Harry Potter, Books one, two and one to seven

Every so often I like to relax with a book that I *know* that I will enjoy... A book that I have read before... A book that I enjoyed and that I expect to enjoy on re-reading.

I have just re-read the Harry Potter series:

Harry Potter books one to seven
by J.K. Rowling
young adult, fantasy

Brilliant ! Excellent ! Started reading and could not stop till I had read -- yet again -- the entire series :-) Let's rate the series as 9 out of 10: really, really good. You can read reviews of each book, elsewhere in this blog...

So what about the other books in the title of this posting ? "Books one, two" ? Book one is:

The Gone-Away World
by Nick Harkaway
science fiction ?

The first chapter is ugly, dislikeable. Chapter two jumps backwards, to before whatever catastrophe seems to have affected the Earth. What ?! Why ? And it's another series of ugly, dislikeable anecdotes.

It may be intended to be social satire. It's more like social sarcasm. Not particularly pleasant. Funny only if you believe that insults are funny. Okay, I may be imagining how awful it is...

... The characters are unappealing. It's soon clear that "what happened" will not be answered for many a long chapter. There is nothing that makes me want to read further. I skim to the end of the second chapter.

I don't like it but I haven't read much of it so I won't give a rating. Well, perhaps a 4 out of 10. It's bad but could be read.

"Book two" is:

Liberator
(follows Worldshaker)
by Richard Harland
science fiction

This book just does not appeal -- to me. I accept that it may appeal to others. I read a couple of chapters, failed to find interest, gave up.

The book appears to be a political thriller with violence, set in a science fiction universe. It's book two, so the characters are unfamiliar and -- as far as I can quickly tell -- not worth knowing. I stop reading.

Okay, it's not nearly as bad as Gone-Away. In a normal week I would keep on reading... But I have just finished reading Harry Potter -- and I am simply not interested in attempting to read a book which has not gained my interest within the first 75 pages.

Liberator seems to be better than Gone-Away. But, again... I have not read enough to rate the book... other than a tentative 6 out of 10. Read to pass the time. Unless this type of book actually suits your current reading mood...

Perhaps I will go back to Harry Potter and read the series yet again ! And I can guarantee that I will enjoy Harry Potter -- again -- more than I enjoyed the other two books in this review.

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Lord grant me the strength to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can & the friends to post my bail when I finally snap!