I can't wait, I just heard the announcement on the radio and I'm going to have the sounds of the celesta running through my head all day. (Unless I listen to Rush which has been bringing on the RCOB lately...)

You wrote "I don't think in my entire life have I previously anticipated a book release."

You didn't "previously anticipated" the release of "The Chronicles of Dubya" ?

I enjoy the Potter books as well. Picked up on them after the 1st movie came out (read the books before seeing any films though). I regard the first book as the best in the series. It served as a great prologue for the series of books and made you care about the characters.

I have my doubts that this will be the last book written about the Potterverse even if it is the last HP book. She's created too much history for it all to end with only 7 books.

You didn't "previously anticipated" the release of "The Chronicles of Dubya" ?

I had already read it.

If I want good fantasy reading, I'll grab the Koran, the Book of Mormon, or Chronicles of Modern Italian War Heroes.

"Hairy Potter"?

whut'n the hell is that?

...

can you eat it?

I somewhat anticipate it, too - but I most anticipate the next chapter in Sergei Lukyanenko's "Night Watch" tri-nee-quadrilogy.

Highly reccomend Night Watch and Day Watch, with minor caveat on annoying Russocentrism, but avoid the terrible movie.

I agree with Tommy that the Book of Mormon is definitely a higher priority read than Harry Potter, but since I've already read it I'm really excited to get my hands on the last Harry Potter book.

The fourth book was my favorite, and you're right, Frank, that the HP books are much better than the movies. At best the movies are empty shells of the books. Come to think of it, the only movie I liked better than the book was Big Fish.

Read last two books, Moonbunny read them all, we liked them, BUT we'll never buy the book on it's opening day, being the cash strapped folk we are, we wait for Gram to buy them or the paperback.

And since other books have been suggested, let me mention a recent favorite series "Song of Ice and Fire" soon to be picked up by HBO.

Awesome series, starts with A Game of Thrones and just keeps rolling, always holding you at the edge of your seat. Very much recommend it.

Do you think Harry Potter will get totaly naked in the next book?

"Hairy Potter" is the bearded ceramicist I've seen at the Farmer's Market.

I don't know where exactly, but I will be at a midnight release party on the 21st. Most likely with my 9-year-old daughter in tow. Then I will put her to bed so that I can stay up and read the book first. :)

Thankfully 4 of my 6 children are now adults so there will be no fighting over who gets the book--- after me.

I started reading them when the 3rd book came out thanks to the "Ban the book" nuts. I wanted to see what all the hubbub was, before I gave it to my minions.

6 is my favorite, but then I'm a romantic at heart.
Oh and I read the Book of Mormon everyday. One man's fantasy is another woman's faith, don'cha know, darl'n man.

Harry Potter is indeed the greatest fantasy character ever. I wish I had his Cloak of I Could Get Laid Any Time I Want I'm Just Too Busy Playing With My Magic Wand...

I haven't read any Harry Potter. I'm just finishing Nelson DeMille's latest book and will probably have to go out and buy one to see what the fuss is about. Especially since the "Overloard" has commanded it and I don't wish to be sent to the pit-of-doom...

It's going to inevitably be butchered in it's film adaptation...

So, have the previous ones been butchered, too? I'm wondering because I haven't read any of them, and the movies have gotten progressively duller. In fact, the last one I saw (Pensioner of Azerbaijan or whatever the hell it was) was incomprehensible (but a great sleep aid.) Is it a LOTR-type problem, where there's just too darn much good stuff to cram it all in the movie?

Responses welcome. (And I'm not knocking the books. Remember, I haven't read them. I just seriously would like to know whether any of the movies are good adaptations or not.)

//I just seriously would like to know whether any of the movies are good adaptations or not//

I liked the movies. My favorite one was the one with the spiders...freaky.

The movies are no where near the books. Consider LOTR if they had fit each of the books into a 90 minute movie.

With Potter, the books keep getting longer and better with each volume, but the movies haven't expanded to keep up with them and only get more disjointed (and more left out) with each one.

I mean, the movies aren't horrible, it's just there no where in league with the books.

Dumbledore is a Phoenix animagus! Mark my words! If you're going to turn into an animal, why not one that can never die?

SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED turned me on to Harry Potter after Book #3. It's always a battle as to who gets to read the newest one first. Maybe this time I'll buy two.

It'll keep me from having to sleep on the sofa.

Curious,
Like most really great books, it is very difficult to transfer them to the big screen. Most people won't sit for the ten to twelve hours it would take go into all the detail the book does.

I think one of the reasons people enjoy the Potter movies is that most of them have loved the books and therefore know why things have to be changed, shortened or left out. They have already experienced the story and so the movie is just "gravy".

I do think the latter films have been harder to do. They are darker, the children are growing up and the danger is getting much greater. How to do that without alienating those who haven't read the books and who don't understand some of the sup-plots and how they impact on the characters and the stories, is a difficult tightrope walking act.

Hope this helps. Oh and read the books they are really entertaining. Good on a dark, snowy (rainy)winters night.

I like Beo's idea (Phoenix Animagus), and it would fit great with Dumbledore's "Magic world's biggest badass" rep, but I think JKR ruled it out already.

Would anyone like to help me start up a "Potter for the Troops" fund to send copies of Book 7 to A-Stan, Iraq & Walter Reed? Granted, $18 a pop is high, but I bet they would be happy to get it.

Actually, when you think about it, there are similarities. The Death Eaters are the wizarding world's version of al Qaeda.