I found this slightly-battered softcover in this Little Free Library in Andover, MA while dropping off some books of my own. (There are pure-white squirrels roaming free in the area, charming and surprising - and a bit magical!)

I first "discovered" Harry Potter some time in mid-1999, and was promptly charmed by the whimsical humor and imagination of the story. Now that Potter-mania has achieved epic proportions, I look back with some nostalgia to the days when Harry wasn't hyped to the skies - although word was spreading even then. (I admit that I ran out and bought mugs and T-shirts with the Hogwarts house crests on them the first chance I got, so I can't turn my nose up at the merchandising altogether.) Of all the books, I'd say that this one is my second-favorite (after "Azkaban"). Favorite bits included the introduction of Bertie Botts' Every-flavor Beans, owls, Hagrid, and Quidditch - plus everything else!

The 2001 film impressed me with its attention to the details of the setting; many of the scenes were so much like my imaginings from reading the book that it was almost eerie! And the film features Alan Rickman as Snape, a character I'd found fascinating even before this perfect casting choice {grin}.

[For additional fun, see the TV Tropes page for the book and film; lots of entertaining info, but beware of spoilers.]

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I've registered at least one copy of each of the books by now. Here's the full series, with my comments to date:

Sorcerer's Stone
Chamber of Secrets
Prisoner of Azkaban [my favorite of the series!]
Goblet of Fire
Order of the Phoenix
Half-blood Prince
Deathly Hallows

I'm adding this book to imawinn2’s Magical Mystical bookbox, which will be on its way to its next stop soon. Enjoy!

*** Released for the 2017 What's in a Name release challenge. ***

Taken from the box. I've been considering re-reading some HP, so this is a perfect excuse!

As usual, I enjoyed my re-read of this intro to the Harry Potter world. Each time I read it, I think I notice (or at least focus on!) some different aspects of the tale. On this read, I found myself paying attention to the humor and playful use of words, especially in the names and descriptions.

The dialogue is also something I was alert to, particularly comparing it to lines from the films. Having seen the first one so many times, it is hard to imagine other ways of delivering some of these scenes, firmly imprinting the actors' character choices into my reading! (Aunt Petunia's rant about her sister, for example, could have been spoken in so many ways, but Fiona Shaw's hissing rendition of frantic, barely-suppressed fury is the one that feels "right" to me.) I think there are many fewer scenes that use exchanges directly lifted from the book in the later films, so I don't notice it as much.

I imagine I will probably be releasing this book locally, so I will also use this space to give http://wizardingweekend.com a little promo to future readers. If you are a Harry Potter fan in Upstate NY, you should definitely check this event out!

Added to the LFL.

There was actually another HP book in the library, which I was going to take in exchange, but it had a bookplate requesting that it be returned to the same LFL, so I left both in. Twice as many Potterheads can enjoy them now!