Harry Potter Series

CHECK!!!  One more item from my 30 before 30 list crossed off!  That means 11 items down and 19 to go.

I attempted to start the series in college when everyone was raving about the books.  I have always been one to want to find things in my own time and so when I picked up the first book I think I was unimpressed due to all the hype.  At the time the writing in the first book felt very childish and it didn't catch my interest so I barely made it 100 pages and then walked away.  In the process of creating my 30 before 30 list I wanted to have a variety of items and in making the list this book series surfaced as one of those things I just felt I needed to experience.  I was nervous about adding this item because 7 books with over 600 pages each isn't a small task especially if my impression from my first attempt at reading them in college held true. 

Thankfully I was sucked in almost immediately once I started the series again.  I still feel that the first three books were at a much lower reading level but I also understand that the author did this intentionally.  I think from the start she knew she wanted to grow with her audience and that was one of my favorite parts of reading all seven books back to back.  The mystery, danger, and intrigue increase steadily as you go.  I will say that having seen all the movies first I did find myself picturing the actors and sets from the movie rather than what my mind might have envisioned but in this case it didn't bother me as much as it usually does.  I enjoyed the extra detail that the books offered; it was like seeing something that was previously in black and white in color.

I don’t know that I had one book that I favored over all the others.  I think the Goblet of Fire and the Rise of the Phoenix were my ideal balance of whimsy and danger.  The first few books are a bit childish and the last two books are pretty dark and heavy and while I enjoyed them I think the middle of the series were the most enjoyable reads for me.  Kyle is very glad that I finally finished them since I am a binge reader I get very absorbed in the books I read and the other night he mentioned that he felt like I’d been reading these books forever.    I started reading them in early-December and finished the last book by the end of January.  I’m happy I took the time to read them and honestly enjoyed them a lot more than I thought.  Of course rereading them makes me want to go back and watch the movies again.  It also makes me want to go back to Universal Studios in Orlando to see Harry Potter land again!