Welcome! [ Edited ]

[Rachel-K]

Welcome to the Barnes & Noble Book Club conversation about J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series -- beginning with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone! I know we will have a number of longtime fans, plunging into the first volume again in anticipation of the summer release of the seventh and final book of the series. I hope also to meet many fellow muggles who feel they must be the last person on earth to read any of the Potter books--I’ve been where you are! We are starting the entire Harry Potter series fresh, and we have some wonderful guides to help us appreciate the journey!

Harry is an orphan, treated with contempt by his aunt and uncle, Vernon and Petunia Dursley, and bullied by his piggish cousin, Dudley. All but his barest needs are neglected. His room is broom closet. He has never received a birthday present or an ounce of kindness in his aunt and uncle’s home. He knows nothing of his past. When he receives a letter telling him he has been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, it is the first step in a magical transformation of Harry’s life and of the world around him.

He finds he belongs to another world, where magic is everyday, and he is an important member of an heroic wizarding family. He discovers his own wonderfully strange abilities--like playing a flying sport--and makes friends as unusual as himself.

I’m excited to start our reading and rereading, and really look forward to hearing from you!

Rachel Kubie

Message Edited by rkubie on 01-12-200702:53 PM

[Nadine]

Excellent job, Rachel! A well thought-out and set-up discussion group. I can see already that this club will have high-level and thought-provoking discussions. I am really looking forward to it.

Nadine

[LizzieAnn]

Hi Rachel,

It's great to see this board and up going. The set-up is terrific, and I'm sure that we're going to have some great, long, & intense discussions.

[diane1224]

Hi I am Diane (aka peeves) I have been waiting for this discussion for a while and can't wait to chat about my favorite books of all time! I will try to be good and try not to mess the place up too much! See ya! LOL

[DreaM]

Hi my name is Andrea (Drea) and I am soooooo excited that B&N is doing this! I can hardly wait until 'Deathly Hallows' is out and re-reading the books will occupy me until then. Talk to everyone later.

[k1a2d3]

Oh, goody, goody, goody!!!! I've been hoping for something like this. I really didn't want to get into too much speculation on DH, but a discussion of the past books is an excellent way to fill the time until the next one.

Kathy D.

[Ineen]

I can't believe I found this today! I enjoy this series so very much and was planning to start re-reading all six volumes tomorrow as it is a day off from school (I teach 2nd grade). I will be anxiously waiting to hear what others have to say about one of my favorite sets of stories. Happy reading everyone!

[DebsScott]

I am so excited to be able to discuss the previous books. I actually just finished reading the series again for the *counting in head* fifteenth time (seven for HBP). Some may say I'm certifiable for reading a series that many times...mainly the folks who haven't ever read Harry (and my husband may be becoming a wee bit concerned with my obsession ). I just love it that we are talking about the series book by book. It'll help pass the time until the release of DH and will allow us all to look at and ponder other's thoughts about Harry. YAY!

[Wrighty]

I've just started reading the series through for the second time. I can't believe how much I've forgotten already. It's so different to go through them this time knowing what will happen and looking for the clues that lead up to the important events. Now I know what to look for and I am fascinated by J.K. Rowling's creativity and vivid imagination. She is really a genius with this series and I am never bored. I'm also enjoying all of the comments and theories being posted on these boards. Everyone has been so clever! I can't wait for the last book and this is a great way to get ready for it.

[LizzieAnn]

I know exactly what you mean. You pick up hints that you didn't see before.

POSSIBLE SPOILER: For example, in Chapter 13: "Could Snape possibly know they'd found out about the Sorcerer's Stone? Harry didn't see how he could - yet he sometimes had the horrible feeling that Snape could read minds." We learn later in the series that Snape is proficient in Legilimency.

It's amazing all the info that's there - if you know how to look for it. Especially since it's found in the early books and it's taken her years to write all the subsequent books.

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Wrighty wrote:
I've just started reading the series through for the second time. I can't believe how much I've forgotten already. It's so different to go through them this time knowing what will happen and looking for the clues that lead up to the important events. Now I know what to look for and I am fascinated by J.K. Rowling's creativity and vivid imagination. She is really a genius with this series and I am never bored. I'm also enjoying all of the comments and theories being posted on these boards. Everyone has been so clever! I can't wait for the last book and this is a great way to get ready for it.

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Message Edited by LizzieAnn on 01-15-200703:45 PM

[HarryPotterBoo…]

Hey!

Just wanted to say that I am really looking forward to the upcoming Harry Potter book. The seventh book "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows". The title of the book gives off a lot of questions on what is going to happen. Harry Potter is one of the all time favorite books and always will be. I'm looking forward to it.

[Nadine]

Two great minds...!

I read that last night and thought the same thing! I think everything is in that very tightly written, short first book. I'm both reading it and listening to the audio. I don't think there is a wasted word in the whole thing. After I'm finished, I may go back and note everything that HASN'T come up yet. That will be book seven, GH.

