# Conversation and Fun > Just Conversation >  A Muggle No More...

## Pete Hanlin

Well, after seeing all the fuss over this _Harry Potter_ character, I decided to take a break from Tom Clancy and biographies and try out _volume one- The Sorcerer's Stone_.  I figured it would be interesting to read while I'm at jury duty tomorrow.

Unfortunately, once I started reading it I couldn't put it down, sooooooo I'll have to spend time with that new _Op-Center_ book after all.  Naturally, I'll have to stop by the Books-a-Million to get volume two on the way home tomorrow.

I'm not sure if its really appropriate for kids, but this is one opti-wizard who's a "Muggle no more..."  

Pete "unfortunately, most of my friends take a distinctly Dursley-like attitude towards the book" Hanlin

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## Steve Machol

Well it certainly took you long enough Pete!   :)

I absolutely enjoyed all four of the harry Potter books and am looking forward to the next.  I bought a set for my Grandson and decided to read along so we'd have somethign to talk about (he's in Arizona while I'm in California.)

I highly recommend this series to everyone - with or without kids.  But like you, all I get are knowing nods and 'uh-huh's.  Oh well, it's their loss.

My next project is to reread Tolkien's The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings Trilogy along with Brandon.  I really think he'll enjoy these books as well.  (He's a very advanced reader for his age - 7.)  

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## Bev Heishman

Gees Steve,

I didn't think you were old enough for grandkids.  It is amazing where we see ourselves and each other in life. 

Yes, the Harry Potter collection is good and refreshing to see and read. My nephews love it. I also still like good old Dr. Suess.

Yes, Pete it snowed here. We have close to 8 inches. I just bought a lap top on line at Dell.  Mine is a an Inspiron 4000. Thanks for the recommendation.

Bev

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## Steve Machol

> Originally posted by Bev Heishman:
> _Gees Steve,
> 
> I didn't think you were old enough for grandkids.  It is amazing where we see ourselves and each other in life. 
> _


I'm 48 so I guess that's old enough.  It is funny though 'cuz I certainly don't feel 48!

I've been reading a lot of non-fiction lately so it was a nice change and real pleasure to read the Harry Potter series.  It reminded me how much I enjoyed Tolkien's books which I read over twenty years ago.  

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## Joann Raytar

Have any of you guys read The Complete Hitchicker's Guide to the Galaxy?  If you enjoy Tolkien and Harry Potter you would probably enjoy The Guide for a little sarcastic light reading.  Little ones might not get the subtle humor in it though.

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## Maria

The Hitchhikers series is good. The same man did two books about 'Dirk Gently', this private detective. Set on earth, but the same humour.
The best 'kids classic fantasy' series, in my haven't-read-Harry-Potter-yet opinion is the Narnia stuff. I read them as a kid, but didn't keep them. About 6 months ago, the in-laws were moving house, and I spied them during the clearout. So now I've got them again!
Other classics that I don't think you'll have over there include everything by Enid Blyton, and the Just William books, by Richmal Crompton. The latter are particually good for kids because she uses a smattering of 'big' words in amongst the easy-to-follow stuff. So your 7 year old can be 'affronted' at bedtime, instead of 'cranky'  :)

Maria 'Honourable mention for Watership Down' K

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## Joann Raytar

Watership Down ... I remember the first and second time I wandered upon that one.  I think the first time I may have been a bit too young because I remember being terrified at the concept of evil rabbits and tractors flattening bunny housess.  The second time though, it became more of a classic and less horrifying.

I loved Madeline L'Engle as a child.

[This message has been edited by Jo (edited 01-22-2001).]

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## Steve Machol

> Originally posted by Jo:
> _Have any of you guys read The Complete Hitchicker's Guide to the Galaxy?  If you enjoy Tolkien and Harry Potter you would probably enjoy The Guide for a little sarcastic light reading.  Little ones might not get the subtle humor in it though._


Yep!  I loved it so much that I read through this series twice.  I even have the BBS production of it on tape (all 6 hours)!  


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## Suzy W

My cousin got me 3 of the Harry Potter books for Christmas.  My mom thought she was nuts, thinking the books were just for children.  I have really enjoyed them.  I'm almost through with the thrid and can't wait to start the next one.  She sure knows how to grab you and keep you interested.
A friend of mine was just showing me the Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy the other day.   It seems like a good read also

Suzy

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## karen

> Originally posted by Jo:
> _Watership Down ... I remember the first and second time I wandered upon that one.  
> 
> [This message has been edited by Jo (edited 01-22-2001).]_


I loved that book!!!-wasn't there another one by the same author about a really evil rooster named Cockatrice?  I remember not liking that one as well as Watership.

