My Precious...

Book #9 - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, by J.K. Rowling
Book #10 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling

What can I say about Harry Potter? He's been a part of my life since I was 19, and I can say that this last book surpassed all my expectations, and is easily my favorite book of the series. And now I am just sad, because there will never be another one.

And I doubt that there will ever be a phenomenon like Harry Potter again in my lifetime. Movie series like Star Wars and Lord of the Rings have a similar feeling, but those come along every decade or so. Harry Potter is different. I've gone to three midnight release parties to get my books (including the one last week). They are like the Geeky Teen Super Bowl, and it's a wonderful thing to see. All these kids who usually don't feel comfortable in their skin, all proudly sporting their Gryffindor scarves and SPEW buttons and wizard robes, and they're all talking to anyone and everyone about these darn books. It helps to remember these people when you start to question whether it's normal to feel so attached to these characters and to this world. The answer is: millions of other people feel the exact same way.

To anyone out there who has still only seen the movies, but never read the books: I'm almost envious of you, but seriously... what the hell are you waiting for?