The End...

I finished Harry Potter yesterday around 4:30 p.m., having spent the day in bed reading. Sounds like my Friday, doesn't it? Not that I anticipate great readership of this blog, but in the event that someone stumbles upon it I don't want to provide any spoilers about the book. I will say that my favorite part was the epilogue. I few tears hit my sheets, not crumbs or cereal milk, but tears. I really enjoy the wrap-up when used in films, also. Animal House is the first time I remember that device. Almost always in documentaries I hope for that last bit information. Sometimes you get more than you bargained for. Perhaps the maxim, "never look for what you aren't prepared to see" holds true even in these cases. Every Sunday night my household watches the Food Network Challenge and several months ago we were minding our own business enjoying a cake decorating challenge being held at the Mall of America in Minnesota. Susan O'Boyle Jacobson was a lovely, grandmotherly local who won the hearts of the fans and judges both on television and in my house. We routed for her and she took the prize. At the end of the show we happened to notice that the show was dedicated to her memory. WHAT!!! I immediately went online and discovered that 4 days after she won that Food Network Challenge, she suffered a fatal heart attack. I was sorry we hadn't changed the channel sooner.

It feels a little weird that the Harry Potter era is over. I have known Harry Potter for so long. I worked in a bookstore when the first 2 books were released, even participating in midnight release events. As a librarian, I am, of course, delighted by the impact this series has had on reading. To see children grab such huge books has been gratifying. Even adults who might not otherwise be inclined to read have read these books. Additionally, they have created their own sub-genre that is of interest to both boys and girls. I will also miss the anticipation that comes while awaiting the new book. I don't think I have anything else like it. Do I? ...I'll have to think about that.