Nearly
Booking Through Thursday–please come over to the BTT site to play along!
- 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? If so, right away? Or just, you know, eventually, when you get around to it? Are you attending any of the midnight parties? If not, why not? And, for the record… what do you think? Will Harry survive the series? What are you most looking forward to?
I’m all set.
I’ve even got space on my bookshelf, all ready . . . not that I’ll be needing it until later on Saturday.
Because, of COURSE I’m reading the new Harry book, just as soon as I can get my hands on it! I’ve got the whole day set aside just for that book. Just like I did last time. Because, obviously I’m a fan. Here’s a quote from my blog entry from two years ago: “Here’s my plan for Saturday morning. Get up. Get dressed. Eat breakfast. Drive [sedately, legally] to the store to get a copy of The Book. Come home [still sedately, no speeding!]. Sit down. Read. . . . That’s it. Read. Until I’m done. Sure, I may glance out the window a few times, I’ll probably pause to make some lunch, but nothing much is going to happen until I’m done with the book.”
That’s exactly the plan for this Saturday.
I cannot WAIT to find out how the story ends, although I am avoiding like the plague any possible internet sites that would spoil anything. Anything “real,” that is–Mugglenet posted a quote (hidden behind spoiler marks) of a quote from the Guardian newspaper of what MIGHT be the first paragraph. That, I was willing to risk. JK Rowling is doing a midnight reading in London on Saturday, which I’m willing to listen to over the ‘net late here on Friday, because anything she’s willing to share, I’m not afraid will ruin anything. (Last time, for example, her reading was the description of Fred and George’s shop.) To me, that’s an appetizer, NOT something that’s going to spoil anything.
There are websites out there that are offering spoilers. There was even one which supposedly offered photos of all the pages of the entire book. (Sheesh–and wowzer, are they ever in trouble!) Not only do I not want to see it, but I think it’s completely unfair of people like that to want to spoil it for everyone. There are so many people working so HARD to preserve the “midnight magic” of getting the book into the hands of the hordes of adoring fans at exactly the right time. Why ruin it for all of them? How mean-spirited! For that matter, the author herself has put out a plea for patience to everyone, asking them to ignore the misinformation popping up on the internet. I mean, it’s only two more days, right? (gulp)
I mean, really, I like to be “in the know” as much as the next person. I love knowing the answers to things. And I’ve already told you that I’m not averse to peeking ahead in books. But this one? Absolutely not. It was bad enough that I glanced at the Table of Contents in “Half-Blood Prince” and saw the title “Phoenix’s Lament” which pretty much told me who was going to die . . . Um, I will NOT be glancing at the TOC this time…. But on this book? A story I’ve been following for something like 10 years? (Since book 3 came out.) No way, no how. No cheating! I won’t even check my email on Saturday until I’ve actually finished the book just in case . . . I’m just glad I read quickly enough that I can isolate myself for however long is necessary . . . just so long as nobody blurts anything out!
All that said, and to get back on track with these questions–no, I’m not attending a midnight party. And, do I think Harry will die? I have absolutely no idea, but I HOPE not. I can see it going either way, I really can, and sometimes I feel that he will die, and other times that he won’t . . . no idea. But I’d put money down that Voldemort will be dead at the end. There’s absolutely no way that I can conceive of JKR letting the villain survive the series. I’m just terrified about who might be joining him (Ron? Hermione? Ginny??) . . . And, am I the only one who’s hoping to see Neville take down Bellatrix? Or hoping that Dumbledore somehow makes his presence known, or has left some kind of instructions for Harry? And I do so hope that Dumbledore was right about Snape–I don’t care about Snape himself, but I don’t want Dumbledore to have been wrong about something so important, when he was so adamant for so many years about Snape having renounced Voldemort. I do love, though, how on each of the covers I’ve seen, Harry looks absolutely determined . . . He’s taken up the fight and is going to see it through to the end, no matter what . . . Good luck, Harry!
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House Calls
Hi – Sound like you have everything all planned out for your own celebration. And I agree with you about your statement at the end…hope and pray it all come to a good ending…
Happy Harry Potter fun weekend!
Wow Deb, you have the plans all laid out, don’t you?
And yes, I definitely want to see a happy ending!
Happy reading!
Like you I am shutting myself in once I get home with my copy until it is finished. I am going to a midnight opening and will start it Friday night. I am really looking forward to seeing how everything comes together and gets tied up.
I agree about Snape and not wanting Dumbledore to be wrong – that is exactly how I feel only I hadn’t thought it through enough to put it into words.
Not long now….
