Half-Blood Prince (No Spoilers)

[Shapley]

So...Has anyone finshed the book yet.

I picked up my copy at the midnight party. I started reading it Saturday evening, and read some last night. (Okay, some I'm not as fast as cipher..give me a break!)

It's been interesting reading so far. I find it to be more interesting than the last one, at least it builds faster.

V/R
Shapley

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

NOBODY reads as fast as cipher. Yes, I finished. I enjoyed it a great deal. There are a number of obvious plot developments, a few surprises, Harry is (well, duh) more mature at 16 than he was at 15, there are enough unresolved story threads to give the final book several possible directions for resolution. (This last point guarantees a good market for HP#7, I'm first in line. )

The actual mailman brought the book to my door about 2pm Saturday, I finished reading about 3am. Dinner was one of those nifty prepackaged salads from the grocery store, with a piece of microwaved fish alongside. (Yes, I can actually cook. No, I'm not too proud to do a 90-second meal.)

I understand from my morning commute radio show that the critics are, well, criticizing the book. [rhetorical question] Why would a person become a literary critic when they clearly don't enjoy a good story? [/rhetorical question]

[Shapley]

Well, If the didn't criticize, I guess they'd call them something else.

V/R
Shapley

[NateBrei]

Obviously, critics are like regulators, auditors, or opposition party members. If they are aren't finding fault, they aren't doing their jobs. Ergo, the name "critic" -- noun form of "criticize".

Nate

[treebeau]

Saxy has finished it! I've only finished 6 chapters but it is enjoyable. Slow reader here.

Not one for hype, I strolled into Sam's Club (warehouse place) and there was a huge display and amount of HP7 books right there at the entrance with nobody around. Picked one up, got a few other things, easy peasy Japaneesy. I wonder how many people were beating each other up at the bookstores (with smaller parking lots).

Regards,
Tim "the enchanter" B.

[RC]

My oldest has finished and rather than wait for another kid to finish, I'm making the youngest share by reading aloud.

Oldest has been moping ever since. I'm suspicious that something dreadful happens. Looks as though the last chapter title may be an allusion.

She's really iching for us to catch up. At three chapters per day, it will be the end of the week before I'm finished.

[Nicole Marie]

I pre-ordered mine from Amazon. But my husband was home on Saturday when it was delivered and because Amazon marks the delivery box with the Harry Potter logo, Bruno knew what it was and opened it. He's been reading it and hiding it so I can't read it until he's done. He likes to torture me with little hints and because I can't find the book... I have no idea what he's talking about! Harry Potter may be the end of my marriage.

[Andy Warton]

I just got the book yesterday afternoon and I'm halfway through. I'm normally a slow reader but I think this book is terrific. Normally I'll read a book and find myself thinking "well, the writer could obviously have written that sentence better," or "that word really doens't work - why would anyone write that?" or such frightfully negative things (I'm struggling to get published myself, you see); but with this book I'm too engrossed to care.
=Translation= I think it's a darn good yarn.

By the way, did anybody hear about that ten-year-old who bought the book from a pharmacy before it went on sale? The publishers actually took him to court, and took out an injunction, so that he couldn't read the thing until midnight on Saturday!

[Shapley]

Tim,

RE:I wonder how many people were beating each other up at the bookstores (with smaller parking lots).

I don't know how the bigger cities were, but I Cape Girardeau, we didn't have to beat each other up. Barnes & Noble had a midnight party, which we attended. For the kids it was lots of fun, for the adults it was mostly try to find a quiet corner where we could visit, while enjoying the costumes worn by the kids (and some adults) in attendance.

My sons school was well represented at the gathering, as his is a reading school, so for him it was a chance to mingle with some classmates, and for the parents to get together as well.

V/R
Shapley

[Shapley]

Andy,

I heard there ten or twelve books sold, although I never heard any particulars about the purchasers. The bookseller was obligated to withhold sale until midnight on the 16th, and they violated that requirement. The publisher and the author took them to court and won the injunction.

