Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Amazon.com

Readers beware. The brilliant, breathtaking conclusion to J.K. Rowling's spellbinding series is not for the faint of heart--such revelations, battles, and betrayals await in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that no fan will make it to the end unscathed. Luckily, Rowling has prepped loyal readers for the end of her series by doling out increasingly dark and dangerous tales of magic and mystery, shot through with lessons about honor and contempt, love and loss, and right and wrong. Fear not, you will find no spoilers in our review--to tell the plot would ruin the journey, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is an odyssey the likes of which Rowling's fans have not yet seen, and are not likely to forget. But we would be remiss if we did not offer one small suggestion before you embark on your final adventure with Harry--bring plenty of tissues.

The heart of Book 7 is a hero's mission--not just in Harry's quest for the Horcruxes, but in his journey from boy to man--and Harry faces more danger than that found in all six books combined, from the direct threat of the Death Eaters and you-know-who, to the subtle perils of losing faith in himself. Attentive readers would do well to remember Dumbledore's warning about making the choice between "what is right and what is easy," and know that Rowling applies the same difficult principle to the conclusion of her series. While fans will find the answers to hotly speculated questions about Dumbledore, Snape, and you-know-who, it is a testament to Rowling's skill as a storyteller that even the most astute and careful reader will be taken by surprise.

A spectacular finish to a phenomenal series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a bittersweet read for fans. The journey is hard, filled with events both tragic and triumphant, the battlefield littered with the bodies of the dearest and despised, but the final chapter is as brilliant and blinding as a phoenix's flame, and fans and skeptics alike will emerge from the confines of the story with full but heavy hearts, giddy and grateful for the experience. --Daphne Durham

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Begin at the Beginning

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Hardcover
Paperback Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Hardcover
Paperback Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Hardcover
Paperback Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Hardcover
Paperback Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Hardcover
Paperback Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Hardcover
Paperback

Why We Love Harry
Favorite Moments from the Series
There are plenty of reasons to love Rowling's wildly popular series--no doubt you have several dozen of your own. Our list features favorite moments, characters, and artifacts from the first five books. Keep in mind that this list is by no means exhaustive (what we love about Harry could fill ten books!) and does not include any of the spectacular revelatory moments that would spoil the books for those (few) who have not read them. Enjoy.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

* Harry's first trip to the zoo with the Dursleys, when a boa constrictor winks at him.
* When the Dursleys' house is suddenly besieged by letters for Harry from Hogwarts. Readers learn how much the Dursleys have been keeping from Harry. Rowling does a wonderful job in displaying the lengths to which Uncle Vernon will go to deny that magic exists.
* Harry's first visit to Diagon Alley with Hagrid. Full of curiosities and rich with magic and marvel, Harry's first trip includes a trip to Gringotts and Ollivanders, where Harry gets his wand (holly and phoenix feather) and discovers yet another connection to He-Who-Must-No-Be-Named. This moment is the reader's first full introduction to Rowling's world of witchcraft and wizards.
* Harry's experience with the Sorting Hat.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

* The de-gnoming of the Weasleys' garden. Harry discovers that even wizards have chores--gnomes must be grabbed (ignoring angry protests "Gerroff me! Gerroff me!"), swung about (to make them too dizzy to come back), and tossed out of the garden--this delightful scene highlights Rowling's clever and witty genius.
* Harry's first experience with a Howler, sent to Ron by his mother.
* The Dueling Club battle between Harry and Malfoy. Gilderoy Lockhart starts the Dueling Club to help students practice spells on each other, but he is not prepared for the intensity of the animosity between Harry and Draco. Since they are still young, their minibattle is innocent enough, including tickling and dancing charms.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

* Ron's attempt to use a telephone to call Harry at the Dursleys'.
* Harry's first encounter with a Dementor on the train (and just about any other encounter with Dementors). Harry's brush with the Dementors is terrifying and prepares Potter fans for a darker, scarier book.
* Harry, Ron, and Hermione's behavior in Professor Trelawney's Divination class. Some of the best moments in Rowling's books occur when she reminds us that the wizards-in-training at Hogwarts are, after all, just children. Clearly, even at a school of witchcraft and wizardry, classes can be boring and seem pointless to children.
* The Boggart lesson in Professor Lupin's classroom.
* Harry, Ron, and Hermione's knock-down confrontation with Snape.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

* Hermione's disgust at the reception for the veela (Bulgarian National Team Mascots) at the Quidditch World Cup. Rowling's fourth book addresses issues about growing up--the dynamic between the boys and girls at Hogwarts starts to change. Nowhere is this more plain than the hilarious scene in which magical cheerleaders nearly convince Harry and Ron to jump from the stands to impress them.
* Viktor Krum's crush on Hermione--and Ron's objection to it.
* Malfoy's "Potter Stinks" badge.
* Hermione's creation of S.P.E.W., the intolerant bigotry of the Death Eaters, and the danger of the Triwizard Tournament. Add in the changing dynamics between girls and boys at Hogwarts, and suddenly Rowling's fourth book has a weight and seriousness not as present in early books in the series. Candy and tickle spells are left behind as the students tackle darker, more serious issues and take on larger responsibilities, including the knowledge of illegal curses.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

* Harry's outburst to his friends at No. 12 Grimmauld Place. A combination of frustration over being kept in the dark and fear that he will be expelled fuels much of Harry's anger, and it all comes out at once, directly aimed at Ron and Hermione. Rowling perfectly portrays Harry's frustration at being too old to shirk responsibility, but too young to be accepted as part of the fight that he knows is coming.
* Harry's detention with Professor Umbridge. Rowling shows her darker side, leading readers to believe that Hogwarts is no longer a safe haven for young wizards. Dolores represents a bureaucratic tyrant capable of real evil, and Harry is forced to endure their private battle of wills alone.
* Harry and Cho's painfully awkward interactions. Rowling clearly remembers what it was like to be a teenager.
* Harry's Occlumency lessons with Snape.
* Dumbledore's confession to Harry.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

* The introduction of the Horcrux.
* Molly Weasley asking Arthur Weasley about his "dearest ambition." Rowling has always been great at revealing little intriguing bits about her characters at a time, and Arthur's answer "to find out how airplanes stay up" reminds us about his obsession with Muggles.
* Harry's private lessons with Dumbledore, and more time spent with the fascinating and dangerous pensieve, arguably one of Rowling's most ingenious inventions.
* Fred and George Weasley's Joke Shop, and the slogan: "Why Are You Worrying About You-Know-Who? You Should Be Worrying About U-NO-POO--the Constipation Sensation That's Gripping the Nation!"
* Luna's Quidditch commentary. Rowling created scores of Luna Lovegood fans with hilarious and bizarre commentary from the most unlikely Quidditch commentator.
* The effects of Felix Felicis.

