Double Review: Princess in Pink by Meg Cabot and The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling

Consider it two reviews for one low reading price! :) Both books are fairly short, and I'm a bit behind on my book reviews, so why not combine these two little jewels? Let's begin!

Synopsis: Princess in Pink is the fifth installment in the Princess Diaries collection by Meg Cabot. In this selection, we find that Princess Mia is dying to go to that most famous of all high school/teen events...prom. The question is, what is taking her boyfriend so long to ask her, and what if he doesn't?

Review: I love Meg Cabot dearly. She is probably my favorite author because I love her writing style and voice, and also because of her blog (that I fell in love with last summer). I think that this fifth book is a bit of a transition for Mia, and for all of us as readers. Mia's trauma over whether she's going to the prom or not was painful at times, as you really do want her to get to go, but you're just not sure. Teens would love the angst of this novel, while I had moments of wanting to shake Mia (and her best friend, who flipped out a bit in this book). Overall, this is another cute installment, although much more geared toward teens than some of the others.

For more information, see: The Princess Diaries, Volume V: Princess in Pink (Princess Diaries)


Now, on to my second review! During the 48 Hour Marathon, I read The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling. I feel like the only person on the planet who has not read these tales, but I did have a joyous hour throwing back these cute tales during my marathon.

Synopsis: The tales are supposedly collected from the papers of Albus Dumbledore, the famous headmaster of Hogwarts, and translated by Hermoine Granger. The collection of tales are what appear to be types of fairytales, folklores, and children's stories for the wizard/magical community. There are themes of love, selfishness, service, gratitude, etc. that run through these tales, which also hint at muggle/magical relations.

Review: While not magically some "lost" pages from the original story of Harry Potter, I still found these stories whimsical and magical to me! As a lover of all things Harry Potter, I couldn't help but love having another piece to the magical world Harry and his fellow wizarding friends live in. I don't want to give away the individual stories, but will say that I loved the story, "The Fountain of Fair Fortune" for its reminders of gratitude and ability, and "The Warlock's Hairy Heart" for its scary display of what happens when one withholds love in their life. Each of the stories had a great message and following analysis, and I would highly recommend this installment if you enjoyed the Harry Potter series even a little!

For more information, see: The Tales of Beedle the Bard, Standard Edition