Harry Potter Books by J. K. Rowling

[Katrina1968]

We're planning a trip to Disney World in Orlando, Florida for the sole purpose of visiting Hogwarts! I would love to re-visit Hogwarts, the Burrow and even Privet Drive!

[Raven]

'Harry Potter' thrills as JK Rowling unveils Pottermore site.

 

So it's really a more sophisticated way of promoting the eBook versions of the Harry Potter novels which are being released later this year.

 

 

[Ben]

The 18,000 words+ of extensive back-story sounds interesting though..

[Lucybird]

The 18,000 words+ of extensive back-story sounds interesting though..

 

Yup, everything else is pretty much offered elsewhere

[Scarlette]

I never thought I'd post in this thread! I've always been a Harry Potter movie fan, but never had any desire to pick up the books until recently. Now, three books in, I can honestly say I'm utterly bewitched.

[Victoria]

So far, the bets are that it's some sort of mmorpg. I'd like it if it were another/more short stories, like that brief thing she did about James and Sirius!

 

 

I had no idea there was such a thing, I've since looked for it and found it online. Thank you!

[Booknutt]

I still think the door is open for a re-emergence of "Potter-tales" folks - J.K. left the basics at the end of "Deathly Hallows" didn't she?

 

Maybe Harry, as an Auror (which he wanted to be all along) could investigate something murky at Hogwarts? Hermione would make a great Professor there too, for the next generation of wizards/witches - her own kids and Harry's included.

 

There's always h-o-p-e! In the meantime - I've got this favourite series scheduled-in as part of my Winter reading ... it never gets "old" does it?

[chesilbeach]

Hot on the heels of the details of her first foray into adult fiction, J. K. Rowling has confirmed she has started work on her Harry Potter encyclopedia, and when it's published she will be donating all the profits to charity. (Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/apr/16/harry-potter-encyclopedia-jk-rowling)

[Star]

I really must make an effort to read these.

 

They don't sound like my cup of earl grey and not seen the films but everyone I ask about them who has read them have all said they are a fantastic read. It seems its the people who haven't read them that turn their nose up (me included until now).

 

Watch this space I shall get round to it 1 day (I hope)

[Kylie]

Wow, good for her donating to charity (I guess she really doesn't need any more money!) One or more lucky charities will certainly benefit well from the proceeds.

[Nightwish]

Re-reading Harry Potter yet again for the millionth time! Just needed to come on here and vent (for the sake of my boyfriends sanity I need to vent somewhere!) Lockhart! Just arrrrrgh!!! Why doesn't he give up?! Just been reading 'The Duelling Club' chapter and have lost count of the amount of times Lockhart has decided to show off with his stupid "allow me" lines and end up making himself look like such a blooming muppet! Does that guy not feel any embarrassment?!

[Easy Reader]

^

 

 

I never used to like Lockhart either until one day I just saw the funny side of it and now he is one of my favourite characters.

[chesilbeach]

I think my love of Lockhart has come about from Kenneth Branagh playing him in the films - I think he's one of the highlights of the entire series of films, and made me love the character in the books afterwards

[Nightwish]

Don't get me wrong, I love him in the film! Book Lockhart hits a nerve, he really does remind me of my old English teacher! Every lesson he would come in and tell tall stories of his days at University, told us constantly about how he looks after his wavy blonde hair...oh, and reminded us all that he has written a book and used to get the book out and point to his name on the front, going "look...its me!"

 

New rant: Pottermore! Was disappointed to find no CoS content yet. I whizzed through PS, mainly because I love the brand new information about certain characters backgrounds. I have been very very annoyed though at the amount of people on Facebook saying "Just signed up to Pottermore, OMG OMG, add me!" And then when I try and talk to them about anything Harry Potter related they have NO idea what I am on about. One girl actually asked me what did I mean there was no Chamber of Secrets content as she had no idea what the Chamber of Secrets is... !

