Wanda and I went to the book release party (in costume of course) at Powell's Friday night. Lots of people there- the line went back and forth on Couch, the to Burnside, around the block , and 2 blocks down the other side. My best guess- 1000-1200 people. Almost all of them teenagers/college kids. Not many little kids, though it was supposed to rain, so maybe they were at the indoor parties like at Borders and Barnes and Noble. We only got faint sprinkles.
I did a fair amount of walking around, chatting with people. Wore my navy blue houpp with the copper-lined collar. Looked terrific with the tall black hat. And lessee... Dumbledore, Hagrid and McGonaghal were there (store employees). I several Lunas, a really good dementor, a couple of good Bellatrixes (both in prison and the version that showed up at the ministry), Dolores Umbrige showed up! (she was booed.) There was a young Snape, and there was a kid who looked incredibly like Ron Weasley- and the whole first string of the Chuddley Cannons! (Adults, and they obviously had their shirts special made). And towards the end of the evening, the Dark Lord himself showed up! OooOooOoooo...
Took me 7 hours, 10 minutes to read the book. Very good I was satisfied with the ending. All is Well. And now I'm going through a second time. :-)
In other news-
I have an appt with Dr Becher Tuesday. I'm going to BEG her for something better in the way of pain meds. The large amounts of ibuprofen are not cutting it. It's a struggle even to get dressed.
Alanna's folks are here- they came up for the Highland Games. Always nice to see them.
And that's pretty much all the news there is for now.
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I have it now! I am 81 pages in- all on my 40 minute train ride.
Just finished. I totally beat your time, Mom.
I beat you both, I think, although I didn't read it straight through (was trying to make it last...*sniff*). Picked up my copy Friday night at one of our two independent bookstores in town. It was a smallish crowd, but I suspect most were picking up books at one of the big box stores. Didn't see nearly the amount of costumes as last time--not sure why, perhaps the heat, which has been vile for weeks here. I don't have robes or a costume, either, but I did wear my brand-new Ravenclaw socks sent to me by my exchange pal (from an HP-themed sock exchange)....
I liked the book very much in general, and found the ending satisfying. Found the body count to be a bit gratuitous and random, though, so I'm wondering what JK's point was with that....
Lainie, good luck with the Dr....(I'm just warped enough that I keep reading the name as "blooker," and expecting to hear thunder and horses neighing....)
--Maire
Beat my time, eh Annie? What, were you skimming? (I read pretty fast!)
And (SPOILER ALERT!) the death I was really broke up about was Fred. I can't imagine the twins separated. That's gonna really hit George. Expected Remus, not expecting Tonks. *snif!* And Colin Creevy! Wah!
And god, but don't ever piss off Molly Weasley!
It took me approximately 5 hrs, 40 mins. But I speed read like a madwoman, always have. And a book like Harry Potter is legible candy, or maybe coconut rum in heavy juice- I can swallow that sucker like nobody's business, it goes down that easy.
SPOILER SPOILER
Of course the body count had to be gratuitous and random, I wasn't surprised at that. They were at War! War means people die that aren't supposed to.
I was very sad for Fred and George though. And George was so brave about the ear... but you can't joke away the loss of a brother. Wahhh! I love the redheaded boys...
MORE SPOILERS
Okay, so I didn't beat Annie's time, since I was trying to take my time and savor it, but I'd like to think I could have, if I'd wanted to (yeah, me and my egoooo...)
I got that there'd be a body count because of it being a war, and the chaos of people randomly dying is certainly a part of war and conflicts. I just didn't feel like it always worked, from a narrative standpoint. After a while, when a new chapter started, and more people showed up, I started wondering just who was wearing red shirts for *this* episode....Colin, for instance, which was very sad (although not as sad as Fred, which about broke my heart), or Hedwig....it's like they were in this book (or scene) just long enough to get killed. She could have made her violence points by, oh, snuffing one of the Malfoys, or the Dursleys....
I loved what she did with back stories, though...Dumbledore. And Snape. I could worship, humbly, at her feet for the rest of my life, just for what she did for Severus. Of all the people in the series, he's one of the ones with whom I identified most strongly (the others being Hagrid and Hermione).
*sniff, sniff*
--maire, definitely in need of some of that rum and coconut, especially if it comes with ice and a little umbrella...
You were actually surprised that Molly could have a temper when pissed off? Please, she's the mother of all those strapping handsome boys and ONE girl. Means something. Although I relate to Molly a lot (must be the knitting thing mothering hen thing!)
At least you were only standing in a drizzle. Cato and the kids went to the B&N party (we have decidedly few, like as in NO independent bookstores here) and it was STORMING with lightning. They finally decided to move the queue inside out of the storm. Probably someone used half a brain cell and thought about liability issues if someone were to actually get struck by all the lightning!
I finished in record time as well, but not nearly as fast as you or Annie and am into my second reading for better detail. Emily is finished. Keon has threatened us with bodily harm if we spoil it for him as he has just started reading the series for himself and is working through GOF still.
SPOILER ALERT
I think the death that impacted me the most was actually Dobby's. Although I did manage to throw the book across the room at chapter four when I thought that Hagrid was gone! (And now that I have finished spell checking this with my Google toolbar I've decided that Google is not an HP fan as the words Dobby and Hagrid came up as errors!)
I LOVED the scene where Harry dug the grave by hand. Pure emotional action through physical labor. Awesome.
Oh, yes! Harry digging that grave was a powerful moment. And burying him with clothes, too. But very sad.
So Mel, who got the orange hair spray?
Well, Emily did red hair spray over her black hair and made for a very formidable Tonks (complete with Tripp pants, boots, a torn Weird Sisters t-shirt and wand). Mary Elayne went as "Random Ravenclaw Girl Number Three" as we can't get her to be Luna after Emily's last birthday party when we all were calling her Loony. AS I wasn't home, Keon didn't get the hair job done, but he did make a cute Ron Weasely complete with maroon sweater with a crooked R and a broken wand mended with spell-o-tape. Had I been there I would have gone as Molly again. I think I pull her off fairly well now with my henna red hair and knitting bag constantly at my side. :)
I actually would have thought less of Harry had he not dressed Dobby and given him a proper burial. That was the third time that Dobby saved his life and in doing so lost his own. Waaaaaaah! I think I cried harder only for Hagrid (who didn't really die - TWICE!)
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