Book Review: "Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide"

The third and the final ebook based on the material from Pottermore. This one has 19 (very) short stories about anything and everything that is Hogwarts - you will find out more about Hogwart's grounds, different creatures that dwell there, some of its history & of course some of its secrets.

The most intriguing part of the book - a chapter that details how a magical portrait is created and specifically how past headmasters' portraits are created. It is fascinating to see how much thought & attention to detail JKR had put in while creating even the smallest of the things of her fantasy world.

4/5 like the previous two Pottermore ebooks. Potterhead junkies will enjoy it. One downside, leaves you wanting more !

Book Review: "Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists"

The second book of the 'Short Stories from Hogwarts' series continues in the same spirit as the first (review here). And just like the first book, this one also leaves you with a smile on your face and a healthy dollop of nostalgia.

This time around, the focus is on the slightly grey and one downright dark character. Who would have expected a full blown backstory of Dolores Umbridge! JKR has jotted down her thought process about Umbridge's character & how she drew slight inspiration from a real life teacher while developing her demeanor. 

One chapter actually lists all the Ministers for Magic starting from 1707 to present day! Each name is accompanied by a short description. Some are funny with a few tongue-in-cheek-moments. Careful readers of the Harry Potter books (i.e. obsessive fans) won't fail to notice some easter eggs ! 

The best bit of the book is the complete character story of Horace Slughorn, again a definite treat for the fans.

Overall, 4/5. Short read, fun read. 

Book Review: "Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies"

Short, to-the-point and sweetly nostalgic! "Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies" is a fun read. It is the first of a 3 book series that gathers all the tidbits of "new" information about the Wizarding World that J. K. Rowling released through the Pottermore portal. 

I could never get into that Pottermore universe much. It felt like one of those obvious cash-grabs, a feeble attempt to keep people hooked-on via a badly designed web interface. But anyhoo, the one good thing to come out of this is the official release of the material that JKR could not include in the books. 

This booklet has fully developed back stories of characters that are not exactly "central" to the Harry Potter plot but are pretty important for the whole story as such. There are stories about Prof. Mcgonagall, Remus Lupin, Sybill Trelawney and a fourth new character. And the best part - these stories are written by JKR herself, no proxy or anything like that - you can tell from the writing - feels like vintage JKR.

All in all, a surprisingly quick read but entertaining nonetheless ! Give it a go. 4/5

Book Review: 'And Then There Were None' by Agatha Cristie

Boy oh boy, what a book ! "And Then There Were None" is by far one of the best and one of the most engaging mystery novels I have ever read !

A clever murder-mystery plot that keeps you constantly on the edge of your seat, compels you to keep playing 'guess-the-murderer' game and then literally makes your eyes pop & jaw drop as the story unfolds to its perfectly executed conclusion.

I made the mistake of starting this book on a Monday night. Little did I know what I was walking into. Had to literally tear myself away from the book to not miss work the next day. It is surprisingly fast-paced. Characters are well-rounded with no extra frills - just the relevant details. The thriller-movie like atmosphere created in the book adds to the whole sense of panic & mystery.

All in all, a definite 5/5, a great read.

Book Review: 'The Waste Lands - The Dark Tower #3' by Stephen King

The third book in The Dark Tower series, 'The Waste Lands' is no doubt enjoyable with a few spectacularly well crafted story moments, but it is also not without its share of over-the-top plot points with a borderline annoying level of surrealism. 

What has fascinated me about this series is how well it mixes elements of fantasy, horror, science fiction and pure action in a concoction that actually works. The Waste Lands has no shortage of moments where these four different aspects of the story get showcased. The story arc is decently paced and fairly gripping. New and exciting characters are introduced, not to mention a few past characters do also make an appearance. And even though it does drag a bit in the latter half, the conclusion, in typical Stephen King style, is executed very well. 

Overall, I would say 4/5. Miles better than Part 1, but not quite there if compared to Part 2.