Magic, Mystery, and Mayhem: A Conversation with J.K. Rowling

"I am an extraordinarily lucky person, doing what I love best in the world. I'm sure that I will always be a writer. It was wonderful enough just to be published. The greatest reward is the enthusiasm of the readers." --J.K. Rowling

Find out more about Harry's creator in our exclusive interview with J.K. Rowling.

Did You Know?

The Little White Horse was J.K. Rowling's favorite book as a child. Jane Austen is Rowling's favorite author. Roddy Doyle is Rowling's favorite living writer.

A Few Words from Mary GrandPré

"When I illustrate a cover or a book, I draw upon what the author tells me; that's how I see my responsibility as an illustrator. J.K. Rowling is very descriptive in her writing--she gives an illustrator a lot to work with. Each story is packed full of rich visual descriptions of the atmosphere, the mood, the setting, and all the different creatures and people. She makes it easy for me. The images just develop as I sketch and retrace until it feels right and matches her vision." Check out more Harry Potter art from illustrator Mary GrandPré.

Product Description

The most eagerly anticipated book of the year, the grand finale of the Harry Potter series, is here. Harry must at last fulfill his destiny: to destroy the Dark Lord Voldemort or be destroyed himself. Take Harry with you everywhere you go with this audiobook, narrated by the award-winning Jim Dale.

Customer Reviews:

A Terrific Ending to the Series...Or is it?.......2007-10-19

Deathly Hallows was a fitting finale to this wonderful, well-loved series. In my opinion not one of the books in this series was a disappointment. In Deadly Hollows I was glad to see the series end in such a magnificent and inspirational way. Most of the loose ends have been resolved. Ms. Rowling ensured that the reader remembered what has happened in the previous six years. The ending with "The Battle" was a cleaver and satisfying surprise to me. Unfortunately a number of old friends did not make it to the end, maybe a bit too many. There is so much defeat and despair in the first half of the book that I was beginning to wonder if the series was going to come to a happy ending. In summary I would gladly recommend this book to my friends. For the young adults there were some brief moments of obscene language and the idea of death may be hard for a certain age group to handle. Overall, it's a wonderful fantasy that is written by a very talented writer.

Another challenging young adult book is the gripping story Tommytown by Robert L. Saunders. This exciting novel is based on a real family living in sheer poverty during the 1950's and is told through the eyes of 11-year-old Barry Foreman and his sister Karen as they watch their mother, Helen, struggle to survive with her 7 children. Sorry, no sorcerer is going to show up and wave a magic wand and make Helen's troubles go away. Its not all gloom and doom as the author ensures there is a mix of humor and a light-hearted spirit among the brothers and sisters. It's a refreshing, warm tale that gripped my senses as it centered on the children's adoration for their mother, their perseverance to endure hardship, and verbal scorn at school. Check it out you won't be disappointed. Bye.

Fantastic........2007-10-19

Fantastic. There's not much else to say. J.K. Rowling is a genius, and this is her best work yet. Defiantly by favorite book.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Book 7.......2007-10-18

I liked Book 7 - a lot of people tried to spoil it before it came out and none of them were right!
I was glued to this one just like the other six and could barely put it down to get to work - sorry it's the last one. It's definitely worth the read!

Unabridged CD is a good listen.......2007-10-18

I'd recommend it. I listen to it during work commute daily. The narrator's voices for the characters is very good.

Great Ending to a Great Series.......2007-10-18

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is an absolute must for anyone who's read the first 6 books in the series. The Deathly Hallows takes you through Harry's last adventure to destroy the evil Lord Voldemort. J.K. Rowling does a wonderful job in tying up the story to a very satisfying ending I think all will be pleased with.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6)

Average customer rating:

Best Harry Potter book of the series
YES I CRIED!!!
Good long read.
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
The Epic Harry Potter Year 6

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6)
J.K. Rowling
Manufacturer: Listening Library (Audio)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 0307283658
Release Date: 2005-07-16

Amazon.com

The long-awaited, eagerly anticipated, arguably over-hyped Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has arrived, and the question on the minds of kids, adults, fans, and skeptics alike is, "Is it worth the hype?" The answer, luckily, is simple: yep. A magnificent spectacle more than worth the price of admission, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will blow you away. However, given that so much has gone into protecting the secrets of the book (including armored trucks and injunctions), don't expect any spoilers in this review. It's much more fun not knowing what's coming--and in the case of Rowling's delicious sixth book, you don't want to know. Just sit tight, despite the earth-shattering revelations that will have your head in your hands as you hope the words will rearrange themselves into a different story. But take one warning to heart: do not open Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince until you have first found a secluded spot, safe from curious eyes, where you can tuck in for a good long read. Because once you start, you won't stop until you reach the very last page.

A darker book than any in the series thus far with a level of sophistication belying its genre, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince moves the series into murkier waters and marks the arrival of Rowling onto the adult literary scene. While she has long been praised for her cleverness and wit, the strength of Book 6 lies in her subtle development of key characters, as well as her carefully nuanced depiction of a community at war. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, no one and nothing is safe, including preconceived notions of good and evil and of right and wrong. With each book in her increasingly remarkable series, fans have nervously watched J.K. Rowling raise the stakes; gone are the simple delights of butterbeer and enchanted candy, and days when the worst ailment could be cured by a bite of chocolate. A series that began as a colorful lark full of magic and discovery has become a dark and deadly war zone. But this should not come as a shock to loyal readers. Rowling readied fans with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by killing off popular characters and engaging the young students in battle. Still, there is an unexpected bleakness from the start of Book 6 that casts a mean shadow over Quidditch games, silly flirtations, and mountains of homework. Ready or not, the tremendous ending of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will leave stunned fans wondering what great and terrible events await in Book 7 if this sinister darkness is meant to light the way. --Daphne Durham

Visit the Harry Potter Store
Our Harry Potter Store features all things Harry, including books (box sets and collector's editions), audio CDs and cassettes, DVDs, soundtracks, games, and more.

Begin at the Beginning

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Hardcover
Paperback Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Hardcover
Paperback Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Hardcover
Paperback Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Hardcover
Paperback Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Hardcover
Paperback

Why We Love Harry
Favorite Moments from the Series
There are plenty of reasons to love Rowling's wildly popular series--no doubt you have several dozen of your own. Our list features favorite moments, characters, and artifacts from the first five books. Keep in mind that this list is by no means exhaustive (what we love about Harry could fill ten books!) and does not include any of the spectacular revelatory moments that would spoil the books for those (few) who have not read them. Enjoy.

