Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you, 1 book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews: just covers.
I slogged through the last one just for completion's sake and was glad I did. But yeah, JKR bogged herself down in places. As an editor, I wanted to give her a stern lecture on pacing.
My first job after college was working for a book bindery. Publishers would send us samples all the time, which we'd evaluate to see if they were worth carrying. I remember when the first HP book came in. We looked it over, and then tossed it in the seconds bin. (We were not good at predicting bestsellers, obviously. LOL!)
Then my ex read it, made me read it, and we were hooked! (That last book, though. Torture.) My son went through the series a year or so ago. He'd already seen all the movies, but wanted to see what he was missing from the books.
I waited until the last 2 books came out and then bought the whole series in a box set shaped like Harry's suitcase. I loved the series and read them very quickly. Was watching the movies at the same time.
These books meant SO MUCH to me as a kid. I was the same age as Harry - 11 in the first book. It really felt like I grew up with him... it makes me SO SAD to know this series has become tainted by its author. I still own my copies - the exact same ones as in the picture - but I haven't touched them in years. I think about rereading them, because I already own them so it's not like she's getting more of my money. But the mixed emotions...
I read the first one to be able to talk knowledgeably with my young nephews about Potter stuff. they were OBSESSED. I admit I didn't enjoy it much back then because the writing seemed sophomoric to me compared to other fantasists. It wasn't until later when I started reading the fanfic & watched all the movies that I appreciated the whole 'verse fully. I'm really glad I made the effort finally!
The writing really is sophomoric, especially in the early books. It gets a little more polished later on but not by much. A lot of the fanfic writers are better wordsmiths than JKR.
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Date: 2025-04-07 02:43 am (UTC)Then my ex read it, made me read it, and we were hooked! (That last book, though. Torture.) My son went through the series a year or so ago. He'd already seen all the movies, but wanted to see what he was missing from the books.
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