My Harry Potter Story

December 10, 2018December 21, 2018 fangirlfury2 Comments

Blame it on the holiday season for making me crave Hogwarts and butterbeer. Like many readers, I crave cozy reads during Christmas time, and Harry Potter happens be one of the most atmospheric choices. Since 2018 marks the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, today I’m going to be talking about my experience with the Harry Potter series and franchise.

I was not the biggest Potterhead growing up. Looking back, this sort’ve surprises me, considering that it was my mom who first fell in love with the series and made sure to get each book upon their respective release. This is a HUGE deal for my mom, who is not only an avid reader, but an avid library user (AKA she rarely buys books). One of my best friends is also a huge fan of the series—she reread it at least thirteen times- and I was a bit envious of her Hermione Halloween costume one year. It came with a wand- I think this was before Universal opened the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando and having a wand wasn’t that common.

HAPEE BELATED BIRTHDAE: Harry Potter Tag

August 7, 2018August 3, 2018 fangirlfury6 Comments

Who says that you can’t celebrate Harry Potter’s birthdy a week later? The lovely Emily of A Literary Life nominated me to do the Harry Potter Tag, and it took a flick of my wand to write this tag immediately. And that’s a lot coming from this terrible book tag do-er (many apologies to Rebecca of Bookishly Rebecca for nominating me for all the tags and awards, but I have a surprise for her at the end of this post). Without further ado, let’s get back to Hogwarts.

Which House are you in?

I’m a Hufflepuff! I am here to admit that it took everything in me (and 3 Pottermore retakes) a few years ago to accept that this book nerd is not a Ravenclaw.

What is your Patronus?

I still need that mug that says “My Patronus is Lesli Knope” in my life, but by Pottermore standards, it’s a Falcon.

What is your wand?

Cedar wood with a dragon heartstring core, 10 ¼ in and unbending flexibility

What would your Boggart be?

Bugs. Lots of bugs.

What position would you play in Quidditch?

Chaser, since it’s the most similar to a forward position in field hockey.

Would you be Pure Blood, Half Blood or Muggle Born?

Maybe Half Blood because there’s got to be some other reason why my mom is so good at everything!

What job would you like to have after graduating from Hogwarts?

I think I would love to own a sweet shop, like Honeydukes. No worries, there wouldn’t be any Fred and George Weasley-concocted treats.

Which of the Deathly Hollows would you choose?

Invisibility Cloak. Hiding out in a bookstore after closing sounds pretty easy with this one.

Favorite Book?

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. This definitely isn’t the happiest of the books, but I love so much about this book (expect maybe what happens in Dumbledore’s tower).

Least Favorite Book?

Harry Potter and the Chamber Secrets. I’ve actually grown to love this one more with my rereads and movie marathons, but I think I thought of this more as a “filler” book when I read it the first two times.

Favorite Film?

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I love seeing the Triwizard Tourtament come to life, and this movie is sentimental for me because it’s the only one I saw in the theater.

Least favorite film?

Harry Potter annnndddddd I really don’t know?? Maybe Deathly Hollows: Part 1 because we had to go in knowing this really wasn’t the end?

Favorite Character?

Neville! And of course this doesn’t have anything to do with Matthew Lewis playing him on-screen… I also love Luna! I am a hardcore Neville and Luna shipper.

Least favorite character?

Lucius Malfoy

Favorite Hogwarts Professor?

McGonagall

Do you have any unpopular opinions about the series?

I don’t think I have any too pressing of unpopular opinions, but I do think Hermione and Ron were meant to be together. I think Harry and Hermione would’ve been too much of an expected set up. Additionally, as much fun as it is for J.K. Rowling to keep us in the Wizarding World on Twitter, I sort’ve dislike how she keeps bringing up ways she would’ve changed the series, like not having Ron and Hermione be end game, and even sharing that Ron should’ve died.

I tag:

Rebecca at Bookishly Rebecca
Cait at Cait’s Books

What’s your favorite and least favorite HP book? Share in the comments!

My Funko Pop Collection – February 2018

February 16, 2018March 13, 2020 fangirlfury8 Comments

I think we can all agree that Funko Pops make for the best bookshelf companions. J started collecting Funko Pops a few years ago, and I now have 15 Funko Pops in total, along with some other Funko Pop merchandise. Today, I’m going to walk you through my current Funko Pop collection- I may have to do a part 2 as it grows!

