I'm new to the world of Harry Potter!

[Missy1961]

I know! Makes you wonder if there isn't something "else" out there, doesn't it!?

Exactly my first thought!

 

[Missy1961]

Family is in town this weekend, so I haven't been able to read much. But my 9 year old nephew told me how #7 ends: "with a period!" Ha ha.

 

[Captain Brain]

My favourites list would be this:

Order of the Pheonix
Deathly Hallows
Half Blood Prince ()
Prisoner of Azkaban
Sorcer's Stone
Goblet of Fire
Chamber of Secrets

 

[SueM in MN]

Well I'm super super late then because I haven't even started yet. I have seen all the movies, except the most recent one out right now, and I've been saying I'm going to get around to them someday but just haven't. I don't read a whole lot anyway, never have the time it seems.

What is everyone's favorite book? I was wondering if the first one is the best??????

I love them all for different reasons and it seems like my favorite changes based on which one I am reading.
I overheard an interesting discussion a few weeks ago about reading the Harry Potter books. One guy was reading them in order of which ones he had heard were the best rather than the correct order.
He said he might re-read them in order some day, but he wasn't enjoying them as much as people told him he would, so he wasn't sure.

I just kept thining how much he was missing by not reading them the way they were intended.

Ya better get crackin' on that! My favorite book was Goblet of Fire #4. LOVED IT. But it was not the best movie, unfortunately. So much was left out.

For that reason, the first movie is still my fav out of all of them. It seems more innocent and magical. But I loved them all!

I loved the first movie. It was so magical to see the world appear on the screen just the way i imagined it.

My least favorite movie is Goblet of Fire #4. I agree that so much was left out. There was not much feeling of character. It was more a series of scenes just to get from action scene to action scene.

Bob, as you are reading to your kids, you might want to read ahead yourself. The books get incredibly darker & more evil. Book one started out appropriately for 9 year olds. But the evil gets incredibly older in each book as the kids age. I wonder about the appropriateness for younger kids in the later books.

I had read in one of the early interviews with JKRowling that her thought was that kids would read the books when they were close to the age of the characters in the books. So, although the stuff in book one may be appropriate for a 9 yr old, there will be stuff in later books that might be too dark for a 9 yr old.
That's why I think it's wonderful that these books are as enjoyable for adults as for children. A lot of parents have read them or are reading them as a family. It certainly is a good way to bring up some very deep subjects for discussion.

I started re-reading the whole series about a week ago, and just finished the Sorcerer's Stone last night. I'm now on chapter four of the Chamber of Secrets. There are so many little things I noticed this time, that I didn't pay that much attention to back when I first read them, which was years ago.

One of the reasons I love the books is all those little things. There are so many little details and rich descriptions all over the place.
And then, all of a sudden, you read something that you kind of remember from one of the little details in a past book. Not giving any spoilers, but there are a number of those little things that happen in the final book.

I started reading Half Blood Prince last night & was freaked out almost immediately. Voldermort had caused a bridge collapse & a hurricane. Just a little too close to reality for me.

 

[EUROPACL]

My favourites list would be this:

Order of the Pheonix
Deathly Hallows
Half Blood Prince ()
Prisoner of Azkaban
Sorcer's Stone
Goblet of Fire
Chamber of Secrets

Mine would be

Prisoner of Azkaban (I was so happy for Harry at the end of this book)

Order of the Pheonix (Loved Tonks and Luna)

Deathly Hallows (drags a little in the middle)

Half Blood Prince (Saw the ending coming before I picked it up sorta had to happen)

Sorcer's Stone

Goblet of Fire ( Way too much going on in this book...Mad-Eye is a great character though)

Chamber of Secrets (The weakest book and Film by far)

 

[DisneyFan06]

Favorite to Least:

Half Blood Prince
Deathly Hallows
Order of the Pheonix (Favorite Film)
Chamber of Secrets
Sorcer's Stone
Goblet of Fire
Prisoner of Azkaban - didn't like it.

 

[Missy1961]

I didn't have much time to read this weekend, but I really started reading "Half Blood Prince" yesterday. I'm really enjoying it. Hopefully, I'll be done sometime soon, so I can read #7!

 

[Missy1961]

I'm listening to the audio book of Half Blood Prince. Very good!

 

[PoohJen]

Excellent! Now hurry up and finish them all, so we can dish on Book 7!!!


I've already read 7, and have been listening to it on the way in each morning. This morning as I went to grab my computer out of the trunk, I still had the narrator's voice in my ears. I looked around, and a man was parked a few cars away was listening to Book 7 too! I waited a few moments to walk into the bldg with him to discuss it, but it was clear he couldn't pull himself away from the book/tape just yet! He was still sitting there by the time I went into the bldg!

 

[Missy1961]

Excellent! Now hurry up and finish them all, so we can dish on Book 7!!!


I've already read 7, and have been listening to it on the way in each morning. This morning as I went to grab my computer out of the trunk, I still had the narrator's voice in my ears. I looked around, and a man was parked a few cars away was listening to Book 7 too! I waited a few moments to walk into the bldg with him to discuss it, but it was clear he couldn't pull himself away from the book/tape just yet! He was still sitting there by the time I went into the bldg!

