End of an Era?

Tonight David and I finished reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

If you're a friend or a blog follower (or both), you know how much I love this series, both the books and the movies. I actually noticed that I have a Harry Potter "tag" for blog posts! (For the record, this post makes #4 in my posts about the Boy Wizard.)

I personally felt horribly bittersweet when I finished the series. I wasn't ready for it to be over but I was so happy to find out the ending.

Now I feel the same way about reading the books with David. He is 9 years old and a very well-read child. He loves to read, and would stay up til all hours of the night reading if I'd let him. He knows that he can read much faster on his own than I can read to him out loud, but I adamantly insisted that the Harry Potter books had to be read out loud together.

But now it's over. And I feel bittersweet. I'm so happy to have shared these books with him but I'm sad that this compulsion to read together has ended. He's just not as excited for me to read anything else out loud...he'd rather read it to himself. He didn't need Harry Potter to instill in him a love of reading but it was certainly a fun part of his reading history. I'm so hopeful that for the rest of his life he'll remember how we read these books together.

(Side note: I'm that crazy mom who absolutely insists that one should, if at all possible, read the book before seeing the movie. Any book, any movie. David is beside himself with delight that he will be able to see the final Harry Potter movie in the theaters this time. He's finally caught up to Hollywood. I can't wait to take him! And I hope I've taught him the important lesson that the book is (almost) always better than the movie.)

On the bright side: soon Sam will be old enough to read these books with and I can start all over again at the beginning! And then Yael! And then Solly....so it's not quite over yet....

It's a Big Day....and I'm Going!

 

I am *right now* seeing this movie. 

Yes, I know I didn't stay up for the midnight show.

But here I am today.

So excited!!!!!

P.S. isn't that a cool pic of Hermione? While I love Harry, she is a totally rockin' wizard and my favorite.

Wow...it's here, and I'm done.

I actually feel a little bit sad that I'm done reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It's hard to believe that the series has drawn to a close. I definitely cried my way through the last 40 pages or so, pausing occasionally to wipe my nose and knowing that the book was almost at an end. Maybe I cried more because of the actual act of reading the end than at the ending itself (which wasn't all that sad, aside from the various deaths of major characters!).

Bottom line: I loved it.

As I type this, my husband is on page 152 and I am dying for him to finish so we can discuss it! I read as much as I could (about 500 pages!) last night and then finished the rest today. I am also waiting for him to finish so I can read it again. Yes, I am that dorky.

I love the Harry Potter phenomenon. I love that the rest of the world is just as excited as I am about books! For most of my life, I've been this excited for a new book to arrive. But now the whole world seems to share my joy at the book's arrival.

And no matter how sad I am that Harry is over...there's always something new! In fact, just this evening I got the email notice from the library that the newest book by Sheri Tepper is available for me and I know that Daniel Silva has a new novel coming out on Wednesday! So...the book world is far from over for me, of course. I am a Reader, and thus there is always more to be read.

There is also the additional excitement and knowledge that I will re-experience Potter when I share each book in turn with each of my children. Sharing the first book with my firstborn this summer has been such a treat. I am constantly enjoying the fun of remembering all my favorite childhood books in order to share them with my kids. Today I picked up used copies of Betsy-Tacy and The Boxcar Children, two of my favorites that I can't wait to read aloud to David.

Ah...the joy of the written word.

Harry Potter Movie....

....was awesome.

Loved it.

Won't say more for anyone who hasn't seen it yet.

Can't wait for book 7!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!