A very serious suggestion for all readers and writers.

I can’t stop watching the new Harry Potter trailer.

Maybe whoever made the trailer is a genius, but I truly think that this movie (and the second part, released next July) will be epic. I can just feel it. I get goosebumps every time I watch the trailer, and then I run upstairs and squeal to my housemates and we all watch it together for the umpteenth time.

And it’s inspired me to write this short, but fierce (I hope) post, reaching out to all tumbleweeds (is that what tumblr users are called? If not, let’s make this happen) and urging you to read the books. If you haven’t yet stepped out of your muggle shoes and into your Hogwarts robes, please, please do yourself a favour. Invest a little time in this series. It is so worth it.

Yes, I am a crazed Potter fan and yes, I want to share my excitement with everyone in sight – but in writing this post, I am honestly stepping away from my rampant obsession and speaking from a sane reader’s perspective.

You need to read these books. And you need to do it now, or as soon as possible, before you’ve missed your chance to experience the mania, the hype, and the suspense that comes in waiting for the next book or film to be released. Stop making excuses for yourself. You are not too busy to read one chapter at night before bed. You do not have to read five other books on your list first. You do not want to wait until the last of the films is released and the hype has died down.

You are missing it. This is something that has never happened before, a phenomenon that has children (and adults) all over the world discovering (or renewing) their interest in reading. These books have inspired a new world of fantasy, of creativity, of imagination. I really believe that Rowling is a master plotter and storyteller, and I feel that if you cannot take the time to read these books or are fundamentally against what the “in-crowd” is reading, you are doing yourself a disservice – especially if you are serious about writing and learning about writing.

The fun has been in waiting for the book releases. In making predictions – will Harry live or die? What are Voldemort’s horcruxes? Who is RAB? And who in the hell invited Bellatrix Lestrange into the equation? – and finding out that J.K. Rowling has something totally different up her sleeve than what you expected. The fun has been – and still is – in discussing the world with friends, in trying to find plot holes in Rowling’s spectacular plot (there are very, very few and it takes a lot of thinking to find them), and screaming with frustration as you come to the end of a book and realizing that you have to wait for another.

But the wait has been worth it, and I say that without a shadow of a doubt. Between each book, I grew – and so did Harry, so did Rowling’s writing. With each release, I came back for more – a piece of my childhood that I carried well into my teenage years and still carry now in my 20’s as I wait on the edge of my seat for the final movie releases. And every time I come back, I remember why I loved it in the first place: because it is another world, another time, full of fantasy and magic and hope, and it is something I can share with my friends. As an avid reader and writer, that’s all I could ever really want – to be able to dissect and squeal over a book with friends. Harry Potter has been the book (or books). Everyone’s excited about it. Everyone has something to say. As someone who is so passionate about books, there could be no greater opportunity for me than to share my passion with friends and family and to have them understand – this is why I love reading, this is why I want to be a writer. You understand it now because you’ve felt it, too.

I don’t want anyone to miss out on this feeling. I don’t want anyone to read the books and not be able to appreciate what a journey it’s been – waiting for each book to be released and then waiting for the films, growing with Harry and Ron and Hermione and sharing the excitement with friends and family. If you don’t start reading now, you’ll never know. You’ll never be able to understand.

So please, please make time for these books in the coming months. In a generation so swept up in new technology, it’s rejuvenated love for the written word – and I don’t care how corny this sounds; that’s the true magic about it. Do not miss out on something so big. From a writer to writers (or readers – or both), take my advice. Open the Philosopher’s Stone, step into Number 4, Privet Drive, and peek into the cupboard under the stairs.

And don’t look back.

Okay. *deep breath* Now I’m stepping back into Potter fan mode. With that said: OMGOMGOMG HOW MANY SHAMEFUL THINGS WOULD YOU DO TO MARRY RON WEASLEY?!?!

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6. greaterthanthesum said: I completely agree. Harry Potter has been in my life for about 10 years. I’ve become a better person because of reading the books. The movies are great, but the books are phenomenal. & to answer your last question, I’d do just about anythink. - Cayce
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