I'm more than halfway thru #6, I should be finished very soon, I have a feeling I'll be done with #7 very quickly!

I know how he feels. Usually on my train rides home I'm happy to see myself getting closer to home, but since I've been reading HP, I'm not so happy.

 

[Imzadi]

Excellent! Now hurry up and finish them all, so we can dish on Book 7!!!

No, No, Slow down!

Really cherish this time you are reading HP the first time. I got Book 7 not long after the midnight release & tried to plow my way through, so I wouldn't accidentally read spoilers. I got through 300 pages in a day and a half. Usually I take a leisurely 5 days to read a full length novel that size. I found it grueling.

When I got to the halfway point the next day, I realized I wished I had gone slower. I didn't want it to end already. I still wanted more time with Harry & the gang. So I slowed down to really savor those last several chapters. Also, so much happens in the last couple of books, you really need time to digest & process it all.

I cried buckets at the end. And once I read enough to know the end so it would no longer be spoiled for me, I took a breather, again, to have a couple more days before saying goodbye to the HP series. At the last line of the book, knowing JKR had pretty much known what she wanted the very last line to be, way back while writing Book One, I cried again, knowing it was really over. True to her word, JKR ended the HP series with finality.

Again, really savor these last two books. Reading HP the first time will never come again.

 

[Lisa_M]

I just started reading the 1st book. My little sister brought the whole series to me when she came to visit. I'm only up to Harry going to the zoo with his aunt and uncle...

I've seen the movies that are out (not the latest one though), but fell asleep at some point during most of them. My sister says that the books are more entertaining.

 

[Missy1961]

No, No, Slow down!

Really cherish this time you are reading HP the first time. I got Book 7 not long after the midnight release & tried to plow my way through, so I wouldn't accidentally read spoilers. I got through 300 pages in a day and a half. Usually I take a leisurely 5 days to read a full length novel that size. I found it grueling.

When I got to the halfway point the next day, I realized I wished I had gone slower. I didn't want it to end already. I still wanted more time with Harry & the gang. So I slowed down to really savor those last several chapters. Also, so much happens in the last couple of books, you really need time to digest & process it all.

I cried buckets at the end. And once I read enough to know the end so it would no longer be spoiled for me, I took a breather, again, to have a couple more days before saying goodbye to the HP series. At the last line of the book, knowing JKR had pretty much known what she wanted the very last line to be, way back while writing Book One, I cried again, knowing it was really over. True to her word, JKR ended the HP series with finality.

Again, really savor these last two books. Reading HP the first time will never come again.

You have a good point. I think I may slow myself down a bit. But I can't help myself, I can't wait to find out what happens next!

 

[Missy1961]

I finished #6 tonight on the train ride home....good thing I was sitting by myself. I really cried. I tried to read some of #7 tonight, but 2 of my nieces were here, and it's hard to read Harry Potter while High School Musical 2 is on in the background!

 

[TinkInPink]

well im done book 7 ( dont worry i refuse to give out vital info to those who arent done) and my faves are

POA and DH are my 2 faves
then OotP
SS
HBP
COS
GoF

don't even get me started on the movies

 

[elliemae1192]

I just stumbled onto your thread and had to jump in. I read the first three books years ago when my DS17 was into them and stopped. My DD11 is now really into the series and I decided to catch up just before the last one came out. OMG! Each book got progressively darker and sadder! When I started #7 I was already crying in the first chapter because I was so worried about all the characters.

My favorite has to be the Half Blood Prince. It's so sad and leaves you yearning to find out what happens next. I'm REALLY glad I didn't read it when it was first realeased because the wait for Deathly Hallows would have killed me!

Glad you're enjoying them!

 

[Missy1961]

I just stumbled onto your thread and had to jump in. I read the first three books years ago when my DS17 was into them and stopped. My DD11 is now really into the series and I decided to catch up just before the last one came out. OMG! Each book got progressively darker and sadder! When I started #7 I was already crying in the first chapter because I was so worried about all the characters.

My favorite has to be the Half Blood Prince. It's so sad and leaves you yearning to find out what happens next. I'm REALLY glad I didn't read it when it was first realeased because the wait for Deathly Hallows would have killed me!

Glad you're enjoying them!

You are so right about them getting darker & sadder. I started #7 yesterday, and I've already cried a lot. (Hedwig, Mad Eye, etc.) I know it's going to get sadder before it ends.....

 

[Imzadi]

Missy, you might want to edit your original post as you had listed you only wanted to discuss Books 1-4. Now we are discussing details in Books 5-7 with you, too. Wouldn't want to accidentally spoil it for others.

Fotr those who have just finished Book 7 and want to discuss the whole thing, there is already a DIS thread with 65 pages: Harry Potter Book 7 *SPOILERS*

 

[Missy1961]

"Deathly Hallows" is making me cry. Big time tears this morning.

 

[JenM]

You are so right about them getting darker & sadder. I started #7 yesterday, and I've already cried a lot. (Hedwig, Mad Eye, etc.) I know it's going to get sadder before it ends.....

It does, but it's amazing.

I just started re-reading #7, and I found myself getting a little sad at Harry taking his last tour of the Dursley's and remembering his pre-Hogwarts self as a forgotten little brother. It was such a loss of innocence there.