Booking Through Thursday: Just Wild About Harry

1. Okay, love him or loathe him, you’d have to live under a rock not to know that J.K. Rowling’s final Harry Potter book, /Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, /comes out on Saturday… Are you going to read it?

2. If so, right away? Or just, you know, eventually, when you get around to it? Are you attending any of the midnight parties?

3. If you’re not going to read it, why not?

4. And, for the record… what do you think? Will Harry survive the series? What are you most looking forward to?

There are people who actively avoid Harry Potter; there are those who do not care one way or the other; there are those who hate him, tolerate him, like him, or love him. Some people are fanatics and some are just regular fans. There's nothing wrong with falling into any one of those categories. I happen to be among those who thoroughly enjoy reading the books and watching the movies and so you can bet I will be right there in the middle, waiting to read the final Harry Potter book.

A couple of my coworkers are organizing a Harry Potter potluck for tomorrow in honor of the book release. I imagine one person might even come in costume, as big a fan as she is. There are several of us who read the books and are anxiously awaiting the strike of midnight when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be released.

I still have not decided if I will be among the throngs of people lining up to get my copy. Barnes and Nobles opens at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning, the crowds will be gone, and I would have the store mostly to myself for other book browsing. Can you imagine trying to browse the shelves at the midnight release? Still, there is something enticing about being swept up in the moment and being a part of the festivities. Everyone there will be sharing in the excitement about a book--just one little book.

While I may or may not be collecting my book at midnight on the 21st, I will be reading the book right away. Besides not being able to resist diving right in, I also do not want to have to avoid all the spoilers that will immediately be coming, some of which will be unavoidable altogether. And then there is the fact that my husband wants to read the book. He is kindly allowing me to have first dibs, knowing that I will not leave him waiting long. I did suggest buying two books, but he does not think it is worth the money or the effort.

As to what I expect to happen, I am keeping my thoughts on the subject to myself. This is in part due to the fact that I have no specific predictions and made no real guesses as to what I think or want to happen. I will let the story unfold as I read it and accept whatever the author has mapped out. The characters and story are her creation. I trust her to make the best decisions for her world; I'm just a visitor after all.