I have read some great stuff in the two weeks following the HP release. I was talking to Best Lady about it, and she thinks I should post them here. She is not going to go look at them yet, but some of the rest of you might.

Cheryl Klein is the US “Potterologist“, she is a continuity editor at Arthur A. Levine and was a fan of the books before she was America’s biggest Secret Keeper. She has written two major entries post release. Some Thoughts on “Deathly Hallows” and Back to Harry: News (including Incredible Famousness), Thoughts, and a Theory. She has also written a few other HP release posts with cute pictures from the Scholastic release party. Cheryl posted this link from The Onion.

Lovely JK Rowling was interviewed by Meredith Veira and there are transcripts online.
Confused by Potter? Author sets record straight
Rowling regret: Never told mom about ‘Potter’
Rowling: I wanted to kill parents
ROWLING EXPLAINS CHANGING LAST WORD IN HARRY POTTER
Stop your sobbing! More Potter to come

Bloomsbury.com did an online chat with JKR and the-leaky-cauldron.org posted the transcript. It is a little awkward to read, but it is great to get more information and to know that others have the same questions you do.

Several bloggers that I read wrote about HP & DH too. Kelly at Big A little a wrote in her goodreads review.

HipWriterMama wrote about different aspects of the series, interestingly she didn’t read the books until this summer.

MotherReader took an internet break to read all of the books (again) and then wrote a reflection on all the books and then a collection of links to what other people have written. I wonder if like me, she is still taking it all in.

Miss Erin is one of the youngest bloggers I read, but definitely one of the best. She posted great pictures from the release party she went to. Hey, Erin, where’s your review?

Bookshelves of Doom (who has the best t-shirts for sale) posted a spoiler free entry. I missed them when she posted, but now I am going to go back and read the Boston Globe alternate endings she linked to. She had previously linked to the NYT alternate endings, but you can only read them if you have an account.

Elizabeth at Fuse #8 posted a two part review. Her’s was one of the most detailed reviews I read.

My Potter obsession is not limited to the written word. I also love listening to my favorite podcast Pottercast hosted by Melissa, John, and Sue. I still haven’t listened to the follow up episodes, but I have had a great summer listening to their live casts around the country. Melissa has written three posts following the release: short, sweet, and funny.

One of my favorite moments in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is when HP finds the Mirror of Erised.  He goes back two more times to look into the mirror, once taking Ron who sees something entirely different than Harry.  On the third visit Dumbledore finds him and talks to Harry about the mirror.  He tells him the happiest man in the world would look in and only see himself.  He also tells Harry that people have lost themselves looking into the mirror.  When Harry asks Dumbledore what he says he would see himself holding a nice pair of wool socks.  I don’t know if Harry doubted Dumbledore’s answer, but fans did.  Now that the seventh book has come out and we have learned more about Dumbledore, we can guess that what Dumbledore saw was not unlike what Harry saw.

In book six, Harry had special lessons with Dumbledore.  He also went on a journey with Dumbledore relating to Voldemort.  Something terrible happened to Dumbledore during this journey and Harry tried to reassure him.  Dumbledore, reminding us all how important Harry is to the future of their world, says, “I am not worried, Harry, I am with you.”

I am just kind of hanging out. We slept late, a consequence of sitting up all night reading, and T headed to rehearsal at 1:30. I have spent part of the day on the Leaky Lounge, a place I have never really frequented. (LInks may contain spoilers) I contributed to a few discussions. Read what people thought were the funniest or most ironic moments, how we wish the epilogue had gone, what we thought were still unanswered questions. I have two sets of unanswered questions: those I had going into the book that weren’t answered, and those that came up while reading the book that were never answered.

I know I will get over it soon, it is after all a fictional story, but it was heartbreaking and wonder, but open ended and somewhat unsatifying in some ways.

I am going to give Best Lady a chance to read the book and then I am going to post some of my favorite moments and lines from the book. I will awesome post my two sets of questions. I might even post how I would have written the epilogue.

I did it.  I read all 6 books before starting #7.  I had about 50 pages left in 6 when 7 came.  I waited for the postman and then was too afraid to see if he actually brought it (UPS maybe).  I started seriously at 4 pm and finished at something like 2:45 am.  That was with bathroom breaks (when i took the book with me) getting dinner (pizza from box to plate) and moving laundry.  I figured it took me about 10 hours total to read it.  Lots of tissues too.  T is still reading.  He didn’t get to start when I did and even went out and got dinner while I read.  He got mad because I kept sobbing and cheering.  He said I was spoiling the book for him.  Well, considering I started crying on like the 3rd page, I don’t know how that could be.  I have read the epilogue three time through now.  I am still stunned.

What did you think?  No spoilers, I am pretty sure at least Best Lady won’t have read it yet.  (You can borrow mine.)

I think I took this quiz before, and I think I got this same answer, but that was before the great blog disaster of 2007.

You’re The Poisonwood Bible!
by Barbara Kingsolver
Deeply rooted in a religious background, you have since become both isolated and schizophrenic. You were naively sure that your actions would help people, but of course they were resistant to your message and ultimately disaster ensued. Since you can see so many sides of the same issue, you are both wise beyond your years and tied to worthless perspectives. If you were a type of waffle, it would be Belgian.

Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

(via bookshelves of doom and Fuse#8)