Find out more about Harry's creator in our exclusive interview with J.K. Rowling.

Did You Know?

The Little White Horse was J.K. Rowling's favorite book as a child. Jane Austen is Rowling's favorite author. Roddy Doyle is Rowling's favorite living writer.

Book Description

The war against Voldemort is not going well: even Muggle governments are noticing. Ron scans the obituary pages of The Daily Prophet looking for familiar names. Dumbledore is absent from Hogwarts for long stretches of time, and the Order of the Phoenix has already suffered losses.

And yet...

As in all wars, life goes on. Sixth-year students learn to Apparate--and lose a few eyebrows in the process. The Weasley twins expand their business. Teenagers flirt and fight and fall in love. Classes are never straightforward, though Harry receives some extraordinary help from the mysterious Half-Blood Prince.

So it's the home front that takes center stage in the multilayered sixth installment of the story of Harry Potter. Here at Hogwarts, Harry will search for the full and complex story of the boy who became Lord Voldemort--and thereby find what may be his only vulnerability.

Customer Reviews:

Best Harry Potter book of the series.......2007-10-19

Rowling really put her self in a tough situation after writing this book. She had to write a book 7 to upscale it. She did an admirable job, but her story wrote book 7 in itself. Book 6 was her best work, and really turned the story of Harry Potter around.

YES I CRIED!!!.......2007-10-19

This book was soo good. They have all been great, but this one really got to me. Once you are this far in the series you feel like you know the characters, and I have to say this book touched me, had me laughing and crying. The events that unfold have you turning every page dying for more. I believe once you get past book 3 the story stops being just for kids. This book was an emotional rollar-coaster, and yes I cried!!! I know it sounds insane to get so into a book, but I must say when you get this immersed in a story it shows that the author knows what she is doing. Cheers to Rowling...she has earned a place up there with Tolkien in my opinion!

Good long read........2007-10-17

Good story, but dreadfully too much book, not enough content. Rowling was right when she said it should have been edited down by a third. At least kids can say, "Look, see! I read all THAT!"

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.......2007-10-17

This book serves as a set up for the final book of the series: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I highly recommend starting at the beginning of the series: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
Barring that at least watch the movies up to Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix. In Half Blood Prince we learn the secret of Voldemort's power. We get some more back ground on the characters. Harry finds love and there is a major calamity in store for him. A great book but it will make best sense if the reader is familiar with the series. Also, this book was worth reading as it sets up the Deathly Hallow book, making Deathly Hallows much more coherent and enjoyable.

The Epic Harry Potter Year 6.......2007-10-10

I have not always been a Harry Potter fan until recently. I have all the movies up until Year 4 and all the books including the last one Deathly Hallows year 7. I recommend buying and reading all the Harry Potter books, the excitement and tension truly does not build until this book "The Half Blood Prince" year 6. J.K. Rowlings never ceases to amaze me with her vivid imagination. As I read her books I instantly feel like I am watching the movie and no longer reading. Now I am sure all the true Harry Potter fans saw the latest movie year 5 "The Order of the Phoenix" that catalyzed the journey. I like to thank Amazon.com for keeping all the Harry Potter fans up to date. Stay stuned for the Harry Potter theme park called "Wizarding World" coming to Universal Studios in 2009. I will be the first in line!

Inspired By The Bible Experience: New Testament

Average customer rating:

Love it!
Inspired By The Bible Experience: The New Testament
LISTEN TO JESUS!
This CD package Brings the Bible to Life
Awesome!!!

Inspired By The Bible Experience: New Testament
Zondervan
Manufacturer: Zondervan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 0310926319
Release Date: 2006-10-03

Book Description

Hear the words of the Bible brought to life like never before. Inspired By… The Bible Experience: New Testament Audio CD is a fully-dramatized reading of the Bible performed by an unprecedented ensemble of distinguished African-American actors, musicians, and personalities. The cast, including recognizable voices as Denzel Washington, Blair Underwood and Angela Bassett, reads the Bible using the accessible and trusted Today’s New International Version (TNIV).

Customer Reviews:

Love it!.......2007-10-19

I have been wanting to get the Bible on cd so that I could listen to it on my drive to and from work. I had seen The Bible Experience on amazon and itunes - and was excited that it was a little more intriquing than one boring monotone voice. I hesitated for awhile because I wasn't sure that all the different voices and music would be too corny and kid-like (I'm 23).

I finally decided to buy it on Amazon, and I love it! It is not too corny/dramatic. I challenge anyone who has a commute to work, or is on the road a lot to get these cd's. Fill your mind with God's word instead of morning radio talk shows, etc. If you want to hear a sample of what it sounds like - go to itunes and look it up.

Inspired By The Bible Experience: The New Testament.......2007-10-17

Inspired By the Bible Experience: The New Testament is the most remarkable audio Bible I have ever heard. From the very beginning, my attention was captivated by the sounds that add to the sense of reality. My sense of hearing was completely engaged not only with the actual action of each chapter, but also with all of the background activity that adds life to the verses. Additionally, there were some soul-stirring performances. At times, I felt what the performers must have felt - certainly the intent of a true artist. All of the part selections were well made...but Blair Underwood as Jesus...BRILLIANT.

LISTEN TO JESUS!.......2007-10-13

I've listened to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in The Bible Experience mp3 version for 4 weeks, over and over. I can't stop! They are INCREDIBLE! Did Jesus really say THAT?! Was He really that hard on the religious leaders of His day? How could anybody miss what He was saying? He repeated Himself so many times!

Listen to Jesus's Words being spoken with the inflections He most likely used! The meaning of His Words become clear in ways I've never understood before!

It is amazing to me that He never rebuked the women who came to Him, even the sinning ones, but treated each with respect. There were crowds of women following Him, ministering to Him from their own wealth. Many were wives and mothers-- but here they were, following Jesus all over the place-- for YEARS! Jesus says over & over, "He who loves children, or house, or family, more than Me, is not worthy of Me." And He includes those hundreds of women who "left all and followed Him" in order to minister to Him and the Apostles. How different that teaching is from today, where pastors feel obligated to remind women of 'their place'. 'Their place', as I hear Jesus say it, is right there beside HIM! Who did He first appear to after His resurrection? Not the apostles, but the women! Later on, He rebuked the apostles sharply for being cowards! But He gave the women this special honor because they loved Him and did not abandon Him!

Woe to you, church leaders, if you will not go out of your way to help a sister in the Lord with any problem she brings you! Jesus never turned a woman away or spoke down to her! Jesus would never say "the problem in your home is YOU and your extreme devotion to God!" Yet how often I've heard this preached from the pulpit and on the radio! This is the opposite of how the Lord dealt with women! Take heart, sisters, we can cling to Jesus' Words and follow HIM! It is the religious leaders of our own day who Jesus is rebuking, just as He did back then!