I completely agree with you on the spoilers. It’s so mean-spirited to want to ruin the anticipation and excitement for everyone else. I’ve been following faithfully since book 2 and I want nothing to do with reading ahead or sneak peeks! I will be attending a midnight book release party, after going to see Order of the Phoenix for the second time. I can’t wait! My Saturday is “booked” also. =)
My son and I have been going back and forth with some of these questions and theories…we don’t want any of the kids to die, we think Dumbledore is alive somehow (is he half mermish??), Snape is somehow redeemed, either he was Dumbledore’s man all along and just playing at evil, or he does something to bring Dumbledore back… My challenge is to read ahead of the kid, who in book 6 spilled the beans before we were at that point! So I’m thinking I’ll get it at midnight, drink some coffee and read for a few hours! (but I always fall asleep reading late…)
I can’t wait, too! And I’ve actually held one of the books now because we had to catalog them the other day. It was torture, I tell ya!
i’m planning on attending the midnight party at borders, but if i can’t get my book rather quickly, i’ll abandon the plan, and go back at 9 the next morning and pick up my reserved copy. unfortunately, they were unable to reserve a second copy for me, and guarantee i’d have it saturday, so i’ll be going to bakers (local grocery store) and picking up a copy from them, too. the local library is having a lock in from 10-6, and both boys want to go, so i’m going to forego reading my copy until after then. i don’t know if i can stand the agony! (and i’m sure ONE of my sons will be done by 6. the older one (almost 15) has been absolutely BURNING through books. he’s finished 2 different 300 page books in two consecutive evenings!)
Me too! Can’t wait!! I guess we will see what happens.
I’m excited about it too. I preordered the book so I will hopefully get it delivered on Saturday. BUT, I don’t think I will be able to start reading it until after Monday. Unless the bathroom re-model is done. Hrm. It will be a hard thing indeed to not read the book with it there in the house!
I have my book pre-ordered from Amazon and they SAY it will be delivered Saturday evening. We’ll see. In any event, I originally bought the books for my grandson (yeah, sure) and have read each at least twice. It’s probably going to be a lonnnnng night Saturday….if it comes.
i am not sure if i want to sit and read it all in one fell swoop or savor it! i know that my eldest will be reading non stop until she is done…
whew! thank goodness i am not the only one who has made a spot for book 7…
i will be turning off my phone and not getting online…i have been extremely careful about what i look at online because of the dumb fools who copy all the pages of the book and put it all over the internet…..creeps! trying to spoil it for everyone…makes me angry..
Argh — I am still on book 5 (almost finished with it, but still.) So, I’ll probably be reading book 6 on Saturday and looking longingly at book 7 as it sits on my nightstand — ready and waiting.
My predictions: Harry lives, Voldemort dies, Ron and Hermione both live. Ginny dies (sorry, Harry). Neville takes down Belatrix to avenge his parents, but he might die in the process. Snape dies heroicly, proving he was on the right side all along. Dumbledore is really dead, but has left some kind of proof that he wanted Snape to kill him for some excellent reason. And Harry becomes the first Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher in ages to last more than a year.
I’ll be reading all day Saturday. DH was supposed to read it first, but he made other plans! Silly man!
Apparently the NYT published a review with several spoilers. Like you, I am trying hard to remain unspoiled; I’ve cut myself off from “headline” sites, like Yahoo and MSN … it’s too risky!
I might be the only person in the world who’s not foaming at the mouth for Harry.
I’m so excited to read this! It’s going to be a loooong 48 hrs. I can’t wait.
And I want all the spoilers I can get. haha
Happy BTT!
Harry will not die. But Snape will not turn out to be good.
Those are my predictions. I’m not stacking any money behind them.
I have the same theory about Neville. I think he will die avenging his parents in a battle with Bellatrix, which would be a most heroic end for him.
Unfortunatly, I won’t find out until after Saturday, because I’ve been called to the in-laws for the weekend!
This Saturday, just like the Saturday after the last book came out, I’ll be visiting my wizard friends just as you will be.
I still haven’t decided if I’m going to the midnight release. Probably not, but I may cave in the excitement of it all. Several of my coworkers are planning a big night, dinner out, the latest movie (which we’ve all seen once already), and then the book. A part of me wants to take tomorrow night off to prepare mentally . . . Relax . . . You know. 
And like you, I’m avoiding spoilers at all costs. I feel the same way about the cheaters who took a sneak peak. Terrible!
Mine is being delivered. I can’t wait!
The kids will be at grandma’s, so I will have at least one whole day of uninterrupted reading.
Heehee!
Have a wonderful HP day tomorrow!
Wow, you are a fan. Amazon has a link to write the New York Times a letter about their spoiler review. So unfair to ruin it for readers.
Happy reading!
I am going to a midnight release and hope to get the book if it doesn’t take to long otherwise I will be getting it tomorrow. I am a third into the 5th book and will be reading like crazy to get this one and the 6th one finished before I start the new one. Why oh why didn’t I start them before last week!?!