Harry Potter
I figure we could have a catch-all thread for all seven titles. These are the sort of books I would have loved as a kid. Likeable characters and exciting stories, that don't talk down to kids. I bought the first two a few years ago, in some kind of book club deal where I paid $2 each. I had heard about them, but my kids were too young to know anything about them. Read the first two, and immediately asked for the next two for Christmas. My daughter is now nine (today!) and loves them too, and we are both eagerly awaiting the last installment. What do you think will happen? My guess is that Harry will have to sacrifice himself to kill Voldemort. And if Rowling kills off one of the Weasley twins I will be very unhappy.

Him I have a very sneaking suspicion that Dumbledore wont be dead - more sort of a Yoda thing "If you kill me it will oly make me stronger". I love the Harry Potter books. I found the last one with all the 'love' threads highly amusing. However I do have to wonder why the supporting characters haven't clued on to the fact that HP is always right. They better not kill off Ron - though I am happy to sacrifice Sanp if need be.

Yes, I wouldn't miss Snape. Also some of the obnoxious students could go too. There's bound to be a Weasly calamity - will HP sacrifice himself for his friends? Will Dumbledore rise like the pheonix at the last moment to save the day and restore truth, justice and the American way... Well, you know what I mean. I've enjoyed these books, but have to say that I am not desperate to get the last one on the day that it is realised. I am happy to wait a few weeks and borrow a friend's copy (hint, hint).

Get in line! My daughter will be after me, and she might take a while. It was ObiWan that got stronger, not Yoda. Although I can't say that he did really, he just got to hang out and chat. I am such a Star Wars geek. I think D'dore is dead and gone, as Rowling already made the point that ghosts as such were people that didn't have the strength of will to move on (like Nearly Headless Nick). But I think we'll get some kind of message from him to Harry. Is Snape a good guy or a bad guy? I mean, he killed D'dore, which just doesn't bode well for him in my book, but for D'dore to be so wrong about him all that time? That's a huge thing. I think that's the biggest question to be answered in the last book. I just can't pick it. The arguments for both sides make sense.

Which is why we need to read the last book. So all questions will be answered. I read the last book in a day and a half (I was on holidays) and while I wont be queing for this one I will be getting it as soon as possible.

I have to say I am rather curious about Snape. As Mif said, it is a bit hard to believe that D'dore has been wrong about him all this time. And I think that killing D'dore is maybe too obvious a lead to believe that he is reall 'bad to the core'. Is she trying to encourage us to jump to false conclusions? While I am willing to debate the literary standards of the books (I do think that as they have progressed they could have done with a bit more editing), I have to say that the plot twists and characters are quite enthralling. You really do want to know what happens next and it is hard to guess (which is why you just HAVE to read it). A sign of a great story.

I agree that Rowling was probably given a little too much editing slack, but Soozethink back to when you were a kid reading. You didn't care so much about a tight story, and just wanted it to never end. Each book just got bigger and bigger! I wont have to go to the gym the week the new one comes out, I'll just lift it up and down while I read. Gill I sat up all night reading the last one. I just had to know what happened, and then cried when Dumbledore died. (Probably delirious from lack of sleep!)

I cried too - I am sure you are aware how hard it is to read effectively with tears in your eyes.

We got lots right! D'dore appears briefly, Snape wasn't all as he seemed, and she killed Fred! Sniff! My guess is that Harry will have to sacrifice himself to kill Voldemort. And I was right about this sort of too. Go me :)

OK. I've read all the HP books, but I'm not one of those race-to-the-store-the-day-they-are-released kind of person. The books were good, but not worth quite the hype that they received (in my opinion). I did enjoy them though. Anyway, in the last 24 hours (I think) Rowling was discussing the HP books with audience questions and someone asked if Dumbledore found his true love. Now, maybe I am just being a bit thick, but surely if it didn't actually happen in the books (which it didn't), then he didn't find his true love. After all, HE IS A FICTIONAL CHARACTER!!!!! If something didn't happen to him in the action of the story, then it didn't actually happen. Rowling commented that DD is actually gay and didn't find his true love. I commented to Mif last week that I would have liked to have known what everyone ended up doing (HP, Ron etc) when they were grown up. Apparently Rowling has commented on this too. My remark was more along the lines of 'I wish she had written it in the books' because, I feel led to once again remind people, the characters are FICTIONAL and if it didn't happen in the book, it didn't actually happen. Talk about not knowing the line between fantasy and reality.

Harry potter is awesome! my sister her friends and i went to the local shopping centre at 3 or 4am (i've forgotten which) and lined up to get the last book. yesterday we had a 1 year reunion party, where we made lots of harry food and watched movies etc. quite fun.

A reunion party! That sounds like a lot of fun. You win the Booknerd (this is a compliment from me, trust me) of the Week award for that. New HP movie in time for Christmas. It shouldn't be as dark as Order of the Phoenix, but I may have to re-read Half-Blood Prince to be sure.