Listen to Jesus' Words as He speaks to the apostles about children! Can any pastor ever deny a child a seat in his sanctuary after hearing THAT? Woe to you, arrogant church leaders, who wince at the cries of little children, and demand that all children under a certain age be taken OUT! You enjoy the sound of your own voices more than the simple Words of Christ!

Listen to Jesus! It will expose the Christian phoniness we're bombarded with everywhere! It will ruin you for any other kind of teaching! Hallelujah! No wonder He was labeled a heretic! No wonder the religious leaders got so mad when they heard Him that they demanded His death! His Words were like slaps in their faces and they didn't like it! They were infuriated!

Beware of the leaven of the religious leaders in our OWN day!

LISTEN TO JESUS!

This CD package Brings the Bible to Life.......2007-09-06

This CD set delivers the New Testament in a way that spoke to me. It is more than a Bible reading but a story that comes to life with the reading of each chapter. Listening to the voice inflection, tone and tempo married with the background sound effects provides a backdrop for you to visualize the time, location and circumstances that this biblical story takes place. Enjoy the word and discover new insight through the experience of this CD set. It is well worth the money and I can not wait to hear the Old Testament too. [...]

Awesome!!!.......2007-08-30

This set is absolutely wonderful! It causes you to see the bible in a whole new light. It really takes the bible and gives it life. I highly recommend this set!

Behind the Wheel Chinese (Mandarin), Level 1: Learn to Speak Mandarin Chinese Quickly and Easily! (8 One Hour CDs)

Average customer rating:

Learn to speak Chinese
Excellent Supplement
Excellent! CD 1 and Beyond
Good for listening comprehension and practice
Great Course - Multi-Track - 2 Native Speakers

Behind the Wheel Chinese (Mandarin), Level 1: Learn to Speak Mandarin Chinese Quickly and Easily! (8 One Hour CDs)
Mark A. Frobose
Manufacturer: Language Dynamics Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 1893564452

Book Description

At last a Mandarin CD course which requires no reading and which teaches you to actually speak Mandarin Chinese in a minimum of time and effort. Designed by the experts at Language Dynamics, 'Behind The Wheel Chinese For Your Car' takes the learner from basic to intermediate level Mandarin without the guesswork and pain usually associated with language learning. An expert English speaking instructor talks you through these tapes in English while 2 trained professional native Mandarin speakers teach you Chinese the way it is really spoken! Behind The Wheel Chinese For Your Car is the ideal way to learn Mandarin Chinese while you drive because there is no confusion, no reading, no looking up meanings, and no guessing. It's all on the CDs. Use your commute time to effectively learn Chinese with this delightful course whose method will have you speaking your first words in Mandarin within minutes of receiving your course, and enjoying it. The product has superb clarity of voices and exudes a spontaneity which makes learning Chinese fun. You'll be thrilled with the fast and easy to learn design of the course, beginning with the immediate gratification you feel when you conclude your first one half hour session with the CDs speaking sentences in Mandarin that Chinese speakers understand 10 minutes later on the street. You'll be amazed at the 'natural' way you just seem to pick up Chinese without having to learn grammar or reviewing. No need to go back. It's all 'built in' the course. Just imagine the thrill of being able to express what you really feel in Mandarin in 100 different ways because you know own a Chinese linguistic blueprint, a template that you can manipulate over and over again in different and personal ways while increasing your fluency in Mandarin. What' s more, you will also learn to speak in the past, present and future along with idioms all in the same course.

Customer Reviews:

Learn to speak Chinese.......2007-10-19

This product was a good deal. It is fairly a complete package to obtain a comfortable level of fluency in Mandarin Chinese. It is more for those desiring to learn to speak the entire language than those who wish to learn a few phrases for a quick trip to China. Very good for those with long commutes.

Excellent Supplement.......2007-05-16

The most important thing to remember when purchasing this pack is that these CDs are for beginners, NOT novice speakers. People who have had some training with Chinese in the classroom or self-study may be able to pick up and use this CD pack, but the information is presented too rapidly (and there is too much presented at once) to be good for initial acquisition.

I would give it 5 stars, but there is no clear advertising about this product. If I had some information about the rapid pace and the target audience, I probably would not have purchased this set. It will, however, be a useful set once I've mastered some basic phrases.

Excellent! CD 1 and Beyond.......2006-06-16

The 'good' doesn't stop with CD1. It's just beginning.
I notice no difference between the approach used in 'Behind the Wheel Chinese/Mandarin' and other Behind the Wheel courses I have used.
CD 2 and beyond evolve sentence building, tenses, expressions,
and tons of vocabulary that they teach you how to assemble.
Great course.

Good for listening comprehension and practice.......2006-05-06

This audio set is very useful for getting an idea of how things are pronounced natively, and some slight variations on those pronunciations. However, it would not be a good idea to start here, as it relies heavily on memory. However, a good accompanying set to any books and courses.

Meant to be listened to, not to replace study while not driving.

Great Course - Multi-Track - 2 Native Speakers.......2006-03-24

I tried Pimsleur's Chinese (Mandarin) (Instant Conversation) and returned it because it didn't have multi-tracks, they presented too little vocabulary and the the course was 'rigid'.
I prefer the method in Behind the Wheel Chinese because there are multi-tracks
(very important for in-car language learning), a good memory technique and great original sentence formation exercises that get you speaking Mandarin from the get-go.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5)

Average customer rating:

Easily the most complex, and in some ways most satisfying, of all the Potter novels
Great book Fast delivery
The Order of the Phoenix rises...
Entertaining and kept my interest
Adolescents at Hogwarts

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5)
J.K. Rowling
Manufacturer: Listening Library (Audio)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 0807220299
Release Date: 2003-06-21

Amazon.com

As his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry approaches, 15-year-old Harry Potter is in full-blown adolescence, complete with regular outbursts of rage, a nearly debilitating crush, and the blooming of a powerful sense of rebellion. It's been yet another infuriating and boring summer with the despicable Dursleys, this time with minimal contact from our hero's non-Muggle friends from school. Harry is feeling especially edgy at the lack of news from the magic world, wondering when the freshly revived evil Lord Voldemort will strike. Returning to Hogwarts will be a relief... or will it?

