Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, or Wow -- I'm a Grownup.

After nearly two months since it's release, I finally finished reading the 7th Harry Potter* book!

Over the last few weeks, countless people have exclaimed, "You're still not done yet?!?" I felt the need to explain myself, to excuse my behavior. I mean, I had pre-ordered the book (Quite foolishly, I must say; my neighborhood Kroger was selling them at a very reasonable price . . .).

This got me thinking. Why did people expect me to finish a 759-page book immediately? I mean, I have a full-time job; I have regular errands to run; I have to clean house and wash dishes; I go to church or church-related functions 2-3 times a week; I date; and I talk on the phone to friends and family. That's a lot of stuff to be involved with! And it's not just me. There are millions of people the world over who stretch themselves over a busy schedule. Yes, a lot of us would like to read, read, read! But long gone are the days of starting a good book on Friday evening and staying up all night if necessary to finish it. It's just practical to read a long story in small chunks now. As much as I hate to admit it, my body can't take sleep deprivation as well as it used to.

As those thought's swirled through my head, I realized that I was an "adult" with "real" responsibilities. I'm not completely financially and emotionally independent, but I do have things that simply must be done during the week. So take that, all you Harry Potter speed readers! An average of 14 pages per day is pretty darn good, when you come right down to it! So quit hassling me!


* Hm. What shall I say about the book itself? I thought it was much better-written than books 5 and 6. In general, I liked it, but there were some gaps in the plot, I think. I'm not counting that as a real criticism, though, because I think some, if not all, of those gaps would be filled, if I had remembered what happened in book 6. The whole thing was . . . good, I guess. I still have some unanswered questions, and I was frustrated with Harry in the first half of the book. His temper seemed to have gotten the better of him -- a usual tactic J.K. Rowling employs when she wants to throw the reader off track. That was frustrating.

Like I said, though, it was well-written, and I have a profound respect for someone who can write and publish 7 non-fiction novels in 17 years. Book 4, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, remains my favorite in the series.


Thing I'm thankful for: literacy. I'm so grateful to be able to read! Yay for reading!