Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone: Chapter Five: Book and Movie Differences

Chapter Five, ‘Diagon Alley’ covers the scene when Hagrid and Harry go to the Leaky Cauldron and then Diagon Alley to buy school supplies.

The chapter starts off with Hagrid and Harry still in the hut. They’ve slept there over night and are awoken by an owl. Harry and Hagrid have a conversation about money and Hagrid talks about Gringotts. This differs from the movie as Hagrid waits till they are in Diagon Alley before telling him they are going to Gringotts. In the book, they take the train to London, while Hagrid knits, and they discuss the list of items Harry is going to need for Hogwarts.

When they get to Hogwarts they head to the Leaky Cauldron and the chapter and scene play out very similarly, as is the case for heading into Diagonal Alley and to Gringotts though in the movie Hagrid states he needs to ‘You know what in vault you know which’ but in the book he states vault 713.

Once they leave Gringotts, Hagrid goes for a ‘pick me up’ in the Leaky Cauldron and leaves Harry to it. He goes for his uniform first, which we don’t see in the movie and here is where he actually meets Draco for the first time though his name is never said at this point. Draco covers a lot of stuff in such a small time. He insults Hagrid, says he wants to be in Slytherin, and thinks that muggles shouldn’t be allowed to study at Hogwarts.

Hagrid and Harry also have conversations about Quidditch and the Hogwarts houses while shopping for school supplies in places not mentioned in the movie. In the movie, Hagrid buys Harry Hedwig while Harry is shopping for his wand, however, Harry and Hagrid shop for Hedwig together. At Ollivander’s, there is a deeper process for getting a wand than is shown in the movies, such as measurements, and Harry tried ALOT more wands in the books.

In the movie, Hagrid goes to the shack in the sea on Harry’s birthday and they go shopping the next day for Harry’s school supplies, THEN he gets taken to platform 9 and 3/4 to get on the train. However, there is a month between Harry’s birthday and the start of school. In the book, this is explained and Harry is actually put on a train back to the Dursley’s which is a big surprise.

What do you think of the differences?

Gee Liz Reads ❤

Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone: Chapter Four: Book and Movie Differences

Chapter Four, ‘The Keeper of the Keys’ covers the scene in which Hagrid comes to the hut the Dursley’s and Harry are staying in, and tells Harry that he is a wizard.

In the book, Hagrid sits down on the sofa unlike in the movie were he keeps standing. In the book, he knows who Harry is straight away whereas in the movie, he thinks Dudley is Harry for a moment. The book has a funny moment when Hagrid pulls out a kettle, sausages, cups, amongst other things and starts to cook the sausages and drink tea in the hut.

The conversation about Hogwarts and Harry being a wizard goes down in a similar way but Hagrid is much angrier that Harry doesn’t know anything about his parents, Hogwarts, the wizarding world. There’s also extra conversations in there before and after Harry reads his letter. Aunt Petunia’s rant about Lily going to Hogwarts is pretty much word for word in the movie but I wish they had put in the part when Hagrid pulls a live owl out his pocket and writes a letter to Dumbledore for the owl to take. Uncle Vernon also has more to say too, mainly saying that James and Lily got what was coming to them.

The conversation about Voldemort that happens in the movie once Hagrid has taken Harry away to Diagon Alley happens in the hut with the Dursley’s there.

What do you think of these differences?

Gee Liz Reads ❤

Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone: Chapter Three: Book and Movie Differences

Chapter three, ‘The Letters From No One’ covers the scenes in which the letters start arriving at the Dursley’s house, and when they go and stay in the cabin in the sea.

Ignoring the beginning when Dudley and Aunt Petunia go shopping for uniform, and Petunia dyes some old uniform for Harry, the chapter and scene are very similar to each other even with some lines being word for word. When Harry goes for the post and and notices the letter for him, he goes back to the table and starts opening it. The letter is taken from him and then in the movie, the Dursley’s stare in fright and the scene ends. In the book, Dudley and Harry are kicked out of the room but they continue to listen at the door. Vernon and Petunia panic about the letter and discuss that they don’t want ‘one of them’ in their house but leave it for the reader to continue to wonder exactly what is going on.

Harry ends up getting his own bedroom in the book, much to Dudley’s dismay has he had two bedrooms and now had to give one up! Book Dudley is much worse than movie Dudley. We don’t see him on the big screen throwing his pet tortoise through the greenhouse roof, or being sick on purpose because he didn’t get his own way.

The letters continue to come to the house and in the scene when all the letters start flying down the chimney, Harry doesn’t actually get his mits on a letter in the book, which is hard to believe because there are hundreds of them… how he became seeker on the quidditch team is beyond me, but this means that in the the fight between Harry and Vernon doesn’t happen.