Parks and Recreation

Bert Macklin—I remember running and screaming around my house, much to my family’s delight, when it was announced last year that Funko was creating a Parks and Recreation series. Bert was my first Parks and Rec Funko and so far, he’s the only Hot Topic exclusive from the series. I recommend using Hot Topic when ordering Funkos online—they usually have a ton of sales and do a lot of exclusives.

Ron Swanson– I snuck Ron into my textbook order last semester on Amazon, out of fear that I would never find him again. HOW COULD I NOT HAVE RON GUYS? IT’S LIKE LESLIE WITHOUT WAFFLES.

Leslie Knope– Speaking of Leslie, I was gifted Leslie this past Christmas. I love how much detail they put into her Pawnee book!

April Ludgate- April was a surprise Christmas gift and like Leslie, I love how much detail went into her (her eyeshadow game is strong).

Andy Dwyer- Andy was the third Funko I received for Christmas and I’m happy I now own both “Andys”. I don’t plan on finishing the first Parks and Rec series with Lil’ Sebastian—his role in the show is funny, but I think a few other characters should have been more important to include in the first series of pops.

Harry Potter

Luna Lovegood- I love how detailed Luna is, between her earrings and the spider on her hand.

Ron Weasley- I couldn’t have Harry without Ron, who was a Christmas present from one of my sisters a few years back. For some reason, he falls over the most.Read More »

Christmas Book & Fandom Haul 2017

January 5, 2018December 30, 2017 fangirlfury5 Comments

fangirl-fury-christmas

Although January has already begun, I think that there’s always room for some Christmas spirit. Christmas hauls are among my favorite Youtube videos and blog posts to read and watch, so I wanted to feature some of my Christmas gifts here on Fangirl Fury. Santa and my parents did a fantastic job as always fulfilling this fangirl’s bookish and fandom desires with the following gifts.

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith- I ASKED FOR A CLASSIC BOOK FOR CHRISTMAS, WHAT???? I saw I Capture the Castle float around bookstagram in 2017, and I became even more intrigued by the book when I saw that the latest edition had a foreword by Jenny Han and a blurb from J.K. Rowling. Between two of my all-time favorite authors’ contributions and its stunning cover, I’m so happy to have this book on my shelf, soon to be read!

Renegades by Marissa Meyer- Renegades was a bit of an unexpected Christmas gift, but Santa knows how much I love Marissa Meyer. I’m really excited to have my own copy of Renegades because I never realized how gorgeous the cover was in person. Although I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews, I am excited to give Renegades a go, but I think I won’t be reading it until closer to the release date of the next book in the duology.

The Midnight Star by Marie Lu- One of my reading goals for 2018 is to reread The Young Elites and continue on the series with The Rose Society and The Midnight Star. Like Renegades and my Marissa Meyer collection, this means that I now have all of Marie Lu’s books!

Alex and Ani Hogwarts Two Tone Charm Bracelet- My Alex and Ani bracelets are among my most worn and favorite jewelery, so I was beyond excited when they came out with their Harry Potter collection. I’m in love with this bracelet featuring the Hogwarts crest because although it obviously symbolizes Harry Potter, I feel that it’s a bit understated and will blend in well with the rest of my Alex and Ani bracelets. Plus who doesn’t want to walk around with Hogwarts pride??

Parks and Recreation Funko Pops—Leslie Knope, April Ludgate, & Andy Dwyer—Funko Pops are among my favorite gifts to give and receive, so I was super excited to receive more Funko Pops from my favorite TV show. I now have 5 out of the 6 Parks & Rec Funko Pops that have been released so far, and I admit that I probably won’t be getting Lil’ Sebastian anytime soon—me and Ben Wyatt are on the same page about that one.

Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley Nano Metalfigs- I received these mini versions of Hermione and Ron in my stocking. I’ve actually never seen these type of figures before, but I think they’re pretty cute and unique gifts for any Potter fan.

Book Con tickets- YES I WILL BE ATTENDING THE BEST BOOKISH WEEKEND OF THE YEAR AGAIN IN 2018! I’ve been going back and forth about applying to Book Expo this year, so I’m excited to at least have Book Con already in the works!

