and where her course included one year in Paris. As a postgraduate she moved to London to work at Amnesty International, doing research into human rights abuses in Francophone Africa. She started writing the Harry Potter series during a Manchester to London King's Cross train journey, and during the next five years, outlined the plots for each book and began writing the first novel. The Harry Potter books have sold 400 million copies worldwide. They are distributed in over 200 territories and are translated into 67 languages.

The Harry Potter series is THE fantasy series of a generation. I borrowed the first books from my cousin right around the time Sorcerer's Stone was released and instantly fell in love with the world created within the pages. People have many reasons to love the series, but the thing that always holds me spellbound during a reading of the series is the atmosphere itself. All the tiny little details that make up the wizarding world make me absolutely love the series.

Important Characters to Know
Harry Potter - Orphaned wizard. Only person to survive a deadly attack by Lord Voldemort.

Ron Weasley - Best friend to Harry and Hermoine. Born to pureblood wizards. Youngest boy in a family of seven siblings.

Hermoine Granger - Best friend to Harry and Ron. Born to Muggles (non-wizards). Very intelligent.

Lord Voldemort - Primary bad guy of series. Dark wizard. Attacked Harry when he was a baby. Obsessed with purebloods, although not a pureblood wizard himself.

Albus Dumbledore - Headmaster of Hogwarts, a wizarding boarding school. Harry's mentor.

Severus Snape -Professor at Hogwarts who takes an instant dislike of Harry. There is always the question as to whether he is good or evil.

Rubeus Hagrid -Half-giant friend to Harry, Ron and Hermoine. Isn't supposed to use magic as he was expelled from Hogwarts before graduating.

Draco Malfoy - Student at Hogwarts. Bully. Obsessed with purebloods.

Harry Potter
(in reading order, links lead to my reviews)

1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher'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

If you like the Harry Potter series, you should try:

The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan

The Earthsea Cycle series by Ursula K. Le Guin

The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis

The Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer

The Bartimaeus series by Jonathan Stroud