From this, they go to a hotel on the edge of the ctiy but hundreds of letters get delivered there so they get in the car and move along. Dudley doesn’t actually say ‘Daddy’s gone mad, hasn’t he?’ until Vernon is driving around forests and fields looking for somewhere to stay, whereas this line is said when Harry and Vernon are fighting over the letter in the movie. They do end up at the shack in the middle of the sea like is seen in the movie.

What do you think of these differences?

Gee Liz Reads ❤

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone: Chapter Two: Book and Movie Differences

The movie “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”, (alt.: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone), directed by Chris Columbus, based on the novel by J.K. Rowling. Seen here, Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter talking to a snake. Initial world premiere (London) November 4, 2001. Screen capture. © 2001 Warner Bros. Credit: © 2001 Warner Bros. / Flickr / Courtesy Pikturz. Image intended only for use to help promote the film, in an editorial, non-commercial context.

Chapter Two, ‘The Vanishing Glass’ covers the scenes in the movie in which it is Dudley’s birthday and they go to the zoo. In the movie, Aunt Petunia knocks on his door and tell’s Harry to get up then Dudley jumps on the stairs and tells him to wake up because they are going to the zoo. Actually, in the books, Harry is not going to the zoo because Mrs Figg’s, who isn’t introduced until the 5th film I believe, is going to look after him, which she has done every year for Dudley’s birthday. However, she has broken her leg and so is unable to look after him this year so they end up having to take him.

It’s not only Harry and Dudley that go to the zoo with Mr and Mrs Dursley in the books, they also take Dudley’s friend, Piers Polkiss. It is also Piers Polkiss that notices the Boa Constrictor that Harry is talking to, acting oddly. He shouts this out to the Dursley’s and then thats when Dudley pushes Harry out of the way. The glass vanishes but unlike in the movie, the glass does not reappear and Dudley doesn’t get stuck behind it.

Other things I noticed were that some of the lines in the book and the movie were either the same or similar. One difference was when Vernon was warning Harry ‘any funny business, any at all…’, the book states ‘you’ll be in that cupboard until Christmas’ whereas in the movie it’s ‘you won’t have any meals for a week.’ In the books, this is brought up because a lot of odd things have happened to Harry before that couldn’t be explained such as Aunt Petunia cutting his hair short and then the next day, it has all grown back. Again, none of this is covered in the movie.

Finally, seeing as spiders are such a huge part of the 2nd book/movie, Harry’s relationship with spiders because of living in the cupboard is emphasised in the books e.g. they are there all the time so he isn’t the least bit scared of them, however in the first movie, the spiders are not mentioned once. Even in the second movie, Ron mentions his phobia of spiders but Harry still doesn’t bring up that he doesn’t mind them due to living in the cupboard with them.

What do you think of these differences?

Gee Liz Reads ❤

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone: Chapter One: Book and Movie Differences

Chapter one: ‘The Boy Who Lived’ starts with details of Uncle Vernon going to Grunnings, the drill company he works for. On the way, he notices an odd behaving cat, and lots of people wearing cloaks. If he’d been looking out of the window at work then he would also have noticed the owls flying by in broad daylight. On his break he hears people dressed in cloaks talking about ‘the Potters’ and the mention of ‘Harry’ which gets him thinking, was this something to do with his Sister in Law – Lily Potter? After getting home and asking Petunia, who is blonde, if she’s heard from Lily recently, to which she replies rather biligerently that she has not, they carry on with their day and go to bed. None of the above happens in the movie.

The odd behaving cat from the book is actually Professor McGonagall and this is where the movie starts. Albus appears and pulls out his ‘Put-Outer’. Using the device he takes away all of the light so nobody on Privet Drive can see what is going on. In the book, it is explained that she’s been keeping an eye on the Dursley’s while she waits for Albus Dumbledore after Hagrid told her he’d be there, whereas in the movie it seems like McGonagall has been sent to watch the Dursley’s and wait for Dumbledore.

In the book, Professor McGonagall, who has black hair, and Albus Dumbledore have a conversation about Voldemort and if he is really gone as well as the wizards that have been out celebrating, not even worrying that the Muggles will notice something odd going on. While Albus is busy seperating Sherbert Lemons, they come to the conversation of Lily and James Potter; Albus confirms to Professor McGonagall that they are dead. The movie comes across that McGonagall is already aware of all of this but in both the book and the movie McGonagall asks about Harry and pleads with Albus that he not be left with the Dursley’s as they are horrid people. Albus advises that they are the only family left and thinks it would be best for Harry to grow up in the Muggle world where he won’t be famous.

In both the movie and the book Hagrid comes down from the night sky on a motorbike. He gives Harry to Albus who then takes Harry to the front door and puts him down with the letter. It is stated in the book that the motorbike is Sirius Blacks but this is not told in the movie.