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## Darris Chambless

Ah yes,

"Watership Down" One of my favorites. I use to be able to recite the entire opening story about Lellafrelar and how rabbits came to be what they are. "All the world will be your enemy. Prince of a thousand enemies."

"Vroo Doo Doos" "The General" "Big Wig" and "the black rabbit" I can't remember the two main rabbits names though. The one that always had premonitions and the other that was his care taker of sorts. Oh well.

Have fun and remember to go to the "Big Water. The Big, big water."

Darris "Dogs aren't dangerous!" C.

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## Maria

Hazel is the older brother, and Fiver is the younger brother.
Keehar's 'Beeg Vater' is in France though, so we can't go there.
Did you cry when Hazel got shot, and the black rabbit comes for him? And when he really dies at the end? I did  :(

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## Maria

OOH! When I was looking at the last message, to see how my sad face came out, I noticed that I'm an Optiwizard now! I will have to read that Harry Potter after all.

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## Bev Heishman

I was wondering who else read Tolkein's the Hobbit...in high school( grad 1974)!  A group of us loved it.  My friend and fellow journalism major who turned us on to this series is or at last check was the editor of Starlog Magazine ( Trekies unite)!

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## Joann Raytar

I was a tourtured soul and spent most of my childhood and young adult life in parochial school.  I even went to a Catholic college; I couldn't get enough I guess.  Tolkien was on our lists.  Our summer reading lists were quite long through just about every grade I could remember.

There's one thing I can't figure out.  We had to learn Latin, a dead language, well enough to read and translate Homer's Odyssy and the Illiad into English from Latin.  However, all I can tell you about Spanish is a short story about Miguel's birthday party and how to say the bus is coming at one o'clock.  Go figure ...

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## karen

> Originally posted by Bev Heishman:
> _I was wondering who else read Tolkein's the Hobbit...in high school( grad 1974)!  A group of us loved it.  !_


Bev, have you read the trilogy?  I just saw in one of my magazines that they are making a movie  of it that actually looks like it might be good.  Although those boys looked a little tall to be Hobbits...

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## Bev Heishman

I remember,Lord of the Rings. Beyond that I fuzz out. I need to go back and open these books again. I know they are buried in a box in my Mom's attic. Tom Clancy took over in recent years.

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## Night Train

Great Book Pete...Thanks for BUYING IT FOR ME! I am looking forward to the next three. (Pete, if you'd like to buy me the second one, just send it to me with your next owl)

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## Night Train

Hey Pete...I'm onto #3! I am told 3 and 4 are the best but also the longest. #2 was so/so. I am rooting for Ginny and Harry to wind up together.

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## NXTwoThou

For reference, tommarow(thursday) they'll be showing the Harry Potter teaser trailer on tele, which means that probably by friday you'll have all sorts of downloads of it available on the net.

(brought to you by the guy that's drooling over the Planet of the Apes teaser trailer that'll be released at noon today)

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## Pete Hanlin

I didn't want to prejudice you before you had a chance to read #2 for yourself, but I think you'll find #2 to be the "least best" (cause they're all pretty good) Potter book.

In my opinion, #4 was the best so far.  I think #2 simply suffers from following the first book (you've already met all the characters) and the fact that it seems to follow the same basic plot (protagonist Harry meets antagonist, defeats antagonist, saves girl, life is good, "la la la la la lah, la la la la la lah" &lt;= sung to the Smurf tune  ;) ).

Anyway, let me know what you think of #3.  Then get to #4 for the real paydirt.  Are you taking the elder "G" to see the movie (do you dare?!?!?).

Pete

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## Steve Machol

Book 4 was definitely the _best of the best_.  This book takes a darker turn and the ending is not as upbeat as the first three.  There's a growing maturity in the series and characters and I'm really looking forward to Book 5.

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## NXTwoThou

http://harrypotter.warnerbros.com/we...movie_trailer1 

:P

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## Pete Hanlin

No _WAY_!!!  Okay, when does the movie come out???  I've NEVER stood in line to see an opening night showing, but my son and I are _there_.  From what I can see of the characters (my RealPlayer wasn't handling the feed very well, so I clicked off it early), they look pretty close to my imagination.  There is nothing more distracting than reading a book, then watching the movie- only to have the characters "all wrong."

By the way, maybe we should have a sub-page to the "Just Conversation" forum for book reviews by OptiBoarders.  Would anyone else like to see something like this???