I understand that, in exchange for returning the book, they got it autographed by the author for free, which would seem like a great deal to me.

V/R
Shapley

[mmichaelson]

The book was great!!

[RC]

My daughter went to see The Chocolate Factory and then she and her nerdy friends went across the street to B&N for the Harry Potter midnight party.

Why does that make them nerds you ask?

THEY'RE 16 YEARS OLD!!! Mostly boys too.

LOL

She didn't stay 'til midnight, just long enough to hang with the gang. There were a LOT of teenagers there.

The kids and I loaded up for B&N's opening first thing Saturday morning to collect our pre-ordered book. The store was crowded but very well organized. I was probably 10th in line and every person in line had a copy of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

Since they discounted it 40%, I had no qualms picking up another book I conveniently found while standing in line. Go figure. Sucker!

[NateBrei]

My senior-to-be daughter pre-ordered the book, but I bought it for $1.00 less at a grocery store on that Saturday morning. She hasn't had a chance to read it yet because she had to leave for a missionary trip to Mexico for a week. I've only had the opportunity to read some of it surreptitiously since my wife has me re-staining woodwork & painting our family room this week (and reading Harry Potter isn't allowed ).

Nate

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Originally posted by NateBrei:
My senior-to-be daughter...

Huh? You're planning to knock off your oldest girl?

[Schmeelkie]

Arg - so frustrating. I came to Harry Potter late - a couple of years ago and have only gotten the first three so far. (haven't seen the first movie yet, though). Money was tight for a little while and books were a luxury (plus, I have enough that I've bought in the past and haven't gotten to read yet). Now I could get them, but I don't have tons of time to read. I'm still on the May issues of the magazines I subscribe to. My husband thinks that when you get that far behind, you should just chuck the old ones, and start on the current ones, but I'm too afraid I might miss something I'd really like... (and I did get caught up on 2 YEARS worth of Analogs in about the first 6 months of nursing my son)

Anyway, think I'll be sure my birthday list (thanks Amazon) has Harry Potter 4-6 on it - if I don't get them, I'll wait til the next sale...

[Schmeelkie]

Quick question (and by the way - I've seen the first two movies, not the third yet):
For those with kids, how old were they when they started with Harry Potter? I'm obviously not going to start reading these books to my almost 22-month old yet, but am wondering when I can/should?

Already decided to show him Star Wars (have to start with Ep.4) when he's about 5 - that's how old I was when it came out and my folks took us to see it 3 times! (this from my dad who rarely sees movies at all - maybe 2-3 a year - and never in the theater more than once)

[Shapley]

My son was in third or fourth grade ( 8 or 9 years old) when he read the first book, and has read them all (except the newest one) since. He is now twelve.

V/R
Shapley

[RC]

1997, that makes my oldest about 8 years old and her little sister 4 when we started the Harry Potter literary adventure.

The youngest has re-read the earlier books and we even re-read the one immediately prior to this just as a refresher.

[Shapley]

Actually, having now done the math, I think my son read the first book in third grade. I know he had read it before the movie was released, which would make it third grade, I'm sure. I didn't read it until after seeing the movie.

My son's school has the Accelerated Reading program. The children read books and then take tests on them after they have completed them. It is a very good program, and his class is definitely a well-read group of kids. The librarian is always trying to find new and more challenging books for the upper grades.

The sixth-grade teacher is a sailor, so he has been pushing lots of kids to read the Horatio Hornblower series, and other sea stories. I've donated a few books, such as Desperate Voyage, The Cruise of the Cachalot, and Sailing alone around the World.

I've been trying to get my son to read The Scottish Chiefs, but so far he hasn't attempted it. Maybe next school year.

V/R
Shapley

[mmichaelson]

This one is awfully dark for young readers - and more mature. But it's the best so far, if you ask me. I can't wait for book 7 - it was set up so perfectly!