The fifth book in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series follows the darkest year yet for our young wizard, who finds himself knocked down a peg or three after the events of last year. Somehow, over the summer, gossip (usually traced back to the magic world's newspaper, the Daily Prophet) has turned Harry's tragic and heroic encounter with Voldemort at the Triwizard Tournament into an excuse to ridicule and discount the teen. Even Professor Dumbledore, headmaster of the school, has come under scrutiny by the Ministry of Magic, which refuses to officially acknowledge the terrifying truth that Voldemort is back. Enter a particularly loathsome new character: the toadlike and simpering ("hem, hem") Dolores Umbridge, senior undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, who takes over the vacant position of Defense Against Dark Arts teacher--and in no time manages to become the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts, as well. Life isn't getting any easier for Harry Potter. With an overwhelming course load as the fifth years prepare for their Ordinary Wizarding Levels examinations (O.W.Ls), devastating changes in the Gryffindor Quidditch team lineup, vivid dreams about long hallways and closed doors, and increasing pain in his lightning-shaped scar, Harry's resilience is sorely tested.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, more than any of the four previous novels in the series, is a coming-of-age story. Harry faces the thorny transition into adulthood, when adult heroes are revealed to be fallible, and matters that seemed black-and-white suddenly come out in shades of gray. Gone is the wide-eyed innocent, the whiz kid of Sorcerer's Stone. Here we have an adolescent who's sometimes sullen, often confused (especially about girls), and always self-questioning. Confronting death again, as well as a startling prophecy, Harry ends his year at Hogwarts exhausted and pensive. Readers, on the other hand, will be energized as they enter yet again the long waiting period for the next title in the marvelous, magical series. (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter

Book Description

There is a door at the end of a silent corridor. And it's haunting Harry Potter's dreams. Why else would he be waking in the middle of the night, screaming in terror?

Here are just a few things on Harry's mind:

• A Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher with a personality like poisoned honey.

• A venomous, disgruntled house-elf

• Ron as keeper of the Gryffindor Quidditch team

• The looming terror of the end-of-term Ordinary Wizarding Level exams

. . . and of course, the growing threat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. In the richest installment yet of J. K. Rowling's seven-part story, Harry Potter is faced with the unreliability of the very government of the magical world and the impotence of the authorities at Hogwarts.

Despite this (or perhaps because of it), he finds depth and strength in his friends, beyond what even he knew, boundless loyalty; and unbearable sacrifice.

Though thick runs the plot, listeners will race through these tapes and leave Hogwarts, like Harry, wishing only for the next train back.

Customer Reviews:

Easily the most complex, and in some ways most satisfying, of all the Potter novels.......2007-10-17

ORDER OF THE PHOENIX could well be my favorite book of them all, if Azkaban and Deathly Hallows weren't as good as they were. For all the talk about GOBLET being the one where Rowling really hikes up the intensity and the complexity in the series, it is here, in PHOENIX, she gives us Potter's darkest, and most complex, adventure of all.

The second most complex novel in the entire Potter sequence (the first being Book 7), this book is probably the second best one, though I still like Azkaban better. This novel introduces the Order of the Phoenix, a whole litany of new characters and a more indepth look at the Ministry For Magic.

Potter has been having bad dreams about a locked door. So he must find out what to do about that. While at home with the Dursleys, he and Dudley are attacked by dementors, and so he stands trial before the Ministry for the inappropriate use of underage magic. He ultimately must appear before the Ministry, and it is only by Dumbledore's appearance he is saved.

But the Ministry is not finished yet. Still under staunch denial that Voldemort is back, Cornelius Fudge sends a new teacher, Dolores Umbridge, to bring Hogwarts under the Ministry's control. Much of the storyline revolves around Umbridge as she takes over Hogwarts, eventually ousting Dumbledore, who goes on the run. Her end is very well justified.

I remember when I read the book back in 2003 when it initially came out being rather disappointed. I wasn't a big fan of GOBLET, and I couldn't way to spend more time in Harry's universe, being back at Hogwarts with characters I know and love. But when I read PHOENIX, though, I felt even more lost and rather alienated. Hogwarts was being taken over. Hagrid was missing for half the book. Dumbledore is extremely distant (for reasons explained at the end of the novel). The Ministry is taken over, and it's run by a man who doesn't know what the hell is going on. There was a lot going on in this novel, and it was all rather depressing. Harry became angry and had severe mood swings, and was always snapping at the people around him. On the positive note he did get some romance,but ultimately even that frizzled out. Harry even had to take "Defense Against the Dark Arts" underground, as Umbridge refuses to even acknowledge Voldemort at all, as per Ministry order.

When I reread it in 2007 in prepration for DEATHLY HALLOWS, my stocks in this book absolutely soared. This is a dark, dark book, and while I still felt rather alienated and cut off from Rowling's magical world and the Ministry Interference, this time around I realised how masterfully crafted this novel truly is.

ORDER, as far as I'm concerned, is where Rowling truly stopped writing children's fiction, but crafting a dark, bitter book about dark, bitter times in her character's lives. Reading ORDER, and especially about Umbridge, keeps reminding one of Orwell and his horrific visions in 1984 and ANIMAL FARM.

Umbridge is easily one of her best characters she ever wrote, and one of the most despicable characters in all of fiction. It is people like Umbridge that brought Hitler to power in the early 1930s, and who would enable him to commit the many atrocities that he did during WWII (and I thought that for a long time before HALLOWS came out, in which Umbridge has turned into a type of Nazi who fully subscribes to Voldemort's racial genocide).

It is here, with ORDER, in which Rowling shows us the evil of bureaucracy, of how Voldemort isn't the only person in which massive evil lurks.

I also love how Rowling greatly expands her environment from the previous novels. We see for the first time St. Mungo's (and have a rather morose encounter with Gilderoy Lockheart from Book 2). We get to go inside the Ministry For Magic, and a very impressive place it is. Grimmauld Place, along with Sirius, is also very entertaining.

And we get some great new characters. Thestrals. The beautifully bizaare Luna Lovegood. Gwarp. Kingsley Shacklebolt. And a personal favorite, Nymphadora Tonks.

The series also has one of my favorite scenes in all of literature: when Dumbledore brings Firenze on during the rainstorm as the new divination teacher (a scene I was so disappointed they cut on the movie. The seeds were they but they cut it damn it.).

The climax of the book is great, with Dumbledore's Army truly coming into their own as they fight against the Death Eaters, who are trying to take the Prophecy from the Hall of Prophecy in the Ministry For Magic. I love that whole end sequence. And the death Rowling includes is just brutal, not really how she kills off the character but the fact she killed him off at all. Interestingly enough, Arthur Weasly, who survives an attack in this novel, was originally slated to die, but Rowling could not bear to kill him off. He was also supposed to die in Book 7, but she couldn't kill him then either, and he was the only real normal fatherfigure in the series, and a good father at that.

