Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

By J.K. Rowling

In the company of Harry Potter and friends there can never be a dull moment. This is the fourth book and, consequently, Harry is in his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

As always, it is summer holidays when we meet Harry again. It has been another long and horrible summer in the company of his aunt, uncle and cousin, Dudley. However, there are things to look forward to. The last couple of weeks of the summer holidays Harry goes to visit his friend Ron Weasley, and he also gets to go to the Quidditch World Cup final, a first for Harry. The Quidditch World Cup is a big thing in the wizardry world.

Back at school Harry is chosen against his wishes, and through mysterious circumstances, to compete in the Triwizard Tournament, although he really is too young to participate. In the Triwizard Tournament he has to solve three very difficult tasks, which in the end leads him face to face with the Lord of Darkness, where the power of evil has to fight the good. Lord Voldemort also returns with plans to kill Harry. On top of all this, Harry is still trying to be a normal, fourteen-year-old wizard, and in this book he also experiences his first crush.

This is definitely a more "grown" version of Harry Potter. I thought the plot had a very dark and sinister twist to it, but is nevertheless, my favourite Harry Potter book to date. I am definitely bitten by the Harry Potter bug, so am eagerly awaiting the release of the next book. You are definitely never too old for the adventures of Harry Potter and friends!

Silent Playgrounds

By Danuta Reah

“The wheel lurked low down in a narrow pit. She could see the bucket boards that caught the water and turned it – empty now, but damp and mossy. She leaned over the wall and peered down into the darkness that housed the wheel. The sluice that held back the water was above her, and below her was damp stone and moss. An opaque reflection gleamed back at her. She waved, and her reflection waved back. A smell of stagnant water drifted up. She shivered. It had the darkness of a place that never got the sun.”

The first half of this book is very slow going but do not despair, it gets better as the story progresses and eventually culminates in a tense climatic ending, well worth waiting for. It is a typical police detective story, not the greatest detective story ever, but can be recommended nonetheless.

The plot goes something like this. Six-year-old Lucy goes missing. A body of a young woman, who happens to be Lucy’s babysitter, Emma, is found in a park nearby. Not long after, another dead woman’s body found in exactly the same place. Lucy, now safely at home, tells stories of monsters in the park that are getting closer. It is up to DI Steve McCarthy to find these monsters and solve the case.