The movie ends with Harry on the doorstep whereas the book ends with Petunia screaming her head off when she finds Harry on the doorstep outside and that he doesn’t know that at that time, wizards all over the world where holding up their glasses and toasting to ‘The Boy Who Lived’.

GeeLiz Reads: Audiobooks on my TBLT (To be listened to?) List

I’m not going to lie, audiobooks are not my favourite thing. I often space out and then realise I’ve missed the majority of the chapter. I’ve only ever listened to one Audiobook and that was the first Outlander book. Here’s what I have left to listen to on my expired Audible subscription…

Afterlife, The Quarter Moon, The Cult of the Hexad, and Blood of the Infinity War (#1, #4, #6 and #10 of the Afterlife Series) by Stephanie Hudson
Narrated by Rebecca Rainsford
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Note – I have no idea why I haven’t got the authors on Audiobook hahaha!

Assassin’s Quest and Royal Assassin (#1 and #2 of the Farseer Trilogy) by Robin Hobb
Narrated by Paul Boehmer
Genre: High Fantasy

Covet and Crave (#1 and #2 of the Fallen Angels Series) by J R Ward
Narrated by Stephen Douglas
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager and Drums of Autumn (#2, #3 and #4 of the Outlander Series) by Diana Gabaldon
Narrated by Davina Porter
Genre: Historical Fiction / Romance

What Audiobooks have you got to listen to?

Thanks for reading!

GeeLiz Reads ❤

Geeliz Reads: Favourite reads when I was a teen

The Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer

I think every teenager and her mother read these books and paved the way for complete vampire domination. Then came the movies that were soooooo bad, they were good.

Reading these books as a teen, you can’t help but feel jealous of Bella. She’s got these two hotties after her, she gets to snog Jacob’s face off, shag Edward AND gets to turn into a vampire.

Read this as an adult you see all the red flags from Edward, Jacob and Bella… and don’t even get me started on Jacob imprinting on Rasputin or whatever she’s called.

The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare

I definitely need to give these books a re-read. I vaguely remember at the end of I think book one, Clary finds out Jace is her brother…oh spoiler alert… and another one here… he’s not really her brother… I think.

This was a great urban fantasy / YA and would definitely recommend. It’s also been turned into a TV series which I would recommend too.

The Graceling Trilogy by Kristen Cashore

I think I read this series over two days. They were incredible. I really wanted to be Katsa and was completely in love with Po (I think that’s his name… it’s been over 15 years since I read it). I remember crying my eyes out after reading the 1st one so I’m guessing something bad happens. Another re-read is in order!

The Chronicles of Ixia by Maria V Snyder

I just couldn’t get this authors name right… how many times I called her Synder instead of Snyder is beyond me.

Again, an incredible series that had be hooked. A very strong series with other series’s by the author that interlinks with this. The glass series is probably on par with this one.

Loved the name Valek too and wanted to call my kid it because of this series… then I watched the conjuring 2 which quashed that idea for ever!

Have you read any of these? What was your favourite books from your teenage years?

Thanks for reading,

GeeLiz Reads ❤

GeeLiz Reads: Childhood Favourites

I wish I could read a book a day, but with my busy life-style it just isn’t going to happen. I am however, trying very hard to blog everyday. Today, seeing as I’ve not read a book this weekend – thanks to my uni assigment being due – I thought I would share with you my favourite books from my childhood.

In no particular order:

George’s Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dalh

I don’t know what it was about this particular Roald Dalh book that I loved more than his other work but I must have read it dozens of times. This book was just absolute madness and I loved every word of it.

Redwall by Brian Jacques

My grandad bought me this book and I could not put it down. He ended up making it his mission to find the rest of the series for me. He would scour charity shops everywhere he travelled. Animals that talked with accents, and fought tooth and claw against their mortal enemies… other animals. Absolute crackers and actually quite violent for childrens books!

Martin’s Mice by Dick King-Smith

Maybe it’s because of this book that I love mice so much. Martin is a cat that decides against killing mice and instead keeps a pregnant mouse as a pet. She gives birth and Martin helps to look after them. How cute is that though?

Dogsbody by Diana Wynne Jones

I never really understood this book when I read it, but I still found it incredible. I didn’t understand that Leo was a star accused of murder which resulted in him being banished to earth. What I did understand was the part when he opens his eyes and he is a puppy. He then lives the life of a puppy, growing into a dog but if I remember correctly, the person who adopts him is an unwanted member of the family. I think there is a little bit of animal abuse in this which again, for a children’s book… tut tut tut!

Have you read any of these? What did you think? Let me know what your childhood favourites were!

Thanks for reading!