And naturally, we get to learn some vastly important information about Neville Longbottom. Following the trend of other installments in the series in regards to introducing apparently non-essential characters and information,, he turns out to much more important than you would suppose. We also begin to learn Dumbledore isn't as flawless as you would like to think.

Another thing I really like about the book is you really do feel like the stakes are really high, which you should as we're only two books away from the end. In fact, HALF-BLOOD PRINCE seemed almost a step back in terms of complexity and highs takes atmosphere from this one.

One thing that should be noted is this is a real doorstop of a book. At a quarter of a million worlds (half as long as Tolkien's LORD OF THE RINGS), this is easily one of the longest children's books ever published. Rowling has even said she wish she could go back and edit this book down, as she feels it is too long. But what would she cut? Great stuff, but very long for kids. Speaks to the amazing appeal these books have that children have read something as long as this.

Overall, one of my favorite Potter books. I think it's even better than AZKABAN on a literary level, but I still prefer Azkaban to this as a personal preference. Still, this is one of Potter's best. Don't go in thinking you'll have as much fun at Hogwarts. These are dark times, and the war really is beginning.

We can only hope Potter and his friends will pull through.

Great book Fast delivery.......2007-10-05

this was a great book to read the series is starting to get good and this person delivered faster then my other book

The Order of the Phoenix rises..........2007-09-23

After reading the fourth book in the series I thought it could just not get any better... boy was I wrong! Harry staves off an attack by Dementors, saves his cousin's life, and has to face a trial at the Ministry of Magic, all before the school year even begins.

With Voldemort back, Dumbledore has recalled the Order of the Phoenix, a group of Wizards and Witches that fought against You-Know-Who the last time. Harry is hidden away for a short period of time at the secret head quarters of the Order, while awaiting his trail at the Ministry of Magic for 'Under Age Use of Magic away from School'. It soon becomes evident that the Minister of Magic is not only determined to not believe that Voldemort has returned, but has even started a compaign to discredit both Harry and Dumbledore to try and prevent people from believing them.

During the School year Harry and the other fifth years have increasingly large piles of school work to complete, and to perpare for their OWLs, which come at the end of their fifth year. Meanwhile the students, and teachers, have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to deal with, who has been appointed by the Ministry of Magic! Things at Hogwarts go from bad to worse, as this new teacher is given a wide range of powers over the other teachers via a stream of Ministry 'Educational Decrees'. Meanwhile Harry is plagued by troubling dreams, of traveling down a darkened hallway to a mysterious door, which leaves his scar burning more and more intensely. Perhaps even more puzzling, and disturbing, to Harry is the fact that Dumbledore seems to be going to lengths to ignore him.

Anyone who has enjoyed the past books in this series will love 'The Order of the Phoenix. This book takes the mystical fantasy elements of the earlier books, and ties them into an increasingly darkening plot line, pitting Harry and his friends against even worse dangers around every corner.

RD Williams, author of 'The Lost Gate'.

Entertaining and kept my interest.......2007-09-21

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was far darker than the previous book but kept my interest throughout. Many of the characters are either becoming more sinister or are displaying a great tenacity to fight evil. Overall, I enjoyed this book far more than the previous one although the Potter series, as a whole, still doesn't strike me a "great literature" but rather an entertaining experience. I will say that as the plot progressed, I've become more eager to find out what's going to happen next; therefore, I'm going to start book six tonight.

Adolescents at Hogwarts.......2007-09-17

In this fifth book of the Harry Potter series we join Harry at the first part of the summer after his fourth year at Hogwarts. Harry finds himself back with the Dursleys, isolated in the Muggles' world once again. But all this changes as Dementors attack him. We then move into the school year where things do not look up for Harry. It seems that the Ministry of Magic has made sure that no one would believe of Harry's encounter with Voldemort of nothing more than his imagination.

During the school year it seems our hero does not deal well with his adolescent years. He is clueless about everything; what is happening to him, his friends, relationships, and common sense nor is he able to take advice. It is his almost constant whining, inability to control his anger and ineptitude in daily teenage life that has me drop my rating to three. Even with this the plot is moved along as we are introduced to the Order of the Phoenix, Hogwarts curriculum trying to cause change by the Ministry of Magic, and Harry scar gives more warnings.

Average customer rating:

A great resource
Still works after 70 Years
Wanna build your network - listen to Carnegie !
Great for improving people skills
Life's a Stage...

How to Win Friends & Influence People
Dale Carnegie
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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Accessories:

ASIN: 0671579592

Amazon.com

This grandfather of all people-skills books was first published in 1937. It was an overnight hit, eventually selling 15 million copies. How to Win Friends and Influence People is just as useful today as it was when it was first published, because Dale Carnegie had an understanding of human nature that will never be outdated. Financial success, Carnegie believed, is due 15 percent to professional knowledge and 85 percent to "the ability to express ideas, to assume leadership, and to arouse enthusiasm among people." He teaches these skills through underlying principles of dealing with people so that they feel important and appreciated. He also emphasizes fundamental techniques for handling people without making them feel manipulated. Carnegie says you can make someone want to do what you want them to by seeing the situation from the other person's point of view and "arousing in the other person an eager want." You learn how to make people like you, win people over to your way of thinking, and change people without causing offense or arousing resentment. For instance, "let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers," and "talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person." Carnegie illustrates his points with anecdotes of historical figures, leaders of the business world, and everyday folks. --Joan Price

Book Description

Simon & Schuster Audio is proud to present one of the best-selling books of all time, Dale Carnegie's perennial classic How to Win Friends and Influence People -- presented here in its entirety on 8 compact discs.

For over 60 years the rock-solid, time-tested advice in this audiobook has carried thousands of now-famous people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives.

With this truly phenomenal audiobook, learn:

* THE SIX WAYS TO MAKE PEOPLE LIKE YOU
* THE TWELVE WAYS TO WIN PEOPLE TO YOUR WAY OF THINKING
* THE NINE WAYS TO CHANGE PEOPLE WITHOUT AROUSING RESENTMENT

And much, much more!

There is room at the top, when you know...How to Win Friends and Influence People

Customer Reviews:

A great resource.......2007-10-18

this is a must for anyone interested in social behavior. Or have just ever wander what makes certain people tick.

Still works after 70 Years.......2007-10-17

This has been a standard for 70 years for good reason. It teaches basic interpersonal skills and good manners. It works especially well with introverts that need help with one-on-one relationships.

Its age would seem to be a negative, but it actually works as a positive. It reminds us that good people skills are not a fad; they are timeless and often neglected in today's educational system.

