It's here. It arrived today in the mailbox, all wrapped up in a white Amazon box with warnings on the sides: "Don't open until July 16!" "Do not deliver until July 16!"
I smuggled it inside and carefully opened the box, having some ambiguous idea for keeping the wrapping to show my mom or put in a scrapbook later. ...It'll probably get thrown away though.
I must admit, I've been less than enthused about the release of this book, until today, when I started reading it.
During the summer break between my sophomore and junior years in college, my editor at the magazine I was interning at insisted that I read these "Potter" books. Until then, I'd been dismissing them as some kind of peripheral children's phenomenon. But, if a 60-year-old menopausal woman could be so insistent, I'd give it a try. Thank goodness I did, not that it takes much to get me to read a book. I used to drive my parents crazy by bringing a good paperback to any and all sporting events we attended.
I read "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (book #3) first. It started off slow, then I was hooked. I was delighted to find that there were a few others in the series and proceeded to read "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (book #1) then, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" (book #2), then I decided to go ahead and read the last one out at the time, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" (book #4). (Which also is my favorite in the series.) I had Potter fever.
Not too long after I started my current job, I was excited to hear that the fifth book, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" was coming out. I've learned to temper my excitement over the Little Wizard that Could, however, because of the state we live in. Maybe I should just say some of the people in the state we live in.
I was talking to someone I know about the release, she was telling me that it shouldn't be getting as much publicity as it was and I asked her why she thought this. ( I know, I shouldn't have asked) She told me that she thought Harry Potter was how the devil got to children. She really, honestly, thinks that the devil himself is penning these books in order to enslave children worldround. She bases this, not on having ever read any of the books, but what she's heard about them and all of that witchcraft that it teaches children. Yeah..... I'm wondering if she's ever told her child any fairy tales? Anything that's not "real?" I know she doesn't go home and read the obits to her kid every night.
This is an otherwise very nice person that I like talking with. I was just blown away that she felt this way about a novel, something totally imaginary that's sold a lot of copies and has encouraged children and adults alike to read. Yeah, an escape mechanism for people that doesn't include a hangover but might increase your vocabulary or creativity ... I could totally see how that's a bad thing.
Anyway, back to my books! (Yes, I used a possessive, I bought 'em and I have conversations with J.K., granted, she's got that pesky restraining order....)
I read the fifth book in record time ( I love how everyone is always so proud of how fast they've read these books) and was a bit disappointed. The story moved along pretty fast, but there were so many questions raised and I hate waiting for the next installation to come out.
When I heard "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" had a release date, I immediately ordered it on Amazon and circled every calendar I owned. When the time finally came, I didn't even get out my black circle glasses and put them on my desk. I'm a bit ashamed to say that I have been really busy with "adult" things like work, and cleaning the house, that I kinda forgot.
When I found the book in the mailbox today, the excitement started to come back. When I sat on our (new) couch and opened the book, sniffed the new paper and ink smell and started the first chapter, it all came back. I LOVE THIS SERIES! Pants and I have even talked about naming our first son Harry.
I am trying to take it slow and savor the story, but I've already found a typo or two. So far, so good, the story is moving a lot better than the fifth book. Pants already knows he won't be seeing much of me for the next few days. The dogs will be a bit confused, but that's nothing new.
I have two more books that I've been waiting on since last year that will finally be released in August. I'll post more on them once I get them. Until then, I've got a book to finish!
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3 comments:
My husband read your blog and had to call me to tell me that you sniffed your new book. He thought I was the only person (crazy person, in his view) that sniffs books. I have told him and told him that I am not alone. Only now does he believe me. Ha! Thank you very much. Enjoy.
I'm glad that I could help!
I think the tactile interaction with the book itself is half of the experience. A cracked binding always makes me want to pick up a book in a used book store. Someone thought it was worthy enough to read more than once.
And the smell ... well ... I love the way a new book smells, the paper and the fresh ink is comforting. I love knowing that, even though I'm not the first to read that story, I may be the first to crack open that book and touch those pages.
Of course, the same could be said for the opposite reason when opening an antique book. Who knows how many and what kind of people have read the exact same words you are reading and how did they interpret them, etc.
Books are cool :)
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