Nadine

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LizzieAnn wrote:
I know exactly what you mean. You pick up hints that you didn't see before.

POSSIBLE SPOILER: For example, in Chapter 13: "Could Snape possibly know they'd found out about the Sorcerer's Stone? Harry didn't see how he could - yet he sometimes had the horrible feeling that Snape could read minds." We learn later in the series that Snape is proficient in Legilimency.

It's amazing all the info that's there - if you know how to look for it. Especially since it's found in the early books and it's taken her years to write all the subsequent books.

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Wrighty wrote:
I've just started reading the series through for the second time. I can't believe how much I've forgotten already. It's so different to go through them this time knowing what will happen and looking for the clues that lead up to the important events. Now I know what to look for and I am fascinated by J.K. Rowling's creativity and vivid imagination. She is really a genius with this series and I am never bored. I'm also enjoying all of the comments and theories being posted on these boards. Everyone has been so clever! I can't wait for the last book and this is a great way to get ready for it.

---

Message Edited by LizzieAnn on 01-15-200703:45 PM

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[k1a2d3]

LizzieAnn wrote: "I know exactly what you mean. You pick up hints that you didn't see before."

Somewhere, I read that JKR said all the clues to understanding the series are in the first book. Of course, she had all the books plotted carefully before the first one was ever published.

Kathy D.

[Wrighty]

I'm being so nerdy, I'm making notes in a little notebook, but it's fun! (And I can't remember it all anyway!) It's like a treasure hunt where you need to find the clues along the way.

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LizzieAnn wrote:
I know exactly what you mean. You pick up hints that you didn't see before.

POSSIBLE SPOILER: For example, in Chapter 13: "Could Snape possibly know they'd found out about the Sorcerer's Stone? Harry didn't see how he could - yet he sometimes had the horrible feeling that Snape could read minds." We learn later in the series that Snape is proficient in Legilimency.

It's amazing all the info that's there - if you know how to look for it. Especially since it's found in the early books and it's taken her years to write all the subsequent books.

---

Wrighty wrote:
I've just started reading the series through for the second time. I can't believe how much I've forgotten already. It's so different to go through them this time knowing what will happen and looking for the clues that lead up to the important events. Now I know what to look for and I am fascinated by J.K. Rowling's creativity and vivid imagination. She is really a genius with this series and I am never bored. I'm also enjoying all of the comments and theories being posted on these boards. Everyone has been so clever! I can't wait for the last book and this is a great way to get ready for it.

---

Message Edited by LizzieAnn on 01-15-200703:45 PM

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[HPcrazy]

That's a really good idea writing things in a notebook. Good thinking, haha.
I'm Hannah by the way and looking forward to re-reading the books.

[Nadine]

Wrighty Said:
'm being so nerdy, I'm making notes in a little notebook, but it's fun! (And I can't remember it all anyway!) It's like a treasure hunt where you need to find the clues along the way.
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I'm thinking of doing the same thing but I think I need a loose-leaf binder.

Nadine

[Wrighty]

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Nadine wrote:
Wrighty Said:
'm being so nerdy, I'm making notes in a little notebook, but it's fun! (And I can't remember it all anyway!) It's like a treasure hunt where you need to find the clues along the way.
------------------------------------------

I'm thinking of doing the same thing but I think I need a loose-leaf binder.

Nadine

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That's a good idea too. I'm also keeping a seperate vocabulary/name list (I think I already mentioned this) because I've forgotten about some of the teachers, places and "magic" words. It has made it so much easier when I read the different posts that skip around among all of the books. I haven't reread them all yet and it's surprising how much information we've been given in this series.

[DebsScott]

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Nadine wrote:
Wrighty Said:
'm being so nerdy, I'm making notes in a little notebook, but it's fun! (And I can't remember it all anyway!) It's like a treasure hunt where you need to find the clues along the way.
------------------------------------------

I'm thinking of doing the same thing but I think I need a loose-leaf binder.

Nadine

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LOL...whatever you do, don't use little tabs of paper stuck in books with notes scribbled on them. By the time I finished reading HBP for the umpteenth time, I had so many tabs in the book it looked like the pages had exploded! I now write stuff in a separated spiral notebook and later transcribe it all to the computer then save on a disc. Yes, I'm nuts (at least according to my family).

[dedaviswright]

And I though I was the only crazy one. I made note cards of all of the characters so that I could keep them in alphabetical order, and add to their profiles as each book progresses. I also keep a notebook on predictions, questions I need answers to and websites with information. Crazy Hugh?

[Wrighty]

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dedaviswright wrote:
And I though I was the only crazy one. I made note cards of all of the characters so that I could keep them in alphabetical order, and add to their profiles as each book progresses. I also keep a notebook on predictions, questions I need answers to and websites with information. Crazy Hugh?

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Not crazy, you and DebsScott are VERY organized. More good ideas. I bet you have really clean houses too. No comment on mine.