If you interact with people at all, this book is an essential part of your success in your interactions.

Wanna build your network - listen to Carnegie !.......2007-10-14

Winning friends and influencing people is not an easy thing. Are you gregarious? Do you want to be a networking juggernaut? You should listen to what Dale Carnegie says.

"Do you want to get the attention of others? Watch out what actors do in advertisements and movies". This is such a simple technique that we all fail to recognize in our day-to-day life. "Do more listening than talking" - hmm, another simple technique. Carnegie explains how you can win friends and influence people, with a lot of stories.

This book is a must-read for those who want to build their network.

Great for improving people skills.......2007-10-13

As many will agree, I find this book and the book Understanding: Train of Thought to be quintessential in anyone's library. The information and advice given in these books transcends all boundaries and all areas of human activity. Some of my lessons from these books were that the principles of success in any endeavor are the same, regardless of who you are. Being programmed by the mediocrity around us, we feel that just because we have stopped growing physically when we reach adulthood, we do not need any more teaching. But these books remove that blindfold and demonstrate why we must always be in the learning mode, like students. Being humans and social creatures by nature, it is our sacred duty to learn, practice, teach and then teach others to do the same in improving our people skills and understanding of others.

Life's a Stage..........2007-09-30

Wow..."A Reader" seems extraordinarily bitter...

Every day you go to work, you are on a "stage"...as in "It's show time, folks!" The working world is highly competitive, and a necessary tool to all but guarantee your success is deception. This book/author teaches the art of deception. Whether or not the reader chooses to use this information to his/her advantage is a matter of personal choice.

This book has a purpose, and successfully presents that purpose, hence the four-stars...

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4)

Average customer rating:

Harry Potter Is The Best!!!!!!!
My least favorite of the Potter novels. The plothole killed it for me.
The best of the series
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Going Strong

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Book 4)
J.K. Rowling
Manufacturer: Listening Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 0807282596
Release Date: 2000-07-08

Amazon.com

In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling offers up equal parts danger and delight--and any number of dragons, house-elves, and death-defying challenges. Now 14, her orphan hero has only two more weeks with his Muggle relatives before returning to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Yet one night a vision harrowing enough to make his lightning-bolt-shaped scar burn has Harry on edge and contacting his godfather-in-hiding, Sirius Black. Happily, the prospect of attending the season's premier sporting event, the Quidditch World Cup, is enough to make Harry momentarily forget that Lord Voldemort and his sinister familiars--the Death Eaters--are out for murder.

Readers, we will cast a giant invisibility cloak over any more plot and reveal only that You-Know-Who is very much after Harry and that this year there will be no Quidditch matches between Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. Instead, Hogwarts will vie with two other magicians' schools, the stylish Beauxbatons and the icy Durmstrang, in a Triwizard Tournament. Those chosen to compete will undergo three supreme tests. Could Harry be one of the lucky contenders?

But Quidditch buffs need not go into mourning: we get our share of this great game at the World Cup. Attempting to go incognito as Muggles, 100,000 witches and wizards converge on a "nice deserted moor." As ever, Rowling magicks up the details that make her world so vivid, and so comic. Several spectators' tents, for instance, are entirely unquotidian. One is a minipalace, complete with live peacocks; another has three floors and multiple turrets. And the sports paraphernalia on offer includes rosettes "squealing the names of the players" as well as "tiny models of Firebolts that really flew, and collectible figures of famous players, which strolled across the palm of your hand, preening themselves." Needless to say, the two teams are decidedly different, down to their mascots. Bulgaria is supported by the beautiful veela, who instantly enchant everyone--including Ireland's supporters--over to their side. Until, that is, thousands of tiny cheerleaders engage in some pyrotechnics of their own: "The leprechauns had risen into the air again, and this time, they formed a giant hand, which was making a very rude sign indeed at the veela across the field."

Long before her fourth installment appeared, Rowling warned that it would be darker, and it's true that every exhilaration is equaled by a moment that has us fearing for Harry's life, the book's emotions running as deep as its dangers. Along the way, though, she conjures up such new characters as Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, a Dark Wizard catcher who may or may not be getting paranoid in his old age, and Rita Skeeter, who beetles around Hogwarts in search of stories. (This Daily Prophet scoop artist has a Quick-Quotes Quill that turns even the most innocent assertion into tabloid innuendo.) And at her bedazzling close, Rowling leaves several plot strands open, awaiting book 5. This fan is ready to wager that the author herself is part veela--her pen her wand, her commitment to her world complete. (Ages 9 and older) --Kerry Fried

Book Description

Read by Jim Dale

Running time: 20 hrs., 30 mins. 17 CDs.

Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts for his fourth year of magical adventures in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. This year Harry turns 14 and becomes interested in girls -- one in particular. And with Dark Magic comes danger, as someone close to Harry dies. You'll have to listen to learn more! The audio is available on July 8th.

Customer Reviews:

Harry Potter Is The Best!!!!!!!.......2007-10-19

personally i believe that harry potter is the best series ever!!!!!! i think that anyone that is not sure in reading this you should read the first one. trust me you will want to read it!

My least favorite of the Potter novels. The plothole killed it for me........2007-10-17

Without a doubt my least favorite of the series. I got into Potter back when only the first three books were out, and quite some time before this book came out, and I was all psyched for it. Then I read it, all 700+ pages of it. While I found it engrossing, it certainly wasn't as good as AZKABAN.

Actually, Amazon ruined the book for me. I was online reading reviews here after I finished the book (this was back in 2000), and one of the reviews pointed out the plothole that why didn't Mad Eye Moody just make a portkey out of anything, rather than make Harry go through all the trouble with the Triwizard Tournament, and I really didn't have any answer to that. So after I finished the book, I didn't read it again for seven years, because this plothole took out the whole point of the book.

When I reread all six books in preparation for DEATHLY HALLOWS this summer (which I finished them all with a week to spare before Hallow's release date), I picked this up again. It had been a long time since I read it, and the plothole always turned me off so much whenever I did reread the Potter books I never could bring myself to read this one.

Going through it a second time, in context with the rest of the series, this is definitely when Potter got into darker territory. But Potter was always dark anyway, and while this is always thought of as the turning point in the series as far as darkness goes, AZKABAN is pretty dark too.

Potter has been enrolled in the Triwizard Tournament, a dangerous tournament that you must be 17 to enter. Potter is entered without his consent, and much too young. Ultimately the three events they must go thru are dangerous and at the end of the third we see Voldemort's plot unmasked.

