re: prisoner of azkaban

Definitely my favorite Potter book so far. Unnecessary Gripe List:

• Has anyone ever accused J.K. Rowling of being anti-fat? Save for Draco Malfoy, whenever a character is introduced and we're supposed to not like them, they're invariably described as "pudgy" or "porky" or "thick-necked." Uncle Vernon, Dudley, Draco's two cronies, any girl from Slytherin, Peter Pettigrew. And of course the hero of the series is always described as being exceptionally skinny.
• Acid Pops. Let me get this straight. Some wizard business sells a candy that will literally - and intentionally - burn a hole right through your tongue. Amusing at first, until you realize that means magic folk are OK with putting torture in a bag and selling it to children. That's not just a plot hole; that's a giant, gaping abyss in the Potter Space/Time Continuum, swallowing up and regurgitating inside-out every conceivable approach to logic, law, business, marketing, and basic morality.
• The house mascot of Gryffindor is... a lion? Shouldn't it be, you know, a griffin? And wiki tells me the house mascot of Ravenclaw is....an eagle? What's with that? I get the feeling Rowling would have made the Buffalo Bills' mascot an ox.
• I noticed a big plot hole concerning Lupin's werewolf-ness. In the book, its explained that he turns all wolfy whenever the full moon comes around - as a student he went to the Shrieking Shack as to not be a danger to anyone and as a professor he holed himself up in his office. But when Lupin turns wolfy toward the end of the book, he doesn't do so until the full moon comes out from behind the clouds and beams light down on him. So which is it, Rowling? Does he turn due to the full moon's presence alone or does he require the moonlight to hit him?
• I guess the teachers live at Hogwarts? Is there like a Faculty Apartments Tower?
• Harry still hasn't lost a Quidditch match, fair and square (meaning, no injuries, no dementors on the field, etc.)

Bonus thoughts on Philosopher's Stone movie:

• The best child actor on the cast is the kid who plays Draco Malfoy. He plays an 11-year old asshole - that's very tricky to look convincing, and this kid nails it.
• Radcliffe and Watson were pretty good, and that's coming from a guy who generally can't stand child actors. Rupert Grint gets on my nerves, though, sorry buddy.
• The kids who play Fred and George were horrible. Must have been hard to find 12-year old twin red-head British actors.
• Coltrane and Rickman are the best parts of the movie, along with my own amusement at noticing Watson's impending hotness.