Pete

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## Pete Hanlin

Oh, as to book four.  It is definitely the pick of the litter thus far.  One caveat, however- this is the first book of the series that you might want to scan _before_ reading it to a young child.  For me, the twists and turns to a somewhat less innocent storyline were interesting.  To a child, they might be downright confusing or scary, IMHO.

Pete

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## Maria

I'd like book reviews!
By the way Pete, you should have been here when they were casting Harry. The media went mad because they might not use a British child, and the sad fact is, I can't remember what they ended up with in the end. As long as the accent isn't 'Costner as Robin Hood', I can't see that it matters.

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## Pete Hanlin

Don't know if you've seen the trailer for the movie yet, but Harry looks about like I had him imagined.  Just as long as it wasn't anyone like that bratty little kid from _Home Alone_!  Snape looks a bit less sinister than I had him pictured, but Dumbledore looks about right, and Hagrid's okay.

BTW, was that train wreck anywhere near Manchester, Maria?  They described it as being 100 miles north of London, and I thought to myself: _"Maria lives north of London... and that island can't be all_ that_ big..."_

Of course, that might be akin to asking if we felt the earthquake here in Florida (I think we're about as far away from Washington as any two points on the continental 48 can be...).  I hope you get to see some states other than Florida when you visit.  Its an okay state and all, but there's no mountains!

Pete

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## Maria

It's quite near to here. I don't know anyone that was on it, or anything though.
Never mind mountains, seeing the sun will be culture shock enough for me  :)
Also, I don't know if you know, but it said in the paper today that "Harry" opens in November, so you don't have to get in line JUST yet!

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## Pete Hanlin

Maria,
Totally off the track of this post now, but Jeanne just walked in my office and said, "So, is Maria definitely coming- and if so, when!?!"  

Like I said, everyone is excited about you coming.  Its like they're all signed up to take you home (kinda like the hamster my kindergarten class had... everyone got to take the little ****** home for a weekend over the school year).

Do you like theme parks?  We're thinking we might go en masse to Universal Studios (at Disney), Six Flags (Atlanta), or Busch Gardens (Tampa, brought to you by our friends at Anheiser Busch  ;) ).  You packed yet???

Pete

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## Maria

I'm coming on or about the 13th of August, depending on when I can get a flight.
Andrew is sat next to me, seething with jealousy at not being able to go to Universal Studios. Ha ha. Sign me up for all the trips  :)
I don't mind being looked after by everyone, but remind them that I'm only little, and if they squeeze me in their hands too hard, I might die.  :)

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## Night Train

I saw the Trailer this morning for Potter and I went to pitch my tent at the local theatre but the line was already a mile long!Harry looks perfect as does Hagrid. I can't wait. I guess I'll take my tent to Florida and get in line to see Maria. I heard they are sterilizing the shoes of the those who fly over from the United Kingdom. Something about Foot and Mouth disease. Better hide your dog Pete.

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## Maria

Yes, you have to get disinfected if you come in or leave the country. The dog will be fine, though, it's only cloven hooved creatures that are at risk. So be afraid, Night Train. Be very afraid.  ;)

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## NXTwoThou

I assume you kids are going to take lots-n-lots of pics on your runabout tour of the states for the rest of us OptiBoarders to enjoy.  :)

(now if I could only get time off..le-sigh)

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## Maria

Of course! I want a picture of me holding a real gun, because we don't have those. And me with one of those really fat people, the ones where they have to knock down a wall in their house when they die. And me with a cowboy. And me in a barber's shop where they all sing. And me with petrol that doesn't cost a pound a litre. And me with roast beef, because the way things are going here, we won't have any of that soon, either  :)

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## Pete Hanlin

A real gun?  Ohhhhh, you _are_ going to have to stay at my home for at least one evening.  You can have your choice of a pistol, rifle, shotgun, muzzle loader, etc...

Jeanne's boyfriend even has a semi-automatic for you to try out.  I'll have to work on finding the other items you mention...

Pete

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## Night Train

I'll be the cowboy!

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## Maria

Real guns! I'll have to look at work for some sunglasses that look all 'Terminator'. I have been very busy preparing sunglasses, I now have three so far, and a pair of clear specs that I've gone off, so I shall tint those also.  :)

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## chip anderson

Don't you  know them real guns is evil and dangerous.  They possess people to do harm.  People don't kill people it's the Guns and us NRA supporters.  

Chip

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## Maria

Does that mean I can legally shoot someone? "I'm sorry, your Honour, Chip possessed me"

Maria 'I'd only do it in the leg, please, let me!' K

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## chip anderson

Well Maria,  down heah in da South, "He needed killin." is still a valid defence.

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