As far as the plot hole, I've read several different theories on why Voldemort's agent wouldn't have used the portkey before then. One possible explanation, which I wish Rowling would have used, was you can't use portkey within the grounds of Hogwarts, but under this especial circumstance the use of portkeys was allowed at the end of the tournament. Another issue is Barty Crouch Jr. He must truly want to serve Voldemort to do what he did. Still, it would be a lot of work to drink polyjuice potion every hour for a school year straight.

We get the first real death in the series (at least, a character we have come to know and not offscreen or backstory deaths). Poignant, but the death appears more to be included so she can move the series into darker territory than any natural artistic progression.

There are some great scenes in this one, especially the Quidditch World Cup, and introduction of other international schools (a thing we have not yet seen - so far we only know of magic in Britain). Rowling also clearly lays more foundation to Ron and Hermione as a couple, a plotline that would not find full resolution until Book 7. Still, those who always thought Harry and Hermione should end up together, read this book more closely. It's pretty obvious from Book 4 on Ron and Hermione would end up together. There's a lot of sexual tension in the air between those two. Harry, on the other hand, is quite up in the air at this point, though we know in Book 7 who he ends up with.

While it is my least favorite of the Potter books, it's still an entertaining read. This is clearly the book where Rowling moves beyond children as a primary audience and bringing more complexity and maturity to the series, which is the reason why as the books progress they are more adult oriented than the early volumes.

Still, I find myself in the minority. I know a lot of people who love GOBLET. There are certainly some great scenes and memorable passages throughout the book. I just wish Rowling would have fixed the plothole better (and it wouldn't be that hard to fix).

These are my order of Potter books by preference:
Deathly Hallows
Prisoner of Azkaban
Order of the Phoenix
Philosopher's Stone/Chamber of Secrets (I rank them both the same)
Half-Blood Prince
Goblet of Fire.

The best of the series.......2007-10-04

Having read now the entire series, i have to say this is my favorite, its the turning point, when the plot begins, and the main story takes off, and its the funnier one.

Also the ending surprised me more than the other 6 books, dont know why

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.......2007-09-30

What can one say? Rowlings continues with her wonderful story, keeping her characters constantly endearing. The adventures continue and no matter what your age you will be caught up in the excitement and magic as Harry learns more about his background, his strengths and his weaknesses.

If you have not read Harry Potter at all, then you must start with the first book and read all seven of them, you will be transported out of this world and into one that will bind you as magically as it has bound me

Going Strong.......2007-09-24

The fourth Harry Potter is significantly darker than the first three. harrys is growing up, and is about to face some difficult challenges. Unlike the first three books, the fourth Harry starts not with Harry's departure to Hogwarts, but with a Quidditch tournament, during which some dark misteries are unveiled, misteries which are signs of the things to come.

The Quidditch tournament, another year at Hogwarts and a Triwizard tournament are the highlights. Harry comes face to face with his arch-enemy Voldemort, which is bound to split the wizarding world.

Though beautifully and expertly written, the fourth Harry Potter is just a tad too long, with descriptions that are more detailed and lengthy (sometimes unnecessarily so) than usual. Still, the fourth Harry is just as gripping as the first three, and keeps the reader wanting for more. And fortunately there is more. Order of Phoenix, here I come!

Average customer rating:

The best audio book I have heard!
Spacek is Special
To Kill a Mockingbird
Sissy Spacek is Impeccable
Great for classroom or personal pleasure!

To Kill a Mockingbird
Harper Lee
Manufacturer: Caedmon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 0060888695
Release Date: 2006-08-22

Book Description

Harper Lee's classic novel of a lawyer in the deep south defending a black man charged with the rape of a white girl

One of the best-loved stories of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has earned many distinctions since its original publication in 1960. It won the Pulitzer Prize, has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than thirty million copies worldwide, and been made into an enormously popular movie. Most recently, librarians across the country gave the book the highest of honors by voting it the best novel of the twentieth century.

Performed by Sissy Spacek

Customer Reviews:

The best audio book I have heard!.......2007-10-07

"To Kill a Mockingbird" is my all time favorite novel. It the my "go to" book that I typically do read at least once a year during an unexpected wait in an ER etc. I purchased this audio book because I drive in my work and I wanted to see if I liked it compared to the last one I tried several years ago where the narrator was so southern I could not understand her. All I can say about Sissy Spacek is that she hits this one out of the park. I was captivated from beginning to end. I give this audio book a A +++.

Spacek is Special.......2007-09-02

Sissy Spacek draws from her Texas roots and does a subtly superb performance of Harper Lee's masterpiece of coming of age in an age of intolerance - Alabama during the Great Depression. Harper-Collins did a superior job of producing and packaging this all-round classic, must have addition to your library.

For more information about Nelle Harper Lee and how "To Kill a Mockingbird" came to be, I also recommend Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee /TundraVision, Amazon Reviewer

To Kill a Mockingbird.......2007-08-12

As a reader, it's difficult for me to listen to someone else's interpretation of words. This is an exceptional effort by Sissy Spacek. The flavor & nuance of Harper Lee's intention (I believe) are captured and enhanced. My thanks to both women!

Sissy Spacek is Impeccable.......2007-06-27

After reading To Kill a Mockingbird in high school and college, and starting Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee, I decided I needed a refresher, so I checked out this audio book from my local library. Sissy Spacek's reading is absolutely wonderful. Her Southern accent is spot-on, soothing, and not at all over-the-top. Her tone is soothing and lovely and the story and characters shine through. If you have a long commute or just enjoy audio books, this is a definite must!

Great for classroom or personal pleasure!.......2007-05-21

Sissy Spacek does a wonderful job reading Harper Lee's classic. She has a light Southern accent that makes you believe you are listening to Scout. If the performance weren't enough, the price and the packaging make it all worth the while. The tracks are evenly spaced, and they are well catalogued on the CD jackets. Definitely a pleasure all around!

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2)

Average customer rating:

Solid second novel, as good as the first.
Good read again.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Harry Potter and the Excellent Set Up for the Future
Happy

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2)
J.K. Rowling
Manufacturer: Listening Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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GPX C3948BI Ultra-Slim CD Player with 40-Second Anti-Shock Protection and Car Kit

ASIN: 0807281948
Release Date: 1999-12-01

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It's hard to fall in love with an earnest, appealing young hero like Harry Potter and then to watch helplessly as he steps into terrible danger! And in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the much anticipated sequel to the award-winning Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, he is in terrible danger indeed. As if it's not bad enough that after a long summer with the horrid Dursleys he is thwarted in his attempts to hop the train to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to begin his second year. But when his only transportation option is a magical flying car, it is just his luck to crash into a valuable (but clearly vexed) Whomping Willow. Still, all this seems like a day in the park compared to what happens that fall within the ha