What bookish or fandom gifts did you give or receive this year? Share in the comments!

My Experience at Harry Potter in Concert

November 6, 2017November 2, 2017 fangirlfury5 Comments

Last Saturday, I went to the symphony for the first time in my life. But in Fangirl Fury fashion, of course, this concert was based on one of my all-time favorite literary obsessions: Harry Potter. The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra presented Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets In Concert, where the orchestra performed the score of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets while the film played for the audience. I’ve heard nothing but fantastic things about these movies meets orchestra performances, especially for Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, and once I heard that my school was hosting a trip to the show, I knew I had to attend.

I attended the event with one of my friends from our university’s music appreciation organization, so it was really awesome to connect through our love of Harry Potter. And we prove that Hufflepuffs and Slytherin can be friends! We sat in the second row of the rear mezzanine, and we were clearly able to see the orchestra on stage and of course, the movie screen. The concert in general had such an awesome atmosphere—how could it not be in a room filled with hundreds of Potterheads?? Throughout the show, the audience would cheer when characters first entered the movie (I think Snape and Hermione received the loudest applause), laugh along with scaredy-cat Ronald Weasley, and applaud during pivotal moments. The orchestra was absolutely phenomenal and there were many times where I became so immersed in Chamber of Secrets that I forgot that the music wasn’t being played on the film’s soundtrack.

hpconcert

Despite how many times I indulge myself in Harry Potter movie marathons on Freeform, I haven’t watched Chamber of Secrets in full in a long time (I also chalk some of this up to the fact that Freeform definitely plays the last three films the most). It was really fun to go back into Chamber of Secrets and be reintroduced to this chapter in the wizarding world, where we of course meet Dobby and Gilderoy Lockhart. I also forgot how light this movie is compared to the later films in the series. Ron was so funny and stole the show for me, between his under-the-breath remarks and fear of spiders.

I didn’t buy any merch at the show, although they had some really cute T-shirts that said, “Dobby is a free elf”. I did treat myself to a chocolate frog as a snack, where I received a trading card of Madam Pince inside the pack. This was my second chocolate frog ever (okay, we all know I need to make my way to Universal ASAP), so now I have her card and Professor Sprout from my frog that I bought at the Cursed Child release party. On the way home from the symphony, I fittingly started listening to Carry On by Rainbow Rowell on audiobook.

If you ever have the opportunity to attend a Harry Potter in Concert event, I highly recommend that you do! It was such a cool way to experience the symphony and the music behind the wizarding world of J.K. Rowling.

Top Five Wednesday: Side Ships

June 14, 2017June 11, 2017 fangirlfury12 Comments

While the main protagonist’s relationship may take up most of the spotlight in some books, side ships are another type of relationship that us fangirls and fanboys thrive on. Listed below are the top five side ships that just steal the show for me!

Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks from Harry Potter– Lupin and Tonks are two of my favorite characters from Harry Potter, so when they became a couple, my ship had officially sailed! If they’re were two characters I could resurrect from Deathly Hallows, it would hands-down be them—sorry Hedwig and Fred!

Anna and St. Clair from Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins– Technically, Anna and St. Clair are only the main protagonists in Anna and the French Kiss. I loved seeing the two pop up in Isla and the Happily Ever After and how their relationship has developed .

Nesta and Cassian from A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas– While this isn’t an official ship, I think I enjoyed Nesta and Cassian’s relationship in ACOWAR more than Feyre and Rhsyand’s (oops). I laughed out loud from the banter between them, and I loved seeing this protectiveness and care come out for one another. I’ll take another A Court of Thorns and Roses book all about Nessian, please.

Ron Swanson and Diane Lewis from Parks and Recreation– What’s a Fangirl Fury Top Five Wednesday without a reference to Parks and Recreation? It was really awesome to see how Ron changed because of his relationship with Diane and her daughters, and how he took on a parenting role no longer reserved for Andy Dwyer. I just wish we got more interaction with Ron and Diane in the last two seasons of the show.

Molly and Arthur Weasley from Harry Potter– Could you imagine any another couple running the Weasley clan? I think not!

Top 5 Wednesday is a collaborative group of book bloggers from various platforms who love sharing lists on Wednesdays. The T5W group can be found here on Goodreads.

What are some of your favorite side ships? Let me know in the comments!