GeeLiz Reads ❤

Alien in Charge by Lili Zander : A Book Review

⭐⭐

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Blurb:

I have better things to do than babysit a human. And her cat.

Someone has attacked the Human Federation Ambassador in Gehar territory, and out of an abundance of caution, the Empress has assigned me to protect the human until the culprit has been caught.
The new Ambassador, and her kitten, Luna. (Short for Lunatic.)
Yes, seriously. I, Jehan D’arana, Shield of Gehar, have been reduced to guarding a cat.
Then I meet the Ambassador, and everything changes.
Because she isn’t a stranger. She’s my ex. Keomi Hearne.
The woman that got away.
The woman I want more than ever.
But every time I try to be alone with Keomi, her kitten is there. Watching me with a sinister sneer as I make my move. Tripping me up. Dive-bombing me from the top of a cupboard and scratching my face. (Not that a Gehar warrior would ever think to complain about a little blood.)
And then, the situation goes from bad to worse. Someone’s seriously trying to kill Keomi. Her work is sabotaged. Her staff is poisoned, and her speeder is blown up. This assignment just got very real.
I am Jehan D’arana, Shield of Gehar. No matter what the wickedly adorable kitten may think, I’m in charge. Nothing is going to keep me from protecting the woman I love.

My thoughts: Alien in Charge is yet another book that I got free during a promotion. It is of the Sci-fi romance genre featuring a hot alien and a human woman.

The story starts off well. I get a sort of Alien vibe (obviously, it’s about Aliens – I mean the movie with Sigourney Weaver). Unfortunately, this doesn’t last much longer as it becomes quite a typical semi-erotic book, not including the aliens of course.

Don’t get me wrong, the book does have potential but it needed a really good edit amongst other things. I tried to ignore it as I try to look past little things but it was more repetitiveness than anything else – there were so many times that the main character (who’s name I can’t even pronounce) reminds us that she’s a space fleet captain and both main characters let the reader know nearly every single paragraph that they’ve been waiting 15 years for this. I was unsure about certain things too, like they weren’t explained very well. For example, she says that when she was 7 she had her fleet exam, in the next sentence she talks about getting with Jehan! At 7?! Later on it says Jehan was 18 and they are meant to be about the same age so I am guessing it was just an editing mistake but still, 7!

Also, I didn’t understand how Kae was so stubborn in her inner monologue saying how she just couldn’t get involved with Jehan because of her job and then in the next breath she just jumps into bed with him, or should I say onto the kitchen worktop.

It was very political too which I can imagine could bore many readers, myself included.

Like I said. It definitely has potential but needs a lot of work.

Thanks for reading,

GeeLiz Reads ❤

Bet On Love by Ariella Zoella : A Book Review

⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Blurb:

Rhys Huntington

Drunkenly eloping with my best man was never part of my wedding plans. Falling in love with him definitely wasn’t supposed to happen. But even though we’re both straight, the longer we’re married, the more I start to love Lucien as my husband and not just as my best friend.

We’re supposed to get an annulment to undo our bad idea. That’s not what I really want, though. I’m ready to bet everything on love by committing to our marriage for real. Can I convince him to stay married to me and give us a chance at finding our happily ever after together?

Lucien St. Amour

I would do anything for my best friend. That apparently includes making a rash decision to save Rhys from the mistake of marrying a woman who doesn’t love him by eloping with him before his wedding. Instead of it being a funny story we tell our friends, the feelings I’ve suppressed for Rhys since sharing our first kiss as teenagers explode into a roaring blaze of desire for my new husband.

Our marriage may have started as a joke in front of an Elvis impersonator at a quickie Vegas wedding chapel, but I meant every word of my vows. Will Rhys allow me to love, honor, and cherish him as my husband like I promised?

My thoughts: Bet on love, which is a MM romance, was another book that I got for free during a promotion. I read another Ariella Zoelle book a few days ago so I wasn’t very excited to be reading this one; I had given the last book only half a star.

However, I was very surprised with this one. From the beginning it was a laugh a minute. I found it hilarious and loved the two male characters. The humour did slow down after a while due to the situation between them chainging but this brought more of a romantic and serious atmosphere which I also enjoyed.

I was so ready to give this book 4 – 5 stars but then at around the 80% mark, I was left disappointed. There’s always something that happens in romance books often creating an argument and this case it was a ‘miscommunication’. One of the characters misheard the other saying something that came across as their love being a mistake etc. It just didn’t fit as they were best friends for years and had just been telling and showing each other just how much they loved each other. If the other guy had just gone over and been like, ‘oh, what are you talking about?’ It would have been completely cleared up. I know something like this has to happen to move the book along but I thought it was poorly executed.

I would recommend for a cheesy read.

Thanks for reading,

GeeLiz Reads ❤