[PatrickUK]

Harry Potter is by far the best series of books. I read it for the first time in Portuguese, but I ordered the box set (which I loved) from Amazon and the book's language is in English. I'm pretty sure that I'm going to love to be reading the Harry Potter serie again, and in English - which will be even better. I'm really excited to go through this whole adventure for the second time.

[frankie]

It's definitely a series one can read again and again! Have fun re-reading the series, Patrick!

[luminus]

I wasn't a big fan of the Harry Potter books to be honest. I read until half way through the 4th book and put it down... I don't know I just felt the story dragged a little

[PatrickUK]

It's definitely a series one can read again and again! Have fun re-reading the series, Patrick!

 

Thank you my friend

[PatrickUK]

I really enjoy reading Harry Potter. In my humble opinion, it's the best book series EVER!

[krayne]

I wasn't a big fan of the Harry Potter books to be honest. I read until half way through the 4th book and put it down... I don't know I just felt the story dragged a little

 

I agree that the first books were a little on the boring or childish side but I think that once you get past the 4th book is where it really starts picking up. The content gets a lot more dark and the books take on a whole new night as far as I'm concerned. When I re-read the Harry Potter books I always either start at the 4th book or the 5th. I suggest giving it a second look!

[chesilbeach]

I agree that the first books were a little on the boring or childish side but I think that once you get past the 4th book is where it really starts picking up. The content gets a lot more dark and the books take on a whole new night as far as I'm concerned. When I re-read the Harry Potter books I always either start at the 4th book or the 5th. I suggest giving it a second look!

I do the opposite! I read the first three books easily, then get to the fourth one and I seem to give up

[Booknutt]

I've just bought a box set of the H.P. novels, after giving the ones I had away months ago, with the promise that "one day" I'd get them on Kindle.

 

Still not got the Kindle - but gave way to temptation when I saw a lovely colourful "kids" set in their own box, this afternoon. The ones I had were the "adult" books - and a very boring dark set of covers they were too. Just because we're big kids "they" seem to think we don't like colours.

 

Amazing the difference it can make. My first time of reading was with the kids version novels and I really enjoyed the experience. Then I bought a set of my own in adult backs, and somehow they seemed to lack something, Those boring covers seemed to make them feel like boring books, and I didn't enjoy them as much.

 

So - my rash act today was the big kid in me speaking out - ?

 

I honour her, and we'll both enjoy joining Harry and friends through their journeys, again!

[Hanananah]

I read and re-read the series as a child a million and one times, I loved them so much!!! However, I think because I read them so much as a child, I don't think I could read them again any time soon. I have also discussed the series a lot with a variety of friends and many of them think along the same lines as me. There are many things that are wrong with them and I can accept them but I don't think I could ever say I dislike the series as it was a such a big part of my growing up. I can also say that Rowling isn't a fantastic writer and since becoming older I can see where she got a lot of her influences from (some of it very close to straight out copying!).

 

Maybe if I wait a few years I could read and enjoy them again

[Booknutt]

I have to admit - I was drawn to start the series as a thirty-something adult!

 

For that very reason, I think enjoyed it far more than I would've done as a youngster.

Youngsters are (we hope) not as jaded as adults, and accept the fun and the "magic" of life as natural, On the other hand, for an adult who has experienced some of the knocks of living, a reminder of that magic and that a lot is possible with focus and effort, can re-open that special world which we tend to close down to, as we get older, and life gets a bit harder.

 

Hang on to your copies, Hananah - you might need them as you gain wrinkles!

 

What do the other "mature" starters of the series think?

[chesilbeach]

I started them when I was in my late twenties, and it was just after the second book was out, and although there wasn't the big hype around them at that point, they were popular and starting to get press attention. I bought the first two books to take on holiday with me, and we had a two train journeys and a flight to take, and by the time we'd arrived at our destination, I had finished book one and then finished book two by the end of the first day! That week, I re-read them again. As the later books came out, I loved getting caught up in the fan world of websites and podcasts.

 

Therefore, I'd have to agree with Booknutt and say keep hold of them! You'll want to remember your childhood at some point in your life, and books would be a great way to do it.