Harry Potter and a 2/3 New Year's Resolution

Okay, so for my New Year's resolution, I said that I would at least start reading 3 books and that I would finish reading at least 3 books...both by the end of the year. I'm a really slow reader. The first book that I both started and completed this year was The Second City Almanac that I had borrowed from Nifer.
The second book that I both started and completed this year was Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Before I say anything about it, let me just say that I'm not counting books that I read out loud in a group, which has included Ender's Game, Sophie's World, the incompleted (because we all hated it so much) Left Behind, the just started On A Pale Horse (which has been at the Roving Imp) and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (that my mom and I read out loud).

Now that I've mentioned that, I'll say a few things about Chamber of Secrets. But before I do, I just want to say that I don't want to type any spoilers. Fortunately, most people who will be reading this have either already read the book/seen the movie or they will have no desire to do so. Let me just start by saying that I started reading it around 2:15ish on Monday, May 31, 2010 and finsied around 4:57pm on June 3, 2010. This is a new record for me. Anyway, this starts off on Harry Potter's birthday just before his second year at Hogwarts begins. This book is loaded with mystery because there are certain students getting petrified...turned to statue...by something concerning the school's past. Mostly those who are not full wizards/witches. Either they're half and half or their parents were just plain human. Harry Potter has to find out who is the one who's letting this monster wreak havoc on the students...and if nothing else, to clear his name. I enjoied this because it gives some back story to the history of the school and the reader gets information as Harry Potter gets it. Also, it was just down right fun. I as a reader cared for the main charicters and the charicters cared for eachother. One thing I didn't like about it was the idiotic professor that the students had for their Defense Against the Dark Arts class. But that's something I'll leave for a spoiler to tell about.

Also, after reading a couple of Harry Potter books now, I want to say something I've picked up. The use of using the name "Lord Voldemort" vs. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. In the first book, there are two people who don't mind saying his name. Professor Dumbledore and Harry Potter. Harry Potter survived as a baby when Voldemort tried to kill him...which turned him into a celebraty. Prof. Dumbledore is the only wizard who is actually more powerful than Voldemort. Everyone else fears him and calls him by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Calling him by that actually gives him a power over them. A power of fear. Professor Dumbledore doesn't fear Voldemort and so he calls him by the name Voldemort. Just wanted to say that.